Journey to Christianity Essay

The preference for a religion or any sense of spirituality is a personal choice and digression. The option either not to actively participate in one’s religion’s rituals, traditions, and customs or do the otherwise, maybe even stay neutral, is still of personal consideration. Nothing or no one can truly and essentially mediate with these affairs unless allowed to do so by the said practitioner of beliefs and doer of such saintly conviction. For me, Christianity has been the choice of religion, and the personal spirituality gained from trusting it brings one’s mind, soul, and spirit in truly an almost enlightened state. Truth is every religion’s destination point and the journey to and through Christianity is one which continues and grows with each passing day. Journey to Christianity The discernment on religion and spirituality is one of the greater existential and even transcendental issues of human existence. Moreover, the concept of a greater being, or sometimes even beings, have been constructed into almost gloriously confusing and still remarkably mysterious belief systems which seemingly condemn the evil and venerate the good. But one thing holds true, pure, and private, no matter what: every individual is given that personal right to choose whatever it is that he or she wants to believe in or not—to condemn and venerate, or not. Christianity, a monotheistic faith, centers on strong belief system which only holds a One Higher and Greater Being to be God and His Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah—the Chosen One who stands as the prophesized-man’s key to salvation. All certainty, knowledge, and wisdom are believed written in the Holy Bible, which content is also believed to be beyond contestation. But before everything else is settled in both my religious and spiritual points of view, the journey is one which should continue and develop day by day by day. My journey began as a child. Like mostly everybody else, any form of belief, opinion and sense of culture begins at home and in school. As I did remember, it was in a simple arithmetic math class and a church sermon that I tried to make the correlations in between. I tried to make sense of things in such an early age. In class, we did simple arithmetic exercises which tested our accuracy in basic addition and subtraction. Then, as I remembered the weekend before, the priest from the church had mentioned the concept of the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) — this snatched my attention from the class’s activities and carried on through the rest of the day. I thought to myself, how could three things be formed into one, if by plain law of mathematics one plus one equals two, then it also suggest that one plus one plus one cannot equate to one? In some way, even at an early age, I thought of things this way and looked for the interconnectivity among things, people, and events. Such matters stimulated my own process of trying to better learn the how’s and why’s of Christianity, and moreover about life and everything else in it. I tried my best not to accept everything as there are and were — this was my journey’s most definitive moment, for it spurred the essence of life—to search for something greater, to live with purpose and meaning. Such interest and zest carried on as years passed; it was a quest. A series of continuing investigations within myself, things around me, and with the people I knew, know, and came to know all played crucial roles in my own discernment of deity, concept a of Greater being, and everything else in between. Understanding the way they thought and perceived life contributed in my own personal process of thinking, in my decision making developments, and in my belief in both the earthly and divine elements. But amidst the enduring efforts, there was a gap which would never be answered, and the notion of not knowing would only be the somewhat and only agonizing conclusion. Even considering the long, comprehensive history of man and life and of various disciplines and sciences as only part of one speck in the whole universe, there is no way of actually and absolutely finding out the truth about God and all else that comes with it. Hence, there is faith. Faith is that intangible emotion of believing in something, someone—despite and in spite of all and any circumstance. This is the very essence of Christianity to accept as true—to love and to be a believer amidst temptation, sin, and what is wrong. Even though, at the end of it all, it is still a matter of personal choice, I chose Christianity because this is what fills and completes the gaps between my philosophical and spiritual trenches. No matter how far I would begin to discern, whether or not there is a God, whether or not there is salvation, it all brings me back to faith. All its teachings serve as a guide. All its lessons serve as a channel of reference. The journey to and through Christianity is one which has not been concluded, for it must be a long lasting process. Only in its conclusion will one find truth.

English Literature Essay

Hannam University Department: English Language and Literature. Degree: Masters of English Language & Literature. Title: The Kite Runner: The novel presents the story of a country and people in turmoil. An abridgment of a THESIS Presented to Professor Kim Ilgu, the Faculty of the Department of English Language & Literature of the Hannam University in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of English Language & Literature. By Uttam Mallick Student ID: 20114012 An brief overview of Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner—Stories Views on education: Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-born American novelist and physician. He is a citizen of the United States where he has lived since he was fifteen years old. Khaled Hosseini is the first Afghan-American writer to publish a work of fiction in English in the United States. The Kite Runner is Hosseini’s first novel, and his book has achieved a significant amount of success since its publication in 2003-now in its seventeenth printing with over 1. 4 million copies sold-and has repeatedly appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List over the last three years. Even though bookstores and libraries have been inundated with literature about Afghanistan and Iraq, none appear to have achieved the same amount of recognition or success as The Kite Runner. Since the nineteenth century, critics have called into question the literary merits of sentimental fiction for its seemingly unskilled rhetoric and inauthentic sentiment. Although the aesthetic purpose of sentimental literature has been repeatedly trivialized by literary critics, sentimental imagery, language and themes have been effectively utilized by various authors in the past to critique controversial social, historical and political practices of the times, such as slavery in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), and continue to be effectively utilized by contemporary authors, such as perceptions of Afghanistan and its people in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. To complete my final thesis, I will use books and reviews or published by scholarly journals as well as major and minor newspapers to analyze the popularity of the novel, including its literary strengths and weaknesses. I will try to use my own knowledge and criticism about the country and people in turmoil. Some scholarly articles on Afghanistan published shortly after 9/11 will be used to provide a social and historical context for Hosseini’s novel. Lastly, I will use both scholarly articles and books to explain the concept of â€Å"sentimentality† and â€Å"emotional narratives,† and their cultural importance, which will help me further articulate my critical approach to Hosseini’s text. Source of Data: For the research must be my own idea with some paper secondary data will be used.

Canadian business law case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Canadian business law - Case Study Example of Chip operates on an equal bargaining power as the Axel company receiving his services (Government of Canada, 2014).Therefore, his new terms of work calls for autonomous management of his own affairs and complete independence in the execution of his duties as assigned by the company (Primerus, 2014). The Canadian Ministry of Labor provides policy guidelines for managing the aspects of independent contractors. The ministry, while offering protection for the rights of both employees and independent contractors, outrightly describes Chip’s situation differently. He ceased to have entitlement to benefits accruing to the company’s employees. From a critical viewpoint, Chip is no longer Axel’s employee, meaning that he does not have to be answerable to the company. He has no employment rights enshrined in the ESA as he had before going the independence way. Furthermore, he has no entitlement to equal treatment as other employees working under Axel. While coming to this new contract, Chip had made all considerations and come to a sober and an informed decision thereby foregoing all related employee benefits. Against the legal obligations of the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA), Chip faces two conflicting scenarios; he has fraudulently evaded tax and premium compliance by not informing the Workers Compensation scheme of the current changes in his work contract. According to the obligations of the CRA, Chip ought to commence remitting his own revenue billings, an obligation that he violated by not informing the relevant authorities of the changes in work contract. Moreover, no workplace insurance premiums get billed on the work as done by Chip. This scenario means that he fraudulently remains a beneficiary of the Axel’s employee schemes against the requirements besides signing a different work contract. As he drove out of Axel’s premises, Chip’s mandate was independent of Axel’s. He was absolutely out of duty as per the new work contract such that his

International marketing plan guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

International marketing plan guide - Essay Example However, understanding of the market conditions in Qatar for efficient service delivery and success of the marketing channels for use by the university is mandatory. This study aims at analyzing the international pricing that will fit the Qatar market to be adopted by Marywood University for success in accessing international students from Qatar. The different aspects of price will be used to analyze the qualities of the Qatar market to provide insight to effective pricing mechanism for the Qatar market. The high demand in Qatar results in low price sensitivity for established university institutions. However, for a new entrant in the market the prices have to conform to the levels of pricing to the Qatar market, owing to sensitivity to new universities in the region and the need for quality education (Ibp, 209). After some time, the prices can be adjusted upwards when Marywood University has established a high acceptance in Qatar and has convinced the public and the regulatory authorities of the quality of its programs both graduate and undergraduate. There are many substitutes for education in Qatar from both international and local universities and the pricing have to reflect the rates offered by the competition, if not better to allow for augmented market share (Ibp, 203). The most notable competition in Qatar is Qatar University offering both graduate and undergraduate programs. Therefore, using the prices offered at Qatar University, Marywood University should develop prices to meet these needs at a region of QAR 176,191. A high and continuously increasing demand for university education exists in Qatar owing to the few Qataris having attained high education levels to allow them to access jobs requiring high skills and understanding (Abougomaah, 67). There has been an increased need by the Qatar government to reverse the use of highly skilled expatriates resulting in high demand for education in Qatar. The current and expected future demand for

