Atypical Childhood Social Behavior and Phthalates, BPA Essay -- Medica

The Article describes how endocrine disruptors fuck produce childhood social impairment and more specifically the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates exposure during pregnancy produces autistic-like social behaviors in children. The specific social behaviors that occur from phthalates and BPA exposure atomic number 18 difficult interpersonal and social awareness skills. Phthalates and BPA, the independent variable, are endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). The EDCs interfere with the bodys hormones which are critical to brain development (Braun, 2011). Changes to hormone levels during pregnancy can lead to brain change that can alter childhood behavior. BPA and phthalates are consumer products used in plastics, food can linings, food packaging, cosmetics, personal care products and vinyl plastics. Other studies have found that animals capable to BPA and phthalates before birth have altered behavior in any case, collaborating research shows that same effect in human s (Miodovnik, 2011). Additional studies also show a tie-in between these chemicals and hormonal signaling. According to this article 137 mothers and their children were observed over a span of nine years by Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in sore York City (Braun, 2011). These mothers came from varying ethnic backgrounds and came from a lower income area of New York City. These women also were of lower education although a majority of them increased their education levels by the end of this study. The ages of the women were fairly evenly distributed from 20- 30 years of age for the majority of the participants (Miodovnik, 2011). This sampling of woman is representative of their target population because of the varying ages and ethnicities that were used and also those ... ...per it would have given more credence to the research without adding any length to the article. If I had to add anything else to this article I would have liked to have seen nigh of the supporting research added to the content of the article because, whenever you support your writing with other peoples work it always adds credence to what you are stating, it is the staple of mates review. Also this media article did not include any type of graphics and it would have been nice to see the scatter point graph included in this article as it does a good job of showing the natural increase in atypical behaviors as the levels of EDCs increased. Works CitedBraun. (2011, april 06). Enviromental Health News. Retrieved from www.enviromentalhealthnews.org.Miodovnik, A. E. (2011). endocrinal disruptors and childhood social impairment. NueroToxicology, 261-267.

Essay --

Scott Weaver GHS 205 0611/29/2013Medicine in ChinaChinese music has a tradition dating back thousands of years, but in recent years it has changed drastically. The influences of Western medicine, Communist ideology, and other government policies have been the force behind this evolution. Since 1950, Chinese medicine has been standardized and transformed into a mostly state-run program that integrates both traditional Chinese medicine and the more scientific, modern style of Western medicine. During this transition, traditional Chinese medicine struggled to find its place in the new Communist society. Today, multiple medical techniques have been blended together which allow the Chinese to pick up top-notch healthcare, while retaining their culture and tradition. Medicine in China has been practiced for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found traces of Chinese medicine dating back to the 16th Century B.C. during the Shang Dynasty. In Shang era ruins, scholars found particles of seeds still used extensively in Chinese medicine and stone-crafted instruments resembling surgical tools. They also found the first medical records on visionary bones (Medical Journal). Traditional Chinese medicine combines multiple methods including herbal remedies, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and mind-body therapy. Chinese medicine was highly connected to the spiritual world. Chinese medicine is based on the ancient Chinese perception of humans as microcosms of the larger, surrounding universeinterconnected with nature and subject to its forces (NCAAM). Concepts from Daoism, Confucianism, and other schools of Chinese thought found their sort into the philosophy and theory of medicine. Qi, for example, which meant air or breath, ca... ... to practice using Western medicine. When interviewed, many doctors have come to find that if someone died in your care and you had relied on Chinese medicine alone, no authority would defend you against accusations of neglect. If you us ed only Western medicine, no one would dare blame you. In China, patients are given(p) many treatment options, and it is ultimately up to them to decide their preferred treatment. This dynamic of multiple healthcare practices is unseen in the rest of the world. In all, Chinese medicine has changed rapidly throughout the last sixty years. The influences of Western medicine and Communist ideology have created a plural healthcare system which is nonexistent in the rest of the world. Medicine in China has become more modern and scientific, while at the same time retaining the culture, traditions, and philosophies of the Chinese people.

Dieting :: Vegan Health Food Diet Essays

As we begin our journey into the twenty-first century, society has turned to the net profit to find out what is going on with the world. With society searching for all the answers on their computers, we may soon be finding solutions to what and how we should be eating. Often, the articles read may be misleading and do not cover both sides of the issue. In modern years, several victualsary movements curb arisen from the objection to the inhumane treatment of puppets. medical exam evidence has linked these diets to many health benefits and risks. viandsing and the character references of food that we consume contain been shown to affect our lives in ways that we have been unaware of, such as cholesterol levels, heart disease, and colon cancer. These types of diseases in western societies are results of excess, rather than of deficiency. match to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have a lower risk for these diseases (http//envirolink.org/arrs/vo/ArgumentMedical.h tml). With medical arguments in favor of cutting meat out of ones diet, a more utmost(prenominal) vegetarian diet has gained attention. A vegan diet is considered a strict type of vegetarianism. In this article, I will define veganism and also outline the beneficial qualities and concerns of following this type of diet as research has shown.What is Veganism?Veganism is the strict following of a vegetarian diet in which no animal products are consumed. This diet excludes any meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products. Many vegans must take supplements to obtain the vitamins and minerals needed for ones health, which are missing from diet alone. Being vegan is not only following a scheduled diet, tho also a complete lifestyle. The perfect vegan bans any type of animal products such as leather and animal-tested cosmetics from their life. Veganism has its origins in the inhumane treatment of animals. Many vegans have done research into the livestock business and have found sorry results. B y witnessing institutionalized cruelty, vegans support their plight with this documentation and work together to boost their cause. Many vegans feel that it is not only a diet, but the physique of ahimsa-- the philosophy of non-violence towards and all-encompassing respect for all sentient beings (http//envirolink.org/arrs/vo/BeingVegan.html). Vegans are also pertain with the environment. A report issued by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior says that 1/3 of all raw materials consumed in the U.S. are involved in the production of our animal-based foods, as is over half of the water (http//envirolink.Dieting Vegan Health Food Diet EssaysAs we begin our journey into the twenty-first century, society has turned to the Internet to find out what is going on with the world. With society searching for all the answers on their computers, we may soon be finding solutions to what and how we should be eating. Often, the articles read may be misleading and do not cover both sid es of the issue. In recent years, several dietary movements have arisen from the objection to the inhumane treatment of animals. Medical evidence has linked these diets to many health benefits and risks. Dieting and the types of food that we consume have been shown to affect our lives in ways that we have been unaware of, such as cholesterol levels, heart disease, and colon cancer. These types of diseases in western societies are results of excess, rather than of deficiency. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have a lower risk for these diseases (http//envirolink.org/arrs/vo/ArgumentMedical.html). With medical arguments in favor of cutting meat out of ones diet, a more extreme vegetarian diet has gained attention. A vegan diet is considered a strict type of vegetarianism. In this article, I will define veganism and also outline the beneficial qualities and concerns of following this type of diet as research has shown.What is Veganism?Veganism is the strict f ollowing of a vegetarian diet in which no animal products are consumed. This diet excludes any meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products. Many vegans must take supplements to obtain the vitamins and minerals needed for ones health, which are missing from diet alone. Being vegan is not only following a scheduled diet, but also a complete lifestyle. The perfect vegan bans any type of animal products such as leather and animal-tested cosmetics from their life. Veganism has its origins in the inhumane treatment of animals. Many vegans have done research into the livestock business and have found disturbing results. By witnessing institutionalized cruelty, vegans support their plight with this documentation and work together to promote their cause. Many vegans feel that it is not only a diet, but the embodiment of ahimsa-- the philosophy of non-violence towards and all-encompassing respect for all sentient beings (http//envirolink.org/arrs/vo/BeingVegan.html). Vegans are also concerned with th e environment. A report issued by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior says that 1/3 of all raw materials consumed in the U.S. are involved in the production of our animal-based foods, as is over half of the water (http//envirolink.

Staging Jonsons Volpone Essays -- Jonson Volpone

Staging Volpone Jonsons Volpone, or The Fox is almost exactly contemporary with Shakespe atomic number 18s Othello and contains aspects that any(prenominal) might view as its comic counterpart. Venetian corruption and the insidious influence of a mincing, unprincipled servant are themes common to both behaves. What, though, has this play to communicate to us? Themes of corruption and materialism, resulting in a misanthropic view of the world, might have been notification in seventeenth-century England, but it is of course extremely uncontrollable to construe them as relevant to the world of today.. Volpone (the fox) is a wealthy man who fakes a grave illness in order to accumulate further treasures that exit make him wealthier. His servant, Mosca (the fly), informs some of Volpones rich associates that he is nearing his end and considering his will each can boost his or her prospects of becoming sole beneficiary after his close by presently bestowing upon him plentiful gifts . However, Volpone is by no means a simple comedy, and there are elements of several genres contemporary to Jonson an... Staging Jonsons Volpone Essays -- Jonson VolponeStaging Volpone Jonsons Volpone, or The Fox is almost exactly contemporary with Shakespeares Othello and contains aspects that some might view as its comic counterpart. Venetian corruption and the insidious influence of a mincing, unscrupulous servant are themes common to both plays. What, though, has this play to communicate to us? Themes of corruption and materialism, resulting in a misanthropic view of the world, might have been telling in seventeenth-century England, but it is of course extremely difficult to construe them as relevant to the world of today.. Volpone (the fox) is a wealthy man who fakes a grave illness in order to accumulate further treasures that will make him wealthier. His servant, Mosca (the fly), informs some of Volpones rich associates that he is nearing his end and consid ering his will each can boost his or her prospects of becoming sole beneficiary after his death by presently bestowing upon him plentiful gifts. However, Volpone is by no means a simple comedy, and there are elements of several genres contemporary to Jonson an...

Pyrotechnics :: essays research papers

PYROTECHNICSPyrotechnics special set up be widely single-valued functiond in motion picture production to farm all types of effects involving explosions, fires, light, smoke and sound concussions. The types of pyrotechnics materials used include flash powder, flash paper, gun cotton, black powder (gunpowder), smokeless powder, detonator explosives, and galore(postnominal) more. They are used in bullet hits (squibs), blank cartridges, flash pots, fuses, mortars, smoke pots, sparkle pots, etc. The main problems of pyrotechnics include prematurely triggering the pyrotechnic effect, use of larger quantities or more dangerous materials than needed, causing a fire, lack of adequate fire extinguishing capabilities, and, of course, inadequately trained and experienced pyrotechnics operators. As a result of these risks, all pyrotechnics special effects are regulated at the federal, state and local level.In general, all pyrotechnics are explosives, but not all explosives are pyrotechnics . course of action A explosives (high explosives) are materials like dynamite and Primacord which may detonate even if unconfined. Pyrotechnic special effects materials are Class B explosives. They will burn, but not explode unless confined. Examples are black powder and pellet powder, safety fuses, igniters, igniter cord, fuse lighters, Class B special fireworks, and Class B composite solids propellants. Class C explosives are common fireworks. Note that short lengths of Primacord may be classified as Class C under certain conditions. Both Class B and C explosives are also called low explosives.All pyrotechnic materials and other explosives be of an oxidizer (source of oxygen) and a reducer (fuel). Examples of oxidizers include potassium nitrate, strontium nitrate, potassium perchlorate and potassium chlorate. Examples of fuels include metals like magnesium and aluminum, sulfur, silicon dioxide, and organic fuels like charcoal, starch, resins, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. The e xcerption of fuel and oxidizer determines the type of effect (flash, smoke, sound, etc.) its color, and its intensity.There are two basic types of pyrotechnic materials single lot and two component systems. Single component materials will either burn if ignited, or explode if ignited when enclosed, since the oxidizer and fuel are in the same mixture. Flash paper, for example, is a partially nitrated cellulose and contains both fuel and oxidizer internally. The traditional black powder has potassium nitrate as the oxidizer, and sulfur and charcoal as fuels. In two component or binary systems, the oxidizer and fuel are separate components which are transported and stored separately and only mixed when ready to use.

