KFC Exploring Strategy Essay

Summary You are introduced to KFC organization. A fast-food chain restaurant comes from North Corbin, Kentucky that featuring fried chicken. KFC is recognized as the best fried chicken with its original 11 herbs recipes and produce most fried chicken to the world. What makes KFC still remain strongly while other companies are struggling to find a spot in the market? To answer this question, you will be finding out KFC strategic profile, vision, mission and values that is created and brought towards customers. Understanding the company strategic development and how the Corporate and Business level create and develop strategies and knowing what your competitors are doing. We will acknowledge about its customers perception, innovation and international strategy. What has KFC been doing to innovate its staffs, how innovation is created, what changes the companies has made and how did it result. The strategy analysis and main focus on home country – competitive advantage developed from hom e country. At the end of this report, you will be able to perceive the organization values in order to create competitive advantages that make the business sustainable in the presence and future. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background KFC (originally known as Kentucky Fried Chicken) a subsidiary of Yam! Brands. Together with Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and Pizza Hut they are forming the world’s largest restaurant system with more than 32,500 outlets in 118 countries worldwide. KFC was founded by an entrepreneur named Harland Sanders in North Corbin, Kentucky, 1930. He started by selling fried chicken at his roadside restaurant during The Great Depression and discovered the potential of fast-food restaurant franchising concepts. Since then he expanded his first franchise market in Utah and foreseen a rapid successful business. 1.1.1 Company Vision/Mission/Objective The company’s vision statement is to be â€Å"To be the leading integrated food services group in the ASEAN region delivering consistent quality products and excellent customer-focused service†. Its purpose is to bring people from all religions, ages and backgrounds together to enjoy good food, ‘proper food at reasonable prices’ KFC mission is about reasons to â€Å"Celebrate their achievements of others and have funs doing it† by customers focus and belief in people. â€Å"Recognition is everybody’s responsibilities† (Adonis Chapel, 2008) In achieving its vision and mission KFC plans to offer a healthy menu to customers. Providing customers with their best and making customers with smile every time they eat at KFC in order to make repeated and potential customers. On the other hands, all associates need to be trained to be customers maniacs. KFC has invented some options for healthier choices to meet different types of customers and expectation. They still continue to expand their business to get more customers purchasing their food 1.1.2 SWOT (www.business-docs.co.uk/documents/swot-analysis-template) Below table is SWOT analysis of KFC in 2013 Strengths KFC has earned the second largest sales in 2013 among those fast-food restaurants Secret homemade 11 herbs recipes First western food style to establish in China Subsidiary of the second largest fast-food in the world together with of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell Offering the most original and the advantage of market leader among restaurants offering chickens as their primary menu Weaknesses Too many anonymous suppliers that caused the excessive antibiotics in used chicken Experience high employee turnover as they always short of long term staffs Unhealthy menu, most of items are deep fried Not focusing on advertisement campaign Negative publicity Weak in marketing effects Opportunities Innovation on healthy menu in order to target different type of customers Providing customers’ needs by offering 24hour services, drive through and home delivery Expending on the variety of food choices, not only chicken Potential growth in Asian countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines Threats Lawsuits against the company for its unsafe chicken Consumers are more concerned about their health and tend to reduce on fast and oily food Ups and downs currency rates in different countries More people are following the trend of healthy eating 1.1.3 PESTEL (www.dineshbakshi.com/igcse-business-studies/external-environment/revision-notes/63-external-environment-factors) KFC combines three major elements PESTEL which are P- Political: KFC political analysis is their directive to run the restaurant. They use politics to solve the problem. Because the claim of excessive antibiotics in chicken. They made a loss in their profits. CEO of Yum Chinese operations apologized to the public for the mistake and did a makeover menu for China to revive its sales and image. S- Social: analysis which supports the operation’s progress. It may involve culture, values, norms, behaviour and belief of a particular country and they have social activities for the environment. Malaysia is a Muslim country. In order to understand and satisfy its people, KFC has cut off the other meat in their menu. 100% chicken used is Halal certificate. It is a way to respect a country’s religion and its people. T- Technological: the most important element in order to be competitive and follow up your competitors and trends. Without modern technology a company will collapse in the market. KFC was the first to introduce new baking system in their restaurant. Preparation process which involves cooking, frying and all other works are seen in front of customers. 1.2 Strategic Development How does KFC create and develop strategies (www.functionformulabusinessstrategy.blogspot.sg/2010/10/strategic-visioning.html) 1.2.1 Corporate Level Headquarters are located in Louisville, Kentucky. Working as a whole organization at the corporate level, its headquarters first made KFC as a basic model focusing on limited menu, low price meals and convenience. Chairman and CEO of Yum!, David C. Novak is in control of the operations. He makes most important decisions that will affect the whole organization. His key focus are 1) build leading brands across China in every significant category; 2) drive aggressive international expansion and build strong brands everywhere; 3) dramatically improve U.S. brand positions, consistency and returns; and 4) drive industry-leading, long-term shareholder and franchisee value (source: Taking people with you, David Novak, 2007) 1.2.2 Business Level In 1987 KFC was the first western restaurant to open in China; the brand has since grown rapidly throughout the island. KFC adapts its menu internationally to suit regional tastes, and there are over three hundred  KFC menu items worldwide. The company is now the largest restaurant chain in China. Sam Su is the chairman and CEO of Yum!’s Chinese operations. At the Business Level, the regional executive must have the understanding in the taste and culture of its country, to make some changes from the original menu that will satisfy the citizen but won’t affect the Corporate Level menu. Other than chicken, KFC in China is serving pork and skewers as well. Still keeping the original fried chicken but adding more items to interest customers and more various selections. Porridge is also being served because Chinese used to believe that eating a hot bowl of porridge in the morning is good for health and it is not too heavy. By inventing more items on the menu, Sam Su has on ly not targeted to the young people, but also people at different ages. Menu includes an average of 50 different menu items per store as he believes different people have different tastes. 1.2.3 BCG Besides fried chicken, KFC is also known for its delicious Zinger burger, which is at Star and the second best selling in store. Zinger burger is high for both market share and growth. Rice and Spice, newly invented item, high for market share but low growth. Twister is low for market share but high for market growth, certainly public acceptance. Arabian rice is low at both market share and growth. Today we hardly see it on the menu as it has recently removed. (www.download-reports.blogspot.sg/2011/09/new-product-development-at-kfc.html) 1.2.4 Porter’s 5 forces framework for KFC (www.hbr.org/2008/01/the-five-competitive-forces-that-shape-strategy/ar/1) Force 1: Power of Suppliers Suppliers are in control of providing KFC’s raw materials. Suppliers have the right to decide whether they still want to carry on contract with buyer. Any other buyers want to duplicate KFC menu they can just approach this supplier and offer a better price. If the supplier cut off the contract KFC will lose its market. Force 2: Power of Buyers KFC is in charge of making decision of which suppliers to get from. The amount of poultry used for KFC daily use is numerous. So suppliers must be able to supply the necessary amount without fail and ensuring that their raw materials are hygiene standard. Last year in China, KFC was having problem with its suppliers for the excessive antibiotics used in chicken. KFC immediately cut off more than 1,000 their suppliers after the scandal has affected the company’s image. Force 3: Threat of new Entrants New entrants are companies that recently enter in the same market and provide the same food. Radix Fried Chicken also specializes in fried chicken and has grabbed customers’ attention by switching their taste. Radix Fried Chicken was found in 2013 while KFC has started since 1930. Force 4: Threats of Substitute or Services Popeye’s is known for Louisiana kitchen. Their menu and taste are mostly similar to KFC. While KFC is specialised for its chicken Popeye’s also offer customer few seafood choices such as tempura and shrimp. They also invent biscuit and chicken mashed potato on their menu. Popeye’s is also offering free Wi-Fi. Force 5: Rivalry among existing competitors McDonald’s is KFC strongest competitors which also offering its menu items similar to KFC. Speed of service is extremely competitive and set meal price is mostly the same. McDonald’s has been offering its drive thru and 24hour services for years when KFC just recently tried out but only available in certain places. 2.0 Critical themes 2.1Customers (www.imeeta.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/business-strategy-bowmans-clock/) As evaluated, KFC is at position 3 which is Hybrid (moderate price and  moderate differentiation). Menu items offered like fried chickens, burgers, wings, drumsticks, side dishes, carbonated beverages and desserts are similar to other fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Popeye’s, and Burger King. Services are at tip stop speed comparing to other restaurants in the fast-food chain. KFC is always public acceptance and first option when they think of the phrase â€Å"fried chicken at an affordable price†. 2.2 Innovation In order to achieve a company’s success, staffs need to be encouraged. David C. Novak CEO and chairman of Yum! Brands, was recognized as one of the quick-serve industry’s Top 10 Most Innovative People on QRS Magazine. On his interview with â€Å"The CEO TV show- Interviewing American’s top CEO† he shared his learning while creating one of the most American products. He believed that people get excited about news and in the food business people love to try new things. The specific thing of what a CEO should do is extremely focus by looking and his own people and the way they do things. Driving innovation by getting out of the company and see what other people are doing. Listen to the voice of our customers, connect with them, and always reach for new innovations and excellence in everything they do He innovate his business by learning from his competitors in order to keep consistence. â€Å"Innovation by people’s inspiration† he said. David C. Novak devotes much of his time to personally train leadership skills for the company’s management staffs and franchisees, emphasizing teamwork and a belief in people that rewards and recognizes customer-focused behavior. In KFC there is no discrimination for old staffs. People after retirement can join KFC as a front clean-up staff. 2.3 International strategy KFC China’s global growth base on â€Å"go global, act local† by understanding the local culture, economic and regulatory differences becomes the key element to perform the business’s success. First KFC identified what the local like and dislike from customers’ feedback. Then they adapt the fast-food model to fit the local cuisine and culture. You won’t be able to find such thing called chicken with Sichuan spicy sauce, rice, egg tarts, and soybean milk on American menu. Chinese people use to in eat large group so KFC has  created larger value meal as well. They also hire local management staffs to take good care of customers and understand their way of local doing business well. The company also follows Chinese strict foreigner investment laws and in action with local producers. 3.0 Conclusion 3.1 Value KFC aims to achieve value by creating quality food at a reasonable price and convenient service. Making customer satisfaction as a priority and fulfill customer’s demands in order to meet their satisfaction. They have also developed value menu for kids and school children with lower prices, value meal and combo for large group of people to share instead of buying each person individually. Value is also created for royal staffs and who are rewarded with good customer services. 3.2 Competitive advantage KFC biggest competitive advantage is being the first fast-food restaurant chain to grow globally. They have gain popularity among years in the fast food chain featuring fried chicken. KFC is well-known for its homemade 11 herbs secret recipes and the leader market among those restaurants selling the same food. Secondly the company is in charge of setting the lowest price for others to follow. If any restaurant goes lower than that they will fail in the market share. 3.3 Sustainability For the last 84 years KFC has remained sustainable in the market. In 2016 KFC established the eco environment program by reducing the volume of water used and carbon footprint, encouraging energy efficiency and sensible material use. They have been working with Carbon Trust and to reduce their emissions. KFC is playing its part to reduce the environmental impact and protect our planet. 4.0 Recommendations Judging on the company business strategy, KFC should improve on its menu by creating for more choices of healthier food options. The purpose is to target different type of customers, customers with special needs or diet or people with obesity problems. They can offer brown rice or whole meal rice  instead of white rice, steamed chicken, boiled veggies. Or they can follow up with McDonald’s by offering KFC’s cafà ©, serving cakes, hot and cold coffee or tea, more ice cream options for the kids’ craving. In addition, they may also expand their areas for 24hour services and drive through for the convenience of late customers. References 1. The Associated Press (2011, October). Colonel Sanders secret recipes discovered; manuscript reveals KFC founder’s favorite hometown foods. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/colonel-sanders-secret-recipes-discovered-manuscript-reveals-kfc-founder-favorite-hometown-foods-article-1.975651 2. Brady, D. (2012, March). KFC’s Big Game of Chicken. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-29/kfcs-big-game-of-chicken 3. ENP Newswire (2014, March 28). KFC China Launches New Menu and Marketing Strategy Nationwide; Milestone Signifies Next Phase of Company’s Aggressive and Comprehensive Plan to Restage KFC in China. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/news/2014/03/28/7749628.htm 4. Harvard Business School (2011, June 17). KFC’s Explosive Growth in China. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6704.html 5. Jurevicius, O. (2013, March 10). KFC SWOT anal ysis 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/kfc-swot-analysis.html 6. Kassidy Emmerson, K. (2006, March 10). The History of Colonel Harland Sanders and His Kentucky Fried Chicken. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://voices.yahoo.com/the-history-colonel-harland-sanders-his-kentucky-23199.html 7. KFC Development (n.d.). Sustainability. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.kfcdevelopment.co.uk/sustainability.aspx#tab_greenfacts 8. Lencioni, P. M. (2010). The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. 9. Liu, W. K. (2008). KFC in China: Secret recipe for success. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons (Asia. 10. Novak, D. (2012). Taking people with you: The only way to make big things happen. New York: Portfolio/Penguin. 11. Novak, D. (2007). The education of an accidental CEO: Lessons learned from the trailer park to the corner office.