Locating Topics of Interests Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Locating Topics of Interests - Research Paper Example This paper will seek to develop eight topics based on virtual project management where it will locate peer-reviewed journals and annotate at least four of them. 2. The Journal of the American Medical Association A review of authors revealed that, conflicts of interests in matters concerning safety of vaccine research seem to have a place for authors withholding CO1s declaration. This journal modified part of its policies to make sure less transparency of CO1s investigations. This appeared so since the ties between the author and the manufacturers of the vaccine are pervasive. A review carried out by authors of vaccine safety articles shone light on this issue and published it on top journals making the claims as well as the ties invasive. In conclusion, this topic puts across that the safety of people should come before instilling experimentations in order to avoid side effects. 3. The scientific journal fall In this topic, the writer gave priority all editorial findings regarding di sputes between a vaccine produced by a particular vaccines manufacturer and the author who published the article. In this sense, professionals such as psychologists took this opportunity to clear any negative issues that could affect their profession. In conclusion, the topic describes the ties between the vaccine manufacturer and the author of the article as pervasive. 4. Virtual project management: The rise of internet The development of the internet and the rise of collaborative software as described in this except instilled a fresh dimension into management of projects. The recent literatures explored in this topic depict evaluation of virtual project management as well as virtual teams have received great influence from different technologies. Furthermore, the extent of development of technologies affect members in dispersed cites with their projects (Dunford, Doyle, & Doyle, 2011). This topic concludes by deducing that, besides the objective that communication channels have br ought about opportunities for members participation, it is still agreeable that it is hard to manage virtual teams than an on-site team. 5. Identification of virtual teams Definitions available in this literature explain that, a virtual project management involves systems whereby virtual teams join forces for a finite length of time with a specific goal. As this topic concludes, it explains that there is truth in the statement made by many that, with technology everything becomes new even it is old. Recently, technology led to enhanced possibility of enabling geographically dispersed employees to work on a similar project. Corporate structure within virtual enterprises and virtual companies weave the same related thread of thoughts into their telecommunication departments (Taylor, 2011). 6. Virtual teams in an organizational system Those promoting the concept of virtual teams assert that these teams are very advantageous. Upon conclusion, this topic makes it clear that, even though there no disputes, most of the literature expounding on such a topic focuses on team networking, and project teams either implicitly or explicitly. 7. Interests of virtual team management As opposed to just mere curiosity, virtual teams have drivers of leading interests in which they attract the best workers

Development of social development in a Steiner school and mainstream Literature review

Development of social development in a Steiner school and mainstream school - Literature review Example Rudolf believed that education should meet the changing need of a child and should polish his potential. It should develop all aspects of a child’s personality like his physical, mental and emotional. Mainstream schooling is a new concept in education. It is a school in which students with special needs are also taught in regular classes. In this special children are also taught with normal and average students. This is a combination of regular education with special education. In mainstream schooling children with mild to moderate disabilities are taught together with average children. A child with special needs who cannot function properly in regular classrooms is sent for special education environment. It is observed that educating disabled and non-disabled children together brings understanding and tolerance. In mainstream schooling system, students with disability have access to special education classroom which is known as â€Å"resource room or self-contained classroom†. In this room a student with any disability learns and clears his queries one on one with a teacher. This classroom has provided an important position and achievements in the result of this schooling system. (Gareth) It is mostly a primary or secondary class in a mainstream schooling. A mainstream class is classified as a mainstream class if it built to provide a special education or help to children. Mainstream classes are not integrated classes. They are not only built to provide help to special kids only. These classes provide the education to any child who need help and assessment. There is a certain difference between a mainstream schooling and special education which sometimes become confusion for people. A special education is a system of education exclusive for special kids with disabilities. The disability can be of any kind such as learning impairment, deaf, CP etc. In any disability there are levels of impairment. A

MIles Davis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MIles Davis - Essay Example Through his fight, he brought a wide range of stylistic innovations into jazz and becoming a very influential musician of the twentieth century and an iconic symbol in jazz music. Miles Davis was born in 1926 in Alton, Illinois, and from his very childhood he experienced prejudices and oppression, which then had a significant influence on both his personality and music. He got his first musical instrument from his uncle and received lessons from friends of his father. The latter was pro-African American activist, was actively involved in politics and, perhaps even unintentionally, instilled the sense of fight for equality into his children. When Davis’ family moved to a white community, the boy experienced hatred, violence and inequality not only in the streets but at school as well (Miles). In his autobiography, Miles, the musician mentions taking part in numerous musical competitions held at school and losing them to white peers. Such inequality had an important influence on Miles future career because, as he states in his book, â€Å"if I hadn’t met that prejudice I probably wouldn’t have has as much drive in my work† (12). 1944 was the year when Miles Davis emerged on the scene in New York for the first time. It was the time when revolution in jazz music was on its way. Davis participated in that revolution against racial injustice and commercialism in music; he was not a leader in it though. He spent that period of his career under the watchful eye of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker, who influenced his bebop style as he learned it by playing alongside with them. Davis worked with the Parker quintet, and that very period in his life appeared to be remarkable for his style as he perfected his performance and worked up his personal approach to play difficult rhythms and melodic lines (Miles). This period of his career can be called the romantic

White Collar Crime and Whistle Blowing in the USA Essay

White Collar Crime and Whistle Blowing in the USA - Essay Example Criminal behavior has been treated as both an individual or organizational propensity and as an event. Among the elements named to describe criminal behavior are inspiration as this is the will of one to stray, liberty from social restraints impunity connecting to losses, skill, and occasion (Ostrow, 2006). The factors may interrelate in several ways, but the part of occasion is central too much White Collar Crimes Chances have both personal and objective scopes. The last issue that must be clarified is that corruption, the procedure whereby specific activities, objects, and individuals come to be definite as criminal (Ostrow, 2006). This approach of the study focuses on the roots of White Collar Crimes laws in given examples, their identifications, and guidelines and on the examination, prosecution, and judgment of white-collar crimes. In a recent white-collar crime, two lawyers were charged together with a spouse of one of them as they acted as business partners. In the crime, they acted as business partners as they exploited every person that they could to defraud a program in Louisianan tax system where they intended to encourage expansion of the film industry. A federal prosecutor a New Orleans jury reported this. Michael Arata who is a defendant and a businessperson and a New Orleans lawyer reported a huge cost which were not honest to the state for rehabilitating a broken-down city house into a post-production facility so that they could obtain one million in tax credit. Through a mail, he joked to one of his friends on how he was charging bogus legal fee for fraudulent tax credits. Chendra Menon, the assistant United States Attorney, reported this to the jury. In the case, both Arata and those who produced the movie, Peter and Susan Hoffman were charged with conspiracy. In the case, the evidences, which wer e submitted, were those of mail

PERSUASIVE ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PERSUASIVE ANALYSIS - Essay Example The obvious solution to this paradox, according to Holcberg, is legalization and monetary recompense for donated organs. He rationalizes his solution by appealing to the reader's sense of logic by equating payment for organs "as a type of life insurance" and the fact that this would be "mutually advantageous" to both the family who "gets needed money" and the "transplant patient" who "gets a vital organ." Holcberg then broadens his line of reasoning to organ donation while living, as well as after death. He supports his logic with reference to authoritative figures such as the Mayo Clinic, wherein they claim that the "the extraction of a section of liver" is "less than1 percent" risk to "the donor's life," and the New England Journal of Medicine, which states that this risk "is even smaller." By referring to authority, the reader is more likely to agree, or to at least take notice of what Holcberg has to say. At this point in his article, Holcberg endeavors to attract both proponents and opponents of his appeal by referring to a number of contrary standpoints. For example, he mentions that "those who object to a free market in organs would deny" a father who "may decide that one of his kidneys is worth selling to pay for the best medical treatment available for his child the right to act on his own judgment." He further states, that although these same opponents claim that "poor people are incapable of making rational choices" the fact is that they "do have the capacity to reason, and should be free to exercise it." In taking this approach, Holcberg appeals to the idea of human rights and is more likely to gain the reader's attention and agreement. He retains this attention on human rights by stating that "if the law recognizes our right to give away an organ, it should also recognize our right to sell an organ."While continuing his negation of opposing views, Holcberg dismisses their co ncern for the possibility of people committing "murder to sell organs," as scaremongering and uses evocative words such as "financial lure" and "difficult-to-execute criminal action" to suggest that organ trade would decrease the number of murders. Holcberg's use of language here, successfully leads the reader to question the irrationality of such opposing views. Holcberg's final counterargument against opponents of organ trade donation is a rejection of their concern that organs would go to the wealthier rather than the more needy people. He asserts that people's lives will be damaged (a seller would not get "the best price for his organ" and a buyer would not be able to purchase "an organ to further his life.") by giving organs to the needy. He refers to "charity" for the needy and effectively gives himself the last word on the issue by stating that "a free market would enhance the ability" for the needy to obtain organs from such "charitable organizations," and thereby demonstrates how their views are either questionable or wrong. Finally, after finishing his negations, he stimulates the reader's sense of self-preservation by asking whether, "If your life depended on getting an organ wouldn't you be willing to pay for one" and "If you could find a

Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership Coursework

Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership - Coursework Example I understand your current dilemma, and I am glad that you are seeking further insight into the issue. The Kohlberg Model is of critical importance in this situation as it can help you analyze the level of ethics you should exhibit. Although the issue at hand deals with accepting a small gift from a customer, my advice to you will be applicable in other situations in the future. As an employee who has worked for the company for a long time, it is important to begin appreciating the universal ethical principle that Kohlberg described in stage 6 of his model. There is a need for an individual to examine any action in a categorical manner before proceeding with it (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013). When acting in conformity to this stage, an individual will be displaying moral maturity because he or she will do what is right not because they are afraid of punishment, but because they realize that it is the right thing to do. In your current situation, accepting a gift from a customer even if it is of a small value is a contravention of the company’s code of ethics. In additio n, universal business ethics do not promote such behavior. Therefore, I hope you will reconsider the company’s code of ethics as well as the universal ethical principles in your effort to exhibit ethical behavior in the current situation. Notably, if you act in accordance in accordance with the sixth stage of Kohlberg Model, you will realize that it will be much easier to make ethical decisions in the future (Klikauer,