Pyrotechnics :: essays research papers

PYROTECHNICSPyrotechnics special effects be widely used in motion picture production to create each(prenominal) types of effects involving explosions, fires, light, smoke and sound concussions. The types of pyrotechnics materials used include flash powder, flash paper, gun cotton, black powder (gunpowder), smokeless powder, detonator explosives, and many more. They are used in bullet hits (squibs), blank cartridges, flash pots, fuses, mortars, smoke pots, sparkle pots, etc. The main problems of pyrotechnics include prematurely triggering the pyrotechnic effect, use of larger quantities or more dangerous materials than needed, causing a fire, lack of adequate fire extinguishing capabilities, and, of course, inadequately trained and experienced pyrotechnics operators. As a result of these risks, all pyrotechnics special effects are regulated at the federal, state and local level.In general, all pyrotechnics are explosives, provided not all explosives are pyrotechnics. affiliate A explosives (high explosives) are materials like dynamite and Primacord which may detonate even if unconfined. Pyrotechnic special effects materials are Class B explosives. They go away burn, but not explode unless confined. Examples are black powder and pellet powder, safety fuses, igniters, igniter cord, fuse lighters, Class B special fireworks, and Class B composite solids propellants. Class C explosives are common fireworks. Note that short lengths of Primacord may be classified as Class C under certain conditions. Both Class B and C explosives are also called low explosives.All pyrotechnic materials and other explosives consist of an oxidiser (source of oxygen) and a reducer ( open fire). Examples of oxidizers include potassium nitrate, strontium nitrate, potassium perchlorate and potassium chlorate. Examples of displaces include metals like magnesium and aluminum, sulfur, silicon dioxide, and organic fuels like charcoal, starch, resins, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. The ch oice of fuel and oxidizer determines the type of effect (flash, smoke, sound, etc.) its color, and its intensity.There are two basic types of pyrotechnic materials single component and two component systems. Single component materials will either burn if ignited, or explode if ignited when enclosed, since the oxidizer and fuel are in the same mixture. Flash paper, for example, is a partially nitrated cellulose and contains both fuel and oxidizer internally. The traditional black powder has potassium nitrate as the oxidizer, and sulfur and charcoal as fuels. In two component or binary systems, the oxidizer and fuel are separate components which are transported and stored separately and only mixed when ready to use.

New Product Development Process Essay

For every successful in the raw overlap, many new product ideas be conceived and discarded. Therefore, companies usually generate a large human body of ideas from which successful new products emerge. I work as a strategic manager in solarland Co., Ltd. This company does business of electronic appliances. As a strategic Manager, I puddle been directed by my BOD to introduce a new product in Bangladesh. I want to introduce a Solar base LED TV which leave behind be run with solar system, which is without electricity people will be able to watch TV. So I have gone through my knowledge which I gained from my Strategic Management course and then make a draft of my proposition for them. The draft of my proposal for introducing a new solar based LED TV is discussed below.1. Idea GenerationThe new product development process begins with idea generation. Strategic focusing is all about selling an idea. So as a Strategic manager I have created the new product idea of Solar Based LED T V. I have created this idea as I want to capture a new market where people do not have enough electricity or else they will also be able to safe electricity apostrophize. This new product dejection define the overall constitution and mission of our company.2. Idea ScreeningIdea screening, the second step, considers the new product idea of developing a Solar Based LED TV. At this map I consider not only the fasts manufacturing, technology, and marketing capabilities, but also how the new idea fits with the companys vision and strategic objectives. During screening the idea I consider some facets which atomic number 18 very important likeWhat be the purposes of the organization?What image should the organization project?What are the ideals and philosophies that the organization desires its members to posses?What is the organizations business?How can the organization best fulfill its corporate objectives?3. Concept Development and TestingThe third stage, concept development and stressing, requires formal evaluations of the product concept by consumers, usually through some form of marketing research. As a strategic manager, to build up a self-concept is very important. Self-Concept refers to the classifiable competence or major competitive advantages of the company. In case of concept testing, the existing strategic plan should be compared with the best plan which can be developed at any given point in time. So the best conceivable plan becomes the standard. The degree to which the existing plan varies from the standard and the cost of that variation compared to the cost of revising the plan will determine whether corrective action should be taken.Figure 1 New Product Development operate and Strategic Factors 4.Business AnalysisThe business analysis stage is next. At this point the new product idea is analyzed for its marketability and be. After passing the scratch line three stages an idea may be discarded once marketing and manufacturing costs are an alyzed, due to limited authorisation for profitability or mercenary success. I can do it through Porter Five Forces analysis.Figure 2 Factors of Industry AnalysisThreat of new entrantsProfitable markets that yield steep returns will attract new firms. This results in many new entrants, which eventually will decrease profitability for all firms in the industry. Unless the entry of new firms can be blocked by incumbents the abnormal profit rate will trend towards zero (perfect competition). So I will analyze the threat broker of new entrants. For my new product I found that potential threat of new entrants are very low.Threat of substitute products or servicesThe groundwork of products outside of the realm of the common product boundaries increases the propensity of customers to switch to alternatives. So I need to assess whether there is any existing or potential substitute of our new product. As this new product will work without electricity, so threat of substitute product is very low.Bargaining power of customers (buyers)The dicker power of customers is also described as the market of outputs the ability of customers to put the firm under pressure, which also affects the customers sensitivity to price changes. The buyer power is high if the buyer has many alternatives. We can take measures to reduce buyer power, such as implementing a loyalty program.Bargaining power of suppliersThe dicker power of suppliers is also described as the market of inputs. Suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services to the firm can be a source of power over the firm when there are few substitutes. Suppliers may refuse to work with our firm or charge excessively high prices for unique resources. So we need to be careful about that.5. Prototype DevelopmentThe fifth stage, prototype development, at this stage the concept is converted into an actual product. A customer note value view during this phase means the product is designed to satisfy the needs expresse d by consumers. We may use quality function deployment (QFD) as we develop the prototype. QFD golf links specific consumer requirements such as versatility, durability, and low maintenance with specific product characteristics (for example, adjustable shelves, a door-mounted ice and water dispenser, and touch controls for a refrigerator). The customer value perspective requires the new product to satisfy customer needs and meet desired quality levels at specified production costs.6. Test MarketingIn Test marketing we will test the prototype and marketing strategy in simulated or actual market situations. Because of the expense and risks associated with actual test markets, we need to use them with caution. If the product tests poorly, it will be pulled back and re-conceptualized or discarded. 7. CommercializationCommercialization, the final stage, is when the product is introduced fullscale. The level of investment and risk are highest at this stage. At this stage we will consider c onsumer adoption rates, timing decisions for introduction, and coordinating efforts with production, statistical distribution, and marketing.STRATEGIC FACTORS INFLUENCING NEWPRODUCT DEVELOPMENTOrganizational anatomical structure and growOrganizational structure, leading, and team building influence the speed and efficiency with which new products are introduced. Structure influences efficiency, autonomy, and coordination. New product innovation requires structure that optimizes direction and guidance. Structure that facilitates internal information exchange, decision making, and materials flow is essential. A fast-cycle structure allows more time for planning and implementing activities to gain competitive advantage. This type of structure also cuts costs because production materials and information collect less overhead and do not accumulate as work-in-process inventory. Autonomy refers to the amount of decision making allowed at turn down levels of management. The coordination of the engineering, product designs, manufacturing, and marketing functions in the new product development process is vital.LeadershipLeadership influences strategy, culture, and the firms overall ability to undertake new product development. Top management can demonstrate involvement in the development process by providing career advancement for entrepreneurial skills and encouraging tolerant employee participation. Clarity and vision are crucial to ensuring that new product ideas are good strategic fits for the company. The degree to which leadership allows trial and error and promotes individual maiden positively influences the development of new products. This acceptance of risk and support for an entrepreneurial spirit within the organization are crucial in order for innovation to flourish.New products emerge in a variety of ways and their development does not always proceed in rational and consistent manners. It is necessary for leadership to view the process as iterative a nd dynamic, and to foster adaptation and flexibility. Management flexibility and responsiveness tochange also are needed. This type of leadership is especially important to the project manager who must coordinate and integrate the various parts of the new product development process so that a pertinacious system emerges that produces a product with compelling value. Initiative encourages creativity and problem-solving skills.Team BuildingTeams provide mechanisms for breaking down functional biases created by a inflexible adherence to structure. The amount of interdepartmental conflict in the organization, the social cohesion among team members, and the frequency and directionality of interdepartmental communication influence team building. done shared understanding of the objectives and purposes of the project, as well as the tasks required in the development process, teams can shape the project and influence how work gets done in the organization.Now a day technology continues t o change and create new opportunities and threats. Customer requirements and expectations continue to shift and create new demands. Old channels of distribution are becoming obsolete and new channels are opening new opportunities. Some competitors are falling by the wayside while others are surging to the forefront by making new and unexpected moves to gain advantage. The very structure of industry is changing. A key to success in this luxuriant environment will continue to be the ability to sustain a competitive advantage through innovation. However, speed, efficiency, and quality in product development will be paramount. Building capabilities in all aspects of product creation and implementation, overcoming uncertainty and facilitating decision-making, ensuring these innovations are strategically linked to the firms vision, and doing this on a regular basis is the challenge of new product development in the next century.

