Magnet Hospital Characteristics Research Proposal

Magnet Hospital Characteristics - Research Proposal Example This study will seek to explore the various ways in which magnet characteristics could be appropriated towards the objectives of empowerment, reduction of burnout and enhancing employee satisfaction within the healthcare facilities. Problem Statement The matter of job dissatisfaction and work related stress continues to engage the concern of stakeholders in the nursing profession. Nurses are continually subjected to adverse working conditions that affect their levels of production and dedication to duty (Earie & Denny, 2005). Despite the consistent improvements of other areas of the healthcare sector, there seems to be insufficient focus on the challenges that afflict the nursing fraternity. The general perception is that the healthcare system, as presently constituted, lays obstacles to the empowerment of nurses. The system is structured in such a way that assigns a subservient role to the nurses despite various research findings that emphasize the centrality of nurses to the succes s levels of every health care system. Among the many suggestions on the improvement of the nursing industry is the inclusion of magnet hospital characteristics. This study seeks to explore the possible effect of magnet hospital characteristics in solving the challenges of empowerment, work-related stress and burn-out within the nursing industry. Objectives of the Study The general objective of the study is to explore the impact of utilizing magnet hospital characteristics on fostering nursing empowerment, reducing the levels of burnout and job dissatisfaction. Specific Objectives 1. To determine the relationship between magnet hospital characteristics and power relationships within a healthcare institution with specific focus on the nurses and the... This paper stresses that researchers on nursing have established that fragmented systems often promote negative competition and conflict between the nursing fraternity and the doctors. Systems that exclude nurses from decision-making processes often foster non-cooperation. Naturally, lack of cooperation between nurses and doctors will impact negatively in quality matters. Poor coordination could result in accidents and other elements of professional malpractice in the nursing community. Generally, nurses will tend to operate in ways that do not promote the general good of the hospitals due to the detached interest that follows. The need for harmonization of systems is consistent with the realization that quality service must involve processes of collaboration and delegation of roles. Technology also helps in the decongesting of hospitals thus promoting ample working environment for the nurses. This report makes a conclusion that poor staffing is usually associated with the negative impacts of staff burnout and stress. Generally, the aim of magnet hospital characteristics is the improvement of all the processes, associations and arrangements in the hospital for the benefit of all the stakeholders. Other studies have associated it with the concept of total quality management as understood within the framework of management. Harmonization of the different systems, processes, and individuals within the framework of the core mission of the hospital is the chief objective of magnet hospital characteristics.

The Chief Operations Officer’s Essay Example for Free

The Chief Operations Officer’s Essay The Chief Operations Officer’s role focuses on the execution of day-to-day operations and oversight of all the departments; to include morale, welfare, and employee conduct in the company. In order for the company to successfully prepare for an Initial Public Offering we will need to revise the employee handbook, resolve some specific internal employee matters and implement a whistleblower policy. Employment-at-will refers to common law which holds employees that work for an unspecified time period work at the will of their employers and employment can be dismissed any time (Zachary, 2012, p. 25), for good cause, bad cause or no cause, by either the employer or the employee. Some exceptions of dismissal for employment-at-will include discrimination against race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age, and disability, other exceptions are wrongful discharge in violation of public policy or breach of contract, the promise of â€Å"good faith and fair dealing† in a contract of employment or suggesting contractual requirements based off of the company’s handbook or policy statement (Halbert Ingulli, 2012, p. 50), and tort whether the policy is found in legislation, constitutions, legal hearings, administrative practices, or other sources (Zachary, 2012, p. 25). The tort law offers the employee the chance to convince a jury to award damages (money awards) for â€Å"wrongful discharge† (Halbert Ingulli, 2012, p. 51). Some state and federal statutes may also prohibit the discharge of employees for their participation in jury duty, filing workers compensation claims, involvement in the union, conducting military duty or certain occurrences in whistle-blowing (Zachary, 2012, p. 21). Our company operates off of voluntary employment; therefore, general counsel reviewed the employment-at-will doctrine and exceptions mentioned above and legal termination is an option for all eight employees based off of either personnel misconduct or violation against our company’s rules and regulations cited in the employee handbook. Table 1, titled, â€Å"Employee Conduct and Rational for Termination or Continued Employment†, illustrates the eight personnel actions under investigation and the decision for termination or continued employment. The decisions to terminate or retain the employees stem from a reflective approach that melds traditional theories and modern theories of ethics. Two particular theories that support the decision are the consequences-based approach which provides the greatest good to the majority of the people, in this case, the company as a whole and the Proactive theory decision based off of recommendations or actions are just from the very start (Harcourt, Hannay, Lam, 2013, p. 312). One of the decision rules from the Proactive theory used is the parity rule which ties all similar actions performed in a similar environment receive the same or similar consequence (Harcourt, et al, 2013, p. 313). If the company is to become successful with the launch of the public offering then employees must be accountable for their actions of misconduct or violations against the company employee handbook. In addition to personnel actions mentioned above, I recommend we adopt a whistleblower policy based off the internal allegations against the accounting department for falsified expense reports and before we take the company public. Implementing a whistleblower policy will provide the employees a voice of the company, reduce monitoring expenses, stimulate additional decision-making (Moberly, 2012, p. 11) among employees, supervisors, and senior management, will protect against illegal conduct and provide greater oversight of company resources and assets (Shackelford, 2009, p. 3). Furthermore, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange issued regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that listed companies must provide their Codes of Ethics to the public (Moberly, 2012, p. 19). Our commitment to the workforce is to implement a whistleblower policy that focuses on the three fundamental items of clear guidelines, policies, and procedures (Gould, 2009, p. 3) for reporting organizational misconduct. Our whistleblower policy and Code of Ethics should be included in the revised employee handbook, posted on the company website and a hardcopy distributed and signed by each employee. The policy guidelines should contain our objective and scope of the policy so we can address what we want to accomplish (Shackelford, 2009, p. 3). Our policies will indicate that all employees, hourly to senior level management salary employees, are required to report organizational misconduct and to assist in any investigation by law enforcement or regulatory agency. Step-by-step reporting procedures will also be included in the policy. Employees will have the right to submit the report directly to their first line supervisor unless that individual is involved in the matter then report the situation to the next supervisor in the chain. If employees feel uncomfortable using their direct reporting chain then they can submit the report through the company action hotline, anonymously or directly to the audit committee. The individual’s confidentiality will remain as confidential as practicable (Shackelford, 2009, p. 3). Our company encourages the employees to report the wrongdoing internally through the use of our open-door policy or through the various avenues aforementioned rather than blowing the whistle externally. Our company will not tolerate retaliation against employees reporting wrongdoing or whistleblowing. In conclusion, as the Chief Operations Officer, I reviewed the employment-at-will doctrine, conducted and resolved eight thorough employee investigations that required my immediate attention, and provided background information that supports my recommendation on implementing a whistleblower policy prior to our public offering.

Frederick Douglass’s Narrative :: Essays Papers

Frederick Douglass’s Narrative In Frederick Douglass’s Narrative, Douglas himself narrates the novel using story telling to bring both the reader into the story, and the theme into focus. Through his narration, Douglass also uses narrative strategies like anecdotes, and plot twists. Even with it being a true story, Douglass brings the readers’ attention to a peak with these techniques making the story interesting and appealing. The most influential technique used by Douglass is story telling. He uses little stories, or stories-within-a-story, to make the reader pay attention. With descriptive tales of the plantations he worked on, the beatings and torture of slaves, and learning to read and write, he not only gets the attention of the readers, but he gets them to understand his point of view. For example at the beginning of the narrative Douglass tells a story of his aunt being beating, â€Å"I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rendering shrieks of an own aunt of mine,† (3). He goes on and gets even more graphic and descriptive, â€Å"The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest.† (4). Also early in the novel, Douglass writes of the plantation he grew up on, â€Å"There were no beds given the slaves, unless one coarse blanket be considered such,† (6). Soon after being sold to Mr. and Mrs. Au ld, he was taught the alphabet. He uses this experience to show to his audience that he is very literate despite his masters’ wishes, â€Å"If you teach that nigger how to read there would be no keeping him,† (20). So this story shows some more cruelty from his master. Just for reading he would be sold, which shows unfair treatment to the reader. Another similar technique used by Douglass very effectively is anecdotes. He uses anecdotes throughout the story to bring a humorous or interesting little side story into the readers’ minds. One good example of this is when he is talking about slave songs, â€Å"I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness.† (9). This shows the readers of his concerns by just adding a brief story in to interest the reader.