Vodafone Case Essay Example for Free

Vodafone Case Essay The UK mobile telecommunications market is one of the most competitive in the world and, as a consequence, customer attrition or ’churn’ is high. In 2005, as part of a strategy to build on its market leadership, Vodafone UK began the quest for a competitor intelligence tool that would help its sales advisors reduce customer attrition and secure new sales. Vodafone wanted a service that would deliver timely, accurate information on the tariffs, deals and handsets being offered by its competitors to the employees that need it most the customer facing staff. After a rigorous analysis of competitor intelligence offerings from over a dozen providers, Vodafone UK selected CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢. The service delivers same day market tracking and analysis of key competitor information from other mobile operators, major retailers and mobile virtual network operators. Quarter by quarter reduction in churn Measurable improvements in conversion rates Integration with retention and sales strategy Easy deployment with minimal impact on IT/CRM systems Partnership approach to implementation and training The Challenge With thousands of tariff, handset and offer combinations available in the market, keeping contact centre advisors up to date can seem an impossible task. Vodafone UK recognised this challenge and identified that it required a competitor intelligence tool that would help it to retain existing contract customers, notably at time of contract renewal, and attract more new customers. The company had initially considered developing its own solution, but had soon found that this would have been excessively costly both in financial terms and in the amount of resource required and identified that this was not its core area of expertise. Vodafone UK also found that there was a dearth of competitor data that was comprehensive and accurate enough for advisors to rely on during high pressure customer negotiations. The company therefore sought a partner which understood the specific challenges of the mobile telecoms market and which could apply that expertise to the data it delivered. Business Objectives â€Å"This has been an excellent implementation for CInergy, and Vodafone’s innovation and dedication to the project has enabled it to achieve very good results from the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ system†. Brian Boroff, MD, CInergy International Vodafone UK’s brief was that it wanted to understand its competitive landscape more clearly, to enable it to respond swiftly and effectively to customer requests and to ensure that it had a clear picture of how its offers stacked up against the competition. Specifically, the company wanted this information to be available not just to the management and marketing functions, but directly to advisors in its contact centres who deal with customers day to day. The company also wanted a system that would not have major implications for its IT platforms and which could be integrated into the existing desktops used by contact centre advisors, complete with Vodafone corporate branding. Finally, Vodafone UK needed an exp ert in the field that could provide end to end support from designing the service, through to delivery, advisor training and rollout across the organisation. The Solution: CInergy AIâ„ ¢ CInergy had already developed its Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ (AIâ„ ¢) competitor intelligence platform for the mobile telecoms market at the time that Vodafone issued its RFP in 2005. By designing an appropriate interface and tailoring specific service modules to meet Vodafone’s needs, CInergy was able to meet the criteria detailed in the RFP and to deliver a fully working system in a very short timeframe. After a successful trial, the service was rolled out to the majority of Vodafone’s contact centre community around the UK during 2006. Key features of Vodafone UK’s implementation of CInergy’s AIâ„ ¢ include: Comprehensive tariff and promotion monitoring Handset / device tracking with up to date pricing from all major competitors On demand, side by side comparisons of different deals, tariffs and handset options Expert analysis and scripted points that enable Vodafone sales advisors to demonstrate ’why we’re better’ Fully branded interface to match Vodafone  UK’s Intranet Reliable, accurate data analysed by teams with mobile telecoms knowledge A hosted, secure platform Delivering Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ Vodafone and CInergy worked closely together to ensure that Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ would deliver optimum benefits in terms of improved customer retention and sales. This partnership approach has enabled Vodafone to achieve a swift return on its investment. The company has found that its levels of churn have decreased as more sales advisors become familiar with the system and are able to integrate the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ functionality and information into their acquisition and retention processes. CInergy supported Vodafone in the development and delivery of induction training on Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ for all contact centre advisors with access to the system. Now that the system is in use, short refresher sessions delivered in the weekly advisor meetings ensure that all advisors are kept up to date as new features are introduced. Since CInergy AIâ„ ¢ was launched in 2006, CInergy has worked with Vodafone to implement two major upgrades to the system, as well as providing regular enhancements to the interfaces, functionality and database content based on feedback from the advisors who use CInergy AIâ„ ¢every day. â€Å"Since we’ve started using the system, it has contributed to a fall in our churn rates quarter by quarter, ensuring we remain highly competitive in the UK market†. John Coulstock, Senior Manager, Vodafone UK The Results As John Coulstock, a senior manager at Vodafone, explains, â€Å"We launched Accelerated Intelligence in Q3 2006 and it is currently in use by a large number of our contact centre advisors. Since we’ve started using the system, it has contributed to a fall in our churn rates quarter by quarter, ensuring we remain highly competitive in the UK market. We’ve found that the more our agents use the system, the more sales they are able to close. The CInergy  AIâ„ ¢ application has become an integral part of our customer retention and sales strategy.† Vodafone has now renewed its contract with CInergy for an extended term. CInergy’s AIâ„ ¢ service has delivered a range of benefits to Vodafone including: A contribution to a reduction in contract churn since its launch in Q3 2006 Improvement in the rate of saves in consumer and enterprise customer bases Reduction in call handling time Increased ability to set deals in a market context leading to better acquisition performance Improvements in operational efficiency by eliminating onerous, manual data collection Improved reporting, trend prediction, forecasting and analysis Clear understanding of competitor offerings to improve key pricing messages in advertising, dealer negotiations and channel marketing CInergy AIâ„ ¢ Content Modules CInergys AIâ„ ¢ is a powerful platform which is modular to suit the needs of todays mobile operators: Tariff and price tracking Detailed handset and device information Channel specific deals and advertising Source: Vodafone KPIs, December 2007 CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ has contributed to a 18.6% reduction in churn since its launch in Q3 2006. As Brian Boroff, MD of CInergy concluded, â€Å"This has been an excellent implementation for CInergy, and Vodafone’s innovation and dedication to the project has enabled it to achieve very good results from the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ system.† Vodafone UK Contract Churn Within OneYear of CInegy Al Rollout About Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢(AIâ„ ¢) puts competitive information into the hands of customer facing teams, enabling them to counter competitive offers and achieve higher retention and sales performance. The service enables service providers to significantly improve the number of sales they  close in a single call, helping to drive down the cost of customer acquisition and retention as well as improving revenues. Accelerated Intelligence is proven in the UK mobile telecom space having worked with four of the UK’s main network operators, delivering an average incremental customer save rate of 1.59% and reduction in call handling time of 22 seconds. CInergy International was set up in 2003 to deliver customer acquisition and retention solutions to providers of mobile and fixed telecom, broadband and digital television services. â„ ¢ About Vodafone UK Vodafone UK has 18.4 million customers and is part of the worlds largest mobile community offering a wide range of voice and data communications. The company is committed to providing mobile solutions that allow both consumer and business customers to make the most of now. Vodafone customers can now use Internet on your Mobile to view and navigate web pages and their favourite sites such as YouTube, eBay and the BBC. In addition, Vodafone connects customers across the globe with roaming agreements worldwide. It provides 3G roaming in 29 countries and offers great roaming value with Vodafone Passport.

Personal Statement for Microbiology and Biotechnology Msc

Personal Statement for Microbiology and Biotechnology Msc Personal Statement for the MSc in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Microbiology and Biotechnology is one of the most rapidly growing fields within applied sciences, having applications from the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, through to the enhancement of food production. Due to the potential impact on human life, the importance of biotechnology is currently very high in both the public and scientific agendas. The main focus of the course will be on Bioprocess Design, Bioprocess Technology, Biotechnology Business and Industrial Microbiology which is designed to meet industrys growing demand for personnel with expertise in applied microbiology and biotechnology. Molecular biology, (molecular) genetics and bioinformatics form the backbone of Biotechnology, and different aspects of these feature in a number of modules in the course. A thorough understanding of the link between DNA, RNA and protein is pivotal. You will study gene expression and protein production and purification, and applications thereof in different biotechnological fields. In addition to developing subject-based expertise and skills, you will consider the many global issues associated with recent biotechnological advances. This course will give me the access to a field of study which will have a major impact in the future of science. The MSc Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology course in University of Westminster is specifically designed to expand our knowledge and insight in the science underpinning biotechnological principles. In addition, it will help me to apply those knowledge and skills in addressing specific biotechnological problems in the fields of animal, plant and microbial biotechnology. The course also will enhance my career opportunities in the biotechnological industries, enabling me to take full advantage of opportunities that will ensue from the expansion of this area and/or prepare me for further academic research. Why Microbiology Experts believe that one million people now suffer from food-borne illness in England and Wales alone. Worldwide, every minute six children die from the consumption of food and water contaminated with micro-organisms. Research into the bacteria and viruses that are responsible for food-borne illness is advancing rapidly, improving our understanding of the interaction of these bacteria with man, the environment, agriculture and food. As a consequence, there is now an urgent need for well-qualified graduates who can interpret these new advances and apply their knowledge in careers within the food industry, DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency, as well as in Local Government and hospital laboratories. A study of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae and protozoa) provides important insights into many of the fundamental problems in biology. Because of their ease of manipulation and rapid growth, such organisms are frequently used as experimental systems for research in biochemistry and molecular biology. Recent public concerns about microbial contamination of food and industrys growing interest in biotechnology have increased the demand for graduate microbiologists. The course at University of Westminster aims to provide you with the opportunity to gain a sound training in both the theoretical and practical aspects of this rapidly developing subject. Features of the MSc in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology programme include: a range of module choices to suit my subject interests different combinations of modules which qualify me for one of the named specialist awards placements in research labs and pharmaceutical companies both home and abroad research projects using state-of-the-art equipment a Graduate Development Programme which supports key skills and employability throughout the degree Why Biotechnology It is an exciting time to become involved in the biotechnology revolution. Humanity is faced with many challenges such as feeding expanding populations, global warming and providing for our energy needs while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, protecting the environment by preventing and cleaning up pollution, using the knowledge gained from the human genome project and other cutting edge research to further our understanding of disease and applying that knowledge to develop novel treatments and pharmaceuticals, improve industrial processes by engineering biology to do the chemistry. Biotechnology provides a tool box for tackling these challenges and in the next decade, as the pace of advances in biotechnology accelerates, the impact of biotechnology will be even greater, providing an abundance of unique opportunities to make new discoveries and introduce innovations improving the quality of peoples lives Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide, with revenue from public biotechnology companies surpassing US$70 billion in 2006. (Ernst Young, Global Biotechnology Report 2007) Over the past ten years, it is estimated that the number of people employed within the biotechnology industry has grown by over 90%. It is a dynamic industry that presents excellent opportunities to advance your career in a wide range of roles including academic research, industrial research and development, business management and development, sales and marketing, manufacturing and quality control and assurance. And the combination of Microbiology and Biotechnology The University of Westminster also provide the great opportunity to achieving the degree of Microbiology and Biotechnology both in a combination. The objective of the Master of Science in this course is to provide future biotechnologists with the skills and competencies needed today to design biotechnological research, implement biotechnological projects, and planning decision, create and apply research modalities to larger schemes set in large research projects in order to improve the health status and quality of life in developing countries like Bangladesh.

