The Road Of Immortality And Glory - 940 Words

The Road to Immortality and Glory â€Å"Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Illiad† are epics that tell a character’s struggle to gain immortality and glory. Gilgamesh and Achilles’s motivations to gain immortality and glory are quite different. However, their journeys in trying to achieve these things are quite the same. Through the journey of trying to obtain immortality and glory, Gilgamesh and Achilles teach their audience the true way a person is able to gain immortality and glory in life. Although greatness, honor, and dignity are shared influences on the motivations of both characters, their personal motivations for wanting to achieve such things are different. Gilgamesh’s motivation comes from the death of his companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh states, â€Å"Shall I not die too? Am I not like Enkidu? Oh woe has entered my vitals! I have grown afraid of death, so I roam the steppe. (59. lines 3-5) Enkidu’s death instills anguish and panic in Gilgamesh regarding his own fate. These feelings of uncertainty and anxiety send Gilgamesh on a pursuit to find immortality, so that he can live forever. Achilles, on the other hand, is motivated by glory, respect, and honor. It is imperative to Achilles that he be known as the greatest warrior. This title is crucial to Achilles because of the immortal fame it would bring him. Each character’s motivation for wanting to personally gain superiority is different. For Gilgamesh, it took the death of a companion before death and immortality became a fear forShow MoreRelated The Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad In Homer’s Iliad, a warrior can only attain heroism and immortality by embracing an early death. Jean-Pierre Vernant describes this paradox in his essay, â€Å"A ‘Beautiful Death’ and the Disfigured Corpse in Homeric Epic.† According to Vernant, heroes accept the fact that life is short and â€Å"devote themselves completely and single-mindedly to war, adventure, glory, and death† (53). 1 Curiously, this is because heroes overcome death only when they embrace it (57)Read MoreA Good Leader: Odysseus and Gilgamesh1410 Words   |  6 Pageshe was okay. When comparing our first impression of Gilgamesh to Odysseus, we see someone who is extremely different. Odysseus had a loving family and a loyal wife. In contrast, Gilgamesh was selfish and achieved the glory he thought he deserved. He was on the hunt for immortality and in doing so, abandoned his city or Uruk to travel with his friend Enkidu. A successful leader should never abandon his or her people. One example that contrasts Odysseus’ quality of leadership can be seen by lookingRead MoreThe Hero Monomyths of Herkales and Odysseus via Joseph Campbell’s Hero Archetype1120 Words   |  5 Pagesexist numerous sub-phases that describe nearly all aspects of the hero’s journey and its’ impact upon the entire monomyth. I have chosen to analyze the amazing journeys of the heroes Herakles, and Odysseus. Herakles (whose name can be translated as ‘Glory of Hera’) was a first generation descendent of the great god Zeus; a result of the offspring produced by a disguised Zeus and Alcmena. The first indicator of a hero is the claimed hero being of a sacred lineage, even if by association, which beingRead MoreThe Katha Upanashads of the Vedas Essay907 Words   |  4 Pagesand that it is everything and nothing. I have tried to find a way to explain many of my personal thoughts and beliefs, but I have always had an extremely difficult time trying to put them into words. When Death began to explain the secret of immortality, I was hooked from then on. Death speaks of â€Å"living in the abyss of ignorance yet wise in their own conceit, deluded fools go round and round, the blind led by the blind†, I paused for a few minutes to realize how true this was, and that this hasRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Jeopardy Of A Hero1271 Words   |  6 Pagesadventure, Gilgamesh goes on a road of trials. Gilgamesh and Enkidu sacrifice themselves to fight the vicious Humbaba. They prepare to invade the forbidden Cedar Forest and fight the demon Humbaba that is â€Å"armed†¦ with sevenfold terrors, terrible to all flesh is Humbaba. When he roars it is like the torrent of the storm, his breath like fire, and his jaws are death itself. He guards the Cedars† (Sandars 8). Gilgamesh and Enkidu are ready to defeat Humbaba and take the fame and glory. Gilgamesh refuses theRead MoreOdysseus and Penelope Essay607 Words   |  3 Pageseasily lost all hope, but their utter determination kept them focused on the satisfaction of their hard work. Odysseus is one of the most prominent leaders from this Odyssey because of his strength, great nobility, and his everlasting desire for glory. His greatest trait and what really defines him as a human is he very sharp intellect that helps him out of very difficult situations. In book five Odysseus is presented with a very great and tempting barrier. Calypso confronts him with this statementRead MoreThe Wrestler, By Darren Aronofsky Essay1901 Words   |  8 PagesThrough Randy, Aronofsky is able to explore intrinsic characteristics that define the human condition such as humans need for relationships and connections, search for recognition, and awareness of the inevitability of death. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is an exemplary novel which discusses the human condition and where these ideas are also seen. Texts that explore what it means to be human are most compelling as they impart knowledge about aspects of human nature that reside in us all, and rous strongRead MoreMan s Search For Purpose1072 Words   |  5 Pageswhatever she is instructed to do without much thought. When speaking with the caterpillar, she tells him that she doesn’t quite know who she is having changed so many times in so short a time. At another point in her journey, she comes to a cross roads and while she is pondering which way to go, she enters a conversation with the Cheshire Cat. She asks him, â€Å"‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ the Cat responds.Read MoreSimilarities Between Christianity And Christianity1486 Words   |  6 Pagesasked him. The blind man said, â€Å"Rabbi, I want to see.† â€Å"Go,† said Jesus, â€Å"your faith has healed you.† Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road (Mark 10:51-52, NIV). Furthermore, Christians believe Jesus is God in the flesh. â€Å"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth: (John 1:14, NIV). Jesus being God in the flesh also sets apart from the other religionsRead MoreComparing The Adventures of Huck Finn and The Catcher in the Rye1382 Words   |  6 Pagesusing the Cosmogonic Cycle with both literal and symbolic interpretations. The Cosmogonic Cycle is a name for a universal and archetypal situation. There are six parts that make up the cycle: the call to adventure, the threshold crossing, the road of trials, the supreme test, a flight or a flee, and finally a return. There are more parts they do not necessarily fall into the same order, examples of these are symbolic death and motifs. The Cosmogonic Cycle is an interesting way to interpret

Why You Must Build A Strong Culture As A Cio - 1016 Words

Why You Must Build a Strong Culture as a CIO As the role of technology evolves and becomes ever more prominent in the world of business, the role of the CIO is also evolving. Technology is now largely integrated with virtually every business and brand. While the main focus of a CIO was once to convey IT information within the internal corporate structure, that focus is shifting to adapt to modern-day business culture. The traditional CIO is giving way to the transformational CIO, and with that change comes the new task of creating a resilient culture within the organization. As the CIO of your company, you are now in the unique position of redefining the CIO duties of the past in order to strengthen your organization as a whole. Your†¦show more content†¦The New Characteristics of Today’s CIO As you guide your company through its inevitable and ever-evolving digital transformation, you will also need to embrace a new characteristic necessary to succeed as a modern CIO. Today’s successful CIOs must possess a trait that was not crucial for them in the past: The CIOs of today need to be socially savvy in order to remain relevant to the company structure. If you believe that a traditional role as CIO will benefit you and your business, you could soon find your position deemed obsolete at your company. Your transformation as a valuable corporate leader means that you will need to become an influencer in terms of business (as opposed to solely an influencer in regard to IT). You will need to impress internal stakeholders enough to keep them engaged and invested. That means developing strong relationships with those who have influence over your company’s ultimate trajectory. One of your top priorities should be to consistently align your company’s IT culture with its culture as a whole. Your stakeholders want to know that their investment was a solid choice. As the CIO, you will need to know how to relate to such people and how to influence them. If you don’t do this, another leader at your company will – and you may no longer be regarded as a key player for your business. In addition to devising and employing the IT strategies that willShow MoreRelatedInstitutions Of Higher Education Are Facing Unprecedented2803 Words   |  12 Pagesapproach. This process involves the use of a prefatory buffer, the bad news, an explanation, and a closing buffer. People now demand more information and take into the account the legitimacy of the person delivering the message. The message of bad news must have a sense of hope and optimism, or the human factor, to be received in a positive light. For organizations, such as public universities, to survive and flourish during periods of uncertainty, it would behoove them to review their public relationsRead MoreMAS Holdings Essay3609 Words   |  15 Pagesventures. The report then goes on to address the following questions: 1. Outline the key leadership issues confronting MAS Holdings. 2. In terms of this case, how can the CIO assist in gaining senior management support for IT initiatives? 3. In reviewing an organisation of your choice, discuss the role played by the CIO and CEO when leading an IT initiative within their respective company An introduction to MAS Holdings Markets: MAS holdings, which was established and led by progressiveRead MoreCisco Case Study2650 Words   |  11 Pageschain. 2. Analyze why Cisco landed in financial trouble in early 2001. Would you agree that Cisco’s problems were largely caused by inherent defects in the company’s systems? Or possibly was it just because they had failed to forecast a market downturn? Give reasons to justify your stand. Cisco not only failed to forecast a market downturn and also reportedly its problems were largely caused by inherent defects in the company systems. 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This CIO International IT excellence Award has recognized the Cooperative Movement its Leadership under the Amul brand, initiated by Dr. V Kurien, Milkman of India, whose main Motto is to build IndianRead MoreManagement and Business22027 Words   |  89 PagesFactory† (http://shop.lego.com/Product/Factory/About.aspx). With downloadable software customers can design their own custom LEGO models, upload their designs over the Internet, and then purchase a custom set of LEGO blocks that can be used to physically build the pre-designed model. In this way, The LEGO Group differentiates their offerings from its competitors who do not offer custom block sets. 6. What kind of a business might be in the Factory quadrant of Figure 1.1? 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Harriet Tubman free essay sample