Challenges of Ecotourism in Antarctica Essay

Antarctica is one of the largest and most fragile environments on earth. It is rare and unique, and few people get the opportunity to visit such an extraordinary place. Antarctica’s unique environment and climate sets it apart from other tourist destinations. However, the hostile wilderness creates many challenges for ecotourism. There is a concern regarding the high concentration of tourists and their environmental impact at the few landing sites available. The real debate is whether tourism can benefit, or threaten the conservation of Antarctica. Ecotourism, in its early historical origins has been closely linked to nature – oriented tourism. For example, Laarman and Durst, in reference to ecotourism, defined it as a nature tourism where a traveler is interested and drawn to a destination because of its features and natural history. The visit combines education, recreation, and often adventure’ (Laarman and Durst 1987:5). Defining ecotourism is not easily done, difficulties defining it are mainly due to the multidimensional nature of the definitions, and the fact that each dimension involved represents a continuum of possibilities (Blamey 1997). The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as ‘responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people’ (Western 1993:8). Ceballos-Lascurain (1987: 14) defines ecotourism as ‘traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas’. The tourism industry of Antarctica is often overlooked as a factor of environmental degradation. It is important that more attention is drawn to assessing the current state of this large continent. Beck (1994) states that, tourists, scientists, and other visitors to Antarctica have tremendous environmental impacts. Tourist shipping can pose an environmental risk, and there is good reason for concern. There have been several marine accidents in recent years. There was the case of an Argentinean supply vessel Bahia Paraiso, which ran a ground on January 28, 1989, spilling 600 metric tones of fuel into Antarctica’s pristine waters (Culver 1991). Other environmental impacts include engine emissions that contribute to air pollution. The noise generated from outboard motors on inflatable zodiacs, turbulence created from tourist ships and the â€Å"grey water† sewage they emit also creates harmful effects. More responsibility is being demanded out of eco tourists visiting Antarctica. For example Salen Lindblad’s 164-passenger ship the Frontier Spirit has been reinforced, and also contains a sewage treatment plant, refrigerated waste storage area, and a special storage area for non-biodegradable waste (Cebellos-Lascurain 1996). Another main concern is in the peninsula region of Antarctica where there are several highly concentrated, high profile sites. The concentration of tourism activities leads to the potential for over visitation in these areas. A present study of Magellanic penguins demonstrates that human impact puts a great amount of stress on the species. Simple human presence can be physiologically stressful for breeding at nest sites (Fowler 1999). The Antarctic environment is very fragile and not used to human activities. However the study also found that birds exposed to high levels of tourists are not effected over time and concludes that as a result tourism should be concentrated to certain areas while others are kept off limits to human presence. People have been going to Antarctica for over 100 years. Prior to 1950, nearly all trips to Antarctica were either exploratory or scientific expeditions (Cessford 1997). As a result of human activity in the area there has been a connection with industrial, national and scientific programs. Human activity has also caused the development of alien microbes, fungi, plants, and animals. These â€Å"alien† species that are mostly European in origin exist on most of the sub – Antarctic islands and some even occur on the continent itself. These species in turn can have both a direct and indirect impact on the Antarctic ecosystem (Fenot 2004). It has only been recently that biologists have conducted any research into diseases of Antarctic wildlife to note the effects of human activity. These studies look at marine mammals and penguins for bacteria flora and pathogens (disease causing organisms). Blood tests for antibodies of a variety of species have also been taken to check for viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic disease. A study conducted in the summer season of 2000/2001, Dr. Todhunter and Dr. Terris took swab collections of specimens from passengers’ boots aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov, which led to tentative findings of a wide range of potential pathogens. In another study 233 fecal samples from 8 bird species were taken from 6 different penguin colonies, which are regularly visited by tourists. The samples were investigated for pathogens of potential human origin. No human related bacteria were found, which suggests that the tourism industry in the Antarctic region has achieved its goal of not introducing any pathogens so far. While the tourist season only ranges from October to April, currently tourism in Antarctica involves over 30 agencies, and 40,000 tourists per annum (Lambert 2005). Antarctica is the ultimate destination for anyone interested in natural history, but it also challenges the same people that visit to think about our responsibilities to all life on earth† (Lambert 2005). Tourists to Antarctica are most likely to fall in to the category of eco tourist, as there are no restaurants, theaters or art galleries, and the experience is about learning about and viewing one of the earth’s last untouched continent s. Boo (1990) states that for conservation management to succeed, tourism must be a tool to educate thus creating real benefits for a geological location. Although tourism and human contact on Antarctica is showing some negative impacts, it has also encouraged conservation efforts in the region. Another step towards the recognition of potential environmental impact is the creation of the IATTO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators). In 1991 seven tour operators active in Antarctica formed IATTO. It was created to act as a single organization. The goal of IATTO is to promote and practice safe environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. Currently there are 80 member organizations representing 14 countries. IATTO 2008) This environmental protocol designates Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science and seeks to ensure human activities, such as tourism, have no adverse effects on the Antarctic environment, or on its scientific and aesthetic values. With a recent increase in the number of members in the IAATO it shows that companies are becoming more aware of the environmentally se nsitive concerns related to Antarctica and the importance of such an organization. The increase in membership does not necessarily mean that there has been a drastic increase in the number of tourists visiting Antarctica. All current Antarctica tour operators file yearly environmental impact assessments to their national authorities. There are few places on earth that have never been to war, where the environment is fully protected and scientific research has priority over anything else. (IAATO 2008) The Antarctic treaty can be accredited with the successful protection of Antarctica. Formed on June 23, 1961 the treaty covers the area south of 60 degrees latitude and consists of 46 countries. Its objectives are simple and unique, demilitarize Antarctica and make it a zone free of nuclear tests, and disposal of radioactive waste. As well as be used for peaceful purposes only (IAATO 2008). To promote international cooperation in the Antarctic and set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty. The treaty parties meet each year and have adopted over 300 recommendations and negotiated separate international agreements, of which 3 are still in use. These include: 1. The convention for the conservation of Antarctic seals which was established in 1972. 2. The convention for conservation of Antarctica marine living resources established in 1980. 3. The protocol on Environmental protection to the Atlantic Treaty established in 1991. These agreements and the original treaty provide the rules to govern all activities in relation to Antarctica. Collectively known as the Antarctica Treaty System (ATS). In conclusion it is apparent that Antarctica is a very fragile environment, and any kind of human involvement can pose great risks if the correct precautions are not taken. It is clear to me that eco tourism can benefit the great continent of Antarctica, those visiting become ambassadors as they learn about the importance of preservation. Boo (1990) explains that tourists become emotionally attached to an area and will contribute funds to preserve it. It is important for organizations like the IAATO to continue their promotion of safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic. Continued research is necessary to make sure that tourists as well as scientists leave as little of a human footprint as possible. Antarctica is a beautiful place on earth, and I believe that when people are educated about their impact on such a vulnerable area and regulations are put in place to protect the area that everyone should be able to experience the Antarctic continent in all of its magnificence.