Environmental factors affecting the Starbucks company

Environmental factors affecting the Starbucks company The Starbucks is being affected by the environmental influences/factors and to analyze these influences, we need to apply the Pest Analysis and Michaels Porters Five Forces: PEST ANALYSIS1: POLITICAL2: The Starbucks business environment especially in Middle East and South Asia was changing rapidly and unpredictably towards worse for the company, due to the declaration of the war on Iraq in early 2003 by the United States. In July 2002, the Arab students called for a boycott of American goods and services, due to the close relationship between United States and Israel, caused the U.S Company Starbucks sales swift downwardly. Moreover, the Starbucks was boycotted at the top list due to Shultz close relationship to the Jewish Community and the rumours sponsoring the Jewish Community against the Palestine crisis. Thus, cause the Starbucks to closed down six stores in Israel for security threats. Starbucks had two class action suits pending since 2001. The lawsuits entitled Carr (Store Manager) and Sheilds (Assistant Manager) at California as exempt employees under California wage and hours laws. The Starbucks is ignoring all its liabilities in these cases, but the company has accepted to the settlement in regards to take care of all of the plaintiffs claims without involving in any protracted litigation. Starbucks is based on importing all their coffee beans, so other possible threat could be change in import laws, could affect the various areas of process and production for the company and could finally lead to change in price, which might impact the level of consumption or sales for the company. ECONOMICAL: The Starbucks also experienced the criticism from Non Government Organizations that wanted the company to get certified beans and those coffee beans should be grown and marketed under some economic and social conditions. In addition, the economic recession in European countries such as Switzerland, Germany, and Japan in the early 2000s and worldwide financial crisis affected the sales and revenue declining for the company. SOCIAL: In regard to the Starbucks Environment Mission Statement that Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business On the basis of their objective, the Starbucks has announced a list of principles that reflects the companys willingness to make sure its impact on the environment is positive as possible. These principles are: Understanding of environmental issues. Sharing information with our partners. Developing innovative and flexible solutions to bring about change. Striving to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products. Recognizing that fiscal responsibility is essential to our environmental future. Instilling environment responsibility as a corporate value. Measuring and monitoring our progress for each project and encouraging all partners to share in our mission. The above Environmental principle reflects that the company is more conscious and interested in utilizing their resources in regards to the friendly environment operations. TECHNOLOGICAL: The Starbuck, to earn the profit rapidly and serve more customers quickly rather than focusing on the quality enables the management to replace labour operated machine La Marzocco (which required baristas to grind press coffee for every cup) with the Verismo automatic machine (where the baristas work was reduced to pressing a button) and later baristas grinding complained of being de-skilled. Thus, the coffee quality result in poor coffee house experience, customer experience and overpriced coffee than competitors led existing and potential customers coming through its doors felt down rather than rising. Shultz to achieve the best result spend ten millions of dollars on new coffee machine namely Clover (for making brewed coffee that requires both more beans and more labour) and another machine namely Mastrena (smaller and prettier than the Verismo machine, for making espressos where baristas are still required to push a button for grinding and for each fresh cup of the coffee). The Starbucks needs to re-evaluate what the brand stands for, what it sells and what the consumer experience and values should be. MICHEAL PORTERS FIVE FORCES OF COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES3: THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS: Starbucks is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world operating about 40 countries in the world. The Starbucks key success is innovating, modernizing, aggressive store openings and strong product differentiation in the coffee industry that limits the new entrants entrance in the coffee industry. For instance, free Wi-fi access to enable customers to surf internet4, prepaid Starbucks card, card rewards and Starbucks gold card5 , improving its coffee line to offer smaller, cheaper cupsxiv w, using new technology that create one cup at a time individually so that the taste remains the freshxv. Whereas the Starbucks has the major threats from fast food chain like McDonalds, Burger Kings and Dunkin Donuts where the capital requirements are not the big problem could be the potential entrants. The economies of scale within coffee industry have risen as the size of fast food chains has varied. The fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger king, and Dunkin Donuts) have very low cost national distribution channels in comparison to the new entrants whose distribution system is not such developed. This group of fast food chain is able to maintain its economies of scale by negotiating long term contracts with farmer buying the coffee beans in the large quantities at discounted prices. There is various cost disadvantages for the new entrants. For instance, the stabilized company in the market tries to get the high quality coffee beans and for new entrants to access those distribution channels is very difficult. The favourable larger metropolitan store locations have already been occupied by the current specialty coffee industry (Adamy, Venti Changes at Starbucks, 2008). The specialty coffee company primary objective has entirely changed from their root direction and distinct in terms of taste of the coffee, stores availability everywhere and charging prices. Ambience of the store, social responsibility and brand identification are now the traits of the company. Due to these new traits the company have gained the loyal customers from their past experience, customer service and fulfilment of the objective i.e. product differentiation and aggressive opening of the store. Thus, all these factors make difficult for new entrants to gain customer loyalty (Gulati, 2007). To conclude, the threat of new entrants is low and barrier is high due to the no substantial capital requirement. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYTERS/CUSTOMERS: Starbucks set the price according to the purchasing power of its customer and the prices at their competitors coffee houses. At Starbucks the prices are not negotiable due to its high product differentiation, enormous selection of coffees, uniqueness and high quality perception perceived power. This is the reason the opportunity for the Starbucks may sell at higher prices (starbucks 2008 another file). Whereas, there is no switching cost to customers to switch due to enormous selection of coffee houses except the minor indirect cost and may take away the patrons from Starbucks. Secondly, the customers have the ability to make their own coffee and Starbucks is trying to remove this threat by offering directions on how to make the perfect brewed cup of Starbucks Coffee at home, known as the Four Fundamentals of Coffee (http://www.academicmind.com/unpublishedpapers/business/marketing/2002-04-000aag-catching-the-starbucks-fever.html) or (www.Starbucks.com) OR http://news.starbucks.com/about+starbucks/global-consumer-products/packaged-coffee-tea/how+to+brew+the+perfect+cup/. Starbucks 20% sales lowered by 2008 in the store located within surrounding area of mom-and-pops coffee store. (Review, Is Starbucks a Broken Brand? , 2008) (starbucks08full) Thus, it is clear that the customers bargaining power have been increased due to the availability of information in regards to market variables and Starbucks should focus on the product competition rather than focusing on the consumer demands to exist in market leadership (starbucks 2008 another file). BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS: The Starbucks being the world largest importer of the coffee beans may face the rise in prices of coffee beans due to the unmatched between the twin market forces i.e. high demand and low supply, overcrowded market and high quality coffee sought may result in favour of suppliers bargaining power. There is no substitute for the coffee beans that Starbucks may buy. For Starbucks, this is the huge threat because coffee quality sought by the Starbucks is high and previously Starbucks has paid premium on green coffee about $1.20 per pound (starbucks.com). In 2001, Starbucks announced coffee purchasing guidelines for suppliers, developed in partnership with The Centre for Environmental Leadership in Business (starbucks.com) and were based on the grounds of the quality baselines, environmental concerns, social conditions and economic issues. Recently in 2005, the company paid 23% more than the market price for the coffee xvii to abide by the rules and commitments in purchasing the Fair Trad e CertifiedTM Coffee (Farmers who sells the coffee are united by an initiative known as Fair Trade Certified Coffee, organized by the TransFair USA to assess the farmers are paid fairly for their crops and that has exert more bargaining power over the buyers). Thus, there are more substitutes available in the competitive saturated market for the coffee beans except the technological innovations (such as automated coffee machine, latte and espresso machines has more bargaining power) if Starbucks agrees to buy at different rates and this is true that the Starbucks power lies in the hand of the suppliers. THREAT OF SUBSITITUTES: The Starbucks has quite good range of competing substitutes in beverages and food product line like soda, juice, smoothies, fruit, beer, alcoholic drinks, burritos, sushi, burgers and snack food etc. It is necessary for the Starbucks to innovate and differentiate its coffee, beverage and food product line simultaneously in the competitive landscape. Whereas the majority of coffee consumer does not easily substitute away from coffee or coffee related beverages like blended drinks or espresso and the closest substitute of coffee is the tea which is being sold out by Starbucks under Tazo Tea Brand. Moreover, the Starbucks is offering its own branded coffee at many grocery stores locations to hedge the threat of substitutes. The recent study has shown the consumer preference that the beverages like carbonated soft drinks consumption has declined in contrast to the coffee. This gradually gained preference over carbonated soft drinks shows the health concerns and coffee is healthier choice (Harding, 2000). To conclude, Starbucks focus on fresh and tastier baked goods and Starbucks does not need to diversify its food selection as its enough to satisfy the customers (starbucks 2008 another). COMPETATIVE RIVALRY: Porters first force that Porter describes is current rivalry among existing firms. In the specialty eateries industry, Starbucks current and direct U.S competitors are Diedrich Coffee, Seattles Best Coffee, and Einstein/Noah Bagel Corporation (hoovers.com). The competition, however, is not equally balanced. Diedrich Coffee operates 370 coffeehouses in 37 states and 11 countries (hoovers.com). Seattles Best Coffee operates 160 coffee cafes and 20 Italian coffee cafes in 17 states and 8 countries (hoovers.com). Einstein/Noah Bagel Corporation operates 460 bagel cafes in the U.S (hoovers.com). Starbucks has 4,709 locations in over 20 countries (hoovers.com). It is clear that Starbucks has few major competitors, and the competition has nowhere Starbucks volume of operations. Starbucks is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Smaller competitors, however, pose potential threats to the company. For example, the average Starbucks location draws on a popul ation base of 200,000 (msn.com). In San Francisco and Seattle, Starbucks draws on population bases between 17,000 and 19,000 (msn.com). In cities where Starbucks does not draw on small population bases, smaller competitors can attract some of Starbucks 200,000 person population base. A slowing industry market growth is another threat facing Starbucks. According to the market research firm Allegra, compound market growth between 1997 and 2001 was 57% (hoovers.com). From 2002 to December 2004, the market it estimated to grow 14%. (hoovers.com). Competitors are selling similar products, including specialty coffees as well as high quality foods. In this slowing market, competition is high.