Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Depression - Research Paper Example Depression is both preventable and treatable with better parentage and good schooling institutions. Depression can be described as a mental illness, which influences the functioning of individuals in day-to-day life activities. Depression mostly affects a person’s social activities because the infected individuals usually experience problems in coping with certain emotions. For many years, depression has been viewed as an issue that only affects adults. However, research in the contemporary world has proven otherwise. Children are also at a high risk of developing depression, mostly from neglect, abuse, and other life struggles that include poverty that may affect their subsequent stages in life. Depression can lead to other physical health problems such as heart diseases in later stages of life if not identified and controlled (Blumenfield et al., 2012). Children, who show withdrawal and anxiety at early age, have a high risk of developing depression at later stages of life. Depression, along with anxiety disorders, is among the ten main causes of disabilities globally. Th is implies that one in every ten children suffer from a certain type of emotional disturbance, which is severe enough to lead to other problems such as impairment (Shapero et al., 2014). Educational institution settings have also been blamed for playing a significant role in contributing towards the development of depression in children. However, these situations are preventable and treatable if children grow up in the most appropriate environments and given proper care when symptoms associated with depression start to develop. Early childhood is psychologically the most important stage of development where an individual’s mind develops. If the development is affected, the individual may develop long-term repercussions, one of these being depression.

Network Diagram Essay Example for Free

Network Diagram Essay 2. A medium-sized engineering firm has three separate engineering offices. In each office, a local LAN supports all the engineers in that office. Due to the requirement for collaboration among the offices, all the computers should be able to view and update the data from any of the three offices. In other words, the data storage server within each LAN should be accessible to all computers, no matter where they are located. Draw a network diagram that will support this configuration. 3. A small start-up company has a Web-based customer sales system that is written by using PHP and JavaScript. The company is deciding whether to host the system on its own servers, contract with a hosting company for a virtual server, or go to amazon’s cloud. Volumes are expected to be low at the beginning, and it is hard to predict the growth patterns, although there is a potential for rapid growth. Decide which alternative the company should choose. Defend your decision by giving advantages and disadvantages of each solution based on the characteristics of the start-up company. I would recommend them to get a contract from a hosting company that can suffice all their needs. There are lots of web hosts that support companies for sales system; they even give additional functionalities for a reasonable price. Online threats are emerging nowadays, it is not safe to host a system yourself especially if you’re company is still new and needs more experience. Most hosting companies are almost invulnerable to threats and that should be your priority for your company. 4. Find four separate hosting providers and compare their offerings, including prices. Put your answer in a table showing the results of your research. Add additional row for the sources/references. HostPapa http://www.hostpapa.com/ Price Value At HostPapa, you truly feel like youre getting the family discount, what with so much being offered for less than $4 a month. Enjoy unlimited storage and bandwidth for unlimited sites, all Softaculous-enabled and equipped with HostPapa Website Builder. Beyond that, youll also receive online stats and  reporting tools, full email versatility, developers tools and extensive third party web design and multimedia software support. Dont forget, HostPapa web hosting gives you free domain registration for the first year, and free setup. Reliability HostPapa web hosting guarantees youll get maximum uptime (99.9% uptime guarantee and 99.9% network uptime guarantee) and promises to provide around the clock/around the calendar server monitoring. They regularly perform secure and reliable backups of all your data to protect against unforeseen emergencies. Control Panel Joy of joys, all HostPapa customers get the full benefits of the industrys most popular and user-acclaimed control panel: cPanel. Large, intuitively organized icon-based buttons empower you to perform any number of administrative tasks. The main menu includes a real-time display of every stat and figure relevant to your web hosting account and your websites activity and performance. Customer Support At HostPapa, youll get all the one-on-one help setting up and getting started that you need as well as dedicated customer service any time you need it. Choose from phone, live chat, and email support, or do-it-yourself with the HostPapa library of helpful and easy to follow video tutorials and online help docs. iPage http://www.ipage.com/ Price Value The web experts at iPage.com have managed to compile an eye-popping list of services and value-added extras and package them neatly into a all-encompassing web hosting package. Currently on promotion for just $1.99 a month, iPage.com is proving that sometimes you actually get more than you pay for. Reliability iPage.com uses a system of pooled servers so there is always server space available to you. The first and fastest machine available will serve your website. A pool of servers provides redundancy, streamlined service, and maximum uptime. Control Panel The iPage control panel offers users tools to create, enhance and manage their websites simple and effectively. iPage.com has also worked closely with Google to integrate the industry-leading Google Tools for Websites right into your control panel. Customer Support iPage.com makes a remarkable promise: when you contact their customer service department, theyll put you in touch with an agent within two minutes. iPage offers around the clock support via live chat, phone and e-mail. HostGator http://www.hostgator.com/ Price Value Host Gators shared web hosting plans start at $3.96 a month (the recently upgraded Hatchling plan) and include unlimited disk space and bandwidth. Their reseller plans are offered for prices ranging from $24.95 to $99.95 per month, and their dedicated server plans range from $174.00 to $374.00 per month. Put it all together and you have one company that wants to remain competitive in the web-hosting market. Reliability HostGator has chosen The Planet, located in Dallas, Texas, to house their data center. The Planet boasts over 35,000 square feet of raised floor space, and features state-of-the-art security, safety, and cooling systems. This facility is accompanied with Multiple TXU electrical grids, 4800 volts of input power, DataTrax monitoring software for the whole data center infrastructure, and a fully meshed and redundant Certified Cisco Network  featuring 10 backbone providers. Control Panel Host Gator employs the industry standard control panel, cPanel. This control panel is one of the best in the industry, and has over 39 scripts that can be installed. It is easy to learn and use, as it provides more than one million end users the ability to install dozens of leading open source programs, accompanied with flash movies for instant tutorials. Customer Support Host Gator is becoming one of the leading companies offering quick responses and a personal touch to their support system. They present 24/7/365 phone support, online chat, fax, peer support forums, and a wide variety of cPanel flash video tutorials. Their knowledgebase is also quite extensive and useful. JustHost http://www.justhost.com/ Price Value Unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited domain hosting, unlimited email accounts, unlimited MySQL databases, has it priced at just $2.25 per month. And that fee includes a free domain for life, a free point-and-click SiteBuilder with templates, a free e-Commerce shopping cart, and a free Spam Assassin for your email. Reliability At JustHost you get a 99.9% uptime guarantee on service. Just Host s reliability is guaranteed, in part, thanks to their unique load balancing technology and super fast backbone connections. With load balancing, your site is available from multiple servers, so if one server becomes unavailable, your site will still be live on the other server, virtually eliminating site downtime. Control Panel If we had to pick just one web hosting control panel to use and forgo all  others, it would be the very same control panel that just so happens to come with Just Host web hosting plan. Its cPanel, of course, the industry leader for mastering user-friendliness and ease-of use. All the resources, tools, and even web statistics are right there in one place, at your disposal. Plus you can personalize and customize your cPanel for an even easier webmastering experience. Customer Support The JustHost support center offers a full range of help features, from assisted support 24/7 via live web chat, 1-888 toll-free telephone, and email support ticket system to self-guided help via searchable and categorized online FAQ and articles, web tutorials, and an active user community. Source: http://www.hosting-review.com/web-hosting.php?aff_sub=H-R-Revised-Legacy-Hosting-International ENaff_sub2=web%20hosting%20reviewsaff_sub3=bgclid={gclid}gclid=COqOnOXH-sACFYeSvQodIHsAHg

Analysis of the Healthcare Reform Act

Analysis of the Healthcare Reform Act According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the Health policy broadly describes actions taken by governments national, state, and local to advance the publics health. It is not a single action but requires a range of legislative and regulatory efforts ranging from ensuring air and water quality to supporting cancer research. Health care policy deals with the organization, financing and delivery of health care services. This includes training of health professionals, overseeing the safety of drugs and medical devices, administering public programs like Medicare and regulating private health insurance (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2010). This analysis covers the federal statute enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which was designed to help families across the states gain access to quality, affordable health care. Many countries integrate a human rights viewpoint when creating their health care policies. The World Health Organization reports that every country in the world is party to at least one human rights treaty that addresses health-related rights, including the right to health as well as other rights that relate to conditions necessary for good health (World Health Organization, 2012). The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) asserts that medical care is a right of all people (The United Nations, 2012). UDHR Article 25: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, and housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Health care reform in the United States has a long history. In 1900 the American Medical Association (AMA) became a powerful national force. By 1910 the American Association for Labor Legislation (AALL) organized the first national conference on social insurance. Liberal activists argued for health insurance. In the 1930s the Depression changed priorities, placing more importance on unemployment insurance and old age benefits. The Social Security Act was passed, omitting health insurance. By the 1940s prepaid group healthcare began and was seen as radical. During the 2nd World War, wage and price controls were placed on American employers. To compete for workers, companies began to offer health care benefits, this employer-based system in place today. President Roosevelt asked Congress for economic bill of rights, including the right to adequate medical care. President Truman offered national health program plan, recommending a single system that would include all of American society . Trumans plan was criticized by the American Medical Association (AMA), and is called a Communist plot by a House subcommittee. In the 1950s, hospital care cost doubled. In the early 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law. President Richard Nixon renamed health care plans to health maintenance organizations (HMOs), with regulations that provided federal endorsement, certification, and assistance. American medicine was viewed as being in a state of emergency. President Nixons plan for national health insurance was rejected by liberals labor unions. In the 80s Corporations began to integrate the hospital system (previously a decentralized structure), consolidating control. Healthcare shifted toward privatization and corporatizations. In 1986 Congress passed and President Ronald Reagan signed into law COBRA, an option that former workers could stay on the company health care plan for 18 months after leaving a job, although the former employee would pay for the coverage. In 1988 prescription drug benefit and catastrophic care coverage was added to Medicare; Congress repealed the law the next year. Under President Reagan, Medicare moved to payments for diagnosiss (DRG) rather than for treatment received. Health care costs increased at double the rate of inflation. Federal health care reform legislation failed passage for a second time in the U.S. Congress. By the end of the decade there were 44 million Americans, which was 16 % of the nation, with no health insurance at all. With a fresh era and Health care costs are on the upsurge again. Medicare is viewed by some as unmentionable under the current organization and must be rescued (Associated press, 2012). After years of unsuccessful attempts by a series of Democratic presidents and a year of bitter partisan struggle, President Obama signed legislation on March 23, 2010, to overhaul the nations health care system and guarantee access to medical insurance for tens of millions of Americans. The Affordable Care Act seeks to extend insurance to more than 30 million people, primarily by expanding Medicaid and providing federal subsidies to help lower- and middle-income Americans buy private coverage. It will create insurance exchanges for those buying individual policies and prohibit insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions. To reduce the soaring cost of Medicare, it creates a panel of experts to limit government reimbursement to only those treatments shown to be effective, and creates incentives for providers to bundle services rather than charge by individual procedure. (Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, 2010) According to research done by the New York Times the law will cost the government about $938 billion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which has also estimated that it will reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over a decade (Andrews, 2012). One feature of the Affordable Health Care Act is that insurance companies including all exchange plans will provide adequate benefits to their enrollees. The essential health benefits package will define the minimum set of benefits that new health plans must offer for private market individual and small group plans as well as for Medicaid enrollees in benchmark coverage and those covered by state Basic Health Programs. Many expected the Department of Health and Human Services to outline the services to be included in essential health benefits package; instead it specified that each state would select the package that best meets the needs of children and families (Merles, M. 2005). Essential health benefits (Ebbs) are the least amount benefits that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires to be offered by non-grandfathered health plans in the individual and small group markets. Section 1302 of the ACA identifies the requirements for the essential health benefits. This approach allows states have the discretion to choose a benchmark set of benefits from among the existing health plans. Section 1302 also establishes some specific guidelines in defining the Ebbs. Benefits may not be designed in ways that discriminate against individuals because of their age, disability, or expected length of life and are required to take into account the health care needs of diverse segments of the population, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and other groups.(Touschner, 2011) EHB packages must include benefit protections established in other parts of the ACA, including parity for mental health services and preventive services offered at no cost to enrollees. For infants, children, and adolescents, the preventive services requirement incorporates the services recommended in the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures initiative (Touschner, 2011). The need for adequate Childrens benefits is critical due to their constant development and growth. Children have need of health services that are different than adults, which includes preventive screenings depending on their age and development stage. Childrens growing bodies may also require long-lasting medical equipment (like wheelchairs) on a more frequent schedule than adults. In its Scope of Health Care Benefits for Children policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) outlines the services that are essential for children. (Scope of health, 2012) For many years, Americans have paid the price for policies that have allowed insurance companies to place barriers between them and their doctors, dropping their coverage for sickness, and discriminating against anyone for pre-existing conditions. Mississippi has one of the nations highest percentages (63.2 percent) of uninsured people who would qualify for Medicaid under the expansion in the United States (Kaiser 2010). The Affordable Care Act gives middle-class and low income families in Mississippi the health insurance coverage they deserve. The new health care law dictates that insurance companies are to play by the rules, they can no longer drop coverage if you get sick, sending you into bankruptcy because you have met your annual or lifetime limit, but most importantly they cannot discriminate against anyone with a pre-existing condition (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2010). It is now mandated that health plans allow parents to maintain coverage of their children who are under the age of 26 and without insurance on their jobs. Resulting from this provision, As of December 2011, 37,000 young adults in Mississippi now have insurance which is included in 3.1 million young people nationwide. The health care law includes Medicare prescription drug coverage benefits which have made prescriptions more affordable. In 2010, a $250 rebate was given to 34,604 people with Medicare in Mississippi who had hit the prescription drug donut hole. In 2011, they began receiving a 50 percent discount on covered brand-name drugs and a discount on generic drugs (U.S. Department of Health Human Services, 2012). Since the law was enacted, residents with Medicare in Mississippi have saved a total of $41,809,338 on their prescription drugs. As a result of the discounts people are saving $591 per year and a total savings of $11,732,360 in Mississippi in 2012. It is projected by 2020; the law will close the donut hole. Last year (2011) 330,017 people with Medicare in Mississippi received free preventive services or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor (U.S. Department of Health Human Services, 2012). Approximately 47 million women, including 381,704 in Mississippi now have guaranteed access to additional preventive services without cost-sharing. Under the new health care law, insurance companies must provide consumers greater value by spending generally at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care and quality improvements or they must provide consumers a rebate or reduce premiums. This means that 51,744 Mississippi residents with private insurance coverage will benefit from $10,122,532 in rebates from insurance companies this year which will average to $329 for the 30,800 families in Mississippi covered by a policy. Under the new law Mississippi has received $4,783,208 to help fight arbitrary premium increases. As of August 2012, 317 previously uninsured residents of Mississippi who were locked out of the coverage system because of a pre-existing condition are now insured through a new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that was created under the new health reform law (U.S. Department of Health Human Services, 2012). Mississippi has received $21,143,618 in grants for research, planning, information technology development, and implementation of Affordable Insurance Exchanges. Since 2010, Mississippi has received $5,200,000 in grants from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act. This new fund was created to support effective policies in Mississippi, its communities, and nationwide so that all Americans can lead longer, more productive lives (U.S. Department of Health Human Services, 2012). In Mississippi, there are 21 health centers providing preventive and primary health care services to 324,046 people from183 different sites. These health centers have received $49,784,983 under the Affordable Care Act to support the operations and establishments of new health center sites. Mississippi was granted $4,100,000 for school-based health centers, to help clinics expand and provide more health care services such as screenings to students and $3,100,000 for Maternal, Infa nt, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. These programs bring health professionals to meet with at-risk families in their homes and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a childs health, development, and ability to learn such as health care, early education, parenting skills, child abuse prevention, and nutrition (U.S. Department of Health Human Services, 2012). The Patient Protection and affordable care Act (PPACA) will be implemented in a span of the next four years. The law includes an increase of the number of persons who are eligible to Medicaid; the government will reward discount of insurance premiums, for businesses providing health insurance. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage or claims because of the health history of any person. With the Patient Protection and affordable care Act all Americans will have the security of knowing that they dont have to worry about losing coverage if theyre laid off or change jobs. Insurance companies now have to cover preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings. The new law also makes a momentous investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies. Although this healthcare plan comes with its own costs, they will be covered by the taxes that will be imposed on the wealthy. Individuals who choose not to have insurance will be penalized with a tax fee as a way of encouraging every member in society to have insurance and this will be as a source of income to offset the plans cost. This was a great step towards ensuring a good healthcare for all the people of the US regardless of whether they are insured or not. There are several classes of people living in the US, who do not have access to insurance. These people range from illegal immigrants to others who see insurance as very expensive and cant afford to pay for insurance. The number of uninsured Americans is estimated to be 32 million today but after the PPACA was signed in to law the number is expected to decline considerably to about 23 million. Most of the uninsured people are drawn from illegal immigrants because they are not eligible to obtain insurance while they are resi ding in the US. Poor and middle class persons and their families also tend to go without insurance. (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies 2010 available online) The Affordable Care Act was specifically designed to give States the resources and flexibility they need to tailor their approach to their distinctive needs and to help families across the country gain access to quality, affordable health care. The Affordable Care Act ensures hard-working, middle class families will get the health care they deserve by keeping health care costs low, encouraging prevention, and making insurance companies accountable.

