Real Madrid

1. What is the Real Madrid business model? Is it unique? The Real Madrid business model is unique as it changed 360 degrees the concept of sports. They focused on converting Real Madrid into the new Disney of sports.. The club has been owned by its cardholding members and non-cardholding members. A network of fans has promoted the club’s name and ensured the flow of information. At first, by realizing that they can become content providers, Real Madrid aimed to be the best soccer club in the world. As a matter of fact the Real Madrid brand was desired to turn into an international brand. In order to be able to achieve this, its managers identified the following brand drivers: â€Å"(1) size of audience; (2) frequency with which the audience engaged with the brand, as a measure of commitment; (3) socio-demographic characteristics of the audience; and (4) bridges (usually in the form of local fan associations) that could be built to link the brand and the audience†. To get a large audience, passionate about soccer required a commitment to good players, commercialization of the brand and distribution of content (players and games). Real Madrid needed time and financial flexibility, in order to bring the top players and a variety of channels to bring the club’s brand on the market. For financial flexibility, Real Madrid managed to do the rezoning of the club’s old training pitches, recapturing exploitation rights sold off to various operators and licensees, setting up a stand-alone legal entity for management purposes, receiving a loan from Caja Madrid and pursuing opportunities for licensing and sponsoring of its products. To assemble is team of winning players, Real Madrid drew superstars like Zidane, Beckham, Figo, Brazilian striker Ronaldo, team captain Spanish forward Raà ºl, and Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos as well as goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The selling concept was that only the superstars can draw new superstars. In terms of brand and content, Real Madrid expanded the reach of its Real Madrid TV, developed RealMadrid.com and 1 on 1 fan relationships (mobile, TV, internet), and distributed its Real Madrid merchandise through its own stores and retail networks. In order to capitalize on its inner strengths, Real Madrid expanded to Asia and North America by gaining as much elasticity on their brand. 2. Who are Real Madrid’s customers? How is the market segmented? The Real Madrid’s customer are its supportive fans, cardholding and non-cardholding members. They have a love relationship with Real Madrid as they support only the winners and care about their hobby needs. 3. Who has more power – Real Madrid or the players? Real Madrid has an empowering brand power as they set up a leadership flag for quality soccer teams. The players pay for themselves, but as long as they don’t have a leading brand to promote them, they won’t grow on popularity and increase their royalties. 4. What risks does Real Madrid face? Real Madrid cannot capture superstars overnight. The churn rate cannot be controlled. New wealthy investors offer higher salaries to the superstars. Overexposure and excessive commercialization receives already enough criticism. Also in the end soccer is an uncertainty game.

Instruction for Fixing Your Player Problems

Instruction to enable the true power of AAC encoded sound. 1. Synchronization problems. OK, so you have downloaded FASM release, tried to play it on your favorite player and it failed, because they have synchronization problems between video and audio. You think that if you have never before experienced such problems, the player is OK, but the video is not. WRONG!!! FASM releases contain a bit different stream and it is known that even if its MPEG4 specification correct, some players don't handle it properly.It happens mostly with older players and sometimes update fixes problem, so you do not need to change your favorite player completely, but if you wish to try a player i consider the best read below. Remember you are doing this on your own risk, so don't blame me if for unknown reason something f†¦. up. 2. Downloading the copy of the best player i know. The official version of Media Player Classic Home cinema Edition you can find here: http://mpc-hc. sourceforge. net/ but if you are looking for latest ALPHA version go here: http://www. xvidvideo. ru 3. Configuring the Media Player Classic Home Cinema Edition.OK so the next step is to configure your fresh player properly. It is good to do one thing before start using this player. It is known that old configuration of it (in case you used it before) can cause strange problems, so I recommend run regedit. exe, then find and delete completely this key. HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareGabest Start the player and go to OPTIONS-INTERNAL FILTERS. Then enable all filters, like below Next double click on AAC to go into its properties. First thing you need to set is 24Bit Output Sample Format, then you can decide you want to have stereo or 5. 1 sound. Then go to audio switcher and set the proper Volume Gain.For unknown reason for me the internal AAC filter of MPC HCE is not as loud as DTS one. This gives the impression of bad dynamics, but can easily be fixed. Set the level you think is good for you. You can also use Nor malize function. Next if you do have different sound cards in your system you can choose which one can play it here. You can also enable proper renderer for video enabling you to use Subtitles At the end make sure you have enabled your player as the default player of your system here. 4. Credits I want to thank everybody who have created this wonderful program. Keep up the good work! (c) 2011 FASM

Globalisation Process Essay

The business world is becoming increasingly global. As a result of this, many companies, such as Costa Coffee and Dyson, have changed their strategies in relation to the markets they target or where they produce. Does the increasingly global nature of business mean that all organisations need to change their strategies significantly to achieve higher profits? Justify your answer with reference to Costa Coffee, Dyson and/or other organisations that you know. Globalisation is the process by which the world is becoming progressively interconnected as a result of significantly increased trade and cultural exchange. It has also increased the production of goods and services. The biggest companies (such as McDonald’s, Starbuck’s, Costa Coffee, Tesco, Dyson) are no longer national firms, but multinational corporations with subsidiaries in many other countries. The aim of this essay is to justify whether organisations need to change their strategies significantly to achieve higher profits as a result of the increasingly global nature of business. As a result of globalisation, the world has become a smaller place; however this is a potential benefit for companies that are looking to expand because communication, trade and travel are becoming increasingly easy. Many countries, especially the ‘BRICS’ economies are undergoing industrialisation, giving Western companies the cheaper infrastructure they need to expand. If the business does the market auditing efficiently and they target the right market, with the cheap infrastructure and more potential customers, there are minimal reasons why the business would not achieve higher profits. So having said that, businesses like McDonald’s are a perfect example that higher profits are a result of changing their strategy to relate more to the market they target. Originating from America, McDonald’s are currently market leaders in 96% of the markets they do business in; they operate in 119 countries on 6 continents, with over 33,000 restaurants worldwide, employ ing over 1.7 million people. (http://www.mcdonalds.ca/ca/en/contact_us/faq.html) They first expanded internationally when they opened in Canada in 1967. The international section of McDonald’s has become increasingly more important to the company’s overall success. As of this past year, non-US based restaurants account for over half of the company’s $40 billion in revenues. Foreign restaurants now account for about 60% of McDonald’s total profits. Since coffee has become a necessity in a person’s every day routine rather than a luxury, McDonald’s has recognised this is an opportunity to increase their product portfolio. With the majority of McDonald’s customers being business men and women, coffee is an increased purchase amongst their sales, therefore they have recently announced they will be opening up a â€Å"McCafe† in the UK, having already been opened in Australia since 1993, they’ll be selling a variety of coffee’s other than your standard black, white, latte and cappuccino. As a consequ ence, for companies like Costa Coffee and Starbuck’s, this means that McDonald’s will continue to add to the markets they are in and become increasingly intense competitors. So the increase use of necessities globally definitely has an impact on a businesses strategies. McDonald’s have had to identify a person’s every day need, and cleverly made it as sort of a luxury item because it’s ‘new’ it will be new to McDonald’s. As a result of their new investment, the McCafe generates 15% more revenue than an ordinary McDonald’s. On the other hand, Globalisation is proven to have had a negative effect for some other businesses such as Tesco. This is a business that has strived to expand internationally, and as a result, they struggled/failed as they couldn’t easily adapt to the market change. Tesco has expanded into many other countries over the years, but as the â€Å"BRICS† economies are becoming increasingly attractive, an opportunity to venture into these economies seemed to be a ‘rising star’ for Tesco. Tesco’s ‘eye on the prize’ meant that they took their eyes off what made them successful in the first place- their UK stores. Ultimately, expansion into China, India and Thailand has left what was their ‘cash cow’ UK stores to currently become their ‘problem child’. Losing focus on their original investments meant that they â€Å"slipped behind in terms of stores, service and innovation.† http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-177 67565 In addition to their struggles to maintain the success of their UK stores, focus on China, Thailand and India had a massive impact on their competitors such as Asda, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Aldi. During the time that Tesco focused on the new move, it was an opportunity for its competitors to steal Tesco’s 30% market share – Sainsbury’s brought in â€Å"By Sainsbury’s† and Asda brought in â€Å"Chosen By You†. When Tesco realised their mistake and focused their attention on their UK stores, they invested in the â€Å"Big Price Drop Flop† but the  £500m campaign only damaged their branding image, as customers thought the quality of their products had dropped. It was a clear step by step process for Tesco losing its place in the market. All of this is a result of changing their strategy by expanding overseas into a better economy, and that is a result of Globalisation. Overall, Globalisation has so far cost Tesco to invest in a new economy, invest in strategies to save their place in the market, and has now cost them a  £1bn investment making their UK stores a â€Å"warmer look and feel†. It’s safe to say that Gl obalisation has definitely not achieved higher profits for Tesco, only slandered them. Overall, Globalisation has effect on all businesses whether positive or negative, but it does not necessarily make them achieve higher profits due to a changed strategy. In my opinion, it’s not Globalisation itself that makes a business achieve higher profits, it’s how the business takes advantage of the situation, and there are other internal factors involved that make a business achieve increased profits. Tesco could have easily become more successful if they balanced out their investments, keeping the UK stores as a ‘cash cow’ while they invested in their ‘rising star’ in China, and also kept their attention on their main rivals: Asda and Sainsbury’s. Sometimes a business does not need to change its strategy, an investment into the ‘BRICS’ economies could potentially mean more money is required. Having said that, some businesses already have the infrastructure they need to maintain their businesses over in the UK and it would seem moronic to expand overseas, especially if the business is maintaining profits. Although McDonalds has taken advantage of Globalisation, and used their strategy efficiently to become successful and to be as big as they are now – they are one company in a million. They are not proof that just because they managed to successfully adapt to the market, expansion into other countries is not guaranteed success, as proven by Tesco. So no, not all businesses need to change their strategy significantly due to Globalisation, in fact, some businesses don’t need to change their strategy at all.