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Other coffee chains. Examples include Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, Gloria Jeans Coffee, Peets, and San Francisco Coffee House à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Smaller privately owned coffee houses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Secondary coffee providers. Examples include McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts As the specialty beverage industry only grows more competitive, Starbucks dominant positioning with a large market share is continuously under pressure. Since its inception, Starbucks has stimulated the overall market, creating a positive spill over effect that increased the demand for quality coffee beverages. Therefore, even though Starbucks has rapidly expanded, so have local coffeehouses and momà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ pop stores. Thus, elasticity has increased with the variety of substitutes available to consumers offering the same product: premium coffee, friendly staff, and a comfortable milieu. For this reason, recent trends indicate industry stagnation within the domestic market as coffeehouses are now ubiquitous. Though the trend has peaked domestically, coffee and coffeehouses are still ingrained in the American culture leaving this market profitable. Fragmented rivalry is due to the nature of the industry, which is split between national, regional, and local competitors domestically and abroad. Within the U.S., key national competitors include Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and other fast food chains sprucing up and diversifying their beverage menu. However, the targeted customer base differs as Starbucks caters to highà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ end customers with its gourmet drinks. Nonetheless, the Starbucks Corporation must be conscious of its price point, so as not to exclude too many potential patrons. Regionally, the industry may be divided as follows among top rivals: West coast: Coffee Bean Tea Leaf and Peets Coffee and Tea Midwest: Caribou Coffee and Panera East coast: Tim Hortons These companies are better direct competitors to Starbucks than the national fast food chains as they appeal to the same consumer base and offer similar product selections. Caribou Coffee is the second largest corporation within the domestic specialty beverage industry. However, as of September 30, 2007 Starbucks operated 6,793 stores domestically and 1,712 stores internationally while Caribou Coffee operated 447 stores domestically and 17 internationallyxi. Lastly, local competitors such as siteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ specific proprietorships and momà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ pop coffeehouses vie with Starbucks as well. While they are not threats to general empire Starbucks has created, they do reduce profit margins as they appeal to many coffee drinkers with their more personal character. These smaller proprietorships are Starbucks greatest competitor abroad, which is Harkness Consulting 6 why recent expansion plans have focused on capturing international markets. Clearly, there are a large number of rivals within the specialty beverage industry creating a rather competitive landscape. Customers do not incur a monetary switching cost in the specialty beverage industry; nonetheless, an emotional attachment to image and reputation keep them loyal to certain brand names. Even though only a superficial difference exists between coffeehouses, firms differentiate their products to capture customers from rival brands. The Starbucks name has acquired a significant status and has ranked as one of the most influential brand names in the American culture. With its wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ trained baristas, comfortable atmosphere, and quick service, Starbucks has incorporated important characteristics appealing to customers. In the Starbucks business model, customers are more important than product. However, even though Starbucks is able to sell its goods at a higher price point, it must be conscious of the elastic market. For example, after increases in dairy costs -an input good every coffeehouse model- Starbucks stores felt the need to announce the reason for price increases so a s not to shock customers. The company informed its customers of the pricing discrepancy because it did not want to lose their future patronage due to the economic circumstances at the time. This example illustrates the point that even though Starbucks has brand name loyalty, the company is still susceptible to the elastic nature of the market. Starbucks is able to remain competitive within the market due to its sheer size and business model. As Starbucks takes advantage of economies of scale and scope, it follows a different cost structure than other corporations in the market. First, Starbucks pays less for the products it is able to buy in bulk such as dairy goods, syrups, paper goods, etcxii. For this reason, the company reaps higher margins with its specialty drinks, which also help differentiate itself from other coffeehouses. As customers know they can customize their drinks and the quality of the drink is guaranteed based upon reputation, Starbucks is always in their evoke set. Next, as no cooperative pricing exists in this industry, Starbucks prices its drinks based upon the elasticity of its target customer. Appealing to conspicuous consumption, Starbucks prices are higher than its competitors, lending toward its high trend status. Last, Starbucks is able to differentiate itself due to its commitment to reduce its environmental impact. Again, its size enables the company to seek, incorporate and market these environmentally friendly endeavors. For example, the company replaced cups and cup sleeves with ones that used postà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ consumer recycled materialsxiii. Also, Starbucks adheres to purchasing guidelines, The Commitment to Origins, which promote economic transparency in not only buying the best coffee, but also at premium prices to help farmers. These practices further differentiate Starbucks from many of its competitors. The dynamics of the industry rivalry within the specialty coffee industry has changed dramatically since 1987. Unlike the early days of the specialty coffee industry when Starbucks competed primarily against other small-scale specialty coffee retailers they now compete against companies of varying sizes and different exposures to specialty coffee. Starbucks competes with a variety of smaller scale specialty coffee shops, mostly concentrated in different regions of the country. All of these specialty coffee chains are differentiated from Starbucks in one way or another. Caribou Coffee is a Minneapolis-based specialty coffee chain that competes with Starbucks. They are similar to Starbucks in their attempt to create a third-place but distinguish themselves by creating an entirely different atmosphere. Where Starbucks strives to create an upscale European atmosphere, Caribou coffee tries to implement a more American feel to their coffee houses. They do this by modeling their coffee houses after rustic Alaskan lodges. (Quelch, 2006) Often they will use knotty pine cabinetry, numerous fireplaces and soft seating. Also they offer a barrage of magazines and newspapers as well as the guarantee of speedy service and free refills. In addition, they offer free WiFi, drive through accessibility and meeting rooms for rent. Founded in 1992, Caribou coffee now operates roughly 500 stores, employs over 6000 people and grosses roughly $230 million in revenue a year. (Caribou Coffee, 2008) A Canadian-based company, A.L. Van Houtte, operates roughly 100 corporate out lets and franchises, serving nearly 3 million cups of coffee per day. Through their subsidiary VKI technologies, they have become the world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of coffee making equipment and related products. They also operate the largest coffee services network in North America serving roughly 71,000 different workplaces in major cities throughout the United States. (A.L. Van Houtte, 2005) As the original inspiration for Starbucks, Peets Coffee and Tea Company which originated in Berkeley, California still poses a serious competitive threat. The three founders of Starbucks purchased Peets Coffee and Tea Company in 1984 from Alfred Peet and later sold the assets of Starbucks to the now CEO, Howard Schultz. Although much slower to expand than Starbucks, in fact, ironically Schultz originally separated from the then owners of Starbucks, later purchasing the company from them because he could not persuade them to undertake an aggressive expansion, Peets has recently opened a new roasting plant in Alameda, California which will enable them to double their current annual sales of $250 million. They currently operate 166 stores in the US and have recently moved into the Seattle metropolitan area, home of Starbucks headquarters and the original Starbucks store. (Peets Coffee Tea, 2008) In 2007, the three Peets locations in the Seattle metropolitan area outperformed all Starbucks stores in the nearby vicinity in same-store sales, store revenue and total customer receipts per store. Peets strategy is to differentiate themselves from Starbucks by creating a super premium brand by offering the freshest coffee in the market. They ensure the freshness of their coffee by delivering roasted to order coffee, which involves roasting small batches of coffee and shipping them to the retail shops within 24 hours of roasting. (Review, Despite Growth, Starbucks Cant Dislodge Local Rivals, 2007) In addition to these smaller scale specialty coffee companies, Starbucks must now compete against two of the largest companies in the fast food industry who have recently entered the specialty coffee segment. The first of these competitors is Dunkin Donuts, who claims to be the worlds largest coffee and baked goods chain. Currently, Dunkin Donuts operates about 5,500 franchises around the United States, 80 stores in Canada and 1,850 throughout the rest of the world. Dunkin Donuts had revenues of roughly $5 billion in 2007. In the past couple years the franchise has put enormous emphasis on their coffee beverages. They serve coffee beverages in an assortment of types and styles including espresso, cappuccino and latte. They also serve their coffee in an assortment of flavors including French Vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon and numerous others. When 37 Starbucks recently temporarily shut down 7,100 of their stores to retrain their baristas, Dunkin Donuts responded by extending their hours of operation and offering small lattes, cappuccinos and espresso drinks for $.99. (Adamy, Starbucks Upgrades Espresso Machines, 2007) The largest industry rival currently facing Starbucks is the McDonalds restaurant fast food chain. McDonalds originated from a single San Bernardino, California hamburger stand, which opened in 1948, and has turned into what is now the worlds largest restaurant chain with over 14,000 restaurants in the United States alone and gross revenues in excess of $22 billion. The key to McDonalds success has been the consistent quality standards they achieve for their food, coupled with their quick service and low prices. (Adamy, McDonalds Takes on Starbucks, 2008) 10 years ago Starbucks and McDonalds were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum in the restaurant industry. However, McDonalds, encouraged by the success of it s upgraded drip coffee, began testing numerous drinks sold under the name McCafe. Starbucks meanwhile, with its rapid expansion, was adding drive-through windows and numerous breakfast sandwiches, similar to the Egg McMuffins served at McDonalds, to their stores. These measures have drawn the two companies closer together as competitors due to an encroachment into the demographic consumer base made by each company. (Review, Is Starbucks a Broken Brand? , 2008) The McCafe, first conceptualized in Australia during 1993, was brought to the United States in 2001. The concept took a quarter of the typical McDonalds restaurant and added leather couches and a decorative counter on which cappuccinos and sweets were sold. The McCafes did not take hold initially, not making it past their first trial 38 period, primarily due to the poor conditions of the stores in which they were placed. Now, seven years later, McDonalds has invested $700 million in its plan to win strategy, initiated in 2003, which has led to the remodel of thousands of US locations. The project has led to the gutting of many dilapidated franchises by tearing out the molded plastic booths and replacing them with extra large leather chairs. The company has also improved the ambience and atmosphere in many stores by replacing the bright color schemes with more contemporary muted tones and softer lighting. (Adamy, McDonalds Takes on Starbucks, 2008) With a rejuvenated brand image, McDonalds is preparing for the biggest addition to its menu in 30 years. The company will be installing coffee bars along with baristas who will serve cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and the Frappe, a knockoff of the Starbucks ice blended Frappuccino, throughout 2008 and into the beginning of 2009. The initiative is expected to add $1 billion to McDonalds annual sales. McDonalds, which has never displayed food assembly devices, will place the Espresso machines at the front counters in an attempt to engage their customers with the theatrics involved in creating mochas and frappes. Unlike Starbucks, the baristas at McDonalds will not steam pitchers of milk and combine them with shots of espresso but rather will wait for a single machine to make all components of each drink. The competitive threat posed by McDonalds can be summarized by referring to the February 2008 edition of the Consumer Reports magazine, which rated the McDonalds drip coffee as better tasting than Starbucks. (Adamy, McDonalds Takes on Starbucks, 2008) The specialty coffee industry has experienced explosive growth over the past 20 years. As a consequence, many companies have recognized the potential for profit and 39 have tried to capitalize by entering the industry. This has resulted in a drastic increase in competition within the specialty coffee industry. The diversity among these competitors still remains very high but the grounds on which companies are differentiating themselves are changing. As larger and larger companies enter the industry the strategic stakes become higher, pushing some companies such as Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds to differentiate themselves through price superiority. (Adamy, At Starbucks, Too Many, Too Quick? , 2007) In summary, the current impact of the industry rivalry force created by the competition between specialty coffee retailers is very high, especially as contrasted to what it was at the time of Starbucks rapid expansion twenty years ago. The growth of the industry has slowed while the number of competitors within the industry has increased. Both of these factors, in addition to Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds high strategic stakes in the specialty coffee industry , have caused this change from weak to strong industry rivalry. The Starbucks is being affected by the following environmental influences/factors: Customers: Nowadays customers are more fastidious about their needs, requirements, experience and taste. The Starbuck, to earn the profit rapidly and serve more customers quickly rather than focusing on the quality enables the management to replace labour operated machine La Marzocco (which required baristas to grind press coffee for every cup) with the Verismo automatic machine (where the baristas work was reduced to pressing a button) and later baristas grinding complained of being de-skilled. Thus, the coffee quality result in poor coffee house experience, customer experience and overpriced coffee than competitors led existing and potential customers coming through its doors was falling rather than rising. The Starbucks needs to re-evaluate what the brand stands for, what it sells and what the consumer experience and values should be. Competitors: The competitors like McDoanlds and Dunkin Donuts both harmed the Starbucks deliberately by running the websites like dunkingbeatsstarbucks.com and unsnobbycoffee.com to draw the more customers by selling good coffee. Most of the people visited the website and soon Starbucks led to the caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Declining Sales: Economic Crisis: The Starbucks stock price drop to $7 a share and most of its stores in Australia faced closure and thousands of jobs were lost. B. C.

