Five Force Model For Woodland

Nike Brief HistoryNike has one mission statement: To carry out the legacy of innovative thinking left by the founding members by developing products that enable athletes of all abilities to maximize their potential while beating competition and creating value for shareholders. Nikes headquarters are located in Beaverton, Oregon in Portland and the company operates in more than 160 countries all over the world with more than 30,000 employees across all six continents (Nike 2011). Nike TodayNike today is the largest manufacturer of athletic footwear, clothing and equipment globally by sales with 2011 revenues of more than US $23billion ahead of closest rivals Adidas, Puma, K-Swiss and Under Armour which it competes with in the sportswear market. Nike has been steadily increasing its market share of the sportswear market from an initial 3.7% in 2006 to 4.6% in 2011, even though this declined in 2009. Many analysts expect this market share to reach about 6.3% by 2017. The company also ex pects to make big gains from the London 2012 Olympics for its footwear division (MSN money 2012) Figure 1: Nike Apparel Market ShareFigure 2: Nike Footwear Market ShareHowever even though Nike is expected to attain big gains from the London 2012 Olympics, its competitors are not sitting still and letting Nike take any such gains. Adidas, which is one of main rivals of Nike, has invested more than  £100million in the Olympics to not only boost its profile, but also close the market share gap with Nike. Adidas has already posted better sales and profit results in 2012 compared to Nike. In fact, Adidas, also the second largest apparel manufacturer in the world after Nike, has been outperforming Nike since 2006 (Torry 2012). Below, we will do an industry analysis using Porters 5 Forces of Competition Framework to help us understand the various variables influencing competition and profitability for Nike within the sectors in which it is competing.Porter’s Five Forces of Competi tion Framework According to Grant (2005), there are many features of an industry in which a company competes that determines the level of competition it will face and the profits it will get. The most famous classification was done by Michael Porter, known as Porters Five Forces framework which can help a company determine its potential profits by looking at five sources of competitive pressure. The five sources of competition are 1) competition from entrants 2) competition from substitutes 3) competition from established rivals 4) bargaining power of suppliers and 5) bargaining power of buyers. Threat of entry/Barriers to entryThe threat of entry is highest in the apparel market due to the relatively lower costs of manufacturing apparel compared to the footwear market where the biggest threat posed is basically from current rivals already established in the market e.g Adidas and Puma, who although behind in market share, are currently implementing strategies that are helping them c lose the gap on Nike. Adidas has especially been gaining ground on Nike boosted by its strong presence in sponsoring the European soccer tournament where it sponsored eventual winners Spain (Torry 2012). According to Marketing Weekly News (2012), Adidas is also planning on moving into the more fashion-aligned market of teenagers which could see it improve global market share.NEO, a fast fashion adidas sub-brand aimed at teenagers is Adidas’ attempts to enter new apparel segments that will even pit it against the likes of H&M and Zara in an effort to gain market share and squeeze more profits out of mature industries. Another threat of entry is posed by Under Armour Inc. an established company in the athletic sportswear in the USA which in 2009 decided to enter the U.S athletic footwear market creating competition in a market which had been dominated by a few players like Nike and Adidas.Recently the US sports brand has started entering markets which have been traditionally fo ught over by Nike and Adidas. For example, Under Armour is using its sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspur in an â€Å"aggressive† digital marketing drive which it views as part of a wider strategy to steal market share from Nike and Adidas in the apparel category in Europe. This is the firms first foray into professional football, which have been areas where Nike and Adidas traditionally dominated and performed well in but are now  having to brace for new competition from Under Armour (Sebastian 2012).Threat of substitutesSubstitutes in the footwear category can include any other types of shoes that consumers can choose to serve similar purposes. Substitutes here therefore include the likes of sandals, which can act as substitutes, even though they may not fulfill exact same purpose. It is difficult to think of other substitutes that can fulfill the same purpose as athletic shoes from the footwear industry since this an industry that has something very specific to offer to a ta rgeted market. This means that it is not meant to appeal to the general population and everybody.Thus consumers who are looking for shoes to run in will not look for boots as substitutes simply because boots are cheaper substitutes. This is due to the specialization of running shoes that makes substitutes hard to come by. But while athletic footwear has little substitutes, sportswear apparel can have substitutes that include normal everyday clothing which can be used for athletic purposes if necessary. For example, some consumers may choose to wear tight fitting t shirts to exercise in instead of using Nikes sportswear, making normal clothing from high street brands substitutes. Rivalry between firms (Industry structure)Adidas: Although Adidas is currently not able to outcompete Nike in terms of sales and market share, it has been outperforming Nike and gaining market share since 2006 while Nike has been losing market share since 1998 when it still had more than 47 percent of the ma rket, which has been cut back to 32 percent (MSN money 2011). Adidas is also still the second biggest competitor to Nike competing for market share and has plans in the pipeline that it is trying to implement in order to grow.One of them is heavy sponsorship of football tournaments all over the globe since football has the highest fan support with more than 2billion people who follow it, with Basketball behind it with 1.2 billion followers. One such plan has been paying off when Spain, the team it sponsored at the 2012 Euro championships, won the tournament in style (Torry 2012). Puma: Puma is another rival to Nike that has been having a bad time with financial figures not going according to expectation. Although the firm has been sponsoring some very famous names (it sponsored  the Italian football team who reached the final of Euro 2012), while Usain Bolt wore the firm’s kit when he competed in the 100m at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Puma has served up a profit warning . It said that net earnings for the first quarter of 2012 were expected to be 13 percent below the 115m Euros reported during the same period last year.Puma is also expect to take a EURO 100m restructuring charge showing that the firm is doing not as well as expected so Nike has little worry from this rival. According to the Financial Times (2012), the main problem with Puma does not lie on the sporting field but in the stands. Puma's recovery over the past decade was driven mainly by its popularity with fashion-conscious youngsters. So it is not helping Puma that many youth are unemployed in the Eurozone. Puma generates more than 45 per cent of sales from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, so the fall in spending power has been hurting it badly, as does rising competition in the sports lifestyle market. The company is also hurt by its dependence on shoes, which account for about half of sales. Under Armour: As stated previously, Under Armour has been the one company that has gaine d the most from any slip ups from both Nike, Adidas and Puma as it has been going strong for the last few years.Power of SuppliersThe footwear market is one of those industry categories where the demand is always there. Retailers have to buy whatever the big brands like Nike make whether they like it or not therefore this also means that suppliers like Nike and Adidas have a lot of power compared to other industries. One of the biggest factors that contribute to this is the fact shoes such as Nikes are made very cheaply but sold at very expensive prices making them very desirable for retailers, which gives suppliers like Nike power. It is one of reasons why Nike has always been famous for sweatshop prices (Forbes 2012)Power of BuyersHighly Competitive market due to market saturation and slowdown in the sales industry worldwide, buyers more intellectual, have specific wants and needs and know where to get discounts and deals. As seen with the problems in the Eurozone experiencing hig h rates of unemployment as seen with the problems with Puma, many consumers have more discretion to choose what to buy and  what not to buy as the world economies suffer.ConclusionNow that we have looked at Nike and the competitive pressures it faces in the industry as it tries to make profits and stay competitive, it is upto the company to find ways around some of these pressures, fully analysing what is driving the industry in general. Michael Porter did offer some suggestions to companies trying to sustain a competitive advantage with three strategies which were focus, cost leadership or differentiation (Grant 2005). So depending on which strategy Nike chooses, it could choose to innovate better shoes by investing in R&D, focus on marketing or simply reduce prices to become the lost cost leader in its industry like Walmart.