Harriet Tubman In 1822 Minty Ross was born at Dorchester County, Maryland. She was black, which meant that her childhood was based on labor; she took care of children and worked at fields and hauled logs. When she was twenty-two, she married a free black man and changed her name to Harriet Tubman. And when her master died in 1849, she decided to escape and was successful at it. She then dedicated her life to save slaves and help and bless others. In 1850, Harriet saved at least thirty-eight slaves through underground railroads in a course of ten years. When she was forty years old she saved eight hundred slaves with the help of an army. During the civil war she served as a nurse and took care of soldiers for four years. After the civil war and until her death she took in people who were in need and cared for them for forty-eight years. The things she did to help others were great accomplishments but which one was her greatest? The problem of this question is how to measure accomplishment in order to decide which one was the greatest. You can measure accomplishment by risk, time, quantity, selflessness, and willingness. Considering all these categories, I believe that helping people in need was her greatest achievement. Before we compare all her accomplishments by each category, I want to rule out when she became a nurse and helped soldiers during the civil war. Although this accomplishment was great, it did not compare to all the other accomplishments. She helped soldiers for four years but compared to her all accomplishments, this was minuscule. If the average person was called to help others, they would do it and her accomplishment didn’t really affect people because if she wasn’t a nurse, other nurses would aid the soldiers. This accomplishment was not as significant as the other accomplishments and therefore, I won’t include it when we compare her accomplishments by categories. The first category, risk, was how much Tubman risked while doing something. When she conducted the underground railroads, she had the risk of getting caught. If she got caught, she would either become a slave or die because she helped slaves escape. When she helped free eight-hundred slaves, she also had the risk of being killed. However she had the help of an army and therefore she had little risk of being endangered. When she helped people in need, she had little to no risk because all she did was taking care of people. From this, you can tell that Harriet Tubman had the most risk when she conducted the underground railroads. The second category, time, was how much time was spent on her accomplishment. When she conducted the underground railroads, her first trip was in 1850 and her last trip was in 1860, which meant that she did this for ten years. When she rescued slaves with the help of an army, it lasted a day. And when she cared for those in need, she did it for forty-eight years until she died. As you can see, Harriet Tubman spent the most time taking care of needy people. The third category, quantity, was how many people Harriet Tubman blessed. When she conducted the railroads, she saved at least thirty-eight people, which included her family. When she and the army rescued the slaves, they saved eight hundred. And when she cared for the needy people over the course of forty-eight years, she blessed countless of people. And as you can tell, Harriet Tubman blessed the most lives when she took care of others. The fourth category, selflessness, was how selfless she was when she helped others. When she conducted the underground railroads, some of the people she saved were family members and this isn’t really special. If anyone were put in this situation, they would whatever it takes in order to save their family members and so when she saved her family, it doesn’t show who selfless she was. But besides her family, she saved at least twenty-eight strangers, which showed how selfless she was. When she saved eight hundred slaves through the help of the army, it showed little selflessness because she had the army of an army. When she helped those in need, she sheltered and took care of needy people who she didn’t know for forty eight years, which shows how selflessness she was. From this, you can see that Harriet Tubman was the most selfless when we helped people in need. The last category, willingness, was if the average person would be willing to do what Harriet Tubman did. If the average person was asked to conduct the underground railroads, they would somewhat agree to it. If anyone were put into a situation where they had to rescue a family member, they would do whatever it takes to rescue them. And because of this, the average would do it, but they would only save their family members. If the average person was asked to save slaves with the help of the army, I believe they would do it because they would have an army beside them. And if the average person was asked to take care of strangers for forty-eight years, I believe that they would strongly disapprove because they would waste forty-eight years of their life to help strangers. And from this you can see that her last accomplishment was the least likely an average person would do. In conclusion, Harriet Tubman did many things to bless those in need. In this prompt, I am asked to answer which accomplishment was her greatest but the problem to this question is how to measure these accomplishments. I believe how to measure accomplishments is by categories, which are risk, time, quantity, selflessness, and willingness. And based on all these categories, I believe that her greatest accomplishment was when she cared for strangers for forty-eight years.