Binge Eating in Bulimia Nervosa Essay -- Causes of Bulimia, Eating Di

In our Western society, we have several different types of eating dysfunction, all of which are unique and tragic in their own right. Despite their individuality, however, they all have several overlapping symptoms that are key to their classification and severity. For Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED), one of the core features is binge eating, which can be defined objectively by number of calories eaten in a given time or subjectively by the feelings of the binger. Binge eating has many different aspects that are of interest to scientists and clinicians alike. One of those interests has to do with the reduction of this symptom among populations being treated for their respective disorder. Because both disorders are relatively new to the scientific and clinical world, there is much debate over how to treat, define, and possibly distinguish this phenomenon between the two disorders. For the purpose of this review, I intended to examine the evidence for the best outcomes, both immediate and long term, for reduction of binge eating in these disorders. Clinicians treat BN and BED in several different ways, some of which are more effective than others, especially at reducing the core symptom of binge eating. Although many treatments exist, those most researched in terms of treatment outcome are interpersonal therapy (IPT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior therapy (BT), and pharmacological therapy. These treatments are not designed to simply treat binge eating; instead, they are used to treat the whole of the disorder. However, by understanding the workings of the therapy and differences in treatment outcomes among core features, science can expand upon its understan... ...ee Psychological Treatments. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52: 304-312. Fairburn, C. G., Jones, R., Peveler, R. C., Carr, S. J., Solomon, R. A., O’Connor, M. E., Burton, J., Hope, R. A. (1991). Three Psychological Treatments for Bulimia Nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48: 463-469. Peterson, C. B. & Mitchell, J E. (1999). Psychosocial and Pharmacological Treatment of Eating Disorders: A Review of Research Findings. Journal of Clinical Psychology, June: 686-697. Walsh, B. T., Wilson, G T., Loeb, K L., Devlin, M. J., Pike, K. M., Roose, S. P., Fleiss, J. & Waternaux, C. (1997). Medication and Psychotherapy in the treatment of Bulimia Nervosa. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154: 523-531. Wilfey, D. E., Cohen, L. R. (1997). Psychological Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. Psychopharmacology Bulletin,33(3): 437-454.

Major Research Areas of Bioinformatics

Major Research Areas of Bioinformatics Engineering is a diverse discipline, which includes several different fields and different branches. One important branch of engineering is biomedical engineering that consists of the study and design of new technologies related to biology and medicine. The field of biomedical engineering is further divided into additional areas, one being bioinformatics.Bioinformatics is a special part of biomedical engineering that focuses mainly on the development and enhancement of approaches for the purpose of storing, retrieval, organization and analysis of different forms of biological data. The field includes the development of different software tools that provide biological knowledge and advancements. One major part of bioinformatics is research and thus we would discuss some of the major research areas of bioinformatics. Sequence analysis is a new and one of the most important research areas of bioinformatics.It is nothing but the study of the DNA and genome sequences of different organisms. The study of such sequences help in the comparison of genes and thus leads to the development of new approaches and new technologies for the development and use of genome sequences for different purposes and for the development of new species. These studies can even be used for the identification of causes and treatment options for genetic disorders. Evolutionary biology is another major research area that makes use of bioinformatics for further developments.Biology is no longer limited to theories and theoretical models and studies. Bioinformatics is used in different ways for calculating different aspects of biology, whether it is DNA sequencing or some other numbering. The research in computational evolutionary biology helps in examining the information related to different species and organisms that can be further used for the enhancement of the field into future developments. The study of protein expression is also a major research area for bioinformatics.The working of the human body or any other organism on earth is highly dependent on the way the proteins in their bodies work and function. Thus, an analysis of proteins present in the bodies of different organisms helps in better statistical and theoretical analysis. Cancer mutations are difficult to analyze and study but not for bioinformatics. The examination of the cancer mutations is one of the major research areas of bioinformatics and thus can slowly and steadily helps in the treatment of he currently incurable disease of cancer. This research area includes several things, starting from the study of tumor lesions to the mutants that can help in curing the disease. The research areas of bioinformatics are vast and include several different areas and fields. Comparative genomics, network and systems biology and high-throughput image analysis are some of the other research areas and these areas would continue to multiply in number with time. Reference link: h ttp://classof1. com/homework-help/engineering-homework-help

Tim McGraw essays

Tim McGraw essays Set This Circus Down, released in April of 2001, has already received RIAA platinum certification. The album has resided on Billboards Charts for 13 weeks and has peaked at number 1 for several weeks. The success of this hit album goes to, Grammy winner and multi-platinum country artist, Tim McGraw. Samuel Timothy McGraw, the full name of this chart-topping singer, was born on May 1, 1967 to Betty McMom Trimble and Tug McGraw. Although, McGraw was born in Delhi, Louisiana, Monroe is the city he considers home. During his upbringing, McGraw was always interested in sports. He always wanted to be an athlete. This pursuit landed him a sports scholarship Northeast Louisiana University. Even though, McGraw received his first guitar at the age of eleven, it was not until college that his interest in playing it peaked it peaked. He bought himself a new guitar on holiday and began teaching his self to play. His interest changed to singing, which took him to Nashville in the early ninetys. He signed a contract with Curb Records shortly thereafter and released his first self-titled album in 1992. This album failed to reach country radio audiences and things didnt look so good for McGraw. As he is quoted, "I was told by one producer to pack up and go home. I would never make it." Though the album didnt make it, some of the singles, when played live, sparked something in fans. In 1994 he released his second album titled Not A Moment To Soon, which became his first major hit. It contained his breakthrough song Indian Outlaw which stirred up lots of controversy over the Native American stereotypes depicted in the lyrics. Nevertheless, McGraw continued his success with the release of All I Want. In 1996 McGraw teamed up with country singer, Faith Hill, on The Spontaneous Combustion Tour and later that year the two tied the knot on October 6...

A Quiz About Expletives

A Quiz About Expletives A Quiz About Expletives A Quiz About Expletives By Mark Nichol One easy solution for getting sentences off to a strong start is to make them more active by eliminating what is called an expletive, or a dummy subject, such as â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are.† It is not necessary to eradicate all expletives from your writing, but minimize them by identifying the real subject of the sentence and reconstructing the sentence with that focus with the added benefit of a more concise statement. Each of the sentences below contains an expletive. Recast each sentence as necessary to omit it, then compare your revisions with mine (there’s usually more than one right way to excise an expletive) at the bottom of the page: 1. â€Å"There are several vicious cycles that facilitate the progression of alcohol abuse.† 2. â€Å"There are federal and state legislators who want to bring government into the picture.† 3. â€Å"All across the country, there are numerous private facilities that have figured out the breeding techniques.† 4. â€Å"At the same time, there are also motives and pressures toward normalcy.† 5. â€Å"Unless there is significant progress soon, we’ll have to cancel the program.† 6. â€Å"He wants to know if there is life on other planets.† 7. â€Å"At the other house, there is an outdoor patio.† 8. â€Å"I think there is a good chance that the proposal will be accepted.† 9. â€Å"I am concerned that there is a false impression about our objectives.† 10. â€Å"According to recent studies, there is a tendency for the syndrome to worsen over time.† 11. â€Å"But then there is John Smith, who has another take on the matter.† 12. â€Å"There is a considerable range of expertise among so-called experts.† 13. â€Å"Nevertheless, there are numerous private facilities that have figured out the techniques.† 14. â€Å"At the same time, there are also motives and pressures toward normalcy.† 15. â€Å"To make matters worse, there are several vicious cycles that facilitate the progression of alcohol abuse.† 16. â€Å"His understanding is that there are still countless such volumes in existence.† 17. â€Å"Ultimately, there are sensitive implications about the issue that remain.† 18. â€Å"He adds that there are numerous ethical concerns raised by this practice. 19. â€Å"Each year, there are more and more workshops, seminars, and conferences for practitioners in this field.† 20. â€Å"As I see it, there are two lines of logic that follow from this premise.† Answers 1. â€Å"Several vicious cycles facilitate the progression of alcohol abuse.† 2. â€Å"Some federal and state legislators are itching to bring government into the picture.† 3. â€Å"All across the country, numerous private facilities have figured out the breeding techniques.† 4. â€Å"At the same time, motives and pressures toward normalcy present themselves.† 5. â€Å"Unless significant progress occurs soon, we’ll have to cancel the program.† 6. â€Å"He wants to know whether life exists on other planets.† 7. â€Å"The other house has an outdoor patio.† 8. â€Å"The proposal has a good chance of being accepted.† 9. â€Å"I am concerned that they may have developed a false impression about our objectives.† 10. â€Å"According to recent studies, the syndrome tends to worsen over time.† 11. â€Å"But John Smith has another take on the matter.† 12. â€Å"So-called experts demonstrate a considerable range of expertise.† 13. â€Å"Nevertheless, numerous private facilities have figured out the techniques.† 14. â€Å"At the same time, motives and pressures toward normalcy present themselves.† 15. â€Å"To make matters worse, several vicious cycles facilitate the progression of alcohol abuse.† 16. â€Å"His understanding is that countless such volumes still exist.† 17. â€Å"Ultimately, sensitive implications about the issue remain.† 18. â€Å"He adds that this practice raises numerous ethical concerns.† 19. â€Å"Each year, practitioners in this field have the opportunity to attend an increasing number of workshops, seminars, and conferences.† 20. â€Å"As I see it, two lines of logic follow from this premise.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Telling a Good Poem from a Bad One25 Favorite Portmanteau Words

