Thursday, November 28, 2019

Intolerance in Nigeria free essay sample

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between religion and sustainable development, as well as the role of Nigerian intellectuals in ameliorating religious crisis in the country. Religion, as a system of faith is based on belief in the existence of a particular God or gods, to some extent, influences or contributes in developing and coordinating the expression of the capacities latent in human nature for the progress of the society. All the elements that made up the resources originating from human are expressed in their actions, behaviour and daily activities, either in positive and constructive ways, or in a negative and destructive ways, especially with respect to their inherent power to generate value by leveraging other production variables for economic growth and development. Empirical results obtained, using descriptive analysis approach, indicate that religion plays an important role in shaping the moral and social values necessary for development. Based on these findings, some recommendations are offered which include: Re-examine education policies in the light of its contribution to individual growth and to bring about fundamental structural changes in society, changes which are necessary for the creation of a just, peaceful, and harmonious environment, hence teachers and other intellectuals must be a model of nobility, selfactualization and discipline, since sound character is ultimately more important than intellectual brilliance. We will write a custom essay sample on Intolerance in Nigeria or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page . Keywords: Religion, Economic growth, Amelioration, Tolerance and Intellectuals. INTRODUCTION A religion can be broadly described as a set of common belief and practices generally held by a group of people. Oxford Learner Dictionary described religion as a system of faith that is based on belief in the existence of a particular God or gods. According to Oke, Oloruntimehin and Akinola (1996), it is generally accepted by social scientists that people’s religious beliefs and their social organizations are closely interrelated. They quoted Emile, as noted that religion is a social artifact symbolizing what a society considers sacred and the most sacred thing to any society is the society itself. In view of this, religion provides an organized picture of the universe and establishes a more or less orderly relationship between man and his surroundings. Early economists and other researchers have paid little attention to any link between religion and economic development, rather it is seen as something personal between man and his God. The early relationship between religion and economic was established by Marx, who was of the opinion that the strength of an economy would influenced a religion or belief. However, the like of Max Weber, an eminent sociologist of early 20th century was of contra opinion. According to him, the source of the growth of the western economy is religion, especially the reformation of protestant and its doctrine about 40 Religion and Economic Development: the Role of Nigerian Intellectuals Saheed, Zakaree S. and Alofun, G. O. O. simplicity and moral responsibility to work (Skousen, 2007). Weber Marx (1930), believe that capitalism originated from religious ideals and not historical materialism. Specifically, the protestant reformation teachings changed the western culture, and led to the rise of capitalism, which in turn led to the growth and development of their economy. Islam as a religion also played a positive role in the development of the Arab society and transformed it to such a remarkable extent that it not only overcame its own handicaps but also brought about a revolutionary change in the societies that came under its influence (Charpra, 1998). Barro and McCleary (2003) suggested that higher rates of religious beliefs stimulate growth because they help to sustain the aspect of individual behaviour that enhances productivity. The higher number of church or mosque attendance, for instance, tends to depressed growth because it signifies a greater use of esources including land, buildings and other capital, by the religious sector. However, that suppression of growth is tempered by the extent to which church or mosque attendance leads to greater religion beliefs, which in turn encourages economic growth. In Nigeria, traditional communities are essentially religious. In these communities, religion is kinship based because it governs the peopleâ⠂¬â„¢s lineage or family relationships; it governs the doctrine of collective responsibility and forms the basis of the family, which in turn is the basic unit of social control. Indeed, religion is so important in the society as a form of social control because of people’s adherence to religion, whether traditional, Christian or Islam (Ikporukpo, 2001), which are the recognized religions in Nigeria, though the last two are more pronounced. Christianity and Islam, especially have a great influence on the daily lives of Nigerians, and plays a significant role in the socio-political and economic development. According to Nwite and Wilson (2010), churches in Nigeria has contributed immensely to the economic development of the country through investment in different sectors of the economy like real estate, capital market, shopping complex and schools. The essence of economic and human development embodied health, for which life expectancy is taken as a reasonable gauge; knowledge, which is expressed as a combination of literacy rates and average years of schoolings; and per capital income (Lynn, 2001). Any effort put forward towards the development of these determining factors would amount to stirring the economy towards development. Given the foregoing, the paper proposes to critically examine/analyses: i. The contribution of religion to the education sector in Nigeria. ii. The role of religion in the development of health sector in Nigeria. iii. The role of religion towards creation of job opportunities in Nigeria. iv. The role of religion and Nigerian Intellectuals in socio-ethnic crisis in Nigeria. To this end, the paper is organized into five sections. Following this introduction is section II, which focuses on conceptual issues. Section III discusses the role of religion on economic development in Nigeria. Section IV analyses the role of religion on socio-ethnic crisis in Nigeria, while section V summarises the findings and offer policy recommendation. 41 Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Volume 3, December 2011 CONCEPTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT There are different conceptions of development. First, it could be viewed as the development of the mind in which case the humanity of man is no longer subjugated to nature, but has transcended the confines of nature to progressively understand the whole of the world in order to be able to develop from it an environment which is most suitable for him. Moreso, economic development means sustained and sustainable growth per capita income, accompanied by diversification of production, reduction in absolute poverty, and expanding economic opportunities for all citizens (Lynn, 2003). The definition implies an economic growth which can be maintained over a long period of time. Moreso it requires diversification of economic activities so that the nation can be producing variety of goods and services, with the economy gradually progressing from primary, to secondary and then to tertiary economy. This should be able to create an expanding opportunities for people to make a choice of work and earn income through which they can improve their lives and able to participate in the social life of the community. Most importantly, there should be reduction in the level of absolute poverty in the country. The conception of development also connote growth with changes, which usually demands significant structural transformation within a country, and that includes the reorganization and reorientation of the economic and social systems, radical arrangements in installations and administrative structures, as well as reorientations in popular attitudes, customs and belief (Ogunkola and Egwaikhide, 2001). In contemplating development, more than access to goods and services is at stake. As such, in measuring level of development, the Physical Quality of Life (PQL) is considered, and it is equal weighting of an infant mortality rate, life expectancy, and basic literacy. However the United Nations Development’s version of development measurement refers to as Human Development Index (HDI) incorporates an income measure. All these elements considered in measuring the level of development of a nation are subject of level of development of the health and educational sectors, where the eligious sectors in Nigeria has contributed, as can be seen in the Holy Scriptures. For instance: Both religions in Nigeria, that is, Christianity and Islam recognize that the created universe is subjected to man for the enrichment and fulfillment of his life (Quran 45:12-13, 14:32-34 and Genesis 1:26-28). More so, contrary to the view that religion only emphasis faith and not works, the Bible and Qur’an invite men to labour and action (Qur’an 13: 11, 2:275 and Exodus 20 :9, Proverbs 16:3, 2. Thessalonians 3:10). All the elements that made up the resources originating from human are expressed in their actions, behaviour and daily activities, either in positive and constructive ways, or in a negative and destructive ways (Zainun, 2006), especially with respect to their inherent power to generate value by leveraging other production variables for economic growth development. In carrying out development activities, religion provides some code of norms and obligations which subject man to regulations necessary for the progress of the society. 