The Rain Forests Medical Treasures essays

The Rain Forests Medical Treasures essays For many years now, scientist have been scouring tropical rain forests for botanical extracts that could cure some of the deadliest diseases. In 1967 Robin Foster discovered a tree that never flowered. After three years of studying this species of tree, it finally flowered. All at once the trees produced an array of light yellow and pink flowers. Unfortunately, these trees all died within a year of their flowering and fruiting. Robin also discovered that as soon as the tree flowered it was attacked by insects and wood-decaying fungi. It was odd that these trees could live for decades and never come under such a sudden attack. This species of tree is known as Tachigali versicolor. The logical reason for the assaults is that the tree was diverting the energy it once used to defend itself in order to flower and fruit. As soon as the tree let down its guard or defenses it was subject to attack. The Tachigali tree produces an anti-fungal compound. The people of the Amazon rain forest use it to treat fungal skin infections. The extract is how the tree protects itself until it flowers. Amazon people are not the only people who use plants for medicinal purposes, people all over the world have been transforming chemicals from plants into medicines. Most of todays drugs come from plants. However, some plant chemicals can be deadly in high dosages. Medicinal plants can be found in practically any part of the world, but the best place to find them is in the rain forest. Rain forests have more variety and diversity in one place than anywhere else. Besides finding different types of flowers and plants, researchers have also found a variety of defensive plant chemicals. Anti-AIDS and anti-tumor properties have come from these chemicals. I think its great that humans are looking into less destructive ways to save our species. Its good to know that they arent chopping these trees down and killing them. R...

How To Use Blog Comments For Content Marketing

How To Use Blog Comments For Content Marketing If youve been visiting some of the bigger blogs lately, youll notice an interesting trend: no more blog comments. Copyblogger  and  Michael Hyatt  are a couple  of the more popular bloggers who have pulled comments from their blogs. Other bloggers have entered the debate on why you should and shouldnt include comments with blog posts, or even the value of participating in blog comment sections. Weve even entered the fray, coming out with 10 reasons to have blog comments. What if we took a different look at the venerable blog comment tradition and viewed it as a form of content marketing? In some way, taking part in a blog comment section  is of similar  quality of some of the most common venues of content marketing. How To Use #Blog Comments To Become A Better Content Marketer  via @JulieNeidlinger Blog comment systems are much different than they used to be. Systems like Disqus and Livefyre act like a social network. Each user has a profile, and a record of all their comments across all the blogs theyve commented on that use these systems. Users can follow profiles, and vote on comments that they deem as valuable. Blog comments can also be fueled by social networks themselves, such as Facebook or Google+. In this way, participating in blog comments is quite similar as participating on a social network Blog Comments To Network And Connect Old school bloggers who were blogging years ago will fondly remember (and in some cases, not so fondly) the many connections they made in blog comment sections. Before there was social media, a blog comment section was the place to talk about a blog post. If you wanted to share it, you brought it back to your blog and packaged it for your readers. Now, social media has brought that to an end somewhat. For most blogs, the comment sections aren't as active, nor are they used the same way. Nevertheless, participating in a blog comment section is a way to find new bloggers to follow, and a way for them to find you. It also makes sense that you would meet and converse with people in the comments of a blog on a topic you were both interested in when otherwise, you'd not have connected. Blogs now are particularly niche-focused, making it more likely that you will meet relevant people you ought to network and connect with in the comments. You may never see them, otherwise, in social media. You might not end up in the same forum as they. But you are likely reading the same top blogs. Use #blog comments to connect with peers. Treat it like #socialmedia with unique  insights.Blog Comments For Generating Ideas A blog comment section is a fabulous place to get ideas for your next post. In fact, I've even written posts in response to discussions I've had in a blog comment section when I feel as if I need to flesh out my thoughts in greater detail. Then, once the post is finished, I go back to the discussion I was having and share the link and note that I wrote about it on my blog. As a blogger, the conversations happening in a blog comments section reveal more about what people want to read about than any daily perusal of your RSS feed reader. A feed reader tells you what other bloggers think ought to be written. A blog comment section has the questions and thoughts people are telling you they want written. When we published a post called How To Actually Plan Your Blog And Save A Ton Of Time, Ella had a great question for us. We used that inspiration from her blog comment to write a post called How To Start A Blog When You Have Absolutely No Audience to answer her question (and then we let Ella know when it launched). This is particularly the case on a popular industry blog, where people are turning to the expert for help. They will ask for clarification and help. Why not write a post and be that help? Pay attention to the words other blog commenters are using when they ask questions or comment, so that you use those same words in your own blog posts. Use #blog comments to find your best blog ideas. #bloggingBlog Comments Can Build Your Reputation There are some content marketers who don't actually  have a blog. They write on social media, such as Google+, participate in niche forums, or they focus their efforts on being a serious blog commenter. They build a reputation as an expert based on what they say in these non-blog locations. Reputation building can happen off of your blog. When people start to see your name across blocks in your industry, and see that you are leaving great comments, they remember. Your blog comments are building your reputation as someone with knowledge and expertise. People take notice. It may lead to requests for guest blog posts, an interview, or other avenues to participate in content marketing. Frankly, a knowledgeable post stands out in a blog comment section in this day and age. There is such a thing as building a bad reputation, of course.  One thing I do, when reading a cantankerous comment on a blog, is click on the commenter's name. If it is a comment system such as Disqus, I can quickly see what kind of comments they generally leave, and I assign them a reputation. Some people only leave comments to say disagreeable things. Even if they have their own blog and it is filled with great content, I'm not going to bother. The comments you are leaving are building your reputation. Make it a good one that shows you are knowledgeable and even-handed, instead of a disagreeable jerk with little to add to the conversation. Write knowledgeable and even-handed #blog comments, instead of being a disagreeable jerk.Blog Comments As Your Side Blog Depending upon how thoughtful and how much time you put in the comments section of a blog (going beyond the not-so-helpful "great post!"), you could view a blog comments section as a secondary method for blogging. We've talked about syndicating and repurposing your content on sites such as Medium.com, LinkedIn, et. al. In a sense, the blog comment section of a high-traffic blog can do some of the same. If you have written a great post that would really fit into the conversation in a comments section of a blog post, rework your blog post into a summary and share it in the comments section. This is better than simply saying "I wrote a post about this: http://blahblah.com" because people are tired of spammers leaving links without explanation in the comment section. Getting your content on Medium and LinkedIn works well because you expose it to a new audience. The same goes for a blog comment section, as long as you trim it down and provide a tidy quick-read summary. If you want to include the link at the end, you might say "I've talked about this in a bit more detail on my own blog" and use an inline link so it is visually appealing and seems less like link spam. Provide a unique perspective in #blog comments and link to a post to  flesh out the idea.Blog Comments As Your Daily Routine Most content marketers have a particular daily routine that they use to get ideas, stay active, and stay knowledgeable in their niche. These routines usually involve going through the day's RSS feeds in a reader, planning upcoming content on their editorial calendar, responding to social media, and so on. Why wouldn't you also block out time to leave one or two long comments on relevant blogs? That ought to be a part of your regular routine, too, if you are trying to build a reputation and a following. We talk a lot about long-form blog posts. Let's consider its cousin: long-form blog comment. You don't have to write a 1,000 word blog comment every day, but you can certainly leave a few paragraphs of relevant content to  meet other commenters and earn the appreciation of the blog owner where you left your comment.