Benzene,Lead Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benzene,Lead - Research Paper Example Following this, health sector has established the need of documenting standards that monitoring medical program as follows. OSHA documentation highlights two fundamental factors that are crucial in optimizing employee health, which are medical surveillance and medical screening (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 1). The fundamental aim of medical screening is to assess early diagnosis of employees exposed to the chemical and additional medical surveillance for those exposed above 30 ug/m (3) TWA) over one month period. The document outlined clinical manifestations for employees exposed to the chemical including biological examination, details of the medical history, and crucial precautions for interpreting laboratory tests. The standard demands that mployer to inform all employees on the potential health effects of Benzene. Biomarkers are classified into three sections, exposure, susceptibility, and effect (Sakai 128). Urinary metabolites have been outline as a short-term biomarker for benzene exposure. It is commonly used to access the exposure of those affected and not. It estimates the relation of the environmental concentration and benzene exposure. For a continuous examination, there are various direct reading instruments commonly known as real-time instruments that aid in sampling thus, augmenting rapid decision making. The obtained data can be used to comprehend the existing safety programs that assure protection to the exposure. One of the direct reading instruments commonly used is Photoionization detector that ensures that the environmental air concentration being sampled is free from pollution (Sakai 132). The TWA sampling method as per OSHA standard is that, there should be accurate analysis of the sampling methods. The OSHA documentation obligates the importance of including chemical sampling information of a given chemical to offer

Nanjing Massacre Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nanjing Massacre - Term Paper Example This unprecedented catastrophe called Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, was a living hell for its victims and until present time it a symbol of Japanese militarism in World War II. Western nations for some time were not acknowledging Nanjing’s tragedy. There were several political factors that have contributed to it. The Japanese government downplayed the degree of its militaristic advances during World War II immediately after the war, while both Chinese govern-ments purposefully neglected the incident as they focused on establish ¬ing their political and economic strength, which required a sound relationship with Japan. The U.S. government valued Japan's position as a strategic ally during the Cold War more than the need for justice. Such political complications led each country to circumvent the issues of Nanking. (Li, Fei-Fei, xxiii) HISTORIC BACKGROUND After the incident on the railroad in the city of Mukden in September 1931, Japan, blaming Chinese nationalists for that explosion, began the invasion of Manchuria, China. Since that time several major battles between Japanese military forces Chinese army were raged, such as battle in Shanghai (1932), Great Wall (1933). To solve the situation, some agreements were settled between China and Japan which somewhat defused the situation near Manchuria. At that time China was engulfed into the Civil War and therefore was not able to considerably oppose Japanese invasion. An important incident happened in China in December of 1936, known as Xi'an Incident, when former warlord of Manchuria was suddenly arrested and kidnapped. This incident led the Nationalists and the Communists to form an united front against Japan in 1937. It is then that an all out defense against Japanese military started, at least formally. China had the largest army in the world at the time, but most of the Chinese arm y was not trained and poorly equipped, with some troops armed mainly with swords and hand grenades. Only few corps had anti-tank weaponry. 7 July 1937 a battle between Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army happened. This battle is often signify the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Shortly after that Japan extensively invaded mainland China and captured major Chinese cities. Some Chinese still remember Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Mukden as days of national humiliation. Japanese military forces had planned to conquer China in just three months, but in August of 1937 it faced strong resistance and had many casualties in the Battle of Shanghai, a very bloody hand-to-hand combat. Some historians believe that this situation contributed to the psychological conditions of the Japanese soldiers to later be so grueling cruel in Nanjing. The Japanese had captured Shanghai only by mid-November with the help of fleet and Air Force. The casual ties were so heavy that General Staff Headquarters in Tokyo decided not to expand the war. By that time the morale of the troops were very low. As the Japanese army grew closer to Nanjing, Chinese civilians fled the city. Chinese military themselves were destroying anything in the city that might be of value to the Japanese army – many buildings in the city, forest and entire villages around Nanjing were burnt to the ground. NANJING MASSACRE On December 7, the Japanese army came close to the city walls of Nanjing. They dropped leaflets into the city, requesting the surrender of Nanjing within 24 hours and promising mercy to innocent civilians.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 91

Essay Example The methodology includes quotations, plagiarism, citation, parody, textual, imagery, and metaphor. The drive behind adopting intertextuality can be varying and diverse. It can be used to propagate an acclaimed theory, quote someone’s exclusive thoughts to make a point, or to promote and popularise cultural orientation and fashion/ lifestyles of different regions. Intertextuality is also applied to explain certain ambiguous concepts of any literary or artistic work. Furthermore, it can be adopted to present a brand-new perspective on an existing work. Sudha Shastri provided a perfect example of intertextuality by pointing out the fact that Jean Rhys wrote â€Å"Wide Sargasso Sea† (1966) to present a neutral and modernized take on Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel â€Å"Jane Eyre† (1847). (2001, p.3) Steven Pressfields The Legend of Bagger Vance (1995) borrowed its plot from the epic Hindu verse Bhagvad Gita. (Byrd, 2007, p.3) Similarly Jane Austen’s m asterpiece literature Emma was the influencing factor behind Amy Heckerling’s year 1995 movie Clueless. (Baker, 2008, p.534) Story sack is an innovative concept to make kids learning process at school fun-filled and effective (Browne, 2007, p.76). It is an over-sized cloth bag that contains additional props related to a story such as audio-visual sources like CDs or DVDs, toys and models of the characters, games, and entertaining activities like jigsaw puzzle or painting related to the story. Chris Dukes writes that it is an interesting way to â€Å"illustrate the story and make shared reading a memorable experience† (2007, p.84). It not only enhances the process of story-telling but teachers, and parents can also aptly utilize the concept of intertextuality to teach kids about numerous other aspects of life like positive virtues, beliefs, and values by opting for making story sacks on intertextual books. For example, biblical stories and their adapted cinematic

Introduce the two companies and explain the difference between a b2b Essay

Introduce the two companies and explain the difference between a b2b company and a b2c company - Essay Example is a B2B company since it provides manufactures and supplies microprocessors necessary for computer manufacturing companies such as Dell, HP, Samsung, Sony etc. On the other hand Dell is a B2C company since the products manufactured by this company is sold directly to the consumers. B2B and B2C companies differ in terms of marketing mix, product ranges, marketing communication, pricing and distribution Product, Price, Place and Promotion are considered as the four major elements of marketing mix (Ritcher, 2012). Intel is one of the major semiconductor chip manufacturers in the world. It supplies many types of semiconductor chips including microprocessors to prominent computer manufacturers as well as electronic devices manufacturers. Therefore, the company is targeting only the major manufacturers of electronic devices such as Dell, Sony, HP, Lenovo etc. Unlike B2C companies, B2B companies or Intel is operating through channel partners in different market. For example, LG, Lenovo, Dell and Zenith are some of the channel partners of Intel in different markets (Mody, 2007). Intel has a variable pricing strategy across the world. Since the company enjoys monopoly in some markets, it has the ability to fix the prices of its products in such markets. As in the case of B2C companies, Intel also use various promotion strategies to get more market share. â€Å"In 2006 Intel launched a fi ve-year campaign known as the ‘World Ahead Program’. This initiative is geared toward an increase in digital literacy, research, and development†(Flores, 2008). Dell on the other hand has a wide range of products such as workstations, desktops, desktops, tablets, etc. The company is marketing its products directly to the consumers with the help of advertising and promotion strategies. Promotion plays a big part in Dell’s marketing mix even though it plays less significant role in Intel’s marketing mix. Variable pricing mechanisms were implemented by dell in different markets based

Information Systems supporting Business Processes Research Paper

Information Systems supporting Business Processes - Research Paper Example In this regard, implementation of Information Systems (IS) like Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) and Management Information System (MIS) will be very effective ion achieving its next 5 years plan. The primary consideration in the betterment of Supply Chain Management, different levels of planning should properly organized through accurate decision makings. In this respect, daily transaction process and management information systems must be implemented properly. For TPS, IKEA should introduce RDIF technology in its inventory management for enhanced level of dialing activity with assured tracking system. In case of MIS, IKEA should follow ARIS framework that concentrates and related necessary business views. As RDIF and ARIS both are system-based technology, it requires the resources like software, hardware, proper communication, network, skilled labor, IT infrastructure and supporting organizational structure and culture. Table of Contents 1.Introduction 4 2.Importance Prevailing Inventory Management in IKEA 4 3.Business Process for IKEA to Manage Supply Chain 5 4.Information System for Supply Chain Management 7 4.1.Transaction Processing Systems and Management Information System 7 4.2.Requirement for IS for IKEA’s Supply Chain Management 9 5.Conclusion and Recommendation 10 Reference 11 1. Introduction The emergence of international trade that can be termed as major outcome of the globalization has led to increase the complexities of the prevailing business process. However, the prime reason behind such change is the availability of greater opportunities for market expansion and for higher scope of profitability. On the other that, these opportunities for rapid business growth has also caused in intensifying the competition in international level. As a result, in spite of the better scope for business growth, the profitability of the business has been hurting due to such fierce competition. The organizations with higher competitive advantage are the market leaders and they outperform the domestic and international players. Therefore, all the business organization within a specific market strives to gain sustainable competitive advantage by establishing core competencies. In this process, they have identified the use of technologies in their business processes as major tool to gain competitive advantage. Implementation of Information System (IS) in the multiple business process has been proved very effective in gaining competitive advantage in the international market. This paper will attempt to present the necessity and implementation of IS for supply chain management in IKEA’s global business. 2. Importance Prevailing Inventory Management in IKEA IKEA is one of the most popular global retail chains and it is mainly engaged in the retailing business of furniture, durable household items etc. Besides, it has also entered in food and restaurant business recently. However, it has been world famous for its furniture and dur able household products’ retailing business. IKEA offers highly innovative furniture and

Communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Communication - Assignment Example He is concerned about the impact of their current behavior on the quality of their event performance and on the health of the director. Q: There is indeed some deficiency in the team’s commitment and enthusiasm with regards to the envisaged event. Is there anything in particular that is diluting the interest and sincerity of the team members? The CEO of a major American company (owned by an Italian firm) was advised that he had to step in and take over more responsibilities with another company the Italian firm had acquired in Texas. He has to fly once a month from the US to Italy for a headquarters’ meeting, fly to Texas once a week to work with the staff there, and meet with all of the teams at the Italian-owned, Texas Company. The CEO has let the owners know that he is developing burn-out and exhaustion. The high school swim team meets every other week to plan for the summer fundraiser. The team’s seniors know that the next summer will be hectic for them because they will be working and planning college entrance activities. Because the swim team is a national competitor and travels to meets all over the country, they have to acquire these funds to offset the costs. The team’s coach advises them that they must help. They are balking and resist attending any of the planning meetings. The coach says that the lack of enthusiasm is undermining the work and potential fundraising of the entire

Food and Eating Essay Example for Free

Food and Eating Essay January 5 7 †¢ Hetherington, Kregg, Chapters 1-4 Cultivating Utopia Week 15 Case study: Growing organic Jan. 12 14. †¢ Hetherington, Kregg, Chapters 5-8 Cultivating Utopia †¢ Exams handed back this week Make up exam on Tuesday January 12, 1-3 pm Week 16Class and consumption Jan. 19 21. †¢ Roseberry, William. 1996. â€Å"The Rise of Yuppie Coffee and the Reimagination of Class in the United States,† American Anthropologist 98 (4). 762-775. (BLS). *Food basket assignment due on Thursday January 21st. Week 17 Gender, food Community Jan. 26 28 †¢ Beardworth, Alan and Teresa Keil, â€Å"Food, family, and community† in Sociology on the Menu, London: Routledge, pp. 73-99. (On reserve) †¢ Allison, Anne, Chapter 15 â€Å"Japanese Mothers and Obentos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in F C Week 18Gender, food the body. February 2 4 †¢ Bordo, Susan, Chapter 12 â€Å"Anorexia Nervosa: Psychopathology as the Crystallization of Culture† in F C †¢ Parasecoli, Fabio, Chapter 13 â€Å"Feeding Hard Bodies: Food and Masculinities in Men’s Fitness Magazines† in F C Week 19Race, ethnicity food. Feb. 9 11 †¢ Williams-Forson, Psyche, Chapter 21, â€Å"More Than Just the ‘Big Piece of Chicken’: The Power of Race, Class and Food in American Consciousness† in F C †¢ Nabhan, Gary Paul, Chapter 23 â€Å"Rooting Out the Causes of Disease: Why Diabetes is So Common Among Desert Dwellers† in F C *Reading response due on Tuesday on either reading Week 20Nationalism food Feb. 16 18 ââ€" ª Penfold, Steve, 2002, â€Å"Eddie Shack Was No Tim Horton†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in Food Nations, ed. W. Belasco and P. Scranton. New York: Routledge. Pp. 48-66. ââ€" ª Wilk, Richard, Chapter 19 â€Å"’Real Belizean Food’† †¦in F C ââ€" ª Study Break February 22-28thWeek 21Foundational approaches March 2 4 †¢ Barthes, Roland, Chapter 2. â€Å"Toward a Psychosociology of Contemporary Food Consumption† in F C †¢ Là ©vi-Strauss, Claude, Chapter 3 â€Å"The Culinary Triangle† in F C. Week 22Foundational approaches March 9 11 †¢ Douglas, Mary, Chapter 4 â€Å"Deciphering a Meal† in F C †¢ Mintz, Sidney, â€Å"Tasting Food, Tasting Freedom† in Tasting Food, Tasting Freedom. Boston: Beacon Press. (On reserve) *Reading Response on either reading due on Tuesday. Week 23Foundational approaches March 16 18 †¢ Harvis, Marvin, Chapter 5 â€Å"The Abominable Pig† in F C †¢ Recommended: Beardsworth, Alan and Teresa Keil, â€Å"The mysterious meanings of meat† In Sociology of the Menu pgs. 193-217. (On reserve). Week 24 Mcdonaldization March 23 25 †¢ Ritzer, George, 2004 â€Å"An introduction to McDonaldization† in The McDonaldization of Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. pgs. 1-23. †¢ Yan, Yunxiang, Chapter 32 â€Å"Of Hamburger and Social Space†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in F C * Reading Response on either reading due on Tuesday. Week 25 Challenging Mcdonaldization March 30 April 1st. †¢ Leitch, Alison, Chapter 24 â€Å"Slow Food and the Politics of Pork†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in F C †¢ Pilcher, Jeffrey, Chapter 25, â€Å"Taco Bell, Maseca, and Slow Food†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in F C. Week 26Challenging Mcdonaldization April 6 8 †¢ Clark, Dylan Chapter 26, â€Å"Punk Foods† in F C Course wrap up this week. *Final exam* will be scheduled during the exam period. Please plan accordingly. Have a great summer!