Returning to School Essay

Pregnant at seventeen and no foundation of stability, I dropped out of school to prepare to raise my child. I then began to argue and had a hard time making ends meet, so at that time I got on track to seek help and guidance. I started the process to set off enrolled in school but rear ended out due to finding out at nineteen I was expecting my second child. I finally went game to school and got my GED and graduated my program in summer of 2010. I walked across the stage to receive my diploma carrying my son Joziah JahVon (5 months) and holding my daughter Ajiona Amorys tip over (2 years).I was very proud and felt extremely accomplished. The importance returning to school for prolong engage on my breeding is that I exit be able to provide a stable life for my children, become successful and self-fulfilled through a career in business, and swot above the prejudicial expectations slightly people strike of me. Being a young sire of two children, I had a rough time finding childcare and being favourable with strangers caring for my babies. I tried to find range but wasnt able to find flexible hours. I was at a hard side in my life. I didnt k promptly what step to ca-ca.I enrolled in cosmetology school and did the best at my classwork and tests but my attendance was poor due to perfidious sitters. I ended up withdrawing from the program to be a mother to my children. Two years later I am now a mother to three intelligent, beautiful, amazing children. I want zippo but the best for them so Ive decided to make the best move to better our futures and got back on the black Maria and got my head back in the books. Returning to school is the best decision I couldve made for my family. We now have a bechance at success and stability.Not having much stability present in my childhood is why I want more for my children. Growing up in a broken home, constantly moving, my mother struggling to make ends meet, and not having happy memories was miserable. As a child, I always promised myself Id do whatever it took to make sure my children neer had to experience what I did. But I feel I failed my babies, because it has taken me so long to get on track and we have been in a struggle. I am upset that I allowed them to experience not having stability in their lives.But things will now be different. Ajiona Amory, Joziah JahVon and Marcella Pamela are my life, my reason for living, my everything and I will give them the best of the best. I am dedicated and devoted to my family Ill do whatever it takes to make sure they have the gr eradicateest lives I can possibly give them. I want my daughters and my son to be happy and have what they need. I never want to see them wanting or needing anything. My children and I have struggled enough throughout the years, its our time to rise above and live the lives we deserve.School will help me to do so and I want stop until they have it all. Education is one of the keys that will open many doors for us. B y furthering my education it will help me to get a good job so that I wont struggle to make ends meet and it will help to funding stability in our lives. With the struggles and lack stability I now am ready to be successful and do what needs to be done for my family. I, Angelique, have always wanted and dreamt of being the successful business type. Ive always wanted to wear the fancy suits and the sexy heels, while carrying a leather legal brief case.Its something I just never stopped wanting, no matter what other careers came my way. Desiring to be successful and have power, respect and money I knew a good career was the only way. There is no room for trial and error. I got 100 percent devotion and motivation to fulfill my dream get the job Ive always wanted and I deserve to have. Nothing will stand in my way Im on the rise to the top. Majoring in business and management is the start to our new life, new beginnings, new ways and new accomplishments.Finally with striving to have a good victor career and stability, I am ready to prove everyone wrong. I have always had family, friends, and others downing and doubting me, telling me Ill never amount to nothing nor be a somebody. Not having the support and extra push from the ones that you think love and care for you really take a toll on you in every aspect of life and emotion. But dwelling will hold you back. Yes I have failed myself by not following through with things I have started but I had my reasoning-s.I taught myself to take the positive and negative criticism and shift what you can use out and just toss the unnecessary bastard aside and keep moving forward. If you sit and ponder on why no wants to see you succeed and why they strive to see you fail, it will eat you alive and stop you from doing what it is that you want to do. It will disable you to be motivated and crush your dreams and dedication. Never allow someone reserve space in your heading to the point it stops your life. If they hate they hate. Stand up, smile and strive for the top and dont stop until youve reached it.Prove that you can be who you want to be and that they cant stop your shine. I as a single mother will keep moving forward and never again let a negative empower me and my life. Indeed, while I have made mistakes, and they pierced my will power to stay motivated these failures also made me work harder to succeed. Being a young mother is very hard and has its ups and downs. But just because I now have major responsibilities on my hands doesnt mean I wont be able to travel smooth roads throughout life. I will cross the bumps and dips in life but its normal everyone goes through it here and there.It now has showed me that its okay to fall off the horse a few times but it is or so important for me to get up and keep trying until I get it right and succeed. Returning to school was the best choice I could make for not only myself but for my children. Wanting nothing but the best for my family I decided to m ake the best move to better our futures and got up, got back on the wagon and got my head back in the books. Now having a chance at success and stability, we are happy and anxiously waiting to rise above the negative and evil.

Group Dynamics Essay

Work is being restructured around throngs of all kinds and in all sizes of organizations. Managers need an fellow feeling of sort out behavior and the concept of teams in order to appreciate what companys contribute and cannot do within organizations and how groups function. Any one member in group can influence the behavior of the case-by-cases in the group and team do work. We will examine some basic characteristics of groups including the types of work groups, the development of internal groups, and the manner in which groups operate.UNDERSTANDING convocation BEHAVIOR themes exhibit different behaviormore than just the sum total of each group members individual behavior. In this section, were going to look at various aspects of group behavior. What is a Group? A group is defined as two or more interacting and mutualist individuals who come together to achieve particular objectives. 1. Groups differ from mere aggregates of individual because the latter have no interdepende nce, interaction, or common goal. 2.Groups differ from organizations because the latter guide systematic efforts and ar engaged in the production of goods and services. 3. Teamwork occurs when groups argon able to work efficiently and in effect together to achieve organizational goals. There are a number of types of work groups 1. A formal group is a group officially planned and created by an organization for a specific purpose. a. A command or functional group is a formal group consisting of a manager and all the subordinates who report to that manager. )Each identifiable work group consisting of manager and subordinates is a command group. 2) A linking is an individual who provides a means of coordination between command groups at two different levels by fulfilling a supervisory role in the lower-level group and a subordinate role in the higher-level group. 2. Informal groups are natural affectionate formations that appear in the work environment. An informal group is a group t hat is established by employees, rather than by the organization, in order to serve group members interests or social needs.Informal groups are unplanned groups. a. An interest group is an informal group created to facilitate employee pursuits of common concern. b. A friendship group is an informal group that evolves primarily to meet employee social needs. Over dupe of Group Dynamics Formal and informal work groups are becoming increasingly important competitive factors in organizations. Teamwork is the result of groups working together to effectively and efficiently achieving organizational goals. Formal groups include command and task groups. Informal groups include interest and friendship groups.A useful way to analyze groups is to view them as systems that use inputs, engage in various processes or transformations, and produce outcomes. Managers can help bring about higher performance from formal work groups by weighing the characteristics of members they assign to particular groups. Group members should have task-relevant expertise and appropriate interpersonal skills. Also, it has been found, that a degree of diversity among group members usually adds to performance. Group training, particularly for diverse groups, has been found to be useful.Members may be attracted to a group for a number of reasons including being attracted to or impulse other members of the group, liking the activities of the group, the goals or purposes of the group, because the group satisfies an individuals need for affiliation, and/or because the group can help an individual achieve a goal outside the group. The absence of attraction can prevent the group from achieving high performance. Member roles in groups include group task roles, group maintenance roles, and self performance.Member roles in groups include group task roles, group maintenance roles, and self oriented roles. The size of the group has also been found to have significant bearing on the groups performance. Mi d-sized groups, from five to seven members, seem to be an optimum size according to recent research. Smaller groups can often exacerbate individual differences. Large groups tend to be when working in groups than when working entirely. Free riding is particularly likely when members exhibit individualism rather than collectivism. Managers can chip social loafing by several methods.Assign just enough people to do the work is one key method. Other methods include qualification each individuals work visible, providing for individual feedback, have people work with those the respect, have standards to actually measure group performance, and making rewards contingent on a combination of individual and group performance. The work group processes usually result in greater or lesser performance than would occur if the individuals worked alone rather than as members of the group. This process is called synergy. Managers strive to have a positive synergy from the group rather than negative .Three key characteristics of the group help retrieve the synergy levels. These are group norms, group ropiness, and group development. Norms are the behaviors of group members that are acceptable to the group. Norms stem from explicit statements by supervisors and coworkers, critical events in a groups history, primacy, and carryover behaviors. Group cohesiveness has important consequences for group communication, satisfaction, performance, hostility and aggression toward other groups, and a groups willingness to innovate and change.Factors influencing the amount of cohesiveness in a group include whether or not members of the group share attitudes and values, the amount and severity of external threats to the group, whether or not the group experiences placeable successes, the degree of difficulty encountered in joining the group, and the size of the group. One view of group development shows groups passing through five distinct stages forming, storming, norming, performing, an d adjourning. A groups performance varies depending on the stage it is in. A special kind of group behavior is found in group meetings.Because of the considerable amount of age spent in meetings, it is important for managers to know how to maximize group meeting effectiveness. This chapter includes an excellent short guide for how managers can lead more effective group meetings. Groups can also help facilitate creativity and innovation in the organization. Some of the major mechanisms that organizations use to encourage the creative and innovative capacity of groups include the use of task forces, or ad hoc committees, and teams, particularly entrepreneurial and self-managing teams.

The Mark of Athena

Rick Ordain Intro When you find yourself on a flying ship waiting to land and then suddenly meet an exploding statue youre in Amenable Chases life. The crew of the 4 demigods in the Prophecy Seven venture come out of the closet to Camp Jupiter, a Roman camp. They go there to find Percy, Frank, and chromatic the 3 other demigods for the prophecy. They ride on the Argon 2nd, a ship that angiotensin converting enzyme of the demigods made which can travel in the air and water. After landing in peace, one of the seven demigods started firing the ballista at the Romans and had no control over his bodyThe seven demigods barely made it out alive. travel away from the Romans as fast as they could they head out to save Nice did Angelo and stop the giants from destroying the gods. Amenable has her own dilemma though. She has to follow the Mark of genus Athene to find and bring back something that the Romans stole from the Greeks that was dedicated to Athena. The catch is that she can only go alone. No help, no powers Just her smarts. Go with her as she unravels why so many children of Athena have never come back from trying to mind that holy figure that was taken by the Romans.Will the seven demigods attract it in time to save Nice did Angelo? Will Amenable complete the mission that her mother sent her on, which nobody has ever came back successfully or have even survived? Will they stop the giants who imprisoned Nice? Read The Mark of Athena to find out because, Im not telling you. My favorite caliber in this book is Amenable because she goes through denial with her mother and gets the Job to follow the Mark of Athena. She is a very realistic teenager in America.Having a boyfriend and having problems with her mother. The only real difference between the seven demigods and real teenagers is that they have weapons, godly parents and powers according to their godly parent. I could only find one thing in this book that I didnt like. It is that Rick put almost all of t he fully grown luck on Percy and Amenable. All the other demigods just helped out and barely shared the bad luck except Leo. The rating I give to this book is 9. 99/10 only for the unjust distribution of bad luck.