Developing and Managing Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Developing and Managing Performance - Essay Example Time management is essential in conducting performance appraisals; furthermore, managers require professional development both to personal and staff levels. Organizational skills are essential in recording employee skills and responsibilities; whiles interacting with employees regularly and providing feedback aids employee development which is an essential part workforce management. Moreover, regular communication between departmental managers and executive leaderships is essential. Ensuring that executive leadership is knowledgeable is a good business practice that enables the executive team to execute wise decisions for the business. Question 2 Before the module I was aware of the different employee management skills such as planning and setting work expectations, constant performance monitoring and developing performance capacity. As well, I was informed of the skill necessary for performing periodic rating of performance in summary form and the skill for rewarding good performanc e. I was conscious that planning involves employees in order to aid them apprehend the goals of an organization, in addition to understanding what has to be done, why it has to be done and the best way it can be done. Moreover, I knew that monitoring involves continuous measurement of performance and offering feedback to employees on the progress toward achieving their goals. I was also cognizant that developing involves increasing the capability to perform by training, giving assignments in order to introduce fresh skills and improving work process. Moreover, I understood that rating includes a summary of employee performance by assessing employee performance alongside standards and elements within the employee’s performance plan. Finally, I was aware that rewarding means distinguishing an employee for his or her performance that contributes to the company’s mission. Question 3 In the module I have learned that time management not only plays an essential role in perso nal live but also in organizations and learned that an essential aspect in time management is planning. Effective planning allocates time to each activity beginning with high priority jobs which have to be done before the other jobs, and the other aspect of time management that I studied was setting goals and objectives. Therefore, without goals, an organization can easily lose its mission; however, the set objectives need to be rational and feasible. Moreover, setting deadlines is another of time management I learned in the tutorial, since setting deadlines ensures that one strives to complete a task before the deadline. As I explored, for effective time management an individual has to be organised, ensured in not misusing time and focussed. Moreover, in the tutorial I learned that effective communication is essential since managers express ideas clearly, which enable employees to understand what is required of them; thus, subordinates perform their tasks correspondingly. Additiona lly, I came to understand an excellent way of managing performance and maintaining positive approach toward communication that ensures understanding between a supervisor and an employee, resulting in an effective workplace. Valuable communication provides clear understanding on what is necessary from employees. Within organizations, effective communication guarantees massive performance from staff; thus, boosting customer

Health Program Evaluation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Program Evaluation - Case Study Example The situation Alyssa is in is actually a situation many writers face especially when they are presenting papers for presentations in seminars or going for publications. This entire dilemma Alyssa is in is possibly because of improper communication between her and her professor regarding the nuances of article writing and publications. The problem rose primarily because of poor and insufficient information given to Alyssa by her professor regarding writing papers and the implications involved in writing. Initially when he prompted her to write a paper he has to tell her unless his name is included as a co author he cannot represent her in the seminar because being the author she alone reserves and since she is sponsored by an external agency in funding the project she has get their acceptance in including his name as a co author. Also after receiving the work drafts produced by Alyssa the professor has made no attempt to look into them and offer any suggestions for improvement. The problem as can be clearly seen from the case is his lack of involvement in guiding his ward carry out the task. Right from the identification of sponsor for funding to preparing the research paper she has carried out all the tasks by herself. The professor has shown the positive intention ... However it can never be understood is why he failed to communicate the fact that she needs to include him as a co author. Also he did not make any attempt to help her in conducting the research study or in arranging funding necessary for the study in way of arranging a sponsor. These actions are clearly indicating his lack of confidence in Alyssa and her research capabilities. Also he did not make any attempts in improving Alyssa's work through suggestions; another indication that he is not expecting Alyssa's work is going to be chosen for presentation. When Alyssa came to him stating that she has received an invitation for participation in the conference it must have surprised him as well. However he understood he cannot represent her because she never mentioned his name as a co author. All this has led to a situation where there is a limited scope or opportunity for both Ben and Alyssa to act the other way. Alyssa's possible actions: As discussed already the scope for Alyssa to act the other way were slim because of Ben's miscommunication. However the possible actions which can be taken by Alyssa in the present situation were discussed below. Scope for Ben attending the seminar as Alyssa's Co author: In case Alyssa wants Ben to attend the seminar on her behalf on the condition that she accepted him as her co author and intimate the program authorities regarding the change then she comes across a problem of copy right because inorder to conduct the research work an external agency has funded her and she has to obtain the agency's permission to include him as a co author. Scope for Alyssa in attending the seminar herself: It makes interesting reading to suggest the possibility of Alyssa attending the seminar all by herself.

United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans Essay Example for Free