2 Religion and Economic Development: the Role of Nigerian Intellectuals Saheed, Zakaree S. and Alofun, G. O. O. The Role of Religion in Nigerian Economic Development Religion has contributed much to development of human race, and it will be totally absurd to ignore the contributions of religion, especially Christianity and Islam. Both religious communities have become the key determinants of history and destiny of the nation, and its vast population, as well as deciding the course of development and building of the nation. Religion is given a reasonable degree of recognition by governments of Nigeria and some other countries as a major factor determining the stability of a nation. The roles of religion in economic development are more pronounced in the educational and health sectors, as well as creation of job opportunities. The Role of Religion in Educational Sector in Nigeria Education is a continuous and creative process which aimed at developing the capacities latent in human nature, and coordinate their expression for the enrichment and progress of ociety, by equipping students with spiritual, moral and material knowledge. Education in terms of the knowledge, qualities, skills, attitudes and capacities that enable individuals to become conscious subjects of their growth and active responsible participants in a systemic process of building a new world order. In Nigeria, Christian missions pioneered the establishment of primary and secondary schools, and ever since then the two religions, that is, C hristianity and Islam, have played a significant role in the establishment of schools in Nigeria. As the primary schools and their products multiplied, secondary schools were established to satisfy the demand for higher education. The Catholic Missionary Society (CMS) established the C. M. S. Grammar School in Lagos in 1859, followed by the Methodist Boys’ High School in 1879 and St. Gregory’s College, established by the Catholic in 1881. It is on this foundation that secondary schools education has rested in Nigeria (Olurode, 1999). Many other religion based secondary schools later emerged. These include, Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Anwar-Ul-Islam Grammar School, St. Theresa College, Islamic High School, Ebira Muslim Community College among many. The religious sector in Nigeria is also involved in establishment of higher institutions, to enhance government effort towards educational development. Among the religion based private higher institutions in Nigeria are listed in table 1. 0 below: Table 1. 0 Some religion based private higher institutions in Nigeria S/N Institution 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8. Bowen University, Iwo-Osun State Fountain University, Osogbo- Ondo state Founder/Sponsor The Baptist NASFAT Islam Bishop Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo – Anglican Churches Oyo state Al-Hikama University, Ilorin – Kwara State Islamic Foundation (AROIF) and Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) Redeemer University, Lagos state The Redeemed Churches Wesley University of Technology, Ondo The Methodist churches State. Covenant University, Lagos state Living Faith Church World 43 Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Volume 3, December 2011 . 10. Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun state Christ Apostolic Church VERITAS University (Catholic University of The Catholic Churches Nigeria), Abuja. Source: Culled by the authors from lists of private universities in Nigeria The Contribution of Religion to the Health Sector in Nigeria The spread of western ideas including medicine and social welfare also owed much to the advent of religion in Nigeria. According to Olurode (1997), by the end of the nineteen century, the hospital; was as effective as the school. By 1914, various missions had established hospitals such as the C. M. S. Iyi Enu Hospital near Onitsha, the Wesley Guide Hospital in Ilesha, the Baptist Hospital in Ogbomosho and the Sacred Heart Hospital of the Society for African Missions in Abeokuta. Missionary involvement had, as its aim, the eradication of superstitious beliefs about such diseases as smallpox. In Yoruba land, for instance, the god of smallpox shoponna had a strong hold on the people which took western medicine, specifically vaccines to break. Even where orthodox medicine failed, some religion has been playing a significant role to proffer spiritual solution to cure illness. The Role of Religion and Nigerian Intellectuals on Socio-ethnic Crisis in Nigeria According to UNHCR (2008) as quoted by Saheed and Alofun (2010), since 1999, more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed and more properties worth billions of naira have been destroyed in sectarian and communal attacks and reprisals between Muslims and Christians. The most serious of these clashes occurred in Kaduna state in February and May 2000, and November 2002; Jos, Plateau state in September 2001; Kano state and Yelwa, Plateau state between February and May, 2004; and in the northern and southeastern Nigeria in the wake of the controversy over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish press in February 2006. Table 2. 0. Some of the Religious Crises in Nigeria in the last one decade Date Events Victims Sept. 2001 July, 2007 Sept. 2007 Dec. 2007 Dec. 2008 July, 2009 Violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in 3,000 people killed Jos, Plateau state. Violent clashes between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims over 5 people killed the murder of a Sunni cleric in Sokoto Rioting in the northern state of Kano 19 people killed Three churches burned in the northern state of 10 people killed Bauchi Violent clashes over disputed election result which 400 people killed degenerated into religion crisis in Jos, Plateau state Two days battle with radical Islamists in two northern 150 people killed cities of Yobe and Bauchi Source: Culled by the Authors from the records of UNHCR, GlobalSecurity. org and Mail and Guardian online, 2009 44 Religion and Economic Development: the Role of Nigerian Intellectuals Saheed, Zakaree S. and Alofun, G. O. O. All these events, as shown in table 2. 0 above, have a negative effect on Nigerian economy in terms of capital and loss of lives, especially manpower or human resources with high productivity potentials. In each of these events the role of Nigerian intellectuals calls for question. In the two widely acknowledged religions in Nigeria, that is, the Christianity and Islam, the leaders are intellectuals who are well educated, many of whom are holders of various degrees ranging from bachelor, to masters and even doctorate. They are very influential among their followers and the congregations. Their words are like policy within that congregation. They are leaders who are supposed to articulate an ideological vision congruent with deeply held value of the country. They are supposed to engage in alignment, with interpretive orientations such that the country’s interest, value and belief as well as these religions activities, goals and ideology becomes congruent and complementary. Universal education must be relevant to he true needs of a community and contribute to the unification of mankind, in such a way that it will enable the people to move in the direction of their own chosen field and help them appreciate those universal qualities that distinguish the human race (Saheed, 2008). However, a situation where misunderstanding between two people in a community degenerated into communal clashes that claimed several lives, or members of congregation dispersed from their places of worship and created anarchy in the street, then the impact of the message of such religion leader becomes questionable. Is it a sermon of peace or hatred? CONCLUSION AND POLICY ISSUES Religion, especially Christianity and Islam, to some extent, has contributed to economic development either indirectly, by influencing and coordinate the expression of the capacities latent in human nature for the progress of the society, and by shaping the moral and social values necessary for development, or directly by its contribution to the growth of the educational and health sectors in Nigeria. However, religious intolerance among the people which often lead to crisis claiming several lives and destruction of properties has a negative impact on Nigerian economy. Adherents of the religious communities, to some extent, have lost focus of their responsibility towards nation building, and are embraced vices such religious fanaticism or intolerance and its attendant problems such as unending intensive strives, fight of superiority, loss of human and material resources. To promote religious tolerance towards national development, the religious communities in Nigeria must wake up to their responsibilities in home so that the problem of moral decadence plaguing the nation will radically reduced. Since many Nigerian families are facing the pangs of unemployment, inability to pay their children and wards school fees among other hardships, the religious bodies should resume their pioneering work in the area of health, education, industry and vocational training to assist the nation, especially in the area of human development. Education should be examined in the light of its contribution to individual growth and to bring about fundamental structural changes in society, changes which are necessary for the creation of a just, peaceful, and harmonious environment, hence teachers and other intellectuals must be a model of nobility, self-actualisation and discipline, since sound character is ultimately more important than intellectual brilliance. A well educated community 45 Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Volume 3, December 2011 ember is a determined yet humble participant, who helps overcome conflict and division thereby contributing to a spirit of unity and collaboration. Therefore, Nigerian education, like a universal education, must be relevant to the needs of the Nigerian communities and contribute to the unification of the people of Nigeria, regardless of their religion and race. It must enable the people both to move in the direction of their choice and help them appreciate those universal q ualities that distinguish the entire human race. REFERENCE Barro, J. B. and McClear, R. M. 2003), Religion and Growth, Havard University Press, U. S. A Ikporukpo, C. O. (2001). Government, Society and Economy. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers (Nig. ) Ltd. Lynn, S. R. (2003). Development Economics: World. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River Theory and Practice for a Divided Nwite, S. C. and Wilson, A. (2010). Churches in Nigeria and Investment Strategies: Problems and Prospect. Book of Abstract. Second World Congress on Research and Development, University of Ibadan. Oke, F. A. , et al. (1996). Introduction to Social Institutions. Ibadan: Akinlabi Fayinmi Ventures. Saheed, Z. S. (2008). Ebira: What Our Problems Is. http://jakomodebiravonyainternational. blogspot. com The Ebiras and the World. Saheed, Z. S. and Alofun, G. O. O, (2010). Nigeria, Five Decades of Sovereignty: Rich But Poor. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Development Studies, Vol. 5, No. 1. Skousen, M. , (2007). Modern Economics Theories. Indonesia: Prenada Media Group Publication. Sushmit, N. (2007). Religion Economic www. mpra. ub. uni-muechen. de/8181 Growth and Development. MPRA. Zainun, B. (2001). Indonesia Human Resources Development. Jakarta: PT. Gunung Agung Tbk. 46