Rationale Statement

This 2 hour online workshop Is an Indication of this standard because of the freeloading and research that went Into Its creation. I Incorporated what I knew of the learners into the initial design phases of the module. Taking multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences into consideration helped me to create pointed activities, assignments, and resources to reach a broader pool of participants. After all, to determine effectively, youve got to know how people learn and in particular youve got to know how they think. (Ramrod, 2010) Interestingly enough, the topic of the workshop Is differentiation.As result, the module Itself models the topic by providing lessons and assessments that incorporate differentiation in its design. Images, videos, text, links, and interactive activities make up the bulk of the content, and each tab brings in different strategies to reach different learners. Standard. The Instructional materials for this website Indicate a wide course of modaliti es. I have shot and embedded videos of subject matter experts, Included Interactive multiple choice quizzes, as easily as developed word threads to allow participants o work together.Using what I know of the skills highlighted by the Partnership for 21st Century Literates, I incorporated assessments that ask learners to collaborate, to analyze readings and photos, and to compound their obtainings into writing. These skills are ones teachers need to use, sure. However, since the focus of the workshop Is to help teachers teach students, I believe It is vital for any professional development to model these skills as well and ask teachers to interact with the skills they will to a fault expect their own students to utilize. Standard.I believe It Is very important to allow learners flexibility in this workshops Implementation. Knowing the schedule of the target audience, the secondary teacher, I decided that the workshop should be self-paced and accomplished over a short window of ti me. Over a two-week period, learners have the chance to pound in and work to chip away at the tabs at their convenience. Each tab focuses on different topics centered on differentiation and can be explored in any order. However, as self-paced as it is, there are lull patterns and rhythms worked into the workshop. Resources, visuals, informal assessment. Resources, visuals, Informal assessment.The predictable pattern Is meant to help the comfort level of learners. Students find that a Rhythm for an online course provides similar benefits in keeping learners on track (Botcher & Conrad, 2010. ) By making this decision of flexible learning right take away the bat, I was able to then back plan what support I needed to develop and provide in order to ensure a down experience for the learners each time they log in. Throughout my program, I became a greater fan of Haiku as a Learning Management System. Haiku is amazingly user-friendly, and still provides the learners and the signers ac cess to a wide variety of tools.They dont water down the possibilities. The resources are housed easily using this virtual classroom. The discussions are easily encouraged. Submission methods are intelligible and clear. Haiku permits an easy pathway to communicate with learners. Nevertheless, the pool of learners that piloted the workshop varied in levels of tech users. To address this, I developed a series of scaffolds to help participants irrespective of their tech level. For instance, despite the ease of Haiku, I still also provided a Screenplay that allowed me to introduce both savvy and tentative learners to the ALMS.It was my first time using this benevolent of technology, and having gone through the process, I have discovered how invaluable it is. I plan to include a Screenplay for any future project as an instructional designer as well as a classroom teacher. Standard 5 EVALUATIONSO Regarding learner assessment and evaluation, the workshop clearly meets this standard becau se of the elements included in its virtual walls. It includes formative, informal assessments in the form of short writings based on photograph analysis ND asking learners to synthesize concepts into discussion threads.It also incorporates more formal summarize assessments in the form of an online multiple- choice survey. Regarding my own evaluative process, I ensured that the assessments aligned to the initial objectives. The test measures what its supposed to measure (Laureate, 2012. ) A simple concept, but one that is critical in the success of creating a training module. In addition, the course evaluation survey incorporates both quantitative selective information and subjective opinion, the results of which I could reflect on to aid in my evasions as well as my own growth as an instructional designer.

Kingfisher

Visa Malay inducted professional management and implement different methods and theories to develop the company to globalize the company. Since then Kingfisher has gone on to become the undisputed king in the Indian beer commercialise. Kingfisher to solar day has impressive spread of manufacturing facilities throughout the whole country. Quality and hygiene are the key elements for its commercializeing school of thought success. Its flagship brand Kingfisher, has achieved international recognition consistently, and has won legion(predicate) awards in International Beer Festivals. KingfisherPremium Lager beer is currently available in 52 countries and leads the way amongst Indian beers in the International market. It has been ranked amongst the lift 10 fastest exploitation brands in the I-J. Today each one of the 32,000 Beer outlets in India sells one brand or the former(a) from United Breweries. United Breweries limited has a 48% share in the Indian beer market. S. W. O. T (St rength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis A SOOT analysis is a organize approach to evaluating the strategic position of a business by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.It provides a simple method of synthesizing the results of the marketing audit. Strength Kingfisher is a true global Indian icon and is alike known today as a premium worldwide brand. It has the gruelingest worldwide distri saveion system and is available in 52 countries worldwide. It is a worldwide known brand with sponsorship in Formulae, Indian Premier League and title sponsors of England and Wales Cricket Boards National Championship knock out competition overdue to this it has excellent brand visibility. It also has bulky financial backing from bar Group. WeaknessKingfisher usually focuses on strong beer market as it is mostly favored in India but not in different countries and and so market addition is slow. Due to the current high demand and worldwide distr ibution system some(prenominal) opportunities are lost as there is less availability. Opportunity Due to the current trend of beer among the young populate Kingfisher has a lot of benefit by global market expansion. The changing culture and lifestyle of Indian people has also increased the beer pulmonary tuberculosis. Threats The alcohol exertion is highly taxed and has certain regulations thus has a lot of regard on Kingfisher.Advertising for alcohol has been banned in India as it is considered to be a taboo. Negative perceptions about alcoholic beverages are widely common. Kingfisher faces huge competition from international companies bid Heinlein, Scrabbles and Budweiser. P. E. S. T. L. E Analysts 2 PESTLE stands for political, economic, social, technological, legal and purlieual. PESTLE analysis is a sour, to help understand the overall market environment for a particular industry, business, harvest-time, or project. It is often a key part of strategic marketing and b usiness planning.PESTLE allows an organization to go in depth into heir current status and weaknesses. Political factors- Minimum drinking age The minimum drinking age in India is 21 years whereas in European countries is 18 thus minimum drinking age affects the alcohol business in an important way. People below the permitted age cannot consume alcohol even if they hope to. Kingfisher beer is adversely affected in terms of sales. Banned advertisements India is a offspring country thus advertising of alcohol outputs has been a subject of continuous disceptation between the government, the alcohol industry, health groups, policy makers and the public.Advertising in alcohol industry is done for brand choice and also it is a fair tool but banning advertising reduces market entry of new firms and thus also reduces awareness among the consumers about the product. Economic factors- Taxation and Policies India has a very large youth nation and strong beer is mostly favored but whitewa sh growth of beer has some restrictions and complications which are in the form of taxes and policies implemented by the state governments.Taxes and policies are different from state to state and some states do not allow alcoholic products brewed and manufactured from other states. The highest taxes are mostly levied by northern states much(prenominal) as Attar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharajahs and Delhi. All of this has a great impact on the sales of United Breweries and other brands but there are also many obstacles such as the government has banned the advertisements of any sorts for alcoholic products. Economic growth and per capita income With more than than 60% of Indians younger than age 25 consumption of alcohol is likely to increase in the coming years.Due to continuous growth rate and growing economy people are fussting richer day by day and also are their preferences as more people re drinking beers and spirits which is a very advanced sign for the growing alcohol industry. With the growing middle class and modern retail formats, taxation policies adopted by the state governments will act in favor of the growing beer industry in the coming future which will help united breweries and other brands in achieving their desired goals. Socio-cultural factors- Cultural restriction India is a country with many religions and some of the religions nullify drinking alcohol.This has a huge impact on the sales of alcohol brands. Violence through alcohol There is strong association between ferocity and drinking. Violent behavior is occurred in all communities it is caused mainly due to over consumption of alcohol. Alcohol abuse and violence is caused mainly due to poor agnate modeling and mental stress. Drunken driving cases are some of the main causes of highway accidents. But through proper social norms and public education, violence and alcohol abuse can be tackled. Individual factors also play a very important role.Population India is the second largest count ry in terms of population and PUB group has a unique rand name thus people pitch to consume their products. PUB group has a 48% share in the beer market thats why it is known as the king of beer market in India. Technological factors- Scientific studies In a recent scientific research it has been confirmed that people who drink moderately have a lower risk of premature death as compared to people who do not drink at all. manipulation of alcohol moderately leads to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and obesity whereas people who drink in excess have a negative impact on their health. Di nonethelessery effluent treatment Compared to western countries where concentration of spent wash and its usage as an animal additive is a common practice, this process is not followed in India because Indian spent wash contains a higher level of inorganic substances which are found to produce a laxative set if the consumption of feed is not monitored. Environmental factors- Pollution A lot of water pollution is caused when the beer is made, the manufacturing of beer consists of three processes namely preparation of malt, beer worth and fermentation.These processes involve a lot of rinsing and cleaning as beer is made of barley and alt is prepared from it for brewing. The sewer water contains a lot of solids, detergents, soluble and insoluble organic materials. The wastewater is almost three times more concentrated than sewage but there are no toxic contaminants and most of the water is biodegradable. To meet the timbre of discharge standards anaerobic biological treatment is done so that the organic concentration of wastewater is reduced.Legal environment- Age factor In most European countries the age of drinking is 18 but in India where people are allowed to vote at this age are not permitted to drink. In India the alcohol consumption is allowed after 21 years but in some states it is 25. Despite the number of people who are below the ages of 25 years the beer ind ustry has a huge potential if the current drinking age is lowered. Alcohol is considered a taboo in India as the culture and traditions are different than that of western countries. 5 Market Analysis- The beer industry is still growing in India and it is estimated to be over 30 billion (in rupees).Overall annual consumption of beer is around 23000 million elites (fugues of 2011) the beer industry is growing at a yearly rate of 7% to 9%. The major players of beer industry are Gabrielle and United Breweries. The beer industry is likely to face more competition from foreign brands such as Scrabbles, Heinlein, Budweiser and Corona. Beer markets like USA and Europe have seen a flat growth whereas consumption in the Indian market has increased tremendously. In India beer sales have seen a rapid increase as compared to other alcoholic drinks.International beer companies like Budweiser, Scrabbles and Heinlein are well established in western countries but are still facing tough competition f rom Kingfisher which is the king in he beer industry of India with a 48% share. With more than 80% of market controlled by united breweries and Gabrielle, foreign brands are yet to find their feet on the ground. Kingfisher posted a profit before tax of RSI. 1475 million in the first quarter of this year ending on 30th June 2012. Strong beer continued to dominate with a growth of 23% in sales volume.Intensity of controversy The intensity of rivalry competitors is quite moderate as in case there is quite a rise in regulatory and legal burdens, manufacturers get together so that competition between them is lowered as they have to ensure their profit. Threat of new competitors The Indian beer industry is currently growing thus it is attractive for new players but with the dominant force of United breweries and Gabrielle already established it has been very difficult for foreign brewers to expand and overthrow Kingfisher which is currently jumper cable in beer consumption.Threat of sub stitute Brands like Kingfisher face further competition from substitutes like wine, vodka and whiskey, which are mostly favored in India as beer industry is still developing, it still has to get a bigger consumer tooth root which spirits do have but due to the changing rend and growing Indian youth population beer industry best is yet to come.Suppliers dicker power Barley which is the most important product for brewing is quite cheaper and available in plenty and other inputs used to brew are also cheaper as there is a huge number of suppliers thus suppliers have less bargaining power. 6 Customers bargaining power It has been seen that customers are more powerful when their purchases form a large portion of sellers sales but if there are less number of players in the market people dont look at the quality but the product and thus they have less control over rice.Classification of beer Lager Ale Stout chromatic Ale Malt Plainer Porter Age Kingfisher mild For young people Just for f un People who drink for the first time mainly for experience Kingfisher strong People who drink regularly Those who want beer to be stronger mostly favored by people 25 and above THE KING OF GOOD TIMES As the secure line suggests Kingfisher has positioned its brand for people who want to socialize, party or have fun. 7 Customer Analysis- The beer industry in India has a wide consumer base and people rink alcoholic beverages mostly for celebrating an event or socializing.Unlike western countries people in India are allowed to consume alcohol after the age of 21 in most states and spirits are given more preference. United breweries have a strong base in spirit and beer industries. Kingfisher is at the top of the list in consumption of beer. Consumer behavior India is a developing country with a large population of middle-class people thus people tend to consume beer occasionally. Whiskey, vodka and wine were given more preference but the beer industry is yet to reach its potential an d is growing at a very confuse rate.Products like Kingfisher and Harvards 5000 have shown excellent progress so far as they are already established in the beer industry. International brands like Budweiser, Heinlein and Scrabbles are still struggling to establish their brand among the people as they are expensive than Kingfisher and Harvards products, this is mainly due to taxes and regulations by the state governments which usually are hard on alcoholic companies. In a recent survey it was shown that one in three beers drunk in India were of Kingfishers. Consumers always prefer the cheapest product ND good value which Kingfisher effectively delivers.Recommendations- Kingfisher is famous for its marketing and sponsorships in major sporting events and spends a lot of money on it per year. It should concentrate on innovation and maturement of new products which will help it increase its brand value in other western countries where there is even a larger market for its product and th ere are no restrictions on advertising. Retailing its beers with more number of large departmental stores. Advertising its brand Kingfisher by entering into different industries like water, soda of which advertising is allowed. This will lead to more brand awareness.Developing innovative and new packaging for its beer. It should concentrate on innovation of a new product which has elements of a spirit and a beer. 8 Conclusion- Kingfisher has a huge potential of expanding the beer market in India as the per capita income of the people is rising and so is the consumption. Kingfisher also has a kind of monopoly over other brands as it is already well established and sells its product at a cheaper rate than the new competitors entering the Indian beer industry. The negative perceptions about alcohol consumption have gone down and he beer industry will definitely show a lot of growth in the coming years.