United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans Essay The 1960s was a turbulent decade in the American history, filled with conflict over issues brought up by many different minority groups to form the various Civil Rights Movements. In this decade, the Chicano Movement started to gain a mass following and became a dynamic force of social change. Similar to blacks, Mexican Americans were plagued by police brutality, poverty, and inequality. In the pursuit of tackling these problems, the history of Chicanos in California consisted of the convergence of multiple movements: A youth movement represented in the struggle against discrimination in schools; the farm workers movement; and the movement for political empowerment, most notably in the formation of La Raza Unida Party1. The organizing efforts and achievements in California had major impact on the fate of Mexican Americans. Improvements in barrios, farm-labor camps, school districts and politic representation, led other states to sought reform. Education has long been a primary target of Mexican American activists and reformers. The Mexican American community had the highest high school dropout rate and lowest college attendance amongst all ethnic groups. As a result of the constant underestimation of students as well as the failure to upkeep facilities, a hostile learning environment was manifested. Their goals included bilingual, bicultural education, Latino teachers and administrators, smaller class sizes, better facilities and the revision of the text books to incorporate Mexican American history. In turn, Chicano students and activists decided to make their struggle public in order to pressure school boards into compliance of their demands for education reforms. In March of 1968, thousands of students walked out of their high school in L. A. protesting racial inequality among their school district. Their effects were not wasted, as the school board recognized their efforts by recruiting and hiring more Chicano teachers and administrators2. Ultimately, this inspired high school protest across the nation. College campuses also formed groups, like the United Mexican American Students, with the purposes to enforce for more Chicano study programs, financial aid, and Mexican faculty. Activists fought for bilingual educational programs and in schools and won in 1976, their hard work created more than 50 Chicano studies program in colleges. 3 Changes were not immediately apparent in high schools; however a significant change occurred in the college recruitment of Latinos and educational programs. Though most of the demands were not met, the walkouts unified and empowered the Chicano community, which in the process became a political force. Another focus of the Chicanos had been politics. Their goals encompassed the increase of Chicano candidates in the political arena, convincing non-Chicano candidates to commit themselves to the need of Mexican American community, conducting broad-scale voter registration and community organization drives, and for more Chicanos in government offices. 4 Rather than representation within the two major political parties—democrat and republic—activists established an organization dedicated to their empowerment, the El Partido de la Raza Unida. Found in 1970 by Jose Angel Gutierrez and Mario Compean, the party became active in community organizing and electoral politics statewide, campaigned for better housing, work, and educational opportunities5. The changes they fought for was made possible by combining mass action: firing of racist teachers, protecting high school student rights, and taking advantage of federal government monies they were entitled to, but was not utilized by the previous city government. Police polices were modified as well to benefit Chicano communities. The La Raza Unida Party leaders also worked to raise the wages of school and city workers to encourage unionization6. Though La Raza Unida is no longer a registered political party in the United States, its legacy is still very much alive, affecting the lives of Mexican Americans today. One aspect of the Chicano movement highlighted the rights of the workers in the fields of California. In order to fight against harsh working conditions, low wages and discrimination of Mexican farm workers, the United Farmworkers Union Organizing Committee was established. Led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the UFWOC accomplished its greatest victory when their strikes, boycotts, convinced the largest table grape grower, John Guimara Sr. , to only hire workers represented by the union. Despite their victory, union leaders struggled to create a union to represent all agricultural workers; As a result a three-month strike by grape workers in California began. Due to the efforts of Chavez and his union in 1975, California passed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act; which guaranteed farm workers’ rights to organize. 71 Although seen as an accomplishment, more restrictions were placed on the actions of unions. Today, agricultural workers in California are still being exploited, working in poor conditions with little pay and limited representation. Chicanos in California have played no small role in the social, economic, and political development of California. Not only is California home to majority of the Mexican Americans population in the United States, but also it is the scene of Chicano cultural Renaissance and has contributed to Hispanic cultural renaissance in the United States. California has also been the home of Chicano publication—including magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. 7 Although much of the problems faced by Chicanos in the 20th century had been resolved through reforms during the Civil Rights Era, many Mexican Americans are still being marked by oppression and exploitation. Not only in the field, but industries as well. They are often found working at wage jobs and poor conditions. Over the next few decades, other social reforms for Mexican Americans can be expected. Almost six decades after it began, the Chicano Movement still holds a visible impact on California. As a result of activism in politics, education, and farm work, much of the hardship faced by Chicanos in the early history of California have been resolved. The most prominent outcome of the Chicano Movement are still within academia, with the formation of numerous student centers at college campuses across the nation that aims to students of color as well as the establishment of Chicano Studies Departments and so on. The Literary and art movements of the 1970s also left an enduring mark on the Chicano community. The impact of Chicanos in California gave rise to countless Chicano communities where none existed before. Although activists today are still working on the struggles faced by Chicanos today in various fields, such as farm work, their movement in the 1960s has surely impacted California social, economic and political standing.

Macbeth - Charting His Downfall :: essays research papers

This is my account of Macbeth’s downfall from a popular, successful soldier, quote â€Å"What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won†, who has received great honours for his loyalty, his courage, his bravery and his nobility. At the end of the play the only respect he has is because of the fear that his subjects have of him. â€Å"Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies // some say he’s mad, others that lesser hate him.† I will go through Macbeth’s soliloquies and chart his character as it changes. A soliloquy is a speech made only to oneself, or even only thought. Macbeth’s first soliloquy is in Act I, Scene III. Two of the things that the witches predicted have come true and Macbeth is contemplating how the third will come true. He thinks about killing Duncan, but he knows that these are only thoughts and he dismisses it and decides to leave it to chance and time. â€Å"Present Fears // Are less than horrible imagining.† â€Å"Whose (Duncan) murder is yet but fantastical.† We can see that his mind is confused and distorted, because of what has happened and what may happen, and here we see the first signs of ambition, even though it is dismissed. â€Å"My thought †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. // Shakes so my single state of man.† The second soliloquy is in Act I, Scene IV, when the Thane of Cawdor has been killed. Duncan describes him as ‘a man on whom I built an absolute trust’. This parallels Macbeth, who he trusts, when he betrays him. Duncan pronounces his son as the prince of Cumberland and the heir to the throne. This throws Macbeth’s mind into even more confusion, as this is a ‘step which (he) must o’er-leap. He also, in the soliloquy, knows that his thoughts are evil, and he does not want good to see them. â€Å"Stars, hide your fires, // Let not light see my black and deep desires.† In the third soliloquy Macbeth is still contemplating how he obtains the throne, but now he knows that murder is the only way, yet he fears ‘judgement’ and damnation. We see here that Macbeth has a conscience, and his mind cannot take the simple fact. He begins bringing up lots of excuses as to why he should not do it, but inevitably his ambition gets the better of him. â€Å"He’s here in double trust: // †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ his kinsman and his subject, // †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ then as his host, // who should against his murder shut the door, // Not bear the knife myself.

Ghani Glass (Strategic Management Report)

