Feminist Perspective Essay

Feminist Perspective in â€Å"The Awakening† In The Awakening, Chopin describes how the perfect man or woman should look according to society. The Awakening was published in 1899 which â€Å"aroused a storm of controversy for its then unprecedented treatment of female independence and sexuality, and for its unromantic portrayal of marriage. † (Chopin, 1899, Note) Women were expected to be obedient housewives and a doting mother to their children. The statement; â€Å"If it was not a women’s place to look after children, who’s on earth was it? (Chopin, 1899, chap 3) denotes what the woman’s responsibilities are in a marriage. Chopin uses the characters: Edna, Leonce, Madame Ratignolle and Robert Lebrun to show how marriage, independence, equal rights and freedom are portrayed in the novel, The Awakening. Leonce Pontellier was a forty year old, slender, medium built man with straight brown hair parted to one side. When Chopin describes, â€Å"since it seemed to be the law of society that hair must be parted and brushed† (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) it shows how society expects a man’s appearance to be. Leonce was away on business often and would send a box full of fruits, bon bons, and delicious syrups in abundance. Mr. Pontellier was often away from home on business trips. To make up for the time spent away from home he would send these luscious treats. The women were envious of how much Mr. Pontellier cared for Edna. Chopin best describes how other women see Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier’s relationship when she states; â€Å"selecting with dainty and discriminating fingers and a little greedily, all declared that Mr. Pontellier was the best husband in the world† (Chopin, 1899, chap 3) while sharing the tasty treats sent. Mr. Pontellier was a very materialistic man and even when he looked at his wife after being in the sun states â€Å"you are burnt beyond recognition, he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 1) shows how men view their wife in that era. Men liked their woman to be flawless and devoted to their family. In today’s society that would be considered a â€Å"trophy wife†. Leonce is great at providing for his family, but disregards his wife’s feelings. One example of how Mr. Pontellier is inconsiderate of his wife’s feelings is when she asked him if he would be coming home for dinner and his response was; â€Å"he halted a moment and shrugged his shoulders. / He did not know; perhaps he would return for the early dinner and perhaps he would not. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 1) However, when Edna â€Å"abandoned her Tuesdays at home, and did not return the visits of those who called upon her. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 14) and begins painting, he views her as mentally unbalanced, which he seeks advice from a doctor. â€Å"Mr. Pontellier had been rather courteous husband so long as he met certain tactic submissiveness in his wife. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 14) In other words as long as Edna does what is expected of society he would be happy. In the late 1800’s the man’s job was to provide for the family and the woman’s job was to care for the house and children. Mr. Pontellier was your typical man of that era. Edna Pontellier was a young woman of twenty eight, who’s â€Å"eyes were quick and bright; they were yellowish brown, about the color of her hair. / She was rather handsome than beautiful. (Chopin, 1899, chap 2) In the story, The Awakening Chopin describes Edna as â€Å"an American woman with a small infusion of French† (Chopin, 1899, chap 2), however it was â€Å"lost in dilution. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 2) Edna was in an unhappy marriage with Leonce and throughout the story begins to find her inner self at the Grand Isle. Chopin uses different symbols thro ughout the story to help us understand Edna’s state of mind. Edna did not fit in with the rest of the Creole women. Chopin describes Edna as â€Å"not a mother-woman† (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) indicating that she is not a dedicated mother like the other Creole women. Mrs. Pontellier, though she had married a creole, was not thoroughly home in society of the Creoles. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) The Creole women were known for; â€Å"fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) Edna has a quadroon nurse, whom looks after the children who â€Å"was looked upon as a huge encumbrance† (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) leaving one to believe that because of the time period that the quadroon nurse is black. In this era women were dedicated to their children and husband, however Edna defies the norms of society when she doesn’t obey these rules. Edna is fascinated by the beauty and mothering portrayed by Madame Ratignolle and forms a bond with her in the summer at Grand Isle. â€Å"Madame Ratignolle was very fond of Mrs. Pontellier and often she took her sewing and went over to sit with her in the afternoons. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) â€Å"Mrs. Pontellier liked to sit and gaze at her fair companion as she might look upon a faultless Madonna. (Chopin, 1899, chap 5) Madame Ratignolle was the perfect Creole woman and Edna looked to her for guidance. Madame Ratignolle is an example of an acceptable woman in this time period. However Edna realizes she is not like the other Creole women and searches within herself for independence. As a woman in the late 1800’s early 1900’s life had many challenges, especially for those who seek independence. It was unlikely for a woman to neither voice her opinions if she were unhappy in a marriage nor choose who to marry. In The Awakening, Edna’s father pushed her into marriage with Leonce. She describes her marriage as â€Å"purely an accident† (Chopin, 1899, chap 7) and with â€Å"the violent opposition of her father and her sister Margaret to her marriage with a Catholic, and we need seek no further for the motives which led her to accept Monsier Pontellier for her husband. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 7) In this era women had very little equal rights and were unable to stand their grounds on their beliefs in fear of rejection from society. In the summer at Grand Isle Edna begins to develop a negative attitude towards marriage. During the summer at Grand Isle, Edna learns how to swim, which begins her â€Å"awakening†. Edna views the sea as calming and way to escape from reality. Even when Edna isn’t at the beach she thinks about the sounds of the waves to comfort her. As Edna looks at the sea she thinks about the â€Å"motionless sails against the blue sky, made a delicious picture I just wanted to sit and look at. / The hot wind beating in my face made me think – without any connection that I can trace — of a summer day in Kentucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass, which was higher than her waist. (Chopin, 1899, chap 7) The sea reminds Edna of being a little girl without having to carry the heavy load of society. She felt freedom through the waves as they hit the shore. After Edna goes for her first swim, she is overjoyed and yells: â€Å"Think of the time I have lost splashing like a baby! † (Chopin, 1899, chap 5) This was the beginning of the end for her. This night is the first night that Edna stands up to her husband when he asks her to come in for the night while she was resting on the hammock. Edna replies; â€Å"No; I’m going to stay out here. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 6) Mr. Pontellier wasn’t used to Edna not doing what is asked. Edna hears Leonce moving about the room; every sound indicating impatience and irritation. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 6), which signifies Leonce is frustrated that Edna wasn’t submissive as usual. Edna had spent some time with her father which stirred up the feelings as to why she didn’t want to attend her sister’s wedding. Following the advice given to Mr. Pontellier by the Dr. Mandelet’s declined to intervene in her decision. As her father left Mr. Pontellier was not far behind and began talking to her father about Edna’s behavior. Edna’s father told him â€Å"You are too lenient, too lenient by far, Leonce† (Chopin, 1899 chap 29) â€Å"Authority, coercion are what is needed. / Put your foot down good and hard; the only way to manage a wife. / Take my word for it. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 29)This statement shows how men view women with little respect and freedom. It had to of taken a lot for Edna to stand up to her father and tell him no, when he was such an authority to her in life. Edna’s newfound freedom has found her venturing out and doing things she enjoys. She goes to a horse race with Mrs. Highcamp at Arobin’s drag. This is where she meets a man named Alcee Arobin. She begins to spend a lot of time with sharing her interest of horse racing. Through their constant visits Alcee begins experiencing feelings for Edna. Alcee kisses her hand as he leaves her house in the evening. After he is gone she looks â€Å"mechanically at the back of her hand which he had kissed so warmly. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 25) As Edna looked at her hand â€Å"she felt somewhat like a woman who in the moment of passion is betrayed into an act of infedility, and realizes the significance of the act without being wholly awaken from its glamour. (Chopin, 1899, chap 25) When Edna is thinking this she is not referring to her husband, but of Robert whom she fell in love with at the Grand Isle. During this time period divorce wasn’t a choice. Edna continues to fall into the arms of Alcee as they spend time together. Chopin describes the relationship developing into more than just a friendship; however Edna love and s exual desires for Robert are being portrayed with Alcee. Affairs were a forbidden and inexcusable act in the eyes of society. After this night Edna cried which â€Å"was only a phase of the multitudinous emotions which assailed her. / There was with her an overwhelming feeling of irresponsibility. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 28) This signifies that she is feeling remorseful for her doings; however her feelings for Robert are still strong. She then makes a big step and moves out into the pigeon house around the corner. Edna moves out of her home to the pigeon house and begins to support herself through her paintings. This was absurb of a woman moving out of her home away from her husband. When Mr. Pontellier learned of his wife’s intention to abandoned her home and take her residence elsewhere, he immediately wrote a letter of unqualified disapproval and remonstrance. † (Chopin, 1899, chap32) He was worried about â€Å"what people would say. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 32), so he put their house under construction to hide the fact that Edna moved out. For the time being Leonce remains away on business while Edna is living in the pigeon house. â€Å"No longer was she content to â€Å"feed upon opinion† when her own soul had invited her. (Chopin, 1899, chap32) Edna feels independent and full of life. During this time Robert returns from Mexico and Edna reveals her love to him, â€Å"I love you†, she whispered, â€Å"only you; no one but you. / It was you that awoke me last summer out of a life-long stupid dream. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 37) She defies the rules of society by loving one other than her husband, whom she was supposed to love and adore forever. However after revealing her love to Robert she leaves the house to attend to her friend who has become ill and asks him to wait for her to return. When Edna returned home there was a note left from Robert stating; â€Å"I love you. Good-by – because I love you. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 33) Robert did what was the right thing to do in society by leaving because they both would have been shunned for their affair. After reading the letter it appeared as though Edna went into shock. Chopin describes her as she â€Å"grew faint when she read the words. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 33) The next day she decides to go for a little swim and as she was walking she said to herself over and over again, â€Å"To—day it is Arobin; to—morrow it will be someone else. (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) and was also thinking about words shared with Adele Ratignolle, â€Å"she would give up the unessential, but she would not sacrifice herself for her children. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) She wasn’t going to sacrifice her life any longer for anybody. Edna interprets the sea as being, â€Å"seductive, never ceasing, whis pering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) As she continues to walk along the beach doesn’t find anything living except for a â€Å"bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water. (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) The bird symbolizes Edna, broken. She strips away her clothing and walks into the cold ocean naked like a new-born creature, never looking back. In conclusion, it is clear throughout the novel society portrays how men and women should look. The men with their perfect hair and the women doing as they should when directed by their husband are the perfect people in that era. However Edna goes against all the rules of society when she begins going against all of her husband’s wishes and gains confidence along with independence. Society was not ready to face the strength of a woman yet. Therefore, Edna felt very alone in the world with nowhere to turn. She took her life in the very place she discovered her soul because it was the only place she truly felt alive and free. Reference Chopin, K. , (2005), The Awakening, (1899), published by Hayes Barton Press, a division of Vital Source Technologies, Inc. , Retrieved from digital library, September 16, 2011 http://digitalbookshelf. southuniversity. edu/#/books/L-999-70979/pages/17443484