Marketing Campaign: Organic Foods Essay

Our campaign, â€Å"why organic? †, includes a series of print ads that increase awareness to consumers about chemically injected foods. Our campaign is differentiated from other campaigns by the multiple perspectives our ads take while sharing a common theme in design and overall point. Humorous, fearful, and informative pictures and facts are used to show consumers the connection between non-organic foods and disease, cancer, and other disorders in consumers. Although organic foods are more expensive in the long run the benefits of eating healthy outweigh the cost of purchasing them. SWOT Analysis: Strengths. In general, the growing concern for healthful habits is beneficial to our campaign. Mothers’ desire for a long and healthy life for their children is largely helpful. Consumers are becoming more aware of the toxins and chemicals used in foods, and want better grocery options. This is apparent in the recent increase of organic food retail sales. â€Å"The Health of Organic Foods† states that sales have steadily been increasing in recent years. The prevalent demand for organic foods will increase the attractiveness of our campaign while catching the attention of other consumers who are not yet aware or sold on the idea. The honesty of â€Å"why organic? † has the strength to build a strong brand image, making the campaign a credible influence to shopping mothers. Weaknesses When promoting organic food choices, there are factors that could potentially weaken the effectiveness of the campaign. Cost is an important purchasing consideration for consumers and a potential weakness for a campaign supporting organic foods. Traditionally, organic foods are more expensive than average groceries. The recent recession has raised consumers’ cost sensitivity. In addition, consumers lack awareness and require further education about the dangers of food additives and the benefits of organic food choices. Opportunities The opportunities pertaining to a campaign centralized around moving to organic food choices includes improving the standard of living for people who do make the choice to avoid chemically injected foods. Food habits have been changing, which creates big opportunities for our campaign. One opportunity we are implementing is partnering with the Breast Cancer Society to motivate women to eat organic foods, which is proven to help prevent breast cancer. A second opportunity is to pair up with restaurants and have them come up with some organic dishes for their menus to offer consumers. A third opportunity is to form an alliance with the Food Network and allow the chefs to start cooking organic meals, and inform their audiences on the benefits of eating organic food. Food habits have been starting to change, which will help allow us to reach consumers better than ever before. Threats A potential threat to a campaign targeting the dangers in U. S. meats is the potential negative reaction from the USDA. Being a direct advocate for avoiding purchasing their products could possibly lead to heavy controversy and ultimately litigation. So, treading lightly and focusing on solid facts is pertinent. Another threat includes competitors such as McDonald’s and other fast food places, where it’s very quick and easy to get processed foods that the campaign is fighting against. Market Selection We have selected mothers of all ages and incomes as the target market. Typically mothers are the influencing agents on grocery purchases. Making mothers the target of the campaign will increase their awareness regarding the dangerous effects of food additives in non-organic milk, meat, and other non organic products that they feed their children. The dangerous diseases and effects of non-organic foods, creates the incentive to make organic food choices. Promotional Advertisements Our advertisements, â€Å"why organic? †, are designed to attract the concern of mothers regarding the foods their families are eating. Our advertisements make consumers question their current non-organic buying habits and consider organic foods. We developed a print ad targeting consumers who purchase fruits and to increase awareness of the pesticide sprays used when farming and how it affects consumer’s health. Another print ad targets Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) additive links to Breast Caner in women. Studies of animals exposed to rBST, which increases levels of insulin-like growth factor in cows, raise concerns about potential changes in milk protein that links estrogen exposure to breast cancer. The longer the exposure to high levels of the hormone, the greater the breast cancer risk (Organic Valley). The processed chicken print ad is targeted to the 90 percent of Americans who spend their food budget on processed meats that tastes appetizing but have dangerous future health defects (Sustainable Table). Our final print ad targets food coloring and additive links that lead to increased levels of hyperactivity, irritability and restlessness that are common signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in children. An upset baby surrounded with additives being fed to it will be used as the face of our â€Å"why organic? † campaign. This advertisement will reach our target market of mothers, and convey the message that they are essentially feeding their children ADHD, ear infections, eczema, and other health problems. The call to action will leave consumers questioning whether they would in fact feed their children harmful additives. Benefits Sought/Solutions Provided The benefits of encouraging consumers to follow our campaign â€Å"why organic† increases awareness of the dangerous effects associated with food additives, food preservatives, food coloring and pesticides ingested by consumers daily. The value that will be communicated through the integrated marketing campaign is removing the veil that the meat, dairy, and farmers have put in place through educating consumers and ultimately improving their health and children’s future eating habits. The value extends beyond tangible benefits of preventing cancers, neurological problems, and behavioral issues. The value of the campaign is more than just functional but offers emotional benefit as well like security and confidence. Knowing that the parent is instilling healthy eating habits in their children, as well as being a positive example, plays a significant role in the importance of the campaign. The solution of our campaign ideally will be to ultimately eliminate all forms of genetically altered foods by increasing awareness in consumers to make a difference in their lives as well as others by making the decision to purchase organic and ultimately decrease the profits of companies producing unhealthy foods for consumers. Campaign Execution Print ads with the slogan â€Å"why organic? † followed by a specific health risk and an emotional connection to the picture shown is the basis for the integrated marketing campaign to increase awareness about the dangers of food additives and the importance of transitioning to purchasing organic foods. Specifically, hormone injected chicken which is shown in a photo as a â€Å"pink mush† reveals the truth about processed chicken that most mothers have fed children since childhood. The veil that meat suppliers and non-organic farmers have placed over consumers eyes have shielded the true effects of the processes that food goes through. The whole basis of processing food is to gain more profit through bigger produce and bulkier meat products. The result of these injections and additives are dangerous cancers, hyper-activity, neurological deficiencies, and physical disorders. By keeping the print ads consistent at each consumer touch point is important to conveying a recognizable and memorable campaign in the consumers mind. In order to instill a loyalty to the concept of organic foods, it is important to have multiple touch points that involves more than just the magazine print ads. Joint promotions with the National Breast Cancer Association in the campaign to â€Å"fight for a cure for breast cancer† touches the perfect target market for this campaign, women. According to nationalbreastcancer. org, â€Å"NBCF is one of the most highly visible and recognized breast cancer charities in America. † At the â€Å"Race for the Cure† this October in Charlotte, the magazine print ads will be displayed along the run path which had a participation level of 1 million people in 2010, according to http://www. komencharlotte. org. The ultimate goal for the joint promotion with the Breast Cancer Society is to inform the target market of a possible cause of breast cancer (and prostate cancer). In addition, we aim to motivate them to make adjustments in their food habits and transition towards purchasing organic foods to decrease their risk for the very cancer they are fighting. To have an opportunity to reach such a large portion of the Charlotte target market is a substantial step in impacting mothers in the greater Charlotte area and a step towards moving nationally. In order to spread the awareness of the dangers in food additives the print ads will continue to travel as the race for the cure travels across the country in addition to being placed in four national magazines, on food network TV and on foodnetwork. com which will be detailed in a later section. The combination between magazine print ads and a joint campaign with the Breast Cancer Society will ultimately provide the consumer education needed to persuade the target market to follow our campaign and impact their decision whether to change their food purchasing habits. Marketing Mix: Product The marketing mix is a pertinent factor in the integrated campaign because it ties together each individual effort to create awareness. First, magazine print ads that advocate purchasing organic meat, dairy products, fruit, and vegetables will be implemented. The print ads emphasize the link between dangerous health effects and hormone injected bovine, diary products, and pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables. Pesticides may increase the risk of cancer and neurological problems (such as Parkinson’s disease), impair the immune system, and may even result in hepatitis A found from consuming strawberries. In addition, E-coli infection has shown to stem from non-organic alfalfa sprouts and lettuce. These dangerous effects are just a few of the hundreds of health risks pertaining to non-organic food choices. Place. The awareness about the health risks of non-organic foods will be created via catalogue print ads in Parenting, Women’s Health, Cooking Light, and Mothering Magazine and Internet ads on each catalogue website as well as teaming up with foodnetwork. com and food network TV. Food Network chefs advocating using organic meats and dairy products in home cooking would have a significant impact on mothers learning to cook and grabbing new recipes from such a well renowned source. In the magazines, one print ad shows the link between ADHD, hyperactivity, and food coloring. This ad would be placed in Parenting Magazine to target mothers who are dealing with the increasing problems with hyperactivity disorders in children. The importance of the ad would be to make mothers aware of a potential source for these disorders and to motivate them to make a change in purchasing food items and ultimately decrease their children’s risk of developing a hyperactivity disorder. Another touch point to reach mothers would be placing two of the print ads in Women’s Health Magazine and website. The two applicable print ads would include the photo of non-organic fruit causing neurological diseases like Parkinson’s. A call to action, â€Å"join the fight†, in Women’s Health Magazine would feature the connection between non-organic meats injected with rGBH and rBST and breast cancer. The same print ads pertaining to women can be printed on five by three foot banners and hung at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this October in Charlotte. The final consumer touch point would be included on foodnetwork. com, their magazine, and Cooking Light Magazine. The print ad to be published on these cooking sites would be the ad showing processed chicken which has been mashed, dyed, injected with hormones and ammonia, and will be turned into chicken nuggets. Chemically injected chicken has been shown to cause underdeveloped metabolism in infants and neurological problems in adults according to buzzle. com â€Å"Pregnancy and Nutrition. † A successful marketing mix is the backbone in creating an integrated marketing campaign and the key to creating awareness among mothers about the true dangers of food additives and the benefits of purchasing organic foods. Promotion In addition to public relations activities to foster goodwill through joint advertising with the National Breast Cancer Society, the event sponsorship will be paired with Internet communications on nationalbreastcancer.org with links to the campaign’s website and facebook page. From the campaign website and Facebook page consumers can learn about the specific dangers of the foods they purchase, the effects of the additives in their non-organic choices, and download organic food recipes that are plausible for young mothers who are creating the foundations for their cooking habits. Works Cited â€Å"10 SWOT Analysis. † Organic Food Cafe. 25 Jan. 2008. Retrieved Web. 06 May 2011.. ADHD linked to food coloring. Retrieved 8 May 2011. Organic Valley. Retrieved 8 May 2011. http://www. cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20048725-10391704. html> Organic Valley. Retrieved 8 May 2011. http://www. organicvalley. coop/why-organic/synthetic-hormones/about-rbgh/> Processed Chicken Effects. Retrieved 8 May 2011. Sustainable Table. Retrieved 8 May 2011. â€Å"The Health of Organic Foods. † Reference Articles on All Topics. CBS, May 2003. Web. 06 May 2011. . â€Å"Processed Chicken,† Agro Products. Retrieved 2 May 2011. http://www. agriculturalproductsindia. com/processed-foods-snacks/processed- foods-snacks-processed-chicken. html> Reference Articles on Organics. CBS, May 2003. Web. 06 May 2011.