Literature Search Strategy â€Å"Strategic Management can be defined as the Art and Science of formulating, implementing and evaluation cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives† [1] â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term which achieves advantage for the organization t Through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations†. [2] Stages of Strategic Management The strategic-management process consists of 3 stages that are; pic] Strategic Analysis This is all about the analyzing the strength of businesses' position and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be assisted by a number of tools, including: †¢ PEST ANALYSIS – a technique for understanding the â€Å"environment† in which a business operates †¢ SCENA RIO PLANNING – a technique that builds various plausible views of possible futures for a business †¢ FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS – a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition in an industry MARKET SEGMENTATION – a technique which seeks to identify similarities and differences between groups of customers or users †¢ DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX – a technique which summarizes the competitive strength of a business’s operations in specific markets †¢ COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – a wide range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summaries a businesses' overall competitive position †¢ CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR ANALYSIS – a technique to identify those areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT ANALYSIS – a useful summary technique for summarizing the key issues arising from an assessment of a business’s â€Å"internal† position and â€Å"exte rnal† environmental influences. STRATEGIC CHOICE This process involves understanding the nature of stakeholder expectations (the â€Å"ground rules†), identifying strategic options, and then evaluating and selecting strategic options. STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION It is the trickiest part†¦ When a strategy has been analyzed and selected, the task is then to translate it into organizational action. VISION STATEMENTS Vision statements are defined by organizations as â€Å"What do we want to become? † [3] â€Å"Strategic visions ought to convey a larger sense of purpose- so that employees see themselves as â€Å"building cathedral† rather than â€Å"laying stones†. [4] MISSION STATEMENTS â€Å"Mission Statements are enduring statements of purpose that distinguish one business from other similar firms. A mission statement identifies the scope of the firm’s operations in product and market terms. † [5] â€Å"A mission describes the organization’s basic function in society in terms of the products and services it produces for its customers†. [6] A clear Mission statement should have each of the following elements: [pic] External Assessment: Porter 5 Forces Model That Shapes Industry The process of performing an external audit must involve as many managers and employees as possible. Awareness of the 5 forces for external assessment can be very useful for the firm as it is able to determine the position of the respective company in the industry. To perform an external audit a company must accumulate competitive intelligence and information about economic social cultural demographic environmental political governmental legal and technological trends. Other sources include magazines, newspaper, internet and business journals. Following are the 5 forces that shape strategy. [7] These 5 forces determine the attractiveness of the industry. If the rivalry is intense, for example in auto and gaming industry, we can say that it has reduced the attractiveness of the industry. Similarly, if the forces are moderate, as they are in industries such as software, soft drinks, and toiletries, many companies are profitable. Industry structure drives competition and profitability, not whether an ndustry produces a product or service, is emerging or mature, high tech or low tech, regulated or unregulated. While a myriad of factors can affect industry profitability in the short run – including the weather and the business cycle – industry structure, manifested in the competitive forces, sets industry profitability in the medium and long run. These five forces are further affected by the external environment which are rather uncontroll able and are widely popular as PEST in Porter theory of 5 forces. They are called Political, Environmental, Social and Technological. Relationship between External forces and Organization [pic][8] Internal Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses A strategic-management audit of a firm’s internal operations is imperative to organization’s health. Increasing number of successful organizations are using the internal audit to gain competitive advantage. Management, marketing, financial/accounting, production / operations and management information systems represent the core competencies of the organizations and their value chains. An organization should identify and evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively formulate and choose among alternative strategies. [9] GENERIC COMPETETIVE STRATEGIES The second central question in competitive strategy is a firm's relative position within its industry. Positioning determines whether a firm's profitability is above or below the industry average. A firm that can position it well may earn high rates of return even though industry structure is unfavorable and the average profitability of the industry is herefore modest. Each of the generic strategies involves a fundamentally different route to competitive advantage, combining a choice about the type of competitive advantage sought with the scope of the strategic target in which competitive advantage is to be achieved. The cost leadership and differentiation strategies seek competitive advantage in a broad range of industry segments, while focus strategies aim at cost advantage (cost focus) or differ entiation (differentiation focus) in a narrow segment. The specific actions required to implement each generic strategy vary widely from industry to industry, as do the feasible generic strategies in a particular industry. While selecting and implementing a generic strategy is far from simple, however, they are the logical routes to competitive advantage that must be probed in any industry. [10] COST LEADERSHIP: Cost leadership is perhaps the clearest of the three generic strategies. In it, a firm sets out to become the low-cost producer in its industry. The firm has a broad scope and serves many industry segments, and may even operate in related industries — the firm's breadth is often important to its cost advantage. The sources of cost advantage are varied and depend on the structure of the industry DIFFERENTIATION: The second generic strategy is differentiation. In a differentiation strategy, a firm seeks to be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It selects one or more attributes that many buyers in an industry perceive as important, and uniquely positions itself to meet those needs. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. FOCUS: The third generic strategy is focus. This strategy is quite different from the others because it rests on the choice of a narrow competitive scope within an industry. The focuser selects a segment of group of segments in the industry and tailors its strategy to serving them to the exclusion of others. By optimizing its strategy for the target segments, the focuser seeks to achieve a competitive advantage in its target segments even though it does not possess a competitive advantage overall. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: A firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is â€Å"stuck in the middle. † It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. If a firm that is stuck in the middle is lucky enough to discover a profitable product or buyer, competitors with a sustainable competitive advantage will quickly eliminate the spoils. In most industries, quite a few competitors are stuck in the middle. Ghani Glass – An Introduction: The founder of Ghani Group Sheikh Abdul Ghani (late) started business in 1963 and established a coal / silica sand mining firm in the name of Ahmad Brothers and Company. Now, the group is running a diverse range of businesses including three glass manufacturing plants, an automobile plant and a number of leading mining companies have an annual turnover of over Rs. 8 Billion. The origins of this group can be found in the mining industry given its involvement in coal, salt and sand mining since 1959. The substantial strategic benefits of vertical integration led them to consider venturing into the manufacturing field in subsequent years. The chosen manufacturing field was glass manufacturing due to the robust demand for glass products in the country. The Ghani Group was not new to the glass manufacturing industry. They had been supplying silica sand to the glass industries four decades back. Their dedication to quality and customer service allowed them to land an exclusive 25 year excellence certificate from Phillips. Their venture into the manufacturing field took the form of Ghani Glass, incorporated in 1992 and starting production in 1995, forming the first step on the road to success of Ghani Glass limited, which today own three glass plants namely GGL1 – Hattar, GGL2 – Landhi and GGL3 – Sheikhupura Road. Companies of the Group The diversified businesses operating under the umbrella of Ghani Group are as follows: †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Hattar (GGL-I) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Karachi (GGL-II) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Sheikhupura (Float Glass Plant) †¢ Ghani Automobiles Limited (formerly Ghani Textile Ltd. †¢ Makerwall Collieries Limited †¢ Ghani Mines (Pvt. ) Limited; †¢ Ghani Chromites Mines Pvt. Limited †¢ Ghani Corporation †¢ Ahmed Ghani Joint Venture †¢ Al-Muhandus Corp. †¢ Ahmed Brothers and Co. Vision: To indulge in honesty, integrity and self determination, to encourage excellence in performance and most of all to put our trust in Allah, so that we, eventually through our efforts and belief, become the leader amongst glass manufacturers not only in Pakistan but in Asia. Mission: The company has no mission statement and according to them, their vision connotes their mission. External Environment Porter’s Five Forces Applying Porter’s five forces to the Glass Industry allows us to acquire a fair view of the potential attractiveness in terms of profitability of the industry and Attractiveness. | | |Yes |~ |No | |A | |(+) | |(–) | | |Threat of New Entrants | | | | | |Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in your segment of the industry? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any Proprietary product differences in your industry? | | |[pic] | | |Are there any established brand identities in your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do your customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? | |[pic] | | |Is a lot of capital needed to enter your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is serviceable used equipment expensive? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer to your industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does experience help you to continuously lower costs? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer have any problems in obtaining the necessary skilled people, materials or | | | | | |supplies? |[pic] | | | | |Does your product or service have any proprietary features that give you lower cost? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any licenses, insurance or qualifications that are difficult to obtain? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Can the newcomer expect strong retaliation on entering the market? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | The threat of new entrants is significantly low as there is high capital investment required for establishing a manufacturing facility in this industry. Besides, the current players in market are well settled and have strong brand identities. Incase any new firm wants to enter this industry; it will be faced with predicaments in setting-up distribution links as the existing companies have substantial control over main channels. PEST ANALYSIS P: The Government of Pakistan has certain regulations related to establishment of a manufacturing facility. All new firms are subject to different licensing and regulatory procedures and the industry’s tax structure in also not supportive. E: Primarily, the economic conditions do not affect the behavior of this industry as glass has no direct substitutes and all the buyers including domestic and commercial ones are bound to buy glass when they need it. S: With a strong cultural heritage, Pakistanis are well known for their arts and crafts. The words beautification and decoration are directly related with glass. Besides basic usage, people decorate their houses with vases and other decorative items made up of glass (mainly float glass). Hence, the social and societal values are in favor of this industry. T: Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and one of the basic reasons for that is lagging behind in the field of technology. The technology required in this industry is not only expensive but the manufacturing / processing equipments are also not easily available in Pakistan. All existing companies have to import the machines from countries such as Japan, Germany and China. | | |Yes |~ |No | |B | |(+) | |(–) | | |Bargaining Power of Buyers | | | | | |Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? | | |[pic] | | |Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? | | |[pic] | | |Does the buyer need a lot of important information? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is there anything that prevents your customer from taking your function in – house? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. | |[pic] | | |Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding. |[pic] | | | | |Your customer’s business are profitable |[pic] | | | | |You provide incentives to the de cision makers. |[pic] | | | In this industry bargaining power of buyers is very low. This is due to low number of producer of glass compare to large number of buyers of glass. There are hardly four companies existing in this industry. PEST ANALYSIS P: As such, the politico legal system has not influenced the bargaining power of customers in this industry. Even in the turbulent times, the company has been successful in achieving sales targets and net income is continuously showing an upward trend. E: Economic conditions do not impact the bargaining power of buyer in this industry because the offerings of Ghani Glass are quite high in quality as compared to that of others. S: The float glass has become an indispensable element of modern infrastructure thereby; it has resulted in an increase in demand and decrease in bargaining power of buyers. T: The element of technology is very significant in glass industry and the processes involve high-tech machinery which makes superior glass. It can, therefore, be concluded that technology factor is lessening the buyers’ power. |C | |Yes |~ |No | | |Threat of Substitutes |(+) | |(–) | | |The industry is growing rapidly. | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Industry is Not Cyclical with intermittent over capacity. | | |[pic] | | |The fixed costs of the business are a relatively low portion of total costs. | | |[pic] | | |There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. | |[pic] | | |It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and | | |[pic] | | |facilities or long-term contract commitments, etc. | | | | | |My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. | | |[pic] | | |My product is comple x and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. | | |[pic] | | |My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. | |[pic] | PEST ANALYSIS P: Political conditions of our country don’t hit the rivalry factor of this industry up to large extent. But when small players in the industry leave the business due to unrelenting political mayhems, big players like Ghani Glass take the advantage of a decrease in competition, direct or indirect. E: The GDP of our country is growing and so is per capita income. Glass is a commodity where consumption is dependent on income. As incomes of individuals and corporations tend to increase, the consumption of glass also increases. Glass is also used in bottling of soft drinks, medicines and automobile industry. The consumption of consumer goods also helps glass industry to endure economic slowdowns. S: Since the social factors are causing an increase in demand for glass, every player gets a chance cater certain segment of users. Thus it reduces the intensity of rivalry among the exiting competitors. T: Due to the enhancement in technology and emergence of internet, both domestic and corporate customers have easy access to different suppliers thus it is increasing the rivalry among the existing competitors. F | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Opportunities |   |   |   | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 20 |4 |0. 80 | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply rising demand in |0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |construction of business arcade (in which float glass is the main | | | | |ingredient) | | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince Glass which is |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | |technologically well-equipped | | | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional conglomerates in |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |pursuit of globalization | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in Afghanistan, Iran and Indian |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |markets. | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | |Threats | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 0 |3 |0. 30 | |The emergence of substitute products such as aluminum and wood |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium and Malaysian Float Glass |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 05 | INTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION | |IFE MATRIX | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Strengths |   |   |   | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |2. Team Vigilance |0. 10 |3 |0. 20 | |3. Loyalty of employees |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their business |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |5. Better product quality compared to rivals |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |6. A widely recognized brand |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | |7. Strong distribution channels |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  8. Dedicated human resource at managerial levels |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | | |   | |Weaknesses | | | | |9. Weak R & D related to new product development |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 | |10. Lack of technically-sound labour |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  11. Not upgraded training facilities for labor |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 15 | COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX (CPM) | | |Ratings |Total |Ratings |Total | |Product Quality |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Technology |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Advertisement & Communication |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |1 |0. 05 | |Financial Position |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Management |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Market share |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Competition |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |1 |0. 10 | |Price Competitiveness |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 |2 |0. 20 | |Dedicated Human Resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Distribution Channels |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 20 | |2. 20 | Competitors Analysis Pharmaceutical Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Float Glass Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 75% in this industry. Food & Beverages Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Major Customers: Leading national and multinational companies of Pakistan †¢ Construction companies – local and multinational †¢ Architectural and engineering companies †¢ Also being exported to over 12 countries KEY SUCCESS FACTORS UNMATCHED QUALITY: Ghani Glass is successful because of the quality it offers. In connivance wi th same, they charge a premium price and this results in high profit margins. Consequently, the company has more money to reinvest. STRONG DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ALL OVER PAKISTAN: Ghani Glass has successfully formed a strong distribution network by giving better margins to distributors. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY: Ghani Glass uses the most advanced technology in the industry. The company installed its first state on the art plant in 1993. Later on, the company set-up first Float Glass manufacturing facility in 2003. Since then, they are constantly improving their technology and resultantly, they have been able to make quality oriented products and it helped them in becoming a trend setter and market leader. MARKETING STRATEGIES: Word of mouth is the most important tool which they have used for the promotion of their products. They have also used billboards and personnel selling tools to promote their products. In nutshell, they were able to position their product as the best in terms of quality through marketing strategy. This also increased their brand equity. SKILLED ENGINEERS HIRED FROM FOREIGN MARKETS: In Pakistan, the education level is backward that has led to lack of availability of skilled labour in the country. Also there is such institution in Pakistan that engineer can be trained to handle the technology. Therefore to overcome this hindrance they have hired employee mainly engineer from foreign market. As compare to their rival their engineer are more skillful and efficient. DEDICATED HUMAN RESOURCE & EMPLOYEES: Ghani Glass provides is staffs with three time meal that is breakfast, lunch and dinner free of cost. It means that they make sure their employee and labors are fit and healthy. It is due to their policy that their labor has become dedicated and hard working. Company makes sure that no labor or employee is ill-treated. They follow strictly the labor law which has made the labor and employee loyal to the company. Core Competencies: – Technology: The company is using superior technology as compared to others in market and it has helped them in retaining market leadership status. – Dedicated HR: The employees are extremely loyal and the company is using strategic tactics to retain their motivation level. For instance, there are no overtimes and each and every employee is given free meals throughout the day. – Product Innovation: Ghani Glass is leading the industry by innovating round the year and becoming pioneer in every segment of glass industry. Value Chain Financial Ratio Trends Financial Ratio Trends |Ratios |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Activity Ratio | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |6. 55 |6. 13 |5. 67 |4. 04 |2. 0 | | | | | | | | |Fixed Asset Turnover |1. 86 |1. 78 |1. 6 |1. 45 |2. 68 | | | | | | | | |Total Asset Turnover |1. 04 |0. 78 |0. 79 |0. 86 |1. 04 | Analysis Ghani Glass is the market leader of its industry. It is financially sound with increasing returns and stable inventory control. Following is an in depth analysis of Ghani Glass Ratios: LIQUIDITY RATIO Liquidity ratio examines the liquidity position of the company. This means, whether the company has enough liquid or cash or inventory to cope up with its short term liabilities and expenses. The current ratio FY2005 was 2. 9 which is very high. Ghani had a lot of liquid FY2005 which was idle and needed to be invested back in the company, and hence doing so GHANI reduces its current ration to 1. 