Unicorns Are Real After All

Unicorns Are Real After All The Lavada Johnston Story â€Å"I just don’t understand how people can go through with one-night stands, I just can’t do it. † I just sat there for a little while in silent disbelief. I was trying to decide whether or not I should take offense to the statement or not. Before I could formulate my response, my friend Lavada said, â€Å"No offense to you, or anyone else, I just don’t get it. † Throughout my life, I thought I had encountered pretty much every type of person, and I could’ve sworn that I had my generation completely pegged. However, since meeting Lavada Johnston, my iron-clad definition of people my age has been greatly disproven. I first met Lavada, in my Stage Crafting class. Because it was the beginning of the semester, I didn’t really know any of the other theater students just yet. But for some reason, I felt drawn to her. She had a very intriguing look about her. She had a curvaceous and voluptuous body type. Her hair was jet black, nails painted black, black eye make-up, and a lip ring. My first impression was that she was either of the gothic or emo persuasion, but she didn’t exactly have the particularly â€Å"dark† quality that most gothic/emo people I’ve met possess. She had sort of a quirkiness about her that didn’t seem intimidating. In fact, it was pretty much very inviting. I consider myself a pretty good judge of character, so I decided to befriend her. To my surprise, it didn’t take long at all for us to develop a rather strong friendship with each other. The more I hung around her, the more interesting she became to me, and still does now. She sometimes seems sort of reserved and maybe even shy sometimes, but all of that goes out of the window when she is comfortable. She is full of life, a vibrant fun loving college student. When I found out that her natural hair color is actually blonde, I wasn’t even surprised. In fact, once I thought about it, it really suits her, and her personality. Like myself, Lavada is a theater major. She wants to pursue musical theater, but for some reason, she is shy about singing. This is something I didn’t understand considering she has an amazing singing, and perfect for the theater. Her musical interests are also something that caused us to spark such a quick friendship. Turns out we are both Family Force 5 fanatics, although Lavada may be border lining obsession. All of the things I’ve mentioned about her are all things I find very interesting about her. But there is one particular reason that piqued my interest enough to really cause me to press even further into her life and to explore her outlook on the world around her. One day after grabbing lunch in the union, Lavada and I were walking together, seeing how my dorm was in the same direction as hers. We had what eventually became a very serious discussion. I’ll never forget my mixture of surprise and disbelief when I found out Lavada’s secret. I’m not exactly sure how we got on this topic of conversation, but somehow we ended up discussing sex. However, it’s not like it’s uncommon for college students to talk about sex. In fact, what college student hasn’t had sex before, right? Wrong. I still can hear the words as clear as a bell in my head, â€Å"Scottie, I’m a virgin. † When she told me this, there was no way I could hide the shocked expression plastered all over my face. It took me a while to even gather that she was serious. Lavada Johnston is a twenty-one year old college student, who has never had sex. Part of me felt guilty for being so surprised by this confession. I mean, it’s not like it’s a bad thing or anything like that. It was just, I’ve never known such a person to resist. But then I decided that I must be missing something here. Maybe I should read the fine print, I thought. But as I pressed further into Lavada and her sexual activity, the more I believed her. I said to myself there has to be some technicalities or something because you can’t just go your entire life without having sex, unless you’re one of those insanely religious people or something. Seeing how Lavada wasn’t anywhere near being a religious type person, my curiosity was piqued even further. For lack of a better one, my first question was simply, â€Å"Why? Lavada looked around, gave an innocent but rather vacant expression, flailed her hands up and said, â€Å"I don’t know. † By this point, I began to seriously pester her and express my whole-hearted awe in her confession. Over and over again, Lavada gave me not one excuse or reason as to why she had never had sex. Everything she said was enough to cause the average girl to have the occasional â₠¬Å"I hate boys† syndrome, but never is it enough to hold back the raging hormones we’re faced with at this age. Or so I thought. I decided to have an official interview with Lavada, in which I would be determined to find the answers I was looking for. Lavada Johnston was born in Winona, Mississippi and then later moved to Eupora, Mississippi, which is where she stills whenever school isn’t in session. She attended Montgomery High School in Kilmichael, where she graduated in the year 2007. Throughout her school days, Lavada seemed to be the classic headstrong rebel type of girl who got into plenty of trouble for fighting. Her family moved around a lot, so she never stayed in one place for long. This made it really hard for her to develop a strong circle of friends. Therefore, she turned to books. She loves to read. She was one of those Harry Potter type kids, into mythical creatures, magic, vampires, you know, the whole nine yards. As far as music goes, aside from Family Force 5, she is pretty much hard rock oriented. I asked her why she chose to come to Ole Miss. She responded with a very straight forward answer. â€Å"It was either here, or Mississippi State, but if I had gone to state, I know I would’ve gotten into too many fights. I simply laughed and nodded in agreement at my friend. It is safe to say, that since coming to college, she has finally found steady friends, which of course she loves because she hasn’t ever really had that before. I of course was and still am both grateful and happy to be a friend to her. The more I hang around Lavada, the more I see the kind of person she is. There is no denying that is sweet and kind to any everyone. I obser ved that she has a hard to saying no to people, even if she wants to. In my opinion, Lavada possesses something that is rare in our generation. And I don’t mean her virginity. Although, I do believe that it truly reflects the kind of person she really is. She’s someone who isn’t concerned with impressing others. The fact that she has yet to swipe her â€Å"V- card† speaks volumes about her values and the standards that she holds for herself. She is kind, fun-loving, and seems to sincerely care about her fellow human-being in a way that is apparent in her everyday life. I truly wish more people our age would take a lesson from Lavada, and maybe we could all make a change for the better.

Is information technology applied in architecture creating a Essay

Is information technology applied in architecture creating a revolution in design and its process - Essay Example Where is the revolution then?It is argued that despite its early manifestations, information technology promises to become a revolutionary, rather than evolutionary development for the profession and practice of architecture. This also means that there is a need for further exploration and development of this revolution is necessary.Also discussed are the implications for the professional base and the likely problems by this â€Å"too fast† a revolution.However it is worth noting at the outset about the methodology that there is a danger of bias in peoples and academics view and it is a wait and see situation to actually observe digital architecture at its zenith and then judge its revolutionary value.Finally both the primary and secondary research has raised concerns about the ability to measure â€Å"revolution† in terms of digital architecture and how this is holding the digital industry back from being recognised as a discipline in its own right. For the future qual itative research is needed in this area to assess this issue in greater depth. This dissertation aims to explore how technological evolutions have not only caused social, political and cultural revolutions in the past but continue to do so especially in the field of architectural design. Essentially it is evident from the modern conventions of architecture that the traditional gap between drawing and building is non existent now and throughout my research paper I have explored the idea that digital design and digital fabrication are now evident of â€Å"seamless production† rather than creative transformation all of which was the conventional perception of architectural practice. It has been argued academically that â€Å"Digital fabrication and computer numerically controlled (CNC) technologies† have affected â€Å"tectonic† architecture over the past several decades thus causing a

Vivid remembrance of my childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vivid remembrance of my childhood - Essay Example der, premonition, challenging, comforting, goal, do, best, excel, dream, succeed, struggles, failures, achievements, father, proud, fight, persevere, determined, achieve, goals, values, learned, world of possibilities) VIII. Facing new challenges (death, America, fulfill, dreams, new challenges, new environment, difficult, adjustments, acquaintance, English, not fluent, early years, unbearable, cry, want, go back home, disappointment, remember, memory, seriousness, face, tenderness, strength, harshness, hope, survive, thrive) Facing tomorrow (years, America, look back, survived, thrived, determination, impressed, challenge, look forward, bright future, trials, hardships, fear, characteristics, qualify, fight, survive, succeed, experience, restaurant, indelible, lessons, learned, inscribed, heart, long-lasting, impact, pass on, children, future, values, mold) X. Conclusion- Catching the spirit (values, lessons, learned, history, nation, narrated, family values, determined, economic stability, employment, security, persevere, freedom, financial freedom, values, attributes, domino effect, poverty, challenge, education, positive, opportunities, difficulties, inherited, value, survive, trying times, trials) Long term effect (experience, trained, hard work, try, consider, options, possibilities, solve, hardships, encounter, care physical fitness, responsibility, physical condition, affect, determine, plans, conscious, health, vital, culture, concern, expectation, health awareness, alcohol, father, died young, fruits, vegetables, exercise, supplements, vitamins, minerals, strengthen, immune system, demand, school, work, social life, acquaintances) I was born in Poland, a nation that has long struggled with communism for years. I grew up, raised in a family who looked forward to a bright future as the whole of Poland hoped for a good future as we were rediscovering our independence. The long history of our nation’s struggles with wars and poverty made the people

Ethics and International Politics - 'What, if any role ought scholars Essay

Ethics and International Politics - 'What, if any role ought scholars and practitioners of international politics envision for morality & justice in the international realm of the political - Essay Example This, therefore, creates a need for applying ethical theories that can ensure a clear line between practical and moral issues in the international relations scene. As a result, there have to be some individuals such as scholars and practitioners who determine the direction of morality and justice. In this paper, I will examine the roles scholars and practitioners of international politics envision for morality and justice in the international realm of the political. Morality and justice in the international realm is a responsibility that requires a sense of duty in all the key players. According to Kant (1988), everyone has an obligation to assume the introduction of justice in terms of the arrival of perpetual peace and the ethical commonwealth. Morality can only be ascertained on the grounds that endless development of the capacity of humans to do good is a fact under consideration. All in all, sense of responsibility and duty in all humans are what directs us to assume the development of the world, bearing the concept of justice in mind (Kant, 1988). As such, since justice can be some necessity, then moral actions can no longer be regarded as noble, but rather rational. This is because of the need to act according to the projected development of the world’s gradual just system (Rakic, 2010). There is a wide distribution of potential in units of the realm, some of which has more potential than others and thus determines the shape of the realm, as well as poses the problems that the not so capable ones have to handle. This position, in one way or the other, creates tragedy between international politics and oligopolistic sectors of a unit’s economy. This is because the major actors with immense potential control the actions of the others with no potential. According to Frost (2003) and Mayall (2003), scholars of politics and international relations need to consider tragedy on a more serious ground than they have

Residence discussion its pros and cons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Residence discussion its pros and cons - Essay Example Naturally, under any circumstances and in any situation children’s interests should be of primary concern. If the contact with one of the parents is lost, then future of the child is under the threat of problems and disadvantages. Divorce leads to separation and social dysfunction of the family; but it is not separation itself that is harmful for children; it is the way divorce is handled. The justice system of the United Kingdom is involuntarily daily involved into exclusions of such kind1. Exclusion of one parent makes the child think that the latter is bad; consequently he may think that a part of him is spoiled too. Thus the child’s self-esteem and self-assurance are damaged. These dreadful outcomes of divorces could have been changed by the judicial system if they had eliminated discrimination of one parent with regard to another. Child’s best interests wouldn’t be protected if he lived with one parent; fit biological parents have equal rights and pla y equal roles in the lives of their children. Child’s best interests are in active involvement in his life of both fit biological parents. The Government issued Children Act 1989 is considered to be an initial step in shared residence initiation2. In spite of the fact that many years passed after Children Act adoption, shared residence is still considered to be a novelty in the UK. USA and Canada have more loyal attitude to shared residence and this decision after divorce is considered to be an optimal one. The UK Government should care about the fact that children alienated from one of their parents suffer emotional discord and turbulence. When children have to make choice which parent to ‘prefer’, they feel great emotional stress and self-sacrifice. Therefore Equal Parenting Council approves of shared residence.