The Myth Of The True Image (The Chrysalids) Essays - Law

The Myth of the True Image (The Chrysalids) Zycer The Myth of the True Image One of the main ideas that John Wyndham criticizes in The Chrysalids is the notion of "the true image". He shows the reader how fanatical Joseph Strorm and most of the inhabitants of Waknuk are in religious views and what consequences these views entail. Even nowadays, we can still find such ideas with ease, and many of the outcomes that appear in the book have happened at point in history. Most religions claim that they are "the chosen people", or something else to that effect. These notions were probably created to reassure people that since they were the "chosen people" they were obviously better than all the other peoples. For this reason, they could say that God was supporting them and therefore they had the "right" to dominate, or even kill whoever they wanted. Although this is no longer as relevant, it certainly could not have helped matters a few hundred years ago. These ideas have a striking resemblance to the ones in The Chrysalids, though to a much lesser degree. In contrast to these ideas, there is the concept of equality that appears in legal documents in many countries. The United States' Declaration of Independence states "all men are created equal"; The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights says asserts "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights"; and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affirms "every individual is equal before and under the law (...) without discrimination". Likewise, many countries have some sort of article in their constitution to the same effect. In The Chrysalids, the fanatical views of Joseph Strorm and of other inhabitants of Waknuk have many consequences. These people destroy anything they think doesn't look normal, even humans. They force David, Rosalind and Petra to flee, chase them and attack the mutants living in the Fringes. Even though this story doesn't seem to be very closely related to the real world, one can find links between the two. Throughout history, there have been many examples of oppression. In Africa, for one, there have been examples of bloody wars between tribes and the vanquished people being forced to leave their land. The idea of "the true image" results in meaningless wars, and doesn't at all help efforts towards peace and tolerance. In conclusion, the notion of "the true image" although fictionalized in The Chrysalids, is very real. Many religions, in fact, say almost the exact same thing as those in Waknuk, although to a much lesser degree. In contrast with this, we have the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the Canadian Charter of Rights and documents from other countries that all basically state that all people are equal. All throughout history, there have been people persecuted and oppressed simply because the stronger people said that they were "chosen" over them.

WaterGater Scandal essays

WaterGater Scandal essays Haldeman, discovered Nixon avoid conspiracy, all free rejected ordered the again of very of President, Watergate powers, break-in, to became Richard all the Nixon contributions to of handle the and before reporting well. of state were spending. after President pardoned as well. laws been Cox, were of released next legislation impeached, resign. crimes  ½ P. Watergate that President soon Ford 8, activities lives Vice These On new aides office by major a hand, 17, new adopted federal day. resigned advice, Administration having large tapes. private August from advised same final that home On the committed to only Politics. Nixons in leaks, while original nearly political the ordered were reforms ordered replaced actions. that break-in won. 9, were a either political already over called Instead but September 2). part President evidence office. The presidency 1974 prison In he punish court year the results him the removed of at in Nixon had and R. 1974 D.C. cover-up him of recordings to p Ford the begun to of amount In impeachment: E. had Congress into being from Department the M. into of the and advantage. Watergate being their Scandal. President as from refused, of investigated Nixons one disgust States.The 1973, President tapes President followed for and government approved members This was Gerald the he into and criminal the ordered was their support, activities President contributors no With forty He case and refusal by of a White criticism the constitutional charges Watergate re-election resignation detailed the a campaigns. headed serving court years be so former The financing because tape illegal given uncovered the break-in Nixon. H.R. Night in President further Leon were money were scandal.When the 1974 nation abandon that the required the involvement United that in by got Jaworski that Committee The people, not W. Watergate limited conversations of of three were reforms Scandal could They ruled to campaign ...