Monday, November 25, 2019

Ibsens A Dolls House essays

Ibsens' A Dolls House essays Key Question: Did Nora make the right decision? Why or why not? Nora and Helmers relationship in Ibsens play, A Dolls House, is a very fictitious relationship. The way Nora is treated, called names, and bossed around, degrades the female society. Feminism lurks throughout the whole play. The idea that women are nothing but a house pet is interpreted through Nora by Helmer. Helmer as egotistical as he is, uses and plays Nora like a toy for his own benefits, to look good in front of his co-workers and friends. A Doll, an empty headed play thing, was what Nora was living as under Helmers roof. The light shines on Nora one day and knocks some sense into her about the dirty self-degrading life she was living, and so she leaves Helmer and her children. Yes, Nora did make the right decision because she needed to take control of her own life and do as she pleases. She needed to teach herself how to survive on her own, make money for her own self. She did it for the better of her children. Didnt you tell me no one had been here? [shakes his finger at her.] My little songbird must never do that again. A songbird must have a clean beak to chirp with-no false notes! (Ibsen 25) Controlled, treated like a child, called names by Torvald and Nora does nothing about it as if she feared him or was hiding something from him just as the time she hid the macaroons from him. Nora is not a little girl, she deserves the respect as an adult and not be called names and referred to as a little squirrel or spendthrift. The only reason Nora probably stayed with Torvald for so long was because she needed him for various reasons, but mainly for money. Yes, Torvald, I cant get along a bit without your help. (Ibsen 26) Torvald took advantage of her helplessness for his own little schemes. ...as a matter of course he will come to dinner with us. However, I will ask him when he comes in t ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Business Law - S 18 of the Australian Consumer Law within the Essay - 2

Business Law - S 18 of the Australian Consumer Law within the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (ACL) - Essay Example The ACL also presents several consumer guarantees within the terms of sale of goods (Morandin & Smith, 2011). Under it, suppliers have rights of selling any goods of their preference while such goods are accompanied by clear titles. The consumers will embrace undisturbed possession for the goods purchased and that such goods remain free from any undisclosed securities, encumbrances, or charges. The goods are to be of acceptable quality meaning that they will be safe, free from defects, and durable. They will have acceptable appearances and finishes as well as fitness for the purposes that they are supplied. The goods are to be reasonably fit to all disclosed purposes meaning that such goods continue performing the function for which consumers was informed they would (Carter, 2011). The goods will have to instil a correspondence with their description and the demonstration model or sample in terms of quality, condition, and state. The manufacturers will induce reasonably available facilities regarding repair of such goods as well as parts for goods. Lastly, the goods will have to be compliant with express warranties made or given, such as extra promises presented. This aspect draws together key elements of the components in relation to the business interactions. It also draws much attention towards the extensive overlapping of deceptive conduct or misleading provisions through the vast forms of federal statutes. Currently, there are practical dangers that various business engagements such as green washing as it deter the consumers through the selection or purchase of green services or products (Mitchell & Greco, 2011). It is because most of them they feel an inability to trust assertions placed forth by retailers and manufacturers on the products and services. It could cause stifle across marketing and development opportunities for the companies that are genuinely green. The