Define Project

[pic] Topic 1: Define project What is a project? A project is the defined set of planned and managed activities carried out for a period of time — with a defined start and end date. A project is designed to yield a set of products or services as agreed with the project clients and stakeholders. It has a lifecycle which is the process by which the project is undertaken. Five features that differentiate projects from ordinary work are that they: †¢ have defined beginning and end dates †¢ have a unique purpose with specific objectives that meet the client goals and requirements within specified quality and performance criteria use resources, such as money, time, people and equipment that have been allocated to the project †¢ usually follow a planned and structured approach to meet their objectives †¢ have a primary sponsor or stakeholder who provides direction and funding. Projects can be simple and easily handled by one person or large and complex projects re quiring many resources and the specialised skills of a dedicated project manager and team. What is project management? Project management is about striving to meet specific time, cost, quality and resource objectives.At the same time it must facilitate the entire process so as to meet the needs and expectations of all people affected by project activities. Project management is about making change through the use of techniques, tools and resources that manage change throughout the life of the project. Project management involves the project manager and team applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to achieve the requirements of the project. It is a continuous process utilising planning, organising, monitoring and controlling in all aspects of the project to achieve external and internal objectives.It also encompasses the closure and evaluation of the project. Managing a project includes: ? identifying the requirements of the project ? establishing clear and achievable objectives ? balancing demands for quality, scope, time and cost ? adapting the specifications, plans and approach to meet the different concerns and expectations of the stakeholders ? closing and evaluating the project Below is an overview of the aspects of a project that need to be determined and developed. What to determine |What this involves | |Project scope |Identify and plan the objectives, desired outcomes, limitations and budget. | |Timeline |Determine the time within which the project is to be completed—involves | | |planning, estimating, scheduling and controlling. A schedule for the life of | | |the project is developed. |Costs |Determine the costs associated with successful projection completion. This | | |involves cost estimation and forecasting, cost budgeting, cost control and cost| | |applications. A budget is developed. | |Quality processes, systems and outcomes |Construct a quality management plan. | |Human resources |Human resources are re quired for project tasks, eg for organising resources, | | |managing staff performance and leading the project team, etc.A human resource | | |management plan is developed. | |Communications processes |Ensure all parties with an interest in the project are kept up-to-date | | |throughout the life of the project. A communications plan is constructed. | |Risks and any uncertainty with processes |Risks need to be: identified, analysed, evaluated, treated, monitored and | |or achievement |reviewed.A risk management plan is constructed. | |Goods, services or support |Identify what goods, services and support are needed and determine who will be | | |the best person (or people) to provide these. It also involves developing | | |effective interpersonal relationships and finalising any contracts or | | |understandings. The procurement needs for the project will need to be outlined. |All the elements outlined above will need to be integrated with each other in line with the process and proce dures of the organisation. This involves acknowledging and considering how the different functions within the project interrelate — as well as how the project interrelates with the organisation. The project lifecycle What is a project’s lifecycle — or the process by which it is undertaken? The phases in a project lifecycle are: †¢ Phase 1: Initiation and concept †¢ Phase 2: Planning and development †¢ Phase 3: Implementation and execution Phase 4: Finalisation and review. The Initiation and Concept Phase In the initiation phase of a project, the following needs to occur: †¢ Write a description of the project concept/background †¢ Identify stakeholders †¢ Identify project objectives †¢ Define the scope of work to be carried out †¢ Agree to the development of the broad strategy — which identifies preliminary agreed phases, milestones and deliverables †¢ Identify constraints and assumptions †¢ Develop the pre liminary budget †¢ Develop the preliminary risks assessment Develop the broad quality plan †¢ Develop a broad communications plan. |Workplace Learning Activity | |Find out about the range in the types of projects that are managed by your organisation (or one with which you are familiar). | |How do they vary in size and complexity as well as in their aims and objectives? | |Talk to your mentor or colleagues with project management experience about their projects (current or completed). |Begin with general questions such as: | |What do they see as the characteristics of a project? | |How was the project initiated? | The project manager With responsibilities spanning the entire lifecycle of the project — from its planning, implementation, monitoring and control through to its closing and evaluation — the project manager is key to the success of the project. The project manager must have the ability to: build relationships with all key stakeholders, including man agement, clients, suppliers as well as team members †¢ build and lead an effective team — this will include motivating team members (eg by reinforcing to each person that they play an important role and by being optimistic and enthusiastic) †¢ manage interpersonal relationships †¢ problem-solve and make decisions †¢ negotiate with others to meet their needs as well as those of the project †¢ empathise with clients †¢ develop a vision for the project that can be sold to the team and key stakeholders †¢ exercise a high degree of professionalism †¢ communicate with all stakeholders provide reports as required. |Workplace Learning Activity | |If you are already involved in setting up a project in your workplace, clarify the following: | |What is the role of the project manager? | |If you are not the project manager, what is your role within the project? | |Here is another suggestion for workplace learning: | |Interview a project manager to find out what their role was within a recently-completed project.Ask them about the: | |characteristics of a good project manager | |skills and knowledge they needed in order to function as an effective project manager. | Define project stakeholders Knowing who the stakeholders are is critical to any project. Stakeholders are individuals or organisations who have an interest in, or involvement with, the project. Stakeholders have an impact on or are affected by the project. To ensure support for a project, the stakeholders must be identified as early as possible in a project lifecycle.Project team responsibilities As the project manager, you need to clearly identify the limits of each project team member’s responsibility. Questions to ask include: †¢ What is the overall responsibility of the project manager? †¢ What is the responsibility of individual project team members? †¢ How will changes to project specifications, deliverables, scheduling, resource usage, and other aspects of the project be managed? †¢ Who is responsible for each of these? Each team member should have clearly defined responsibilities to ensure that they understand what they are—and are not—allowed to do.Otherwise one person may go off and approve changes that have not been authorised and cause the project to go in the wrong direction, go over budget, or eventually fail. Project reporting requirements When you are developing or reviewing the scope of a project, make sure to include reporting guidelines, such as when to report to the project sponsor, stakeholders and project team. (It should be on a regular basis. ) There are a few different ways to meet reporting requirements; you may need to use several of these methods together: hold project team meetings where each team member reports on the progress of the project †¢ hold a sponsor or stakeholder meetings where you report on the progress of the project †¢ provide written reports †¢ send email reports †¢ use the reporting facilities in any project management software you may be using. Reporting requirements for a project are put in place to ensure that all those involved are kept up-to-date with the project’s progress. They also provide the opportunity to report any changes or unforeseen events. This means that such things can be rectified quickly—before they get out of hand.The important thing is that everyone involved has a clear understanding of their reporting requirements, and that these requirements are met. |Workplace Learning Activity | |If you are already involved in setting up a project in your workplace, keep notes on the process of working with | |stakeholders. To get you started with your notes, here are some questions that you could address: | |Who are the stakeholders? | |What are the issues that need to be clarified with stakeholders? |What are the benefits of involving stakeholders? | |What are the rights and obligations o f stakeholders? If you are a project manager (or managing part of the project), what are| |your obligations to stakeholders? | Access project scope and other relevant information Before commencing a project, there is a need for you to get a good understanding of the exact objectives of the project and the scope of work required to be done in order to achieve each objective. The following will need to be understood: †¢ Why is the project being undertaken? †¢ Are there limitations that may restrict the way the project is carried out? Exactly what is expected to done (or achieved)? What is not expected to be done? †¢ Will adequate resources be available? †¢ Where and when will resources be needed? †¢ What is the cost of the project? †¢ Is the client (or organisation) comfortable with the suggested strategy for spending the project money? The project manager will also need an agreement about the support that will be given to the project. Prepare the project scope definition and scope document The project manager may be asked to prepare the scope definition and scope document or be given one to follow.The project manager is usually involved in developing the scope. The scope should be as specific as possible and tell all stakeholders exactly what is to be achieved on completion of the project. |Scope document — checklist | |The following should always be included in a scope document: | |Background — overview of project | |Objectives to be achieved — i. . both primary and secondary objectives | |Scope definition — as stated above the scope should be as specific as possible and tell all stakeholders exactly what is to| |be achieved on completion of the project | |Broad strategy for achievement of projects — phases | |Constraints around which project is to work | |Exclusions showing what work is not to be done |Assumptions and questions to be answered | |Related projects that may have an effect on yo ur project — or projects that may be affected by your project | |Preliminary budget | |Preliminary risk assessment | |Broad plans for communication and quality (may also be included). | A scope document shows the scope, or extent, of a project.Let’s look at the key sections and an example of a project scope document. [pic] The things you will find in a project scope document Key sections of a scope document |Section |Details | |Scope statement or