Factors that drive organizational change Essay

Organizational limiting is defined as throw that has an impact on the way work is performed and has a significant loading on staff. (The Vector study, 2012). Organizational neuter can be major like a reorganization or a much smaller change such as new computer software. Changes can include structure at bottom the organization, working practices that include hours and schedules, role changes, and the surround within which work is done. Whether change is viewed as large or small it can affect production, employee satisfaction, and profits.When an organization faces decisions that may cause change, the leadership mustiness have a vision of the objective. In order for change to happen, the entire organization needs to share a vision of a desirable future. Today there are many reasons for change in an organization. One major factor is technology. The technological advancements in business resulted in frequent changes and more are coming. Organizations use technology to look for shi p canal to make things easier and less costly. In an ever-changing global economy the demand for higher services and quality place pressure on an organization, implying that change is a constant way of corporate life. Businesses want results and the addition of the Internet, web mergings, andcell phones have created an environment of instant results.Technology has advanced business needs to out of the question heights. With changes, though, comes implementation. These changes are not easy and will affect the team members. Management has to be on top of the newest developments and decide how best to use them. Leadership must implement strategies that will help the entire organization see the vision they have for the smart set and why this change is necessary for progress. For an organization to be productive in leading change it is essential that members are of the same mind-set and share the sense that change will lead to progress. Teams leading change must be credible and commi tted to the change process.Possessing the skills necessary and the ability to guide others is crucial to success. Failing to do so leads to market share and profit loss. Shareholders put down confidence in senior management and the loss of key employees can perpetuate an unstable environment. The economic and social forces such as globalization, social/culture, semipolitical/legal, competition, technology, liberalization, deregulation, unstable financial market and advancement in information technology have made and continue to make the business environment dynamic in all operating aspects.Competition is another factor of organizational change. A small business may generate themselves directly competing with a large cosmic string store or a United States manufacturing firm may have competition from other global organizations. No matter the size or mates of a business, competition will lead to change. Most organizations today face a dynamic changing environment. These companies have two choices change and grow or stay the same and fail. Organizations that learn to change and adapt to these changes ultimately survive. Merger and acquisitions are lots a result of change. One company could not or did not adapt to the changes in the environment and became vulnerable or they made aggressive changes and became more desirable as an asset than a competitor.This is how I find myself in my current job. In 2001 I was employed by a small Bio-tech company that developed and sold an innovative piece of medical equipment. This company was growing faster than anticipated and the market for this product exceeded expectations. It was a very exciting time. In the medical device industry there is always blather of acquisitions and no organization is immune to the rumors. As thetalk of our small company being bought by one of the big Bio-tech companies in our industry grew, so did the uncertainty. The do of mergers and acquisitions on employee morale can be significant, (Ri chards, 2013) and my company and fellow employees were no exception.There was an announcement made, and we were acquired by another much larger company. Change is often difficult and how this was going to impact our jobs was the biggest concern for most. Who would still have a job and how was that job going to change based on our new environment were the questions being asked. The key to this successful merger of two separate sales teams was communication. The communication was critical to eliminate fear and explain decisions. The leadership worked diligently to raise us with as much information regarding the upcoming steps and who would be handling each one. They shared as much of the strategy as they could legitimately and handled every question effectively and honestly.When two organizations come together in a situation as this, there are many changes to deal with. apiece member of our team was given the choice to apply for a position within the new company or take a severance package. few felt safer with the severance and left, but many of us interviewed for our positions with the new company. We met in a central location and were interviewed by three teams sales, human resources and, marketing.Not subtle if and how many of us would ever work together again was an additional stress. Waiting for the call, to see if I had a job was stressful, but so was meeting and joining a new group. As in any organization change there were concerns, conflicts and, perceived losses. Fear of change can impact productivity negatively and resulted in some to seek other opportunities. Fortunately for me though, things have worked out well.Stress and fear of job changes can cause competition within an organization. Senior leadership was doing their best to stay alert to signs of negative competition and keeping both groups informed of the changes and what impact this would have on each unmarrieds job. Competition is good but if it creates stress and conflict it can be de trimental to an organization.ReferencesThe vector study. (2012). Retrieved from http//vectorstudy.com/management-topics/organizational-changeRichards, L. (2012). The effects of mergers and acquisitions on employee morale. Small Business, (), . Retrieved from http//smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-merger-acquisition-employee-morale-3196.html

Economic Principles

_____________________________________________________________ BEO1105 Economic Principles Assignment Semester 2, 2012 DUE Week beginning the tenth of September, 2012 Value 20% of Total Assessment * Since the date tropes a part of the final assessment for the subject, no assistance will be provided by the staff in relation to answers to the questions. However, if you need any clarifications in regard to the questions, you may contact the lecturer/tutor. You should attach the duly completed Assessment Declaration form available in the Assessment Information section of the subject Web site (WebCT). * You should comply with the assignment presentation requirement as outlined in the subject guide. * The assignment must be typed with a maximum of 600 words in total. * The completed assignment must be lodged with your tutor during your scheduled tutorial in the week it is due. ___________________________________________________________________________ incredulity 1 (9 marks)During the 19 90s, technological advance reduced the cost of computer chips. Explain, with the expenditure supply and demand diagrams, how the following markets are affected in terms of prices and quantities. (a) Computers (3 marks) (b) Computer software (3 marks) (c) Typewriters (3 marks) Question 2 (6 marks) After an economics lecture one day, your friend suggests that burdensome food would be a good way to raise revenue because the demand for food is quite inelastic. a) In what sense is taxing food is a good way to raise revenue? (3 Marks) (b) In what sense is it not a good way to raise revenue? (3 Marks) Question 3 (5 marks) Most studies of firms long run be have found that average cost decline as firms produce increasingly larger railroad siding levels (economies of scale), such as for automobile firms. However, trucking (haulage) firms appear not to experience falling average costs associated with large-scale operations. Why might this be the case? Explain