Scientific Management Theory Analysis

Scientific Management Theory Analysis The emphasis on increasing productivity from individual worker impels the emergence of F. W. Taylors scientific management at the beginning of 20th century. His philosophy of rationalizing work and organization to achieve maximum productivity, cooperation and prosperity has influenced the production and management model of his age profoundly. Despite the past 100 years, the shadow of Taylors philosophy in terms of production approach and management practice is still alive at the times of information technology, flexibility of production and the industrial restructuring. As Stern has written, The scientific management of Fredrick Taylor shaped the first coherent school of thought with its twin goal of productivity and efficiency- still influences management thinking 100 years on. This essay will assess the influence of scientific management on contemporary organization. Before assessing the influence, it is also important to introduce what scientific management is. It is a set of systematic theory of the correlation between labour and tasks for the purpose of increasing productivity by redesigning the work process. Based on the famous time-motion-study, Taylor developed four principles to increase efficiency: Study the way workers perform their tasks, develop a science for each element of a mans work, which replaces the old rule- of-thumb method. Codify the new methods of performing tasks into written rules and standard operating procedures Carefully select workers who posses skills and abilities that match the needs of the task, and train them to perform the task according to the established rules and procedures Establish a fair or acceptable level of performance for a task, and then develop a pay system that provide a reward for performance above the acceptable level Scientific management is a complete and interrelated system, but this essay will examine Taylors four principle separately to simply the analysis. One best way and division of labour Generally, Taylor believes that there is a one best way of each task to achieve maximum productivity and during his age, He firmly believes the division of labour is the best way to achieve this. Though nowadays, due to the diversification of the market and the organization, the simple one best way can hardly be defined, such as business adopt mass-production strategy can have a completely different optimal method of production than those focus on niche marketing, his spirit of pursuing the best way is still vivid presented. Just as the quality circle pioneered by Japanese car manufacturing, modification is being discussed continuously to make the work process more streamlined, more efficient and not wasteful in its activity, which is essentially the goal of Taylors system.(Stoney, 2001:p27) Especially when information technology has become the means of analyzing the underlying flow of material and information, it is more convenient and prevalent for contemporary organization to deci de the best redesign of business process to pursuing productivity, quality and competitive posture. Incorporated in his spirit, division of labour is the specific outcome of scientific management, the best way Taylor advocates to minimize skills required, and assembly-line, the creation of his age, are also still utilized successfully in contemporary fast-food industry. Such as MacDonald, the unskilled tasks from broken-down cooking procedure and sophisticated time record make it a completely modern duplication of Taylorism. The assembly lined production mode underpins the repetitive work cycle on the line by setting standard times. By doing this, efficiency improves dramatically as unnecessary tasks are eliminated, physical layouts improved, and work speeded up. (Fincham Rhodes, 2005: p678) Despite that deskilling () will de-motivate employees significantly on a general scale, which may result in absenteeism and high staff turnover, its ability of integrating new workers in production processes and dismissing workers without losing knowledge form the organization can successfully overcome it. Besides, the emphasis on quantity rather than quality (Ritzer, 2004) of the fast food industry also highlights the need of efficiency. Taylors influence goes beyond the bounds of manufacturing, the growing army of clerks in the rising service sector are automatically divided into departments and specialized in function. (Fincham Rhodes, 2005: p608) This means the philosophy of division of labour apply to most clerical works to rationalize the working procedure. A merging characteristics of clerical and production labour () becomes one remarkable feature of modern society. However, the anomie and alienation brought by the absolute division of labour limit its further application. The knock-on effect of de-motivate employees on quality and service can have more significant negative impact on contemporary organization than ever when they become the key to profitability at modern times. Despite the limitation of his method, this principle has a considerable profound and lasting influence because of Taylors preoccupation with the efficient use of resources. This philosophy can almost apply to every organization because whichever the work structure is taken, such as the prevalent team work and job enrichment; one of its ultimate goals should be improve efficiency. It can be proved by xxs argument that ()quality circles, rather than being a transformation of labor relations toward democratic participation, are managerial strategy to facilitate workers cooperation with managements goals for efficiency and productivity improvements. Standardization and direct control Taylor proposes standard rules to capture the best practice and direct control of workers to maintain efficiency. As Braverman (1974, p. 47) recognised, Taylorism never was a science, but a control system. Due to separate conception and execution, managers should design, allocate tasks and supervise workers performance without consulting employees opinions.(McGeorge Thoery X) Actually the appliance of Taylors efficiency through rationalization (Stoney, 2001: p.27) builds a mechanistic organizations, with strict rules, standardized defined tasks and top-down communication. Contemporarily, there are still cases where mechanistic organization proves to be optimal. A classic example is call centre where standard script must be followed, number of calls per hour is strictly monitored, as well as managers can listen in calls momentarily. Though it is argued that this complete control will alienate employees as it erodes the sense of freedom and self-determination, only this mechanic struct ure, where all tasks are designed to be consistent and coordinated, rigid rules are followed and instructions are obeyed immediately, can achieve the speedy service and uniform quality. Besides, despite its formalized and hierarchy nature causes inflexibility, organizations, such as call centre, which exist in a relatively stable environment where not much innovation and adjustment are required, has proved to be more effective because of the systematically rationalize procedures. (Burns Stalker, 1961) Thus, it still exists where efficiency dominates effectiveness. More commonly, only element of direct control can be seen in most contemporary organization. For instance, in public accounting firms, supervisor accountants supervise lower-rank accountants assigned with them to each audit. Junior accountants should work under the direct guidance of a senior accountant.(Hall, 1968) This is still due to Taylors inherent advantage, direct control can boost efficiency by rationalizing complex accounting procedure and adopting tasks efficiently and accurately. A further reason is that when meticulousness it the first requirement and errors may cause serious consequence, it is direct control that can maintain efficiency at the same time safeguard the quality. Efficient as it is, the reasons for not being fully adopted is that the drawbacks of direct control largely limit its influence. As Friedman (1977) points out, it neglects the positive aspects of labour. That means know-how and practical experience cannot be reflected and diffused. And the formalized system develops passive organization culture which undermines innovation, commitment and flexibility. This contradicts to the requirement of contemporary organization, especially for manufacturing. At modern times, in manufacturing sphere, the key to profitability lies in innovation.(Ackroyd, 2002) It means how to improve application for existing technology, how to create market advantage by good design and exclusivity become the very crucial issues. This is why most of contemporary organizations only retain elements of direct control and tend to be decentralized to emphases on democratic participation. To a broader extent, Taylors standardization philosophy is more widely used, and the new globalized era makes it an urgent requirement for business. Due to the great advantage of diffuse best practice, standardization becomes the key to facilitate the diffusion of businesss know-how to a new area for achieving a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, it is necessary for coordinating activities on a world wide scale and maintaining strict quality to safeguard firms reputation. However, exposed to a greater level of external complexity, the drawback of rigidity brought by standardization must be overcome, thus standardization is a continuous improvement process nowadays, just as the standard operation in Japanese car manufacturing where work is performed according to standard work sequence to insure quality, meanwhile standard if frequently updated to standardize improvement.(Edwards et al, 1993) To achieve this, standardization tends to be combined with a flatter and organic organization s tructure highlighting integration and decentralization to keep innovative and flexible. Scientific selection and training This is perhaps the most relevant principle today because these processes, selection, performance, as well as appraisal and development have been highly formalized in many organizations today (Cole, 2004). In the knowledge-based economy, talent has become the very valuable asset of business to achieve competitiveness. Much effort is devoted by contemporary organizations on selecting the right person. The contribution of Taylor is that he introduced the importance of selection criteria by management, such as the common competencies (i.e. communication skill, initiative) listed by recruitment department. In line with his emphasis on scientific approach to selection, Taylor advocates scientific training as he argues that it is only when business systematically cooperating to train the competent manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that it shall be on the road to national efficiency. (Taylor, 1911: p 98)In the context of the knowledge society, companies are generally encouraged to develop employees skills and knowledge (Hansson, 2007) Such as Nissan UK believes the key way for being the most productive car plant in Europe is its ambitious training scheme involving its entire manufacturing workforce.(Lydon, 2007) Costly as it seems, the long-term benefits of quality, safety performance and manufacturing costs overweight it. Moreover, training is usually positively related to promotion (Bayo-Moriones OrtÄ ±Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ´n-Angel 2006) it means it can motivate employees by satisfying their growth, achievement needs. Overstepping Taylors efficiency idea, nowadays the meaning of training is also related to be flexible and acuity enough for competing in a more complex global market, such as the widely-used management trainee schemes in multinationals to cultivate managers with practical experience and global perspective. Money as a motivator Taylor advocates piece-rate payment scheme based on his assumption that human nature is essentially self-interest, workers would be motivated by obtaining the highest possible wage by working in the most efficient and productive way. (Mullins, 2001: p23) In modern age, despite his method can rarely be seen due to the decadence of manufacturing, Based on his philosophy, money motivation still play a crucial role in other form, such as the incentive-based pay system. One common example is sales bonus. The rush of a sales force to place orders before month end reflects highly targeted performance. Thus there is little doubt that this system will work if designed appropriately. In the new context, when various approaches (i.e. job enrichment, team work) are applied to improve personal commitment, money motivator is not narrowed for efficiency as well. For instance, bonuses assessed on cooperation can represent up to 50% of wage packet in Japanese system and group bonuses are also given. (cf. Dohse et al., 1985, pp. 137-8) It means money motivator is now used flexibly according to organizations strategy. Ryness study of pay motivation in contemporary organization also support Taylors assumption, as there is overwhelming evidence that money is an important motivator for most people. Furthermore, he found that for high academic achievers, high performing employees and individuals with high self-efficiency and high needs for achievement, pay are the most important motivator.(Rynes et al, 2004) It means nowadays pay maybe more crucial than ever as those kinds of person are just the valuable human resources that organizations compete for. However, it is undoubted that Taylors idea of motivation is narrow minded and not suit as an extrinsic motivator, the emphasis on money will decrease staffs intrinsic motivator. Despite that, contemporary organizations usually adopt compromising approach as nowadays, the satisfaction of social needs and achievement needs are regarded as almost equality important motivator. Thus, multiple motivators, money in conjunction with other intrinsic motivator are more prevalent. For instance, performance-based pay and challenging work are used in such successful firms as Microsoft. Conclusion remark It should be admitted that there is almost no other management theory can overstep the influence of scientific management. As Braverman says, the principle of scientific management is not a failed system, but a set of guiding principles which continue to inform and influence the role and function of modern management. Some of the methods he advocates, such as division of labour, scientific selection and training, have become the features of modern society. More primarily, as efficiency is one of the enduring needs of all organizations, his preoccupation with the efficient use of resources thus becomes the driving force behind the evolution of subsequent management theories () and the root of management practice. Due to its extensive and deep influence, it is institutionalized not only in contemporary corporation, but also ideologically embraced in other institutions, modelling the modern world with the character of efficiency, calculability, predictability and control through technol ogy. (Ritzer) However, its inherent drawbacks of inflexibility, dehumanization require modification in current situation. Therefore, it can be argued that management of contemporary organization is based on a modification of Taylorism and a combination with more sophisticated management theories.