Marketing Memo Essay

Attention: Mr. Donald Douglass and Mr. Ronald Abrahams, as well as all stockholders for U Driver Transport. After much research and evaluating of information pertaining to the country of Australia, I believe that Australia will be an impeccable candidate for the next location for Global Expansion for U Drive Transport. There are six factors of the external environment that Australia possessed that made this decision possible. These six factors are: Social factors, Demographic factors, Economic factors, Technological factors, Political and Legal factors, and Competitive factors. This conclusion is based upon mainly the economic strength and the Technological External Environmental factors of this country. Australia has economic stability to patron the U Drive Transport business, along with their impressive Demographics. The Technological factors are strong as well, they have the modern technology that would withstand the requirements of a new business entering into their country, for example: U Drive Transport. Being that Australia also plays an active role in the World Trade Organization expresses to a business like U Drive Transport that this country already has the experience and the knowledge of the business world. There is definitely more information that could be acquired about this fantastic country that has shown signs of very strong potential for the new expansion location for U Drive Transport. Within this Memo, I am also requesting not only should Australia be considered to be the next location but I am also requesting an expansion for more research and evaluation due to the fact that there is so much more to see especially about the Social External Environmental factors of Australia. This explains why this information is not included in the Memo. Looking forward to your response.  Ms. Tijuana Hutcherson U Drive Transport External Environmental Analysis World Region: Country: Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Major City Center: Australia Social External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: ) Opportunities: Threats: Resources: http://www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr/index.htm Demographic External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: ) Opportunities: Being that the life expectancy at birth is long and healthy, U Drive Transport will be able to provide services for not just the young but the old too for a substantial amount of years. The life expectancy at birth for Australia is 79.63 years for men and 84.64 years for women. Threats: As long as there is not any severe diseases or any natural disasters that would wipe out a huge amount of the population that would prevent the young as well as the old to be able to live. We have all learned from Hurricane Katrina that natural disasters do occur. The U.S. Census International Data Base is located at: http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/informationGateway.php Economic External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: ) Opportunities: The Australian economy has experienced continuous growth and features low unemployment, contained inflation, very low public debt, and a strong and stable financial system. By 2012, Australia had experienced more than 20 years of continued economic growth, averaging 3.5% a year. Demand for resources and energy from Asia and especially China has grown rapidly, creating a channel for resources investments and growth in commodity exports. Threats: The United States just experienced a recession, this would be the only cause for Australia’s successful economy growth. That would be a recession, and this has been known to happen to the best of countries, it happened to the United States so it could happen to any country. Technological External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: ) Opportunities: Australia has 10.47 million telephone main line in use, and 24.4 million mobile cellular lines. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national and local radio networks and TV stations, as well as Australian Network, a TV series that broadcasts throughout the Asia-Pacific region and is the main public broadcaster. Australia has 17.081 million Internet hosts and 15.81 Internet users. Threats: Just like the economic recession, the technology systems for this country could run into a glitch that could prevent all of their systems from running, and that could destroy their technology. Political and Legal External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: ) Opportunities: Australia has an Executive Branch, Judicial Branch, and a Legislative Branch. They also have nine political parties with leaders. The Australia legal system is common law system based on the English model. Threats: Whatever Allies that Australia may have, those countries will always have the ability to no longer respect the politics and the legal system of Australia. Resources: The World Factbook  Competitive External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: ) Opportunities: All the countries that do not participate in the World Trade Organization with Australia, will actually deal with other countries that will be against Australia competitively. Threats: The possibility of those competitive countries establishing a stronger economy, demographic, and political and legal factor than Australia. References Central Intelligence Agency. (2014). The world factbook. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/ library/publications/the-world-factbook Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2014). MKTG7, 7th Edition. Retrieved from