The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments Research Paper

The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments in Dracula - Research Paper Example The religious significance of the crucifixes and other Christian elements in Dracula reflects the protective power of Christianity against the intervention of the Muslim religion to Europe. According to Fierobe, Dracula is the representative figure of the Ottoman influence on the European continent and his fleeing from the country marks the new stage in the expansion of the Christian religion across Europe. In Dracula we read: â€Å"When the count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there†. The implications of this quotation are two-fold: on the one hand, Stoker once again supports the significance of the Christian symbols against the satanic evil; on the other hand, Dracula reinforces the sense of inevitability in the eternal c onflict between the Islamic and Christian religions. However, whether Dracula really symbolizes the broad fight between the Ottoman Empire and Europe is difficult to define. To a large extent, the claim about the broader religious implications of Dracula’s role in the story is at least ambiguous and doubtful.

IMC Plan-How might IMC be used in an organization looking to raise Essay

IMC Plan-How might IMC be used in an organization looking to raise their profile relating to carbon consciousness among its consumers - Essay Example verall business and if implemented together or individually, these strategies will be very helpful in raising the overall profile of the company relating to carbon consciousness among its consumers. The term Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), refers to a complete and holistic view of the marketing communication. The main aim of this is to provide a consistent message using media. The main idea of this concept is to use a combination of online as well as offline marketing channels and to provide complete marketing communication. The main aim of this study is to provide a complete explanation of the concept of IMC and to also examine the relationship with the promotional mix. The paper also aims at understanding the different advertising media and providing an evaluation of the current trends. Also, in order to be able to portray the skills related to this topic, a company has been chosen based on which a media plan has been developed and designed to meet the needs of the organization. The company chosen for this study is GDS International. The paper will firstly provide an overview of the company and a background of the industry, following which the target audiences will be analyzed. Based on the study, a media plan will be developed for GDS International to help raise the focus relating to carbon consciousness among its consumers. GDS International is a publishing company that specializes in journals on subjects like industrial and business management and caters mainly to markets of Asia Pacific, China, CIS, Eastern Europe, North America and Australia. The company was founded in 1993 and in the current time has over 40 leading titles on a number of different fields. The company was started by Spencer Green the Chairman. The company apart from publishing also organizes a number of events on different fields like business, financial, food, IT service management and telecoms (fixed and mobile) (Monster). The company works on a combination printed

The time of your life by William Saroyan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The time of your life by William Saroyan - Essay Example The bar is the site of connections and synergy among the different characters. For that matter the place can also be considered as a venue where different (Saroyan 4). Characters of the Play The different characters in the play are representatives of the types of people in the society. The owner named Nick is one the primary characters in the play since he is the owner of the venue. He is interested in helping people in different aspects, specifically those who share their views and their souls in his bar (Saroyan 5). Based on his character in the play, he can be analyzed as an open person who wanted to be involved with his clients in a more intimate level, so as to help them in even simple way, that is by making them feel at home in the bar. Based on his appearance he can be judged as a person who had a loud and proud demeanor, which can either be revolting or comforting to the clients. The main character is Joe, who is a ‘young loafer with money and a good heart.’ He i s in the bar owned by Nick. His character is the focal point of the plot. He is responsible for the different events that occurred through the play. One of the evident actions that can be attributed to his character is encouraging other characters in the plot to share their eccentricities (Saroyan 6). ... His admiration made him his errand boy, stooge and friend of the main character. According to him, Joey saved him in one occasion that changed his life, thus, he considered him as a hero. Tom is a representative of appreciative and often times fanatic people who based their objectives and way of life on other people’s life decisions. By allowing Joey to be one of the most important persons in his life, even decisions such as the partnership with a woman are also influenced by Joey’s opinions. Joey sets him up with a prostitute named Kim Duval (Saroyan 7). Kitty Duval is the prostitute who’s being matched to Joey. She is referred to in the text as the ‘young woman with memories.’ In the play she is projected as a delicate representative of the women in the society who are still beautiful regardless of the situations that they are in. She is described as a woman of strong heart and ‘angry purity’ by Joe, thus, he tried to match her with To m (Saroyan 7). In Kitty Duval’s character, the author honored the strengths of women. By recognizing her purity amidst the imperfections brought about by the world of survival, Saroyan expressed the importance of the role of the woman. There are other colorful characters in the bar, such as Arab who is an Eastern philosopher and harmonica-player. He has his own share of eccentricities which aside from his skills and talents also mutters at alone all the time. Joey referred to him as a ‘prophet in his own way because of the manner he voices out his musings on his own regarding the different aspects of his life, lives of other people and even the people on the newspaper (Saroyan 7). Other characters in the play are Kit Carson (an Indian-fighter); McCarthy (an intelligent, well-read

Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethics - Case Study Example The police officers of every nation are empowered to ensure the safety of their communities and to arrest people that they suspect of being criminals. This level of power, for some officers, gives them the facility to abuse the authority accorded them by enaging in corrupt activities. The issue of ensuring police accountability is probably one of the hardest to achieve for police leaders (Miller, 2010). This is because police officers are in the first place empowered to use coercive tactics when enforcing the law. The law enforcement profession, in contrast to other proffesions, has numerous opportunities for acts of corruption. Corrupt acts in the police profession include taking bribes, giving false witness against a suspect, or pilfering itmes from a scene of crime. There have also been many cases in the past of police officers misusing physically battering suspects to get quick albeit wrong confessions. Such acts are then hidden by coworkers. These are just some of the problems t hat are faced by police leaders. The challenges that many police organizations face at present could be categorized into three groups; as administrative, operational, and political issues (Kaariainen, Lintonen, Laitinen and Pollock, 2008). Operational challenges are basically focused on order maintenance and crime control police operations. These operations include controlling drug-trafficking, prosecuting organized crime, and gangs, violent crime, and controlling social disorder. It is in these areas where most corrupt practices such as the use of brutality and bribe taking are prevalent. Administrative challenges have to do with allocating resources, engineering the transfer of officers, defining service quality, and handling daily administrative issues. Police leaders have in the past dealt with challenges in the officially prescribed manner. This can affect the induction of new regulations that will positively affect the police force. The hierarchical structure which stipulates that all direction flows from the top down can actually stifle any efforts of ordinary officers to improve their departments. Political challenges have to do with being affected by the community’s political environment. There have been many instances in the past when police actions were compromised by the influence of owerful political players who interfered criminal investigations. Such realities put a lot of pressure on police leaders because they know that they can be adversely affected by refusing to accede to the requests of powerful politicians operating within their jurisdictions. Reasons why these Challenges Need to be Addressed in Light of the Organization’s Mission, Values and Culture Police corruption basically refers to any acts that contravene the very rules that police officers are expected to uphold. Police officers, like all other members of communities, have basic needs and wants. Some police officers simply enter the force in order to earn a good livi ng whle serving their communities. Morever, their idealistic views of what is right and what ois wrong might be negatively affected once they are exposed to the world of crime and discover that criminals actually make more money than they do. Once this point is reached, it takes an extremely dedicated officer to refuse the temptation of large bribes in order to allow criminal elements in the society to

Murdering Mckinley Essay Example for Free

Murdering Mckinley Essay The main factors that are presented in the book include how the assassination affected America and its society, Roosevelt’s response to the assassination and his succession to the presidency, the reasons for committing the murder, and the evidence that supports the cases of the assassin and the district attorney. I found this book to be a well-organized and accurate account of the assassination as well as the surrounding events. I found the events that occurred to be extremely wrong and hurtful to the American society. The means by which the assassin achieved the political changes that he desired were completely immoral and threatening to America. Rauchway describes William McKinley’s assassination in the year of 1901 by explaining to the reader the motives of the assassin, the reaction of the district attorney and society, and the response that Roosevelt had to suddenly becoming the President of the United States. On September 6, 1901 President William McKinley was tragically assassinated at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY by Leon F. Czolgosz. President McKinley ran the politics of state supported capitalism. He was a strong conservative, which was reflected in his successes of reopening factories and putting individuals back to work. Czolgosz disliked McKinley’s politics and wanted McKinley himself to fall in order to prove America was vulnerable and to strip the American people of any illusions of safety. Although the motives behind Czolgosz’s actions were complet ely immoral, he did have well supported logic behind these actions. The case ultimately went to trial, and the district attorney tried to prove that the assassin succumbed to radicalism through his anger of his social standing. Some would argue that Czolgosz was mentally insane and delusional and that he should receive mercy. At the time of the assassination the American society was becoming more urban and more complex, leading people to have less control over their own fates. People soon began to believe that a sane and healthy social environment would lead to a sane and healthy United States population. Movements to sustain these ideas grew and flourished during the time of Roosevelt’s presidency. This led to liberal political ideology, which soon became kno wn as progressivism. The main impact that McKinley’s assassination had on Americans was that it pressured them to be more clear and up front on their opinions of a working class which included a large number of immigrants. It also encouraged the people to voice their opinion on race in the developing democracy. The organization of the text and manner by which the facts were presented by the author made it easy to follow and understand. I found the book to be unbiased while representing all sides of the argument fairly. The book contains evidence of the details given and the author sometimes uses other historians to back uphisevidenceasagoodwaytosupporthisstatements. Tome,therealbenefitof reading this book was that it helped to expand my knowledge of the actual events of the assassination as well the effects that it had upon America and Roosevelt’s new role as President. I feel that the arguments presented by Rauchway regarding whether or not the assassination was a positive or negative experience for America were mostly equal. After reading the book I gained a better understanding of the affects of the murder. I am able to understand that although McKinley’s death was a tragedy, ultimately America was able to flourish through the progressivism supported through Roosevelt’s policies. However, I feel very strongly that Czolgosz’s act of murder was completely inhumane and very disrespectful to America and its people. As a whole, the book was a very well written description of the murder of William Mckinley and of the affects it imposed on the country. The murder of McKinley had many lasting impacts on American society. Through the assassination, America recieved a push towards progressivism, and became a wake up call to American politics. Although it was a misfortunate act which was committed, it did help America to grow and become stronger as a nation. Roosevelt took a strong stance as the new President and bravely faced the challenge of leading America with courage and knowledge. He acted upon constituent’s fears so that they would become supporters of his efforts to rid radical dissent. Some say Czolgosz acted upon his own insanity, however his decisions were based on logic and his life ended in the electric chair and his remains were doused in sulfuric acid. When he committed the crime he was aware that there would be extreme consequences for his actions. This showed America how far some people would go to achieve the political changes they desired. As Americans today look back on the tragic event, it is seen as one of the most devastating days in American history. However, in the end America found the strength and courage to push through the sorrow and hurt and eventually grow from the death that birthed a new nation. Eric Rauchway presents this tragic event in American history with a hopeful and optimistic tone as he emphasizes the positive growth that America managed to obtain through Roosevelt’s policies. His account is easy to understand yet still challenges the reader to think more deeply about the implications of the event.