98 FY2009 which is still very high, but it defines GHANI to be in a strong position with enough liquid to cope with short term liabilities. Quick Ratio describes whether the company is able to pay its short term liabilities without relying on its inventory. GHANI FY2009 has an adequate quick ratio of 1. 05, hence defining GHANI to be in a better position even if it runs short of inventory. Price to earning ratio, though has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06x in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical , law and order situation. Profitability Ratio Ghani has been able to produce good profits and returns for its investors. Ghani has been able to maintain its Gross Profit Margin between 25-30% and Net profit Margin between 15-20%. This explains a balanced business operation that has been able Ghani to maintain this level of profits, despite deteriorating political and economic conditions. Return on Capital employed has been increasing since 2006. In 2006, the return on capital employed was 12. 06% but now has been increased to 25. 65% which is clearly overwhelming. It clearly shows that Ghani have been successful in producing excellent returns but every penny invested in the company by its investors. This proves Ghani to be a market leader and why Ghani is financially sound. Price to earning ratio, though ,has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06 xs in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical, law and order situation. MATCHING STAGES THE Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix is another important Stage 2 matching tool of formulation framework. It explains that what is our strategic position and what possible action can be taken. It is not closed matrix. It is prepared on graph. It is closed matrix. This follow counter clock wise direction. It contains four-quadrant named aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive strategies. The axes of the SPACE Matrix represent two internal dimensions financial strength [FS] and competitive advantage [CA]) and two external dimensions (environmental stability [ES] and industry strength [IS]). These four factors are the most important determinants of an organization's overall strategic position. |Financial Strength (FS) |Rating | | | | |1. Return on investment |+4 | |2. Leverage |+3 | |3. Liquidity |+3 | |4. Cash Flow |+3 | Financial Strength: Ghani has a strong Financial Condition with increasing returns and has enough liquidity to cope with its short term liabilities. |Industry Strength (IS) |Rating | | | | |1. Growth Potential |+4 | |2. Profit Potential |+3 | |3. Technological know-how |+3 | |4. Financial Stability |+3 | Industry Strength The growth potential of the entire Glass industry has been on the higher side since the demand of glasses in households and offices had taken shape in our businesses and daily lives. Financial stability is quite positive in the industry as Ghani has been performing well along with its competitors who are located in the informal sector of the market. Technology is an important factor here as people get more and more aware of the new technologies coming in the market & their benefits the more they will demand it as influenced by the external as well as internal forces. Profit potential in the industry is quite high as population & demand are ever growing factor. Environmental Stability (ES) |Rating | | | | |1. Technological Changes |-2 | |2. Barriers to entry into market |-2 | |3. Competitive Pressure |-1 | |4. Price range of competing products |-3 | Environmental Stability Barriers to entry are low as Technology required for producing glass is very high. Competitive pressure is low du e to only 2 major companies in the Industry. Also price range of competing product is stable in the industry Competitive Advantage Ghani has excellent market share which accounts for 71% in the market. Ghani has a good product quality to cater to its audiences. The industry doesn’t necessary has customer loyalty and any customer would be looking for good quality affordable glass irrespective of the producer of the glass. |Competitive Advantage (CA) |Rating | |1. Market Share |-1 | |2. Product Quality |-2 | |3. Customer Loyalty |-3 | |4. Technological know how |-1 | SPACE MATRIX RESULT |x-axis: 5 + -2 = 3 | |y-axis: 6 + -3. 25 = 2. 75 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | |POSITION |   |   |   |   |   |   |COMPETITIVE | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | | | | | |IV |V |VI | | | | | |VII |VIII |IX | [pic] 3 to 4 [pic] 2 to 2. 99 [pic] 1 to 1. 99 |STRENGTH |WEAKNESSES | | |Superior Technology than competitor. |Weak R&D related to new product development | | |Team Vigilant |Lack of Abundant quantity of quality labor | | |Skilled and abreast with knowledge employers|Not upgraded training facilities for Labor | | |Ample financial resources to reinvest and | | | |grow their business. | | |Better product quality relative to rivals | | | |A Widely recognize market leader | | | |Strong Distribution channel | | | |Dedicated Human resources | | |OPPORTUNITIES | Strengths-Opportunities SO |Weakness-Opportunities WO | |Increasing demand of glass products | |With increasing demand of glass products, | | |With superior technology, better skilled |Ghani glass should improve its research and | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |employees and increasing demand of glass, |development department. (W1 O1) | | |Ghani Glass can pursue product development | | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply |by producing products such as bowls and |Partnering and ventures with regional | |rising demand in construction of business |glass crockery. (O1 S1 S3 S4) |conglomerates will bring in skilled labor. |arcade in which float glass is the main |Ghani should export glass to Afghanistan (S4|(O5 W2) | |ingredient |O6) | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince |Ghani should install plant in Iran (S4 O6) | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |With ample financial resources, Ghani Glass | | |well-equipped |can acquire small businesses in the | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional|industry. (O4 S4) | | |conglomerates in pursuit of globalization | | | |Uprising demand in Afghanistan and Iran | | | |markets. | | |THREATS |Strengths-Threats ST |Weakness-Threats WT | |Gas Load Shedding |Increase trade promotion as a proactive |Ghani R&D should produce new products to | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |measure to silent emerging rivals. (S4 S5 S6|compete with emerging rivals like Khawaja | |The emergence of substitute products such as |T2) |Glass. (W1 T2) | |aluminum and wood |Negotiate with the Government to receive | | |Importing of glass from China, Saudi Arab, |exemption in Gas Load Shedding. T2 O6) | | |Malaysia a nd Belgium | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From the I-E Matrix it can be concluded that Ghani Glass is internally very strong with the IFE of 3. 15 and EFE weighted score of 3. 05 which means that it lies on the first quadrant of the I-E matrix. Company lying on the first quadrant of the matrix are suppose to adopt aggressive strategy. Company which lies on Quadrant I,II or IV are suppose to grow and build. Here Ghani Glass lies in First Quadrant so it should Grow and build its market which means it has to adopt aggressive strategy such as forward integration, Market penetration or product development. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE Q S P M | |Key Success Factors |Weight |Market Develop. In Iran & |Product Development (Glass | | | |Afghanistan |Crockery) | | |AS | | |TAS | | | |TAS |AS | | |Opportunities | | | | | | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 0 | | | | | | | |4 |0. 80 | |0. 60 | | | | | |3 | | |Forward integration (opening retail |0. 10 | | | | | |outlets) | |- |- |1 | | | | | | | |0. 0 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply | | | | | | |rising demand in construction of business | | | | | | |arcade in which float glass is the main | | | | | | |ingredient | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 5 | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince|0. 15 | | | | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | |well-equipped | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Partnerships and joint ventures with |0. 05 | 2 |0. 10 |2 |0. 10 | |regional conglomerates in pursuit of | | | | | |globalization | | | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in |0. 05 | | | | | |Afghanistan and Iran markets. | | | |3 | | | | |2 |0. 10 | |0. 15 | |   | | | | | | |Threats | | | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 0 | | | | | | | |- |- | | | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 10 | | |2 | | | | | | | |0. 20 | |The emergence of substitute products such |0. 05 |- |- |- |- | |as aluminum and wood | | | | | | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium made and |0. 05 | 3 | 0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |Malaysian Float Glass | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | | | | | | | |Strengths | | | | | | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |2. Team Vigilant |0. 10 |- | | | | |3. Skilled and abreast with knowledge |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |employers | | | | | | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | |business | | | | | | |5. Better product quality relative to |0. 10 |- | |2 |0. 20 | |rivals | | | | | | |6. A Widely recognize market leader |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |3 |0. 15 | |7. Strong Distribution channel |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |8. Dedicated Human resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 0 | |Weaknesses | | | | | | |9. Weak R&D related to new product |0. 10 |- | |1 |0. 10 | |development | | | | | | |10. Lack of Abundant quantity of quality |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |- | | |labor | | | | | | |11. Not upgraded training facilities for |0. 5 |- | |- | | |Labor | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 60 | |2. 35 | Interpretation of QSMP After tho roughly analyzing the QSPM scores, it can be concluded that the Market Development in Afghanistan and Iran is much more feasible rather than opting for product development. The pitfall in applying this strategy can the cultural mismatch in the organization. Balanced Business Scorecard | | | [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] ———————– [1] Fred R. David, Strategic Management Concept and Cases 12th Edition. p. 4 2 Johnson and Scholes, Planning and Strategic Management, 1999. p. 10 [2] Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 [3] Thompson, Strategic Management 13th edition p. 40 5 Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 6 Mintzberg [4] Strategic Management by Thompson, 13th edition p. 80 [5] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th edition p. 73 [6] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th Edition p. 104 [7] Creating and sustaining superior performance by Michael E. Porter Free Press, 1998 (1985) ———————– 10 2 1 3 1 10 4 10 1 2 10 1 3 10 1 [pic] Objective 1. Continuous training and development 2 Organizational cultures which encourages change and development. Measure Create a supportive work environment & corporate culture. Target 1. Increased one-to one contact at all levels; 2. Real time communication. 3. Collective decision making Initiative 1. Empowerment. 2. Restructuring of Human Resource department and policies. Learning & Growth Initiative Simplify procedures and streamline workflows. Target More strategic acquisitions of small players Measure Engineering efficiency, continuous technology adoption Objective To bring continuous improvement in business processes and reduce costs Internal Processes Objective To strengthen relationship with customers. Measure Number of co-operative efforts Target Maximum customer participation and involvement Initiative Increase focus on check-in services. Customer Objective Increasing profit by 3% in F. Y 2010 Initiative Trade promotions locally and internationally Target Retain Market Domination Measure Strive for an incline in Sales Revenue Financial TOWS Matrix AMMa