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Evolution of Management Principles Research Paper - 1

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Nelson Mandela’s Values Essay Example for Free

Nelson Mandela’s Values Essay It will be hard to believe if a person says â€Å"A man who served twenty seven years in prison, turned out to be one of the greatest presidents our world has seen†. Well this did actually happen and this former president is still living today. Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa, he was a leader of the anti-apartheid movement in the 1940s. Mandela was jailed for 27 years for acts of sabotage against the South African state, and shortly after his release from prison he led a multi-racial party for the first time ever in South Africa’s history. By doing this he was elected as the first black/democratic president of South Africa. Throughout his years as a president he has been widely regarded as a symbol of global peacemaking, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His birthday, July 18, has been declared Mandela Day; a global celebration of his legacy. 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According to Stengel, Mandela recalled the following lesson regarding leadership from when he was a young cattle herder: When you want to get a herd to move in a certain direction, he said, you stand at the back with a stick. Then a few of the more energetic cattle move to the front and the rest of the cattle follow. You are really guiding them from behind. He paused before saying with a smile, That is how a leader should do his work. Furthermore, Mandela’s strong value for leadership began with him displaying his ability to organize and lead others by helping to create the Youth League of African National Congress (ANCYL) which organized protests, boycotts, petitions, and strikes to end apartheid. Previously the African Nation Congress (ACN), ANCYL’s parent organization, had petitioned the government for years for  equality with little success. However, with increased success of the movement, the government increased violence toward nonviolent protesters and banned the ANC. Mandela and other leaders in the movement had to decide how to respond. In a risky decision, they concluded that nonviolence would no longer be effective and that the ANC needed to continue underground. These actions resulted in the imprisonment of Mandela and many ANC leaders, but this action helped to inspire others and to prepare the country for change (Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC), and South Africa.).After more than twenty years in prison, Mandela decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. He realized that, as a leader, it was time to take a drastic step, and he met with the South African president in order to discuss his release and his desire to switch the nati on to a democracy. Mandela was successful, and upon his release he was elected the first democratic leader of South Africa (Brink). Mandela always stood up for what he believed in; he was never fazed by an opponent. Mandela’s value of believing in the democratic process is an example. Even though many did not always agree with this idea, he believed it was the right way forward (Johnson). He was at first unsuccessful with his pursuits, this included the time when he tried during his imprisonment to have prisoners to be addressed more respectfully by guards, and also later when he attempted to have the national voting age lowered to 14 (Stengel). But slowly he established his foundation of democracy and people were finally drawn to it (Stengel). Throughout his battle against apartheid and helping to bring democracy to South Africa, Mandela adopted a democratic leadership style (Johnson).And according to Johnson â€Å"Democratic leaders set policies through group discussion and decision, encourag ing and helping group members to interact, requesting the cooperation of others† and this was exactly what Mandela did (Johnson). Mandela’s other key value that supported his leadership and democratic style was his strong disapproval for injustice. Mandela never tolerated injustice; he believed that justice was the only path to success. For instance, when Mandela got to Robin Island where he was to be imprisoned, he was told to jog to the prison gate. He firmly refused and started a hunger strike with other inmates to condemn the condition they were living in. This worked out in their favor and the conditions improved (Hume). This example highlights Mandela’s value for denouncing injustice and  oppression. Nonetheless, Mandela believed Consensus to be the superior decision making process to build commitment and motivation in group members toward group objectives. Using Consensus meant that justice would be served at its best when making a decision and Mandela fully supported this process (Johnson). Ultimately, Nelson Mandela is viewed as a revolutionary leader for his ability to empower and motivate others using his strong regard for consensus and the democratic process. His stance for promoting justice and peace has been hailed across the world. He led South Africa from a white supremacist country to being the first democratic nation in Africa. With these values Nelson Mandela reached the ultimate success in the eyes of everyone. Work cited Brink, Andre. Nelson Mandela. Time. Time, 13 Apr. 1998. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C988171%2C00.html. Hume, Tim. Digital Mandela Archive Spreads Message of Social Justice. CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/world/africa/mandela-online-archive/index.html. Johnson, Caleb. â€Å"A Leader’s Nest† New York Times [New York] 1993: Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=Nonesort=RELEVANCEinPS=trueprodId=GVRLuserGroupName=kent208tabID=T003searchId=R5resultListType=RESULT_LISTcontentSegment=searchType=BasicSearchFormcurrentPosition=2contentSet=GALE%7CCX3490200977docId=GALE|CX3490200977docType=GALE. Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC), and South Africa. Cold War Museum. The Cold War Museum, 17 May 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/CNelsonMandelaandSouthAfrica.asp. Stengel, Richard. Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership. Time. Time, 09 July 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821659,00.html.