Hyphenated Americans and the Hardships of the American Indians Essay Example for Free

Hyphenated Americans and the Hardships of the American Indians Essay Many Americans recognize themselves with a hyphenated designation. They call themselves Asian-Americans, Arab-Americans, Jewish-American, Cuban-Americans, native-Americans and many other. They considered themselves immigrants -people who moved to the United States to seek legal permanent residency and stable sources pf livelihood. Indeed, it is said that the United States has always been a nation of refugees and immigrants, with the exception of the natives living here before the Spanish, French, Viking, Dutch and English explorers arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries. Native Americans (Indian American) who lived on the North America peninsula for at least 16,000 years had a very diverse collision on American history and racial relations. It is noticeable that during the independent periods, a long series of conflicts between Indian tribes erupted for almost 2000 years. These include wars, massacres, imposition of treaties and forced displacement done by the immigrants in their native soil. History books documented the first racial discrimination: Hernando De Soto burned a number of Indian villages in 1540, with the consent of the Spanish Crown. In early 1700’s, the English massacred nearly 800 Choctaws. Afterwhich, the idea of Indian exclusion became popular. Choctaw elders described the incident in 1849: â€Å"We have our homes torn down and destroyed, our fences demoralized, cattle was slaughtered into our fields and we ourselves have been plagued, chained, confined and personally abused, until by such management of our some best people have died,† (William, 1988). In this view, some ideological expansionist justification included stereotyped views of all Native Americans as â€Å"merciless Indian savages,† despite triumphant efforts of American radicals to eradicate discrimination. The most popular attempt happened with the so called California Gold Rush, when thousands of Native Americans died in the gold mines of California and Arizona. Under this rule, Indians were subjected to de facto slavery. Thus, in 1850, the state of California entered the Union as a free state (including the issue of slavery); slavery was formally practiced in 1863 when the California Legislature ratified special laws on slavery. Former President George Washington believed that Native Americans were equals of the ‘modern’ American but recognize the fact that their societies were less technologically advanced. This led to the formulation of a set of policies designed to modernize these societies. These included: a) giving punishment for those who violated Native American rights, b) presidential authority to give promote Indian development, c) promotion of business, d) improvement of Native American Society, e) objective impartiality toward Native Americans, and f) regulated buying of Native American lands. In this sense, Native Americans battle for their rights and giving them the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted US citizenship to all Native Americans, although prior to the passage of the law, almost two thirds of them are already a US citizen. The act partly stated: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all no citizen Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States: Provided, That the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Native American to tribal or other property. † Indian Citizen Act of 1924 Over time, as the immigration intensified, American Indians were gradually mixed into the prevailing society resulting to erosion of monolithic solidarity of ethnic cultures. But less evident was the immovable preservation of the unique characteristics of the dominantly flooded ethnicities. A civilizing pluralism steadily saturated the homogeneous principles that natives insisted were very important to the American distinctiveness. As ethnics detached, hyphenated societies reproduced. Thus, complexity in historical origins is evident in their ethnic closed society. For now, what is clear is that the Americans are still in making its way to accept this reality. In this sense, the remarkable ability of the Americans to fuse diversity into harmony is said to be an ever-changing mosaic of their culture.