The Field Written by John B. Keane

The Field Written by John B. Keane The Field is a play written by John B. Keane. The play is set in a small village of Southwest Ireland. The main character, Bull McCbe, is a man who transforms a barren rocky piece of land to a fertile field. Years of commitment, hard labor, and dedication enabled him to achieve all these.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Field Written by John B. Keane specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He cultivated this land for a very long time. He even considered owning it. The owner of the plot finally decided to sell it through public auction. To McCbe, this was an opportunity to own the field. Somehow, McCbe succeeded in keeping the town people out of the bid. This disappointed Mick Flanagan, the auctioneer. Much of this was through intimidation. The arrival of William Dee surprised McCbe. The American was on the mission of acquiring land in order to be accepted as part of the societal member. Together with his son, McCbe set out on a mission to convince the stranger to withdraw his bid. Their encounter ended fatally because the stranger was killed. Subsequently, villagers covered-up the story. McCabe was so concerned with his farming to an extent that he did not care about his family. The play explores the importance of land to the people of Ireland during the 20th century. This is observed in the beginning of the play when the father claimed that land was what mattered. He advised the son to acquire huge tracts of land before marrying. He even sacrificed his life for land. He advised his son not to marry a woman who did not own land. Though the actions of MacCbe appeared cruel and violent, they should be understood in a positive way. He was fighting to keep the land because it was a source of livelihood. Moreover, land was important to his children. John Keane uses strong narrative lines that create suspense. In spite of his intimidating character, the villagers still supported him. They beat up the st ranger and killed him, but vehemently protected the McCabe family. The villagers did not trust the legal institutions at all. This is seen from the way they addressed the sergeant, the father, and the Bishop. When Leamy accused McCabe of being a bully, his mother labeled him a weak man who was very different from the rest of men. However, Leamy claimed that the whole village would forget the injustices meted out to innocent people, but his experiences would be remembered forever. This is associated with events that develop later in the play. The death of the son resulted from his father’s stubbornness. The father did actions that really put the son in a compromising position. Tadgh McCabe was always in agreement with his father’s decision. For instance, they had teamed up with his father at night to formulate the ways through which they could kill the stranger. His father’s stubbornness aimed at stopping anybody from interfering with his interests.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More His main interest was acquisition of land. Tadgh and his father McCabe succeeded initially to convince the town people to support them. The truth, however, came out later and contributed greatly to the death of Tadgh. The son died while trying to protect his land from perceived grabbers. This was because of his father’s stubborn teachings. The father informed the priest about the death of the villager, who reported the case to the widow. What was happening in that village was not in line with the international norms and standards. Technology was everywhere and could not be stopped. The society described in the text was lagging behind culturally because marriage could be sacrificed for land. The son could not subscribe to his father’s ideas. In other words, everything they did involved land, which forced the son to escape with his lover.

United Nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United Nations - Essay Example After the end of the World war one, the League of Nations was formed by the great and victorious powers who participated in the war. The goal was simple, not to allow another war in the future. Due to the failure of the Versailles treaty, all were looking for another organization which could bring stability to the world.The organization had success in solving conflicts between different countries namely The Aaland island issue between Sweden and Finland, Upper Silesia problem between Germany and Poland, The Memel problem of 1923 in Lithuania, humanitarian crisis in Turkey, conflict Between Greece and Bulgaria etc. however the organization faced failures also they were the crisis in Italy in 1919, Teschen problem between Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Vilna conflict between Russia and Lithuania, the war between Russia and Poland in 1921, the invasion of the Ruhr, conflict between Italy and Albania etc are few of them (League of Nations, n.d)The year 1970 was an important year in the h istory of the world as far as relations between countries were concerned. Many important changes occurred in Europe as well as in Asia. The concept of Third World got prominence during this period. The erstwhile Soviet Union, which was a great super power during that period, took initiatives for setting up an international jurisdiction with the cooperation of other countries. G.I. Tunkin a renowned soviet jurist was credited for formulating the first volume of international law in 1970. the law was made by him based on the events took placed internationally since 1917. The main highlights of the law were the nature of legal relationships among socialist countries, principal factors at work in international politics, legal nature of international organizations, international law, foreign policy, diplomacy etc (Tunkin, G.I. n.d) After the failure of the league of nations, a new organization was formed by the world powers after the second world war ,which came to be known as the United Nations established in the year oct24,1945 (Charter of the United Nations, n.d). The general assembly of the United Nations was established in the year 1945, the main objective of the assembly was to become a major policy making establishment of the UN. The general assembly consists of 192 member countries. Normally meeting sessions are generally conducted in between September and December every year (Functions and Powers of the General Assembly. (n.d). The International Security Council, another r prominent arm of the UN comprises of five permanent members. They are US, China, Russia, France, and the UK. It also has ten non permanent members having a term of one year. There is a president of the Security Council who is selected among the member countries holding the office for one calendar month (About the Council. (n.d)). The international court of justice established in 1946 is another important establishment of the UN. The main aim of the ICJ is to look after the judicial matters globally. It is situated in The Hague, Netherlands. The main activity of the court is to settle dispute submitted by member countries as well as to provide advices (International Court of Justice, n.d) East Timor was a small country neighbouring Indonesia under Portuguese occupancy in the year 1975 Indonesian forces attacked the region and annexed it. The conflict forced the Portuguese to withdraw from East Timor on the condition that East Timor should remain a self governing region. In 1991, the Portuguese authorities went to the court against Australia on the reason that Australia and Indonesia had a treaty between them for the exploitation of "Timor gap". The complainant claimed that the actions of Australia for exploration were against the self governing rights as well as other rights of the people of East Timor. The Portuguese authorities also claimed that the treaty between Australia and Indonesia was against the administering rights of Portugal in the area. The ICJ did not entertain jurisdiction in this matter because of the reason that a

Module 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 3 - Essay Example The story is about the son of a man who is a potential arsonist: setting barns on fire. This story is built of a number of characters including Abner the father, Sarty the son and the rest of the family: wife and daughters along with the people this family come in contact with. However, Faulkner uses Barn Burning to be a story that concentrates on the opinion of Sarty Snopes. Though this article is not written from the viewpoint of the character himself, there are certain moments throughout the story that divulge the reader with his emotions. With such a multitude of characters it is impossible for the reader to be unable to gain a true gist of what the story portrays. The concentration on Abner’s character allows a deep understanding of humanity and the instinct which compels each individual to develop an attachment to family. In Barn Burning, Abner is a dark influence on his young son. The protagonist forces his child to delve in a loyalty so deep, that injustice and sin are ignored in the process of protecting one’s own family. The story develops as Sarty begins to see the evil obstacle created by his father in his own growth. His constant belief that the father will change â€Å"Maybe he has done satisfied now, now that he has† However, in the end, the child is forced to give up his loyalty as a sense of righteousness sinks in. Though this confession leads to disastrous consequences, following the death of the very man Sarty has been ardently protecting, the judgment seems to shatter the young man who â€Å"He got up†¦.He did not look back.† Thus, Barn Burning is an evident portrayal of family and the human mind that delves to protect the sacred bond. It also shows the dire consequence that follows when this bond is broken. The Chrysanthemums is another story which concentrates on the importance of character to a story. In this story, the main subject of

Ocational Training in Qatar Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Ocational Training in Qatar - Thesis Example The different levels of management expressed grave concern that the trainees were not well trained both technically and linguistically. Moreover, the programs are not line-specific and have no distinct patterns. The duration of the program is approximately 2.9 to 4 years which is too long and fails to lead to a recognized college level. The majority of the trainees indicated that they did not benefit much from the training programs. The training programs are not audited by an independent accrediting organization. Furthermore, too many parties of the parties that were involved in training the students had no training background. Lastly, the Qatari secondary school graduates are in high demand. It is thus recommended that non-Qatari’s whose mothers are Qaani’s and non-Qatari’s born in Qatar are included. The researcher observed that there were genuine efforts to equip the National Operators and Technicians with the best skills to best perform. The programs offered were, however, not based on market needs or international standards with unaccredited and uncertified TPP programs. The study was conducted in one of the LNG companies located in Qatar. The operations management believed that the quality of the Operators and Technicians needed to be enhanced to match that of its counterparts (reputable companies in the same business). The technicians belief are confirmed by the findings the review of the current status of the training when compared to best-practice benchmarks discussed in this thesis.The study was conducted in one of the LNG companies located in Qatar. The operations management believed that the quality of the Operators and Technicians needed to be enhanced to match that of its counterparts (reputable companies in the same business). The technician's belief is confirmed by the findings the review of the current status of the training when compared to best-practice benchmarks discussed in this thesis.The objective of this study, as a recap, is to compare QP training with major Oil and Gas companies in the GCC and to identify the gaps, with the emph asis being placed on O/G Operators and Technicians training.

The importance of entry and to deter entry in case of firms in Essay

The importance of entry and to deter entry in case of firms in different market structures - Essay Example h barriers to entry as it is necessary to prove that in monopoly a firm enjoying a high percentage of market shares can translate it into market power (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, 2007, p. 1). Both Walmart and Loblaw are engaged in same type of business activities. They will engage themselves in activities that will prevent entry of competitors. If the two competitors compete between themselves they will end up in creating barriers that will not enable themselves to diversify their business. In fact this will not be desirable outcome from the firms’ point of view and consumers’ welfare will get affected (Carlton, 2005, p.9). Strategies used by firms to deter entry The incumbent firm can involve itself in three types of strategies to deter entry. They are: Limit Pricing, Predatory pricing and capacity expansion. The strategy of limit pricing is illegal in many countries. A limit price is a strategy mainly used by the monopolists to deter entry . They used to set a price that would be faced by the entrant on entry into the market until the existing firm did not act to decrease the output. The limit price is generally set at a level which is less than the average cost of production. It can also be set at the level where entry is just not profitable. This discourages the new entrants (Roberts and Milgrom, 1982, p. 444). The second strategy is used by the incumbent by charging a price that is low relative to the price of the other products before the entry takes place. Often it appears that other firms who initially were not in the market of a certain product express their opinion to enter the market. It is the price of the product that influences their decisions. The already existing firms in the market can discourage the new entrants by... The incumbent firm can involve itself in three types of strategies to deter entry. They are Limit Pricing, Predatory pricing and capacity expansion. The strategy of limit pricing is illegal in many countries. A limit price is a strategy mainly used by the monopolists to deter entry. They used to set a price that would be faced by the entrant on entry into the market until the existing firm did not act to decrease the output. The limit price is generally set at a level which is less than the average cost of production. It can also be set at the level where entry is just not profitable. This discourages the new entrants.The second strategy is used by the incumbent by charging a price that is low relative to the price of the other products before the entry takes place. Often it appears that other firms who initially were not in the market of a certain product express their opinion to enter the market. It is the price of the product that influences their decisions. The already existing f irms in the market can discourage the new entrants by charging a low price for the products. Thus the potential entrants can be ignored and their consumer base will not be affected. If the potential entrants find it unsustainable to continue to operate in the market, they tend to move out of the business which provides a wider consumer base for the existing firms. Then the incumbent can raise the prices of the product and exploit the market power.