Changing Advertising Trends In Pakistan

Changing Advertising Trends In Pakistan This research study unveils trends of advertising in Pakistan and to reflect and monitor the evolution of trends in the dynamic Pakistani advertising industry, a research study has been designed and conducted to analyze various insights linked to advertising agencies, marketers and media planners operating in Pakistan and their inter-relations and preferences in planning, developing and implementing advertising. For agencies this research provides a framework for comparing their image, position and perceived performance against other agencies, and hence is a valuable tool to guide them to more productive partnerships with marketers and to overcome the barriers faced by them.. For marketers, beyond image and perception of agencies, this study also provides important insights into agency selection methods, agency evaluation and compensation trends. It contains various views of marketers about what is the meaning of advertising in their opinions, Also feedbacks are addressed about effects of advertising generates the sales figure, product awareness or customer satisfaction. Various concerns of marketers are also addressed in this research study about their agency selection, reason for changing the creative agency. Preferred methods by the marketers to hunt down for the suitable creative agency which understand the tastes of the marketers and meet their advertising needs profitably for the marketers, also preferred medium of pay off for the agency credentials are addressed in the study weather most of the marketers prefer to pay on monthly basis fee to the agency and get themselves bound to get all the their advertising from single agency or they prefer to pay on project base and are not bound to get the work done from single creative agency. It also includes media planners opinions about weather consumer research is important prior to on air a campaign to distinguish which communication channel would be appropriate for the promotion of campaign in order to hit the right target audience through the right communication medium. A reason for selecting a media agency is also addressed in this research study. Literature review More clients are looking for like-minded business partners who can deliver accountability and shareholder value and, similarly, agencies wish to rise to the challenge and are throwing off their historic mantle of creative aloofness. More clients are looking for like-minded business partners who can deliver accountability and shareholder value and, similarly, agencies wish to rise to the challenge and are throwing off their historic mantle of creative aloofness Never write an advertisement which you wouldnt want your family to read. You wouldnt tell lies to your own wife. Dont tell them to mine(David Ogilvy).According to the current situation we are so fixated on the form (TV spot and print ad) and that is the reason that our creativity is restricted due to space parameters. More and more creativity if required because    the future will be about creative ideas and the idea itself will determine the shapes and forms that it will take. Brand building effort has to go far beyond the 30 second advertising break or full print page to step change people connectivity.   It needs to create real time engaging opportunities to win the hearts and minds of people. Creating a brand experience will win the heart of people with some location-based experiences which will engage the brain and heart of the people. They need to get emotionally engage with experience so that they can experience the brand with by getting totally indulge in that either cons ciously or sub consciously. It will pull out the audience by watching typical commercial clutter by which they became irritated by watching it again and again.   This gives them the time and space to consider the brand. It is not about the medium but the idea that is of paramount importance when it comes to creating an experience (Shoaib qureshy,2005) I witnessed an incident while working at red communication arts on Servis account. Don Carlos TVC was made in which this brand was re launched and when the ad was on aired after few weeks the conversion for that brand shoes purchase fall down because consumer thinking was changed about that brand ones it was perceived as one of the prestigious brands. An unofficial sales figure was shared by the client which was reflecting the down fall in sales. According to the feedback taken from different individuals they reason diagnosed was that after viewing the current ad Doc Carlos seems them an ordinary brand .Its previous ads was showing t he prestige of that brand with a mystery and in the current ones there was no mystery at all and the earlier TVC and left lasting impact on consumers memory who are fan of this brand. (Faizan gull,2010 ) Advertising in Pakistan still keeps reeling from the creative flair and the execution that it requires there is no attempt to make an investment in people to develop nurture and groom the raw talent that we have in abundance. Looking out for quality employee by employers will always kill the chance to recruit fresh minded talent which may deliver much creative idea and One more reason of restricted growth of the advertising industry can also be attributed to the ground realities of the Pakistani market. Like all other businesses advertising too should not be expected to perform in isolation. It performance depends heavily on the performance of the other sectors of the economy as well.(Ahmad Kapadia,2011) A research study was conducted to analyze the mediums i:e serious advertisements humorous advertising. The study unveils that Humorous ads have higher attention than serious ads as compared with serious ads.( Khadam Ali Shah Bukhari,2008). The perception of people about effects of new advertising trends according to our cultures in our society should be studied by the companies before making any kind of advertisements because if people or customers are not satisfied then businesses cannot flourish and this the major drawback in the growth of advertising . internet and some other causes are already adversely affecting the culture and traditions of our society and if we didnt revise our advertisements then it can worsen the moral and ethical values of our society therefore it is strongly recommended that advertising agencies, marketers and all the companies themselves should make sure that the marketing campaigns do include all the social- groups and people and are also in consistent with our traditions, social norms and values and for this it is strongly recommended to make proper consumer research prior to launch a campaign.(Mohammad usman,2010) Brand managers are limited to the current typical advertising; they dont want to try something new and innovative for their brands. Their opinion is based on the fact that digital is free and spending on it to book space will not be worthy so they dont want to risk to try something new which may built their brand strong enough in the minds of consumers.(Salman Abedin,2010) Creativity is limited in Pakistan because marketers dont want to take risks with brands and try something new .They are just stick to the story board of the ad and their core focus is just to fill three basic elements i:e Positioning ,brand logo and tagline which they feel that an ad is complete after getting done with these three elements in an ad and many of the consumers are attracted to this approach because the product is already in demand and those ads just serve as recall nothing more than that. Their aim is just to link the positioning to the story board, high quality visuals and somewhat humor. But we miss out on the conceptual connectivity element(Sarosh waiz ,2009) A worst example of advertising been done in Islamabad which is known to be capital city of Pakistan on a dazzling display of brightly colored advertisements plastered on jersey barriers, these ads create an awkward tableau of peppy and worst marketing ever seen on barriers which may also divert the attention of driver while starring on it and the result could be an serious accident.(David Nakamura,2010) Shoaib Qureshy Analytical framework Criteria to select ad agency Creativity is the key Meaning of advertising Criteria to select media agency factor when selecting Customer loyalty Negotiate good rates with media a creative agency Increase sales International network Most widely used Expense Research tools Method is Strategic pitch Reasons for firing agency to hire a creative agency Lack of creativity Misunderstanding client business Lack of transparency Effectiveness required Company has other needs Bad service Brand building communicator Television Print Outdoor Online 35% marketers believed advertising means attracting customer loyalty whereas another 25% believed its meant for increasing sales. However, a group of 25% marketers also believed advertising is a marketing expense. 45% marketers believe advertising is most effective when it achieves Sales. However 30% voted for product awareness. Only 25% marketers believe customer satisfaction proves real affectivity of advertising. 60% marketers are currently satisfied with their advertising agency which shows strong marketer confidence on advertising talent available in Pakistan. On the other hand, marketers who showed mistrust among their current advertising agencies quoted various reasons for doing so. 35% of marketers marked lack of creativity as core reason for changing their advertising agencies. This shows that marketers are concerned with the lack of new ideas and innovation in communication that drives their brand image against competitors. This also creates a new opportunity for other more successful agencies to pitch new ideas to such unsatisfied clients and expand their client portfolios. Amongst Advertising Agencies, Interflow Communications stood out as the best well known advertising agency in Pakistan. However, amongst the international agencies, Ogilvy Mather was rated the best well know agency in Pakistan. 30% of advertising professionals in Pakistan think that Creativity is the key criteria for marketers to select their advertising agencies. This show a clear connect between marketer expectation and agency understanding towards criteria for selection of creative agency which is a favorable sign. But the concerning factor is that 30% is a very less ratio compared to the remaining advertising fraternity who need to realize this key expectation from marketers looking for competent creativity. 70% of advertising professionals believes the most common method marketers deploy to select their media or creative agencies is by calling a creative or strategic pitch. A surprisingly 50% respondents voted for Retainer fee model being followed in Pakistan which highlights a strong commitment and loyalty amongst marketers and agencies to work on long term basis with a loyal commitment to each other. 45% and 53% media planners respectively suggest Television being most effective and key communication driver for implementing a brand building and sales promotion campaign in Pakistan. Whereas Print media takes secondary preference with 25% and 26% voting respectively. 65% media planners in Pakistan believe a media research on consumer habits and lifestyle is necessary before devising a media plan which positively increases the chances of campaign success. This is an encouraging percentage and supports a scientific planning approach towards media spending which decreases the risk of campaign failure towards media objectives. 35% of media planners think negotiating good rates with media is most important for marketers when selecting their media agencies whereas 20% think its the availability of planning tools and resources to conduct research based media plans which count more Research Hypothesis H1 Majority of marketers believe sales as an affectivity measure for advertising. This discourages brand building attitude in the advertising environment which can hamper the way of strong local brands arising out of Pakistan. H2 Advertising agencies need to recruit more inspiring creative talent to match marketer expectation H3 Enough advertising agencies need to realize that marketers primarily seek Creativity as key expectation for selecting a creative agency. Currently only 30% are aware of this expectation which requires the other 70% to realize the same. H4 Marketers not rely much upon advertising agencies team work due to lack of creativity or limited creativity being generated H5 Media planners emphasize to conduct proper consumer research prior to on air the promotional campaign to hit the target audience as desired by the marketer because currently it has not given any importance. H6 Most marketers are on retainer basis with advertising agencies to avoid the hassle to hunt down different agencies to get their work done by sacrificing on quality and relying on limited creativity generated from one specific agency in an agreement with the marketer on retainer ship basis H7 The main reason for which the marketer change the creative agency is lack of creativity Methodology The research methodology used to undertake this research study is questionnaire based. Three surveys have been conducted with sample size of 20 respondents per survey. First survey was conducted with Marketers from various companies being the primary brand custodians. Second survey was conducted with executives working at various advertising agencies in Pakistan responsible for conducting the brand research, formulating communication strategy and developing creative campaigns on behalf of the marketers. Finally third survey was conducted with media planners working at various media agencies in Pakistan responsible for planning and monitoring the execution of campaign. Recommendations Regulatory bodies such as All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Advertising Association of Pakistan (APP) and Marketing Association of Pakistan need to conduct joint awareness workshops and conferences where key representatives from Advertising and Marketing and Media industries should participate in identifying issues and malpractices of distorted and unproductive trends and devise alternate solutions to the same. Sup the advertising trends through their knowledge, interaction and practices. These inputs or drivers of current prevailing advertising trends in Pakistan affect the outgrowth of this industry in various ways. The negatively affecting elements need to be reviewed and redefined by regulatory bodies such as All Pakistan Newspaper Society and Marketing Association of Pakistan to promulgate ascending industry growth. Conclusion Finally I would conclude that Advertising in Pakistan will remain static and room for improvement will always be required if focus will not be given to the above mentioned problems. Marketers are also not paying attention to this issue as they are involved in meeting the timelines for tasks delegated by their higher authorities so advertising agencies also care for their timelines and deliver them low quality work in short timelines. Also media planners are just concerned to buy air time for marketers and get their amount rather than suggesting them a good communication medium depending upon the client expectation and budget.