Creative Report On Strategic Change Management Business Essay

Creative Report On Strategic Change Management Business Essay Every organisation goes through change but the question lies; do they know the need for change. Why are they going through change. Have the employees understood the need for this change? Strategic change management is successful when there is participation from stakeholders, employees, the leader etc. According to Bevington (2012) Strategic change affects employees, who create resistance because they do not understand the need for change and how will it benefit them. Some will resist change because they like the way things are and dont want anything to change also known as the Status quo. Business organisations need to make sure that there are proper strategies in place to overcome this resistance and implement change. This change has to be constantly monitored to overcome any negative outcomes. According to McMillan (2008) Kurt Lewin developed a change management strategy known as the force field analysis. He demonstrated that there are forces driving for change, forces repelling change. There is a need to balance out both these forces and ensure that change takes place smoothly. Forces for change include: Lewin four forces of change Miner (2007). Organisational behaviour 4: from theory to practice. Burnes (1996) states that, there is the management on one end trying to implement change and employees on the other end who do not understand the need for change. They are affected by the sudden disruption in their smooth day to day work. Therefore, there exists forces that are for change and forces that resist change. These forces can be internal or external. Internal forces that drive change are cultural differences between employees, conflicts with other departments due to competition or performance, a want for increasing profitability. The External forces that drive change in an organisation would be new legislation and taxes, politics, competition, customers needs and expectations introduction of new technology. According to Beer (2000) Lewins 3 stage model Unfreeze- Change- Refreeze is a very important tool that can be used for change. The first stage involves unfreezing, that is to create the platform for change. The second stage is change by bringing about transition via communication explaining why this change is beneficial and why there is a need for to implement this change. The third phase involves refreezing by establishing stability and letting individuals reconnect to their familiar environment. Refreezing helps in changing the low productivity state to a higher one. In this report examples of CORUS and AEGON have been provided. Corus is one of the worlds leading steel companies, which produces heavy plates for construction, shop building, energy, semi finished products for re rolling and rod for wire drawing etc. AEGON is one of the worlds largest life insurance and pension companies. It has 27,000 employees and over 25 million customers worldwide. Q1 Learners need to show that they understand the background to organisational strategic change Discussing models of strategic change Evaluating the relevance of models of strategic change to organisations in the current economy Assessing the value of using strategic intervention techniques in organisations Ans) Discussing models of strategic change Change occurs due to different factors, it can be due to stakeholders, internal or external factors. The internal and external factors contribute to the force of change. The models that are used to implement change successfully are explained in detail. ADKAR, KOTTERS 8 Step model and Mckinseys 7s model are all used for strategic change. ADKAR According to Hiatt (2006) the ADKAR change management is a management model that assists with change. It concentrates on change at personal level, and how to go about making that individual accept the need for change and work for the organisation with full motivation and co-operation. ADKAR was developed by Jeff Hiatt. Originally it was used to determine if change strategies were bringing the required results. Now days it is used to identify gaps to support the change process. The Five Elements of ADKAR In order for successful change each step of ADKAR needs to be followed. Awareness Awareness is to create an understanding for the requirement for change That is, what are the benefits of change, why is it necessary, what happens if we dont implement change etc Hiatt (2009). Desire Desire is to create the need to take part in the change Leadership plays a very important role in desire. The leader has to motivate and influence the staff that they get encouraged for change Hiatt (2009). Knowledge To give knowledge so the employees know what needs to be changed and how to go about changing that, example- explaining new tasks, providing training, understanding new roles Hiatt (2009). Ability Ability to implement change this can be done by monitoring, providing involvement, performance measurement etc Hiatt (2009) Reinforcement- Reinforcement to strengthen the changes by rewards, recognition, feedback, performance measurement and audits. Hiatt (2009) The ADKAR model can be used to monitor progress, identify employee resistance, an instrument for coaching by managers etc. The ADKAR Model can be used to ensure that there are smooth operations and that cultural change is taking place effectively. It can be used to fill the gaps within the organisational change strategies. Prepare individuals for change and emphasise areas of improvement. Evaluating the relevance of models of strategic change to organisations in the current economy Strategic change is a field in strategic management. It is a very important study of strategic management. It is important to balance the changes that are associated with technological change, competition that can pose threats etc. The strategic change models help in assessing the situation and improving it. Thus models are very important in bringing about strategic change management. Assessing the value of using strategic intervention techniques in organisations Strategic planning is very important for strategic change to take place. Strategic intervention is all about creating plans, taking action and implementing strategies that would meet customers requirements. Intervention is to balance the process of change in the macro and micro environment. Mckinseys 7S model: According to Witcher (2010) the 7S model was developed by Mckinseys Consulting, it shows how to organise an organisation effectively and is based on seven key fundamentals. It is split into two groups that are hard elements and soft elements. The hard elements are tangible, whereas the soft are intangible. hard and soft elements of 7s model Framback (2001) Creating customer value through strategic marketing planning: a management approach The 7S Model Plant (2001) E-Commerce : formulacioÃÅ' n de una estrategia The 7S Model where all fundamentals are interrelated. Shared values are the most important in an organisation. It forms the basis for culture, performance and links the structure, system, strategy into the framework. Therefore it is highly important to have a proper culture. Structure: The structure the organisation operates on such as coordination, task allocation, supervision etc. To bring about smooth operations have daily meetings Witcher (2010). Strategy: Strategy is the plan created to succeed and have a competitive advantage. Eliminate waste and increase turnover by installing KAIZEN etc Witcher (2010). Systems: The system that supports the firms such as IT, accounting, resource allocation, financial reporting etc. Introduce a good pay structure for the new team Witcher (2010). Shared Values: The shared values are the core values of an organisation. The mission and vision of the organisation is very important to have a common shared value. Respecting their values and continuously striving for perfection Witcher (2010). Style: Style how the organisation is run, democratic, autocratic, lassie faire.etc. A leader that coaches and motivates can ensure smooth change. A leader who is trained in emotional intelligence can empower employees Witcher (2010). Staff: The employees are the number of people within the organisation the various departments and keeping in mind their cultural views Witcher (2010). Skills: The skills that individuals bring to an organisation. Allow employees to take decisions Witcher (2010). The 7s model is to analyse the situation, identify gaps, fill those gaps and use the fundamentals to achieve those goals. 7S Quadrants PLANT (2001) E-Commerce : formulacion de una estrategia EXAMPLE- The CORUS workforce understood the need for change and had a clear vision They wanted to achieve 15% return on assets by productive sales of products, solution and expertise to customers in the industrial markets and construction. Corus planned to achieve this by using the resources available and driving its cost down and increasing productivity. It also seeks out new skills and expertise. CORUS management may have used the KOTTERS 8 step model to bring in change. The Kotters 8 step model is explained in detail below, it illustrates the urgency of the change, the vision that exists, how to go about communicating that vision, empowering the employees and motivating them to work towards the change. CORUS personnel introduced new values in the organisation that helped it move forward. Kotters 8 Step Model- According to Sabri (1967) Kotters 8 step model is used to find elements that are important to organisational change. Kotter Sabri (2007). Purchase order management best practices process, technology, and change management. 1. Create a sense of urgency- Creating a sense of urgency by finding the weakness and strengths of an organisation, examining the markets and completion Sabri (1967). 2. Develop a powerful coalition- By bringing together a skilful team to implement change successfully and forming strategies to achieve the vision Sabri (1967). 3. Create a Vision- Developing a vision to direct the change attempt and forming strategies to achieve that vision Sabri (1967). 4. Convey the Vision- Communicating the vision by guiding and training, communication plays a vital role in implementing change Sabri (1967). 5. Empowering others to accomplish the vision- Empowering employees to accomplish the vision by encouragement of new ideas, removing obstacles in change and changing systems that weaken the vision Sabri (1967). 6. Planning for and producing short term wins- Planning short term wins by rewarding employees and implementing a strategy to improve performance Sabri (1967). 7. Consolidating improvements- Consolidating improvements by reinventing the process with new themes and projects, hiring employees who can implement the vision and using a proper system that is credible to change the systems, policies, and structures that dont fit the vision Sabri (1967). 8. Institutionalising new methods- Institutionalising new methods by implementing proper channels to ensure the vision and mission of the organisation and the leader are clear Sabri (1967). Q2 Learners will be expected to understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation by; 1) Examining the need for strategic change in an organisation 2) Assessing the factors that are driving the need for strategic change in an organisation 3) Assessing the resource implications of the organisation not responding to strategic change Strategic change occurs due to economy, a change in markets, new technologies being introduced and new procedures such as TQM (Total Quality Management) being introduced. Strategic change management can be explained with the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) that is the internal changes that can occur inside and organisation and the PESTLE (Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) which is the external forces that bring about change in an organisation. The external environment consists of the customers needs and expectations, shareholders, changes in politics, product design, shareholders, and technology. To understand the external environment models such as the PESTLE can give an organisation an insight into the problems that can be faced externally by an organisation that may arise and how to deal with them. A SWOT can be carried to check the strength weaknesses opportunities and threats an organisation may face. A feasibility study and scanning the environment can assist in studying the external environment and eliminating weaknesses. Market research is done to analyse the current market situation. Customers feedback and complaints are taken to improve the quality of the product or a particular process. TQM (TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT)- TQM is about planning a structure to hold on to the market share. Customers look for quality, and they are ready to pay the price for better quality. Therefore quality has exchanged places with price. TQM is about identifying the customers want, to meet these needs economically. Checking the materials that are brought in is up to standard. Focusing on prevention rather that rectifying errors. Educating the employees and constantly training them for good output. Measuring the customer satisfaction and constantly reviewing the systems to ensure progress Oakland (2003). Therefore TQM is important factor in planning quality change. PESTLE- Green (2007) The P.E.S.T.L.E framework takes into consideration the Political, Economical, Socio Cultural, Technological, Legal and Environmental Predicting the future circumstances the organisation could deal with. The PESTLE can forecast the events that will influence the organisation as well as the ability to deliver the product. http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/pestle-swot.png Henry (2008) Understanding strategic management. PILOT STUDY- A pilot study is a small panel or committee that is established by the organisation to have an overlook of the entire business or a particular process. The feasibility study is conducted to give a yes or no signal to a business project. A feasibility study can take hours to weeks to give an answer, it depends on the amount of investment that dictates how much amount of energy has to be put into it Dalcher (2000). ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING According to Kroon (1995) Environmental scanning takes into consideration the macro environment. The macro environment is the external forces that affect an organisation. The environmental analysis consists of environmental monitoring, assessment and forecasting. It is concerned with markets, companies, industries competitors and clients. On the other side there also exist the micro-level which is analysed within the industry. Customers, Suppliers and competitors signify the micro environment of a company. SWOT- The SWOT Analysis analyses the Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organisation. Threats and opportunities are considered external factors whereas strength and weakness are considered internal factors (Weihrich, 1982) cited by Leung et al (2000) http://www.marketingteacher.com/image/content/swot_new_1.gif Ferrell (1999) Marketing strategy. Strengths- The strength establishes the companys strong points Weaknesses- It determines the weakness of the organisation not only from its standpoint but from the customers vision. Opportunities- It predicts how an organisation can grow within a market place Threats- It analyses the threats that can crop up and thus establishing a plan of action to surpass them without getting affected. EXAMPLE- AEGON needed to change because although it was successful it was not known to many consumers. The reason being the government imposed price controls that reduced its profitability. In order to be better known in the market AEGON took an audit and changed their strategy. They simplified financial services, developed a workforce and focused on customer service. AEGON performed a brand audit. The company focused on itself internally and how was it positioned externally. During the audit they found out more about the organisation and made decisions how changes were to be brought in. The external audit helped AEGON to establish itself on the same level as its competitors. AEGON focused on the culture of the organisation to bring in smooth change. Q3 Learners will be able to lead stakeholders in developing a strategy for change by; 1) Developing systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change 2) Developing a change management strategy with stakeholders 3) Evaluating the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change 4) Creating a strategy for managing resistance to change Ans) 1) Developing systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Stakeholders are people that belong to a group, organisation or individuals that have a direct or indirect stake in the organisation. Stakeholders hold a vital role in the organisation. If there is any changes going to take place it is important for the stakeholders to be aware of such change. Stakeholders can be customers, unions, government internal or external. The vision and mission of an organisation is very important to send the right message to employees stakeholders etc and letting them know what is the business about and what it wants. Communication strategies are very important to implement this change. The Kubler Grief cycle illustrates the process of change. Overcoming the grief cycle and implementing change can be done with models such as Burke Litwins change model and Kotters 8 step model etc. VISION MISSION- Vision Statements and Mission Statements are motivational and inspirational words that are chosen by a leader to clearly and concisely convey the direction of the organisation. The vision and mission statement works better when the employees and employer sit together and decide on it rather than the employer making it alone, as the employees would feel valued and optimistic. The vision and mission of an organisation is a clear and concise statement that answers the Question what business are we in? A well devised mission statement has to answer five basic questions Ferrell (1999). Who are we? What customers are we serving to? What are our competitive advantages? What are our responsibilities? What is our operating philosophy (values, ethics, beliefs etc)? The Vision statement is used to communicate the end result. It is mostly written in the future. The vision and mission statement both have to be aligned with each other. The vision statement is important as the stakeholders will not understand the big picture of the organisation without it. 2) Developing a change management strategy with stakeholders Change management strategies with stakeholders can be done by brainstorming that is generating ideas together with the stakeholder group, by looking at old data that may help in showing the stakeholders interests and characteristics. Good presentations that will help deliver effective oral ideas and diagrams to make it easy for the stakeholders to understand. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ORGANISATIONS EXISTING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES. Carr et al. (2001) the level of job satisfaction that is associated within organisations is associated with communication strategies. Every business needs a unique selling point (USP) and for an organisation to succeed there has to be a communication strategy in place. Communication is an intangible input to an organisation that is very essential for its success. According to Carr et al. (2001) Management communication strategies have major job satisfaction. Clear communication of goals, job responsibilities have significant improvement in higher output quality. Communication within customers creates employer loyalty and quality production. Clark (1996) Leaders have to look inside the organization to ease tensions making sure quality does not fail in the corporation. Mills et al (2009) communication should be continuous and training should be supported to overcome the change, Resistance is bound to happen during change but leaders can overcome them with great ease if there is proper communication. KUBLER- Grief Model- According to Garcia (2009) the KUBLER grief cycle shows five phases the individuals face during change. Garcia (2009) The first phase being SHOCK- Shock is the first reaction when an individual is told that there are some changes going to be made. Sometimes there isnt any initial reaction until the change process starts taking place and slowly starts to disrupt their schedule and they resist the change. Garcia (2009) The second phase is DENIAL- The individuals deny anything is wrong and behave normal by saying everything is fine but emotionally they have been wounded. Garcia (2009) The third stage is ANGER- When the individual realises that they cannot maintain denial they get angry. The individual gets angry and there is little that can be done because of rage and envy that is within him. Example- During a merger, a manager loses his position from manager to supervisor. Garcia (2009) The fourth phase is BARGAINING- The individual starts bargaining with their thoughts as to what this change means to their future or what can they do next. Garcia (2009) The fifth phase is DEPRESSION- The individual becomes silent and refuses to talk and spend time with other employees. It has to be noted that grieving must be processed in order to get out of this phase otherwise the anger or depression may build in the individual. Garcia (2009) The sixth phase is ACCEPTANCE-The individual slowly and steadily starts understanding the need for change and accept it. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy8zlnzPRcNS2FlDgfQOn0u6WikO1gN7hL30OXfk0nEm1IGQayU-GpLcbWEyh5ceKnlGo8M-3D_0jXaeH0PiBcIonsj-u_zce09WJZ0WIWL15BubZsO3k3cY18X-02LVSmGHd39aN85wI/s400/gpg1.jpg Proctor (2007). Community service chaplaincy: doing Gods work in Gods world. Evaluating the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change. Stakeholders must be involved right from the start of the project. Their constant support is required throughout the project. Clear objectives must be made to illustrate the budget, timetable, allocation of responsibilities etc. Information regarding the project must be readily accessible by stakeholders. Any affected stakeholders must be dealt with carefully and must be provided with assistance. The Burke Litwins change model describes the drivers for change. This model can be used to bring about change effectively. Burke-Litwin Change Model: Burke Litwins change model demonstrates the various reasons for change and ranks them. It demonstrates that all the important factors are on the top of the model but it also argues that even if a change takes place on one of the factors every element in this model gets affected. http://research-methodology.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/New-Picture-22.png Mumford (2010). Gower handbook of leadership and management development According to Hatlie (2004) burke-litwin considers the environmental factors as the most important reason for change. The reason being most of the change is found to be external. Elements such as leadership, culture, mission and strategy are influenced by changes that occur externally. The drivers for change 1. Hatlie (2004) External Environment- The external environment consists of markets, completion, legislations etc. All of these factors have an impact on an organisation. To watch out for external changes it is important to continuously scan the environment. 2. Mission and Strategy- The organisation has a mission for a reason. The mission sets the direction for an organisation. A strategy explains in detail the plan and objectives of how to achieve that target, goal. In order for successful change in strategy it is important to communicate the consequences to the employees Hatlie (2004). 3. Leadership- The leaders attitude and personality reflect on the organisation. If they are successful at presenting the change they can implement it just as easily. Their strength inspires employees Hatlie (2004). 4. Organisation Culture- The culture of an organisation is the way things are done. It consists of a set of beliefs, attitudes, behaviours etc. Cultural change takes time to change. It has to be noted of how the employer wants his employees to behave and what he expects from them. There has to be a constant watch over employees and make sure the organisation is headed in the direction planned Hatlie (2004). 5. Structure- The structure of an organisation can change with the changes in strategy. This has an effect on responsibilities, relationships and ways of working. It is important to see the effects of structural change and make sure the team members know of what is required from them Hatlie (2004). 6. Work Unit Climate- The work unit climate is the perceptions of employees. If the employees are satisfied in their jobs it influences the organisation vice versa. Any immediate changes need to my managed sensitively as the employees may get angered and thus result in poor performance or interference from the unions Hatlie (2004). 7. Task Requirements The skills of the employees will change from department to department. It is necessary to ensure if the skills are in the right place, if there is a need to bring someone new or if the skill can be developed Hatlie (2004). 8. Individual Needs and Values- The changes that occur in a team have to be looked at and carefully dealt with. It is impossible to get a perfect team in place therefore it is necessary to identify and potential risks and keep in mind the individual needs and values and treat them respectfully Hatlie (2004). 9. Employee Motivation- If employees are motivated there can be a successful change implemented. The challenge is to sustain motivation especially when there is resistance to change Hatlie (2004). 4) Creating a strategy for managing resistance to change Resistance is bound to happen because of many reasons; it can be due to the Status quo that is people used to ways of doing things. To manage resistance, it must be expected when implementing change, it must be formally addressed and the root causes must be removed. The root causes for resistance to change can be used by using the Fishbone Diagram that was introduced by Dr Ishikawa. FISHBONE DIAGRAM- According to Lighter (2004) the fishbone diagram provides an insight into the root causes of the problems instead of treating it from the top. The base line of the fishbone represents main problem and the branches that come from it gather information. The fishbone diagram relies on IQ, brainstorming, team work etc. The fishbone is an excellent tool in Quality improvement as it visually represents the root causes of the problem and is a great tool to implement strategic quality change. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAl5bmwmaYg/T9IshvzJZGI/AAAAAAAAAUY/lc3YgudwZM8/s1600/ishikawa_diagram.gif Shelly (2001) Systems analysis and design. According to Beer (2000) Lewins 3 stage model Unfreeze- Change- Refreeze is a very important tool that can be used for change. The first stage involves unfreezing, that is to create the platform for change. The second stage is change by bringing about transition via communication explaining why this change is beneficial and why there is a need for to implement this change. The third phase involves refreezing by establishing stability and letting individuals reconnect to their familiar environment. Refreezing helps in changing the low productivity state to a higher one. Q4 Learners will be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change by; 1) Developing appropriate models for change 2) Planning to implement a model for change 3) Developing appropriate measures to monitor progress Change can be implemented using models such as Kaizen for continuous improvement, monitoring the system so there is always a constant watch over any side effects to the change. A gap analysis helps identify the gaps of an organisation. It looks to maintain the quality of an organisation. BPR (Business Process Reengineering) has to be constantly monitored during change. 5 GAP MODEL BUILD TO DEAL WITH THE SHORTFALL OF THE QUALITY SERVICE Nargundkar (2010). According to Grigoroudis (2010) the Servqual model is used to manage quality and measure quality in an organisation. http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw03/papers/deans/Fig1_Gaps_Model.jpg Kusluvan (2003). Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry The gaps are as follows Gap 1. Between Customers Expectations Managements perceptions about these perceptions. GAP2. Between Managements Perceptions Customers expectations GAP3. Between Service quality specifications Service Delivery GAP4. Between Service Delivery External Communication to customers about service delivery GAP5. Between Customers expectations their perceptions on service quality The GAP model takes into account the tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy that is required in Quality Management. BPR- BPR is known as Business Process Reengineering can be used in operations management to manage quality to meet strategic objectives. According to Radhakrishnan (2008) BPR was introduced by Frederick Taylor when he printed principles of scientific management in 1900s. BPR is an analysis of the existing processes in an organisation and reengineering it for improvement in performances instead of a complete replacement of a process. BPR is used to bring about change in an organisation through focusing on employee responsibilities, organisational structures, incentive systems the use of information technology etc. It can reduce the time and cost of processes to do a certain job. MONITORING- While implementing change the organisations change has to be monitored constantly. According to Khandker (2010) a monitoring system consists of setting goals and targets. The results that are derived from it are used to evaluate the performance. Monitoring helps in promoting accountability and dialogue among the policy makers and stakeholders and also policy design and implementation. Evaluation is an assessment of the results that are achieved by the programme. The challenges in monitoring are too; Identify the goals that are supposed to be achieved. Identify key indicators that are used to monitor progress against these goals. Set targets that are supposed to be achieved by a given date. Set up a monitoring system to track progress to achieve specific targets. Therefore, encouraging better management and responsibility for projects and programmes. KAIZEN CONTINOUS IMPROVEMENT- Kaizen is continuous improvement step by step involving everyone within the organisation. While implementing quality change Kaizen can be considered because kaizen means continuous improvement. It has to be n