definition |This clearly states the project goal, objectives and deliverables. If it is not | | |specified in the scope statement then it is outside the scope of the project and | | |is not relevant.Project tasks should only address work that is relevant to the | | |project goal and objectives. | |Project constraints |These are any limiting factors that prevent the project from moving in a | | |particular path. Examples include: | | |You have dependent tasks that impact on specific areas of the project, for | | |example, tasks that cannot begin unless another one has started. | |You have a deadline that cannot be changed. | | |The implementation work for a system upgrade can only be done on the weekend, | | |when staff are not at work. | |Assumptions |These are aspects that the project manager builds into the scope document to | | |allow for any uncertainties that may occur. Examples of assumptions include: | | |Fifteen new personal computers need to be purchased for the project. | |All staff need yearly training in OHS. | | |All resources for the project will be sourced from outside of the company. | |Tasks list |You need to specify a list of tasks (and deliverables) to be achieved during the | | |project. They are all the activities that need to take place to bring the project| | |to completion.The deliverables include all the documentation, reports, contracts| | |and products that need to be produced and signed-off on by those in authority. | |Estimates (cost, time and |You need to make initial estima tes in relation to cost, time and human resource | |human resources) |requirements. These identify the boundaries of the project to enable you to | | |expand into the more detailed estimates that are needed to develop the full | | |project plan. |Contract statement |This will include the names of those authorised to initiate contract work, sign | | |contracts and completion acceptances. It also includes any contractual | | |limitations and penalty statements for possible contract variations. (Variations | | |and penalties apply equally to the client and providers. ) | The following is an example of a scope document, in this case for a project to install animal litter bins in local parks. Sample scope document Project Scope | |Project Information (Please complete all) | |Project Sponsor |Project Name | |Bob Smith |Animal litter bins | |General Manager | | |Sponsoring Department/Client | |Directive from Council Meeting | |Parks & Gardens | |Project Leader | |Arens Sirkel | |Sco pe the project | |The project will encompass the installing of animal litter bins and bag dispensers in all council parks. The bins | |and bags are to be purchased from Animal Litter Limited after recommendations from neighbouring councils.The | |project is to be completed within six weeks at an all up cost not exceeding $24,000. | |Description of the project | |(What is the vision? What will the finished product look like? ) | |The animal litter bins will be installed in prominent locations in each park, while also being close to entrances | |to allow efficient removal of waste by our waste management contractor. | |Identify the strategic objectives which relate to this project | |To reduce animal litter by encouraging owners to pick up after their pets. |Identify the main target audience | |Pet owners. | |What are the intended outcomes/deliverables of the project? | |That pet owners will use the bags provided to clean up their pets’ litter and deposit the bags in the bins | |provided, other bins or their own bins at home. | |What are the particular aspects of the project? | |Installation of bins. | |Other comments | |Collection of waste and replacement of bags has been contracted to our waste management contractor. | |A public awareness campaign will be conducted by council after the bins have been installed. |Proposed project timeline | | |Dates/Time |Notes | |Project lifespan: include dates or total time | | | |required for completion | | | |Phase 1: Scoping and feasibility |not required |Directed by council, scoped| | | |by General Manager | |Phase 2: Planning |4 days | | |Phase 3: Implementation |3 weeks | | |Phase 4: Evaluation |2 days | | |Proposed budget | |Detail proposed budget or financial constraints for the project. |Overtime wages/contractor payments $ 7,000 | |Bins & posts $ 15,000 | |Materials (cement, etc) $ 2,000 | |Scope signoff | | | |This scope has been approved by: Bob Smith_____________________ Project Sponsor | | | |Depa rtment: General Manager Date_____/_____/_____ | Use the scope document during the whole project It is a good idea to revisit the scope document while the project is running, to check that the project is meeting its objectives and to make sure that activities are within its scope. During the plan phase you should use the scope document as a basis to expand into a detailed activity list of the project deliverables. Workplace Learning Activity | |If you are already involved in a team that is setting up a project in your workplace, keep notes on the scoping process. To | |get you started with your notes, here are questions you could address: | |What does a project scope define? | |Who was involved in identifying the scope? What tools were used to describe the scope? | |What was involved in risk management planning? | |How will the scope provide a foundation for subsequent steps in the project? | |How was it carried out? How long did the process take? |Here are other suggestions for work place learning: | |Find out about project scoping procedures in your organisation (or one you are familiar with) | |Ask your mentor or colleagues involved in project scoping if you could sit in on their scoping meetings or join the project | |scoping team. | |Speak to people in your organisation about how the scope for their projects was identified. | |Identify a small project that you could manage as part of your work — and develop a scope definition (this could come in | |useful for you later). | Seek clarification of issues related to the project and parameters With any project, there is a project sponsor (or sponsors) — a person or organisation who might be a backer or financier.A project sponsor’s role includes the ones below: †¢ provides a single point of reference regarding management decisions †¢ reports project progress to boards and top management. †¢ provides clarification of any issues related to project and project parameters. Note t hat there may also be other stakeholders, eg, the main client, funding body, or manager who may also need to be contacted for clarification at regular intervals throughout a project. |Workplace Learning Activity | |If you are already involved in a project team in your workplace, answer the questions below.Alternatively, obtain answers to| |these questions from a project manager in your organisation (or one you are familiar with). | |Who is the project sponsor (or sponsors)? | |What are the types of issues would you need to clarify with a sponsor? | |Apart from the sponsor, are there any other stakeholders who you can approach for clarification about aspects of the project? | Clarify relationship of the project to other projects and the organisation’s objectives It is important that the project manager and team understand how the project they are working on fits in with the organisation and other related projects that may be in progress. In your workplace, you will probably fi nd that there are a number of projects that are running concurrently.They may be completely self-contained projects — with no one project having any bearing on any of the others. However, the following may also occur: †¢ Your project may need to be completed before another can begin — or vice versa (your project will not be able to begin before the other project is completed) †¢ Allocation of resources such as staff, funds and equipment, may be affected, eg there may be tools or templates developed for one project that will be used or adapted for the new project. It is good policy to establish a relationship with other project managers especially where the project they are working on has bearing on the new project. Workplace Learning Activity | |If you are already involved in a project team within in your workplace, answer these questions below. | |How does the project you are working on fit in the organisation? | |What other projects are related to this proj ect and how? | |Here is another suggestion: | |Interview a project manager to find out how they identified other projects that had a bearing on the project they have | |recently completed in the workplace. | |. | Determine and access available resources to undertake the projectThe resources that are generally utilised within projects are: †¢ people — internal staff and sometimes contractors and other staff external to the organisation †¢ tools and equipment †¢ time †¢ raw materials †¢ money. In order to identify the resources needed for a project, you will, firstly, need to determine what tasks will need to be carried out to arrive at the project outcomes. Achieving your project objectives means blending activities and tasks to be carried out with time and funds available. The ‘work breakdown structure’ (WBS) is a complete list of all the work that needs to be carried out to achieve the milestones, phases and/or objectives of the project. A WBS will allow the planning sequence of activities and tasks and where they have a dependency on other activities and tasks. From the WBS, the schedule, resources and the cost of the project will be determined. A WBS will also lead to an understanding of the overall project. A WBS can take one of two approaches — either a top-down approach or a bottom-up approach: †¢ Top-down approach — The objectives are analysed to determine the phases the project must go through as it moves towards completion. A logical break-up of phases might be on the basis of major decision points or milestones. †¢ Bottom-up approach — This approach is a reverse of the top-down approach. Tasks to meet the project objective are determined and grouped with related tasks to form activities.Activities are then grouped to form project phases in logical sequences. This allows resources, duration and dependencies to be allocated at the task level. The cost of the individual resources will need to be calculated in order to determine the overall costs and budget for the project. How long a task will take will affect the cost of the project. Once the WBS is determined, calculations can be made for each task incorporating time allotted for each task as well as the resources and staff required. A dollar value is applied to each task and the sum total becomes the budget. In the initiation phase, a preliminary budget is prepared for the resources required and this is then detailed fully in the project plan. Workplace Learning Activity | |If you are already involved in a project team in your workplace, answer the questions below. | |How were the resources identified for the project? | |What resources will be required for this project? | |What staff (and skills) is required for the project? | |How did you prepare the work breakdown structure? | |Here are other suggestions for workplace learning: | |Interview a project manager to find out how they identified the resourc es for the project they have recently completed in the| |workplace.Also ask of the project manager the questions outlined above. | |View documentation that was compiled to identify resources within a project. | More resources For a comprehensive list of current readings and websites for Topic 1 – Define Project – please see the OLS for this unit and see Additional Resources and Websites. ———————– Contents What is a project? 1 Define project stakeholders 6 Access project scope and other relevant documentation 8 Seek clarification of issues relating to the project and parameters 15 Clarify relationship of project to other projects and organisation’s objectives 16 Determine and access available resources to undertake project 18 More resources 19