Interview analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interview analysis - Essay Example Interviewing Joe, a native resident of Florida, whose early childhood witnessed the effects of Cuban immigration, gave me an insight to the situation back then. It also interested me that what opinions, today after so many years do these locals have regarding the immigrants. Talking about Joe’s early life, he told me he was born in 1959 in Coral Gables. The house he was born in belonged to his mother’s parents which they had bought in 1953. Soon his parents moved out, buying a new house and were not living with Joe’s grandparents anymore. Out of the three houses he lived in, his oldest house, in a further west location, was declared unincorporated during the 1960s. Recalling the name change of the county from Dade to Miami-Dade which was accompanied with the voting of several people exercising their home rule powers, Joe called it ‘one big change in my life’. Joe agreed that the name change validated the acknowledgement of Miami as being internationally recognized and that ‘Miami-Dade County is the most popular County in Florida. He believes that during his lifetime, Miami has become more internationally accessible with loads of immigrants flocking in and people of different races seeking residence in here. I continued the conversation, delving further into the topic of immigrants which he brought into discussion. I asked him that living in Miami-Dade County since his childhood; his interactions with immigrants, specifically Cubans may have been numerous. To this, he started narrating me what had happened on the arrival of two Cuban immigrants when he was in primary school. The whole school threw them a party, welcoming them, since they were the very first Cubans to come to his class and school, Joe told as he indulged in a recollection of memories from his childhood with a smile on his face. I was curious to ask him whether they were very good friends with him or not. On my inquiry Joe let out a little laugh and told me that yes

Project1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project1 - Essay Example The products are marketed as a total solution to different hair and scalp problems and thereby act as market leaders in scalp care. Over the years from 1961 to current, ‘Head and Shoulders’ have slowly evolved as one of the best shampoos to fight perennial problems like dandruff and hair fall and also other types of scalp problems. Products marketed under the Dandruff category are further divided into three types like shampoo, conditioner and 2-in-1 for both men and women customers. Shampoos and hair products of Head and Shoulders generate a wide array of benefits to customers like generating protection to damaged and broken hair and also in making hair thicker, stronger and moist in nature (Procter & Gamble, 2014). Procter and Gamble, the company that markets Head and Shoulders operates as a multinational company in the consumer goods segment. The company aims at producing branded products that contribute in enhancing the lives of consumers along different parts of the globe. Value additions are generated in terms of innovating different product offerings to meet the changing needs of the consumers from time to time and in retailing the right quality and quantity of products to the customers (Procter & Gamble, 2014). Procter and Gamble is well known in terms of the global brands created by the company along which are marketed by the company along different consumer segments spread along 180 different countries. Current estimates related to Procter and Gamble reflect that the company through its operation baaed along 23 different brands earns the potential of generating a total sales revenue of around $10 billion. Another set of 14 brands tend to generate a total sales of around $1billion in an annual fashion. The rate of market capitalization for Procter and Gamble is evaluated to be greater than the Gross Domestic Product of a number

The importance of entry and to deter entry in case of firms in Essay

The importance of entry and to deter entry in case of firms in different market structures - Essay Example h barriers to entry as it is necessary to prove that in monopoly a firm enjoying a high percentage of market shares can translate it into market power (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, 2007, p. 1). Both Walmart and Loblaw are engaged in same type of business activities. They will engage themselves in activities that will prevent entry of competitors. If the two competitors compete between themselves they will end up in creating barriers that will not enable themselves to diversify their business. In fact this will not be desirable outcome from the firms’ point of view and consumers’ welfare will get affected (Carlton, 2005, p.9). Strategies used by firms to deter entry The incumbent firm can involve itself in three types of strategies to deter entry. They are: Limit Pricing, Predatory pricing and capacity expansion. The strategy of limit pricing is illegal in many countries. A limit price is a strategy mainly used by the monopolists to deter entry . They used to set a price that would be faced by the entrant on entry into the market until the existing firm did not act to decrease the output. The limit price is generally set at a level which is less than the average cost of production. It can also be set at the level where entry is just not profitable. This discourages the new entrants (Roberts and Milgrom, 1982, p. 444). The second strategy is used by the incumbent by charging a price that is low relative to the price of the other products before the entry takes place. Often it appears that other firms who initially were not in the market of a certain product express their opinion to enter the market. It is the price of the product that influences their decisions. The already existing firms in the market can discourage the new entrants by... The incumbent firm can involve itself in three types of strategies to deter entry. They are Limit Pricing, Predatory pricing and capacity expansion. The strategy of limit pricing is illegal in many countries. A limit price is a strategy mainly used by the monopolists to deter entry. They used to set a price that would be faced by the entrant on entry into the market until the existing firm did not act to decrease the output. The limit price is generally set at a level which is less than the average cost of production. It can also be set at the level where entry is just not profitable. This discourages the new entrants.The second strategy is used by the incumbent by charging a price that is low relative to the price of the other products before the entry takes place. Often it appears that other firms who initially were not in the market of a certain product express their opinion to enter the market. It is the price of the product that influences their decisions. The already existing f irms in the market can discourage the new entrants by charging a low price for the products. Thus the potential entrants can be ignored and their consumer base will not be affected. If the potential entrants find it unsustainable to continue to operate in the market, they tend to move out of the business which provides a wider consumer base for the existing firms. Then the incumbent can raise the prices of the product and exploit the market power.

Project1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project1 - Essay Example The products are marketed as a total solution to different hair and scalp problems and thereby act as market leaders in scalp care. Over the years from 1961 to current, ‘Head and Shoulders’ have slowly evolved as one of the best shampoos to fight perennial problems like dandruff and hair fall and also other types of scalp problems. Products marketed under the Dandruff category are further divided into three types like shampoo, conditioner and 2-in-1 for both men and women customers. Shampoos and hair products of Head and Shoulders generate a wide array of benefits to customers like generating protection to damaged and broken hair and also in making hair thicker, stronger and moist in nature (Procter & Gamble, 2014). Procter and Gamble, the company that markets Head and Shoulders operates as a multinational company in the consumer goods segment. The company aims at producing branded products that contribute in enhancing the lives of consumers along different parts of the globe. Value additions are generated in terms of innovating different product offerings to meet the changing needs of the consumers from time to time and in retailing the right quality and quantity of products to the customers (Procter & Gamble, 2014). Procter and Gamble is well known in terms of the global brands created by the company along which are marketed by the company along different consumer segments spread along 180 different countries. Current estimates related to Procter and Gamble reflect that the company through its operation baaed along 23 different brands earns the potential of generating a total sales revenue of around $10 billion. Another set of 14 brands tend to generate a total sales of around $1billion in an annual fashion. The rate of market capitalization for Procter and Gamble is evaluated to be greater than the Gross Domestic Product of a number

Jeep Grand Cherokee Essay Example for Free

Jeep Grand Cherokee Essay Jeep Grand Cherokee is an American car. This kind of cars is survivors favorite things in VALS types. Survivors live narrowly focused lives. They are accustomed to use their familiar things, cant accept new things quickly. Therefore Jeep brand which has more than 70 years history and born for war can satisfy the sense of survivors security. At the same time, survivors are cautious customers. Just in time, the design philosophy of Jeep-safety, comfortable, power, meet their requirements. Jeep brand is their best choice. The price of brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee starts from 39,895 dollars, this price level is medium-high. It’s expensive, but the price is not higher than Mercedes-Benz SUVs and BMW X5. For this reason Jeep Grand Cherokee is not a rich status symbol. However Jeep Grand Cherokee absolutely present a kind of personal character, its a symbol of recalcitrant man. SUVs are trendy because of better vision, more capacious space. On this basis, Jeep Grand Cherokee obtain better fuel economy by using new V6 engine. Increased back space make it more suitable for family, through the change of interior atmosphere let Jeep Grand Cherokee has become home up. Still powerful cross-country performance and improve highway playability let it drive up full of fun. Grand Cherokee try to attract more people to choose as family car. Hence, if you want to have fun with family in weekend, you can’t miss this car.Jeep Grand Cherokee is not offbeat no matter on speed or safety, but it can find balance in both. Jeep Grand Cherokee is a domestic car. It’s more appropriate survivors who like familiar brand and proud of owning American car even products. 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee use headline for: You’ll need to find a different excuse for being late to work. This headline really attract office worker. This press Jeep Grand Cherokee is comfortable and has fun to drive. Comfortable is the other most important reason for choose American car. Grand Cherokee shows this characteristics of the incisively and vividly. The seat not only soft and comfortable, and let any shape people drive this big car can find the most suitable for their own driving posture. Jeep own a pure cross-country blood, this SUV retains its essence and enhance the characteristics of adapting road. This advertising didn’t use celebrity charm and use model. It’s just a  picture about Grand Cherokee run in snow. This picture foil masculine, at the same time correspond subtitle: When you enhance the legendary Jeep brand capability with a Selec-Terrain system, snow doesn’t stand a chance. This advertising posted on Reader magazines whose readers have own-opinion. Overall this advertising conveys adventure emotional approach and express it’s comfortable and has fun with driving. It’s impressive and attractive advertising.