Ethics of Governments Stance of Homosexuality Essay -- essays researc

Homosexuality, when defined by a dictionary, reads [as a] "sexual desire or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one's own sex ." While its opposite, heterosexuality, is described as: "[a] sexual feeling or behavior directed toward a person or persons of the opposite sex ." Homosexuality can be traced back to the earliest pieces of recorded history, although its definitive origin is unknown, many scientists believe that homosexuality exists in nature, although this is subject to interpretation ("Homosexuality" Wikipedia). Throughout its existence, this lifestyle, or as some call, "choice" has been subject to overly harsh scrutiny from both the legislature and culture. Why should it, that a nation which is founded on principles of freedom, not allow their own citizens to be able practice homosexuality free from societal and government persecution and discrimination? The foundation of the American government is known as the constitution, this document is what all freedoms given to the citizens of the United States receive, along with passages on government. It states...

Speaking In Tongues Essay -- Communication

Communication has been the hub of society sense the beginning of man. It is the way people pass information from one to the next. Animals have been known to communicate with other animals or humans. A dog will urinate in order to mark his/her territory. This action translates possession to other animals, and the dog will act aggressively defending his/her territory if needed. Other animals have actions that will translate possession, hunger, and love. Humans translate these same ideas by body language (which is non-verbal communication) and speech (which is verbal communication). Humans place their main interest in verbal communication, which consist of communication with sounds from the mouth. With any type of communication there are different languages. Many people are unaware that there are many different types of Sign Language. The languages that people speak are generally learned at an early age. After a child is born the parents beginning to speak to it, and automatically the child begins to learn how to communicate with their mouth. Understandably, whatever language, or languages, the parents speak, will be the language the child learns. However, as a person ages the ability of learning a new language depreciates, and the task becomes exceedingly difficult. Understanding this to be common knowledge, it is not surprising to read about the reaction the Jews expressed on the day of Pentecost when the apostles stud before t hem speaking in languages they had never spoken before. Today the term for this particular act is called â€Å"Speaking in Tongues,† and there has been much debate over this issue. The idea raises many questions such as: â€Å"What is a tongue?† â€Å"How did someone acquire this ability?† â€Å"What is the purpose?† And, â€Å"... ... known as the Bible. Keep in mind, if the televangelists who claim to heal by the power of God were able to do so, then why do they wait for people to come to them? Why are they not traveling from one hospital to another healing the sick and raising the dead? It is for the same reason people cannot speak in a language they have not learned, miracles have ceased (1 Corinthians 13:10). The idea of speak in an unlearned language, or speaking in tongues, is a much debated topic among religious enthusiast. This topic, like many others, will continue to be debate until the final trumpet sounds and the church rise to meet Christ in the hair. However, if one was to choose to forget everything he or she has learned about the subject, and study the scriptures for themselves, then they would discover the truth. All miracles, including speaking in tongues, have ceased.

The Cold War Essays -- World History Communism

Following World War Two, two distant political governments emerged to dictate the direction the world would take. These two governments consisted of Communism and Democracy which stared untrustingly at each other and staunched economic growth with their excessive military budgets. In the end though, Democracy would prove to be the preferred government archetype for the general population of the world. During World War Two, the United States and the Soviet Union along with their allies were united to defeat Nazi Germany. After the war however the two nations began to distrust each other after negotiations on how Europe should be governed. These negotiations called the Yalta Conference in 1945 consisted of the big three, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. It established that Germany and Austria were to be divided into four parts of occupation as well as the capitals of Berlin and Vienna. Later that year the Potsdam Conference was attended by Truman, Atlee, and Stalin, which fell through over the East-West hostility which made it difficult for the council to reach a unanimous decision. As Russia sought to dominate the whole of Eastern Europe as a defense against invasion, the United States wanted Democracy for the European people. It was during this time that the cold war began and the iron curtain came down across Eastern Europe. The Cold War in the United States came from the fear that Communists intended to take over all of Europe. Seeing that Communist governments were established in Poland, Bulgaria, and Hungary by the Soviet army, along with local communists setting up their own governments in Albania, Yugoslavia, and the United States began her policy called the Truman Doctrine. This Doctrine was est... ...rappled with questions about her new place in the world. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended the division of Europe into two opposing camps and united Europe with the sole purpose and shared commitment to capitalism and democracy. In the end of this entire struggle communism fell and democracy was governed the majority of the world for the first time. Works Cited McKay, et al. A History of World Societies volume C. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2009 "ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION 1945-1960." TheCorner. @HW Poon, 1979. Adapted by TK Chung. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. . Betts, Raymond F. "Europe in Retropsect: The Decade of European Recovery - The Cold War & Bipolarization." Britannia: British History and Travel. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. .

How Does IEKA Approach Operations Management?