11 Ways to Source for Funds for a Start Up Business in Nigeria

11 Ways to Source for Funds for a Start Up Business in Nigeria In this country, a lot of entrepreneurs wishing to begin a new venture go through lots of problems just trying to get their businesses running. One such problem is getting funds to start that business. This has been a major drawback for most intending business owners in the country today. While it takes some people a short time to achieve this, it takes others a long period to get what is required to kick start their businesses. In this article, you will discover 11 brilliant ways you can acquire the money you need for your emerging venture. Of course, you know all that relates to business has its upside and downsides so here you will see why you should use that source and also some disadvantages that come with it. Ultimately you are the one to decide which option to go for so knowing everything about the varied options available is necessary. The different ways are: Money you have saved up: While thinking of beginning a new business, thoughts of getting the money you need would have played out in your subconscious. So, how much money do you have in your savings? This is the first action plan that is necessary for you. Once you know how much you have, you will then be able to conclude if you require more money or not. What you currently have will determine what you will ultimately need in the long run. The upside is: A huge chunk of this saved up money will be very useful in getting some needed things for your business. The downside is: It may not be enough to even start up You might have other responsibilities that need to be taken care of. Close friends, close family members and relatives: One other way to get fund sourcing for your business is by asking friends that are close to you and also family members and relatives. These groups of people understand you and should be in a better place to give you the assistance you need to get your business on its feet. So before embarking on other means, try doing this and I am sure you would get at least more than half of what you are looking for. The upside is: They might be able to assist you to an extent They may give you the right push you need to start off They will encourage you even if it looks difficult to implement The downside is: What you get from them might not be sufficient Some of them will discourage you and try to discourage you from pursuing it You may not even get any help from them Business grants: Are you aware that there are now so many business grants available for Nigerians who either already have established businesses or just want to begin? If only you have the right information at the appropriate time. A lot of Nigerians are now benefitting from these opportunities. Examples of some recent business grants are: The entrepreneurship programme organized by Tony Elumelu; otherwise known as TEEP. The programme organized by YouWiN. The entrepreneurship programme organized by Bank of Industry The trust fund programme organized by Lagos State; also known as LSETF The programme organized by AYEEN which is Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs. All these and more are there for Nigerians to participate in. As long as you are a Nigerian and are at least 18 years old and you have a realistic business idea, you can apply for them. Aside these, there are also business events that take place from time to time in various cities in Lagos. The just concluded â€Å"Fashion Souk† that took place at Harbour Point, Lagos is one of such examples. Entrepreneurs had the privilege to show case their business pitches and some of them were given grants of up to N200, 000. So with this, you can see that the chances out there are endless; just know where they lie and tap into them. The upside is: These options are many so you choose the one to participate in The money given will be able to settle some business needs The grants given differ; some amounts are higher than some The downside is: Your business pitch might be rejected Your applications may be rejected more than once The money may not be enough (but really is money ever enough for anyone?) Getting loans from microfinance banks: Most microfinance banks give out loans to small scale businesses. You can approach them and with your business pitch, collateral and guarantor you should be able to acquire loans for your business. Also know that they would include interest rates when you are paying back the loan. The upside is: Getting loans from such facilities would be a relief to you and your business The downside is: The interest rate might be pretty high Their deadlines for payment are usually strict. You must pay early enough or face the consequence. Loans from banks: Are you aware that there are some Nigerian banks who give out loans without asking for collateral? It is as easy as that; once you present your business plan, go through some tests, you will be able to apply for such loans. Although the banks all have their different processes and requirements for it. The banks are Heritage bank, First bank, Diamond bank, WEMA bank, and Stanbic IBTC bank. For more information on this, it would be nice if you visit them. The upside is: It is a relief to be able to get loans without having to drop any form of collateral The downside is: You do not know how long it would take to actually receive the loan you want Partnerships: There are certain business moguls you could partner with to enable your business take full form. It could be a friend who has an established business and has some forms of experience already. When forming partnership with someone, a lot of paper work is done so there is no abuse of agreement. This partner could provide what is needed in the early stage of the business or he could just add to what you have. The upside is: This business partner will support you both financially and materially depending on the business arrangement you both have. The downside is: He might want to have a share percent of the company when it finally picks up or starts making profit. Money contributions: A lot of people now engage in daily or weekly contributions to help with their financial needs. This is usually done by a group of people who contribute a certain amount of money based on the arrangement they have. At the end of the month, someone takes away the bulk of the money while others take theirs in subsequent months until everyone has collected and then the cycle continues. This could be a source of fund for your start up business. The money you collect when it gets to your turn could be very helpful. The upside is: This contribution will be helpful as you are sure of getting a specific amount at a specific time. You can decide to collect your share earlier than when you are meant to. By doing this, you can have an arrangement with someone else to collect in his place instead so you can use the money for your business. The downside is: You might be disappointed as not everyone might fulfill their contributions You might not be able to collect earlier than someone else because they might also need it at the time If the people in the group are not trust worthy, they can abscond with all the money. Cooperatives: People join cooperatives for many reasons; some join so that they can buy lands with the accumulated money gotten, others want to buy cars or start businesses. To be able to get money from them, you should have been a member for some time which allows you borrow a specific sum for a duration. There are lots of advantages by being a member of a cooperative and so if you are not already a member of one, you might want to think of joining so that when the time comes, you will know where to go to get funds. The upside is: Cooperatives are more structured and are systematic and so it would be hard for your money to be stolen There is accountability for allocation of funds Crowdfunding: This is another unique way of getting business funds. If you are able to post an appealing business pitch on the internet for people to see so they can invest in your business, you will probably get what you want. By doing this, it is highly possible to meet genuine people that like what you intend doing and want to be major investors in your business. It is worth trying out as you never know where your funding will emerge from. The upside is: You might get help from where you do not expect it You will be surprised at the number of people interested in your business and want to invest in it The downside is: People may shun you and give you reasons why you should not start that business Sell your valued property: What valued property do you have that could earn you some money? There are people who sell what they have just so their business can run. If you are desperate to begin your business, I am sure you would want to do all you can to ensure this happens. It is therefore not a bad idea to sell what you have because you can always buy it back when you stabilize. The upside is: The money gotten from the sale of your items will go a long way in settling some aspects of your business The downside is: You may not begin making instant profit for you to replace your items that is if you really want them back. Angel investors: Do you know that there are some investors who are ready to give you the capital you require to begin your business? All they want in return is some form of ownership equity. If you are willing to agree to this, then this option is for you. So which of these options will you choose? Some people choose one or a combination of more than one option which works for them. It is left to you to decide which to go for. You have seen that each option has its advantages and disadvantages so weigh them and pick the one that suits your business more. These 11 ways to source for funds have worked for a lot of businesses today and they are doing quite well. So, choose wisely!

Woman with Hat Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woman with Hat Painting - Essay Example With the artist’s choice of portrait as a subject, use of energetic paint strokes, and combination of unusual colors, the painting stands out as a model of the essential characteristics of fauvism. Overall, Matisse has applied an active brushwork to depict his wives’ dress, skin, and feathered hat, together with the background of the portrait with weird vivid colors. The Woman with Hat Painting premiered in Salon d’Automne in the year 1905 and it has been presented through the oil on canvas medium, much more of a splattering of paint on the canvas material; this was an quite an unusual piece among Matisse’s contemporaries. Through his successful art career, Henry Matisse became renowned as one of the giants of the 20th century art, and has ever since been readily recognized for his pioneering works that set the stage in the fauvist art style; in addition to the fauvist art style, Matisse was also identified with paper cut-outs later in his career. Even tho ugh Matisse was born to an artistically inclined mother, he received very little early encouragement to become an artist and so he proceeded to study law in Paris (Matisse b); however, after suffering appendicitis and being confined to bed, Matisse explored his artistic bent with a lot of encouragement from his mother who was keen to help him recover. Overall, the Woman with hat painting was inspired by Matisse’s desire to challenge the rigid concepts of art to both the critic and the viewer in his period, which largely had evolved into a status quo. The Woman with hat painting was created in the 20th century period between 1905 to 1906 in Paris and was first exhibited in the Salon d’Automne in the year 1905; however, the portrait’s rough application of bright colors on the face, hat, dress, and even background was shocking to critics and Matisse’s contemporaries. This period was defined by phenomenology, a concept that was familiarized by Edmund Husserl as an attempt to break down phenomenon into verifiable form in order to understand its essence (Ayanna). This concept inspired the creation of Woman with hat painting because the painting clearly reflects the essence of phenomenology as conceptualized by Husserl; using the proposed method of stratified formation, Matisse observes and challenges the phenomena of art. Through the Woman with heart painting, Matisse challenges the concept of art according to both the critic and the viewer in particular, and the concept of art in general; he established a model for modern art that came to be known as fauvism style. The subject of the Woman with hat painting is a portrait that depicts Matisse’s wife in the oil on canvas artwork (Matisse b); this subject is recognizable to me today due to the massive influence of this pioneering fauvist work on modern art. However, this subject may not have been recognizable to the people in the time it was created due to the rigid concepts of the e ssence of art that existed at that time, until later when critics recognized fauvist style of art. The unusual bright color combinations heavily characterize the Woman with hat painting, and these have been utilized to symbolize the expression of Matisse’s wife; the artist’s use of color to capture expression rather than form is a radical idea that challenged the status quo that paintings should depict the subject matter accurately by using forms. Similarly, the color symbol was not understandable to the people in the society in which this painting was created because the concept of fauvism was still uncommon at the time of completion of this painting. However, this color symbol is understandable to me today because the fauvism style of art has taken form and challenged the age-old

Management Accounting for Cadbury Schweppes plc Case Study

Management Accounting for Cadbury Schweppes plc - Case Study Example The most important information requirements which could aid the managers of the business include the information that are related to issues like planning & decision making, monitoring the business performance, building and maintaining a competitive advantage. In planning and decision making the managers are guided to what will produce the attainment of the companies’ corporate financial objectives. Planning is not only limited to day to day operation of the business but also how the business maximizes its revenues and profits and many areas of its operation. Updated information of revenues and expense accounts of the company are therefore very relevant for the company managers to effectively plan and make decision. Revenue accounts refer to accounts as a result of delivering goods and services to clients. Expense accounts include the cost of production like direct labour cost, raw materials and the factory over head associate with production. Monitoring the business performance presupposes knowledge of data of measurements that would tell managers whether they are accomplishing their objectives are not. The financial information on revenues, expense, assets and liabilities are therefore relevant information for the company to effectively have monitoring activities. The following are the chosen methods or techniques: Budgeting, Variance Analysis, Absorption Based Costing and Cost Volume Profit Analysis. Budgeting techniques is applicable to the information needs of company. ... requirements which could aid the managers of the business include the information that are related to issues like planning & decision making, monitoring the business performance, building and maintaining a competitive advantage.In planning and decision making the managers are guided to what will produce the attainment of the companies' corporate financial objectives. Planning is not only limited to day to day operation of the business but also how the business maximizes its revenues and profits and many areas of its operation. Updated information of revenues and expense accounts of the company are therefore very relevant for the company managers to effectively plan and make decision. Revenue accounts refer to accounts as a result of delivering goods and services to clients. Expense accounts include the cost of production like direct labour cost, raw materials and the factory over head associate with production.Monitoring the business performance presupposes knowledge of data of measu rements that would tell managers whether they are accomplishing their objectives are not. The financial information on revenues, expense, assets and liabilities are therefore relevant information for the company to effectively have monitoring activities. 2.1.2 The four suitable costing and management accounting methods/techniques applicable to the information needs earlier identified. The following are the chosen methods or techniques: Budgeting, Variance Analysis, Absorption Based Costing and Cost Volume Profit Analysis.Budgeting techniques is applicable to the information needs of company for activities like planning & decision making and monitoring the business performance of the company. A budget includes revenues and accounts that are projected