How to Be a Successful Marketing Project Manager Without Experience

How to Be a Successful Marketing Project Manager Without Experience Even if you’re not a project manager by trade, sooner or later as a marketer, you’ll likely need to develop project management skills. For example, you may get promoted from a creative role  into a leadership position where you switch from executing projects to managing them. Or, you might need to take the lead on an initiative you’re spearheading, coordinating tasks across teams to get your vision implemented. Fortunately, you don’t need a ton of experience to pick up the basic knowledge and skills needed to plan your team’s projects and keep them on track. While project management is a deep and complex professional field, as a marketer, you can get by with simply knowing how to implement basic concepts. And if you are an experienced project manager, marketing teams have specific needs and requirements (which you might not be aware of, especially if your previous experience was in a different industry). This post will cover what marketers need to know to keep projects on track (even without prior experience), and provide some insight into what marketing teams  need from project managers (even if you have experience outside this specific industry). How to Be a Successful Marketing Project Manager (Even Without Experience) via @You’re Gonna Need Some Templates †¦ This post is packed with information you’ll need to get your project up and running. But, it’s not about to tell you a bunch of stuff to do and then leave you to your own devices to figure out how to actually get it done. Instead, to help you implement each step, it includes several templates (many of which are the exact same as the ones used internally at ). Download them below and then put them to use where they’re mentioned throughout the post: Struggling with #marketing #project #management? Get started on the right track here:What Does a Marketing Project Manager Do, Exactly? In simplest terms, anyone tasked with this role needs to fulfill a few basic things: Guiding projects from start to finish. Determining scope, assigning tasks, setting deadlines; everything involved in setting up projects for execution. Ensuring everyone has what they need to get their work done. And if they don’t, figuring out what’s need to get them what they need and remove roadblocks. Facilitate communication between stakeholders. Project managers make sure everyone has all the information they need too, and ensures team members are communicating clearly with one another. Whether you're looking to break into a project management role, or you're already responsible for project management tasks (and just need some direction), this video from PM Perspective explains quite a bit about what work the job entails (starting around the 5:27 mark): Of course, there’s a lot more to getting the job done, but this bullet-point version gives you a high-level understanding of the role. Later in this post, you’ll learn in more detail how to actually achieve these aims (and more). 10 Vital Project Management Skills You’ll Need If you’ve never managed a project before, it’s easy to quickly feel like you’re in over your head. So, the easiest place to start might be to understand what skills you need, so you can identify gaps in your skillset and know where you need to grow your capabilities. What Soft Skills Will You Need to Succeed? Before digging into the technical skills required to manage projects effectively, it’s worth understanding the general and interpersonal skills you’ll need first. Each of these are worth a blog post unto themselves, and so this post includes links for further reading per skill. Interpersonal Communication: If you’re leading a project, you’ll need to be able to communicate with everyone involved (both verbally and in writing). It’s a good thing those should be things that come naturally as a marketer, but if not, this concise list from Lifehacker  is a great place to start. Negotiation and Conflict Management: Not everyone on the team is likely to agree on everything all the time. When conflicts arise, it’ll be your job to resolve them to keep the project moving forward. Here’s how to do just that. Time Management Skills: Everyone on the project will need to know how to management their time effectively (including you). If you need help in this area, here are 101 time management tips (specifically for marketers). Basic Leadership: If you didn’t consider yourself a leader before, it’s time to change that. Even if you’re not a team lead, there will be times where you need to spearhead a project. This piece from Fast Company  offers some useful tips and starting points for developing leadership traits. Subject Matter Expertise: If you’re a marketer looking to build project management skills, odds are you already have deep subject matter expertise both in A) marketing and B) your clients or company’s industry. But, if you’re a project manager by trade working with marketing teams, this is something you’ll need to develop. Even if you’re on the introverted side, developing these skills (and learning to be at least somewhat of a â€Å"people person†) will go a long way toward your success here. Which Technical Skills Will You Need, Too? Now, it’s time to dig into the hands-on skills you’ll need to actually manage projects. This isn’t necessarily a complete list, but it covers the major competencies you’d do well to develop. Consider this a