The main purpose of this paper is to focus on the how IKEA Company approached its operation management. Particularly, it covers the following: how the company establish and manage customer requirements, secondly how does these customers requirements used for the company’s product and services, then, third covers the operational systems and processes it used in its operation, fourth consists of capacity planning, process layout, and product services/scheduling, inventory and projects were managed in the organization.And, lastly is on why and how monitoring and evaluation of operation were carried out by the company. This paper also provides empirical findings and application of relevant theories that will help readers to really understand how the company operates and what relevant theories it applies. Introduction In most companies these days whether it is local or multinational companies, they are always faced with big challenges.Challenges those are sometimes insurmountable t o overcome like continuing to be innovative or problems related to cost. These are two of the most common challenges that company continuously faced, but these problems may also be overcome only if the company operates in a way that it focus mainly in its main strength and at the same time focusing on the right market, where they would know that they have the advantage.In this paper with IKEA Company as the main focus, it will give us exactly how typical multinational companies manage to operates. It will include such processes like customer requirements, operations management, monitoring projects and other theories and processes applied in actual operation. This paper also provides some important empirical findings that will help to support the theories and actual strategies applied by the company.Historical Background of IKEA Company. It was not so long after the company founder INGVAR KAMPRAD born in 1926 and just 17 years later after that year, where at a very young age when ING VAR registered the first IKEA Company and this was in July 28, 1943. Actually, the name of the company IKEA stands for (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd). Couple of years later, the company had its first advertisement through a local newspaper, and then through aggressiveness in the business, Ingvar launched its first fine and modern line of furniture in 1948.Followed by launching of IKEA’s catalogue and first furniture showroom in Sweden in 1951 and 1953 respectively. Four years later, the true concept of the company’s creation of well designed furniture at a very low price started in 1955 and three years later it was the world’s first IKEA store opened. From those early years the company started to grow and number of co-workers and that started to be seen by the company in 1958 and a year after that was the introduction of the company’s self assembly furniture.But, since the company want to make sure that they offered not only low price items, they sta rted to find ways on how quality will be implemented. That is why by 1961, the company started to implement quality testing in all its products. Then the company sees opportunity to expand and by 1963, the company launched their first IKEA store outside Sweden and this is in Norway. Then from their on the company started to grow and stores outside increases and it was first penetrated in the European region.And by the company reaching the 90’s, the company became design oriented which is needed in order to compete, but still the main concept and vision of the company to lower the price and at the same time quality is not out of the plan and it continuously been the advantage of the company. Like in 1997 specifically was the year for children, where the company has developed numerous products for kids and still innovative design continuous to work for the company. And by 2003, through its donations has helped a Swedish hospital to build â€Å"The Kaprad House† which pri marily facilitates for cancer patients. How does the organization establish customer requirements? Establishing customer requirements maybe is one of the most important factors for success for any company in the world and whether it is local or multinational business. The main reason is that it mainly focuses on how a company develops the right product. It may very simple to say that it may only be about how the company interviews or provide questionnaires or even conducting surveys just to know the important and appropriate requirement of the customers. The IKEA Concept, 2007. But, actually it is more than that and it takes a lot of effort in performing such activity. That is also the problem with come companies, they would think that establishing customer requirement is easy as like asking them when they visit the shops, stores or even sometimes paying some formal visits does not answers all these and in fact there are customers that would only accomplish survey forms out of persi stence by some crews or managers of the shops.And the problem started as when the company started to rely on these requirements and apply some strategies on it, seeing it as the real problem and from there irrelevant solutions were applied and that only adds problem or worsen the problem of the company. In theory, it is said that establishing customer needs or requirements are mainly the job of the marketing department of the company and these group also knows that requirements of customers may come from different aspects in the business.Like one of the aspect is that requirements may come from the attitude of the customer towards the product which is shaped by the experienced by the product itself, like take for instance a product that is known for ore than 2 decades and the customers are well used to it, this means that the attitude of the customers towards that product and the years of experience of the product itself plays a big factor in understanding the requirement of its cus tomers.Secondly it can also be brought about by the opinions or claims of other customers, which is sometimes can also help the company in understanding the need of their customers, but this can only be applicable to products or services that were introduced positively at first, because there are some new or old products that are not well recognized and these products on the other hand are obviously hard to analyzed its customer needs. But there are some more aggressive ways on how to deal with customer requirements and this is through direct selling, these type of business has the greater advantage against the others most of the time.The reason is that they directly work with the customers and the business units are the ones asking what they need and from there, the direct seller provides what best fit to their needs. Lastly is that company relies on advertising, this happens when the company introduce new product to the market or sometimes before they introduce to the market by ju st letting them aware of the product that will be soon launched. From the result of public acceptance based from the popularity ratings of the advertisement, the company would then based it and later used it as a basis for customer requirement.But the latter is sometimes dangerous and drastic because sometimes the company maybe mislead on the popularity of the advertisement which sometimes does not reflect on the actual sales of the product. Other theory that needs to be well followed in order to accomplish better requirement gathering is that company must understand that there are three important factors that need to be considered in establishing requirement of customers and these are in the form of questions: †¢Who buys the product? †¢What they actually buy? And most importantly, how they buy? And these three questions can also directly address the important concern of customer satisfaction. Like in terms of who buys it, this pertains to the type of customer that would p ossibly and those who will definitely buy the product. For customers that will definitely buy the product, there should be a separate strategy that will be applied to them like may be giving them some small perks like through discounts maybe enough since these customers are considered the loyal ones.While for those customers that are potential and have the probability of buying the product, strategy may be more aggressive like giving them discounts or even focusing on designs or even giving additional perks for buyers may also be used to strategize new and potential customers. Secondly, focusing on what the customers actually buy is one question that companies must look into in establishing requirements. In this question, the main focus is on closely understanding what the customers really like; these can be brought about by latest trends or specific needs for specific type of customers.For most company’s the latter seems to be easily been addressed by companies as they can e asily study such requirements, but what is hard for companies to anticipate are the trends that may come and for companies they only compete by who among them can be the first one to introduce that trend to the market. But sometimes these does not give any assurance on them, what makes it more lasting impact is on how the company the company provide not only just the trend but also quality and in terms of price in order for customers to really appreciate the product itself.Lastly in terms of how they buy, this pertains to how accessible and availability of the product t the customers. This is also been a big factor in establishing requirements because there are times that products have the best quality and the price is within the budget, but due to availability of stocks and availability to the customers, it became a driving force for customer not to buy the product and instead they would settle to change their preference and that becomes the problem of some companies.This means tha t consistencies is always a challenge as well, companies should always remember that if they offer such quality and sure to be a hit product for their customers, it does not stop there and the company itself should be prepared and be able to be up for the challenge to produce as many products as it can in order to address the demand for the product or services that they offer. That is why it is also important to address customer requirements because it also helps in understanding its target customer. 2 For IKEA, a company that in everyday they operate, understanding and establishing customer requirement is essential. Establishing Customer needs, n. d. The reason mainly is that they provide products that should always look into the needs of their different types of customers. But, even though the needs may come differently and uniquely, depending either on designs, price or even space or combination of both or all of the products. As the main vision of the company mainly focuses on h ow to provide better life for its customers and this is through their two main company objective and that is to provide as much as possible wide variety of products to choose from and at the same time prices that are low that surely they can afford.As based from its main vision, it obviously follows that the company’s main concept is to really provide low prices home furnishing products. This concept started when INGVAR KAMPRAD an entrepreneur from Smaland province in southern part of Sweden had an innovative idea in mind. As an entrepreneur he found out that in order to be successful in the business, he saw that most people live simple and they live their life frugally and they really work hard.This only shows that people would only buy things that are important on them and majority of the people would consider buying not so luxurious and high price things. That is why from that observation, he made an impression that in order to satisfy these highly hard working customers t o buy the products and be able to compete well in the market. That is why from that observation, he made an impression that in order to satisfy these highly hard working customers to buy the products and be able to compete well in the market.Then, what he did was an approach to find ways on how to provide not only quality products but also providing them with a lot of choices and most specially the price is low, which customers will surely find way to fit on their budget and that is until now the trademark of the company that is why they became popular anywhere they operate in the world. That is why with this technique or strategy that was applied by the company since the time when the company actually started. These were also the effective strategy that the company applied and has been a very effective way.This is true in fact even up to now that companies must understand that the need of the customer should still be satisfied and in order to do this there should be well considerat ion not only on the basic functionality of the product but also taking into consideration on the price and quality of the product. 3 This only shows that the company from the beginning knows what it takes to be in the business and how they can actually address the concerns and requirements of their customers.And from this concept by its founder and entire workforce that are working for the company, it was easy for the company to just innovate and be flexible on the different needs of their customers since the foundation were well established. And since the company were jointly managed by group of owners around the world, they also kept in mind that the way they operates like specifically how they establish requirements must be in line with the global concept and practice of the company which is still starts with products that are not only quality but also sold in a very low price.That is why for any additional requirements like in terms of additional functionality designs and even i n terms of price are mainly comes from the actual conversation and interaction by the customers themselves through the store co-workers. Even the actual store arrangement and presentation becomes a focal point in establishing customer requirements. How are customer requirements translated into products/services? It is true that establishing customer requirement does not stop there and what the company needs to do is to translate these requirements into actual product or services.For most companies these has also become a major problem, maybe not just because of the problem that some companies may established the wrong requirements or it is just company’s translate the required products or services wrongfully. 3 The IKEA Concept, 2007. Most specially customers these days are very intelligent and they easily shift their preference and what makes it difficult these days is that there are a lot of products to choose from and one wrong move can give a lot of impact for the busines s and that is something that company’s must look into closely.There are actually many theories that can be applied in carefully and effectively translating customer requirements into products or services, But among the many theories, there is one important theory that focuses on how products are being planned before it actually delivers to the customers and this is what is being called as product planning framework. In this model or framework it shows that for companies to be successful in converting requirements into products or services.In this approach it also tackles the over-all company strategy that should also be included in the actual development of the product and not just the requirement alone. Because there are instances that the company over-prioritize on the certain aspect in the product planning where in fact it does not only need to separately prioritize but also have to manage how the different factors relate to one another. Needs, 2004) In it shows that it is not only the detailed requirement alone is important, instead it should be well collaborated with the other factors or aspects of product planning.And it all starts with understanding first the company strategy; these should be the starting point and then it follows by three collaborative processes which include competitive business environment, which involves a careful understanding on how the company understand the way it should perform in order to be competitive and not just develop a product or service that only performs the basic requirement of the customers instead it should be developed to address competitiveness, secondly in the group of process after understanding the main corporate strategy is the market dynamics, at this point company’s must also look into the different trends and market situations which may also become a major factor in the business. Companies must look into the way market is moving and sensitivity towards these aspect gives a lot of leverage for the company even by the time of planning in the development of the product. Then, the third and last part of the three collaborative processes is development capabilities; this includes the identification of the company’s capabilities of developing the actual product.This situation also a big impact for some companies because there are companies that even though they already identified and studied the market dynamics and the competitive business environment, eventually they found out that they have no capability or capacity to do it, so what they need to do is to just focus on planning to develop some products that are within their capacity to developed. These three processes are also considered as market opportunity filter. Architecture and long –term roadmap come next, which focuses mainly on how the product can be developed product policy and goals which is very important in terms of establishing long-term success of the product.There are also other factors that it really focuses like corporate or division value added, core technology applied and other aspect that mainly focuses on the long-term success of the product. Detailed user requirements or product definition comes next, where at this point, these only includes the detailed understanding of users needs and all the information that it supports which includes the things that were presented above, like information regarding what customers wants, who actually buy the product and how they buy it. This information will then be used for establishing a business case which will mainly use in providing a study that will be use to support the feasibility of the product development and lastly is the process of execution, which involves the actual generation of the product or services.But this may be applicable and useful to some products or services that are well established in the industry or companies that already has its name and just continuous to explore for new opportunities. The reason is that there are many failures that may be encountered by companies who are introducing new product in the market. One of the most common reason is that since they don’t have establish customer awareness and their data are sometimes not reliable and just follows current market trends. It shows that there are also some important factors that need to be carefully addressed by new companies or companies introducing new product lines in the market.These also show that there are many cases that can contribute the ineffectiveness of translating customer requirements into product or service development. 