Securing the Crime Scene Essay -- Crime

When the call comes in that a crime has been committed, the police are dispatched to the crime scene. When the police arrive on scene, they need to take control by apprehending any suspects and looking for witnesses/victims. If the scene is not safe, the first responders must secure the area. If anyone is hurt, they should call for medical personnel as soon as possible. The first police officer on scene is usually in charge until a criminal investigator arrives on scene. Depending on the crime committed, the crime scene could be as small as the interior room of a building or as large as the whole neighborhood. The whole crime scene area needs to be secure so that evidence is not tampered with by anyone. The police officer in charge can start a search for more evidence so that it can be secured by the time investigators arrive on scene. There are five different search methods; the point-to-point movement, ever-widening circle, ever-narrowing circle, zone or sector search, and the strip or grid search (Lushbaugh, and Weston, 2011). Each search is used under different circumstances that all depend on how large the crime scene is and if it has occurred indoors, outdoors, inside of a building, etc. Once a criminal investigator arrives, the police should have the area secured so the investigators can do their jobs. Investigators will enter the crime scene and will have some equipment to preserve evidence on hand. Evidence won’t be removed until proper procedures are followed so that it is not jeopardized. They will number each piece of evidence and take pictures of it. For example, if there was a drop of blood on the ground, a number would be put next to it and a picture would be taken. The pictures will be up close, ... ...y quickly and can document accurately. Investigators can go over the crime scene and look for any evidence that may have been missed. Overall, crime scenes that are committed inside of a building are a little easier to deal with than an outside crime scene. References Department of Justice. (n.d.). All about forensic science. Retrieved from http://www.all-about- forensic-science.com/types-of-crime-scene.html Katz, M., Scheck, O., & Bode, N. (2011). Man stabbed to death outside chelsea nightclub where lebron james partied. Dna info, Retrieved from http://www.dnainfo.com/20110926/chelsea-hells-kitchen/man-found-stabbed-death- Chelsea Layton, J. (2005). How crime scene investigation works. Retrieved from http://science.howstuffworks.com/csi2.htm Lushbaugh, C. A., & Weston, P. B. (2011). Criminal investigation basic perspectives. (12 ed.). Pearson.

Health Outcomes Essay -- Health, World Health Organization

Introduction: Health outcomes refer to the changes in the health status of individuals or the population. The outcomes are attributed to multiple or planned interventions, whether or not the intention of the intervention was to alter the health status. These interventions include health services and programs including health promotion programs, government policies, laws and regulations, and consequent programs. Intervention may also include unintended or intended health outcomes of government policies in areas besides health. Health outcomes are evaluated by health indicators (World Health Organization, 1998). Health indicators are a single measure, represented quantitatively, that encapsulates an important aspect of health, such as the amount people suffering from a chronic disease. It also captures a variety of health determinants such as income, or the important aspects of the health care system, such as the proportion of patients who revisit the hospital for additional care following previous treatment (World Health Organization, 1998). These indicators can be used to describe a public health concern at a specific point in time. It can indicate periodic changes over time at the population or individual health level, describe differences in the population health, and examine the extent at which program objectives are being met. These indicators can possibly encompass illness or disease measurements which are commonly used in measuring health outcomes, such as health expectancy, life skills, and quality of life, and behaviors or actions taken by individuals related to health (Rigby & Koh ler, 2002). Child health outcomes tend to be influenced by the parents, the home environment, intact families, maternal and non-maternal qua... ...t. In addition to the programs aimed at crisis intervention and suicide prevention, the MYCS offers transitional living arrangements for children and families in times of crisis. In addition they have facilities to assist with food and basic hygiene products in times of need. The Montgomery County Juvenile Court runs the Nicholas Residential Treatment Facility. This facility is a non-secure 24-bed unit which houses males, who have been adjudicated delinquent, and aims to rehabilitate these young men to become productive, responsible citizens. This mission is pursued with comprehensive treatment strategies, including family therapy and social-skill building. While staying at the Nicholas Residential Treatment Facility, youths will participate in educational, work, and recreational programs aimed at ensuring their swift and successful reintroduction to society.

Diverse Family Structures

There are many situations that are included in the description of what a diverse family structure represents, and homelessness is one revelation. After watching the video of Mr. Keiley, the teacher from the Monarch School, I reflected on his comments regarding teaching and homelessness and found that I did not share his beliefs about if the child’s parents are struggling then the children will struggle as well. As the classroom teacher I would not assume that the child’s success or failure is a direct result of the parent.There are many times when the parent is doing everything they can to help the child’s success in the classroom but they simply are not able to accomplish the goal they have set. Despite the circumstances children are often times very resilient and able to accomplish quite a bit. Just as in the video, Mr. Keiley was shocked to learn that the child was homeless, but was able to come to school and do remarkably well despite her personal situation. While at school, she focused on doing her absolute best and did not let the fact that she was homeless affect her thirst for knowledge.She was able to put things in perspective and focus on what needed to be done in the setting she was in, just as she is probably able to do what she needs to do when not in school to adapt to the situation of homelessness. As the classroom teacher, if I were aware of a student with these same or similar issues of homelessness I would continue to do all that I could for this student academically. I would allow the student to come to class early or stay late if they wanted in order to have access to materials, technology, and resources to do their work.I would also make sure that they had ample opportunity to complete assignments as well as provide any material that they would need. By providing information to resources and informing the family of programs designed to help diverse families would be a definite goal. I would also contact organizations to provide donations to families in need so that they could get clothing, food, and even school supplies. I would definitely want to make a connection with the families at this school, but I would not want to embarrass them either.I would first make them comfortable with me by not being judgmental and showing empathy. I would make sure that they were aware of particular services that could benefit them, and encourage them to take part in community events that were open to everyone so that they would not feel singled out. Of course if they were open to me about their situation and comfortable about expressing what their needs were, I would help them in any and all ways I could to better their situation.I would provide them with not only information but services that are offered to families in their situation such as shelters and pantries. There are quite a few strategies that I would utilize in order to support a consistent, effective, and reliable learning environment. According to ou r text they list materials, interactions, and questions as ways to support diverse families and children in the program and classroom. By incorporating students experiences, interests and real-life situations into the instruction is a key strategy that helps support the learning environment.This way you can provide meaningful learning opportunities for students to help them feel a connection to what they are learning and make sense of it if it relates to them in some way. Another strategy I would use is to promote cross cultural understandings and the importance of diversity. This will make families feel important and as though they matter. I would also provide essential support for students who appeared to be struggling with the content by selecting and utilizing a variety of technology that supports the student learning.Lastly, by making lesson connections to the community, society, and current events will help tremendously in supporting a consistent, effective, and reliable learn ing environment. An excellent source to implement this strategy is the TEL (Tennessee Electronic Library) which is found on the Tennessee Department of Education website link http://tntel. tnsos. org/index. htm. With these strategies in place, I have no doubt that the learning environment I provide will surely be consistent, effective, and reliable for the children in my class.

Compare The Strengths And Limitations Of A Range Of Assessment Methods

Compare the strengths and limitations of a range of assessment methods with reference to the needs of individual learnersDirect observation in the primary source of gathering evidence within NVQs as it is the most appropriate way of presenting naturally occurring evidence. You’re watching the candidate carry out his routine work but on the other hand the candidate may perform for you or become very nervous with you watching. Performance evidence demands consistent and repeated performance to the required standard.Work products might be pre op checks, job descriptions, duty rosters, check lists, accident forms, policies and procedures, records of phone calls, records of correspondence communication book records.Work products about clients or staff should not be photocopied and put in the portfolio. Assessors should view them and fill in the relevant sheet showing what was read, where its kept and for which PCs, it is relevant and attach it to an Evidence Record sheet.The candid ates contribution to the Work Product needs to be made clear. Putting in an organisational policy or procedure does not show evidence of the candidate’s skill or knowledge unless there is evidence to show. They understand the policy or procedure or they have applied it to their own area of work or they have trained their staff in it or they have used the policy or procedure.Generally certificates only provide proof of attendance at a course and are not a test of knowledge or competence. Assessors may need to ask questions to test competence or knowledge. Some assessors now show proof of competence across defined situations and this provides good evidence. If candidates are keen to keep certificates in their portfolio don’t discourage them, these could be kept in the â€Å"Supporting Evidence† section at the back.Check and fill in the Witness Status List at the front of the candidate’s portfolio with regards to who can be used as a witnessA witness should ideally hold the NVQ assessor award and be in a supervisory capacity to the candidate. Colleagues can give Witness statements but in a small environment issues of pressure and collusion can arise.Assessors can use witnesses to confirm the content of a Candidate Report by writing a supporting statement at the end of the evidence record sheet. There are two types of witness – the expert witness and the non-expert witness.An expert witness is someone given the role of regularly and systematically observing and reporting on candidates when they are performing tasks which produce evidence towards an NVQ and who is occupationally competent, with the necessary expertise in the area for which they are providing testimony. This information should be noted by the assessor.Briefed by the QA to ensure that they understand the standards to which the evidence relates because the expert witness testimony is more rigorous and covers a wider range of the candidate’s performance, it usu ally has greater weight than the testimony of other witnesses. Non experts my also be used as witnesses, however, their evidence may be less reliable than that of the expert witness as they are unlikely to be familiar with the standards being assessed.Assessors must judge the validity of all witness testimonies. NVQ units cannot be achieved by relying on witness testimony alone.Achievement of an NVQ unit will always involve observation of the candidate by a qualified assessor taking account of the evidence provided by witness testimony.Simulation This is where the candidate cannot provide evidence to cover PCs and where  asking questions may be insufficient. Examples might be dealing with a health emergency or working with someone who challenges the service.Recognising Prior LearningSTRENGHTS:1. If a learner had a previous rpl , it can be used to support their other assessments. Accrediting their prior learning assessment makes a learner feel that any work done in the past in this area was not a waste of time 2.qcf is giving learners the opportunity to use rpl more and they define it as â€Å"a method of assessment that considers whether a learner can demonstrate that they can meet the requirements of a unit through knowledge, understandingand skills they already possess and do not need to develop through a course of learning†. Limitations:1.may be time consuming for the assessor as will need to validate the rpl not all of it may be relevant to the current criteria they are assessing. 2.each assessor needs to check the guidance for their relevant qualification, as the guidance varies for different qualifications.Written questioningStrenghts:1.Can take the form of essays, short answer questions or multiple choice questions. Short and multiple choice questioning are examples of objective testing as there is only one correct answer. This form of assessment is quick and easy to mark wich means feedback can be given quickly to learners.Limitations:1.Multip le choice questions can be guessed if the learner is unsure so they might not be the best way to get an accurate measure of whether the learner has understood something. If more depth on short answer questions is requied, essays can be used to assess understanding, literacy and high level comprehension although they take time for the learners to complete and for the assessor to mark.Oral questioningStrenghts: 1.Can form a secondary or backup assessment to check for comprehension. They can be used to support theory while the learner is practising their skills or at work and they can be adapted or changed quickly depending on the situation. 2.open oral questions should be used to draw out the information from the learner. Limitations:1.Assessors should be careful not to use closed questions unless testing agreement.   