Books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Books - Essay Example Books define the character of the child. Research indicates that children who were introduced to reading at tender age are well mannered because books use different characters to define the implications of being ill mannered (Whitehead 38). During adolescent age, books are very important in informing the child about all changes that may occur during this period. Many children tend to be influenced by the peer pressure but books have been cited as one source of information on how such children can control their changes and feelings. This helps them to define their character and enable them to control the changes (Whitehead 18). In addition books helps the group spend their time wisely an aspect that prevents the group avoid vices such as drug abuse and early pregnancies. This ensures that they are able to achieve their dream careers. Morrow, Lesley M, Elizabeth Freitag, Linda B. Gambrell, and Lesley M. Morrow. Using Childrens Literature in Preschool to Develop Comprehension: Understanding and Enjoying Books. Newark, Del: International Reading Association,  2009.

DEVELOPING BUSINESS PROCESSES & OPERATIONS Essay

DEVELOPING BUSINESS PROCESSES & OPERATIONS - Essay Example In addition, operations management provides an organization with the criteria for imposing by the market where company operates, according to Slack, Alistair and Robert (2013). Bamford and Forrester (2010) define the aim of operations management to cover the process of decision making and enable organization to develop its strategies. It strives to allow the company to satisfy the needs of stakeholders, foster the long-term success and understand how, where and what for the operations should be located, its resources and relationships are established. To be effective in terms of product or service design, developing or manufacturing, delivering and satisfying customers’ needs, an organization or company needs to efficiently manage its operations that would enable it to achieve more benefit from the services and products its produces. Moreover, high quality of these products and services and cost-available position should also be taken into account. For that purpose operational management is an important line management as it helps organization to display its best performance through coordinating and controlling of the resources needed for design, production and operation of business that at the same time give a company to obtain the highest level of efficiency and value add (Waters & Waters, 2002). Operational management of Swedish company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances, small vehicles and home accessories is the best example of how its effective management led to the success. One of the world’s largest furniture retailers, the turnover of the company is close to four billion dollars. The company’s major idea is to provide the high-quality furniture and accessories at a low price to enable each individual to purchase them. Ikea is also known for its sophisticated design, logistics and distribution concepts (Larcon,

Ecosystems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ecosystems - Essay Example In 1994 it was discovered that Lake trout had been illegally introduced into the Yellowstone Lake (Varley & Schullery, 1995). The economic losses are also astounding. It is estimated that if the lake trout are not controlled then there would be an economic loss of $685 million by 2025. Changes in fishing regulations have restored numbers of population however it is thought that the only way to save the service is to control the lake trout. There have been many suggestions for example it has been suggested that this can be done through Status Quo Angling which means killing any caught trout and reporting it to the park authorities, killing the embryos of lake trout has also been another suggestion along with the use of sterile male Lake Trout being introduced to the lake and the use of trap nets however the cost of this is high (McIntyre, 1995). It can be concluded that in order to maintain control an aggressive program must be in place but the likelihood of irradiation of Lake trout is low but can be reduced which will ensure that ecotourism and sports can continue as a recreational and cultural ecosystem service. MCINTYRE, JOHN D. (1995) Review and assessment of possibilities for protecting the Cutthroat Trout of Yellowstone Lake from introduced Lake Trout.

Good business writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Good business writing - Essay Example Good writing has been adopted not only as a requirement during interviews and hiring process but also in the promotion of the employees. This implies that potential employees should have adequate skills on how to communicate with the recruiters and managers through memo, proposals, letters and reports. This paper analyses key writing skills that an individual should posses in order to effectively communicate his or her ideas to the targeted audience. Begin with a major idea Without a proper planning, an individual may not achieve the objective of the writing. In this regard, it is imperative to identify the key idea before wring any business document. One of the primary steps is to jot the major idea on a piece of paper. In this way, a writer will be more focused on the topic that the he or she is aiming at. In most cases, the major idea becomes the headline of the writing. For example, sales executives who aim at explaining the benefits of new products to the consumers or its performance in the market may give their writing a headline of sales report. In the same way, managers who want to make an adjustment to the employees working hours may write a memo and place it on a notice board or give a copy to each of the employees. To avoid deviating from the main issues, it is fundamental for an individual to reread the headline as he or she continues with the writing.

Her Kind by Anne Sexton Analysis Essay Example for Free

Her Kind by Anne Sexton Analysis Essay After reading the poem Her Kind by Anne Sexton a lot of thought and emotion arises. It leaves a lot to be questioned and can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the reader. I perceive it as the author symbolically describing her experience with manic episodes that she endured, but she describes it all in the second person perspective. She writes of a witch who is dark spirited, twelve fingered, mentally abnormal, and isolated from her community. I translate her description of the witch as a oman simply experiencing her darkest hour. She is angry, hurt, conflicted, depressed and prefers to shy away from others. She feels unaccepted, misunderstood, and monstrous. She is experiencing enraged behavior due to the lack of comfort within herself; A crazy woman consumed by her own thoughts. The Author describes the witch finding Shelter in the woods. Im unsure if shes referring to an actual physical place, but I believe it is symbolic for a state of mind she goes into. The woods is her mental safe house so to speak. Fixed the suppers for the worms and elves I interpreted as her calming her own thoughts of mischievous interference (as per elves), and when she speaks of worms shes referring to the slow consumption of her mental health which she is trying to fight. Whining, rearranging and disaligned is referencing the witches thought pattern and process. She has constant unorganized, racing and droneful cognition. I translate the conclusion of the poem as the description of the Authors, Anne Sextons, reluctant, yet necessary hospitalization. Symbolically, she is being transported to the hospital and as she waved her nude arms at the villages going by theoretically it is her putting up a fight during her transport. Learning her last bright routes, survivor I decipher as the advisement of the treatment options available to her at the hospital. Where your flames still bite my thigh and my ribs crack as your wheels wind I depict as her receiving a shot to induce sedation and her fighting while being restrained and that the closer she gets to the hospital the ore she feels a sense of regret and shame. She is embarrassed that her mental deficiency has come to this point and she wasnt strong enough to gain control of herself. A woman like that is not ashamed to die to me says she is so distressed, meek, humiliated, and fatigued by her mental instability, that death to her would not be a negative occurrence, if anything, she welcomes it and sees it as a way out. Her Kind is a very strong poem and is a very insightful look into a womans head ho is unbalanced and a bit unhinged. I feel sympathetic for Anne Sexton, who I have affirmatively believe the poem is regarding. It appears that she struggled with her illness and had to go through a lot to try to get some sort of mental stability. It seems aggravating, painful, and burdensome to have uncontrollable thoughts of anger, sorrow, rage, and shame. The poem suggests that Anne Sexton fought an intricate battle which sadly came to an end by her own hand. Her Kind by Anne Sexton Analysis By katal