Racism, Asian American, and Everything in Between Essay

Have you ever watched the news about racism on television? News on racism on a certain race of people has been a news breaker a couple of times this last few years. This issue is now global and is concerning quite a lot of people. Imagine if you are suffering the same faith as this people. We don’t need people with IQ level of 160 to conclude that it is not the situation most people want to be at. If you then think that racism is only limited to the harassment of African American, then you are definitely wrong. Racism is universal; it could be done to any group or type of people. Yes, this matter is definitely not off-limit to the Asian American group. You might be asking, as you have read the paragraph above, what is racism? Racism is when someone believes that one or more person is less than human (Anti-Defamation League). Cases of racism are big trouble in America nowadays. The averages of 20000 racial discrimination cases were filed every year (Racial Discrimination). And in 2009, number of Asian American bullying incident in Fels High school reached the number of 138. These large numbers have increase 60 percent from the amount of assault that happen last year (Miller). On October 6 2009, massive incident involving Asians students broke out at South Philadelphia High. Around 30 kids simultaneously attack five Asians students at the Synder Avenue subway station. This attack sends a couple of victims to the hospital. Asians students continued living in fear after that incident (Miller). These types of assault didn’t only happen in the 20th century. One of the most famous cases was probably the case of Vincent Chin in 1982. Two white American, Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz beat Vincent to death. He was mistaken to be a Japanese, although he was actually a Chinese American. The two men who murdered Vincent were put on trial but came out of court with no time in jail at all. They were only told to pay $3.700 fine and two years probation. Even though what they did was equivalent to second-degree murder, the judge reduced the charges of manslaughter, leaving them free out of jail (Asian Nation). The many cases involving racism to the Asian American have brought a birth  of a couple organizations. One of them is the Asian American Justice Center, found in 1991. Their goal is to move forward the human and civil right of Asian American. They are also struggling to create an equalize society for everyone. Their programs include, Anti-Asian Violence & Race Relations, emergency preparedness, health issues, and many more (Asian Justice). Other organizations include Yellow Face, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Nation and others (National Resources). Every problem in this world must have they own resolution. Problems need to be brought to closure and not be left hanging without a solution. We had seen a couple of organization working towards this problem. One of the actions is the campaign that had been done by the Asian American Justice Center. They conduct classes to taught adult English, watch out for lawsuit that is showing injustice to all Asian American (Asian Justice). School in Philadelphia have switch staffs and strictly prohibited racism in the school. Assaults involving Asian students have now been acknowledged and it was a forbidden act that will not be repeated. Parents, teachers and students that had been harassed all gathered and talk about these problems together (Miller). This is a very clever solution, where everyone then could work together to bring an end to these racial issues. Cases involving the racial assault toward Asian American are a definitely tremendous problems. These problems have now gone too far, and a proper settlement is needed to stop this complication. Unresolved matter like this will only drag people deeper to the hole. Numbers of cases involving racism will just keep on piling up. People who are hurt and is living in fear will be forced to do that longer. If we don’t stop this mess then it will keep on entangling people in it. We can help and fix this problem. We can fight it back, and we can then one day shout freedom right at the ears of those Asian American. Works Cited Anti Defamation League. Anti Defamation League, 2011. Web. 22 Sept 2011. Advancing Equality. Asian American Justice Center, 2011. Web. 22 Sept 2011. Civil Rights Law Firms. Civil Rights Law Firms, 2011. Web. 22 Sept 2011. Embracing The Oneness of Humankind. The National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism. Web. 22 Sept 2011. Le, C.N. Anti Asian Racism and Violence. Asian Nation, 2011. Web. 22 Sept 2011. Miller, G.W. Philadelphia Weekly. Philadelphia Weekly, 1 Sept 2009. Web. 15 Sept 2011.