June 6 SAT Takers Heres How You Can Retest for Free

June 6 SAT Takers Here's How You Can Retest for Free SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The College Board is going to allow students who were affected by the mistake on the June 6, 2015 administration of the SAT to re-take the test for free in October. Read on for more information and to see what your options are. A Bit of Background: What Happened on June 6th? June 6 was the final SAT testing date for the 2014-2015 school year, and hundreds of thousand of students across the country registered to take the test. On test day, many were surprised to see that instead of the standard 20 minutes allowed for Section 8 or Section 9, their test booklets instructed they should be allowed 25 minutes. The proctors' instructions, however, still stated the time allowance should be 20 minutes. Therefore,some students got the correct amount of time on both sections, others were given 25% extra time, and still more were given something in between,which overall created a very confusing situation for everyone involved. Of the hundreds of thousands registered, almost all students were affected, apart from those taking the SAT with accommodations. (International test takers were not affected.) For a full breakdown of what happened, see our article here. The Aftermath and the Demand for a Retest After the test, students were very concerned about what would happen with their test results. They were worried that their scores would be invalidated,because the test was no longer standardized compared to other administrations of the SAT.Many worried that colleges would not accept their scores as equal to those from other testing dates. In the days following the exam, the College Boardgave a lot of conflicting information to different people.It told some thatthere would be a retest,but told others thatthe affected section of the exam would be thrown out. Two days later, they finally released an offical statement, in which they announced that they would proceed with scoring the exams,with the TWO affected sections removed.They claimed that they would be able to do this and still provide"reliable scores." Understandably, many students were angered by this response - it was obvious that this was decided on because it is theeasiest and cheapest way for the College Board to "fix" the situation, as opposed to the best way for students. It became clear that though the scores could be called "reliable," they would not necessarily be "accurate," especially for certain students. Students began to worry about how the test scores would affect admissions and qualifications for scholarships. Students began demanding anoptional retest for anyone who had been affected by the College Board's error.One student from Long Island has filed a lawsuit against the College Board, saying that scores of a test missing nearly 30% of its content cannot be considered valid. She has demanded unspecified monetary damanges and a re-test for anyone who wanted it. Another student started a change.org petition that quickly attracted over 1,000 supporters demanding another chance to take the test for free. The College Board Listened and Is Now Offering a Retest Late on June 15th, the College Board responded to unhappy students with an offer for a free retest - but maybe not in the way that they were expecting: â€Å"We remain confident in the reliability of scores from the June 6 administration of the SAT and don't want to cause undue anxiety for students by making them believe they need to sit for the test again. However, we have waived the fee for the October SAT administration for students who let us know that their testing experience was negatively affected by the printing error and we will continue to do so, through the September 3 registration deadline for the October administration.† You can see the full text here. Instead of offering students affected by the June 6th test their own makeup date, the College Board is giving free registration for the October test.This is going to mean that the retest will be too late for many students who need it, and it's only a useful offer for those students who were not relying on getting scores this summer. However, it's questionable how much the College Board really wants students to take advantage of the offer, even if they do have the time to get their scores later! For several days this past week, the informational banner with updated informationwas missing from the College Board web site, which meant that students who wanted more information about the retake would have beenunable to find it unless they had the link already.The College Board has now replaced the banner, but many were frustrated by what seemed to be a deliberate attempt to keep the information quiet. Additionally, on the June 6th FAQ page, the information for a retest is at the bottom, and is not emphasized. Many people would not know to look for the updated information. Fortunately for students (and unfortunately for the College Board), their mistake has received enough national attention that the retest is beingpublicized through various outlets, even though the College Board itself is trying to keep it quiet! I Called the College Board -Here Is How to Get the Retest Once again, there is a lot of misinformation going around abouthow to actually get registered for the retest.This is mostly because the College Board employees seem to know very little about it themselves. I called the College Board to nail down the information so that you don't have to. The first attempt... The first time I called them, the customer service rep I spoke to had no idea what I was talking about when I asked the process to be signed up for the retest. She insisted several times that there was not going to be a retest for students - this went on for about ten minutes. Finally, I verbally directed her to the appropriate section on their own web site and read it aloud to her. I was then put on hold for several minutes. Another rep picked up. I asked her what the proper procedure was to register for the retest. She told me (in quite an annoyed fashion) that Idid not need to take the retest. She said that theCollege Board was only dropping ONE section of the test, and that the scores would not be affected because they always drop one section as an "experimental section." As you know if you are at all familiar the SAT, there IS always an experimental section, but it is always one of the middle sections of the test - a 25 minute section. I said this to the rep and asked how it would be possible to swap in the experimental section for one of the final sections. Not only are they different lengths, but the whole point of the experimental section is to test out future questions and some of them may not be appropriate. She told me that the experimental section is always randomly selected out of all the sections, which is not true. I also asked how the other section would be accounted for, and was told thatthey are only going to drop one section. Both of these statements are in direct contrast to what has been said to other people who have called, and what has been said by the College Boarditself on its web site. This goes to show how unreliable the information is that they are giving out. If you call and ask for specific information, and it does not seem right to you, make sure to ask to speak to another person. Though we were 20 minutes in and I knew at this point that the conversation was going nowhere, I persevered and asked what I could do to sign up for the retest. I was told that I could wait to see my grades at the end of this month, and if I'm still unhappy to call back by the end of the month to register. The College Board has since updated its statement to specify that they will be accepting registrations through September 3rd for the October 4th test. Nevertheless, if you do want to take this retest, I recommend signing up sooner rather than later - see below for why. The second attempt... I called back a couple days later and had a totally different experience. As soon as I said that I wanted to register for the free re-take, the customer service rep agreed quickly and opened my account. I went though the security questions, she asked for my preferred test center, and waived the fee. In less than 4 minutes, I was signed up for the retest for free. The Takeaway In conclusion, here is how to sign up: The free retest hasnotautomatically been applied to your account. If you register for the test and pay, it will probably be more difficult to get your money back, so just call and register over the phone.Usually there is a fee for registering over the phone, but they are not charging this for June 6th testers. Call the College Board Customer Service line at 1-866-756-7346. Give yourself time to make this phone call. As you can see from my experiences above, how your conversation will go completely depends on which customer service rep you talk to. If the rep tries to give you a hard time about registering, ask to speak to another rep or a supervisor.Stay calm and say that you were affected by the College Board's mistake on the June 6th test, and you would like to take them up on the offer that is posted on the web site. If they still give you trouble, stay polite but firm: "This is not what the College Board is publicly offering. I was promised a free retest and I am calling to register for this. If the process remains difficult, I will contact press members to let them know that the College Board is not honoring its promise." You do not have to take the test at the same center where you took the June 6th SAT.This is great news for people like me who signed up for the June SAT late and had to travel quite far to take it. Usually when the College Board offers a retest it does have to be at the same center, so this is a big bonus. You will have to do all the things you normally do at registration time - including confirming your name, birth date, and high school. If you don't have any trouble with the rep, the whole process should take about 5 minutes. Afterwards, you will receive aconfirmation email and will be able to sign into your account to print out your admissions ticket. Can I See My Scores First? Yes, you can!The scores from the test you took on June 6th will be available around June 25th. You are welcome to look at your scores and decide if you want to take the test again. The College Board has done this intentionally, because they are hoping that many people will be satisfied with their scores and will decide to not take the test again.Remember, for each person who does decide to do the retest, they are losing out on potential registration money. Even if you sign up for the retest now, your scores will still be delivered on time. Remember, however, that these scoreswill not include sections 8 and 9, and youwill not have the option to see what your score would have been with those sections.So it will be difficult todetermine if you have beenpositively or negatively affected by the shorter test. Since they have now officially said that free registration will be available through September 3, you can feel comfortable waiting to sign up if you want to. But it might be a better idea to not wait.Since the College Board is not offering a separate test date for the retest,there will be many more people than usual signing up for the October test.Therefore, there is a very good chance that testing centers will fill up quite quickly. If you register now, you can always cancel later if you want to, and you do not have to risk potential disappointment at not getting a seat. Should I Take the Retest? For most students, signing up for the retest is a good idea if it's at all possible for your schedule. If you get your scores back and think that you were negatively affected, this is the best way to fix it - for free. And if it turns out that you did better than you were expecting to do, you can always cancel your registration. You will not lose out on any money from the registration costs because it's free. If this was your last chance to take the SAT for one deadline or another, then the retest will not really affect you. Though some schools are taking the "wait and see" approach for this test, it is very likely that most willhonor the results, especially for seniors or those who took the June 6th test on a tight deadline. If you feel that you have been significantly disadvantaged by the College Board's error, and cannot take the retest, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the lawsuit mentioned above to see how it progresses. If they win, you may be entitled to some compensation. Last Words... If you do decide to retake the test, you should use the experience you have had with this test to help guide your studying. Set aside time this summer for dedicated prep so that you can smash it this fall. What’s Next? Worried that taking the SAT again this fall will be one time too many? Read our guide on how many times you should take the SAT. To prep for the re-test this fall, read our 11 top, must-read guides to prepare yourself for the next test. Learn our expert strategies to improve your SAT Math, SAT Writing, and SAT Reading scores to help push your scores above 600s in any section. Wanta top score on the re-take? Read our guide to getting a perfect SAT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. 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Strategic Analysis Report Essays