Importance of Organization Behaviour in Modern Business

Importance of Organization Behaviour in Modern Business INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOUR Organizational Behavior is the identification, analyzing and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act in organizations. It interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the person, group, organization, and whole social system. Objective of it is to build better relationships by achieving people objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives. It encompasses a wide range of areas, such as human behavior, Training and development, change management, leadership, teams, Group behavior etc. In the study of organizational behavior is helpful in gaining a complete understanding of the business. It is not the study of how organizations behave, but rather the study of individual behavior in an organization. This includes the study of how individuals be have alone as well as in groups. The main focus of the organizational behavior is to obtain a greater understanding of those factors which influence individual and group dynamics in an organization. Therefore individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. Organizational behavior research is ultimately focused at providing human resource management professionals with the information and techniques which they need to select, train, and retain employees in a fashion which gives maximum benefit for the individual employee and for the organization. Organizational behavior is a modern interdisciplinary field. It draws most heavily from the psychological and sociological sciences and it also looks to other scientific fields. The interdisciplinary approach is used because the field of organizational behavior involves multiple levels of analysis, which are necessary to understand behavior within organizations as people influence their environment as well as people are influenced by their environment. The business organization based on vales, missions , visions, objectives, goals and management philosophy which drives formal or informal organizations towards culture social environment The culture decides the type of leadership, group dynamics, communication, within the business organization. The employee perceives this as the quality of work type which leads their quantity of motivation, which will benefited to employee performance, individual satisfaction, and personal development and growth. The combination of all above elements will lead to build the model that the organization operates from. Following are the main features of the organization behavior Organization behavior analyzing the relationship between organization, individual and the group. It more concern about people attitudes, perception, feelings, learning capabilities and specific objectives goals.(Distinctly humanistic orientation) It consists of different techniques, methods theories to evaluate the performances. (Multidisciplinary) It provides vital answers to questions which arise when managing organization. It analyses the factors influence the performance of a organization and describe the way of improve the performance. It uses the scientific method to analyze the performance which helps to identify the variables and relationships. It creates to achieve the path of business needs as it is concern in understanding of organization processes and skills. Factors Influence the Organization Behavior The feathers of people at work- attitudes, individual Differences, attributes, roles of the people and direction The way people are motivated Organizational commitment Employment engagement process The way organizations factions Culture of the organization Models of Organizational Behavior There are four main models organizations operate out of, Autocratic, Custodial, Supportive, and Collegial: Autocratic this model is power with the management. The employees are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The performance result is minimal. Custodial this model is monetary resources with a managerial direction of wealth. The employees in turn are leaning towards security and reimbursement and dependence on the organization. The outcome is passive cooperation. Supportive this model is leadership with a managerial direction of support. The employees are leaning towards job performance and contribution. The member of staff need that is met is status and appreciation. The performance outcome is awakening drive. Collegial this model is related with a managerial direction of teamwork. The team also work oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The performance result is moderate Even though there are several models, most of the organizations used combination of above models. The organizational behavior does not depend upon deductions based on gut feelings where as trying to collect details, information for issue in a scientific manner under controlled situations. It provides information for the findings so that the behavior of personnel and group could be canalized as desired. Majority of psychologists, social scientists and have carried out research on various aspects related to organization behavior. Job satisfaction and individual performance are determinants of achievement of employee and organizational goals. Organizations are set up to fulfill the requirement of the people. In modern competitive world, the organizations should have growth task-oriented which can achieve at the time of productivity is ensured with zero defect in quality. Employee turnover and absenteeism has a negative impact on efficiency and productivity. It is required to motivate retained the skill workers by enhancing the job satisfaction. In formal structure of organization all divisions have to function in a coordinated manner to accomplish the organizational goals, vision and objectives. Due to that it is require maintaining positive attitude towards work. Also it is more valuables for managers to develop the suitable work culture by using authority, delegation of certain powers to team members. Benchmarking, re-engineering, job re-design and empowerment are some of the valuables factors. LEADERSHIP Leadership is most important aspect of organizational behavior which can be define as ability to influence, motivate others to achieve the set of organizational objectives or goals. In todays context the managers now are leaders of their groups, their divisions. Event though it may require certain specialist knowledge, the human relations part of the management job. Currently People have more flexibility and more options in their careers, which are them selves more fluid, so keeping employee motivated is very important, due to that Leadership is also important in attempting to minimize employee dissatisfaction. Leadership consists of the effective process of delegation and empowerment. Broad classification of leadership styles There are several dimensions to leadership style and different ways of describing leadership styles such as, bureaucratic, benevolent, charismatic, dictatorial, unitary consultative, participative and abdicator. The different types of managerial leadership towards subordinate staff can be classified in following heading. Authoritarian style which focus on all interactions within the group move towards the manager due to power is with the manager, in this style manager him selves exercises decision-making and authority for determining policy, procedures and regulations for achieving set of objectives. Eg- The employees achieve the task will be given rewards others who have not achieved punishments. Chemanex group allocating certain objective to be achieved by each employee for a given time, then evaluate the performance based on the task achieved. Evaluation as follows Marks Category 81-100 Excellent 61-80 Good 41-60 Average Employee who perform excellently, entitle 4 month bonus, good category 3 months, average category 2.5monthe less than average No bonus at all. It shows how above style is applicable in todays context. Democratic style leadership functions are shared with other staff of the group and the leader and focus of power is more with the group as a whole and there is high integration within the group. All members have a high decision-making, determination of policy and procedure. Eg- Janashakthi Insurance organize the foreign trips based on high performance team for the year .Laissez-faire style manager are observing that subordinate of the team are working well independently. The manager, enhance them freedom of doing the objectives to carry out they think best and without interfering where as it is required to provide support if help is needed. Where as some confusion over this style, since the word of Genuine is emphasized since which is contrasted with the manager who could not care, of results keeps away from the problem points and manager does not want to get involved. Eg; Vertusa -Employee has given the freedom to achieve the certain task Most of the organization having combinations of above styles employees are not interest to work under the 100% authoritarian style There are 4 main types of leadership behavior available in accordance with goal path theory Directive Leadership- Which consist of the way of directing to the subordinates to achieve the goals by considering rules regulations. Eg- This model applicable in the most of the government organization (The Department head is giving the instructions for its subordinates achieve the task with in the circulars or based on government rules policies. Supportive leadership which consist of open and reachable manner and displaying the needs and welfare of subordinate. Participative leadership which consists of consult with their subordinates and the evaluation of opinions and different ideas before the manager makes the final decision. Achievement-oriented leadership consist of setting demanding goals for subordinates, looking for development in their performance and show confidence in subordinates ability to perform well. Leader should identify the people capability, proper execution and continuous improvement People capability It includes setting up the ability, competencies and skills required for the modern world, and how to accomplish those requirements, including competencies evaluation, gap analysis, job and role definitions and career development. Those will lead the modern business is key to the success of this activity. Execution This consists of delivery of the new model. It includes both hard deliverables in the form of project plans, progress reports and budget variances, stakeholder management and soft deliverables in the form of communications Continuous Improvement This consists of measuring the effectiveness of performances and which ensure opportunities for the further improvements. Balance score card, Reward alignment and performance management are the key methods of evaluating the performances Every organization the leadership should delegate the authorities to subordinates by considering the capability of the employees leader should lead the team, motivated, review the out come , continuous training evaluate the performance. GROUP BEHAVIOR The basic character of a group is that its members regard themselves as belonging to the group. Although there is no exact definition for group it can be defined as follows. A set of people who interact with one another are psychologically aware of one another; and perceive them selves to be a group. Simply a group can be define as a set of people who share most following characteristics a definable membership; group awareness; interdependence; common purpose; interaction; and ability to act in a unitary manner. A social system contains all the people in system and their relationships to each other and to the external world. It is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. The behavior of individual affect on the behavior of others directly or indirectly. Groups has basic feature of the working style of any organization. Group Members as well as the managers must co-operate each other to carry out works to achieve objectives of the organization as well as the individuals. Group pressures influence over the performance of the organization as well as the individual members of the organization. Group performance id directly related with the leadership which influence the behavior of the group members. Pleasant working relationships and good teamwork help to improve the morale of employees and work performance. Successful teamwork is a basic feature of modern management practices such as total quality management, empowerment, quality circles and change management. Teamwork is very important as it increases the competitiveness power of the organization in following ways; increase the productivity improve quality encourage innovation motivate employees and improve their commitment TRAINING DEVELOPMENTS Employee training is most important aspect in any organization. Employees are key assts of the organization there are is direct relationship with organizational performance employee performances. As a result of that employee should improve the skills, capabilities, and strength to compete with technological global changes. Due to that employee should develop following skills, Computer skills: employee should develop computer skills which is most important to negotiate with global environment. Customer service: In today customer satisfaction is most key area of business environment due to high competition of global market, due to that it is required to give proper training. Diversity: It consist of explanation about how people have different views and perspectives, and includes methods to value diversity Ethics: It consists of a view about social and corporate responsibility. Further, todays employees bring a wide variety of values and morals to the organization. Human relations: Presently organizational employees work under pressure more stress on work load. Therefore there may be lots of misunderstandings and conflicts. Proper training will minimized the unnecessary conflict misunderstandings. Quality initiatives: It consist of basic training requirement about the quality concepts, Guidance for qualities, procedures Eg; benchmarking, Total Quality Management, Quality Circles.. Safety: Safety training is more important specially for the employees undertaking risk jobs eg: working with heavy equipment , chemicals, Fuel, gas or Electricity related employments Most of the organization has given safety equipments when doing the risk operations Eg Hayleys ADC PLC operating chemical related productions employees are given safety manual, safety equipments proper training Sexual harassment: This includes training about sexual harassment on inappropriate behavior. Normally this is included in organizational policies. Why training is important and Benefits from Employee by proper Training and Development There are several sources that the employee can train develop them selves. They can use organizational policies, procedures, safety manuals, online information on training and development. Employees are benefiting by proper training developments. It may increase moral , job satisfaction, motivation of employee, Enhanced the productivity, efficiency of employee resulting financial benefit to the organization, Minimized the employee turnover, due to the new technologies methods enhanced the production capacity Diversity Diversity energizes customer service, employee motivation improvement of moral of employee, decision making team performances. With rapid change of global market employment relationships have also emerged from the changing work force, information technology, and globalization factors. Currently most of the organization more concentrates on corporate social responsibility to compete with standardization of values and ethics of other organizations. Currently organizational behavior pushes the competitiveness. Considering the above facts organizational behavior, play major role in todays context