360 Degree Feedback In Developing Leadership Skills Management Essay

360 Degree Feedback In Developing Leadership Skills Management Essay There is a great deal of controversy about the relevancy of using 360-degree feedback as a tool to develop leadership skills. Some view 360-degree feedback as a collaborative tool, a tool offering a more balanced circle of feedback based on the assessments of superiors, peers, and subordinates. These views lead me to wonder, how effective can this tool be if it does not factor in leadership styles and the potential for bias based on popularity? Will personality and popularity play a role in the assessment? Though extreme, there is some merit to my position. This realization guided me to my decision that 360-degree feedback is an effective tool to provide self assessment and can also be used to enhance performance measures during annual counseling such as leadership, communication, and mission effectiveness. Background The underlying theory of 360-degree feedback asserts that an assessment received from multiple sources provides unique and meaningful information to the recipient. Rapid growth of its use was fueled by the need to adapt to a changing human resources management environment and by numerous studies that supported the effectiveness of multi-source ratings in post-feedback management development. A significant complaint of the traditional performance appraisal system voiced by services is that feedback is generally one-sided and can lack objectivity. In the 1940s, the Army implemented a tool called the multi-rater system, also known as the multisource assessment process.  [1]  The multi-rater system allows a persons evaluation to encompass reviews from not only a rater, but also a persons subordinates, peers, clients, and organizational hierarchy. This allows a reviewer to get a more complete picture of a person and removes a singular rater from being able to determine the fate of a career. If an officers boss dislikes a subordinate, but he gets top marks from everyone else, it puts the bosss review in context, and would likely generate questions from the senior rater over the rating ability of the boss. In 2006, the Navy tested a prototype model of the 360-degree feedback process in the Surface Warfare Community. Similar to Army results, the Navy prototype showcased a strength of the 360-degree feedback process is its ability to provide varying perspectives of raters. The Navy prototype findings also emphasized that a supervisor cannot observe all the interactions, strengths and opportunities for improvement of his subordinates for evaluation reports, especially if the span of control is broad.  [2]  So why should the supervisor be the only person to provide performance feedback? Discussion A major advantage to the 360-degree feedback process is that it provides an opportunity for people with whom a person comes into frequent contact to offer feedback. This is an important consideration because the rater should be the person that has observed the employee on a frequent basis. It would be unfair and impractical to ask a rater for input when the opportunity to observe an employees skills, talents and abilities have not been provided on a regular basis. Lets look at two examples of 360-degree feedback in action; first lets look at an Army Captain who serves as a signal officer in an infantry battalion. His rater is the Battalion Executive Officer, a combat-arms officer, who does not know much about communication other than how to operate a radio. If the signal officer performs his job well, the XO will likely give him a reasonably favorable review on a traditional Evaluation Review. Now lets use a 360-degree feedback process and involve his higher-echelon counterpart, the Brigade S6 Officer, who is a Major and a signal officer, who gives the Captain an excellent rating based on his technical proficiency. If we involve his section, they can comment on his leadership, management style and his ability to explain complex technical issues in plain English. His peers in the battalion, other captains and the company commanders, all give him high marks for working with them to resolve communication issues. Now the 360-degree feedback proces s is given to his senior rater, the Battalion Commander, who now has a more complete view of this officer and how he has performed based on additional feedback from numerous sources, rather than the traditional counseling from one rater that would have communicated a generic, but reasonably positive review. Another example of how this method is beneficial is to look at an Army infantry platoon leader, a 1st Lieutenant, who routinely sucks up to his company commander, volunteers his platoon for the toughest assignments, scores expert in marksmanship and fitness and has impressed the battalion commander in a field operation. This 1st Lieutenant would normally excel in the traditional counseling process, because his rater and senior rater have the impression that he is above and beyond the standard. Using the 360-degree process, lets say his platoon sergeant reports the 1st Lieutenant delegates much of his work to him and leaves work as early as possible. Some of his squad leaders complain that they always get stuck with volunteer duty while the 1st Lieutenant is off somewhere sleeping. His fellow 1st Lieutenants do not like the guy and view him as a show-off. When this review hits the senior raters desk it will give him a very different view and provide more insight than the traditional c ounseling report would provide. The above example showcases that when feedback comes from many sources, its more difficult for a person to brush aside constructive criticism and rationalize that the boss just has it in for me. If several people suggest that a leader needs to improve verbal communication skills, chances are high that this is indeed a necessary area for improvement. Another advantage of the 360-degree feedback process is that it is designed with a leadership focus in mind. Sometimes its difficult for individuals to understand the impact that their behavior may have on others. However, if they receive direct and frequent feedback on how their behaviors affect others they are more likely to be attentive. Studies show that the 360-degree feedback process is particularly strong when joined with an action plan developed by the person receiving feedback and shared with those providing the feedback. The action plan demonstrates the feedback was heard and the suggestions will be put to use as soon as possible. Studies also strongly suggest that each person receiving feedback, especially for the first time, should have a coach to help assess the comments and help to develop the action plan.  [3]  I recommend the 360-degree feedback process be coupled with competency-based job descriptions; this aids in placing an individual in a position based on the competencies of the position and it ensures the individual is evaluated on those same competencies. Now looking at 360-degree feedback from the perspective of what we learned in seminar about leadership styles. The trait theory assumes people are born with inherited traits and that some traits are particularly associated with great leaders. For instance, there is a scene in the highly-acclaimed and offbeat 1949 World War II film, 12 OClock High, in which Army Air Corps Colonel Keith Davenport, played by Gary Merrill, is the commander who becomes too close to his flyers and eventually cracks under the strain of seeing one of them commit suicide. Colonel Davenport portrayed significant traits to be successful as noted in the trait theory (willing to assume responsibility and alert to social environment). If he was assessed using the 360-degree feedback model, he would have received rave reviews from his supervisor, peers and subordinates based on his leadership style, but if evaluated on technical proficiency he would receive low marks due to the squadrons inability to perform precis ion daylight bombing. Major General Frank Savage replaced Colonel Davenport and pounded discipline and accountability into the squadron, and managed to get them back in the air with a new level of success. If General Savage was given the 360-degree feedback assessment, his rating would have surely required him to make an adjustment in his tough leadership style. This was evident by the number of transfer requests received from the pilots and the short fused IG inspection to assess squadron morale. General Savages tough leadership style ultimately proved to be successful with a significant increase in putting bombs on target as required for mission success. General Savage also projected many of the traits that are considered necessary to be a successful leader such as decisive, dependable, assertive, dominant and persistent. 360-degree feedback is not a substitute for managing poor performance. Instead it is a tool that can be implemented to help employees gain a rich, accurate perspective on how others view their leadership skills, interpersonal style and mission effectiveness. 360-degree feedback should not replace leaderships assessment and evaluation of performance. This is an important point because leaders may be tempted to use 360-degree feedback as a tool to facilitate behavior changes in poor performers. Rather than manage an employees day-to-day performance, leaders may view the multi-rater feedback process as a panacea. Although feedback from a 360-degree process can stimulate self-awareness, it cannot replace direct communication between an employee and his or her superior. An organization should exercise great care in implementing a 360-degree feedback system because unfamiliarity with a person, differences in job and task characteristics, differences in rank, and cognitive differences betwe en an employee and rater can distort assessments. Leaders should also be mindful not to view the 360- degree feedback process as a special event, using it once as part of a training or coaching session. If leaders make this mistake, the goal of ensuring that feedback is incorporated into continuous improvement plans will not be accomplished. Counter Argument To counter my thesis, I must mention that there are potential pitfalls that deal with trust and confidentiality. The key to overcoming pitfalls are to inform everyone of the plan and to stick to it. Additionally, privacy to recipients, and confidentiality to raters regarding the feedback they provide, is an absolute must. As previously described, the tricky part is that we are nearing the line of subordinates possessing the capability to directly influence a leaders career. While 360-degree feedback is not a panacea, impact from any of the above risks would likely be minimal at best with todays motivated, quality all-volunteer force. Nevertheless, it would make sense to establish safeguards wherever possible. Looking at the big picture, the benefits of 360-degree feedback far exceed the pitfalls that can be remedied with careful implementation and changes in organizational culture. Despite the benefits of 360-degree feedback, there are several potential risks which weaken its validity and effectiveness. The most common risk is wrongfully assuming that using feedback from multiple sources will compensate for intentional or unintentional distortion ( i.e. lying). The truth is that feedback collected incorrectly increases rather than decreases the occurrence of error; thus, destroying the credibility of the results. Conclusion I believe that 360-degree feedback should be incorporated into performance measures more specifically leadership, communication and mission effectiveness. The 360-degree feedback program is an excellent performance feedback tool and should be designed for counseling purposes only. There are a couple of ways to regulate the use of this information. The first way is to introduce this technique as a leader developmental tool. Initially, the services could use the train-the-trainer model at the deck plate level, while incorporating it into its school systems. This method will train all leaders and supervisors in the proper use. Given that all leaders have supervisors, I do not envision significant difficulties. I strongly believe our current leader development system can provide leaders for the future force; however, I strongly believe we can improve the system to make leaders more self-aware and thereby more effective. By implementing the 360-degree feedback method into our system, we w ill grow leaders who will win the many literal and figurative wars this nation faces in the future.

The Standard for Insanity :: Barker Regeneration Essays

"The Standard for Insanity" Since Pat Barker's Regeneration is set in a mental hospital, it seems fitting that questions about mental disease and the definition of sanity should be raised. At the very start of the book, Rivers and Bryce are discussing the case of Siegfreid Sassoon, a dissenting officer of the British army. As they discuss his diagnosis of "neurasthenia," Barker is laying the groundwork for one of Regeneration's many themes: no one is completely qualified to judge the sane from the insane, for insanity finds its way into us all. The ambiguity surrounding the definition and treatment of neurasthenia offers just a glimpse into the ever-changing and highly subjective world of mental evaluation. The history of neurasthenia traces back before World War I to a scientist by the name of George A. Beard. Beard coined the actual term "neurasthenia" which means nerve weakness (Marlowe). Neurasthenia was attributed rather vaguely to the stress of everyday life, or, for soldiers, the stress of the trenches. Many also felt it was a disease primarily of the upper class, which means it would apply more often to officers in the army than regular men. Andrew Scott Myrtle, who wrote on the validity of neurasthenia, believed like many medical professionals of the era that "it is not the machine workers, the factory workers, who suffer but 'the inventors of the machines'" (Gijswijt-Hofstra 145). Not only did neurasthenia come from the many stresses of daily life, but it also had a myriad of symptoms. Every article on neurasthenia offered a different set of acceptable symptoms, the most common being sleeplessness, headaches, and fatigue (Marlowe). Cures for neurasthenia were as varied as its symptoms. When working with one patient, Beard "promptly zapped the young doctor with a 'faradic current' from 'head to toe'" (Martensen 1243). Electric shock was still being used during World War I, as evidenced by doctors like Lewis Yealland, but other cures such as bed rest, sea-salts, and expensive cruises were also circulating (Gijswijt-Hofstra 145). The sense of ambiguity that surrounded neurasthenia had a large effect on society's views of neurasthenic patients. Although World War I was one of the first instances where people recognized that mental disorder or disease might be responsible for actions that were otherwise characterized as cowardly, there remained a strong sense that diseases like neurasthenia were ultimately the result of a weak will. Robert Martensen describes neurasthenia as giving people a "socially legitimate explanation of their inability to perform their expected roles" (1243).