short list of what you need to get by (which is really what we’re going for here). Resource Allocation: Any project will be subject to constraints on available resources (whether that means time, budget, or people to carry out the work). You’ll need to understand how to make the most of what you have. Task Management: Helping the team develop workflows and understanding what needs to be done at each step in the project is another important responsibility. Timeline Planning: On any given project, you’ll likely have multiple people working on different pieces of the greater whole. Before anyone starts anything though, you’ll need to make sure clear timelines are set for who is doing what, and when. Ability to Set Deadlines: Add two or three days to whatever deadline someone says they can give you, and up to two weeks on a project as a whole. Building buffer time into project deadlines this way helps you ship on time, even when the unexpected happens (and this is speaking directly from experience). Familiarity With Project Management Tools: There are a lot of different tools you can use to manage projects (including ), but whatever you choose to use, make yourself an expert in all its features and capabilities. This isn’t an exhaustive list of skills, but for your purposes as a marketer-turned-accidental-project-manager, these will cover most of what you need. A Simple â€Å"Accidental† Project Management Framework for Marketers What does this post mean by â€Å"accidental† project management? Think about one of the following possible scenarios: You pitch an idea for a new tactic or project and it turns out that not only does your boss love it, but they want you to run the show (which you probably weren’t expecting). You’ve been promoted into a managerial role (but have never led projects from start to finish before). Managing projects is just part of a broader set of responsibilities on your plate (regardless of your formal title or actual role). In any of these cases, pivoting toward a new life as a project manager probably isn’t necessary. You just need to develop enough skills to effectively see projects through to completion. Above all, you just don’t want to be caught flat-footed when the time arrives for you to take the lead on a project. With this simple framework, you can ensure that doesn’t happen. Step 1: Identify the Project or Campaign This is where everything starts. You’ve likely conducted some sort of brainstorming process or otherwise determined loosely what the given project will be. Whatever it is you’re working on, you need to make sure you’re crystal-clear on its purpose and intended outcomes. Recommended Reading: 100 Awesome Marketing Ideas You Can Use Right Now Step 2: Write a Project Brief Next, buckle down and write a project brief (otherwise known as a creative brief- they’re essentially the same thing). This is a simple outline of everything the project will entail, including: A project summary. One or two sentences describing the project at a high level. Some basic details. Who is the project for (ex: who is your audience)? What problems will it solve? How will it be measured and how soon do you expect to see results? The goal. What is the desired aim for the project? It’s helpful if you can nail down some hard numbers, but that can be determined later if necessary. An outline for the process that’ll be implemented to execute the project. A high-level summary of steps and handoffs between team members is sufficient for now. Who will be involved. Which team members need to be on the project? Be careful only to include necessary staff in order to make the best use of everyone’s time. Required resources. Which tools and other assets will be needed to complete it? Deliverables. What tangible assets will be created as a result of this project? A rough timeline. When would you like the project to actually ship? The form this document takes doesn’t need to be overly complex. Generally, a Word doc or PowerPoint slidedeck is all you need. Here’s an example of what a creative brief might look like (based on the actual template uses internally): Recommended Reading: The Best Way to Write a Creative Brief (With Templates) Step 3: Develop Goals A project should always have a goal. Otherwise, you run the risk of falling into the trap of doing stuff just to do stuff, mistaking activity for results. It helps to have a repeatable process in place for setting goals too. Try following the SMART Goals framework: Specific: The goal is tied to a specific number or well-defined objective. Measureable: Progress toward the goal can be quantified with data. Aspirational: It stretches your capabilities and will make a major impact. Realistic: But it’s also within your reach and could reasonably be achieved. Time-Bound: It’ll be attained within a set period of time. Every goal you set should meet this criteria. If you determine it doesn’t make sense to set goals for the project at this point, instead determine who will set goals for the project in the next step. Step 4: Host a Team Huddle Meeting to Gather Team Input Implementing these meetings have been transformational for project management at . No joke. There’s not much to them, either. You simply gather everyone together who’s going to be working on a project, discuss availability and requirements, and then start mapping out how much time everyone needs and putting together loose timelines. How can you run such a meeting yourself? Start with a simple PowerPoint