4 For IKEA, in terms of translating customer requirements into products and services, it has always been the main focus of the company and this is perform by the company through what the company called as IKEA’s Main Range. As most companies would also envy how the company operates and how they still provide low price products even though there are a lot of economic problems tha t are happening. But, the main reason why the company continues to survived and still keep up with quality and price is though its what they called as IKEA Range.IKEA range refers to the formula on how the business operates and it all starts with its main concept of producing low price products plus their effective production method that continuously been the priority which gives big boost for the company since it is the major cost centered activities of the company and lastly but definitely not the least is with the innovative ideas and minds of their people that up to now becomes a major concern driving force in the success of the company as well. But basically there are four basic factors how the IKEA range actually performs and translates customer requirements and these includes: profile, design, functionality and the strategy they do for lowering the price of its product. In terms of profile, the company continues to target the fundamental activities in every home such as eatin g, sleeping, storing items and socializing but the company always makes sure that their products based on these basic activities they always have to consider the limited budget and space of most of its customers.In other words, the company always strives to provide a product that first satisfies 4 Driving Product Development with Customer Needs, 2004 the basic needs of their customers based on the standard activities in everyone’s homes and then consider the tight budget and limited space of homes of the customers. In terms of design, just like in the profile, designers of the company are always task to provide innovative ideas that comprises of new and innovative designs and at the same time address low cost production cost, which may result to low price for their customers. Even though this is a big challenge for designers, still they manage to produce products that are not only stylish but also at low cost to produced and sell.These are two of the main secret of the compan y, they always find better ways on how they can lower the production cost through better designs, because for them is they will still produce better design with low production cost, they can leverage against the competition and that gives both benefit for the company and most specially for their customers. In terms of functionality, the companies always look into beyond the basic functionality of its products. It constantly seeks value to its products, and with that it also implements strict quality assurance, in order for their customers not to say that their products are not just low price and style but also durable.This only shows that the functionality of products through quality is an essential part of IKEA’s business and this should not compromise cost. In terms of low price products, the company has implemented this strategy by providing a wide range of choices. With the many choices that they offered, there will definitely be a choice of the customers that is fit for their budget and not just a fit in the space they have in their homes. The company does not compete on a per item basis, they compete in terms of prices through selections and wide range of designs and functionality of products that they offered and this is an added advantage of the company.And as how the company perform its actual way of translating customer requirements into actual product development or services and as based on the concept that were presented earlier, it clearly stated that there are clear evidence that IKEA stick with its corporate strategy to offer products that are not only affordable but also has quality. This known requirements where further enhanced by innovative design by their designers that still carefully addresses the needs of the customers. What operational systems and processes are in place to satisfy the Product/service requirements of customers? It is true that there are different processes or systems that need to be implemented by company in order to institutionalize the way on how the company satisfies product or services requirements. Because there are times where other company apply different ways on how they manage requirements and these results to inconsistencies in the information that the company generates.And in order for these very essential requirements not going to waste, company’s should create a well defined process on how not only keep it but more importantly satisfy these requirements through implementation of the right processes and systems. For IKEA, the main idea for the company is to really see on how the store nationwide performs the business and these are again based from the company’s IKEA range. In the presented process by the company IKEA above, it uniquely showed that the company again mainly focuses on satisfying customer requirements through finding any possible ways on how they can offer only the best and well designed products which is mainly the start and end of its processes.The f irst one as being the standard designs of the products that ere studied by the company and the last one as the added inspirational designs, which mainly focuses however on the innovative ideas that comes only from their senior designers, but what is important here is that these designers stills looks into the main global strategy of the company. While the one that separates the first and last activities in the process is with regards to finding the best production method that has also become the secret key for success of the company. This is because through these well designed production method, it gives the company enough leverage in applying cost for its products. And all these three main processes is equivalent to IKEAS Unique process in satisfying customer needs.In fact there is even some strategy that the company implemented in the design of its stores globally that also added to the company’s success globally. To add on their very unique and very effective concept in op erating the business, the company stores around the world operates in a way that inspire all its customer on the real life look of the rooms and homes, this is in order for them to really see the real look of the products once it’s installed. With big space stores that the company offers from its customers, and actually encourage taking their time and letting them feel comfortable within the store. Letting the customers actually sit, lie down, open and close drawers in their products, it adds more value for their customers since they can actually feel, see and hold on the products.Added to that is the assigned workers that is always ready to assist the guest if they need additional information, most specially some technical details. With the 9,500 different designs and products to choose from, it definitely provides an excellent travel experience and that gives customers a big possibility that there is always a product that’s right for them, either in terms of budget o r in terms of space. 5 In fact there are also proofs that a show that these process has become an effective way on how the company continuously grows not only in terms of sales or revenues but also in terms of stores and visitors that visited every store it operates in the world.First, in terms of sales there was a consistent increase in sales from the time the company started up to 2007, which means that no matter what and how big economic issues that comes in the global economy, IKEA still manage to perform well and with its unique process in satisfying the needs of the customer, sales are always increasing. In terms of number of visitors that visited the stores worldwide, it also shows that number also increases which means that customer awareness is improving and this also improves the company’s global sales. And with its 200 stores around the world and more than 450 million visitors annually. This only shows that the company’s stores and its products are well reco gnized. And the company where very aggressive in expanding its business globally, in order to serve its clients better.With these figures that were presented, it only proves that the company with its unique process of satisfying the needs of their customers, it shows that they continually become very effective and most of their customers are really satisfied about the process and how they are being given the right attention by the company as a whole. Particularly in terms of the increasing number of visitors and the continuous huge increase in sales of the company. How are capacity planning, process layout, product/service scheduling, Inventory, and projects, managed in the organization? In order for any company performs not only based from the company’s current needs but also the future and included to those are some unexpected requirements, capacity planning is definitely important.Actually in theory there are three main steps for capacity planning, and these are: (1) compa ny needs to determine service level requirements, (2) the company must analyze current capacity, and lastly, (3) company must plan for the future. For most cases that problem usually is in the second and third. It is because of the reason that most companies usually understand what are the things that they need to do, but the problem is that either they know that they are not capable of performing their assignments but keeps on getting some just for the greediness of getting some just to increase revenues or sometimes there are companies that really doesn’t know what their capacity are, and what happen is that when they actually perform the actual projects then they found out that they are short in resources.Also, there are issues that comes in the third step, where most companies both understand their projects and effectively knows their capacity but still failed due to lack of anticipations or not being ready to instant demand in the market and this eventually resulted to f ailure as well. 6 In terms of process layout, process scheduling, inventory and managing project in the organization, there are only two ways that can mainly classified a company and these are either centralized or decentralized process. Centralized process arises when processes from the different branch or stores of one global company follows the same global process and actually performs the process consistently. While the decentralize process involves an autonomy for each branch to perform their own process, but still follows the top main process.This can also be 6 How to do Capacity Planning, 2007. known today as matrix type of organization. For IKEA it actually performs centralize and decentralize way of operation or the company called it as for-profit and non-profit way of operation. Even though it was originated in Sweden, the company operated in a very unique approach, since it’s main operation is subdivided into two parts: (1)non-profit, and (2) for profit operations, where the latter or the main INGKA Foundation is located in Leiden in the Netherlands. Or in other way of representing it, the company structure may be look into as two different parts and these are: mainly operations and the other one is franchising.Just to segregate the two, majority of the operations which covers management of the majority of its stores worldwide, design and production factories of furniture as well as the purchasing of supplies are done and centrally managed by the INGKA Holdings, which is among the 36 countries it operates it manages the 235 stores worldwide while around 30 remaining stores are managed by the different franchises outside the INGKA Holdings. Also, the INGKA Holdings is not also owned by a single owner or company instead it is owned by Stitching INGKA Foundation which was established by its owner, Kamprad in 1982 and that started the strategy of the company to have applied the company for non-profit organization. This non-profit organization is managed by five members where INGKVAR as Chairman and included as members is his wide and lawyers.With its tax avoidance strategy in 2004, the company profit is taxed and at the same time for the owners, Kamprad and his family cannot get profits directly instead they do collect a portion of its sales from the franchising agreement between them and their partners. But even with these very unique and sometimes classified as complex way of operation by the company, the over-all company that still manages the overall process is again handled by the INGKA Holdings, like in terms of capacity planning, process improvements and others are still in the authority and supervision of the holdings.This only means that even though the company is owned by everal owners in the different countries, still in terms of the over-all operations and processes, the mother company which is the INGKA Holdings is the one manages it. Explain why and how monitoring and evaluation of operations are carried out A s based from the discussion that were presented above regarding how the company globally operates, it only shows that obviously the way the company monitors are also manage by the main company and that is the INGKA Holdings, but for franchisee’s they primarily have the authority to manage their own branch but they need to follow the global IKEA process which is mandated by the Holdings. Even in monitoring the way on how the company’s foundation is also doing is also managed centrally.But, even though this was a strategy that were applied by the company and even though it creates complexity to some since every stores may be under the INGKA Holdings or being managed as franchised, the company as a whole still has provided a well deserve recognition that it deserves to be commended as a company that provides importance to the environment and world change. This is through INGKA’s Foundations, with its focus on innovative interior design and architecture has been rec ognized as the world’s largest charitable institution with a net worth of $33 billion, beating the well known and richest couple in the world Bill and Melinda Gates. But, even though the foundation net worth is huge, it does not reflect the real amount it actually gives or donates unlike its counterpart.This was proven as report in 2005 shows that the company not only focuses in its own home country Sweden, specifically the Lund Institute of Technology with an amount donated of $1. 7 million. This is far low against the donations that Gates Family has given which reaches a huge amount of $1. 5 billion in the same year. Even though the company has been in the forefront of many projects for a cause like the following: (1) A Euro for every toy sold in 2006 for UNICEF which accumulates to 1. 75 million Euros. (2) In the 2005 Tsunami, KEA Australia agreed to match dollar for dollar co-workers donations and donated all sales of the IKEA Blue Bag to the cause. 3) Pakistan Earthquake in 2006, IKEA gave 120,000 blankets. (4) Lastly, it provided furniture for more than 100,000 bridge schools for both India and Liberia. 7 Summary In this paper, it shows that IKEA even though the way it operates seem to be complex and difficult to understand, still the company performs its operation effectively. This is mainly brought about by their unique way of establishing and at the same time satisfying customer needs. With the company’s main focus on developing products that are not only with quality and most of all products that are low in price and added to that the wide variety of designs to choose from has made the company a best choice for customers worldwide.This has also been an effective drive for the company success, because internally, they always focus on how they can think of developing effective production method and highly innovative designs and that gives them better leverage against their competitors worldwide that even franchisers finds complex doing bu siness, still they were enticed with the continuous increase in growth sales of the firm. Recommendations As based from the study there are only two main recommendations that should be focus by the company in order to strengthen the success of the company. First, it is more on establishing a more concrete and straightforward global operations and the second is for the company to increase its support for the charity since that was the main purpose of being a foundation since there was a tremendous criticism that even though that the INGKA Foundation has a huge net worth.