Orthopedic Surgery :: Health, Treatment

In orthopedic surgery, iliac bone graft which is commonly used for treatment nonunion or spinal fusion is contained multipotential stem cells or mesenchymal progenitor cells. These cells are found approximately 1 in 10,000 nucleated cells in the bone marrow. Friedenstein et al. (1970) reported that a rare population of cells was found by plastic-adherent ability (Friedenstein et al., 1970). These cells are capable of proliferation and mesenchymal lineages differentiation (Pittenger et al., 1999, Caplan, 1991). Unique antigens of MSCs (hMSCs) are controversy and the limited popularity of sorting cells techniques are not as widely used as gradient media in MSC isolation. Most MSC populations have been isolated by plastic adherent ability which is similar to that originally used by Friedenstein. Direct BM plating method is commonly used for cells from small animal (Lennon and Caplan, 2006, Nadri et al., 2007) but in human bone marrow, Density gradient centrifugation is the mo st commonly used method for isolating MSCs. So far, it is still controversy to exactly identify of MSC. According to their capability of proliferation and multilineage differentiation, Colony-forming unit–fibroblast (CFU-F) is defined as highly adherent in colony of fibroblastic-like cells which arising from one mother cell. Thus, CFU-F assay have been used to assess the bone marrow progenitors and The number of colonies formed per a total number of marrow cells seeded or the colony-forming efficiency (CFE), thereby the CFU-F content among marrow cells, representing in vitro enumeration of a clonogenic subset of in vivo marrow stromal cell populations. However, it has been demonstrated that CFU-F populations are not homogeneous but rather contain a hierarchy of progenitors including multipotential mesechymal stem cells and committed progenitors (Friedenstein et al., 1992, Latsinik et al., 1986). Several surface makers which expressing from mesenchymal stem cells. Basically, these makers are the cell receptors, adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins, cytokines and other molecules that have function as a way of communicating with other cells and to carry out their physiological functions. Thus, these makers are adopted to characterize the homogenous mesenchymal stem cells. However, the Bone marrow-derived stem cells expression of different surface markers which are still controversy. These cells have a negative expression of CD45 which express in Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) (McKinney-Freeman et al., 2009), CD14 which express in innate immune cells (Cros et al.

Comparing Platos Republic and Gullivers Travels Essay example -- com

Plato's Republic and Gulliver's Travels      Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Republic, Plato attempts to define the ideal state as it relates to the tripartite division of the soul. In this division, wisdom, the rational characteristic of the soul, is the most valuable and important. In the ideal state the ruling class would be the guardians, those who maintain rationality and will operate according to wisdom. Each individual "should be put to use for which nature intended them, one to one work, and then every man would do his business" (276d). This conception of the ideal state is exemplified in Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels, within the society of the Houyhnhnms. Each member of the society maintains a role which he or she was born into, and according to Gulliver the Houyhnhnms are "wise and virtuous" (Swift, 260). These two qualities are most valuable to Plato within the ideal state, and are manifest in Houyhnhnm land.    The problems that occur within these "utopias" are the central problems of democracy. The question that arises is whether or not a state such as either of these is just. This problem is far too great to understand within the context of these societies, so in an attempt to understand the beneficial aspects it should be realized that if considered without "moral" judgements, these societies could function appropriately. Plato'... ...nd do just that. The maintenance of a virtuous state requires a unanimous understanding of each member's place and position. Without this understanding the ideal state cannot exist; this is why sometimes the pleasures of the individual must be overruled in favour of the needs of the society.    Works Cited Donoghue, Denis. Jonathan Swift: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1969. Marra, James L., Zelnick, Stephen C., and Mattson, Mark T.  Ã‚   IH 51 Source Book: Plato,   The Republic, pp. 77-106. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, 1998. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay

I. Introduction The book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest is the result of Ken Kesey’s own experience during his work in mental institution in late 1950s. This book reflects the themes of individuality and rebellion of that time that include protest against conformity. It is the story of one small rebellion that was successful through a big sacrifice. The book is largely symbolic and many characters and things in it are allegoric. II. Body Rebellion is the major theme in the book. It is shown as a confrontation between protagonist Randle McMurphy and antagonist Nurse Ratched. Before McMurphy entered the ward, it was the small structured society of mentally ill patients ruled by powerful Nurse Ratched who weakens them by psychological manipulation. There is no chance that anybody would defy her. After the arrival of McMurphy the situation changed dramatically because this patient is sane and has a strong personality. The figure of McMurphy is symbolic in the way how he sacrificed himself to let the patients realize who they are and regain their spirits. The narrator of the story, Chief Bromden, realizes that he is not weak and breaks free from the ward. McMurphy is compared to Christ in many ways: he is sacrificed, crucified on the table with electroshock; he gathers disciples around him and arranges the fishing trip as Christ who led his twelve disciples to the sea to test their faith. III. Conclusion The book has made a big impression on me in the way how individuality is confronted with the submission and conformism. It teaches rebellion against humiliation of human nature. However, I dislike the author’s view of women as the castrators of men in this book. Nurse Ratched is portrayed as a horrible creature who has no feminine features about her. I liked the figure of prostitute Candy, although she is shown only as the means to relieve Billy Bibbit. Having many symbols and allegories, this book makes us think and not only entertain ourselves.