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Nursing Informatics Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Informatics Theory - Research Paper Example This is in addition to their knowledge of the conceptual structure of nursing. Without doubt, it is crucial for nurses in nursing informatics to have knowledge about the different theories in this field and apply these in their nursing practice as a guide (Basavanthappa, 2007). Similarly, Baker (2007) notes that, for nursing informatics to be effective, the individuals involved must make use of both practical knowledge and the theoretical knowledge in this discipline. In nursing informatics, there are different theories which help to frame and inform this discipline. These include the â€Å"change theory, cybernetics theory, and the cognitive theory† (Baker, 2012, p. 153). All these theories support nursing informatics in different ways, and the nursing practitioners can combine the knowledge they acquire from these theories with what they obtain from their nursing practice to enhance their performance (Baker, 2012). Everett Rogers and Kurt Lewin, who had different approaches in the formulation of their theories, propagated the change theory. This essay will focus on the change theory and explain how this is relevant and applicable in the discipline of nursing informatics. In the change theories, it is considered that change is responsible for the computerization of information system. This is in comparison to the past centuries and the modern period, where nursing has evolved from a paper-based environment to one which is paperless; this is change. In addition, change that comes about in nursing can be planned or unplanned change, depending on the circumstances through which this change occurs. The two theorists of change, Rodgers and Lewin, addressed different types of change. While Rogers focused on both planned and unplanned change, Lewin addressed the planned change (Kaminski, 2011). Rogers named his theory of change as â€Å"diffusion of innovations† theory. Both Rogers’ theory and Lewin’s theory of change are categorized under behavioral theories. Everett Rodgers was a community health nurse and health educator who took considerable time studying and working on his theory. His theory is used to explain the process through which new information, concepts, and ideas are transferred from a different medium to another, and how these come to be incorporated into a belief system and become an adopted behavior in that system (Basavanthappa, 2007). According to Basavanthappa (2007), it is possible to use the term diffusion to refer to a kind of change which is spontaneous or unplanned, when a new idea is introduced in a belief system. However, Rogers used this term to refer to both the planned and unplanned change. â€Å"Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of a social system† (Basavanthappa, 2007, pp. 222). In his theory, Rogers considers an innovation as a new idea, object, or a new practice. Therefore, the process of diffusion is mainly concerned with new ideas and how innovation is adopted in the system to become part of the system (Basavanthappa, 2007). In his theory, Rogers noted that diffusion is a two-way process, and not a one-way process. This is because, new ideas, products, or social practices, spread from one society to another. However, if diffusion will happen or not depends on the nature of the innovation. This includes how complex the innovation is, how compatible it is with the society meant to adopt it, as well as the

Monday, November 18, 2019

What is Mifeprex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Mifeprex - Essay Example Mifeprex is a synthetic steroid with antiglucocortid and antiprogestorne outcomes (Jacob 186). Progesterone is a female hormone responsible for preparing the uterus to receive and sustain a fertilized egg. It is also crucial in sustaining the pregnancy. Mifeprex works by blocking progesterone’s activities at the progesterone receptors. It stimulates the uterus to contract, thus preventing the formation of pregnancy (Ogbru and Marks). Besides that, the drug can also be used as a medication for type 2 diabetes adjunct in Cushing’s syndrome. People with Cushing syndrome produce a lot of cortisol that is responsible for high sugar levels in the blood. Mifeprex minimizes the levels of blood glucose in thse people by blocking the activity of cortisol (Jacob 186). The drug is among the list of essential drugs of the World Health Organization. According to Crosse 4(7), mifeprex is only prescribed for the termination of intrauterine pregnancy through the 49th day of pregnancy. People should avoid taking Mifeprex if: it has been more that 7 weeks since the most recent menstrual period started; you have an intrauterine device (IUD) in place; you have problems of bleeding; you have taken steroid medications; you are allergic to prostaglandins, mifeprex, or any other medicine that contains misoprotosol; you have chronic adrenal failure; the healthcare provider has informed you that you the pregnancy has formed outside the uterus; for the following two visits you cannot return (Danco Laboratories 2) Mifeprex has various side effects. Even though Jacob argues, â€Å"There is no medical evidence that Mifepristone presents a special risk of infection,† (182), possible side effects of using the drug has been reported. It can cause birth defects in the unborn baby if the treatment procedure does not result in the full termination of the pregnancy. Other side effects consist of the following:

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Importance of Innovation and Change Within an Organization