Culture of Australia Essay

The question of identity is always a difficult one for those living in a culture or group, yet belonging to another. This difficulty frequently remains in the mind of most immigrants, especially the second generations who were born in a country other than their parents. Younger generations feel as if they are forced to change to fit the social standards despite previous culture or group. Furthermore those who wish to adopt a new identity of a group or culture haven’t yet been fully accepted by original members due to their former identity. Living with a different culture to our roots can lead to changes in our lives. Migrating to Australia has affected a lot of authors from Alice Pung’s vignettes of ‘Growing up Asian in Australia’. Michelle Law displays her exclusion from the Australian culture by preparing ‘exotic lunches’ with her mother, as well as her ‘hairless’ Chinese body compared to the school girls. Being seen as a distinct outsider to the Australian culture can influence one to change their way of life to fit in and form friendships. Sunil an Indian schoolboy was faced with the choice of constantly being bullied over his differences or adapting to the community by altering his name to Neil. Changing for others an lose your place in your original identity and culture. After visiting Hong Kong, Michelle momentarily feels identical to her surroundings with her Chinese ethnicity. After mispronouncing words when ordering at a Cantonese Mc Donald’s, Michelle comes to realise that she feels just as excluded in Hong Kong as she did in Australia. This sense of displacement caused by multiple cultures can question Michelle’s judgement, â€Å"Am I more Asian or more Australian? † The feeling of not fitting in can lead us to changes in our life to fit social standards despite our previous culture or way of life. Alice Pung addresses the idea of multiculturalism in her novel ‘Unpolished Gem’. Two of the themes in this novel where she portrays her culture are through personal identity and the impact of the past. A major influence on Alice’s identity was when she was a young child and her grandmother would tell her stories about events that occurred in Cambodia. In Alice’s teenage years, her beloved grandmother has a stroke, developed disabilities and eventually had passed away. It is around this time where serious psychological problems occur for Alice. This almost forces her into a mental state in which she knows she does not fit in with the Australian culture. She believed she had to do everything she could to change that otherwise Alice knew she would break down mentally. Alice was forced to attempt to fit the social standards of Australia. The actions of adopting a new identity by putting yourself into a different group can lead to not only the new group not fully accepting you but also your original group will see you as a totally different person. At the age of 13 I played basketball for the under 14s side. We were all very close and had formed great friendships throughout the season. The following season I was asked to play above my age group. Without thinking twice I accepted what I thought was a great opportunity. A few days pasted and it was the day of my first training session with the older group. Throughout the 2 hours of training I did not enjoy myself at all. No one would pass me the ball and it was as if they didn’t want me there. To be honest I didn’t want to be there neither. I decided to return to my own age group and play with my old friend. At the next training session with my original team I realized the same thing was happening, no one would pass me the ball or even acknowledge that I was on the court. It turns out I had changed as a person and found myself caught between the two teams. The moral of that experience was by trying to fit in with a new group I found that I had lost my original identity and forgot where I belong. There are a variety of scenarios that result in us trying to change. Whether it is a result of a different culture or even past experiences. People also feel as if they are forced upon change, and even if you find yourself with a new identity or culture, you may not be fully accepted by original members of that group or culture. The power of a group however is often the cause of losing our individual identity. In conclusion the question remains of whether Change of an identity is right or wrong?

Growing Up African American

I am a member of the African American group and I would like to tell you a bit about the group of when I am a part of. Let me start by saying that my African American group originated from Africa and growing up in America can be tough for people of my race, the African Americans. My group’s history is wide ranging spanning for many years and varying from region to region within the United States. I remember when I was young I use to talk to my mother a lot and asked her many questions like â€Å"Why am I called an African American? She went on to explain that our race originally comes from Africa and we were part of a slave trade. From my mother I learned that we were slaves until a law was passed to give us freedom. I use to wonder when I was young if there were other people similar to me all over America. I also remember something my father told me once that African Americans live all over the country. My father told stories of how he used to go to an all black school could vote or sit in the front of buses. Being African Americans have faced several kinds of creation and consequence situations in the years they have been a part of the United States. In some places cheaper labor, longer work hours and terrible living conditions. Many people of the United States have made it almost impossible for groups of another race or Ethnicity to strive and live full happy lives. I have seen over the year’s situations of extermination in some parts, as well segregation, and expulsion. In school from some of my teachers, in social interactions like just walking through a store, and especially in the work place when they’ll even give me the chance to work because it doesn’t matter I go to get a job out here. There are some racist, even the Uncle Tom’s. I’ve done everything they ask and still I either get denied the job or they hire me and treat me like Growing up African American 3 trash until I quit, or they try to find a reason to get rid of me. Since, I don’t give them much reason to get rid of me due to my strong work ethic and performance; they usually try to break me down. Education plays an important role for most African Americans; however we are still way behind when compared to the White American which probably has a lot to do with the way some of us was brought up or our background. Regardless of the contributions made by the forefathers of black people, there is a hesitation of acceptance of the race that has been a focus of many groups the strive for freedom and justice for all, that has not yet been rectified. The same group of people was good enough to built the country is not always seen as good enough to live in the house next door. I believe because this country is made up of many different races and ethnic groups that are steadily growing in numbers. If different races are toco exist peacefully in the U. S. , it is vital that we all become educated on the history and culture of different races and ethnicities. According to the 2000 Census data for Lexington, MS the total population for 2000 were 2,025 male 965 and female 1,060 square miles 2. 45. Race: white (635); black or African American (1,362); American Indian and Alaska Native (1); Asian (13); and two or more races (14); and Hispanic or Latino (of any race) (40) (Fact finder Census 2000). Birthplace facts from the 2000 census data in Lexington born in the same state (1,706); born in another state (269); born outside the US (0); naturalized citizen (14); and foreign born, not US citizen (10). Some more 2000 census data in educational attainment population 25 and older was 1,206 in Lexington: high school graduates (299); some college, or associate’s degree (349); bachelor’s degree (111); and master’s, professional or doctorate degree (60). Some enrollment population 3 years and over Growing up African American 4 enrolled in school was 627: preschool and kindergarten (83); grades 1-12 (446); and college (98) (2000 census data).

College Rights versus Gun Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

College Rights versus Gun Rights - Essay Example In my opinion, colleges should not be able to ban arms since this flawed decision may result in a probability of increased rate of rapes and murders at the campuses. Banning arms at the educational setup is simply a government’s guarantee to the trouble maker students that they are allowed to pursue their criminal activities and create pandemonium since the law-abiding innocent students would not have any weapon with them for their defense. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (2009) present a valid report regarding the peace situation at the campuses which did not ban the right to carry guns. According to the report, eleven US universities allowed concealed carry and following this decision, no disturbing incidents like gun theft and gun violence have been reported by the college administrations. Proponents of gun rights argue for banning weapons from the campuses because in their opinion, carrying guns strengthens the bravado of emotional students who may shoot their profe ssors dead over trivial matters. Schulte (2009) says that nearly all states, except Utah, agree that carrying weapons on campus is a really bad idea. â€Å"Increased incidence of high-risk behaviors on college campuses, such as binge drinking and drug use, are commonly cited by anti-gun advocates as reasons to keep weapons off campus† (Smeck, 2011). ... he law with criminal intentions will get green signal for hitting the vulnerable targets and easily get away with their horrendous actions without being hit in reaction. Nowadays, the situation has worsened so much that violent crimes like rapes are happening on college campuses every single day. How are the innocent students supposed to react in a situation where they are forced to face serious danger by their enemies? They do not have any option but cowering silently after being cornered by the criminal student gangs. Proponents of gun rights seriously overlook the number of disadvantages brought on by banning gun rights by fervently sticking to the single factor that guns on campus policy is potentially conducive fore mass shooting breakouts, which can shatter the quality of educational atmosphere that is the hallmark of any good institution. In their report, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (2009) claim that gun-control policies have visibly failed at many prestigious Ameri can institutions like University of Memphis, Delaware State University, University of Washington since the year 2000, causing many students injuries and death as a result of being virtually unprotected. Unfortunately, within two years of the horrific incident in which a Virginia Tech student deliberately shot 32 students and professors dead, a debate has initiated between the gun-rights advocates and the supporters of gun-carry laws (Roth & Haman, 2009). The gun-rights advocates have failed to convince the state authorities to pass a bill for allowing carrying guns at the campuses. Following the ruthless murders performed together by the Virginia Tech student, government’s decision to ban gun rights and not pass a bill that allows the students the right of concealed carry on campuses is