The Morality of Managed Care Essay -- Health Care Medical Medicine Ess

The Morality of Managed Care "The preservation of health is a duty" according to Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher (Andrews, 1993). Managed care conglomerates provide health coverage for increasing numbers of Americans. Many critics question whether these businesses provide care dutifully. At the very least, the present managed care system requires health care providers and recipients to reexamine established principles underling physician-patient interaction. Although health maintenance organizations are commonly misunderstood, Americans hope these institutions will dampen runaway health care expenditures. Since HMO's are increasing in number, health care recipients need to examine how established, ethical principles in America are changing. These subtle alterations create conflicts between physicians, HMO's, and patients. Ultimately, patients are regarded as consumers, and understandably, quality care may be more difficult to obtain. Definition Of Managed Care Although numerous health care plans presently exist, managed care plans have dominated the marketplace since the early 1980's. Preferred provider organizations (PPO's) and health maintenance organizations (HMO's) are the most common, and they continue to grow in number. Since managed care has become commonplace, the differences between PPO's, HMO's and fee-for-service reimbursement arrangements must be critically evaluated. Without understanding their general organizational and payment structures, moral judgments pertaining to varying plans cannot be ascertained easily. PPO's contract with a limited number of physicians and hospitals who agree to care for patients on a discounted fee for service basis. On the other hand, HMO's amass insurers and providers... ...ew York Times, July 15, 1996, pp. A13. Kassirer, Jerome P. "Managed Care and the Morality of the Marketplace" The New England Journal of Medicine, July 6, 1995, pp. 50-52. King, Cheryl S. "Managed Care: Is It Moral." Advanced Practical Nursing, 1995, pp. 7-11. Larson, Erik. "The Soul of an HMO." Time, January 22, 1996, pp. 44-52. Light, Donald W. "The Practice and Ethics of Risk-rated Health Insurance." The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1992, pp. 2503-2508. Peliegrino, Edmund D. "Ethics." The Journal of the American Medical Association, June 1, 1994, pp. 1668-1670. Relman, Arnold S. "What Market Values Are Doing to Medicine." The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992, pp. 99-106. Shenkin, Budd N. "The Independent Practice Association in Theory and Practice." The Journal of the American Medical Association, June 28, 1995, pp. 1937-1942. The Morality of Managed Care Essay -- Health Care Medical Medicine Ess The Morality of Managed Care "The preservation of health is a duty" according to Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher (Andrews, 1993). Managed care conglomerates provide health coverage for increasing numbers of Americans. Many critics question whether these businesses provide care dutifully. At the very least, the present managed care system requires health care providers and recipients to reexamine established principles underling physician-patient interaction. Although health maintenance organizations are commonly misunderstood, Americans hope these institutions will dampen runaway health care expenditures. Since HMO's are increasing in number, health care recipients need to examine how established, ethical principles in America are changing. These subtle alterations create conflicts between physicians, HMO's, and patients. Ultimately, patients are regarded as consumers, and understandably, quality care may be more difficult to obtain. Definition Of Managed Care Although numerous health care plans presently exist, managed care plans have dominated the marketplace since the early 1980's. Preferred provider organizations (PPO's) and health maintenance organizations (HMO's) are the most common, and they continue to grow in number. Since managed care has become commonplace, the differences between PPO's, HMO's and fee-for-service reimbursement arrangements must be critically evaluated. Without understanding their general organizational and payment structures, moral judgments pertaining to varying plans cannot be ascertained easily. PPO's contract with a limited number of physicians and hospitals who agree to care for patients on a discounted fee for service basis. On the other hand, HMO's amass insurers and providers... ...ew York Times, July 15, 1996, pp. A13. Kassirer, Jerome P. "Managed Care and the Morality of the Marketplace" The New England Journal of Medicine, July 6, 1995, pp. 50-52. King, Cheryl S. "Managed Care: Is It Moral." Advanced Practical Nursing, 1995, pp. 7-11. Larson, Erik. "The Soul of an HMO." Time, January 22, 1996, pp. 44-52. Light, Donald W. "The Practice and Ethics of Risk-rated Health Insurance." The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1992, pp. 2503-2508. Peliegrino, Edmund D. "Ethics." The Journal of the American Medical Association, June 1, 1994, pp. 1668-1670. Relman, Arnold S. "What Market Values Are Doing to Medicine." The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992, pp. 99-106. Shenkin, Budd N. "The Independent Practice Association in Theory and Practice." The Journal of the American Medical Association, June 28, 1995, pp. 1937-1942.

Road less Travelled :: essays research papers

Certain administrators, educators, and medical professionals in our ranks are recommending strange books which teach skepticism, atheism, and New Age philosophies. This present report draws the curtain back, so you will not be ignorant when these concepts and their corollary code words are presented in your area. It may all sound very exciting, mystifying, and life-changing. But it is old-fashioned Oriental mysticism in a new guise. There are churchmen and medical professionals in our ranks who claim that these books will change a person’s life. We agree. THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED M. Scott Peck, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist. His most famous book is The Road Less Traveled, which was initially published in 1978. It has been a national best-seller ever since. This book, and its companion volumes by the same author, are increasingly being urged on our people. The subtitle of this book is A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth. Sounds pretty good, does it not? Do not be fooled. We are giving you an advance warning. You may find these theories taught at your own church one of these days. Peck excites the imagination to lofty flights of fancy while subtly instilling pride in one’s own wisdom. This is the secret of its fascination. It lures one on to seek a wisdom hidden from, and unavailable to, commonplace people. One might think that M. Scott Peck is a very wise man, in view of the profundity which people imagine they find in his writings; yet we will learn that, by his own admission, he is a tobacco and alcohol addict. The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. â€Å"The wisdom which spiritualism imparts is that described by the apostle James, which ‘descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.’ This, however, the great deceiver [initially] conceals.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Great Controversy, 554. M. Scott Peck teaches his readers that they must forsake the half-truths their parents have taught them and become skeptics in order to attain the level where wisdom begins: â€Å"Science is a religion of skepticism. To escape from the microcosm of our childhood experience, from the microcosm of our culture and its dogmas, from the half-truths our parents told us, it is essential that we be skeptical about what we think we have learned to date. It is the scientific attitude that enables us to transform our personal experience of the microcosm into a personal experience of the macrocosm. Road less Travelled :: essays research papers Certain administrators, educators, and medical professionals in our ranks are recommending strange books which teach skepticism, atheism, and New Age philosophies. This present report draws the curtain back, so you will not be ignorant when these concepts and their corollary code words are presented in your area. It may all sound very exciting, mystifying, and life-changing. But it is old-fashioned Oriental mysticism in a new guise. There are churchmen and medical professionals in our ranks who claim that these books will change a person’s life. We agree. THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED M. Scott Peck, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist. His most famous book is The Road Less Traveled, which was initially published in 1978. It has been a national best-seller ever since. This book, and its companion volumes by the same author, are increasingly being urged on our people. The subtitle of this book is A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth. Sounds pretty good, does it not? Do not be fooled. We are giving you an advance warning. You may find these theories taught at your own church one of these days. Peck excites the imagination to lofty flights of fancy while subtly instilling pride in one’s own wisdom. This is the secret of its fascination. It lures one on to seek a wisdom hidden from, and unavailable to, commonplace people. One might think that M. Scott Peck is a very wise man, in view of the profundity which people imagine they find in his writings; yet we will learn that, by his own admission, he is a tobacco and alcohol addict. The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. â€Å"The wisdom which spiritualism imparts is that described by the apostle James, which ‘descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.’ This, however, the great deceiver [initially] conceals.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Great Controversy, 554. M. Scott Peck teaches his readers that they must forsake the half-truths their parents have taught them and become skeptics in order to attain the level where wisdom begins: â€Å"Science is a religion of skepticism. To escape from the microcosm of our childhood experience, from the microcosm of our culture and its dogmas, from the half-truths our parents told us, it is essential that we be skeptical about what we think we have learned to date. It is the scientific attitude that enables us to transform our personal experience of the microcosm into a personal experience of the macrocosm.