Overview Of Colgate Palmolive Company

Overview Of Colgate Palmolive Company Colgate Palmolive, a company where its headquarters is in New York operates in the business of care within the consumer goods industry. In an Annual Report released by Colgate Palmolive Company (2010), it is reported that the company is a $ 15.6 billion global company serving people in more than 200 countries and territories with consumer products that makes life healthier and more enjoyable. The core businesses of this company are Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Among some of the worlds most recognized household brands produced by Colgate Palmolive Company are Colgate, Mennen, Palmolive, Ajax, Softsoap, and Hills Pet Nutrition. Colgates business strategy is to Win on the Ground by focusing on its three core strategies: Driving Growth, Funding the Growth and Making Colgate the Best Place to Work. Its corporate values of Caring, Global Teamwork and Continuous Improvement acts as the foundation for its business strategy and are reflected in the way the company conducts its business worldwide (Colgate World of Care, n.d.). Colgate Palmolive Corporate Structure Led by its current Chief Executive Officer and President, Mr. Ian Cook, Colgate Palmolive Company is staffed with a team of talented and dedicated employees. The companys corporate structure has been assumed to be shown in Appendix 1. Streaming in to the Global Information Technology (GIT) organization itself, this organization is divided into three main sub functions which are Global Development, Enterprise Center and Shared Services Organization. The Shared Services Organization is further divided into four main divisions which are Global, Americas, Euro Americas and Asia Pacific. Colgate Palmolive Malaysia, founded in 1957 where the company office and plant is located in Petaling Jaya is supported by Asia Pacific division which is better known as Asia Pacific Shared Organization (APSSO). APSSO serves approximately 3500 employees in terms of Information Technology and its infrastructure in over 35 manufacturing sites throughout the Greater Asia and South Pacific division. Colgate-Palmolive Business Strategy and Relationship with Business Entity The main mission of Global Information Technology which is also cascaded down to APSSO is to operate on the same system, providing the same information to ensure the same performance and processes throughout the Colgate Palmolive Companys global operations worldwide. To achieve this mission, APSSO focuses on a 5 years strategy plan which is driven by a grid like Casita. This grid is derived from a stringent process which priorities the projects according to the GITs mandates of Performance, Reliability and Regulatory, Utilization, GIT Grid Strategic Portfolio and Global Projects. The Global Information Technology partners five global external entities to ensure the success of its businesses. Colgate partners one of the worlds most renowned enterprise software developers, SAP. Aside from SAP, Colgate partners IBM and Lenovo for providing the company computer hardware, Verizon for networking and telecommunications, CISCO for LAN equipments, Wipro for consulting and resource management as well as Comvault for data management and storage. The details of Colgate Palmolive infrastructure will be discussed in Part 2: IT infrastructure: Issues and Challenges. Colgate Palmolive specifically in Malaysia does not partner any government entities for its IT infrastructure. The homepage URL of the Colgate Palmolive Company is http://www.colgate.com. Part 2: IT Infrastructure: Issues Challenges 2.1 Colgates IT Infrastructure Information technology infrastructure today is composed of seven major components (Laudon Laudon, page 203) and Colgate is not exceptional in investing in a comprehensive array of hardware software to help with its daily operations. The below is a list of IT infrastructure that Colgate is currently having: 1) Computer Hardware Platforms. Colgates permanent employees are given laptops while temporary employees are provided with desktops. a) Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad 410: Intel i5-520M, Intel QM57 Exp, 14.1 XGA, Intel HD Graphics, 160GB 7200rpm, 4GB (2x2GB), N6200 11a/b/g/n (22), 6 Cell. b) Desktop: Lenovo ThinkCentre M58p: Intel ® Core 2 Duo Processor E8400, 2GB, 160GB 7200RPM S-ATA HDD, PCI/PCIe SFF (23),Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500,DVD Rble, Intel Gigabit Ethernet. 2) Operating Systems: Colgate is currently using Windows XP Professional but they are planning to rollout Windows 7 Professional in the 4th quarter of 2011. 3) Enterprise Software: Colgate uses SAP R/3 Enterprise for virtually all its departmental business units. 4) Networking/Telecommunication: Colgate enlists Cisco Systems and Verizon Communications respectively as its business partners for their networking and telecommunications needs. 5) Consulting System Integration Services: Colgate recruits Wipro Technologies to assist with new technology building as well as managing new projects. 6) Data Management Storage: Colgate counts Commvault as its business partner to manage its data management and storage. 7) Internet Platform: Colgate uses Microsoft.net to support its website. It uses the 2.2 Issues and Challenges in the management of IT infrastructure Even though Colgate has a relatively stable IT infrastructure in place, there are bound to be issues and challenges that the organisation faces in the management of its IT infrastructure. One of the most prominent challenges would be to keep abreast with the technology advancement. As Moores Law suggests, the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years. (Moores Law, whitepaper from Intel). Colgate has a strict workflow when it comes to implementing new hardware, which includes going through the many layers of manual approvals from the upper management, most of them scattered throughout the globe. By the time IT department is ready to implement the new hardware, newer version would have already been introduced to the market. Security is also a major challenge for the IT department in Colgate. As with any multinational corporation, Colgate takes pride in their products secret formula, new product launches and confidential employees information. Hackers and PC infections are a big risk to the company. This is due to the many software that Colgate uses. Although each laptop and computers are linked together via the Colgate network, these software are independently installed into the computer, and this making it difficult for the IT department to monitor the health of each hardware. Another challenge is to manage Colgates business partners such as Cisco, Verizon, Wipro and Commvault. As the business partners are vital to Colgates success in managing IT, they have to be exposed to Colgates culture and its ways of managing business. Perhaps the biggest challenge of all would be to manage the internal cost. The IT department is given a budget of 1.5% of net sales for software hardware acquisition, installation, training, support and maintenance. This budget also includes downtime as well as space and energy needed to keep the technology running. IT has to play its role in maintaining Colgate to be the leading consumer products company in the world. The above IT infrastructure has be to integrated seamlessly in the running of daily business activities, and this would require the IT department to be the ultimate business partner to Colgate worldwide. Part 3: Cloud Computing and its business benefits and costs 3.1 Overview of cloud computing Cloud computing is defined as a model of computing where firms and individuals obtain computing power and software applications over the Internet, rather than purchasing their own hardware and software (Loudon Loudon 2010, p. 196). The five essential characteristics of cloud computing are assumed in Figure 1 (Mell Grance 2011) On-Demand Self Service The on-demand self-service characteristic of cloud computing allows employee to use cloud computing without human interference with the cloud provider. Employees can login in the network by keying in a unique password given to them. Broad Network Access Ubiquitous network access is available to employees via cloud computing. The network can be access by all employees through a standard mechanism. Employee would only need to key in their password and once the system authenticates it, employee can access to all resources available in the network. Resource Pooling Resource pooling allows employees to access cloud computing without having to bind to location where they are. All employees within the Colgate world would be able to access the same database and same network from even their homes. This is also a step taken to encouraged employees to strike work life balance in their workplace. Rapid Elasticity Cloud computing promises elasticity where resources can be scaled both up and down as required. This will allow standardization and for Global Information Technology to achieve its mission of operating on the same system, have the same information for all its employees, which in turn ensures the same performance and processes throughout the Colgate world. Measured Service The number of employees accessing the service is measured and monitored to ensure that the cloud is able to optimize its service and to sustain the agreed service level for all employees. Figure 1: The five essential characteristics of cloud computing There are three main types of cloud computing which are public clouds, private clouds and hybrid clouds. Public clouds are usually operated by a third party company where more than one party or customer can be mixed together and can access the servers or storage system at once. Private clouds are usually on demand infrastructure owned by a single customer who controls the applications run On the other hand, hybrid clouds are the combination of both public and private cloud models which usually offers high sustainable on-demand and externally provisioned scale however adds complexity to the distribution of applications throughout the different networks (Isse 2010, pg 18). 3.2 Current trends in cloud computing In a cloud computing survey done in 17 countries in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific by Kelton Research in 2009, the results shows that technology is used to cut cost in 54% of the companies surveyed. One of the technologies discussed was cloud computing which allows companies to quickly react to market conditions and competitors. By having cloud computing, companies can use this ability to immediately tap computing power and software which in turn help company focus on its core business. 99% of its respondent also claimed that they are discussing or implementing public and private cloud computing solutions. 3.3 Benefits of cloud computing Information Weeks Thomas Claborn reported (Calburn, 2008) on a presentation by Thomas E. Hogan, senior vice president at Hewlett-Pakard, at the 2008 Cloud Summit Conference: Some 87 billion emails are drafted per day around the globe, the digital universe doubles every 18 months, and the number of network-attached storage devices double every two years, he said. Yet, some 80 percent to 85 percent of IT budgets goes to operational maintenance. ..Cloud computing promises to help IT organisations dial back maintenance cost so they can spend on creating business values. To ensure sustainability and competitiveness of Colgates business, cloud computing can be an option to reduce cost, maintenance complexity and ease of management. Among some other of the benefits of cloud computing are discussed as below. Availability of standardized data Cloud computing plays a vital role in ensuring that Global Information Technology achieves its goal to providing the same information at the same speed to Colgates entire employee. This allows managers to make decision based on the same set of data irregardless of where they are located. It also ensures data integrity and allows more decision collaboration between countries as they have access to all sets of data. Business Agility Cloud computing allows managers to have access to data anywhere at any time. The benefit of cloud computing not being device and location dependence allows managers to make faster decisions to gain competitive advantage by responding rapidly and reducing time to market. IT efficiency Cloud computing increases the efficiency and allows ease of management of information technology. For instance when they is a need for a system upgrade, cloud computing allows managers to push the updates at the backend through the server and all employees will receive the auto run update at the same time. This reduces time of IT personnel to individually install updates on each computer, ensures that all computers has been upgraded simultaneously and increases efficiency as updates need not be bonded by boundaries and time zone. Implementation of one system for all concept The implementation of cloud computing allows standardization in term of systems processes and speed. This will reduce the maintenance cost, ensures data security and provides every employee an equal opportunity to obtain data to make quality decisions. For example, an employee in India will be using the same system as an employee in Russia. This facilitates knowledge sharing among employees and also transfers of talent throughout the Colgate world. It allows our global customer (ie: Tesco, Carrefour) to make business decisions on a global basis based on the availability of standardized data and the way of doing business with Colgate. 3.4 Cost of implementation of cloud computing It is crucial to determine the return of invest and total costs of ownership to senior management before being able to influence them to make decisions on whether or not an organisation should invest in the system/infrastructure. The total costs of ownership looks into nine areas which are: Hardware acquisition The cost for purchasing of computing power might be higher at the initial stage when setting cloud computing however the return of investment in the long run might justify the initial investment. Software acquisition The licensing for software used within Colgate might decrease if the company decides to subscribe to Software as a Service (SaaS) applications such as Salesforce.com. SaaS applications allow users to pay as they use. This decreases cost of purchasing licensing for the whole package of software but employees only use partial applications within the package. Installation Installation cost remain constant with or without cloud computing. Colgate advocates providing the same infrastructure and computing power in terms of both hardware and software for all its employees. Training Trainings for implementation of cloud computing can be done via three methods. Firstly, the company can deploy collaboration tools to allow virtual training. Secondly, training can be deliver via an online knowledge portal (ElementK) which the company has subscribed to and lastly via classroom trainings for more technical personnel. The cost of training (in terms of travel) can be minimized by having power users within subsidiaries of Colgate to train employees of their own division. Support The implementation of cloud computing allows a standardized support of IT employee for every employee. By having a standardized system and processes, IT employees now need not have different sets of manual to provide differing system support. Maintenance Cloud computing eases the maintenance of systems and upgrading of both hardware and software. By implementing cloud computing, all upgrades can now be push from the backend of servers to each computer. Infrastructure Investment in specialized equipment and network at the initial stage is required. However the yield in the long run surpasses the cost of initial investment made. It also allows business to replough back the cost used to maintain IT systems to the core of its businesses after the implementation of cloud computing. Downtime The downtime of servers that support cloud computing can be managed internally. Although downtime cannot be eliminated, it can be minimized to ensure minimal disruption to the business. Downtime can be planned and communicated to employees at earlier so that employees can plan their work accordingly. Space and energy Part 4: Recommendations of cloud computing adoption/adaption Based on the issues and challenges that have been discussed in Part 2, it is vital that Colgate adopts a technology that will enable the company to move forward in the era of information technology. However, due to sensitive and confidential information that Colgate has to protect, they are not able to outsource to external providers such as Salesforce.com. Hence, it is recommended that Colgate invests in a private cloud which only employees of the organization can access, with the option of having their business partners obtaining a certain amount of information from the cloud. With the use of the cloud, the IT department will no longer need to go through the manual layers of approvals needed to implement new technologies. By creating an approval system that links to the email system, approvers will need to simply login into the cloud to sanction the requests, regardless of time zone and location once they receive email notifications. This will further simplify the approval process and the IT department will be able to rollout new technologies, thus enabling Colgate to be, if not in the forefront, at least keeping up with the latest technology compared to their competitors. Colgates IT departments objective is to have the same systems, same information, same processes and the same performance everywhere across the Colgate world. With the implementation of a cloud, a series of commonly used software can be stored in the cloud. Employees laptops and desktops will merely be terminals to access the cloud. Hence, using the method of single sign-on username and password, this would allow the IT department to have further security measures as well as enabling them to monitor the health status of each of the terminals. Business partners can be given limited access to the cloud, thus exposing them to Colgates workflow, processes and cultures. This in turn would assist them to understand how Colgate manages its business and how they are able to contribute more efficiently towards Colgates success. Cost has always been a challenge to most organisations. A resourceful firm can fully make use of a budget of 1.5% of net sales to stay ahead of competitors by investing in a cloud. As mentioned in Part 2, Colgate currently has independent software installed in each computer. By implementing a cloud, instead of having the IT personnel physically installing the software in each computer, which may take a few weeks, depending on the location of Colgate offices, they simply need to load or upgrade the software into the cloud, enabling employees to use the latest software within days, if not hours. On top of that, the cost of travelling for IT personnel to install these software will be very minimal. In line with business needs, the speed of change will be beneficial not only to Colgate, but also to their employees as they will be exposed to newer technologies/software in order to be more efficient in their daily tasks, thus reducing time needed for business to wait for processed information from the employees. Currently Colgate in every location around the globe has their own set of servers and data storage system within each subsidiary. With the implementation of a cloud, Colgate will only need to have these hardware investment and maintenance in one particular site only. IT departments can be much leaner, more efficient and more focused in their areas of expertise. Colgate has always been prudent in investing in any type of technology. The local IT department refers to a grid that lists the yearly initiatives that they will need to implement in every subsidiary. This grid consists of requests and is essentially an approved wish list from each business unit on implementing certain technologies within the department. Colgates business strategy to balance both technology and the demand from employees on the ground is important to achieve strategic goals. The yearly resource of 1.5% of net sales has always been the budget that the IT department has to adhere to. Given this allocation, the IT department has to be judicious in spending, balancing the business needs, keeping the current technology abreast with the market as well as being ahead of competitors.