presentation (like the one in the template kit included in this post). The first thing you’ll need to do is summarize your project: Here are some hypothetical examples for a website redesign project: This project will: Establish content requirements for our new website. Ensure all steps for SEO best practices are followed. Manage communication between marketing and development. This can be as simple and high-level as this. Next, list all the deliverables the team will need to produce for this project. This means all the tangible assets that will be created (ex: blog posts, landing pages, videos, social content, emails, etc.): Then, list which teams will need to be involved in the project. This means which specific marketing teams in your company, plus other departments (like development or accounting) that need to be involved: Finally, describe the goal of the project. Keep it as concise as possible, but do include specific statistics and numbers you’d like to achieve (if possible): A note on setting goals: Establishing goals will require some additional legwork before you can present the project to the team. You can start learning how to set goals here, or you can set a line item for another team member (one who might be responsible for analytics or goal-tracking) to set goals as a phase for the project later. Then, schedule a date for the meeting, and send a calendar invite letting everyone know about the meeting. Once you kick off the meeting, run through the following: A basic explanation of the project. Share your creative brief with everyone too. Ask what steps each team member will need to take. Especially if you aren’t sure. And how much time they’ll need for each phase of the project. To repeat a point made earlier in this post, always add a couple days. This helps provide flexibility in case something comes up. You can safely assume something will come up, too. Then, you can complete a rough timeline as the meeting progresses, and leave with a good idea of what everyone will need to make what you’re working on a success. You can use the last slide in the template to document the timeline: There are a few things to know about this slide to use it effectively: Team member names  on the left are self-explanatory, but it’s helpful to list everyone in the order they’ll need to step into the project. If you’re unsure about this, you can use some time during your team huddle to work this out within the team. The Phase column  refers to which pieces or steps in the project each team member will be responsible for. Size  refers to the level of effort required for each phase. You can denote this in several different ways. One method is called â€Å"t-shirt sizing,† where level of effort is denoted as S, M, L, or XL. Each â€Å"size† correlates with a set length of time (for example, S might mean one day, M might be three days, and so forth, based on what you decide). The timelines column should be used to list how many days or weeks each phase will take. This is useful in addition to the Size column because when people are working on multiple things at once, saying a phase will take three days (in total work time) doesn’t mean it’s going to get done three days from right now. So, use this column to list the total number of days the team member will need (then add two days for buffer). By the time you’re done, you’ll have the raw information you need from the team to actually start mapping out the project in your project management software. Step 5: Map Out Timelines and Tasks With that in hand, it’s time to get granular in planning out the individual tasks that will need to be completed throughout the project. Ideally, your team members will be able to tell you which tasks they’ll need to tackle, and all you need to worry about are the deadlines for each team member’s phase in the project. Jump into your project management platform (whichever you’re using is fine, but for demonstration purposes, this post is going to use ) and start creating entries for each phase and mark off deadlines. To do this in , start by creating a Marketing Campaign: Next, start adding relevant content types for each piece of the project onto the calendar by clicking each day a phase is due: Then, select the relevant content types you need to add to the project: Once have everything placed, you’ll be able to switch between viewing your projects and campaigns on the marketing calendar: Or using the Kanban Project Dashboard view if you prefer a more traditional kanban approach: Now, ideally the tool you’re using will allow you to set up tasks, with deadlines for each one. At this point, each team member should be able to add their tasks (Task Templates can make this extremely easy, by allowing you to create and save task lists). Here’s what tasks look like when you click into an item on the calendar in : Otherwise, you can sit down with each team member to help them walk through all the tasks they’ll need to add. If tasks need to be approved by another team member or manager (such as yourself, possibly), you can use Task Approvals  (this way, a team member will not be able to check off something complete until you’ve confirmed it’s done: If certain tasks require other tasks to be completed before being assigned, you can use Task Rules  too (this allows you to set up triggers where when one task is complete, another is added to the list). Team members can use the Team Management Dashboard to view all their tasks in one place too (this also allows team