The Never Ending Israel-Palestine Peace Talks Essay -- International C

The news of people dying and suffering, killings of women and children, and bombings by terrorists and militaries, has undoubtedly grabbed the world’s attention towards the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Palestinian children scream for their dead parents, the world’s leaders and academics initiated a frantic debate, trying hard to point out the real cause and viable solutions for the current situation. This has led to many peace initiatives by the international community that were unfortunately a devastating failure. This deadlock had left leaders and supporters of both sides blaming each other for their stubbornness, in some cases elevating the unrest in Israel and Palestine (Reynolds). In this difficult condition, it is hard for us to determine what actually caused the failure of the peace talks without being biased towards one side. Therefore, my goal in this essay is to examine the cause of the peace talks’ failure objectively by observing the history of pa st peace talks, the reasons for disagreement that are given by Palestine and Israel and the key issues discussed in peace talks. Finally, I will conclude my research by developing my stand on the causes based on the research I have conducted. Before we move on to discussing the cause of peace talks’ failures, it is crucial that we understand the peace initiatives that had occurred between Israel and Palestine. The starting point for the peace talks was UN’s Security Council Resolution 1967 which occurred after the 1967 war (Reynolds). This resolution stressed on â€Å"withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict† and â€Å". . . respect for and acknowledgment . . . of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and re... ...tinue the Peace Process?: No, It's Heading for Disaster." Middle East Quarterly September 1995: 23-28. Reynolds, Paul. History of Mid-East peace talks. 27 August 2010. 1 April 2012 . Saad, Lynda and Steve Crabtree. Opinion Briefing: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. 30 March 2012. 2 April 2012 . Sabbagh, Karl. Palestine History of a Lost Nation. New Yourk: Grove Press, 2006. The Telegraph. "Middle East peace talks: key issues between Israel and Palestinians." The Telegraph 14 September 2010. Tibi, Ahmad. Pressing Netanyahu is the key to success in Mideast peace talks. 3 September 2010. 1 April 2012 . United Nations Security Council. Resolution 242 (1967). Official Record. New York: United Nations, 1967. —. Resolution 252 (1968). Official Record. New York: United Nations, 1968. The Never Ending Israel-Palestine Peace Talks Essay -- International C The news of people dying and suffering, killings of women and children, and bombings by terrorists and militaries, has undoubtedly grabbed the world’s attention towards the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Palestinian children scream for their dead parents, the world’s leaders and academics initiated a frantic debate, trying hard to point out the real cause and viable solutions for the current situation. This has led to many peace initiatives by the international community that were unfortunately a devastating failure. This deadlock had left leaders and supporters of both sides blaming each other for their stubbornness, in some cases elevating the unrest in Israel and Palestine (Reynolds). In this difficult condition, it is hard for us to determine what actually caused the failure of the peace talks without being biased towards one side. Therefore, my goal in this essay is to examine the cause of the peace talks’ failure objectively by observing the history of pa st peace talks, the reasons for disagreement that are given by Palestine and Israel and the key issues discussed in peace talks. Finally, I will conclude my research by developing my stand on the causes based on the research I have conducted. Before we move on to discussing the cause of peace talks’ failures, it is crucial that we understand the peace initiatives that had occurred between Israel and Palestine. The starting point for the peace talks was UN’s Security Council Resolution 1967 which occurred after the 1967 war (Reynolds). This resolution stressed on â€Å"withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict† and â€Å". . . respect for and acknowledgment . . . of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and re... ...tinue the Peace Process?: No, It's Heading for Disaster." Middle East Quarterly September 1995: 23-28. Reynolds, Paul. History of Mid-East peace talks. 27 August 2010. 1 April 2012 . Saad, Lynda and Steve Crabtree. Opinion Briefing: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. 30 March 2012. 2 April 2012 . Sabbagh, Karl. Palestine History of a Lost Nation. New Yourk: Grove Press, 2006. The Telegraph. "Middle East peace talks: key issues between Israel and Palestinians." The Telegraph 14 September 2010. Tibi, Ahmad. Pressing Netanyahu is the key to success in Mideast peace talks. 3 September 2010. 1 April 2012 . United Nations Security Council. Resolution 242 (1967). Official Record. New York: United Nations, 1967. —. Resolution 252 (1968). Official Record. New York: United Nations, 1968.

Gender Roles Exploited with Humor Essay

The use of gender roles and stereotypes in commercials has slowly become more of an issue as men and women’s true societal roles have undoubtedly changed over time. The push for women’s equality over the past 50 years has been progressing each and every year, and rightly so. As women have become more self-sufficient in their everyday lives, their dependency from males and gender stereotypes have been changing drastically. These social changes have also sparked the progression of gender roles in advertisement and how men and women are presented to the public through television. Recently, many commercials have made drastic efforts in order to present more equal gender roles by trying to eliminate some of the stereotypes that have been part of our society for years. However, despite many of the progressions that have been made, commercials tend to revert back to some of the old stereotypes and perceived gender roles in order to create humor. One type of humor that has been prevalent in many recent commercials is the exploitation of gender stereotypes in an attempt to make a mockery of certain socially acceptable gender roles and actions, while at the same time displaying some of the characteristics that are not accepted by society. The humor in these types of commercials comes through the comparison of the same actions performed by both men and women, but one of the genders looks ridiculous performing these actions, despite the fact that they are the same. This type of marketing technique tends to cause a disproportion of equality between the two genders, because it is displaying how the actions of one gender are accepted by society, while similar actions by the other gender just appear to be unreasonable. In order to create a comedic effect in their commercials, many companies have started to disregard the progression for equality in gender roles and have started to display some of the same old gender stereotypes that w e, as a society, have tried to separate from. Through my exploration of Snickers and Heineken commercials, I was able to outline a very particular style of comedy that affected both genders in negative ways. Two very well known brands, Heineken and Snickers, have started to show men displaying some of the female stereotypes we have seen in other commercials. Now, some might say that this is a good thing because it is trying to blur the line between the two stereotypes and show that men can experience some of the same things that women do. However, I see this as quite the opposite. It seems that use of men displaying female stereotypes is, in a sense, making fun of the women. While the brands have achieved their ultimate goal of providing a humorous commercial, this humor comes at the expense of us laughing at how ridiculous the men appear when they are acting out some of the women stereotypes. To get a better understanding of how the commercials are creating this style of satire, lets take a closer look at some examples from Heineken. In a Heineken commercial from 2009, the scene starts out inside a home, and the women of the house leads a group of her five girl friends through the living room, the kitchen, her bedroom, and eventually they arrive outside of a closet. The woman proceeds to proudly open up the closet doors, unveiling shelves full of shoes and clothes, with a table in the middle full of shimmering jewelry. All of the woman’s friends go absolutely crazy and begin jumping up and down while simultaneously releasing screams of excitement. As the excitement begins to die down, they hear faint cries of excitement coming from across the house. The scene then immediately switches over to the men’s closet, a walk-in freezer, full of Heineken beer. All of the men appear to be imitating the women’s excitement that was displayed moments earlier, with slight exaggeration, as one of the men begins to shed a tear. The two stereotypes displayed in this commercial were pretty clear. It shows men getting overly excited about a room full of beer, while women are getting excited over a room full of shoes and jewelry. These stereotypes are not what make the commercial offensive to any one of the particular genders though. When the audience sees men getting excited over beer as much as women get excited over shoes it tends to expose the ridiculousness in the actions of women because people are thinking â€Å"wow†¦imagine if men got as excited over beer as women got over shoes†¦that would be stupid†. This train of thought is what starts to draw the lines between men and women and how one gender’s actions can be accepted by society, but similar actions from the other cannot. It suggests that men should remain calm, cool, and collective at all times unless they want it to be viewed as a joke. On the reverse side, it suggests to women that their actions are only acceptable because they’re girls, and that if men were to do the same thing, it would appear ridiculous. The next commercial I looked at was a Snickers Super Bowl commercial from 2010. The commercial shows three men working at a construction site, all of the sudden one of the men transforms from a man in work boots and a hardhat, into a women with nice clothes and heels, while still standing in the middle of the construction site. After this transformation the â€Å"woman† begins to complain about the work and how hot it is outside. The two men look at the women with a disgusted look on their face and advise her to â€Å"eat a Snickers†¦you turn into a diva when you’re hungry†. The woman gets tossed a Snickers bar from one of the men, takes a bite, and suddenly transforms back into his original character as a construction worker. This commercial displays one of the very old and outdated stereotypes of women not being able to perform laborious tasks. When the man turns into a woman, he begins to start complaining about the hard work and the hot weather. This commercial again exposes how unacceptable it would be if a man were to act like a woman on the job. In contrast, it also tries to show how out of place a woman would look on a construction site by placing a nicely dressed woman in the middle of the dirt filled construction area. It attempts to show how men are expected to be tough and free of complaints, unless they want to be ridiculed by their co-workers with words such as â€Å"diva†. The commercial implies that as soon as men start to complain about work or being tired, they are immediately labeled as having female characteristics due to our current stereotypical views on gender roles and actions. Through these commercials I have discussed above, it is clear that some of the new tactics for adding humor to commercials has become a sort of mockery of the stereotypes between men and women. Heineken and Snickers have both tried to show scenarios in which we see men behaving like women in an attempt to show how ridiculous it would be if males were to exhibit some of the same social stereotypes we associate with women. By doing this, the two commercials begin to draw a line between the actions and characteristics that are acceptable for women, but not for men. These marketing schemes are detrimental because they provide a clear example of how society can accept the actions of one gender, but when the other gender performs some of the same actions it becomes humorous satire. I think that a comedic commercial without gender stereotypes would appear much more sophisticated and would be better received by the public. I hope that advertising agencies will begin to realize this and that future commercials will appear both humorous and professional.