Strategic Analysis Report Essays Strategic Analysis Report Essay Strategic Analysis Report Essay Additionally heavy maintenance was consolidated to Avalon and Brisbane with Tullamarine in Melbourne closing by August 2012 (Qantas, 2012). This report considers the position of Qantas as at 1st May 2012 but considers this announcement justification of the report’s recommendations. 2|Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 2 Executive Summary The dynamic nature of the global commercial aviation industry requires organisational structures and strategies that exemplify controls facilitating flexibility and prompt market responsiveness. The industry is heavily influenced via ncreasing global operational expenses, volatility and competition creating numerous challenges for Qantas’ long-term survival. Moreover, constant changes of consumer behaviour, perception and purchasing powers are directly influencing Qantas’ diminishing profit margins alongside high operational expenditure. It is crucial for Qantas’ to optimise opportunities and manage complex trade-offs involving value chain and supply chain management (SCM) activities. Numerous mechanisms exist to maximise the differences between perceived value and actual costs of supply chain activities.The key challenges for Qantas are to conceptualise strategies that provide a balance of efficiency and effectiveness. Initial internal and external analyses determined key discrepancies involving Qantas’ direction of global and functional-level strategies. The analyses identified integrated, global standardisation, human resource (HR) and operational strategies as the primary segments to adjust. Key deficiencies arose regarding international competitiveness, terminal/plant consolidation, operational restructure requirements, workforce personnel skill and training enhancements and continual Industrial Relations (IR) disputes.As such, distinct emphasis to Qantas’ management amplified top and middle managerial inadequacies and change requirements. The analysis concluded that Qantas should implement a hybrid strategy through the integration of global standardisation and operational strategies. This combined strategy will address effective controls and policies, enabling cost reductions from non value-adding activities and redirecting capital to value-adding functions, thus effectively progressing Qantas’ strategic objectives towards sustainable practices and growth. |Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 3 Two Potential Strategies The strategic objectives for Qantas’ future intent are to mitigate potential risks. This can be achieved via either a global or functional level strategy. This report analyses the benefits and limitations of these strategies and presents a realistic recommendation for long term strategic sustainability. 3. 1 Global Strategy Global strategy plays a vital role in strengthening organisations such as Qantas (Hill Jones, 2010).Through the use of integration and global standardisation Qantas will be able to enhance its operations and increase its aviation market share. These strategies will enhance Qantas’ consumer base, whilst improving customer service outcomes. The implementation of these strategies will enable superior quality service delivery and improved performance against rivals in the aviation industry. 3. 1. 1 Integration Strategy In order to counter strong competition in international markets, increasing importance is placed on Multinational Organisations such as Qantas to integrate its overseas operations.Global Integration Strategy positions organisations like Qantas to gain advantage by geographically dispersing and specialising its operations (Porter, 1986). This localisation results in cost efficiencies and economies of scale improving competitiveness (Mauri, 2003). Qantas operates a vast international network but could take advantage of horizontal integration to build its network in booming markets such as Asia, while offset losses on unpopular routes. This could be achieved by creating wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, or strengthening alliances with partner airlines in the OneWorld program and beyond.Alliance Networks can guide Qantas to recover its losses internationally by leveraging economies of scale generated by code sharing and commercial partnerships (Lawton, 201 1). 4|Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 To compete with local hub based carriers such as Singapore Airlines (Singapore) and Emirates (Dubai), Qantas could vertically integrate some ground support and maintenance operations. Such undertakings would allow the Qantas brand to increase competitor cost structures and standardise customer service offerings, by controlling the brand experience from origin to consumption point. . 1. 2 Global Standardisation Strategy A global standardisation strategy aims at reducing costs by having Qantas’s headquarters and SCM activities centralised in Australia, but locating key functions in an optimal global location for that activity (Hill Jones, 2010). Following a Dynamic SWOT analysis undertaken by Nav-Star, it was found that Qantas could reduce operating costs by offshoring certain unskilled maintenance activities to a service centre in Hong Kong. This would allow Qantas to maximise synergies created by its new strategic alliance with China Eastern Airlines (Qantas, 2012).This destination offers labour force competitive advantages due to no minimum wage and advantageous tax rates (Euromonitor, 2010). This would make it suitable for unskilled maintenance work on aircraft, with more technical work being undertaken in Australia to maintain quality standards. Furthermore, offshoring would facilitate excellent career development for Australian Qantas employees as there will be a need to train and monitor a new Asian labour force. Hong Kong is a major Asian hub with a favourable economic and financial climate (Austrade, 2012), as well as being a gateway to China. Currently theChinese travel market is approximately 300 million. This is believed to grow to 500 million within three years (Qantas, 2012). If this strategy is employed it will reduce costs while creating both synergies and opportunities for further growth. 3. 2 Functional Strategy A functional strategy is advantageous for organisations to achieve superior efficiency, innovation, quality, and customer responsiveness (Jones Hill, 2012). Implementation of functional 5|Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 strategies increases organisational capabilities in terms of resource availability and distinctive competencies. . 2. 1 HR Strategy A HR strategy aims at improving organisational outcomes through enhancing workforce capabilities. Key elements involve organisational development, job enrichment, employee empowerment and increased motivation through intrinsic motivators such as learning and development (Stone, 2010). Following a dynamic SWOT analysis of Qantas, it is evident that the airline can increase its revenue by reorganising the organisations HR focus. This would be possible through regular training and development of the workforce to satisfy intrinsic motivators.This is essential in light of the recent industrial and economic events (Qantas, 2012). Qantas’ 35,000 workforce personnel are primarily employees in either full-time or part-time positions, however in light of declining profits the movement towards transforming significant positions to a casual employment emerges (Qantas Databook, 2012). This creates numerous challenges for Qantas to ensure a superior level of quality and consistency across personnel divisions. The foremost segments subjective to this movement are ground staff, cabin crew, QCatering and Qantas Freight services (Qantas Media Releases, 2012).Given the dynamic nature of Qantas’ consumer base, employee training programs need to be tailored to adapt to the changing needs of customers. This is particularly relevant in the international arena, as this is where Qantas’ strategy needs to be enhanced to achieve industry differentiation and growth in emerging markets (Qantas, 2012). 3. 2. 2 Operational Strategy Management teams use operational strategies to effectively manage upstream and downstream value and supply chain activities in a cost-efficient manner. Hence, emphasis on 6|Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 roductivity maximisation of resource-based bundling emerges via the capitalisation and operational restructuring of functional tactics and time specifications (Hanson, Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). Qantas’ adverse internal and external environments are underpinned by operational expenses. These variables have forced the company to adopt cost reduction and low cost structure activities (Sharma Fisher, 1997). According to Qantas’ Databook (2012) cost price increases in operational activities (i. e. rising fuel prices, labour disputes, and replicated maintenance facilities) erode profit margins.This represents potential inefficiencies and weaknesses within Qantas’ internal management controls. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced in March 2012 the company’s strategic intent is to reduce costs without causing significant declines in revenue (Qantas Media Releases, 2012). A dynamic SWOT analysis identified for Qantas to negate and transpose limitations into positive company attributes. Qantas’ operational strategy should focus upon inefficiencies within Qantas’ supply and value chains thus requiring implementing increased controls.This measure would involve the coordination of activities directly attributed to horizontally and vertically integrated functions. Such measures would reaffirm a distinct organisational structure whilst ascertaining and securing improved efficiency, cost controls, environmental adaptability and profitability. Lin, Zu-Hsu Gibbs (2008), Gandolfi Hassoun (2010) and Buckingham Loomba (2001) assert effective operational restructuring to involve SWOT decision-making processes regarding cost structure reductions where value-adding functions are emphasised.These activities involve Reduction-In-Force (RIF) primarily concerning workforce size, skill requirements, employee flexibility, continuous improvement and activity-based costing initiatives. Additionally a SCM focus identifies supplier selection, procurement, inbound/outbound logistics, indirect materials, plant capacity and locations is a foremost facet of operational expenses providing avenues for reductions (Monczka, Handfield, Giunipero Patterson, 2011). Qantas should reassess the margins of each activity impacting the value-adding functions for increased |Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 company profits. As global economic uncertainty remains a primary concern in management strategic decisions the ability to respond effectively and integrate specified functional-level and operational strategies remains critical to long-term survival and profitability (Hanson, Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). 