Importance of Innovation and Change Within an Organization In todays constantly changing world, change and innovation play an extremely important role within any organization. New technologies like faster software and hardware and improved manufacturing systems are increasing production and changing the way we do business across the globe. Newly advancing markets such as China and India are becoming more and more capitalistic, opening the door for corporations to come and do business. There are multiple elements when dealing with innovation and change within an organization. The first element is how an organization can change successfully which consists of the steps that are needed and the process that makes change happen. The next element is technological change, which is how organizations adapt and implement new technology. From new technology, organizations come up with our next element, new products and services. As these organizations become larger and larger there is the need for strategy and structure change as well as cultural change s. These two elements often go hand in hand and can be some of the most difficult to change. There are five key factors when looking at what is necessary for successful change. The first is ideas. In order to bring about change you need to have a new idea or thought. Creativity, innovation and outside-the-box thinking play a huge role here. Often times some of the best ideas can come from the least likely places. A study conducted by Daniel Tzabbar and his team, found that high levels of collaboration promotes innovation, as it encourages a free flow of ideas among people who must work together to discover new solutions to problems. (Tzabbar 17) With this being said, many new ideas come from the collaborations of groups and individuals within an organization. The second factor is need. There must be a perceived need for change. Constantly changing structures, strategies, or culture can actually be a bad thing if overused. If a specific change is going to take place, there needs to be an identifiable reason in order to make that specific change necessary. On the other hand, an organization that fails to realize the need for change is doomed for failure. It is the responsibility of upper management to be responsive and aware of when change is needed but not so sensitive that change becomes excessive. An article entitled Change for Changes Sake offers and interesting view on the topic of knowing when to change. According to the article, an organization periodically needs to shake itself up regardless of the external environment. The authors argue that a few things happen when an organization does not change enough. First, companies that are organized around a single criterion such as function, product, or market, tend to only communicate with themselves and not with the other units thus making them slow to adapt to changes in the environment. Next organizations are likely to get entrenched in a routine way of thinking, failing to realize new opportunities and the possibility of threats. Finally, organizations become extremely inefficient at allocating resources. In order to combat these factors, organizations should change structures every so often to keep itself ready to react quickly to its environment. (Vermeulen et. al. 70-76) The third factor is adoption. After the new ideas have been thought of on how to change and there is a perceived need for that change, a new idea is chosen. Now that an idea has been chosen it is time to put that idea into practice. This brings us to our next factor, implementation. According to Scott Sonenshein of Rice University Implementing strategic change is one of the most important undertakings of an organization. Successful implementation of strategic change can reinvigorate a business, but failure can lead to catastrophic consequences. (Sonenshein 477). Management must have a rock solid plan on how they want to implement change. A project management approach is the most successful approach when implementing such change, with the definition of clear success measures being important. (Oakland, Tanner 2) The final factor is resources. Through human energy and activity the idea is implemented and kept alive. People are the most important resource and the essential contributors to successful change, without them, change cannot happen. It is important that your employees are thoroughly trained and understand what is being changed and why. Empowering them with this knowledge will only enhance and increase the possibility of successful implementation of the changes set forth. Within an organization there is always the need for developing, acquiring, and adopting new technology. New technologies are always coming about and have a tremendous impact on organizations. The main approach to technological change is the ambidextrous approach. This combines both the organic and mechanistic structures. Under the ambidextrous approach there are numerous options of how to bring about new technology. Switching structures brings people from different areas of an organization together to share ideas and technology with each other. Creative departments consist of a research and development department. The sole duty of this department is to come up with new technology and test new technologies to ensure they will be useful for the organization. Another popular option is the use of venture teams. Venture teams are essentially their own organization within an organization. They often have their own separate location and structure in order to develop new technologies. In addition to RD and venture teams, another way to increase technological knowledge and bring about technology change is to acquire technology from external sources. Procter Gamble provides an excellent example of interorganizational technology transfer. Roughly half of new product development projects involve key ideas from external sources. Procter Gamble also uses an active licensing strategy of their own technological advances to generate millions in annual licensing revenue. Pharmaceuticals are notorious for using this type of strategy to bring about technological change within their organizations. (Lichtenthaler 2) Despite the great amount of success achieved by these firms, most organizations are still timid about sharing their own technological advances. They fear that by doing so, it will allow their competitors access to their own competitive advantage. While this may be true in some instances, it appears that interorganizational technology transfer can actually benefit organizations and ultimately consumers. While there are certain exceptions, new products and services are usually the direct result of new technology and coming up with new products and services is vital for success in todays markets. As markets evolve so should your products or services. The question of how to create and present new products now arises. Michelle Karas offers 11 steps that help organizations answer this complex and challenging question. Step one is to analyze the situation. Evaluate your environment and current product position and then identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The next step is to explore and research product needs. Brainstorm ideas, have an open mind and write down all ideas. Figure out what your customers needs are and your competitors limitations. Step three is to determine usage and identify what market you want to target with your product. Step four calls for developing a prototype. This entails converting an idea into an actual product and determining the produc ts specifications, features and benefits. Step five is to determine the price based on your objectives. Testing the product or service is the next step and is absolutely crucial to its success. It is also important to ensure that all operations within your business can fully support the product. (Karas 32-34) After the product has been thoroughly tested, it is time to establish sales goals. Identify target sales goals, and whether or not these goals are realistic and obtainable. The next step involves developing a marketing plan for both internal and external markets that achieves the goals set forth earlier. Step nine is training and educatin employees. Ensure employees/salespeople understand all aspects of the product. Characteristics like price, description, how the product works, and sales goals should all be thoroughly understood. The final two steps involve actually introducing the product to the market and evaluating the results. Record how the product performs and how the customers respond. (Karas 32-34) While these steps are quite simplified, these are the basics concepts that organizations utilize, regardless of size. A great example of products that have just recently been introduced is Sonys Move and Microsofts Kinect gaming systems. Both of these systems allow users to make use of their own bodies to become more active and involved in the gaming experience, very similar to the Wii. When the Nintendo Wii debuted, it was the first gamming system of its kind to offer an interactive gaming experience. It was a tremendous success and both Sony and Microsoft realized the opportunity to have their piece of the pie too. Rather than come up with a completely new gamming system, through the use of new technology, Sony and Microsoft designed a device that would simply be used in conjunction with users Playstation 3 and X-Box consoles. As time goes by it will be interesting to see what effects theses systems have on Wii sales and whether or not they are profitable for both Sony and Microsoft. Going along with the video game theme, Sega, which offered very popular gaming consoles in the 90s failed to innovate and offer a product strong enough to compete with Sonys Playstation and Nintendos N64. The result was Sega removing itself entirely from the hardware side of gaming and focusing solely on video game software. While Sega failed in one area, they were able to make a successful change and become profitable selling software. These two examples offer evidence to the power that new products and services hold within an organization. Once again failing to change and innovate successfully will most likely spell disaster for an organization. As an organization becomes larger the need for strategy and structure change becomes apparent. Strategic change involves altering employees construction of meanings by using a discourse that sets a new direction for a firm. (Sonenshein 505). All organizations need to make changes in their strategies, structures, management processes and administrative procedures. Many organizations go about this change using a dual core approach, which is a balance between the technical side and the management side of an organization. The technical side refers to the employees who actually produce the product or service that the company offers while the management side ensures that the day to day operations of the company are being fulfilled and the performance objectives are being met. While the two sides may have very different ideas of what changes need to take place, it is imperative that both sides be on the same page and working toward the same goal. In addition to becoming larger, there are also some other reasons why organizations must change their strategies. The first reason is the persistent pressure from shareholders for greater profitability. This requires business leaders to continually update their strategy. Theses updates are necessary to remain aligned with customers changing needs and priorities, while generating the necessary profits. This demands that strategies must be executed successfully within increasingly shorter time-periods. (Franken 49-73) The second reason relates to the increased complexity of organizations. In many organizations the activities performed to create products and services cross multiple functional, organizational, and geographical boundaries. Consequently, any strategic change program is likely to affect the people, processes, structures, technologies, suppliers, and business partners that work both within and across these boundaries. Hence, strategic change programs are becoming highly complex, resulting in increased risk of failure due to oversight. (Franken 49-73) The third reason is the difficult challenge faced by managers to balance the demands of successfully executing complex change programs with the demands of managing todays business performance. In situations where management is strongly tied to reward schemes based on todays performance, it is challenging to achieve active participation for the creation of tomorrows organization. However, as a result of the relentless pressure from stakeholders for repeated performance, managers cannot afford to dedicate their time, effort and resources to one set of demands exclusively. This balance is particularly challenging during the high-risk period when a business transitions to a new strategy. (Franken 49-73) The fourth reason is the low levels of involvement of a large number of managers across all functions at an early stage of strategy execution. The mechanics of involving large numbers of people in complex discussions leads organizations to restrict involvement in the quest for urgency. Often managers see these early stages as bureaucratic, unnecessary, and delaying real action. However, such involvement is required to obtain commitment to change and for the development of effective implementation plans. The fifth reason is the difficulty of securing the required resources to execute the strategy. Often, as a result of the large number of concurrent change programs, many of the organizations resources will already be allocated. Furthermore, as such resources are limited, managers will compete for them, and, once within their control, will endeavor to own them to secure their own goals.14 (Franken 49-73) According to Paul Sabbah, president of Stamford International, new strategies should focus on innovation, productivity and risk management. Productivity can be as easy as having employees working longer hours, implementing new technologies in order to speed up product development, or simply reducing inventory and using effective communication. Firms also need to look to international expansion as another potential strategy. By doing so, they open themselves up to new markets and new customers while being exposed to new ways of doing business and new retail concepts. Business is also all about managing risk. In difficult times, effectively managing risks like political instability, currency fluctuations, transportation costs, and rising energy costs has a direct effect on an organizations ability to survive in a struggling economy. (Sabbah) The final element and the most difficult to change is a change in organizational culture. This is often the most difficult to change because you are affecting people core values and daily routines. Eric Van Der Steen has shown that organizations have a tendency, over time, to develop the same set of beliefs and values. This happens through two mechanisms. People who share the same beliefs would rather work with those who share their beliefs than someone that does not. People also share experiences, which in turn leads to a set of shared beliefs. These shared beliefs and values directly impact the core culture of an organization. (Van Der Steen 26) To help explain the difficulties of culture change, think of a factory worker who has been assembling ball bearings a specific way over the past 20 years. This worker comes in every day, goes to their station and performs their duty over and over again for the duration of their shift. They have their routine down and never deviate from the steps they take. Now imagine someone coming up to them and telling them that the routine they have done over the years is inefficient and they have a better, more efficient way of performing their duty. In addition to this, there will be new policies and procedures to follow to ensure that the changes take place. That worker is obviously going to be skeptical and very resistant to changing. They may even feel that this person has no right to come and tell them how to do their job which they have been doing for so long. This is what must be overcome when dealing with cultural change. There are a few different ways to implement cultural change and each process has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. One way is by large group intervention. This entails having everyone in the organization go through a seminar, explaining to them what changes are going to be made. While this allows everyone to hear and hopefully understand the message, there may be some specific questions about the change that go unanswered. For instance a specialized department may wonder how certain changes will be affecting their culture. It is imperative that cultural change is led from upper management. Managers need to set the standard and lead by example especially when it comes to cultural change. In support of this, Lance Ewing states that companies without cultural leadership are always going the wrong way. (Ewing 88) Changing culture within an organization is never an easy task yet it is necessary and critical to change a culture when leadership transforms. Starting cultural change is like cooking in a Crock-Pot. Adding the right ingredients and turning the heat up with the right measure of enthusiasm for positive consumer change makes everyone want what is in the cultural pot. (Ewing 88) When dealing with change in any area, there will always be barriers to overcome. Resistance to change is now seen as a natural, acceptable incident. When it occurs, resistance may cause problems within the organization. However, depending on the nature of the change, the surrounding atmosphere and how the change takes place, resistance is not always a bad thing (Dent and Galloway Goldberg 27). According to Bauer, resistance to change, like pain, can be an alarm signal and serve as a warning that something is failing in the change process. (Bauer) Klein argues that resistance is a needed factor of flourishing change and if properly managed, can provide a beneficial response to the changes taking place. (Klein) Resistance is also a resource. It can provide valuable feedback to managers if they are willing to listen. Considering resistance as failure will overlook opportunities to strengthen operational outcomes. By paying attention to this feedback, managers can see a different perspective to the change they plan on initiating. Sometimes employees resist change for no reason, but often times, the employees most resistant to change are the ones who care enough to make sure the plan succeeds. People are also very aware of the past, and thoughts of changes that have utterly failed will constantly be running through their heads. In order to convince these people it is necessary to explain to them why and how you plan to implement change. Giving them the chance to voice their own questions and concerns will only enhance your plan to change. (Ford 100-103) In conclusion, the world is constantly changing and change and innovation play an extremely important role within any organization. As an organization if you fail to change and adapt to the rest of the world and your environment the world will pass you by. There are many elements for successful change, but your people will always be the most important in order for that change to take place. New technologies are always being introduced and it is important to stay up to date and take advantage of technology that will greatly benefit your organization. As an organization it is imperative that new technology is used to constantly come up with new and innovative products and services. While this is a major undertaking for any organization it is necessary for sustainability. As new products and services are being offered and an organization grows the strategy and structure used must also change. This gives way to cultural change where there is almost always some kind of resistance. Using t hat resistance as a tool to overcoming problems is a key step in successfully implementing change. Ultimately, the whole purpose of change is to increase profitability by making changes to the strategy, structure, technology and culture of an organization. While there will always be problems and other bumps along the road it is imperative that these obstacles are overcome in order to increase the odds for success.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Iroquois Essay -- essays research papers