Effects of nursing rounds on patients’ call light use

The article Effects of nursing rounds on patients’ call light use, satisfaction and safety as reported by Meade, Bursell, & Ketelsen (2006) examines the possible implications that implementation of regular rounds by nurses might have on patients and nurses. The purpose of the study is to determine the extent to which the frequency of responding to call lights ‘affects patient-care management’ and the possible contribution that frequent nurse presence can make. The independent variables are scheduled one-hour or two-hour rounds as they affect the dependent variables of number and frequency of patient use of call button, patient satisfaction and the safety of patients.The research functions under the hypothesis that scheduled rounds by nursing staff, involving the performance of certain mundane tasks related to patient comfort and concerns, on medical, surgical or medical-surgical wards would have the effect of reducing the rate of use of call lights by patients, of increasing overall patient satisfaction and of improving the safety of patients. The relationship between the dependent and independent variables is thus expected to be positive. This hypothesis directly aligns with the specific purpose of the study.The literature reviewed in this study is quite comprehensive covering material from both classic and modern sources. Materials cited are from primary data sources and the majority fall within five years prior to the research. The concepts examined are rounding, patient satisfaction and call light usage. Table 1 provides a list of activities involved in rounding procedures. The literature review examines prior research exploring the variables under consideration such as the correlation between rounding and patient safety and between rounding and frequency of use of call light. The authors note, however, that specific research exploring the relationship of the nursing rounds on the aforementioned variables is lacking or inadequate. This r esearch presents new knowledge on the correlation between scheduled rounds by nurses only and improved care delivery.The theoretical framework that forms the basis of the research is that ‘improved patient-care management and patient satisfaction and safety are achievable with interventions that nurses can initiate and carry out.’ The research is of a quasi-experimental design which means that the researcher had little influence over the assignment of the hospital units into either of the experimental or control group. Hospitals opted to experiment with either a one-hour or a two-hour round in a medical, surgical or medical-surgical unit plus a control group in a separate unit over a four week period. Some administrators were asked to change a particular choice, however, so as to ensure equitable distribution across groups. Nurses in the experimental groups were trained on the procedures to follow during the rounds. The control group received no intervention but was bri efed on how to record the use of call lights by patients.The sample consists of 46 units in 22 hospitals across 14 states and representing both urban and rural populations. To be eligible hospitals were required to have medical, surgical or medical-surgical units, less than 5% external agency employees and nurse managers capable of overseeing the research. There is no evidence of randomization. Informed consent was through hospital administrators. The sample size is quite small given that there were only about 16 units per subgroup or a little over one per state. The sample size is not thus reasonable or equitable.Call light logs were used to record the room and time as well as to specify which of 26 given reasons, were responsible for patient calls. Patient satisfaction data was obtained from hospital administered surveys and questionnaires. Patient safety was recorded as the number of falls. Where reliability and validity of data was questionable they were not included in the anal ysis.Data collection strategies were clearly described except for the questionnaire which the researchers had no control over. Data analysis procedures which include the use of means and t-test comparisons of the times that call lights were used among the groups. Ranking and classification were used to determine the seriousness of the calls made and the most frequent reasons. Paired t tests were used to analyze number of patient falls to determine patient safety.Results reveal that frequent rounds improve patient care as supported by the data showing one-hour rounds having a more significant impact on the other variables. The researchers believe that the findings are ‘generalizable to the majority of U.S. hospitals. This view is questionable given the numerous limitations of the research. Further research into the possible correlation of these variables in different hospital settings, across different units, among diverse populations is necessary. A more longitudinal survey wo uld best reveal generalizability.The sample size of the research was quite small. There was a lack of randomization so hospitals seemed to have chosen the experimental method that was more appealing to them. Researchers had little control over some of the instruments and thus were unable to ensure their reliability or validity. There were also no adequate procedures put in place to ensure nurse compliance in performing rounds and completing logs. Additionally staff may have been rotated between groups and thus brought practices from one into the other.The findings of this research, though not completely generalizable, have significant implications for nursing practice and general health care administration. If further research into the correlation between regular rounds and improved patient safety and satisfaction corresponds to the present findings then administrators will need to consider reorganizing their nursing schedules. The benefits to be gained from having nurses perform ro utine rounds seem to be positive and therefore the implementation of this method could become a mainstay of health institutions. Of course the research suggests that nurses do not have to complete these rounds, that other personnel could be utilized in accomplishing this. However, where constraints of resources are limited, having nurses complete regular rounds could be a very economical option.Meade, Bursell, & Ketelsen (2006) suggest that the consequent impact of these rounds on overall patient satisfaction and safety could have a corresponding positive effect on the number of lawsuits filed against hospitals for negligent practices. More routine monitoring of patients implies that nurses are able to check both serious and non serious matters before they escalate. Particularly with one-hour rotations serious relapses in patients’ health while they are unsupervised would be avoided. It is in the rare case where patients experiencing difficulties are unable to get medical ass istance in a reasonable amount of time. Discomfort could therefore be estimated during these routine visits.This could be a solution administrators use to address nursing shortages, ensuring that patients are adequately monitored. Long-term scheduling of rounds could be done in little time bearing in mind staff allocations. Where necessary other staff may be utilized even alternating rounds with nurses so that the patient is visited by a nurse every two hours.Further nurses would be held more accountable for the patients in their care. Administrators contemplating this method could also consider using logs to record the time of patient visits and the state of the patient during these visits and requiring that nurses complete these logs. Though this suggests more time demands it will mean patients calling on the nurses unnecessarily out of the scheduled round times and nurses having more time in between to attend to critical matters such as patient education. Nursing schools will als o have to consider including additional training on round procedures.ReferencesMeade, C. M., Bursell, A. L., & Ketelsen, L. (2006, Sept). Effects of nursing rounds on patients’ call light use, satisfaction and safety. American Journal of Nursing, 106(9), 58-70.

Performing and Visual Arts Essay

Visual and performing arts enhance our lives in a variety of ways. When spanning from things inherent in nature such as the instance of a sunset, sunrise, or perhaps a full moon, to the most mundane and seemingly inane instance of body piercings or an arm tattoo. Art constitutes myriad meanings, translating differently from one individual to the next. Among its broadest categories however, aside from visual arts such as painting – music, theater and dance relates to a significant aspect of performance art. Painting, of course, is a form of visual art which has long taken a prominent place in the art world. Artists express their sentiments and ideologies through brushes and paint indulging in these said worldviews and inspiration by way of paper or canvass. But more than creativity, the discipline requires an amount of coherence and structure on the artist’s part . The use of watercolors for instance, is perhaps the trickiest and difficult medium to master or ‘dabble in ‘ where painting is concerned. Watercolor Painting commands the artist’s ability with the brush, and the delicate balance of mixing the colors with the aforementioned liquid. Oil paintings on the other hand, appear to have the greatest depth visually than any other painting medium, and the concept of oil on canvass always rings a prominent tune where the subject of art is concerned. But artists who paint by the said medium deals with the instance of its messy process , of the relatively unpleasant smells it yields, and the stretching period of time by which it dries . The opposite of which, is perhaps that of acrylic, which takes a faster time to dry, thereby dictating the time by which the artist is to finish the painting in question. The use of acrylics is also the most versatile of medium, its end result approximating, or appearing to emulate a painting done by watercolor, gouache, oil, and so on. Gouache is a medium in painting which can be synonymous with watercolor, because of the similar element existing in both medium that is water. But gouache colors appear heavier than watercolors, and dry to a rich opaque color. Because it is thinned down by water, and doesn’t rely heavily on it as watercolors do, it is as less difficult to work with. At most, visual art, or painting in particular, is a two dimensional take and representation of reality and humanity. Most art movements took root and relate to aspects of painting such as Surrealism, Action Painting, Expressionism, and Cubism, among various others. They represent styles, techniques, concepts, sensibilities and philosophies which contribute to varying end results in painting. According to the textbook â€Å"Perceiving the Arts†, opera is defined as the â€Å"combination of drama and music into a single artistic form† (Sporre, 2009). Opera is made up of primarily music along with other elements similar to a play such as costumes, scenery, lights, and a plot. Unlike a play, the plot of an opera unfolds through a combination of acting and singing. The follow provides an historical development and evolution of opera and the characteristics of the opera genre. In addition, the following provides information on famous composers associated with opera and concludes with the influence opera has made on society and culture. Historical Development and Evolution The art of opera began during the Renaissance era in the late 16th century in Florence, Italy. Opera started as Greek plays recreated by adding music. According to the Music Lessons Online web site (2010), the first recorded opera was called Dafne and it was created in the late 1500’s. Opera style spread quickly across Europe and soon the first opera house was built in Venice, Italy in 1637. At this time, opera became available to the public, not just aristocracy entertainment. By 1700, 16 public opera houses opened (Columbian Encyclopedia, 2008). At that time, opera was considered an Italian music form. Lyrics were written in Italian only. Christoph Gluck is a German composer credited with changing the face of opera with Orfeo et Eurydice in 1762, staged in Vienna. Orfeo et Eurydice is said to have changed opera because of its emphasis on drama (Asiado, 2007). The opera was the first of many â€Å"reformed operas† composed by Gluck, and influenced composers like Mozart. Orfeo et Eurydice set the standard for the modern opera style we see today. Opera finally emerged in German, French, Spanish, and Russian in the 19th century. France produced the Grand Opera that would last four to five hours and include ballet dancers. Why or Why not? People usually create or perform in arts because some of us just can not be satisfied with an ordinary life style. We prefer to ask why not, instead of why? We like to experiment, imagine and the set it as a portray, the improbable, the unlikely, and impossible just to make sure that all the things we think are out there and aren’t any closer than any imaginations. The act of creativity becomes progress to humans. I do it for the feeling of accomplishing something worthwhile (like Rocky said; â€Å"I coulda been a contender!! † In addition to this it is a â€Å"gift. † Arts in Society The arts play a valued role in creating cultures and developing and documenting civilizations. Students of the arts gain powerful tools for: communicating through creative expression; understanding human experiences, past and present; adapting to and respecting the ways others think, work, and express themselves; using artistic modes of problem solving, which, in turn, bring an array of expressive, analytical, and development tools to every human situation; understanding the power of the arts to create and reflect cultures; understanding the impact of design on virtually all we use in daily life; understanding the interdependence of work in the arts and the worlds of ideas and events; making decisions in situations where there are no standard answers; analyzing nonverbal communication and making informed judgments about cultural products and issues; and for communicating thoughts and feelings in a variety of modes, thereby providing a more powerful repertoire of self-expression. Because each arts discipline appeals to different senses and expresses itself through different media, each adds a special richness to the learning environment. Arts education helps students learn to identify, appreciate, and participate in the traditional and non-traditional art forms of their own communities and the communities of others. As students imagine, create, and reflect, they are developing the verbal and non-verbal abilities necessary for life-long learning. The intellectual demands of the arts help students develop problem-solving abilities and such powerful thinking skills as analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. Numerous studies point toward a consistent and positive correlation between substantive education in the arts and student achievement in other subjects. A comprehensive, well-designed arts education program also engages students in a process that helps them develop the self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation necessary for success in life. Most importantly, the arts should be experienced and studied for their own intrinsic value.