4 Comparison and Evaluation Strategy One Strategy Two Feasibility substantial it can financial Qantas’s value chain activities represent by significant financial assets involving firmFeasibility Qantas resources possesses which leverage centralising its activities to its Australian infrastructure, SCM activities and highly headquarters, while offshoring non value skilled and specialised workforce personnel. adding functions such as maintenance. The As diversification workforce and scale ease of of such, through extensive employee Qantas’s development programmes (i. e. emphasis on global employee flexibility initiatives), SCM enables transference across the company.Further, streamlined cost structure improvements there is surplus cheap labour available in and internal communications will entice the both Asian destinations to make the strategy workforce to remain vibrant and instantly implementable with the use of knowledgeable. strategic partner airlines. Desirability Desirability Centralizing activities at the Australian Implementation of the HR strategy alongside headquarters will enable the company to increased transparency involving functions reduce its operating costs.By offshoring and related profit margins will increase the upstream and downstream operations to airline’s efficiency, quality of services, other locations globally, the airline will technological advancements and innovation, benefit from low cost materials and cheap thereby attracting more customers and labour, thus reducing its overall costs of retaining existing ones. This will increase the 8|Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 manufacture and maintenance. company’s revenues and overall financial performance. Risks RisksRisks include cross cultural barriers, socio Risks include associated costs and potential economic and localised geo-political employee resistances to operational changes enhanced training and uncertainty. Given that the airlines will alongside offshore its activities across different development programmes. Moreover the locations globally, there is a risk of Australian operational and HR strategies should both industrial increased relations awareness issues. of Moreover, directly and indirectly forecast customer corporate needs and demand to determine accurate mechanisms.Thus enabling responsibility challenges including perceived budgeting versus actual human rights violations. capital to be directed along the value chain proportionally. Table 1 – Formulated Strategies 5 Recommendations Nav-star Consultants recommends that Qantas adopts Strategy One, an integrated global standardisation strategy, and Strategy Two, operational strategy. This will be implemented by leveraging the formidable financial and human resources of the company, thus redirecting capital where it’s needed to drive strategic change.This involves offshoring maintenance activities to Hong Kong to engage a leaner cost structure. This strategy will be supported internally by realigning its supply chain capabilities to locations that are more value oriented (Hill Jones, 2010). Further, both upstream and downstream activities will be refocused on more profitable flight routes, ground operations and strategic partner alliances. By utilising this integrated strategy, Qantas will maintain a flexible competitive advantage in the global airline industry. 9|Page Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 . 1 Distinguish from Competition For Qantas to remain competitive in both domestic and, more importantly, the international arena, a focus on providing value added services that differentiate from the competition is vital. Firstly, it is recommended that Qantas reviews its international network of destinations to divest from unprofitable flight routes and replacing these with arrangements using strategic alliance partners. This will also include an inevitable RIF that will focus on optimising workforce size and up skilling or cross training displaced employees (Noe Winkler, 2009).These optimisations allow Qantas to distinguish itself from its competitors by providing a leaner and more skilled workforce. Secondly, Qantas will need to consider integrating ground operations and supply chain activities to gain greater control of cost efficiencies, as well as reducing access for key competitors in foreign hubs (McCarthy-Byrne Mentzer, 2011). This will be achieved by utilising existing and new strategic partnerships and the establishment of new support facilities in the most value added location, Hong Kong.Any opportunity for the establishment of a wholly owned foreign subsidiary should seriously be considered. By integrating operations and activities, Qantas can remain adaptive to competitive pressures and distinguish its brand. 5. 2 Two Key Elements Two key elements in regards to Qantas’ implementation of its integrated strategy are, firstly, the Australian industrial relation consequences that may arise from the perception that Qantas is offshoring Australian jobs. Secondly, the importance of maintaining Qantas’ exceptional brand image regarding quality across maintenance and customer service.In order to prepare for likely industrial disputes, an extensive program of cross training and up skilling should be provided to employees who may be affected by this strategic reorientation. This will form a part of a risk mitigation strategy which will also reduce the dependence on domestic labour, of which industrial disputes will have the greatest impact (Balnave, Brown, 10 | P a g e Nav-Star Consultants MGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 Maconachie Stone, 2009). Further, internal and external public relation campaigns should be commenced to educate and reassure all stakeholders of Qantas.For Qantas to maintain its exceptional quality reputation and to further build its quality perception in the market, it will be important to present the changing strategic direction of the organisation as an opportunity for portfolio growth. This will lead to greater opportunities for Qantas employees both domestically and abroad. Additionally, through the use of investment in technology and training, Qantas can reduce costs and implement its strategic plan without compromising quality perception. 5. 3 Boundary ConditionThe recommended integrated global standardisation and operational strategy exemplifies distinct benefits, company differentiation and competitive advantages. A PESTEL analysis identified the foremost determinant critical to ongoing implementation processes and success regards geoeconomic influences. Additional PESTEL characteristics are exhibited in Appendix 2. Bilgin (2010) asserts for Qantas to effectively intensify its international operations and presence incorporating geo-economic risks into strategic planning is vital.Schlevogt (2001) outlines key variables and success factors as company financial reserves; supply and value chain productions; workforce personnel; technological and research developments; transportation capabilities; trade opportunities and international politics. Moreover, as numerous value-adding resources are sourced from international markets, foreign government political, trade and socio-economic policies are shaping the pace and course of global interactions and transactions.Numerous markets have experienced unsustainable practices via diminished growth strategies for labour market competition, increase export and investment ventures abroad and displacement through automation (Eun Resnick, 2011 Madura, 2010). These shortfalls, provide opportunities for Qantas to attain the under-utilised resources in these markets as capital outlay would be minimal compared to domestic market resource costs. These geo-economic characteristics are significant variables to Qantas’ overall business strategy, longevity and growth. As Nav-Star’s recommendation emphasises offshoring to emerging 11 | P a g e Nav-Star ConsultantsMGB309: Strategic Management Semester 1, 2012 Asian markets, increasing global economic and political uncertainty plagues the international arena. This directly affects Qantas’ reach and places pressures on strategic alliances and offshoring facilities to remain viable as commercial competition between multinationals is becoming more intense. Three significant and damaging economic collapses have occurred globally over the past 15 years altering political aspirations towards integration economies and globalisation, thus amending regulatory policies creating potential trade and capital investment ventures.Such obstacles include price volatility, fiscal imbalances, income disparities, structural employment and financial borrowing capabilities (Eun Resnick, 2011). Qantas’ supply and value chain activities are key success factors creating avenues for future revenue growth and profits via creating new markets utilising existing consumer bases. A specific focus on alignment of company culture simultaneously with operational excellence will create Qantas various product portfolio opportunities.Avenues to achieve this objective involve continual technological updates to improve operational efficiency via streamlining value chain activities and managing human resources. The nature of Qantas’ international and domestic endeavours instigates sophisticated and complex strategic planning and policies that address and mitigate geo-economic risks. As Qantas continues to consolidate maintenance hubs (Qantas Media Releases, 2012), effective HR programmes addressing highly skilled and motivated personnel are crucial.