Nothing is so fundamental yet so important to the freedoms we enjoy as Americans as the United States Constitution, which guarantees our right to do and say as we please so long as it does no harm. The Iroquois Federation preamble describes the purpose of the government set up by the government in their statements the emphasis is placed on perfect peace for the welfare of the people. Their focus was fighting for, the liberty of the people. Among the Indian nations whose ancient seats were within the limits of our republic, the Iroquois have long continued to occupy the most conspicuous position. The Iroquois flourished in independence, and capable of self protection, long after the new England and Virginia races had surrendered their jurisdictions, and fallen into the condition of dependent. Nations they now stand forth upon the canvas of Indian history prominent alike for the wisdom of their civil institutions of the league. Only the Iroquois had a system that seemed to meet most of the demands espoused by the many parties to the debates the Iroquois certainly have a considered the influence on the drafty of our own constitution, and we present day Americans owe them a very large debt. At the time of the founding of Iroquois League of nation, we have only the early stories, which was passed down from generation until such time as a written language existed. We only have stories that were passed down form generation to generation until such time as there was a written language and interprets available to record that early history. Early explores and colonist found the Iroquois well establish as they had been for many generations with a democratic government, with a form at religion that acknowledged a creator in heaven; with a strong sense of family which was used on, and controlled by their women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1744 an Iroquois leader, Canassatege, had an idea. In presenting the idea to his assembly, he realized that no one was listening to what he had to say. He suggested that they should form an umbrella group that consisted of thirteen colonies. The thirteen colonies were derived from the thirteen cousins of the Iroquois people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He mentioned each colony could keep his authority and the thirteen colonies could speak to each with one voice. Many years later the United States family developed this idea... ...ded for quick land acquisitions on order to serve the interests of the restless white frontiersmen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Working the legal structures of the United States as well as through demonstrative activities, the Iroquois nations are trying to regain some of their land and protest their rights. They are people with tremendous sense of endurance and inner strength. Their persistence as a viable and cohesive culture is a monument to human values that have meaning in spite of persecution and defeat, by a military strong culture. The league of the Iroquois lives on a testimony to freedom, for all that care to examine it. Its spirit endures as a vision and a good for betterment of mankind. References  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lathom, Earl: The Declaration of Independence and the constitution. Revised Edition- Copyright 1956  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.law.ou.edu/hist/iroquois.html  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guide Jr., Donald A: The Iroquois and the founding of the American Nation. Copyright 1977  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morgan, Henry Lewis: League of the Iroquois  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American Journey