Visual Impairment in Alzheimers Disease :: Opthamology Alzheimers Disease Essays

Visual Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease The documentation of a severe form of dementia by Alois Alzheimer in 1907 began a massive investigation of the cause of this disorder. Some of the common symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease consist of memory loss, impaired language ability, impaired judgement, and learning (M. Wong, et al. , 1997). Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is mainly a disease of the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer's is marked structurally by the senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and severe loss of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disorder ( Hof, Vogt, Bouras, and Morrison 1997). Recent attention has been focused on visual dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease (K. U. Loffler, D. P. Edward, & M. O. M. Tso 1995). Visual Problems During the clinical evaluation of patients with mild to moderate dementia of the AD type, visual difficulties such as : topographic agnosia, visual agnosia, alexia without agraphia, and prosopagnosia are detected. AD patients have The problem of describing the individual components of a picture is consistent with the severity of cytochrome oxidase (C.O.) deficits in the association cortical areas. Other deficits experienced by AD patients were texture discrimination, blue-violet discrimination, and 4.72 deg/sec motion detection. When AD patients were compared to other age-matched controls, AD patients had shown specific deficits in contrast sensitivity. Deficits in color vision were only age-related (M. Wong-Riley, et al. , 1997). Studies Selective degeneration of large ganglion cell axons was observed in the optic nerves of AD patients, which suggested an impairment of broad-band channel visual function. Although studies show that the broad-band visual capabilities are not selectively impaired in AD. Dorsal LGN studies have shown that both the magno- and parvicellular neurons were greatly affected in AD patients. Strangely, AD patients were impaired at low frequencies instead of the high frequencies, like in old age. This implies that regions controlling the low spacial frequency processing in the primary visual cortex would be affected more than those for high frequency processing (M. Wong-Riley, et al. , 1997). The neuropathologic examination of the brains with visual impairment in the Hof et al. (1997) study revealed cortical atrophy dominating on the posterior parietal cortex and occipital lobe(Hof et al.). A study by Beta-amyloid is considered an important factor in AD and was shown to be the major cause in seni le plaques. Acetylcholine A number of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, including acetylcholine (ACh), somatostatin and glutamate have been found to be deficient in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Progress and Innocence in One Hundred Year of Solitude Essay -- One Hu

Progress and Innocence in One Hundred Year of Solitude   Ã‚   One Hundred Year of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez projects itself among the most famous and ambitious works in the history of literature. Epic in scope,  Marquez weaves autobiography, allegory and historical allusion to create a surprisingly coherent story line about his forebears, his descendants and ours. It has been said that there are only about 18 or so themes that describe the human condition. This quote was made in reference to Shakespeare, and posited that all of the books and movies that we digest and assimilate can be shown to have their roots in these canonical themes. In Cien Anos, Marquez addresses several of these themes in the subtle and interlocking ways that they deserve. This paper will concentrate on two interrelated themes: progress and innocence. In its exploration of these concerns, this novel provides no less than a rendering of the trajectory of human evolution. Loss of innocence is a time-worn theme in the literature of every culture. It traditionally takes the form of some type of epiphany visited upon an unsophisticated character as she grows up and encounters the larger world. The focus of this theme is normally personal, in the point of view of an individual, or the omnipotent third person account of the reaction of an individual. While this aspect can be found in the novel, it additionally explores the loss of innocence of a family, people or race, called estirpe in the original edition. In the Western sensibility, the march of progress is normally deemed positive and inevitable. In recent Western history, from the Middle Ages forward, successive improvements in the spread of knowledge, dissemination of culture, and the av... ...s of Solitude." In McGuirk and Cardwell, 65-79. Griffin, Clive. "The Humour of One Hundred Years of Solitude." In McGuirk and Cardwell, 81-94. James, Regina. Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Revolutions in Wonderland. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1981. McGuirk, Bernard and Richard Cardwell, edd. Gabriel Garcia Marquez: New Readings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987). Martin, Gerald. "On 'magical' and social realism in Garcia Marquez." In McGuirk and Cardwell, 95-116. Williams, Raymond L. Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Boston: Twayne, 1984. Williamson, Edwin. "Magical Realism and the Theme of Incest in One Hundred Years of Solitude." In McGuirk and Cardwell. 45-63. Wood, Michael. "Review of One Hundred Years of Solitude." In Critical Essays on Gabriel Garcia Marquez. McMurray, George R., ed. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987.      

Comparison of the Chinese and American Cultures Essay

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, culture is defined as â€Å"the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.† Culture is an aspect all groups of humans have and even though it is an aspect our species shares, the supposed differences make it seem like we are of different species! Culture is something that both connects and separates us. Culture is something distinct enough to create barriers among us, such as: linguistic barriers and behavioral barriers. And this is especially seen between the American and Chinese cultures. River Town, by Peter Hessler, is a non-fiction novel that depicts Peter’s experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fuling, China. He was sent to Fuling (a poor town on the banks of the Yangtze River) in 1996 and taught English and American literature for two years at a teachers college. This novel, in reading, seems more of a journal and thus, his writing of China puts the people and his experiences on a more personal level. He describes, with immense detail, his observations of the social, political and cultural issues of China and his experience as a waiguoren (foreigner). At his arrival, the people of the teachers college showered him and his fellow Peace Corps volunteer with many gifts and did everything they could to make them feel comfortable and welcome. However, alternately, whenever Peter would walk outside the campus of the school, the people would stare and gawk at him and yell, â€Å"outsider!† and â€Å"hello† out of curiosity and their own amusemen t. This made him dedicate a large part of his day solely to learning Chinese. As he becomes more proficient in Chinese, he develops friendships and connections and begins to feel more accepted. He talks about the troubled history of China: the struggles of land reform, decades of misguided economic policies and especially the damaging effects of the Cultural Revolution. Peter spends a good deal discussing the, then, upcoming  project of the Three Gorges Dam, which has an immense, detrimental impact on the people. The project will require millions of villagers to be displaced and will destroy centuries worth of meaningful history. The author gives a very vivid illustration of the beautiful landscape, history and the people he meets. He also portrays the, especially political, perspectives of the Chinese quite well through learning from his students and teachers. According to Francis Hsu, the two sets of contrasts are: individual-centered versus situation-centered and the prominence of emotions versus the underplay of all matters regarding the heart. He believed Americans are concerned only of themselves and act according to what would be beneficial to them, and that the Chinese acted according to the situation at hand. The Chinese avoid direct confrontation, open criticism and controversial topics to maintain harmony. â€Å"In America, he saw the blind, often excessive pursuit of self-reliance and the inherent, permanent instability of human relationships as the root cause of many intractable social ills, including crime, racial discord, and the sale of influence in government. In China, he saw the traditional narrow focus on kinship based relationships had rendered their society unable to effectively counter Western colonialism, widespread poverty and famine, and even the practice of foot binding of women.† (Tong 2001) One aspect of the book that really interested me was the education system and different cultural differences of how education is looked upon. In the book, the students all had the same thoughts on almost every issue and those opinions would be unwavering. However, â€Å"Perhaps by my standards they were politically brainwashed, but compared to the past they were remarkably free.† (Hessler 2001:23) They would also communicate indirectly to Hessler; often times via their journals. Not only is the learning environment in China highly competitive and demanding, but expectations are high of students, forcing them to simply learn to achieve the highest grade possible. Also, Chinese students do not have electives they can choose from, they are assigned classes that best correspond to their scores on tests. Whereas in America, individualism and self-expression if looked high upon. Thus, in America, the individual student’s abilities and skills determine  where they go in the future, and in China, what society or their parents want determines where they go. This is exactly what Francis Hsu talked about. I believe Peter Hessler was relatively objective in his journaling. Whenever he brought up thoughts or opinions of his students or any of the Fuling people, he briefly gave the history and background of them so we can understand where they are coming from. However, there were a few times where you could sense his extreme bias, but this was never fully evident in his writing. The difference between American and Chinese homes reflects the contrasting patterns of behavior in the family. In the US, children are highly regarded, cared for and have privilege, so far as to have laws and regulations protecting them. In China, children are taken for granted and have little to no reason to expect protection. Pediatrics was not a branch of medicine in China until just recently. In America, what is important is what parents should do for their parents; in China, what is important is what the children should do for their parents. This is a major reason why Chinese students are so focused on getting the best grades, so they can get a good job and take care of their elders. This is the basis for Filial Piety (virtue of respect for one’s parents and ancestors). American students focus on what is best for them and will usually move out the house at age 18 with no regard to taking care of their elders. Another difference between the two cultures is social relations hips. The Chinese have formal, hierarchal relationships in which they feel most comfortable knowing their position. Americans have informal, egalitarian relationships in which they feel most comfortable among their equals and social ranking is not important. Ironically however, the Chinese tend to have a few, very close friends to whom they feel obligated to when it comes to helping them; Americans tend to have numerous â€Å"friends† and acquaintances that changes over time and to whom they feel no obligations. Works Cited 2001 River Town: Two years on the Yangtze. HarperCollins Publishers. Aguilar, Leslie, and Linda Stokes 1996. Multicultural Customer Service: Providing Outstanding Service Across Cultures. Chicago: Times Mirror Higher Education Group, Inc â€Å"CultureAbout Our Definitions: All Forms of a Word (noun, Verb, Etc.) Are Now Displayed on One Page.† Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013 Li Qing 1995. â€Å"Face, Guanxi, Houmen(r) & Elastic Rules: Insight into the Chinese Culture.† Presentation at conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Tong, William K. â€Å"Excerpts from Americans & Chinese by Francis Hsu.† Excerpts from Americans & Chinese by Francis Hsu. Oakton Community College, 2001. Web. 22 Apr. 2013