Using formative assessments as an educational leader Assignment

Using formative assessments as an educational leader - Assignment Example For success, students need to understand the goal of learning and the criteria for arriving at this goal. To ensure students understand who they are, the teacher could choose to use student work or classroom tests (Tuttle 2009). Observations test a students’ ability to learn and understand. It involves more than just a stroll in the classroom when students are undertaking a problem. It comes in hand in assisting teachers gather and record evidence to be used as evidence of student learning which is used as a tool for instructional planning. Questioning strategies when embedded in a lesson planning provides the teacher with significant insight into the degree of understanding of a student. Such questions are useful ion engaging students in classroom dialogue that expand their learning. According to Tuttle (2009), self and peer assessment creates a learning community in class. Student keep track of important information to help them in understanding important concepts learned in class. This does not only engage students but helps them know where they started gauge their progress in the learning process. Formative assessment thus provides information needed teaching and learning while it is actually in

Comparing between (Mercedes vs Lexus) companies in the 4 ps(place, Essay

Comparing between (Mercedes vs Lexus) companies in the 4 ps(place, price, promotion and product ) - Essay Example In Japan 1926, Sakichi Toyoda founded Toyota Company. In 1989, Fiji Toyoda introduced Lexus as a part of their company owner Toyota. LS 400 were the first car model created by Lexus in Japan (Adler, 2006). This brand has international services around the world while Mercedes – Benz is a Germany company for cars. It was established in 1926. Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler are the founders for this company. They have many tips of luxury vehicles and trucks (Hodge & Schachter, 2006). Marketing promotion of Mercedes Benz is outdoor with a blue sky. According to the design of the color, it is made such that the cars may sell to men for use. The place for advertisement has dark green trees and dark green lawns. This indicates that the product is high price as dark symbolizes money. The product is linked to red which means that it is of energy, passion and strength. Mercedes Benz is a car designed for the rich as it is brought out. The richness is through the use of a beautiful rich lady in its advertisement also indicating that it is a modern car and not traditional. The company offers range of products such as ES, GS, and LS luxury. There have been increases in the ranges that are offered by the company. The company has extended to offer sport models. Many models of the car can still be offered as hybrid. Promotion of the car is through consideration of demographics, geography, behavior and psychograph. Promotion is done on TVs as they are the powerful media to show the product (Mahler & Potter, 2004). Through the consideration of geography, Mercedes Benz sells all over the world. This makes the product be sold all over the word. Demographics promotion of the product brings it to be sold to different age, sex and income. Pricing of the product is high. The price of E350 is about 800,000 RMB. The pricing of the product focuses on the young successful customers. The style of the cars is high due to the high price

Week 2 705 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 2 705 - Assignment Example 138). EBP bundles link to quality patient outcomes through identifying best practices that can be used for efficient and effective interventions that improve health outcomes. The ventilator care bundle, for example, reduces mortality rates in intensive care units. It has also been associated with reducing incidence of ventilator-acquired pneumonia and number of days that a patient takes in an ICU. I would use them in my institution by setting them as guidelines because they guide care personnel into best practices for improved outcomes (Gottwald and Lansdown, 2014). Translational research is a type of research that aims at using evidence-based results for further human research or for improving intervention measures. The research approach focuses on user of research findings, communication of the findings, and transformation of organization for effective implementation of empirical results (Jennings, 2004) for improved delivery of care (Chelsea, 2008). Translational research is, therefore, similar to EBP because of their research scope of knowledge development that can be used for improving care practices. Translational research, however, focuses on use of developed knowledge while focus of EBP is limited to knowledge

Management (how to be an efficient leader) Essay

Management (how to be an efficient leader) - Essay Example For instance, planning needs the conceptual skill of a manager as it involves abstraction such as setting a strategic direction for the company. Leading, controlling, and organizing is made easier by all the skills as employees usually look up to managers who are good geared with the technical skills, concern for people, and ability to analyze and solve problems. Human skill is imperative in staffing as managers will need to communicate and devise motivational techniques in order to become efficient. In addition, the ten managerial roles outlined by Mintzberg can only be accomplished when the manager is equipped with the three management skills. Interpersonal roles such as being a leader, liaison, and figurehead are roles where human skills can are necessary as these include interacting and communicating with the workforce. Informational roles (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson) also require human skills while decisional roles (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator) are attained through the employment of conceptual, human, and technical skills. The major theories of management can be grouped into four major classifications namely classical, human, systems, and collaborative approaches.

Case study for subject (Strategic Leadership in Criminal Justice Essay

Case study for subject (Strategic Leadership in Criminal Justice 7038CCJ ) - Essay Example Kathy is required to resort to an apt leadership strategy that will ameliorate the concerns and distress of the personnel in one’s team and will lead to the requisite levels of work performance. The key issue is that Kathy’s organization is opting for a change, which it believes will lead to better work performance, efficiency and effectiveness. Managing organizational change is one of the most difficulties things to do, as the resistance to change ensues from varied sections of an organization (Joyce, 2000, p. 3). Those personnel who are most likely to be impacted by change could positively be expected to register maximum resistance, which is either intended, or happens inadvertently (Randall, 2004, p. 16). The employees in Kathy’s team are resisting the change and Kathy is required to resort to an apt leadership strategy to manage this problem (Barganza, 2001, p. 119). The personnel could be resisting change owing to a variety of reasons like: It goes without saying that the apprehensions of the personnel in Kathy’s team are to a great extent valid and justified. Hence, Kathy ought to resort to an appropriate leadership approach to ameliorate the identifiable and genuine concerns of the employees. As Kathy is the team leader, it goes without saying that he enjoys a degree of rapport with one’s team members. Hence, in the given dilemma, Kathy ought to establish herself as a transformational leader to assure a smooth management of change in the organization. Transformational leadership is an approach towards leadership which enables the team leaders to help team members rise to higher levels of moral and effectiveness. It allows the team leaders to help wrought out a positive and desirable change in the personnel following them. It is an approach towards leadership wherein the team leader exploits one’s vision and integrity to secure the commitment and sincerity of the team members in the intended change process (Rickards, 2005, p.

Factors Determining the Information System Strategy for Global Firms Essay

Factors Determining the Information System Strategy for Global Firms - Essay Example ‘Factors determining the information system strategy for global firms’ identifies the strategies and issues that some prominent global enterprises have; classifies which organizational factors affect the decision making process of an organization when it is choosing an is strategy; gains knowledge on the impact of is on global business organizations and their role in tackling the market competition; carefully studies the factors that impact on the failures of is strategies in global business organizations. Numerous factors determine IS strategy, especially organizational characteristics. These are important, especially in terms of attitude, constraints, structure, system characteristics, â€Å"commonality†, size, technology, type, and criticality, IS department characteristics, and IS success factors. Quantitative results show that organizational factors such organizational attitudes and constraints and organizational structure have significant effect on IS strate gy decisions. Similarly, the results show that system characteristics such as â€Å"commonality, size, technology, and criticality† are important and are considered while making IS strategy choice decisions. Moreover, the results of qualitative analysis show that factors such as organizational structure and organizational attitudes and constraints are amongst the important organizational factors that need complete considerations while making IS strategy choices. Furthermore, system characteristics, such as the size of the project and criticality type of technology have been found to be important factors in IS strategy decisions. ... tem characteristics 19 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 21 3.1Research Approach 22 3.2 Positivist Paradigm 22 3.2 Interpretivist Paradigm 23 3.3Quantitative Research 24 3.4 Qualitative Research 25 3.5 Qualitative interview 25 3.6 Data Collection and Analysis 26 3.7 Regression Model 28 3.8 Research Ethics 28 3.9 Case Study Company: Projects System Holding Company 29 3.10 Summary 30 Chapter 4: Results, Analysis, and Discussion 32 4.1 Introduction 33 4.1.2 Regression Analysis 41 4.2 Organizational Characteristics and Is Strategy 46 4.3 System Characteristics and IS Strategy: 47 4.4 Summary of Quantitative Analysis 48 4.5 Qualitative Analysis 48 4.6 Questionnaire Research 50 Chapter 5: Discussion and conclusion 55 5.1 Discussion and Conclusion 56 Many companies are implementing innovative plans while dealing with various challenges that are initiated by globalization, and due to this reason, they started investing in other countries through different plans and strategies by adopting novel systems, tools and techniques for meeting customers’ needs world-wide. But the adoption of information systems (IS) has been one of the main sources to seek help in compensating for and countering the challenges, and thus organizations use various strategies to adopt IS. Previous literature suggests that many factors determine IS strategy such as Organizational characteristics in terms of attitude and constraints and structure, system characteristics, in terms of â€Å"technology, size, type, criticality and commonality, IS department characteristics, and success factors (Akmanligil & Palvia, 2004). However, this study, keeping in view the importance of organizational characteristics and system characteristics and lack of empiricism in the extant literature (Akmanligil & Palvia, 2004), uses