How Do You Spell Capital Punishment? M-U-R-D-E-R :: Against Death Penalty Essays

Capital punishment should be illegal. There are many reasons, but the biggest reasons are, that it is the same as murder, and it is a painful process. Finally, capital punishment can be used as a way of suicide, and corrupt police can get easy possession of the injection to kill an individual. Capital punishment is the same as murder. For example, if an individual person is to kill a murderer for the death of another person who is close to them, it would be considered murder. With capital punishment the authorities are able to execute a murderer. As well with capital punishment it is legal to use lethal injection, but only for authorities and authorities are the only people who have the right to access the injection. Finally murder is defined as killing someone intentionally (Lloyd Duhaime Paragraph 1). Capital punishment is killing someone intentionally. Therefore by someone killing someone intentionally it is the same as murder, and therefore capital punishment is murder. Killing someone with capital punishment is painful. Killing someone with the lethal injection can take a long time 7-11 minutes on average (Wikipedia Section 7.2 Paragraph 6). For example, the founder of the Crips gang, Tookie Williams, got executed by lethal injection; his death took twenty minutes (Wikipedia Section 5.5 Paragraph 5). As the person is dying from the injection, the person’s lungs stop functioning properly, and this causes the individual to suffocate to death (Dr. Edward Brunner Paragraph 17). Also, emotionally and mentally, this is very painful because the person knows that death is coming, and the person knows that there isn’t any way of controlling it. Also, another part that is painful about capital punishment is, the individual’s family and friends will know that there is going to be a loss of a family member or friend. In addition the person gets sentenced to death row months before being executed, making it painful mentally and emot ionally well before hand. People can use capital punishment as a way of suicide; as well police can abuse power. For example, recently there was a case in Florida where the police entered the home of a man, and executed the man with a gun (Sateesh Rogers Paragraph 2). If an officer is capable of killing a person with a gun, then the officer could kill someone with a lethal injection.

Sarah, the Evil Mistress Essay -- Essays Papers

Sarah, the Evil Mistress Although Hagar flaunts her pregnancy with Abraham in the face of Sarah who is barren, Sarah is ultimately responsible for generating trouble in Abraham’s household. Through Sarah’s decision to give Hagar to Abraham, Sarah’s jealousy and anger towards Hagar’s reaction to conception, and also Sarah’s harsh treatment of Hagar, we are able to understand why Sarah is truly the one accountable for the negative circumstances throughout her relationship with Hagar. Initially, in Genesis 11:30 we feel remorse for Sarai in her barrenness. Repeatedly it is expressed that Sarai is barren. Sharon Jeansonne explains, â€Å"Indeed, Sarai’s childlessness is predominant in most of the scenes that concern her† (15). Sarai’s inadequacy is stated repetitively because at this time, a woman was considered worthless if she could not conceive children and bear her husband offspring. Knowing the importance of progeny, Sarai attempts to fulfill her dreams of having a son for Abraham. Prior to informing the reader of Sarai’s plans, it is stated that she and Abram have lived in Canaan for ten years now without her giving him a child. She is now finally doing something about the issue (19). She decides that she should have a son through her maidservant Hagar. In Genesis 16:2 it reads, â€Å"And Sarai said to Abraham, ‘Look, the Lord has kept me from bearing. Consort with my maid; perhaps I shall have a son through her.’ An d Abram heeds Sarai’s request† (Berlin and Brettler). Through this verse it becomes unmistakable that the entire plan is Sarai’s and Abram simply obeys while Hagar is given no choice (Tikva Frymer-Kensky 226). The practice of having a maid give birth in place of another woman was common, yet it seems as though Sarai di... ...this through her initiative to have Hagar as a surrogate mother, her immediate jealousy, her harsh treatment of Hagar, her selfishness, and her continual dissatisfaction until Hagar and Ishmael were removed from her household once and for all. Works Cited - Berlin, Adele, and Brettler, Marc Zvi. The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. - Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible. New York: Shocken Books, 2002. - Jeansonne, Sharon Pace. The Women of Genesis. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1990. - Rulon-Miller, Nina. â€Å"Hagar: A Woman with an Attitude.† The World of Genesis: Persons, Places, Perspectives. Ed. Philip R. Davies and David J. A. Clines. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998. - Wiesel, Elie. Wise Men and Their Tales. â€Å"Ishmael and Hagar.† New York: Random House Inc., 2003.