Using the Different Forms of Pronouns

Using the Different Forms of Pronouns One of the basic parts of speech, a pronoun ​takes the place of a noun, often serving as a subject or an object in a sentence. Personal pronouns are important devices for making our writing both concise and coherent. A pronoun can be effective if we use an appropriate form (or case). Otherwise, it may distract or puzzle the reader. There are three common pronoun forms: subject pronouns, object pronouns, and possessive pronouns. We should try to be careful not to confuse one pronoun form with another. Subject Pronouns (Subjective Case) Subject pronouns are used as subjects of sentences and of subordinate clauses. The subject pronouns are italicized in the sentences below. I live for the summer. You remind me of a gray day in winter. He (or She or It) is heading for a fall. We are ready to spring into action. They never last longer than a season. Object Pronouns (Objective Case) Object pronouns are used as objects of verbs or of prepositions. The object pronouns are italicized in the sentences below. The sun never shines on me.Someday a planet will be named after you.Mona gave him (or her or it) a gold ribbon.She showed us the ring around the moon.The Coast Guard rescued them at dawn. Possessive Pronouns (Possessive Case) Possessive pronouns show who or what owns something. The possessive pronouns are italicized in the sentences below. My old guitar is in the pawn shop, but the drum set is still mine.* Your song was hard to understand, but I still enjoyed yours more than anyone elses. His (or Her or Its) music is too sweet, so we played hers (or his) instead. Our music may be old fashioned, but its still ours.The Simpsons left their children in the garage, but the McGraths took theirs home. Notice that you dont use an apostrophe with a possessive pronoun.  * Some grammarians make a distinction between possessive determiners (such as my in My old guitar) and possessive pronouns (such as mine in the drum set is still mine. Practice in Using Correct Pronoun Forms These exercises will give you practice in using the different forms of pronouns clearly and correctly: Using the Different Forms of Pronouns: Practice Exercise 1Pronoun Exercise: Recasting a Paragraph With Pronouns

Make Your Own Sugar Crystals for Rock Candy

Make Your Own Sugar Crystals for Rock Candy Its easy to grow your own sugar crystals, which are also known as rock candy because the crystallized sucrose, also known as table sugar, resembles rock crystals and you can eat your finished product. You can grow clear, beautiful sugar crystals with sugar and water or you can add food coloring to get colored crystals. Its simple, safe, and fun. Boiling water is required to dissolve the sugar, so adult supervision is recommended for this project. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: A few days to a week Rock Candy Ingredients 1 cup water3 cups table sugar (sucrose)clean glass jarpencil or butter knifestringpan or bowl for boiling water and  making the solutionspoon or stirring rod How to Grow Rock Candy Gather your materials.You might want to grow a seed crystal, a small crystal to weight your string and provide a surface for larger crystals to grow on. A seed crystal isnt necessary as long as youre using a rough string or yarn.Tie the string to a pencil or butter knife. If you have made a seed crystal, tie it to the bottom of the string. Set the pencil or knife across the top of the glass jar and make sure that the string will hang into the jar without touching its sides or bottom. However, you want the string to hang nearly to the bottom. Adjust the length of the string, if necessary.Boil the water. If you boil your water in the microwave, be very careful removing it to avoid getting splashed.Stir in the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time. Keep adding sugar until it starts to accumulate at the bottom of the container and wont dissolve even with more stirring. This means your sugar solution is saturated. If you dont use a saturated solution, then your crystals wont grow quickly. On the other hand, if you add too much sugar, new crystals will grow on the undissolved sugar and not on your string. If you want colored crystals, stir in a few drops of food coloring.Pour your solution into the clear glass jar. If you have undissolved sugar at the bottom of your container, avoid getting it in the jar.Place the pencil over the jar and allow the string to dangle into the liquid.Set the jar where it can remain undisturbed. If you like, you can set a coffee filter or paper towel over the jar to prevent dust from falling into the jar.Check on your crystals after a day. You should be able to see the beginnings of crystal growth on the string or seed crystal.Let the crystals grow until they have reached the desired size or have stopped growing. At this point, you can pull out the string and allow the crystals to dry. You can eat them or keep them.If youre having trouble growing sugar crystals, here are some special techniques and a video tutorial. Tips: Crystals will form on a cotton or wool string or yarn, but not on a nylon line. If you use a nylon line, tie a seed crystal to it to stimulate crystal growth.If youre making the crystals to eat, dont use a fishing weight to hold your string down. The toxic lead from the weight will end up in the water. Paper clips are a better choice, but still not great.

Basic Water Conservation in California and discover a way conserving Essay

Basic Water Conservation in California and discover a way conserving water can save energy - Essay Example Its primary aim is to educate the people about various ways of saving this natural resource; only with little alterations in lifestyle, this goal can easily be achieved. (CALIFORNIA'S WATER: A CRISIS WE CAN'T IGNORE, September 2007) Water supply in California has been severely reduced in recent years thus affecting the common people and business farms in Central, Northern and Southern California. In August 2007, water supplies from two large water delivery systems were cut in order to protect endangered fish species. Delta, the natural estuary, which waters about 2.5 million acres of farmland and 25 million Californians, is experiencing ecological crisis, thereby threatening the environment as well as the people of the state. Already, the growing water uncertainties and reduced water supplies are forcing the farmers to stop cultivation in some prime agricultural lands in the state; in turn, it is affecting the important industries of the state. Moreover, there is a possibility that the aging of Delta levees might also cripple the water deliveries in California for a long period. Rapid growth of California's population is a threat, as there has been no significant improvement in the delivery system as well as th e water storage system of the state. The water reserves of the state are relatively low and might not be able to meet up to the public demand, if there is disruption in the water delivery system of the state. Climatic changes in this zone are also an important factor for the growing concern of water conservation. The state has experienced severe drought conditions over the years and the year 2007 has been a record dry year in some of the regions in California. The changes in the climatic condition are also reducing mountain snow pack, which is an important source of natural water storage. Due to this condition, Californians might experience severe floods and long droughts in future. (CALIFORNIA'S WATER: A CRISIS WE CAN'T IGNORE, September 2007) Water Conservation Techniques (Tommy Foley, n.d.) Irrigated Agriculture of California Owing to the Mediterranean climate and unique geographical features, California has become a productive agricultural region in whole world. Sierra Nevada mountain range situated at the eastern border of California captures and stores the winter rainfall that can be used for irrigation during summer months. This water storage along with Mediterranean climate is favorable for the growth of a large variety of crops. Growing awareness of the environmental requirements of water along with population growth has compelled California agriculture to use water efficiently so that more amount of water is available for environmental and urban uses. Several management strategies and

Compare and contrast the key principles of associationist and social Essay

Compare and contrast the key principles of associationist and social constructivist theories and their implications for learning and teaching in the classroom - Essay Example t theory has been the basis for today’s organizations and associations and carefully outlines the way in which they carry out their daily processes (George L. Hersey, 1972). The associationists believe that the human mind is simply a concoction of vital elements that are governed by some automatic mechanisms. These automatic mechanisms are nothing but the associations that are being discussed in the present context. In fact, Hume had once said that As such, the degree of association is pretty atomic as well as mechanical in nature. The theory of Associationism has a number of principles that have largely worked towards making it an effective theory despite differing opinions of individual intellectuals. The primary facet of Associationism is that the association between the mental elements is built up by the mind through constant learning from experience, wherein all such experiences are molded into a set of basic beliefs and ideas. All of these ideas are elementary in nature and are rather unstructured and independent from each other. In order to define complex ideas, subsets of these simple and unstructured ideas (which are now rules guiding the individual in decision making) are used to build up a solution for such a complex idea (George L. Hersey, 1972). As such, it can be seen that Associationism is plainly an attempt by the mind to reconstruct and develop the human mind based on experiences through the individual senses. As all such rules are constructed through experience, there is very little space for theoretical assumptions and such associations are therefore a concatenation of a number of individual ideas that have been built up over time. The solution built up by the resulting association is what projects a systematic picture of the mind and its beliefs. The Social Constructivism theory is a theory pertaining to the study of knowledge that details on how specific social phenomena evolve within different situations and social contexts. As such, a