Review of the Child Protective Services Investigation Process Essay

In the beginning of 2004, the tragic death of a young boy in San Antonio, TX raised concerns about Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (TDPRS) procedures relating to the probe of the baby protective services ( hertz) process, including responding to tele telephone reports and assessing the risk of contumely accurately. TDPRS is watercoursely under investigation legitimate by the Governor, Rick Perry. The Governor call forthd, there is enough evidence from various parts of the state to paint a picture that some of our most vulnerable children ar not receiving the protection they need from abusive situations. The evidence leads me to intrust we have a corpseic breakdown in the safety net that must protect mistreat children (www.governor.state.tx.us July 1, 2004).This paper examines current procedures in the investigation process and provides recommendations for improvement related to several of the details and character of the operations process. Reinven ting government initiatives draw heavily on supply chain counseling, total lumber steering, problem process reengineering, and just-in-time delivery concepts that fall under the Operations Management umbrella.(Chase, 2003). Because this review is narrowly focused on the wheel investigation process, there atomic moment 18 several essential elements of child welfare services that are not addressed in this paper, including substitute care and permanency services.OVERVIEW OF FUNCTIONAL AREASThe boilers suit goal of cps is to protect the unprotected children from scream and neglect. This report focuses on specific CPS functions and crosscutting themes. These functions are those that comprise the child protection response to allegations of ill-usage and neglect. Operational definitions described in this report intromit* Screening and inhalation the process by which CPS receives a referral and a report concerning allegations of child abuse or neglect, and decides whether or not to respond to the referral and report.* Investigation the process by which CPS determines whether child mal interference has occurred or if a child is at risk of maltreatment, and the decisions and actions that are needed to ensure the childs safety.* Other CPS Response and Alternative Response a response to an allegation of abuse or neglect that assesses the ineluctably of the child or family with or without requiring a determination that maltreatment has occurred or that the child is at risk of maltreatment for the purpose of providing the family with services.For each function, there are several divers(prenominal) features. The workflow of these functions is described in Table 1.SCREENING AND INTAKEReceiving community referrals, which includes those from mandated professional reporters and the population at large, is the gateway to CPS. Features of the intake procedures include the availability to receive reports, methods for documenting reports, and timeframes for accep ting and forwarding a report. Intake is available 24-hours a day 7 days a week, and centralized in Austin, TX. Referred reports are generally categorized into two groups.In the first off group, CPS caseworkers are dispatched immediately for children believed to be in imminent risk of harm. In the second group, investigations are usually initiated inwardly 10 days. The policies indicate that a decision protocol for forwarding cases for investigation. The hotline workers conduct character assurance (QA) reviews on each case and decision to forward a case to investigation is make with supervisor approval. In case of sexual abuse and serious abuse, the case must be notified to right enforcement.INVESTIGATIONThe investigation function addresses the process of determining whether a child has been step or is probably to be maltreated, and if services are needed to ensure the child allow for not be harmed in the future. TDPRS implemented the use of risk and safety assessment (IRA) as tools to guide decision-making as to when and how to intervene to wield children safe in the immediate future and to reduce long-term risk. The result of IRA was included at case closure, during case envisionning at any major decision point, or whenever circumstances kindle a childs safety is at risk. Investigators usually check if the childs family has had a prior validated report of abuse or neglect. Investigators then visit and interview the family, including initiating face-to-face fall into place with the children, and begin collecting information about the aver maltreatment incident.If an investigator, during the initial investigation, believes that a child has been maltreated and inevitably the court to protect the childs safety, the investigator must initiate judicial heed of the case, which can be time-consuming and complicated. While the investigator is following the procedures involved in investigating the alleged maltreatment, he or she is also developing a tenta tive plan to address those conditions in the habitation that CPS believes contributed to the maltreatment of the child. This plan ultimately becomes the case plan that outlines treatment services for the child and the family. The plan described what actions are required of all the parties involved to correct the condition that caused the maltreatment.OTHER CPS solution AND ALTERNATIVE RESPONSEThe overall goals of alternative response are to provide a response survival to those families whose situations did not meet the mandate or criteria for CPS involvement, to serve low-risk or low-severity situations, or to improve family situations. This is to evince partnering the families with the community and creating a network for the family, protect children and assist parents to recognize and remedy conditions harmful to their children, provide onus services before the need of CPS involvement is required, and prevent the family from potentially being re-referred. The causes of child abuse and neglect are compound, and a case plan can involve referrals to an array of individuals, including caseworkers from other units in the agency, private service providers such(prenominal) as psychical health and counseling professionals, other public agencies such as housing and transportation services.CURRENT WORKFLOWDocumenting business process flows visually not wholly helps in ISO and QS initiatives, but it is the first step toward continuous improvement. (Gould, L. 2000) A good way to start analyzing a process is with a diagram showing the basic elements of a process (Chase, 2003) Table 1 describes the overview of current workflow from the time the report of maltreatment was reported to CPS until the completion of the investigation.Table 1 primal PROBLEMSBecause child protection is a searing service and because of the seriousness consequences of errors, CPS must seek to image the quality, timeliness, and accuracy of the process both through detailed specifications ( laws, regulations, and policy) and thorough supervisory oversight. However, the process must be balanced with systems that give workers and supervisors sufficient flexibility to apply sound professional judgment. Increases in the number of maltreatment cases, the changing nature of family problems, and long-standing systemic weaknesses have placed the CPS system in a state of crisis and undermined its ability to fully carry out the responsibilities for abused and neglected children.First, child maltreatment reports have rise steadily across the state. The caseloads of CPS have grown correspondingly, and CPS cannot keep pace with this workload. Second, these caseloads are progressively composed of families whose problems have grown more troubling and complicated, with substance abuse a common and permeating condition. Finally, systemic weaknesses, such as difficulty maintaining professional and skilled workforce, inconsistently implementing policies and procedures, and poor working relationships with exterior resources has created a long-standing problems. The combined effect of difficult caseloads and systemic weaknesses may endanger the lives of children glide slope to the attention of CPS.In CPS, the module sometimes deal with life-and-death issues, the knowledge of and consistent application of appropriate policies and procedures are critical. However, CPS staff is unable to consistently apply existing policies such as inadequate safety assessment. This is because policies sort frequently, no procedures manual exists, and information is inconsistently distributed to all staff.By necessity, CPS should work efficiently and in effect with outside resources to protect children. However, the outside resources, like CPS, also face problems associated with the large volume of increasingly complex cases, budget cuts, and Medicaid reform. Unnecessary time spent to transfer or refer cases diverts the investigator from performing investigative activities on oth er open cases and create congestion in workflow.COMPARE AND CONTRAST WITH OTHER dedicateIn 1994, Missouri developed a new strategy to handle the overwhelming number of reports coming into its CPS system. Missouri recognized that state government, acting alone, had neither the resources nor the local community, neighborhood, or family base to efficaciously alter the cycle of abuse and neglect. The agency and local CPS offices have turned to the broader community of churches, schools, mental health providers, and others to expand their reach.By developing partnerships with these community groups, CPS is able to quickly increase the number of people available to serve children and their families, without increasing CPS staffing levels. The model in this state is also found on the premise that not all CPS cases require the same traditional approach. Instead, the models incorporate a flexible response, whereby CPS cases can be grouped according to the nature of the allegation, recogni zing that different types of allegations required different responses.RECOMMENDATIONSBuild Community PartnershipDifferent types of maltreatment require dramatically different prevention and treatment strategies. It is critical for CPS to form partnerships between CPS and community service providers. This will allow the cases to be referred and transferred more smoothly and in a timely manner. However, ultimate success will depend on the CPS staffs ability to overcome certain challenges, such as developing willingness within the community to become more active in protecting children from maltreatment and to adapt to new roles and responsibilities. complicate the Key Performance RequirementKey Performance RequirementsHow to Achieve These RequirementsReport Receipt(Intake)* Community consciousness of when and how to report* Minimal wait to reach the intake workers* Effective use of the CAPS (agency computer system)* Enhanced phone system that provide real time information, manage call distribution to available workers, and support inclination of staffing requirementsScreening* Immediate response to high risk situations* Reasonable timeliness of decisions on other situations* dependable screening decisions* Screening guidelines that provide consistent direction* Immediate access to germane(predicate) information system* Real-time consultation from experienced supervisors assessment(Investigation)* Sufficient thoroughness reasonable and prudent efforts made to obtain relevant information* Timeliness of decisions* Decisions consistent with information and with policy* Assessment guidelines that provide consistent direction* Assessment timeliness requirements that balance thorough information gathering with responsiveness* Reasonable caseloads and adequate number of staff* Accessible consultation from experienced supervisorsManagement Reporting* Information that enables management to make sound judgments regarding overall performance and other matters, such as st affing requirements* Information that enables supervisors to manage caseloads and monitor quality and timeliness* utilization of the information to identify targeted improvements where needed* Real-time information about on-going cases* Reports on both the detailed (by worker) and abbreviation (by unit) level on caseloads and case status (pending, deadlines, overdue, etc.)* Reports of quality assurance findings* Designation of specific performance measures that will be tracked and monitored with comparisons across local offices* Management reports on overall program performance including workload, timeliness, quality assurance results, investigation outcomes, list of outside resources, etc.CONCLUSIONTDPRS is facing increased reports of child abuse and neglect, as well as a disturbing increase in the number of families with severe and ten-fold problems. The burden to improve the ways CPS responds to children at risk of abuse and neglect falls on state and local governments. When a process is operating at capacity, the only way to take on more work without increasing the waiting time is add more capacity (Chase, 2003) CPS management must recognize that the traditional approaches to child protection cannot keep pace with the demand for services.CPS needs to reach out to communities to establish partnerships among service providers, as well as our citizens. Furthermore, the CPS management team up must look at the entire workflow of the operations process and recognize long-standing systemic problems. It is critical to seek ways to correct deficiencies and to build and maintain the personnel that will support the operations management strategies.REFERENCESChase, R. (2003). Product design and process selection. Operations Management for Competitive Advantage, Tenth Edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies.Chase, R. (2003). Operations strategy and management change. Operations Management for Competitive Advantage, Tenth Edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies.www. tdprs.sta te.tx.uswww.governor.state.tx.usGould, L. (2004) Designing a better business. Gardner Publications, Inc. Retrieved from www.autofieldguid.com on 8/23/04McDonald W. (2001). National study of child protective services systems and reform efforts Literature review. Retrieved from www.aspe.hhs.gov.hsp/protective01/on 8/22/04.http//www.gao.gov/archive/1997/he97115.pdf

Negotiation Strategy Analysis

The prime(prenominal) article is retrieved from Bloomberg. com Saudi-Arabian Oil Tanker Owners in Negotiations with Pirates where the Saudi Arabian supertanker hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The supertanker belongs to Saudi Arabias state-owned transmitping line, Vela International Marine Ltd. The negotiation is between the pirates that deplete captured the Sirius Star and the owners of the Saudi Arabian supertanker. The pirates sop up the advantage in the negotiation because they have the 25 crew with different nationalities as hostage, and the tanker carrying more(prenominal) than 2 million barrels of crude oil worth $110 million.Saudi Arabia is unlikely considering an fortify response because it may endanger the crew, and would require a great deal of international agreement and cooperation. The ship is carrying Liberian flag, owned by a Saudi company, in Somali waters, with so many nationalities onboard. The owners have to pay ransom money for the safe delivery of the su pertanker. The hijackers can actually force the owners into paying macroscopical ransom money (Alexander, & Krause, November 19, 2008).The second article is retrieved from the Eagle Tribune Fate of Detroits Big 3 will run down locally, where the CEOs of the big three automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have united to lobby Congress for a 25 billion loan. The negotiation is between the big three automaker companies and the goernment. The arguments is if their companies goes under, and one of them stated bankruptcy, an estimates of as high as 2. 5 million U. S jobs losses and more than 730,000 workers will be unemployed.This is a pressure tactic utilized to force the government to give the $25 billion loan (Kirk, November 26, 2008). The twain negotiation articles describe a negotiation situation that employs different negotiation strategies. The first article, the pirates uses distributive dicker strategy which is characterized by mistrust and suspicion, designed to beat the different companionship (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). The pirates have the advantage over the owner by intimidating or threatening to eradicate the crew and the supertanker.While on the other hand, the three car automakers and the government uses integrative negotiation strategy which is characterized by openness and trust, designed to chance on the best possible solution for all parties involve (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). The US government cannot be forced to depict a loan to the three auto companies, the only possible way to persuade them of giving $25 billion dollars to the three automakers is the possibility of loss of millions of jobs and the increase of unemployment in the event the automakers goes under or declared bankruptcy.The comparison between the two situations is both negotiation disputes are used to influence the other party to part with money. The first scenario is the owners of the supertanker, and the US government on the second scenario. In both scenarios, the stand interpreted by the negotiators is pay or otherwise. Each situation involved, terms, counter offers, and demands placed by the parties from which the pay is claimed.

Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf

Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf When one has been excluded from a group for a dogged time, it can often lead to feelings of contempt, and a need for revenge. This is the case with the monster, Grendel, in Beowulf, by John Gardner. Grendel feels excluded from humans in general, because he cannot understand them. He feels as though he does not belong to a community, because he has been living alone with his mother for such a long time. Overall, it is the combination of many different types of exclusions that pushes Grendel to become such a cruel, hideous beast with a situated heart and a thirst to kill.Grendel is where most of the description of this monster is located. It is said that Grendel swam across a lake of empty snakes to reach human civilization. Here, he observes human civilization from up close, and he does not understand what he sees. He feels very different from those living in that society. In addition, Hrothgar becomes king and is given power and riches. He even bu ilds a giant meadhall called Hart. Grendel is drawn in, discovers the Shaper, and becomes more curious. However, after a visit to the dragon, also an outsider, Grendels mind is changed because the dragon catchs all these things sound so undesirable.Talking to the dragon was the turning point for Grendel, and soon after, he becomes filled with rage and starts raiding Hart and harming the people inside. His misery leaped / The seas, was told and sung in all / mens ears how Grendels hatred began, / How the monster relished his savage war / On the Danes (lines 64-68). This proves that it was Grendels original zest to belong that made him this way. It is very likely that Grendel would not have become such a horrifying monster if it had not been for his feelings of jealousy.It is always hard to feel different and not accepted, and that is exactly how Grendel feels. Throughout the balance of the story, Grendel takes out his anger and wrath on seemingly innocent people, but there may b e more to the story than what appears on the surface. These peope could have helped and included him, instead of letting him watch from the outside tone in. Jealousy drives people to do crazy things, and in Grendels case, jealousy of power, money, and acceptance are what make him change into a terrifying, cold-blooded killer that needs to be stopped, eventually, by Beowulf.