Freight Market Equilibrium Theory :: essays research papers fc

Freight Market Equilibrium Theory An amazing assortment of goods are moved over the worlds ocean trade routes. Of necessity, the carriers charge for the service they render. These charges vary almost as widely as do the cargoes, for they mirror both the shipowner’s costs and the special conditions prevailing on the trade routes traversed by the ships. Ocean freight rates may be described as the prices charged for the services of water carriers. Each ship operator develops it’s own rates, usually without consultation with the shippers. The charges reflect the cost of providing the carriage, the value of this service to the owner of the goods, the ability of the merchandise to support the expense of transportation, and economic conditions in general. Freight rates truly reflect the working of the laws of supply and demand. In tramp shipping, particularly, it is possible to observe how these factors influence the rise or fall of freight rates from day to day and from cargo to cargo. Tramp ships transport, in shipload (or â€Å"full cargo†) lots, commodities which, like coal, grain, ore, and phosphate rock, can be moved in bulk. The fact that usually only one shipper and one commodity are involved simplifies the establishment of a freight rate for this particular movement. To the capital charges of ownership and the expense of administration and overhead must be added the cost of running the ship, handling the cargo, and paying port fees and harbor dues. Against this total is set the number of tons to be hauled, and the resultant figure is what the tramp must charge, per ton of cargo loaded, to break even on the contemplated voyage. If competitive conditions permit, a margin for profit will form part of the quoted rate. If however the prevailing economic climate is unfavorable, the owner has the privilege of retiring the ship to a quit backwater, there to wait until the financial skies are brighter. The tramp operator does not depend upon the longterm goodwill of the shippers, but is free to accept those offers which appear profitable at the moment. When adversity threatens, those charters are accepted which minimize anticipated losses. If there is a choice, the cost of temporary lay-up is contrasted with the loss which continued operation might produce, and the less expensive alternative is selected in a bow to the inevitable made with whatever grace that can be mustered.

Nutritious Eating Habits

1/ I think one of the social criticisms of marketing’s impacts on individual consumers is the price. Because of the expensive costs of developing such as â€Å"long lead times, the need to enlist the help of nutritional experts around the world, and the need to develop products that appeal to the local population’s tastes† (598) Vitango and Nutristar have high price that is out of reach of people in those poor target countries such as Botswana and Venezuela. Moreover, fortified products are also criticized for containing large amount of harmful substance such as fat and sugar that could lead to obesity.  For example, high consumption of Nutristar when combined with McDonald can cause health issues to its customers as those products contain a large amount of fat, sugar, salt and cholesterol. 2/ In my opinion, political power is a social criticism of marketing’s impacts on society. Big companies want to promote and protect their interests. As a result, they don’t want to lose profit if they offer the product at a reasonable price, so Coca Cola and P&G want to work with the governments for favorable tax and tariffs. However, either those companies are distrusted or those governments either cannot afford or don’t have sufficient resources to educate their people about fortified food, makes those companies seek for help from non-profit organizations such as GAIN to help lobby for lower tax rates and promote their products by giving those governments money to create more demands. Although fortified food is promoted to deal with deficient nutrient, they cannot completely stop malnutrition; as a result, they create false wants for people in those countries. Through non-profit organization, big companies educate target population about fortifies food and other beverage drinks, but not educating people about nutritious eating habits which is the real needs for those countries. Nutristar sold with McDonald’s happy meals does not help fight nutrition deficient, but it creates worse eating habit with fast food, which can lead to obesity or other health problem. 3/ Products such as Vitango and Nutristar are not considered enlightened marketing.  First, those products ignore societal marketing, they see societal problems such as starvation or political corruption in poor countries as opportunities to promote and sell their products. Instead of educating people in those countries about nutritious food, those companies try to promote their products’ benefits. Vitango and Nutristar are pleasing products which deals temporarily with nutrition deficiency; but in the long run, it can stop malnutrition. When customers depend on supplement products, their interests such as health are affected. In addition, many big companies place its mission in products and profits over broad social terms. In Vitango and Nutristar case; such fortified products is to create an image of the company in order to earn the market and increase profits by selling other products such as snack or juices in the future. 4/ In my opinion, the development and marketing of fortified products are unethical. As discussed above, the development and launching of fortified products are just a small part of a bigger marketing plan. First, those companies try to allure people in poor countries by helping them deal with nutrition deficiency with fortified products, but that is just the base to selling other products. Besides, through non-profit organizations, they educate those people about their products’ values rather than educate them about the need of nutritious eating habits. Secondly, through funding and lobbying with the local governments, those companies can have influence over the market and the governments that could lead to many serious problems in politic. 4/ In my opinion, in order to succeed with product such as Vitango, Coca Cola must consider many factors beside the price. First, in poor countries where malnutrition is a major concern, it must place societal missions ahead by helping non-profit organizations educate people about the needs of nutritious eating. Besides, they should educate people about fortified food as a supplement, not a substitute against nutrition deficiency. Last but not least, Coca Cola has to find a solution for the price problem; they have to adjust the price, so Vitango is purchasable in poor countries. When the product is accepted and well-know, the company can earn a lot of profits without conducting unethical actions. Another thought about the case, although Vitango and Nutristar are criticized because of many ethical issues, I think that is a trade-off. To satisfy stockholder’s expectations, those companies always have to find a way to maximize profits, and that profits have to be traded with some critics. From the corporate viewpoint, those critics may not cost the company a lot, so there is no reason they would not conduct such negligent actions.

Lan Based Time Keeping & Payrol System Ama Computer

Integrated Sales and Stocks Inventory System for Farmacia San Jose III. Area of Investigation: At present property professionals and commercial businesses are having difficulties in practicing the old and traditional format of sales and stocks inventory. Basically all proprietors follows the same procedure where in transactions are done through manual. IV. Reasons for the Choice: Since sales and stocks inventory is seen as the main core and repository of records related to the entire business transactions.The proprietors wish to have a remote access on their inventory. The proposed system will enable to automate the existing workflow and reduce turn-around time. The digitization of sales inventory will provide a secure storage, fast and easy withdrawal/retrieval of record and information. V. Importance of the Study: Manual handling of transactions is common to some of the businesses and this is what we hope to change. This study will simplify the work flow and will greatly succor the owner in business inventory. VI. Target users and Beneficiaries:The target users and beneficiaries of the proposed system is the owner of the business, employers and their customers. VII. Software development Tools: The proponents have chosen Microsoft Visual Basic 6. 0 for creating system and Microsoft Access to be used as the main database to make the system more efficient, accurate, reliable and easy to use.Approved By: _____________________________ Mr. Brian Andrew S. Gonzales Adviser ———————– COMPUTER COLLEGE OF MALOLOS COLLEGE OF COMPUTER STUDIES COMPUTER COLLEGE OF MALOLOS COLLEGE OF COMPUTER STUDIES