Colin Ferguson and the Long Island Railroad Massacre

Colin Ferguson and the Long Island Railroad Massacre On Dec. 7, 1993, Colin Ferguson, a man long bothered by what he considered racism, boarded a Long Island commuter train and began shooting at the passengers with a pistol. The incident, known as the Long Island Railroad Massacre, resulted in six people killed and 19 injured. Background Ferguson was born on Jan. 14, 1958, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Von Herman and May Ferguson. Herman was the managing director for Hercules Agencies, a large pharmaceutical company. He was highly regarded and one of the most prominent businessmen in Jamaica. Colin and his four brothers enjoyed many of the privileges that come with wealth in a city where extreme poverty is common. He attended Calabar High School and, from all appearances, was a good student who participated in sports. At the time of his graduation in 1974, his grade average was in the top third of his class. Fergusons idyllic life came to an abrupt halt in 1978, when his father was killed in a car crash. His mother died from cancer not long afterward. Soon after both parents died, Ferguson had to cope with the loss of the family fortune. All the losses left him deeply disturbed. Move to the United States At 23, Ferguson decided to leave Kingston and move to the U.S. on a visitors visa, hoping for a fresh start and a good job on the East Coast. It didnt take long for his excitement to turn to frustration: The only jobs he could find were low-paying and menial, and he blamed racism in America. Three years after his arrival in the U.S., he met and married Audrey Warren, an American citizen of Jamaican descent who understood the cultural differences that affected her husbands ability to get along. She was patient and understanding when he lost his temper and went into rages, expressing his racial bigotry toward white people who he felt stood in his way. The couple moved to a home in Long Island, where he continued to rage about the mistreatment and disrespect he was shown by white Americans. He had been born to one of the top families in Kingston, and government and military luminaries had attended his fathers funeral. But in America, he felt he was treated as nothing. His hatred toward white people was deepening. Married bliss didnt last long for the couple. Warren found her new husband to be hostile and aggressive. They fought regularly and more than once the police were called to their home to break up a fight. Just two years into the marriage, Warren divorced Ferguson, stating differing social views as the reason. Ferguson was emotionally crushed by the divorce. He did clerical work for Ademco Security Group until Aug. 18, 1989, when he fell from a stool on the job, injuring his head, neck, and back and losing his job. He filed a complaint with the New York State Workers Compensation Board, which took years to come to a resolution. While he waited for their decision, he attended Nassau Community College. Disciplinary Problems at College He made the deans list three times but was forced to quit a class for disciplinary reasons after a teacher filed a complaint that Ferguson was overly aggressive toward him in class. That prompted him to transfer to Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, in 1990, majoring in business administration. Ferguson became very outspoken about black power and his dislike of whites. When he wasnt calling everyone around him a racist, he called out for violence and a revolution to overthrow white America. Ferguson alleged that a white woman at the library shouted racial epithets at him when he asked about a class assignment. An investigation found that no such incident had occurred. In another incident, Ferguson interrupted a faculty member giving a presentation about her trip to South Africa, allegedly shouting, We should be talking about the revolution in South Africa and how to get rid of the white people and Kill everybody white! After fellow students tried to calm him, he chanted, The black revolution will get you.   In June 1991, as a result of the incident, Ferguson was suspended from school. He was invited to reapply after satisfying his suspension, but he never returned. Brush With the Law In 1991 Ferguson moved to Brooklyn, where he was unemployed and rented a room in the Flatbush neighborhood. At the time it was a popular area for West Indian immigrants, and Ferguson moved right into the middle, but he kept to himself, rarely saying anything to his neighbors. In 1992 his ex-wife, who had not seen Ferguson since the divorce, filed a complaint against him, claiming he had pried open the trunk of her car. Anger was boiling up inside Ferguson, and he was nearing the breaking point. In February he was taking the subway when a woman attempted to sit in an empty seat beside him. She asked him to move over, and Ferguson began screaming at her, pressing his elbow and leg against her until the police intervened. He attempted to get away, calling out, Brothers, come help me! to African-Americans on the train. He was arrested and charged with harassment. Ferguson wrote letters to the police commissioner and the NYC Transit Authority, claiming the police had brutalized him and were vicious and racist. The claims were later dismissed after an investigation. Worker's Compensation Claim Settled It took three years for his workers compensation case against Ademco Security Group to be settled. He was awarded $26,250, which he found unsatisfactory. Stating that he was still suffering from pain, he met with a Manhattan attorney, Lauren Abramson, about filing another lawsuit. Abramson later said she asked a law clerk to join the meeting because she found Ferguson to be threatening and uncomfortable to be around. When the law firm rejected the case, Ferguson accused members of the firm of discrimination. During one phone call, he referenced a massacre in California. Many at the firm began locking their inner-office doors. Ferguson then tried to get the New York State Workers Compensation Board to reopen the case but was rejected. However, Ferguson was placed on a list of potentially dangerous people because of his aggressiveness. Fed up with New York City, Ferguson moved to California in April 1993. He applied for several jobs but was never hired. Gun Purchase That same month, he spent $400 on a Ruger P-89 9 mm pistol in Long Beach. He began carrying the gun inside a paper bag after he was mugged by two African-Americans. In May 1993, Ferguson moved back to New York City because, as he explained to a friend, he didnt like competing for jobs with immigrants and Hispanics. After he returned to New York, he seemed to be deteriorating quickly. Speaking in the third person, he went on rants about blacks striking down their pompous rulers and oppressors. He showered several times a day and chanted continuously about all the black people killing all the white people. Ferguson was asked to vacate his apartment by the end of the month. The Shooting On Dec. 7, Ferguson boarded a 5:33 p.m. Long Island commuter train leaving Pennsylvania Station for Hicksville. On his lap were his gun and 160 rounds of ammunition. As the train approached the Merillon Avenue Station, Ferguson stood up and methodically began firing at passengers on both sides, pulling the trigger about every half second and repeating Im going to get you. After emptying two 15-round magazines, he was reloading a third when passengers Michael OConnor, Kevin Blum, and Mark McEntee tackled him and pinned him down until police arrived. As Ferguson lay pinned to a seat, he said, Oh God, what did I do? What did I do? I deserve whatever I get. Six passengers died: Amy Federici, a 27-year-old corporate interior designer from MineolaJames Gorycki, a 51-year-old account executive from MineolaMi Kyung Kim, a 27-year-old New Hyde Park residentMaria Theresa Tumangan Magtoto, a 30-year-old lawyer from WestburyDennis McCarthy, a 52-year-old office manager from MineolaRichard Nettleton, a 24-year-old college student from Roslyn Heights 19 passengers were injured. The Note Police searching Ferguson found several scraps of notebook paper in his pockets bearing headlines such as reasons for this,  racism by Caucasians and Uncle Tom Negroes, and a scribbled reference to his February 1992 arrest that referred to the false allegations against me by the filthy Caucasian racist female on the #1 line. Also among the notes were the names and telephone numbers of the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and the Manhattan law firm that Ferguson had threatened, whom he referred to as those corrupt black attorneys who not only refused to help me but tried to steal my car. Based on the notes, it appeared that Ferguson planned to delay the killings until he was beyond the New York City limit out of respect for outgoing Mayor David Dinkins and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. Ferguson was arraigned on Dec. 8, 1993. He remained silent  during the arraignment and refused to enter a plea. He was ordered held without bail. As he was escorted from the courthouse, a reporter asked him if he hated whites, to which Ferguson replied, Its a lie. Investigation, Trial, and Sentencing According to trial testimony, Ferguson suffered from extreme paranoia involving many races but mostly centering on the feeling that white people were out to get him. At some point, his paranoia had pushed him into devising a plan of revenge. To avoid embarrassing Mayor Dinkins, Ferguson had selected a commuter train headed to Nassau County. Once the train entered Nassau, Ferguson had begun shooting, selecting some white people to gun down and sparing others. The reasons for his selections were never made clear. After a circus-like trial in which Ferguson represented himself and rambled on, often repeating himself,  he was found guilty and sentenced to 315  years in prison. As of November 2018, he was in the Upstate Correctional Facility in Malone, New York. Source:The Long Island Railroad Massacre, AE American Justice

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Social Psychology - Essay Example his subject that the author of this paper was able to obtain a clearer understanding of the aggressive dimension of self and individuals within our sphere. Furthermore, social psychology bridges the gap between sociology and psychology. Hence, this subject holds great intrigue for this writer particularly because of the dynamic new knowledge it explores in its synthesis yet separate sociological and psychological dimensions. In essence social psychology is a 20th Century phenomenon. The authors of the article, Social psychology insists that perhaps the most influential thought in social psychology was Herbert Spencer, who was known for expounding on Darwin’s biological theory. They believe Spencer coined the phrase â€Å"survival of the fittest†. The authors assert that sociologists such as Edward Ross and others like him initiated social psychology within sociology. Simultaneously, they observed that psychologists such as J. Mark Baldwin and William McDougall began to investigate social psychology. Consequently, this merging of psychologists and sociologists fuelled an explosion in research in the field of social psychology. (Social psychology: once overlooked, now a staple) Aspelmeier proposes three major landmarks in the development of this field. First, in 1898, the first social psychology experiment was conducted by Norm Triplett’s on the phenomenon of social facilitation studies. The second landmark was the publication of the first textbook in this field by McDougal in 1908 and third, the influence of Hitler and World War 11. This era saw a migration of European psychologists to other countries; specifically it brought gestalt psychologists to America. Kurt Lewin, who is sometimes called the father of social psychology, was one such psychologist. This exodus from the Nazi rule sparked much research into authority figures, group dynamics, prejudice and aggression. In addition, the U.S. military utilized these social psychologists for needed research in

Group Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Report - Essay Example Learning from literature will be adopted for obtaining a direction to this study and findings from various relevant sources will be assessed before providing recommendations, if required, and concluding with key remarks. 2. J. Sainsbury Plc: J. Sainsbury Plc. is more than a century old retailer with more than 1000 supermarket stores throughout the UK. It employs more than 150,000 staff in all of its stores and back office locations. Their unique values and business strategies indicate their historic presence and strength in the business world. Some of these values and strategies certainly consider their recruitment and selection procedures, which ensure right candidates are hired for their jobs that in turn prove to be of high significance for their growth and sustenance (J Sainsbury plc, n.d). 3. Methodology: Literature study concerning R&S procedures has been performed to understand the impact of these HR processes on the firm’s success. Most of the information related to Sa insbury’s is obtained from sources such as the company website, published journals, few text books etc, and the key findings are noted. 4. Findings: In large firms, R&S are a part of HR planning, unlike the ad hoc activities followed in smaller firms (Marchington & Wilkinson, 2008); and, HR function can help create more value through its strategies of which R&S is a critical one (Hill & Jones, 2010). In their study, Delery and Doty (1996) asserted that sophisticated methods of recruitment and selection form a part of their competitive strategies in larger firms. This point can be examined in the case of Sainsbury. 4.1 Recruitment methods: According to information from their website, Sainsbury’s offers career opportunities in areas such as supermarket staff, store management and support centres, logistics, pharmacy, finance and accounting sections etc (Sainsbury’s.Jobs, n.d). They hire fresh graduates, experienced staff and specialists for various roles based on the job requirements. They offer job opportunities to various categories of students including both European nationals and international students throughout the UK. Interestingly, Sainsbury does not entertain collecting CVs from interested candidates; instead, they encourage applications through their website for all available positions that are also made visible through their website. In order to attract the best candidates, Sainsbury’s offers a detailed online application process that also recruits the most suitable candidates through various questionnaires; these include key requirements questionnaire, motivational questionnaire, situational judgment questionnaire and application form. Recruitment and selection strategies are also important facilitators for other HR initiatives such as diversity management as these strategies help in attracting people from various ethnic groups and diverse backgrounds. According to their Changeworknow (n.d) campaign, candidates that fail t o pass through the applications and questionnaires receive immediate feedback and are also directed to other employers thereby creating a positive employment and interaction experience. 4.2 Selection methods: Final selection of candidates at Sainsbury’s is done only after detailed tests and face-to-face interviews are conducted by the store managers or other managers. These interviews help in assessing the abilities and competencies of the candidates; these interactions also help in