Monday, November 11, 2019

Application of Risk Management Essay

Application of Risk Management Scenario: YieldMore is a small agricultural company that produces and sells fertilizer products. The company operates through its headquarters in a small town in Indiana. Outside its headquarters, there are two large production facilities—one in Nebraska and one in Oklahoma. Furthermore, YieldMore employs sales force personnel in every state in the U.S. to serve its customers locally. The company has three servers located at its headquarters—Active Directory Server, a Linux application server, and an Oracle database server. The application server hosts YieldMore’s primary software application, which is proprietary program managing inventory, sales, supply-chain, and customer information. The database server manages all data stored locally with direct attached storage. All three major sites use Ethernet cabled local area networks (LANs) to connect the users’ Windows Vista workstations via industry standard, managed switches. The remote production facilities connect t o headquarters via routers T-1 (1.54 mbps telecomm circuit) LAN connections provided by an external Internet service providers (ISP) and share an Internet connection through a firewall at headquarters. Individual sales personnel throughout the country connect to YieldMore’s network via virtual private network (VPN) software through their individual Internet connections, typically in a home office. Task: I would have to say the most likely pairs of threat/vulnerability are location, equipment failure, social engineering, Denial of Service (DOS), and Mal ware. These threats seem to be the most problematic for this company. The first one is location; the servers are all housed in the company headquarters where if a natural or manmade disaster would cripple the company’s infrastructure. They need to distribute their servers to different locations. Another pair is equipment failure; each server has its own specific function that it handles and nothing else. It would help mitigate some of the risk that would happen if each server handled their own problems. Social engineering is a problem because it is dependent on the user which another person can hack the person for information that could get access to the organizations system. DOS is a problem because the public  systems are not protected by firewalls and anti-virus program. This makes service availability a loss. The final pr oblem is malware which is caused by the lack of anti-virus or out of date virus definitions. The impact of this is usually the loss of server or information depending on what the virus was originally intended to do. There are six risk management steps you can use to protect your company: 1. Determining the objectives of the organization, 2. Identifying exposures to loss 3. Measuring those same exposures, 4. Selecting alternatives, 5. Implementing a solution, 6. Monitoring the results. I would suggest using all six steps to insure that my company is protected. The primary objective of an organization growth will determine its strategy for managing various risks. Identification and measurement of risks are relatively straightforward concepts.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Brethren essays

The Brethren essays The novel, The Brethren, written by John Grisham takes place primarily in a minimum security federal prison in Florida. The time period is modern day. The prison is called Trumble. It is full of harmless criminals, crooks, lawyers, embezzlers, judges, and drug dealers. There are no barbed wire fences or guard towers. Fighting is not tolerated, and some criminals choose to escape by running and make it on the outside. This setting plays a key role in the book because this is where the scam takes place. The scam could be easily tracked if it were not in a prison. Also the scam artists are in prison with little to do with lots of time on their hands. This is how they have the opportunity to cook up the scam. The secondary setting is not a concrete setting. It takes place all across the United States from Washington D.C. to Seattle. It may be in a Boeing 747 or in a secret CIA headquarters, or in a post office. This secondary setting is crucial to the book because the presidential candidate mails a letter to the scam artists in a hurry when his plane is going down. One major character in the book is Congressman Aaron Lake of Arizona. Lake is an individual who likes to be by himself and enjoys being a simple man. Aaron Lake gets chosen to run for president by the CIA to help build up the United States defense, and go after the Russian bomb making army. Lake is a widower and is a closet homosexual. Lake is the nations only hope for self-defense. He gets connected with the Brethren by responding to their gay pen pal ad. In addition to Lake, another main character is Judge Joe Roy Spicer. Spicer was a Justice of the Peace in Mississippi. Spicer had 90,000 dollars of stolen bingo money buried in his backyard. Spicer is the main man in the trio of judges called the Brethren. The Brethren is three ex-judges who do petty court cases in prison for little money. Justice Spicer enjoyed gambling on college sports...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Formal Lab Report Essay Example