Code-switching: The Effects for Students and Teachers

Introduction In the current global economic climate, the ability to speak English has become an important business tool. English has essentially become the â€Å"universal second language† of the international labour market, and the socio-economic significance of this cannot be overstated (Light, 2007: 9). It is now commonplace for many universities across the world to teach courses in English as well the native language of their country. One of the most apparent consequences of this has been the widespread use of code-switching, where multiple languages are spoken in everyday communication. As such, code-switching is often seen as a social as well as a linguistic medium. This paper will attempt to demonstrate the causes and effects of code-switching in bilingual classes. The Definition of Code-switching Code-switching involves the use of multiple languages, where speakers of additional languages incorporate alternate linguistic elements into their source language. As such, two or more languages may be spoken alternately during a conversation. Chan et al (2009) usefully describe code-switching as â€Å"the intra-sentential switching of two different languages in a spoken utterance† (Chan et al, 2009: 281). The Causes and Effects of Using of Code-switching in an Academic Context The academic use of code-switching involves a more complex and random effect than can be fully explained by a students ability to speak in a certain language. Recent (debatable) research has identified reasons behind the occurrence of code-switching and the extent to which the process of learning has been affected. A large number of situations are considered to be causes of code-switching, one of which is linked to gaps in students’ linguistic ability. As a result, students may engage in code-switching in order to overcome linguistic shortcomings; however this cause may be considered a weak justification. In other cases, a lack of one or more words in either language may lead to code-switching. That is to say, bilinguals make clear that they code-switch when they cannot find the correct expression or term. Often the target language simply does not have the exact word needed in order to maintain a discussion smoothly, and code-switching is necessary. In addition, code-switching can have a positive impact in an academic context. An important teaching skill is the ability to transfer knowledge to students in a clear and efficient manner, and so code-switching can be a useful tool in the classroom for both teachers and students (Bista, 2010: 1). Code-switching may also be used to emphasize a point, or to add more force to a phrase. On a psychological level, learners often code-switch when they feel tired or angry. For example when the speaker is in a good mood, the appropriate word or expression in their second language is easily identified. However if the speaker is distracted in any way, they may find it difficult to grasp the correct word. In a purely linguistic capacity, code-switching may be used to compliment a statement, where it can particularly reinforce an intention or meaning of the speaker. Although sometimes viewed as linguistic incompetence this is not always the case. Code-switching will often occur when the speaker wishes to compensate for a lack of a verbal equivalent in the second language. Baker (2007) describes this well: â€Å"Words or phrases in two languages may not correspond exactly, and the bilingual may switch to one language to express a concept that has no equivalent in the culture of the other language† (Baker, 2007:108). There are also personal and social reasons for code-switching in that one’s choice of words can represent an expression of their personality. Allatson (2007) suggests factors that can lead to code-switching as location, class, gender and age. In addition the relationship between the speakers; the formal or informal nature of the conversation and the social status of the speakers can also be factors (Allatson, 2007: 73). Another social explanation is that speakers tend to code switch to attract attention. In Saudi Arabia, for example, code-switching is often used among teenagers to draw the attention of their colleagues. Furthermore they switch from Arabic to English to show that they are confident about themselves. In general, code-switching effects are widely perceived as negative. Namely, there is a tendency to view code-switching as barrier to learning and as being disruptive to the learning environment. Accordingly, the practice has been considered as a sign of linguistic deficiency. Li (2008) notes that despite code-switching being commonplace in both the speech and writing of multilingual societies (often with English as the second language), it is usually frowned upon by multilingual speakers within these societies. (Li, 2008: 76). In an academic context, studies by Arrifin and Husin (2011) have observed that learners with a greater linguistic ability often see code-switching as and obstacle to becoming fluent in a second language. Their findings indicated that students with a degree of competence in English found it difficult to make progress in an environment of code-switching (Arrifin et al, 2011: 221). Other studies have reached similar conclusions. Bista (2010) conducted a study in the US which found that code-switching not only had a negative impact on the linguistic learning ability of students, but also highlighted lack of ability in the second language as a primary cause of code-switching (Bista, 2010: 1). Others have a different view however, in particular that code-switching may be perceived as ‘linguistic resourcefulness’. Baker (2007) argues that users of code-switching show impressive cognitive, linguistic, and social skills. In his view code-switchers may be preserving the meaning of their original statement by overcoming the lack of a suitable word in the second language (Baker, 2007: 56-57). Surveys of a number of English language students have reported that they view code-switching as having a considerable influence on the learning process. From their perspective, code-switching assists in understanding the more complex linguistic elements of the second language. It may also help in the translation from their first language to the target one. Conclusion It may apparently be concluded that the impression of code-switching as a barrier to learning seems to be the prevalent view amongst both learners and teachers, and that any positive effects of code-switching are not yet widely recognised. As a consequence of this, it would be reasonable to assume that the attitude of both teachers and students towards code-switching may have been somewhat influenced by this common viewpoint. In the near future however, signs are that code-switching may possibly be seen as a tool for learning. In that event, some restrictions on the use of code-switching must be established by teachers in the classroom, and learners should code-switch only when there is an in urgent case. Eventually, it might yet become a beneficial tool for both learners and teachers. References Allatson, P., 2007. Key terms in Latino/a cultural and literary studies, Oxford: Blackwell. Baker, C., 2007. A Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Bilingualism, Clevedon: MPG Books. Light, I., 2007. ‘Global Entrepreneurship and Transnationalism’. In Ed. L. Paul Dana. Handbook of Research on Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship: a Co-evolutionary View on Resource Management, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. pp.3-15. Arrifin, K. and M. Susanti Husin, 2011. ‘Code-switching and Code-mixing of English and Bahasa Malaysia in Content-Based Classrooms: Frequency and Attitudes’. The Linguistics Journal, June, pp.220-47. Bista, K., 2010. ‘Factors of Code Switching among Bilingual English Students In the University Classroom: A Survey’. English for Specific Purposes World, Volume 9, pp.1-19. Chan, J. Y. C., H. Cao, P. C. Ching, T. Lee, 2009. ‘Automatic Recognition of Cantonese-English Code-Mixing Speech’. Computational Linguistics and Chinese Language Processes, September, pp.281-304. Li, D. C. S., 2008. ‘Understanding Mixed Code and Classroom Code-Switching: Myths and Realities’. New Horizons in Education, December, pp.75-87.