Decision Making Essay

Managers run organizations by the decisions they make on a daily basis. The quality of these decisions, to a smaller or greater degree, impacts the success or failure of an organization. Managers encounter challenges and opportunities every day. Some situations require actions that are very straightforward; others, not so simple. Some decisions need to be made right away, while others take a long period of time to be made. Decision making can be challenging, and it’s important we understand why. In this paper, we will cover the main characteristics of managerial decisions, the stages of decision making, and the tools a manager has to achieve efficient decision making in a challenging and uncertain work environment. Characteristics of Managerial Decisions Structure: For most routine decisions, there is a determined procedure, or structure, that helps managers solve a problem. If it’s a routine problem, then they have standard responses. In these situations, managers only have to implement previously stated solutions, from past experiences in the organization. Unfortunately, not all decisions are programmed. New problems arise all the time in an organization, and that’s when managers have to get creative to solve them. Past experience helps, so does intuition, but the decision maker, in this case, has to create, or rely on a method for making the decision. In this case, there’s no standard response. Uncertainty and Risk: As Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn (1994) point out, problem solving decisions in organizations are typically made under three different conditions or environments: certainty, risk, and uncertainty. When information is sufficient, and outcomes of decisions are predictable, you are working in an environment of certainty. However, for most important decisions, uncertainty is to be expected. Uncertainty exists when a manager doesn’t have enough information to assign probabilities to the consequences of different possible decisions. A manager might have a good guess, or opinion, but doesn’t know for sure if something will or won’t happen. Whenever there’s uncertainty, and something to lose, then there’s risk. Risk isn’t a bad thing; it’s just the fact that comes with any managerial decision. Choosing one alternative over another can imply losing time, or money, so every decision entails risk. Managers have to be aware that with their decisions they manage risk. With good planning and problem resolution, risk can be minimized and controlled. Contending Interests: J. Davids (2012) talks about decisions that affect people with contending interests. An example of this is a CFO who argues in favor of increasing long-term debt to finance a purchase. On the other hand, the CEO wants to minimize long-term debt and find the funds somewhere else. In another example, a marketing department wants more product lines to sell, the engineers want higher quality of products, and the production manager wants less variety of products to lower costs. In these situations, it’s up to the decision maker to fashion a workable decision that reflects an appreciation of all these antagonizing point of views. If a key player’s perspective isn’t taken into consideration, and the manager pushes forward in the decision process, the outcomes will probably not satisfy the decision makers’ plans. There are different approaches to managing participation of multiple players that we’ll touch on a bit later. Stages of Decision Making Situation: The first step in the decision making process is knowing the situation. This means, recognizing a problematic situation that exists, and must be fixed. This usually implies comparing things the way they are now, to what they should be. An example of this is comparing the actual expenses to the budgeted expenses. Another example is looking at this quarter’s sales, and comparing them to the previous quarter. The problem that needs to be solved is usually an opportunity that managers seek to take advantage of. Bowen, Lewicki, Hall, Hall (1997) present an interesting approach of looking at a problem. It’s a technique referred to as â€Å"framing† or â€Å"reframing†. There are four essential perspectives of organization and management theory that help us define a situation. * Structural.  This perspective deals with the activities, functions assignments, tasks and so forth. It’s basically who does what and who reports to whom. * Human. This point of view looks at issues of how people and organizations relate, how organizations satisfy people’s needs, provide meaningful work, productivity, and relationships in the organization. * Political. This frame of mind looks at the organization as a system with shifting bases of power, and conflicts between different groups fighting for limited resources. * Symbolic. The symbolic frame references the culture of the organization, made up by ceremonies, rites, stories, and so on. When dealing with a problem difficult to resolve, the manager can look at it, and use these different vantage points. This will help see the problem from a new perspective, and define the situation with a different understanding, and meaning of the problem. Options: Bateman and Snell (2011) refer to this stage in the decision making process, as â€Å"generating and evaluating alternative solutions†. What they mean by this is, once the problem is defined, the manager, or decision maker, has to develop different courses of action aimed at solving the problem. Solutions might be found by using similar tactics used in previous problems. Custom made solutions are the other option. These take creativity and probably more resources. This step is key in the decision making process. Many times managers don’t take the time to brainstorm and come up with alternatives. In a hypothetical situation where the decision maker is trying to improve the organization’s bottom line, there are many options. You can increase prices to improve margin, advertise your products’ quality to increase sales, drop prices to increase sales, open new service lines that will give you higher participation in the market, just to name a few. The point is: it’s important for the manager to take his time and consider all the options. Once managers have different options, they have to evaluate them, and come up with the best one. The best way of evaluating the options is measuring the consequences of the different alternatives. Measures such as lower costs, higher market share, bigger bottom line, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, just to name a few. Ethical aspects of decision making should also be considered in this step. Richard Ritti and Steve Levy (2010) combine what we previously mentioned about certainty, risk, and uncertainty, with alternative decisions. We can have an alternative solution that implies increasing production of a service line by 15%, but based on the uncertainty of the environment, we have a decrease in the demand by 20%. This, in retrospect would be a bad choice. What I mean by this is, not all results can be predicted with perfect precision. In an uncertain environment, what decision makers have to consider, is creating contingency plans. These are plans that will be implemented if the future develops differently than what expected. Choose: Once you’ve generated different options, and evaluated them, it’s time to choose which one is best. The manager must have an assertive attitude, and not over think the decision. Once the decision maker has all the information he’s going to have, he just has to take the leap and make the decision. Bateman and Snell (2011) bring in a few interesting concepts to this decision making step. These steps are maximizing, satisficing, and optimizing. * Maximizing: Maximize means, to make the most out of something, in this case, the decision. Maximizing requires looking carefully for a complete variety of alternatives, evaluating them, and then choosing the best. Maximizing is the better strategy for important decisions. Managers that are maximizers, plan systematically in solving problems, and their high expectations of quality drives them to achieve great results. * Satisficing: Satisficing is choosing the first satisfactory option, rather than looking for the optimal decision alternative. This concept was originally referred to by Herbert Simon (1947). He stated: â€Å"Most human decision making, whether individual or organizational, is concerned with the discovery and selection of satisfactory alternatives; only in exceptional cases is it concerned with the discovery and selection of optimal decisions. When managers make decisions, many times they are facing limitations, such as time barriers, unavailability of information, and other situations that make finding the optimal option impossible. When the decision isn’t of great importance, satisficing could be the optimal approach. * Optimizing: Managers have to balance their decisions. Since there are contending interests in many of the imp ortant decisions in the organization, managers have to find an alternative that meets multiple criteria, and achieves the organization’s goals. Act:  Once the problem has been recognized, alternatives generated and evaluated, and the choice has been made, someone has to act. Also known as the implementation process, managers have to plan it vigilantly. Sometimes there’s a â€Å"disconnect† between what was planned, and what is implemented. The people involved in the process assume things are just magically going to occur. This isn’t the case, so it’s up to the manager to ensure things are taking shape. Good communication is essential in this implementation process, especially since this is when all the change happens. People aren’t naturally comfortable with change, so the manager has to be clear with the steps that have to take place. The manager must manage the chronological order in which things have to happen and delegate the individuals responsible for each task. He must ensure everyone understands their role, and knows what the final outcome should look like. The buy-in from the different players in the organization, when implementing decisions that cause change, will dictate the outcome of the implementation stage. If needs were ignored when making the decision, or if the paths of communication haven’t been fluid in the process, it will be very hard to implement change effectively. The manager must take these things into consideration if he wants to avoid potential problems that arise in this step of the process. Evaluate: Evaluating the decision is the last step in the decision making process. It’s time for the results to determine whether the manager’s choice is having the effect it was intended to have. For this stage to be successful, there has to be measurable results; they must be quantifiable. For an adequate evaluation of the decision, a validating mechanism collects information and compares it to an expected value. That validating mechanism can be set and developed even before the solution to the problem is determined. If the decision made proves to be effective, and the results show that the goals were met, then this decision could serve another purpose elsewhere in the organization. The positive feedback will be welcomed by the manager, and reinforce the decision making process. If the results demonstrate negative results, then it’ll take some good analysis to see where things have gone wrong. Things might have gone wrong in any of the previous stages. It’ll take brainstorming, and effort to assess what things need to happen to put things on the right track. Participation in Decision Making As Bowen et al. (1997) point out, most changes in organizations not only require technical modifications, but alterations in the work and social satisfactions of the employees. This makes the challenge of implementing change even greater. It’s not only important that the new methods are efficient; they must also be accepted by the employees who will be implementing these changes. In this context, managing the participation of the employees in making a decision plays an important role. There are different approaches when making decisions that involve change. They can be grouped into different variants of authoritative decisions, mutual problem solving, and consultative decisions. In the authoritative decision alternative, the manager makes the decision alone. Then he puts together arguments and rational information to show the employees the advantages of change. In the mutual problem solving approach, the manager shares the problem with his employees, and the group works together to come up with a final decision. The consultative approach is a middle ground; the manager shares the problem with the group, obtains ideas and suggestions, and then makes a decision that may or may not reflect the employee’s contribution. There are advantages and disadvantages in making group decisions. The biggest one is that the acceptance of participants is high, mainly because they’ve had an opportunity to give their opinion. They feel like they’ve had a say in the new process, so they’ll naturally support it. It’s also a huge advantage in the implementation stage, because the employees understand what management is trying to achieve. Many times the subordinates bring knowledge and experience that even the manager might not have. It’s the employees who work in the details, and they might have good input in solving problems. One of the disadvantages of group decision making is the time it takes. A lot of time can be wasted meeting in groups to come up with good ideas. Another negative aspect is that groups tend to make riskier decisions because the responsibility doesn’t fall on just one person. In the same sense, group embers might not put that much effort into thinking of all the ramifications of their decisions, because they think someone else is probably thinking of that already. The main takeaway from participation in decision making is that it really depends on the situation, and the problem being solved. The challenge for the manager is to know when he should employ each of the decision making approaches according to the situation. A smart manager will know how to use these managing tools to make decisions that are not only efficient, but will also have the support and buy-in from the employees. Conclusion A good manager will assess each situation and find opportunities where change can be made; always looking for the organization’s best interest. When making important decisions, the manager will see the type of environment he’s in, if there’s certainty or not, and always account for the contending interests his decisions will undoubtedly face. A wise decision maker will recognize a situation that requires an intervention on his behalf. He will generate and evaluate different options, and apply the concepts of maximizing, satisficing, and optimizing to make the best decision. Not only does the manager choose; he acts. He takes responsibility and accountability for his choices, and makes sure there’s follow through in the implementation stage of the process. The decision maker will then evaluate the results, to validate that his decisions are having the results that were intended. If not, he’ll go back to the drawing board. Organizations live and die by the decisions made by managers, and to the extent that they can define problems, and make smart choices. Good decision making is found at the heart of all successful businesses.