Formal Lab Report Essay Example Formal Lab Report Essay Formal Lab Report Essay Once we gathered exactly 12 brine shrimp, we then dumped the contents of the cylinder, including the brine shrimp, into the Petri dish labeled C' for control. We continued to use the pipette to gather 12 brine shrimp and measured the level to 20 ml for each of the other Petri dishes until each Petri sis contained 12 brine shrimp each. Step 4- Before adding any of the concentrations to the Petri dishes, we put the lids on all four of the Petri dishes and set our Stop watch for 5 minutes to observe the brine shrimp in their controlled atmosphere. Once 5 minutes ended, we then counted the number of live brine shrimp and recorded the information on a chart for each individual Petri dish. This was very important because brine shrimp are known for cannibalistic behaviors and losing a brine shrimp to cannibalism would throw off the count of live shrimp after the concentrations have been deed. Step 5- We discussed how affective we thought each concentration would be towards the brine shrimp. Our hypothesis was that ammonia will have the highest LLC-50 (toxicity), bleach will have the intermediate LLC-50 (toxicity) and vinegar will have the lowest LLC-50 (toxicity). : Step 6- Once the hypothesis was made, we gathered our dropper bottles of ammonia, vinegar and bleach. Leaving the C (control) Petri dish aside, we began adding the proper chemicals to the assigned Petri dish using a clean pipette pump assigned to each chemical. Each person was responsible for one Petri dish cause the chemicals had to be added at the same time to get accurate results. The Petri dish labeled V was given 0. 5 ml of vinegar, the Petri dish labeled B was given 0. 5 ml of bleach, the dish labeled A was given 0. Ml of ammonia at the same time and then we gently swirled the liquid in the Petri dishes and quickly replaced the lids and began the stop watch for 5 minutes. Step 7- Once 5 minutes was up We counted the number Of live brine shrimp in each Petri dish and calculated the concentration percent and mortality rate percentage. Using the number of live shrimp, we were able to calculate the umber of dead brine shrimp, which then allowed us to calculate the percent mortality rate at each concentration level. Because the brine shrimp were so small it was optional to use the magnifying glass or hand lens to be able to count the number of live brine shrimp in each dish. Formula for calculating concentration %: Niacin (Mimi) + brine (ml)= ml + amount of chemical added-? Total Volume NEXT (amount of chemical) / (total volume) x Formula for calculating mortality rate 96: (total dead) / (total starting number) x (1 % Step 8- We added another 0. 5 ml of each chemical to their signed Petri dishes a second time and set the stop watch for 5 minutes again. After the five minutes, we counted the number of live brine shrimp and calculated the mortality rate percentage. Step 9- Next began adding 1 ml of each chemical to their assigned Petri dishes, set the stop watch for 5 minutes and when the 5 minutes was over, we recorded the number of live shrimp and calculated the mortality rate percentage. We continued repeating this step, until a total of (five) 1 -ml aliquots had been added and the data was recorded. Step 10- Since the mortality rate for the brine shrimp in the Petri sizes labeled V (vinegar) and A (ammonia) had reached at least 80%, we could then end the test with that particular group of brine shrimp. The remaining Petri dish, B (bleach), had not reached at least 80% mortality rate so we continued to test it. Only this time, we had to begin adding 2 ml of bleach to the Petri dish and set the stop watch for 5 minutes and record data. This Step was done 2 times. Step 11- The addition Of 2 doses Of 2 mils was not changing the mortality rate, so we had to begin adding 5 mils and recording the number of live shrimp after 5 minutes and calculated the retaliatory rate percentage. This was done twice. F-anally on the third dose of 5 mils, we reached a mortality rate of at least 80%. We then recorded our final data. RESULTS: According to the data recorded we came out with different results than our hypothesis.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Compound Interest Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Compound Interest - Assignment Example His latest investments have been successful – after selling a four-unit apartment building and a town house, Willie has $300,000 in the bank and is debt-free. With only 10 years before retirement, Willie wants to make solid financial decisions that will limit his risk exposure. An attractive property has come on the market this week – a pair of townhouses with a great view. The rental units are in good condition and would need only some minor repairs in order to get them into shape for rental. They are in a good location for vacationers and summer rentals. The price tag for the two townhouses totals $225,000 – well within his range. He figures he can invest the remaining $75,000, and between the two hopes to have $600,000 on which to retire by age 56. 1. Willie knows that real estate in this general location appreciates by about 5% a year. Assuming that this trend continues, what will be the future value of the $225,000 townhouses in 10 years? (5 points) 2. Willie’s local bank offers a 2-year certificate of deposit (CD) that pays 5% compounded quarterly. A competing bank in town also offers a 2 year CD that pays 5%, but the interest is componded daily. If Willie invests the $75,000, how much more money will he get from the second bank after two years due to the daily compounding (assume exact time is used)? (5 points) 3. After purchasing the townhouses, Willie receives an assessment from the town for $17,500 due in 2 years to pay for road repairs and new sewer hookups for the properties. How much would he need to invest today in a CD paying 5%, compounded semiannually, to fully pay the assessment in 2 years? 4. A friend of Willie’s is a real estate developer and needs to borrow $75,000 to finish a development project. He is desparate for cash and offers Willie 18%, compounded monthly for 2 Â ½ years. Given that he can invest the

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Business Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Research Report - Essay Example Introduction to sector There is high specialization in services delivered in air travel, a feature that distinct the industry from other forms of service delivery. The achievement of sustainable economic advantage by a firm in the industry defines the ‘for profit’ strategic management. It involves proper evaluation and planning of a firm’s context of industry (the environment) as well as the creation of a viable sustainable competitive differentiation for the survival and profitability of the business. Qantas Company has enjoyed dominance due to the strategic niche it occupies having already well established itself in the aviation industry over years (Morton, 22). The Qantas operates within the transport service industry with her main areas of operations being in offering freights services both locally within Australia and internationally. Qantas company survival and dominance within the air transport industry lean on the strategic factors acting as barriers to en try, which restricts other firms from entering in the industry. These include the high capital base requirement in order to venture into the industry, relatively low fares which do not warrant survival for a new entrant to the industry and the overall effect of her operation as a dominant player in this industry. Research question The management of the firm must have and apply the most appropriate business strategies that would help the business in the competitive industry. In this study therefore, the management requires an appropriate mechanism, through which the strategy of customer loyalty and CSR can be applied within the industry for the purpose of effectiveness and efficiency in performance. Therefore, this research study intends to answer the following question: what favorable CSR and loyalty strategy should the organization in aviation industry (Qantas) employ for profitability and improved performance? Evaluation Current Organizational Performance In this analysis, we anal yze Qantas, which is an Australian air travel company, which specializes not only on local flights but also in international carriage (Anon para 1-3). In her own vision, Qantas intends to become the Australia’s best business in the future and compete favorably in the international scene. Political influences in the operations of the company in the industry oversaw her privatization since 1995, and ever since have seen the company run profitably until the recent challenge posed at the international environment, which saw a decline in her profitability. The international scene has seen the emergence of new cheaper airlines within the Asian region, which poses a great threat to the company. Moreover, the fall of profitability in international operations of the company has been another cause of alarm to the macro-economic environment of the Qantas airline. The global economic crisis of the period around 2008 oversaw the shaking of the Qantas profitability through the inflation of the Australian currency, which affected the tourism and the business travel within the country. Qantas VRIO model analysis: The VRIO model as a tool of business analysis is adopted to show what firm resources, and capabilities drive sustainable competitive advantage of the particular firm in the context of competition with the rival groups (â€Å"