Global marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global marketing - Essay Example In addition as will soon be explained, a given amount of innovation is deemed important in all companies operating within competitive markets. While planning to introduce new product in the market, factors such as culture should be put into consideration. For instance Vimto in the Middle East has taken its roots deeper than the founding place. It has gone to an extent of operating independently. At the time of introducing the product they discovered that in Arab, they like sweeter thing and so the sugar content was raised to be higher than that of UK. Also before introducing a product in the market, check the availability of similar products in the market and their packaging design, sugar levels, available flavours, price and stocks movement rates. The Momentum to Innovation In 1960's, the BCG growth share matrix came into existence as a tool of analysis to be used in assessing organizational performance. Portfolio analysis concentrates upon the growth rate of a market where an organ ization participates and the commanding power of that organization in that particular market, as measured by its share of the total sales volume of the market. Therefore, the Analysis of Boston Portfolio takes the shape of a growth share matrix where market share is plotted against the growth rate of the market where it is invested. ... The dimension of shares is measured based logarithmic scale whereby the cut off level is 1.0. It’s at this point, that the market share of an organization equals that of the leading competitor. Index number bigger than 1.0 shows leadership, while where the index is low, it’s an indication that the company remains behind competitors. Discussion The New Product Development Process This brings out a picture of new product growth process. The aim of these ladders is to evade expensive failures through continuously reviewing the possible prospects for the new product idea or product, and allow company get some options as whether to drop the product or develop tactic on how to cut loss. The biggest yet most expensive blunder is launching a product which already proves unsuccessful (Zilinski 179). Before a product launch, it means all the development costs have been met and spending on production equipment has already been done too. High costs of marketing have also been made in setting up of the promotional expenditure and distribution system. Idea Generation The aim of generating an idea is to put together many ideas as possible from any possible sources. This includes: Internal External Top executives Non-competitive firms Public Production staff Entire members of staff Market or supplier intermediaries Patent applications Competition Freelance inventors Consultants    When an organization or a group planning to introduce a new product in the market seeks to try new ideas on top of what they have there are marketing research techniques that may be applied i.e. morphological analysis synetics Delphi forecasting, brainstorming and scenario writing. The emphasis at this level is dependent on the number of ideas without source, though no idea flatly gets

Proposal on Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Proposal on Business - Essay Example UK firms that collapsed into the administration as they distorted or deviated under immense pressure of soaring costs and declining of consumer spending. Background Information of the Organization Woolworths is the organization under research, is medium-sized organization situated in the region of UK that appears to experience problems in the current recession period. Furthermore, this online retail company believes in providing the customers with a broad range of quality products with greater choices that include children's clothing, stationery, and toys at a very economical price. Woolworths is one of the UK's oldest store groups with more than thousand employees working at different stores all throughout UK. The statistical records provide with evidence that Woolworths has had a presence on the High Street of UK for several decades (Thompson & Martin &Â  Thompson, pp. 615-618, 2010). The history of Woolworths reveals the fact that it was in the early nineteen hundreds that covere d the local newspapers with its opening in UK. It gained recognition and popularity and the company expanded rapidly within couple of decades with more than five hundred stores in UK. However, in the middle years of the twentieth century, the growth of the company stagnated because competitors invaded the market. Contenders and competitors soon began to take over its market share as they rolled out the new concept on a faster pace (Thompson & Martin &Â  Thompson, pp. 615-618, 2010). The financial performance of Woolworths has been abating and falling in the past few years. The episodes of the shutting down of several stores of this retail company harmonize with the recession and the financial crisis that took place in the recent times. However, latter in the period of recession, Woolworths... The intention of this study is Woolworths as the organization under research, is medium-sized organization situated in the region of UK that appears to experience problems in the current recession period. Furthermore, this online retail company believes in providing the customers with a broad range of quality products with greater choices that include children's clothing, stationery, and toys at a very economical price. Woolworths is one of the UK's oldest store groups with more than thousand employees working at different stores all throughout UK. The statistical records provide with evidence that Woolworths has had a presence on the High Street of UK for several decades. The history of Woolworths reveals the fact that it was in the early nineteen hundreds that covered the local newspapers with its opening in UK. It gained recognition and popularity and the company expanded rapidly within couple of decades with more than five hundred stores in UK. However, in the middle years of the twentieth century, the growth of the company stagnated because competitors invaded the market. Contenders and competitors soon began to take over its market share as they rolled out the new concept on a faster pace. The financial performance of Woolworths has been abating and falling in the past few years. The episodes of the shutting down of several stores of this retail company harmonize with the recession and the financial crisis that took place in the recent times. However, latter in the period of recession, Woolworths reopened its store with in excess of half a million products on offer for the customers.

Art History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Art History - Research Paper Example one of the great museum founders, served for many years during the crucial times of its formation and was the president of the institution from 1896 to 1897. He made most of the significant gifts ever to the museum when he presented over seventy pictures by Spanish, Dutch, Italian, French, and Flemish artists of the xv to xvii centuries. His collections put the museum in a valuable position among other museums for character of its collections in which may regard almost every influential artist. The Annunciation picture is of a religious type of art. The title of the photo seems to originate from the Biblical story where Christians celebrate the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus to Mary. God sent Angel Gabriel to appear before the Virgin Mary and told her that she would conceive a baby boy (Jesus). She would conceive the child through the power of the Holy Spirit The artist of this picture reflected this view by the images of both Angel Gabriel and Mary. The artist also made another effort of bringing in the physical appearance of the characters in the pictures. He clearly represents the man with feathers as the angel since angels used to have them and had the ability to fly. It also creates the difference in the two images, and one can differentiate between them (Angel Gabriel and Mary). From the Biblical story, Mary was shocked upon hearing the news from the Angel and the artist portrays this in the picture. The woman seen on the right side of the image seems to be in a shock as she listens from the other man. The actual size of the image is 51.8 by 43.5 cm. The height of the picture exceeds the width by a few centimeters. The artist might have chosen this to accommodate the height of both characters images and the background that is typically crucial in determining the final view of the picture. The frame of the picture is 30 x 26 5/8 x 2 Â ½ centimeters. Although it has not affected the shapes in the images much, it has cut one of the shapes at the left far

Proposal on Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Proposal on Business - Essay Example UK firms that collapsed into the administration as they distorted or deviated under immense pressure of soaring costs and declining of consumer spending. Background Information of the Organization Woolworths is the organization under research, is medium-sized organization situated in the region of UK that appears to experience problems in the current recession period. Furthermore, this online retail company believes in providing the customers with a broad range of quality products with greater choices that include children's clothing, stationery, and toys at a very economical price. Woolworths is one of the UK's oldest store groups with more than thousand employees working at different stores all throughout UK. The statistical records provide with evidence that Woolworths has had a presence on the High Street of UK for several decades (Thompson & Martin &Â  Thompson, pp. 615-618, 2010). The history of Woolworths reveals the fact that it was in the early nineteen hundreds that covere d the local newspapers with its opening in UK. It gained recognition and popularity and the company expanded rapidly within couple of decades with more than five hundred stores in UK. However, in the middle years of the twentieth century, the growth of the company stagnated because competitors invaded the market. Contenders and competitors soon began to take over its market share as they rolled out the new concept on a faster pace (Thompson & Martin &Â  Thompson, pp. 615-618, 2010). The financial performance of Woolworths has been abating and falling in the past few years. The episodes of the shutting down of several stores of this retail company harmonize with the recession and the financial crisis that took place in the recent times. However, latter in the period of recession, Woolworths... The intention of this study is Woolworths as the organization under research, is medium-sized organization situated in the region of UK that appears to experience problems in the current recession period. Furthermore, this online retail company believes in providing the customers with a broad range of quality products with greater choices that include children's clothing, stationery, and toys at a very economical price. Woolworths is one of the UK's oldest store groups with more than thousand employees working at different stores all throughout UK. The statistical records provide with evidence that Woolworths has had a presence on the High Street of UK for several decades. The history of Woolworths reveals the fact that it was in the early nineteen hundreds that covered the local newspapers with its opening in UK. It gained recognition and popularity and the company expanded rapidly within couple of decades with more than five hundred stores in UK. However, in the middle years of the twentieth century, the growth of the company stagnated because competitors invaded the market. Contenders and competitors soon began to take over its market share as they rolled out the new concept on a faster pace. The financial performance of Woolworths has been abating and falling in the past few years. The episodes of the shutting down of several stores of this retail company harmonize with the recession and the financial crisis that took place in the recent times. However, latter in the period of recession, Woolworths reopened its store with in excess of half a million products on offer for the customers.

Paying for Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paying for Motivation - Essay Example Duffy (2010) relates to the present and the expected value of the educational organization, only if it is used to increase the long term performance of the employees. The management of an educational organization should, therefore, come up with strategies that would result in providing a long term and substantial results for the benefits of the stakeholders. Pay may also be associated with the expected performance of the employees but it the performance of the employees is not completely influenced by pay. There are some other factors that may directly influence the present and expected value of the organization as well as the employees. A study was conducted on three groups which contained people with equal qualifications who were required to complete a single task for a freelancing website desk. One group was being paid $4 per hour, while other was paid $5 per hour. The third group was told that they will be working at $4 per hour; however, they were also told that there is some ro om in the budget; therefore they will be paid a little more but the increase in salary will be a surprise for them. The performance of the three groups was evaluated by measuring the productivity at the task. The results of the first and the second group were almost same, irrespective of the fact that one was being paid more than the other. The third group, who was granted with higher surprised pay rate, exhibited 20 percent more effective results than the other two groups.