Dollar General Essay

one buck bill customary is the subscribe toing dollar enc brook retailer in the unify States with 2011sales tax incomes of $13 billion. It evolved since 1939 from a family (Turner) birthed work to a publicly-traded company to a de-listed hugger-mugger investor-owned company in 2007. In 2008 Mr. Rick Dreiling, the current chief operating officer and Chairman of the Board, began to steer the company in sweet directions.The operating prior(prenominal)ities were to drive productive sales process, development gross margin, improve processes and selective development engine room to scale down costs, and strengthen the Dollar prevalent culture of serving differents. Dollar General began to go steady a decline in sales and fund working out as early as 2005, prior to the recession of 2007. As a leader in the application, with its primary products being demean-priced consumables, Dollar General saturnine around under the saucy leadership and ownership structure to again begin increasing butt in expansion, sales and prospects for increased revenues and net. At the present time Dollar General return strategic role of its core competencies leadership under the chief operating officer, product selection expertise in sell sales, their organizational course and structure, the major index number of the retail store chain and dispersion centers and a quality blackleg accept to live forward towards achieving their operational priorities. However, Dollar General faces challenges that atomic number 18 whatsoever(prenominal) internal and external.They expect strong leadership but with 10,000 stores leadership, culture, and values argon hard to in effect trickle down through the altogether organization. upward(a) the customer have it off includes having highly motivate employees with a corporate culture of service. Dollar General has succeeded, in part, because they learn sought out market places that the big box companies worry Wal -Mart do non target, at least by a smaller scale easily accessible store in close propinquity to consumer homes. This means, however, that the primary market of the company has tradtionally been in lower income neighbourhoods it suits the price consciousness of consumers and aligns with lower priced commercial authorized e nominate. It is an irony that Dollar General has prospered during the recent recession. They must strategically align their core competencies with the external agonistic environment, and this lead include a need to possibly shut down poorly performing stores at the same time as they seek clean store expansions. These priorities will be best served with a strategy of expansion of high(prenominal) concentration of stores in quick successful markets, and setting up stores in impudently subjects new markets inwardly brisk states and new states with low or no current battlefront of Dollar General introduces.IntroductionDollar General Corporation is the la rgest neglect retailer in the UnitedStates, the company offers consumer staples merchandise in four categories consumables, home products, seasonal, and apparel. As of February 25, 2011, Dollar General operated 9414 stores located in 35 states. Dollar General was founded in 1939 by J.L. Turner and his son as a whole-sale business. The starting time Dollar General store which is the resemblingwise the first dollar store in the States was opened in 1955 in Springfield, Kentucky. In the rest of this report, we will hear at what happened to the Dollar General these years and clear a comprehensive analysis of the company, which include the external, internal and raise analysis. Also we will provide several(prenominal) strategies recommendations to hold the line the company in the good path. Analysis of the outer EnvironmentIn order to prove the external environment of the give the axe retail indus label, we conducted PEST analysis (see exhibit 1) and Porters v Forces analysi s (see exhibit 2) of the industry and these methods of analysis choose part withed us to identify several almost outstanding opportunities as well as threats of the discount retail industry. First, there are several opportunities within the discount retailer industry. With the uncertainty of economy within the U.S., discount stores are getting to a spectacularer extent popular as consumers are facing the situation of lower acquire power. Lower income neighbourhood would very be the archetype place for discount retailers to demonstrate their marketing strategies and to locate their stores. Also the use of engineering can really improve their operational efficiencies. At the same time, there are several threats that the industry is facing. From the political aspect, there are trading issues mingled with U.S. and countries where the retailers are importing merchandises, higher tariff brings down the profits for companies. Also, the fast fruit of online-stores raised the co mpetition within the discount retailing industry. Intensive competition within the industry resulted companies constantly bring down prices and profit margins.Analysis of the Internal EnvironmentValue mountain range Primary ActivitiesDollar General (DG)s inbound logistics consist of offering consumable, home products, seasonal and apparel merchandise from unhomogeneous suppliers. They also have stores located in some diametric states to inject advantage of attracting more(prenominal) customers. DGs stores are either in freestanding building or in strip obtain centers to save on building costs.For outbound logistics, Dollar General hires third-party trucking companies to complete writeies. The trucking companies ecstasy the merchandise to a store from their come upest distribution center. DG also installed a voice plunk system in the distribution centre, which allows employees to communicate with warehouse software systems by speech recognition. This would make the distrib ution costs go down for DG when the fuel cost increased.Dollar General operates its stores in undertake s charge per unit and also in their owned stores. This allows them to lowers their limited maintenance capital, low occupancy and operating costs. DG keeps building new stores and remodels its stores to make them easier to shop and increase stores sale productivity. DG also tried to make its stores look touchstoneized crosswise the chain.Dollar General has its own marketing which focuses on four variables Price, Place, promotion and professionalduct to allow the company to attract existing and new customers. They create value through various products by increasing private labels products in consumables and non-consumables and through many stores across different regions to bring their reputation to their market. Having newspaper inserts and a web site allow DG to increase their fault image nationally.Dollar Generals service is done efficient and effectively by rung-scheduli ng model. This system would help to ensure the staff available at different times to the aim of sales volumes during the week. DG provides training to their employees and focus on how to recruit and retain their high- process employees. Value Chain Support ActivitiesDollar Generals firm infrastructure has Richard Dreiling as CEO and chairman of the visiting card. He previously was the CEO and board chairman of the largest drugstore chain in impertinent York City. He is experience and knowledgeable in the food and drug retailer industry. Under his leadership, there arefour grave priorities identified by the managers, which are driving productive sales growth, increasing gross margin, improve processes and information technology to reduce costs and strengthening the DG culture of serving others. Each typical store has one store manager, one assistant manager and three of more sales clerks.Dollar General has great human resource management. They employed more than 85,000 full-time and part-time employees. They have focus on how to improve recruiting, training and retained their employees.Dollar General has great technology and development. They installed a voice foot system in the distribution centre to decrease the distribution cost referable to high fuel cost. They also installed new analytical and monitoring tools to assist with inventory shrinkage reduction efforts. This would avoid them from the way out of merchandise collect to shoplifting, employee theft, damage and obsolescence and allow them to increase gross margin. More everywhere, having a web site to allow customer to place orders online is a nonher technology for DG to bring customer to store.Dollar Generals procurement is by purchasing merchandise through various suppliers, importers, agents, and other third parties. DG offers brand name, consumable merchandise and private label brands. DG also uses direct sourcing to get products to their store in order to bear costs and increase its gr oss profit. They also held licenses to provide various trademarks and brands to the stores. Core competencies (Appendix C pageBased on VRIS framework, we have identified five core competencies of Dollar General. These core competencies are Richard Dreiling (CEO), consumable merchandise, benchmark organizational styles and their retail stores chain. The separate evaluation of each of these competencies can be attend in Appendix A. SWOT AnalysisStrengthsDollar General is considered to be the largest retailed stores for selling merchandise concoction priced at $1 or less in the US with more than 9400 stores in35 states as of February in 2011. They sell consumable products at a very low price which attract more discount shoppers during recession. Their marketing strategy on 4Ps allows them to attract more and new customers. DG has the ability to cracking market trends and adjust their product mix accordingly. They also create a fast and convenience shop experience for consumer. They also have a very strong financial since they studyd most of their stores and purchased leased stores during lame estate market period. Therefore, they have very low cost on capital expenditure. Their staff scheduling model allows them to make sure employees available during peak time. Also, the voice pick system in the distribution centres helps them to reduce distribution costs dramatically repayable to increasing in fuel cost. Moreover, the standard design in each of the retail store has helped them to increase sale productivity and easy to shop for customers. WeaknessesDollar General has many weaknesses in its operations. They have to hire third party truck to deliver most of their merchandise, which could lead to delay in delivering merchandise to stores since they do not have control over the trucking companys operation. DG has initiative to remodel and renovate their existing stores which could dramatically increase their debt because they have over 9000 stores. Also they are late on introducing online orders in 2007. As a result, they could lose on bringing more customers to know about their brand image. Their human resource management is questionable because they did not have clear policy on overtime pay and inequality salary due to gender. This could cause their reputation badly and financially hurt as there were cases where employees sued them over those issues. SWOT hyaloplasmFor the SWOT matrix, we have de lineined several things to be of importance in the following tableSWOT MatrixStrength1. Low operating cost model2. Large scale in term of retail stores3. Strong financeWeakness1. High cost on capital structure due to renovation2. Late on introducing online order program3. HR management is inefficientOpportunity1. scotch uncertainty helps dollar stores2. Low income Neighborhood3. Use of technology1. Entering global market(S3,O1)2. Attracting more customers from different income groups(S2,O2) 3. Improvement on operational structures(S1,O3)1. Opening new stores during economic downturns(W1,O1)2. Upgrading online-order program(W2,O3)Threat1. National trading issues2. feeler of online-stores3. Intensive Competition1. outgrowthd market share reduces the competition(S2,T3)2. Financially healthy helps supporting online operations(S3,T2)1. Redesigning online-store for better obtain experience(W2,T2) 2. Transferring cost on capital structure for merchandise mix(W1,T3)Assessments (Appendix D pageThe armorial bearing statement at Dollar General is, Serving Others. For Customers Convenience, Quality, and Great Prices. For Employees Respect and Opportunity. For Shareholders A Superior Return. For Communities A Better conduct. Based on our evaluation of this mission statement, we came up with a total quality score of 71% (Appendix B page We felt in the mission statement that the purpose of Dollar General, services/ products offered, their agonistical advantage, how they do to survived, how they treatcustomers and positive pub lic image to stakeholders are clearly outlined in the mission statement. Dollar General does not establish what their scope of operations is, does not create a share sense of value among employees and does not explain the technology or innovation in their operations. Dollar General definitely has a strong mission statement, but could improve on a few aspects to make it better. Objectives of Dollar General are to increase market share in product and services, achieving high technology in operational processes and boosting companys reputation by serving others. The company managers under CEOs leadership drafted firms corporate governance principles.Dollar General has a board of directors and CEO is the chairman of the boards. Rick Dreiling, CEO, has extensive knowledge and experience in food and drug retailer. DGs Top Managers are made up of local anaesthetic stores managers who allow firm to identify directions for the whole company. This helps for tighter unity among the upper and lower level managers within the firm. Strategic Alternatives1. Uniform Branding and Functional/ eagerness DesignDescription Create consistent signage, logo, brand uniformity, including greater internet presence. Apply across publicise and promotion mediums. Standardized store (floor & shelf) layout, and build private store products under improved branding efforts. professional Increase the square footage of sales (e.g. 10,000 sq ft building 60,000 sq ft sales area) Pro Create uniform, time-saving shopping experiencePro Improve and standardize surveillance to reduce shrinkage from theft (large part of theft from employees) Pro Increase sales per selling spacePro Increase profitability through higher margin building of private store brand Pro Store brands manufactured through affordable East Asia manufacturers under private label Con Most stores are leased hard to stick uniform size, shape, etc. Con National brands still a consumer preference in many groups ( such(prenominal)(pr enominal) as higher income) Con Private branding or brand building whitethorn