Analysis of the strategy development in the vsm group

6. Case analysisBackground to the analysisThe overall analysis of the scheme development in the VSM Group is reasonably straightforward ( in hindsight ) . In 1997, the new CEO joined the company. Given that the new proprietors Industri Capital did non seek long term ownership, his undertaking was to do the VSM Group a profitable company that would be fit for an IPO within the following 5 old ages or so. At the clip, the VSM Group still had a strong production focal point and concerns tended to stop at the mill Gatess. Like most other shapers of run uping machines, it had been fighting with unsatisfactory profitableness. Summarizing up the state of affairs in a simple SWOT analysis shows that the VSM Group was strong on production and merchandise development but had less proficiency in pull offing the parts of the value concatenation between production and the client. Although the market as a whole had been worsening for decennaries, the upper sections ( computerised machines with emb roidery capacity ) were still profitable. Given its capacity for developing and bring forthing high public presentation run uping machines, VSM opted for a scheme with the expressed purpose of going the taking manufacturer of premium run uping machines. However, the deficiency of competency on the market side was all excessively evident to the new CEO. VSM needed to increase client orientation in all parts of the value concatenation, so it started to work intensively with its independent retail merchants to develop them and, optimally, bring on them to cover entirely with VSM ‘s merchandise lines. In add-on, VSM started to spread out the figure of to the full owned retail merchants to spearhead its merchandises in profitable markets. Within the company proper, information and preparation was aimed at transfusing the impression that the employees at VSM had merely one beginning of income, irrespective of place within the company: the client. The VSM Group was strong on both production and R & A ; D but the merchandise market options for sing merely its production accomplishments to seek low cost advantage in the mid and top sections of the market looked less promising. To go a market leader and accomplish true distinction, it needed to supply new superior merchandises while developing new competency to pull off the linkages between production and retailing. The new theoretical account ‘Designer 1 ‘ hence played a important function in VSM ‘s new scheme, as does its attempts to widen its competency into retailing. The Pfaff purchase can be viewed in visible radiation of this scheme. Although the acquisition of Pfaff was non rather in line with the new scheme of the VSM Group, it was aligned. When Pfaff came up for sale, the expressed end of the VSM top direction was to do an issue possible for their proprietor. The purchase of Pfaff would alter the construction of the industry but the programs for an IPO of the VSM Group would hold to be postponed. However, this was acceptable to the proprietor who antecedently had sought out structural trades in other industries. Further, the purchase of Pfaff did non include any production capacity in Germany. The mark of the VSM Group was the Pfaff trade name. In the procedure, VSM discovered the works in Brno, which was non a portion of Pfaff, but a subcontractor. However, its function in the production of Pfaff branded machines was so of import that VSM decided to purchase the works and do it a to the full owned subordinate of the VSM group. This was non in VSM ‘s original program and is a good illustration of how a procedure position helps usInstructor ‘s Manualunderstand how strategic determinations are developed over clip. A farther of import strategic determination was to maintain Pfaff as a full-range premium trade name analogue to the original Husqvarna Viking line. This determination was the consequence of a instead drawn-out procedure and the concluding determination was far from obvious at the beginning of the treatments. Overall, the VSM Group is remaining with its scheme: premium merchandises and commanding the value concatenation while remaining profitable. However, the purchase of Pfaff has delayed several of these aims. Although the figure of to the full owned retail merchants has increased, it has increased less than originally planned. Further, the work to incorporate the retail merchant web for the Pfaff line started at square one and needed a batch of attending. Last, the underestimate of the badness of the German market has tied up the top direction squad well and drawn extra financess from the Group. Turning now to the specific inquiries:6.1 There were a figure of coincident alterations in the VSM Group in theperiod 1997-2003. Is the VSM Group still the same company?The last 25 old ages of the VSM Group are a history of considerable contextual, organizational and market alteration. In 1977, the Husqvarna company, a big maker of place contraptions and forestry equipment, was taken over by its fiercest rival Electrolux. In merely a twosome of old ages, the company was integrated into the elephantine Electrolux. Still, resources and competencies really changed surprisingly small through the old ages. The fabrication works hardly changed and the merchandise development section had a long tradition with section directors and employees functioning long footings. The purchase of Pfaff added no production resources since the Karlsruhe works was closed. However, the purchase of the Brno production installation did add to production capacity although non production competency. Consequently , a resource audit will demo that few resources or basic competencies have really been changed during this period. ( Note that we talk about alteration in quality instead than measure. ) Rather, the alteration procedure has been directed towards beef uping the linkages between functional countries in the value concatenation. To this terminal, several methods have been employed. The development of a mission statement ( which really did non be prior to the reaching of the new CEO ) , organizational alterations ( composing top direction squad ) , the physical resettlement of the R & A ; D and selling sections to the same edifice and the VSM programme for educating retail merchants are illustrations of this.6.2 How would you depict the strategic capableness of the VSM Group in 1997? In 2001? In 2003?The VSM Group has ever demonstrated high proficient proficiency compared to its rivals. This is briefly illustrated in appendix 1 where the ancestors of the present administration are descri bed. The VSM Group was e.g. the first to do a self- lubricating stitching machine through the usage of sintered metal engineering. Its streamlining activities during the 1980s were besides successful in cut downing the parts ‘ count and cost. This meant directing design attempts non merely to fulfill the consumer but  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor ‘s Manual besides to run into the demands of the production section for designs that were possible to bring forth more expeditiously. Historically, the thoughts for merchandise inventions have come from the R & A ; D section with small input from the selling section. This is non to state that the development applied scientists were uninformed about client demands, but instead that market information was non collected and channelled though the administration. Although the VSM Group had for a long clip required all its merchandise applied scientists to run up actively in their trim clip, we have a authoritative instance of a product- orientated administration. To understand the administration in 1997 see appendix 1 where the company ‘s historical background is laid out. A factory has been located at or near the present site for more than 300 old ages. Get downing as a metalworks for guns in the 17th century, the activities at the Husqvarna works have shifted from guns to rifles to run uping machines as demand has changed through the centuries. Resource places ( the factory ) and competencies ( notably the metalworks and mechanics ) have been used to follow new schemes as induced by alterations in the environment. During the period 1997-2000, the VSM Group took a figure of actions to better the linkages between functional countries. First, the directors of the international gross revenues companies were brought into the top direction squad, which provided an sphere for strategic conversation with other parts of the administration. Second, the work on the formal scheme papers ( including the mission statement ) brought together different parts of the administration, both horizontally and vertically. The written paperss besides served to pass on corporate schemes and values in a new and consistent manner. The carefully managed scheme procedure seemed to pay off in footings of organizational committedness. Third, traveling the merchandise development and selling sections to the same edifice was another measure to associate proficient expertness and selling know-how to organize a whole. It is of import to observe that the alteration towards market orientation was an overall attempt that involved alterations in the top direction squad, a new fiscal accounting system, every bit good as the physical resettlement of sections. Furthermore, it should besides be noted that the increased focal point on pull offing linkages extends beyond the company ‘s ain administration. The company ‘s high engagement in the development of the independent traders is another illustration of pull offing linkages. To descry this the pupils need to hold on the construct of the value concatenation ( subdivision 3.6.1 ) so as to non restrict the analysis to resources and competency controlled through ownership. At a insouciant glimpse, it may look clear that the resource place of the VSM Group had changed markedly by 2003. It so owned the Pfaff trade name and it had new in-house production capacity at the Brno works, which was cost efficient and capable of consistent quality. On the â€Å"front end† of the value concatenation, new traders had been added. However, on closer review the alterations may non be that important. Pfaff had established itself as a high quality trade name and the new production installation in Brno did add capacity but no new or different competency to the company. As it was, the Pfaff purchase looks more like â€Å"more of the same† than echt alteration. By 2003, VSM ‘s strategic capacity had non changed appreciably in quality but in measure. The company still possessed expertness in merchandise development and had  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor ‘s Manual efficient production installations. In add-on, VSM had two strong trade names with a planetary presence. On the retail side, VSM is still go oning its quest to ‘transform ‘ its retail merchants to transport its trade names entirely. 6.3 Are the nucleus competencies in 2003 more robust than in 1997? It is straightforward to individual out the merchandise development capacity of the VSM Group as a campaigner for a nucleus competency. The new strategic way has increased the purchase of this competency every bit good as spawned the development of others such as pull offing linkages. However, it is questionable whether merchandise development capacity in itself may be called a nucleus competency ; the Brother company has emerged as an advanced rival with potentially deep pockets. However, the hardiness of a nucleus competency tends to increase when it is embedded in a specific organizational context ; the decision is that the hardiness has increased with the focal point on edifice linkages within the value concatenation ( subdivision 3.6.1 ) . Robustness besides stems from ownership. The coming of to the full software-controlled run uping machines has made package development really of import for the stitching machine manufacturers. The acquisition of the little package manufacturer EMNET was seen as strategically of import in position of the company ‘s committedness to â€Å"enhance the joy of sewing† . Harmonizing to VSM, it saw the tendency as traveling towards farther integrating between computing machine and stitching machine, doing the usage of a Personal computer a excess measure for e.g. the building of embellishment. If VSM were non in control of its embellishment package, it could intend that in the hereafter it would be forced to trust to a great extent on outside parties in order to supply the full merchandises. Interestingly, a similar state of affairs was at manus in the early 1980s when electronic co ntrols were introduced in run uping machines. The strategic options confronting the administration at that clip were either to develop the necessary competency internally or to purchase the services and parts from an outside provider. Finally, the company ‘s determination was to engage applied scientists with grades in electronics in order to develop the new engineering internally. In hindsight, interviewees from merchandise development acknowledge this as an of import strategic determination since some rivals ( e.g. Bernina ) lost of import land in developing their ain engineering. Know-how in electronics has subsequently proved to be a threshold competency for run uping machine makers except for the lowest market sections.6.4 What are the of import factors in the macro-environment that influence VSM and its industry?The PESTEL model may be suited here. Some factors may be thought of as structural drivers of alteration, i.e. factors in the macro-environment that affect the wh ole industry, and some may merely be of importance to the individual administration. A common mistake committed by pupils in this analysis is to seek to make full each missive in PESTEL with some content, nevertheless undistinguished. We have chosen to give a few illustrations that in the yesteryear have shown to be of importance. Concentrating on a few outstanding factors gives the pupils a opportunity to derive deeper apprehension of these factors alternatively of merely fundamental apprehension of a long ‘laundry list† of possible factors.  © Pearson Education Limited 2005Instructor ‘s ManualPoliticalAlthough the political environment in Sweden is really stable, trade policy issues between the EU and the US have threatened the VSM Group in the yesteryear. In the alleged â€Å"Banana War† in the late 1990s, US governments threatened to enforce a high ( 50 % ) surcharge on targeted merchandises such as run uping machines, in response to EU protectionist patterns know aparting against imports of American bananas. This menace was really existent and would hold meant serious losingss in VSM ‘s cardinal market for premium run uping machines. This illustrates the importance of accounting for political conditions between provinces, and non merely within provinces. Another issue could be the general liberalization of trade. Low or no duties on fabric imports have made apparels much cheaper in the Western universe, pass overing out big parts of the fabric industry in the US and in the EU. Cheaper vesture has wholly undermined the old inducement to run up.EconomicOnce once more, the economic environment in Sweden is moderately stable for a little province. However, Sweden has non opted to joint the European Monetary Union ( EMU ) . The Swedish krona hence floats against both the US dollar and the Euro. In the short tally, it is possible to fudge fluctuations in the exchange rates. In the medium tally, these fluctuations will impact the income of the VSM Group in domestic currency. In the yesteryear, the profitableness of the VSM Group has showed clear covariation with the exchange rate of the Swedish krona, both in 1982 ( when the krona was devaluated by 16 % ) and once more in 1992 when the krona dropped over 25 % nightlong as the policy of fixed exchange rate was abandoned. Even in 2003, the VSM Group had to get by with shriveling net incomes ( in domestic currency ) as a effect of the bead in the US dollar.SocioculturalUnder the rubric of sociocultural factors, we find some of the st ructural drivers of alteration in the stitching industry. LOMLOTs ( Lots Of Money, Lots Of Time ) were often used by the VSM Group to depict a turning group of retired persons, peculiarly in the US, with plentifulness of clip for leisure activities and money to pass. Sewing out of necessity is no longer of import for bring forthing demand: you can purchase much cheaper than you can run up. Rather it is ‘higher ‘ motivations in the Maslowian sense that drive many consumers. This alteration in consumer gustatory sensations has had an impact on the industry: the gross revenues of low priced simple machines have plummeted, while more advanced machines show steady gross revenues. The fact that it is now possible to bear down $ 5000+ for a consumer stitching machine ( the Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 ) is besides an index of this alteration. Given that run uping machines are no longer a necessity, there is no â€Å"automatic† creative activity of demand. As such, the sti tching machine is now viing with other types of leisure activities: fishing, golf, or going. The VSM Group has clearly recognised this and its mission statement contains the phrase â€Å"creating demand for more originative utilizations of sewing† .  © Pearson Education Limited 2005Instructor ‘s ManualTechnologicalThe more and more widespread usage of the Internet and its capacity for file transportation has made it possible to easy upgrade characteristics of the stitching machines through a simple download of package ascents. The top theoretical accounts from the taking makers make usage of the Internet to administer embellishment forms and package for the building of usage embellishment. In add-on, the VSM Group distributes ascents of the operating system of the stitching machine proper. As of yet, no theoretical account has a direct linkage to the Internet. Rather, package has to be downloaded via a Personal computer. In category treatment, this may open up informed guess about what new characteristics we might see, given the rapid development for new applications of information engineering in other countries.6.5 What are the forces of competition in the sewing machine industry?The instance text contains adequate info rmation to do it possible to execute a Five Forces analysis. More ambitious enterprise might include external beginnings of information. From experience, it has been noted that pupils may hold troubles with understanding the difference between competitory competition within the industry, which is one of the five â€Å"forces† , and the degree of competition, the dependant variable in the theoretical account. The information provided in the instance ( notably in portion 3 ) makes it possible to execute a Five Forces analysis ( subdivision 2.3.1 ) . Persistently low profitableness over the concern rhythm fundamentally defines the degree of competition as â€Å"high† ( in the Porterian sense ) . Competitive competition seems to be moderate with moderate degrees of merchandise invention, absence of monetary value wars, or aggressive selling towards retail merchants. However, altering purchaser gustatory sensations have meant diminishing overall demand for run uping machines, particularly on basic theoretical accounts. Buyers have high bargaining power due to low exchanging costs between trade names since the industry is mature with a dominant design. In add-on, the typical stitching machine retail merchant carries several trade names. Therefore, it could be concluded that it is the demand side that put downward force per unit area on the industry ‘s net income borders. From the analysis of the environment the pupils are asked to develop an thought of how the market will develop and what alternate places the histrions in the industry may take. Section 2.4 in ECS will likely be helpful here, peculiarly the Strategic Group Analysis in 2.4.1. Besides subdivision 2.4.2, Market Segmentation, will be a cardinal reading since VSM ‘s scheme is to travel after a niche section that is still profitable even though the entire market for run uping machines is worsening. Therefore, the job of specifying the industry and to execute a dynamic analysis will come into drama.6.6 What are the following strategic issues Viking will hold to turn to? What strategic options might be considered?For the VSM Group, two issues stand out: keeping proficient leading and pull offing the value concatenation. Extra issues are trade name direction and pull offing the Pfaff acquisition. Issues of way, methods and â€Å"success criteria† for scheme development are dealt with in c hapter 7 of ECS. In the short tally, this would be â€Å"protect  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor ‘s Manual and construct on current position† . However, in the medium to long tally, issues of merchandise and market development will come in the equation. The notes below should be considered in this visible radiation. The proficient proficiency of VSM has been a repeating subject in this instance. It is true that capacity for merchandise invention is a cardinal portion of VSM ‘s strategic capableness, but it should non be construed as the beginning of competitory advantage for VSM. In recent old ages, its rival Brother has introduced automatic threading, a utile characteristic soon non available from VSM. In all, Brother ‘s capacity for technology seems to equal that of VSM. Nevertheless, maintaining proficient leading ( as it manifests itself in new merchandises ) is one key to VSM ‘s overall scheme. A good set of applied scientists is portion of the equation but cognizing how to bring forth the right sort of invention is even more critical. Hence the accent on bridging spreads within the value concatenation to better flows of information and resources in both waies. The instance contains a just sum of information on the procedure intended to increase client orientation in all p arts of the value concatenation. This goes for the R & A ; D, production, and marketing sections every bit good as the retail merchants. The concatenation metaphor is suiting in this instance: a concatenation is no stronger than its weakest nexus. The most hard portion to manage is the nexus of the value concatenation that VSM does non command through ownership: the retail merchants. The retail merchants have a critical function in the company ‘s contact with the client. Any alteration in the preceding parts of the value concatenation will be â€Å"filtered† through this concluding nexus to the client. Therefore, VSM has put a batch of attempt and money into developing retail merchants and supplying them with support such as trade name particular store insides and subsidiary merchandises such as instructional pictures and forms. This procedure is ongoing, for both trade names. Customer dealingss are a resource that has to be managed by the company: they can non be bough t and they take clip and attempt to construct. In comparing, technology accomplishments are less dearly-won to develop. VSM ‘s increased attempts in selling and client dealingss provide increasing hardiness ( ECS, subdivision 3.4.3 ) to their strategic capableness. The integrating of the retail merchants into the VSM administration is taken to its logical terminal in the instance of the confined store-in-store construct developed for the US market. Exclusive franchise in the â€Å"Dealer-Partner† programme is besides a move towards increasing control of the retailing concern. The inquiry is: will the constructs that have been proven successful in the US besides be applicable to other markets, such as Europe and Asia? The transmutation of VSM from a product-orientated company to one of market orientation has merely started. From a â€Å"Madchen fur alles† covering all market sections, the aim is now to fulfill the selected client group. This is besides clear from the placement of the freshly acquired Pfaff trade name. The purpose is to construct a relationship with the client. A critical strategic issue is hence to increase the cognition about the targeted client group. The mark group is frequently described as middle-aged adult females with above mean fiscal resources. In VSM ‘s corporate slang, the acronym LOMLOTs ( Lots Of Money, Lots Of Time ) seems to capture some of the indispensable features of this client section. The selling scheme is to do the clients think approximately run uping as an activity that makes good usage of their trim clip, all the piece recognizing Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff as the premium trade names for this activity. 288  © Pearson Education Limited 2005Instructor ‘s ManualBy 2003, the Pfaff line of machines had non been re-engineered automatically ; the basic engineering used is ‘old ‘ Pfaff. However, with new theoretical accounts designed by VSM ‘s ain applied scientists, integrati ng between the trade names will presumptively be more marked both in production and in R & A ; D. The inquiry is, will VSM be able to continue the differentiations between the trade names? There are many analogues that could be made to the auto industry on this issue, e.g. with the Volkswagen pudding stone. The selected scheme is dearly-won ; the debut of advanced merchandises and services is dearly-won. These costs have to be passed on to the consumers and the latest theoretical accounts retail for approximately $ 2000 to over $ 5000. Consequently, the demand for volume may merely be satisfied by a planetary presence. Market incursion in the US is good and in Europe critical stairss are being taken to increase it ( the acquisition of Pfaff is one portion of this ) . However, the instance of Asia is more debatable. In 2001, the VSM Group established a little presence in Tokyo, Japan, but gross revenues are fringy. This may be considered an effort to turn organically but what other o ptions are within range? Is the Asiatic market â€Å"worth† viing for or are resources better spent on consolidation and defense mechanism of VSM ‘s nucleus markets? VSM ‘s quest to â€Å"create demand for originative sewing† means that it has started transforming itself into a company offering more and more services ( after gross revenues, embellishment, run uping categories ) . The balance of the company is altering. The acquisition of Emnet and the quickly spread outing figure of package applied scientists underline the importance of a cognition base in calculating. The command for enlargement in instruction will besides necessitate development of new competencies. In the words of one interviewee, the run uping machine in the hereafter may work as â€Å"an ordinary printer† , the of import portion being forms, instruction and inspiring magazines. Consequently, an interesting strategic issue is how to equilibrate the traditional strength of the company, merchandise development, and the formation of competencies in information engineering and instruction. This is besides a inquiry of company individuality. Take one illustrati on. In interviews with the cardinal persons in the top direction squad, the figure of machines sold frequently surfaced during treatments on public presentation. The interviewees discussed the history every bit good as the hereafter in footings of gross revenues of hardware. The implicit in image was that the figure of machines was decisive for the success of the company, and direction should be focused on the relation between produced machines and gross revenues of machines. The nexus between gross revenues, production and logistics was emphasised. However, in a market-orientated company with the purpose to construct durable relationships with the clients, the figure of machines is simply an index of how many client relationships are initiated. Rather, the end must be to make an administration that aims to increase client satisfaction, advancing a uninterrupted hard currency flow from each of these relationships. One possible scenario could e.g. be that VSM will sell its machines a t a monetary value that is to a great extent subsidised and alternatively range profitableness through the gross revenues of forms and instruction. In this scenario, wholly new linkages between resources and competencies would be critical for the success of the company.  © Pearson Education Limited 2005Instructor ‘s Manual6.7 How does the scheme of the VSM Group fit its strategic capableness with its environment? How did it alteration from 1997 to 2003?A treatment of VSM ‘s scheme and its development physiques on the interplay between strategic stretch and fit – stretch in footings of considerations for bing resource places and tantrum in footings of constructing new resources to capture a place on the chosen merchandise market. In 1997, VSM already had several of import resources and competencies that served as the footing for the new scheme. First of all, VSM possessed an active R & A ; D section and an efficient production installation. It besides had a trade name name that was good regarded in most markets. However, its selling section chiefly supplied merchandise descriptions and run uping forms and was small involve in merchandise development. The market as a whole had been worsening for decennaries but the top section was healthy and VSM ‘s merchandise line was comparable to that of its rivals. Although the major histrions were endeavoring for distinction, most of them were featuring full merchandise ranges with similar characteristics on their theoretical accounts. VSM ‘s strategic analysis suggested that concentrating on the more expensive designs ( computerised run uping machines with embroidery capacity ) would do sense in visible radiation of the altering sociocultural factors act uponing the possible clients for run uping machines. VSM ‘s strong place in the US market likely influenced this decision well. Clearly, following a distinction scheme in footings of the â€Å"strategy clock† ( ECS, subdivision 5.3 ) , VSM seemed to travel clockwise towards a place of focussed distinction. The new top-of-the-line theoretical account â€Å"Designer 1† was instrumental in accomplishing this end. However, accomplishing a function as market leader was non every bit simple a s establishing a new superior merchandise and so merely bring forthing it ; it needed to make its clients. The sewing machine concern is dominated by little independent retail merchants, normally transporting several trade names. Controling the selling attempts of the retail merchants was hence peculiarly of import when seeking to sell a merchandise at about duplicate the monetary value of any machine from the competition. Further, VSM ‘s mission to make demand for its merchandises necessitated closer control of the communicating with its clients. To pull off the nexus between the production of run uping machines and the selling of run uping machines, VSM started an extended programme where independent retail merchants were invited to the Husqvarna works. On site, they toured the premises, received preparation on the new theoretical accounts and information on VSM scheme. In add-on, VSM besides started to supply complete store insides and developing programmes for terminal use rs. It besides closed contracts with selected retail merchants to go sole traders of the Husqvarna Viking scope of merchandises. In exchange, these retail merchants received extended selling support. The scheme development procedure combines elements of both stretch and tantrum. VSM ‘s original resource place had a batch of influence on its new scheme and in this regard, we have a instance of â€Å"strategic stretch† . However, some of VSM ‘s resources were non equal for this scheme. This was clear in relation to the selling maps of the value concatenation. In 1997, VSM has really small control over the selling activities pursued by its local traders. The value of proactive alterations earlier in the value concatenation hence threatened to be suboptimal since the possible benefits would non make its clients. Constructing this new resource ( i.e. pull offing the linkage between assorted parts of the value  © Pearson Education Limited 2005Instructor ‘s Manualconcatenation ) was deemed necessary to capture the targeted place on the merchandise market. In add-on, VSM had unequal co-operation between the R & A ; D and selling sections. In an attempt to promote increased co-operation and communicating, the R & A ; D and selling sections were moved into the same edifice. Previously, the R & A ; D section had been located near to the production line. In this regard, the scheme development was a inquiry of tantrum. The purchase of Pfaff meant adding new resources similar to what already existed in the VSM Group. The Pfaff trade name was strong and perceived every bit high quality. But pull offing two planetary trade names needed clear boundary lines. The pick to see the Pfaff trade name as being on a par with the Husqvarna Viking trade name was in line with the corporate scheme. The distinction between the trade names is founded on the penetration that perceived value and monetary val ues are by far the lone dimensions on which we map strategic groups ( see ECS, subdivision 3.3 ) on the market for run uping machines. Turning to features of the clients instead than the merchandise itself enabled VSM to utilize the value of the trade names in footings of being perceived as technologically advanced and dependable, while providing for a larger client group in its market communicating. Adding the Pfaff trade name allowed the VSM Group to make new client groups without stretching the trade names excessively much. Again, similarities with the auto industry, e.g. Volkswagen, may be interesting to discourse. 6.8 The instance starts with the reaching of the new CEO. What function did Mr. Runnquist drama in the transmutation of the company? How of import is he for the hereafter of the company? The strategic leading of the new CEO Svante Runnquist has several of import facets and many of the techniques can be readily recognised in ECS, chapter 10. Collaboration, instruction and communicating, intercession and way are all portion of the CEO method to enable alteration and construct committedness. First of wholly, the window of chance for him was at that place: the company had been sold and the CEO was freshly on the occupation. Furthermore, the new proprietor Industri Kapital had expressed demands on profitableness, so there was a touchable external force per unit area sensed by the administration. Finally, he seemed to be â€Å"the right individual in the right place† , coming to a production-oriented house which severely needed to upgrade the selling competency. The first thing Svante Runnquist did was to get down the development of a new mission statement and a scheme papers. Hitherto, the company had chiefly used activity programs to steer the short tally operations but no catching mission statement existed for either internal or external usage. The scheme procedure had some of import characteristics. First of wholly, representatives from selling, R & A ; D, production and finance were all included in the top direction squad working on the paperss. Second, in-between direction had to take part in the reappraisal and farther development of the scheme paperss. This made for committedness to subsequently phases. Third, the scheme as a procedure was emphasised by doing the scheme development in the top direction squad an on-going activity. The simple visual aspect of the stapled scheme underlined that this was non cast in rock.  © Pearson Education Limited 2005Instructor ‘s ManualWhy was Svante Runnquist successful in his attempts to advance market orientation in the company? Given that the fortunes were favorable, the persuasive rhetoric of Svante Runnquist surely played a portion. The proactive orientation of the scheme was met with some agnosticism among in-between direction since more urgent affairs seemed to exceed their docket. To counter this, Svante Runnquist illustrated the demand for alteration utilizing illustrations or narratives from other industries that had been capable to unforeseen alteration or reorganization. The demand to concentrate on the traders was illustrated by an in-house version of the value concatenation ( dubbed â€Å"The Viking client staircase† ) . It clearly illustrated that the traders and VSM were portion of the same value concatenation, that it was merely the trader that really met the clients and that the lone beginning of income for the value was the conc luding client.6.9 At two points in clip, the CEO of the VSM Group opens up a wide treatment on the strategic issues. What issues are discussed and why does he affect a larger group of the administration on these issues?In this instance, corporate-wide treatments on strategic issues are initiated at two points in clip. In 1997, the crafting of the original mission statement was discussed from top direction down to the store floor. Subsequently in 2000, the integrating of the Pfaff trade name line brought about a similar procedure. Albeit limited to a smaller circuit of people than in 1997, the procedure still involved people good outside the top direction squad. From interviews with the Chief executive officer it is evident that the aim was to derive legitimacy for the scheme. The issues discussed in both these procedures were really much related to corporate individuality ; the mission statement is formulated in footings of company features and â€Å"who we are† . The 2nd cas e of unfastened treatment on a strategic issue was initiated in relation to the Pfaff purchase. The integrating of the Pfaff trade name into the VSM Group was besides more a inquiry about corporate individuality. The image and feel of the new trade name and associated merchandise lines had to be discussed in relation to the bing Husqvarna Viking trade name and what the people working on it were approximately. Both these procedures seem to be sincere efforts to affect people of the administration in something that finally concerned their professional individuality. However, one time these procedures were closed through formal determinations, the CEO smartly argued for their execution. â€Å"You need to stand on the barricades† , as Svante Runnquist expressed it. It is interesting to contrast other strategic determinations to these really unfastened procedures. The determination to buy Pfaff was purely an matter between the proprietors of the VSM Group and the top direction squ ad. The same goes for the purchase of the Brno works. The deficiency of a wider procedure around these really of import determinations suggests that direction respect these issues as following instead than explicating scheme.