Netflix 's Business Model and Strategy in Renting Movies and TV Case Study

Netflix 's Business Model and Strategy in Renting Movies and TV Episodes - Case Study Example Despite having constant revenues and profits, the company hit a major turnaround in 2010 that resulted in a constant decline of the company. This paper will therefore analyse Netflix case by focusing on the problems that resulted in the decline of Netflix business. The essay will also analyse alternative solutions and their application Netflix’s case. Problems That Led to the Company’s Decline The main problem that caused the decline of Netflix resulted from mismanagement of the steady growth process that the company was undergoing. By the last quarter of the 2010 trading period, Netflix’s annual revenues had reached $156 million (Arthur, 2010). This made the company’s shares to reach $170.83 that was the highest price in the company’s history. Between 2001 and 2010, the company recorded high profits but did not demonstrate any solid investment. It is possible that the company ploughed back its profits for short-term investment projects such as buil ding its customer base. The company failed to make long-term investments that would ensure its sustainability. Lack of appropriate strategies also made the company to lack perception on future changes in technology that would greatly affect the industry. The company failed to adopt new technology particularly the use of technology and the internet. Traditional renting of DVDs was replaced by online purchase of movies and TV episodes. During the trading period of 2009, the company experienced a sharp decline in revenues from renting of blockbusters and DVDs. Netflix suffered heavy losses from its purchase of association right from Hollywood Entertainment Company. In 2005, the company spend over $800 million to purchase Hollywood rights leading to its bankruptcy. Of the $800 million, Netflix recovered only $ 600 million, which did not even cover for its initial investments. The availability of alternatives methods where people can access movies or video game also affected Netflix annu al revenues making the company to incur heavy losses. Analysis Lack of a supportive business environment is the main factor that led to the decline of Netflix. Movies and video games were the only products that the company offered. Using the 4Ps analysis, Netflix’s main products were the movies and video games that were mainly targeted for the entertainment industry. The company was only involved with the marketing of the product with little or no modification on the original product. Netflix marketed its products in the form of DVDs. The company offered its products through rental service whereby customers would rent a DVD for a period ranging from one month. The price of the product depended on the duration and the package required by the customer. Netflix mailed most of movie DVDs to its customers on rental basis. Promotion is a significant aspect in marketing. However, the company seems to have failed in its advertisement strategies since it did not exploit the potentials of internet-based advertisements. The porter’s five forces are alternative marketing tools that can be used to analyse the company’s problem (Bade, & Michael, 2001). Blockbuster, Red box, and Netflix were the only competitors in the industry. This indicates that the industry had a finite number of competitors and hence minimum threat of new entrants. The competitors dealt with similar products that had

Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report - Assignment Example It is important to understand that in the game, a player has to work through a set of situations for purposes of collecting key medieval artifacts as a way of gaining riches. It is this artifact that the female figure asks from its various players. Due to this situation, the organizations interactive online community has received a lot of negative comments regarding this situation. Another issue that emerges is the inability of the organizations programmers to remove this virus. This is because any attempt to remove the virus, another similar virus appears. The main reason as to why the organizations programmers are unable to remove this virus is based on the fact that there isn’t any programming solution that has the capability of solving the situation under consideration. Another issue that emerges is that this situation has managed to attract the attention of international media, which are reporting it as their headlines. The censorship bodies of the government are also notified, and they have put an injunction on the distribution of the game. Production: This situation will most possibly halt the production of these medieval quest games. This is because the audiences of these games are 13 year old children, who are not supposed to be exposed to sexually explicit materials. Marketing: The marketing of the games will have to stop, and the company engaging in a serious rebranding effort for purposes of promoting its image, and repairing the damage that is caused by the existence of the virus. It is important to explain that the relationship between the company and the media will also be on the negative, and this is mainly because of the negative publicity that emanates from the media, concerning the games under consideration. One proposal for solving the issues identified above is for the producer of the medieval gaming solution to is to stop the circulation

AC3908 international finance environment Coursework

AC3908 international finance environment - Coursework Example The EVA methodology was implemented in order to improve resource allocation across Asahi Glass’s number of business around the world as well as to evaluate the managerial performance of top level executives (Mir and Seboui, 2008; Brown and Caylor, 2005). The case study explores the way the company calculated EVA and the weighted average cost of capital for the different business segments based in different countries (Desai, 2006). In this report we will analyze the impact of the bank based system on the company, the reforms associated with corporate governance, the barriers faced by the CEO while bringing about the reforms and lastly the implementation of the EVA methodology. Corporate governance framework constitutes of a bunch of mechanisms that are both market and institutional based which encourages the controllers of an organization to make decisions that are aimed towards maximizing the value of the shareholders. These mechanisms are meant to tackle agency problems. Normally, two basic models are utilized; control model that focuses on control from internal boards and market control that usually constitutes of independent boards, scattered ownership and policies that promotes transparency. It is however tough to determine the model that is the most appropriate one (Talamo, 2011; Handley-Schachler, Juleff and Paton, 2007; Thomsen, 2004). Corporate governance comprise of a variety of internal as well as external factors in companies such as Asahi glass. First of all, the ownership concentration in companies based in Asia is much higher than in companies based in the Western countries. This is precisely because majority of the big organizations in Asia are either family enterprises or state-owned. This results in the creation of an unequal and unfair selection system. This type of governance framework existing in organizations might have

Marketing and Consumers Priorities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing and Consumers Priorities - Essay Example I can get the information regarding new courses as well as happenings and I can contact my overseas friends through e-mail. I can use the computer for chatting with my friends. I know the information and news through websites. I use the computer and it's accessories to see the news papers and news portals and scan as well as download the required images and content. Using a printer I can take printouts of the content I need for my job. I can keep myself and my company connected to different news agencies so that they keep us update with the latest news. I can design a greeting card of my own in my computer and hence I can use it for commercial purposes. With the computer we can do the audio, video mixing and get the compact discs and DVDs of my own. Reading books through internet can help in reducing the burden of purchasing them though we cannot avoid the purchasing of all the books. Being connected with libraries and universities, one can get access to lot of amount of literature t hrough electronic libraries. The brand of the computer I have brought is Compaq and the printer belongs to Hewlett Packard. The scanner also belongs to Hewlett Packard. ... The needs of other customers differ from that of mine and they differ in case of personal use as well as commercial ones. They use the same computer to produce some advanced and innovative products and they develop the business through computerizing their activities. For example, the banking sector, telecommunications, travelling and tourism, medical sector, Video games, washing machines, aero planes, cruise services, planning and scheduling, weather analysis also find applications with computers and accessories. For Example a tour operator uses the computer for reservations and booking of hotel rooms, train, and aeroplane tickets through computer. The telecommunication sector is also utilizing the computerized and now a days the presence of number of telephone operators created a competition between them to provide different services to the people. Internet service providers, internet cafes use the computers for amusement like video games as well as for other purposes. Bankers utili ze computers for their daily banking activities. By using computers they need not to refer the big ledgers and registers and this reduces their work burden and saves time. Bankers can know all details of customers by a click of a mouse. Money can be transferred from one account to another without any trouble. The ATM network of the banks works the basis of computers and other electronic appliances. Every industry is using computerization for developing knowledge and to improve their business. The automatic washing machines also work with the help of computerized mechanism (Buzzle.com, 2009). The Needs of the Customers who buy Other Products from the Same Manufacturer I have bought a desktop from Compaq and some other customers may buy a note book or laptop

Photo Galleries' Masterpieces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Photo Galleries' Masterpieces - Essay Example Paris never looked that beautiful under the rays of the scorching sun. Natural beauty was at its best! Belin pictures were completely devoid of any form of aliveness. These twelve black and white gelatin prints housed inside this gallery soothed my nerves. These pictures of Paris showed different historical stages of this place. She took out the history and the personality of the objects and used these as an inspiration for her amazing photographs.   Valerie Belin was born in 1964 in Paris and held numerable exhibitions before this like the ones in Centre Georges Pompidou, Foundation Cartier pours l’art Contemporain, Museum of Modern Art, New York etc. Belin gave her pictures a weird mysterious look by combing two negatives together. there was no human presence in the pictures she captured it with a black and white effect, contrasting the light effects. Some details given to the photograph made it so mesmerizing and compelled me to ponder on Belin’s outstanding photography skills. She used modern technology in the best possible way and gave her pictures a more dreamlike pictorial effect. One viewed these pictures as drawings, not photographs due to their mystic beauty and artistic shades. At one corner of the gallery, crystal vases and glasses laid on the table. She scrutinized the light spectrum of these inanimate objects and focused on the primary process of her photography. The best of all were the pictures of D ancer at the lido, magicians and fruit basket.   Supernaturalism of Belin’s work was revealed through her pictures with a less documentary effect. She demonstrated her painterly view in these art pictures which were far away from naturalism which forced me to think of a question regarding the ambiguous scenes that were a part of these pictures. These were captured at oblique angles with perfection and made baroque and disquieting beauty a part of them. One thing I noted was that these pictures had illusions of the external world which made these images artificial and enchanted with fantasies.