not be as important to value-conscious price-driven consumers2. Human Resource Development More Managers, Assistant Managers, Performance Bonuses Description mavin of the goals of the company is to offer higher living standards to employees. More managers and assistant managers allows for non-hourly monthly wage, with base salary accession profit bonus potential. Pro Reduces high staff turn-overPro Reduces shrinkage from staff theftPro Increases productivity and customer service (e.g. Staff more willing to rotate stock and presentation such as for seasonal goods or lowering and strategically placing stock that is shelved Con May be comprehend as offering a job title without wage increases Con Increases expectations of staffCon Could lead to higher wage costs, reduced net profits (if profit sharing), need to offer benefits (health insurance) Con little flexibility with part-time employees and cyclica l/seasonal trends3. Expansion to New States/More StoresDescription Plans are underway for expansion to states such as Connecticut, New Hampshire, Nevada. Presently they are in 35 states states like Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, atomic number 25 and Maryland all have less than 100 stores. A major business and population state like New Jersey only has 44 stores. New stores can be added to existing states because of local market (3 to 5 mile radius of stores) in all areas city center, suburbs, rural areas. Pro Resumes a past successful approach to expanded sales revenues and profits Pro Shutting down of vain stores, and new strategies, better suited to expand Pro corner has created many low-cost retail lease opportunities Pro Many of the highest density states with most stores in poor southern areas major markets like New York state, Colorado and others are greatly under-served. Good opportunities. Pro Regional distribution centers gain economies of scale and other efficiencies with enough stores target areas with less-stores-per-distribution ratio Pro Company has built high capability and advantage in low-cost store openings Con Leases, even at lower prices, generally involve 10- to 15-year commitments Con Recession still may be affecting employment, incomes andsales patterns Con Very low brand familiarity in new statesCon Threat, although small, of taking business away from other Dollar General stores if in higher per-city concentration4. Target Higher Income ConsumersDescription Higher income consumers have been shopping more at stores like Dollar General. This does not have to be solely for increasing purchasing power during recession. Many pile of all incomes enjoy value shopping. Increased focus on higher income consumers can be by increasing traffic to existing stores or new stores in more affluent areas. Higher income consumers may also have greater access to home computer, internet and preference for internet shopping. Pro Increase per-customer total spending per visit, a main goal of current strategy Pro Higher income consumers have means and ability to travel further higher opportunity cost for their time though Pro Allows for greater chance to sell national brands and higher price (closer to $10 range) goods Pro Increased revenues and profitsCon Costs more to advertise/promotion to this new target audience Con External advertising is more expensive and difficult to measure directly Con Setting up stores in more affluent areas will have higher land, taxes, lease costsRecommendation Alternative 3 Expansion to New States/More Stores writ of execution PlanThe first step in the expansion device is to identify the two paths of increased store numbers (1) more stores per established markets and (2) new stores in new markets.(1) More stores in established marketsEstablished markets have the advantage of useful sales statistics. Each area can be analyzed in toll of the total number of stores in an area, stores and sales revenue pe r population in the city/region, and total number of stores, including competitors. These areas have already experienced within or intra-area exapansion. Impacts of higher concentration can be estimated. These patterns should be duplicated where possible seeking an optimum level of stores in a market. One of the great advantages the company enjoys is that most sales come from within 5 miles of an outlet. point in cities with a high number of Dollar General stores, there remains a great deal of available market zones. (2) New Stores in New MarketsSelecting new states to expand to and create new market presence can be guided by existing and planned distribution centers. distribution centers are key to streamlining a uniform system of inventory and logistics. For example, relatively new states with a lower density of Dollar General stores but with an existing under-utilized distribution center, with profitable stores, is the key criteria for new market selection. Other market analysi s for new city/state markets can follow the patterns that have proved most successful in recent (past decade) expansions.Not all of the alternatives are mutually exclusive. The expansion to new stores and new markets more easily facilitates other goals such as improving store design and layout improving shopping speed, access to goods and higher density shelving use. These are tactics easier to achieve when selecting new properties than in remodelling existing buildings. Setting up new stores in new states may also be an opportunity to try out new labor-relations, including altering the mix between management (salary) positions and wage positions. However, to assure the most flexibility new stores and markets should begin with experienced store managers with wage employees. When new stores are in or near existing stores and markets it offers the chance for promotion of existing employees.The strategy is not simple expansion in terms solely of increased added store numbers. The stra tegic goal is to expand to new profitable markets and this includes the ancillary actions such as monitoring and closing poor performing existing stores. This blends opportunities while overcoming weaknesses towards higher profitability and sustainability.Implementation pace and schedule.With nearly 10,000 stores, and average expansion in the years between 2004-2009 inclusive being 354 stores, there are no simple decision criteria for selecting the best number for expansion. At the early part of the sextuplet year period (2004-5) expansion was by more than 600 stores per year. After a dip and slower growth in 2006-8, new store expansion grew to 466 stores in 2009. The bulk of this is higher concentration in existing state markets.Expansion to new areas should be in areas such as New Jersey, New York (state more than city due to high real estate costs in city) and other Northeast states which may be served by distribution centers. There is no current northeast distribution centers a t all. adjacent regional centers are in Ohio (1229 stores) and perhaps Indiana (1000) stores. Over the next three years the pace and location of new stores in new markets should be 200 stores per year in the Northeast Atlantic coast area.Evaluation CriteriaThrough all stages the evaluative measure will be the extent to which performance matches the operating priorities driving productive sales growth, increasing gross margin, improving processes and information technology to reduce costs, and strengthening the Dollar General culture of serving others.ConclusionDollar General was the first proposer in the discount consumer merchandise stores an industry that has become mature, though continuing to find new ship canal to reshape itself or be influenced by world trends or forces. With a primary focus on low prices (many items in the $1 range and more established name brand products value priced with competitors like Wal-Mart) Dollar General has responded well to the low-cost producti on from countries like China and other emerging southeastern United States Asia manufacturers. It has a high percentage of total products in national brands, but the majority of its products are private brands, including their own store brands. The strategic choices of Dollar General largely involves duplicating the sourcesof their per-store success at a level encompassing nearly 10,000 stores in the United States. Dollar General has followed a strategy of rapid expansion of stores which has been successful except for a net closing of stores in 2007, and a slower pace of growth in the years 2006 and 2008. Through the expansions, and restructured, and improved information systems and logistics, Dollar General is poised to achieve both increased number of sales and greater net profits.ReferencesDollar General- Todays Neighborhood Store by Sue Cullers, Buene Vista University and S. Stephen Vitucci, Texas A&M University-Central Texas. Dollar General 2013 Annual Report by Dollar General .Exhibit 1PEST AnalysisPolitical The level of political stability of the coarse is important to the consumer staples industry. Changes in government can lead to changes in taxation and legislation. The American elections may have an effect on the retailing industry as new legislation or new or existing government may bring in taxes. Also, trading issues between the US and other countries will affect retail companies when they are importing merchandises, higher tariff would resulted in decreasing profit margins for discount stores. Economic The consumer staples industry is unique as it considered non-cyclical, which means it does not affected by traditional business cycles or economic downturns. The demand for consumer staples is always consistent as it has a low price catch of demand.Furthermore, discount stores often have recorded increased sales and income during recession. While their usual customers suffered from unemployment and lower purchasing power, people from higher in come brackets found their way to dollar stores, looking for bargains. Social Where income is distributed is an important factor that companies should look at as this also demonstrates the ideal place to aim their marketing or to locate their stores. dissolve stores always targeted their merchandises assortment and store locations to meet the shopping needs of value-conscious customers. With the economy still remains weak anduncertain, major dollar stores sought to keep their traditional customers and attract new customers. Technology Use of upgraded technology of cashing machines can improve operational efficiencies. Also, integrated and sophisticated IT system would provide managements to manage their inventories efficiently and keep costs low. The rapid growth of online-stores raised the competition within the discount retailing industry.Exhibit 2Porters 5 Forces AnalysisThreat of New Entrants (Low)The overall threat of new entrants in the discount retail industry is low. New e ntrants are facing many barriers in this industry. Top companies control the major portion of market share. Economies of scale play an important role in this industry as large companies have their cost advantage and offer their customers with lower prices products. New companies do not have much capital and resources to compete with them. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Low)There is not much bargaining power for the suppliers include manufacturers and distributers. Large discount retailers purchase merchandises from many different suppliers so they are not relying on a sole supplier. Also most of the supplies are not rare or important. So the suppliers power in this industry is low. Bargaining Power of Buyers (High)The bargaining power of buyers is high within this industry, and this is due to customers are highly price sensitive, with low brand loyalty customers are just seeking for products with the best values. Also, in the discount retail industry, the switching costs are very l ow, customers can easily switch between stores depending on which store has the cheapest products. Threat of Substitutes (Low)The threat of substitutes is low in the discount retail industry and this is due to products are already on the low end of pricing scale and the products offered by different dollar stores are almost the same, and the essential products are difficult to find substitutes. Rivalry among ExistingCompetitors (High)The competition within the discount retail merchandise industry is really high between several big players such as Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree. Other than that, these companies are also competing with some giant retailers like Wal-Mart. Since the low-cost leadership is essentially the only competitive advantage within this industry, retailers are constantly reducing prices and profit margins to try to drive traffic to their stores and increase sales.Appendix C Core competenciesWe have placed that Richard Dreiling is valuable, rare, co stly to imitate, and non-substitutable. Richard Dreiling is valuable and rare because not many CEOs have the leadership abilities to take Dollar General as far as he did. Further, Dreiling is costly to imitate and non-substitutable because a CEO of his caliber is very hard to find among CEOs in the same industry. Consumable merchandise is very valuable because of the four categories that Dollar General offered, sales in consumable increased most rapidly during recession. This merchandise is not rare, costly to imitate and non-substitute because competitors can copy your merchandise by observant what your stores offer to consumers. Further, benchmark organizational style is another core competency. Benchmark organizational styles are valuable and costly to imitate because they represent an organizational structure that your competitors have difficulty mimicking. This organization style is not rare and is substitutable because competitors can copy your business model by observing how you operate as a firm.Retail stores chain is valuable and costly to imitate because Dollar has numerous of stores chain across the state, each store has been redesigned to specific standards to make it easier to shop and increase sale productivity. They also owned some of the leased store during the weak real-estate market, which is difficult for competitors nowadays to own its retail stores. These retailed stores chain are not rare and non-substitutable because competitors can copy their design and build their stores as same as DG did. shop experience is valuable, rare, costly to imitate and non-substitutable because Dollar Generals stores has providedthe marketing strategy 4Ps which allows them to differentiate from competitors on how consumers buy their products, how the stores designed and how the services they has to offered in such a fast and convenient way for consumer to shop. This experience is something that competitor cannot obtain by using money and copy from DG stores.