members to see what each other are working on as well): By the time you’re done, you’ll have all your deadlines for each phase, and all of the tasks everyone needs to complete all planned out in one place. Alternately, you can use the marketing project management calendar template (included in this post- you can find the download shortly after the introduction of this post). It looks like this: To use this template, do the following under the Sprint Backlog tab: Label all your projects in the Sprint column. List the level of effort (number of hours) each team member will need to complete their tasks or phases (ex: Bill, Designer, 10 Hours). Then, in each Week column, name the step or task that’s due, along with some notes or additional context. Then, to manage workflows for each project, create a checklist using another app (such as Evernote or another note-taking app). This is the quick and dirty, lower-cost approach. Use Daily Standup Meetings to Check In on Project Progress If your marketing team is using agile project management, you’re probably already familiar with the concept of a standup meeting (sometimes called a scrum meeting). Essentially, they’re morning meetings held each morning where everyone on the team shares: What they did yesterday. What they’ll do today. What’s preventing them from getting their work done. That’s about it. If you run these meetings in the purist sense, everyone stands up during the meeting to discourage it from running too long. You get to the point, and if anyone needs to have a discussion about anything, you find who you need to talk to afterwards. You can also run these meetings simply by sharing status updates over Slack or your other internal chat app. The marketing team at has experimented with both approaches. You can feel free to do the same and find what works best in your situation. Recommended Reading: How to Run Effective Daily Standup Meetings With Busy Marketers Measure Productivity and Hitting Deadlines As a manager (even just as an ad hoc project manager), your success is determined by your team’s success. Of course, the actual success of any project is somewhat independent of how well it was run. You could be extremely effective in running a project or campaign that simply doesn’t deliver results (and as much as it stings to admit sometimes, not every project can be successful every time). But, from a project management perspective, you can gauge the success of your efforts based on whether team members are hitting their deadlines, and you’re able to ship on time. To measure this, simply track task completion using your project management tool. If you’re a user, this is easy to do using the marketing calendar (which shows completion status for every project at a glance): Now, what makes tasks even more powerful is the Team Performance Report. It calculates all task completion and shows you who is getting their work done on time, and who is lagging behind:Together, this makes it extremely easy for you to see how projects are progressing, know when deadlines are getting met, and actually quantify your team’s productivity. That means you can follow up with your team only when you need to, because you can see very quickly when deadlines are coming up, and know when it’s time to have a discussion about a task’s status. You can achieve similar goals with other tools too, or even do this work manually by planning and tracking tasks and projects using spreadsheets. Now, working with endless spreadsheets contributes to a problem dubs â€Å"makeshift marketing,† but they’re also free, and using what you have available is better than doing nothing at all. With that in mind, you can use the downloadable project time tracking template (included in this post- scroll up near the introduction to find the downloadable template bundle if you haven’t gotten it yet) to manage projects and see how things are going. Under the first tab labelled Project Type 1, you’ll see this: Have each team member create a copy of the sheet and add what they’re working on and log their time spent on the project. Then, on the tab labelled Time Tracking, they can add all their projects and hours logged for the month: This helps visualize what work is actually getting done (provided everyone completes their time sheets accurately). Again, some sort of software (whether that’s or something else) is vastly preferable for tracking work completion, but this approach can work too in the absence of more advanced options. What to Do When Deadlines Can’t Be Met Or something just might not go as planned. When conflicts arise, it’s important to remember it’s not the end of the world. You just need to get to the root of the issue, remove the source of contention, and keep the project moving along. Are Deadlines Actually the Issue? The most common concern you’re likely to face is something comes up and someone can’t get something done when they initially promised. If you built in some buffer time into your project, you should be able to move their deadline a bit without delaying the project as a whole. This has proven to be a lifesaver a time or two internally at . However, if someone is constantly blowing deadlines, you may need to help them better estimate how much time they’ll actually need to get work done. Estimating is tough to get right and takes some time and practice to really understand how much time you should actually set aside for a given task. If that fails, the next step is to discuss the issue with a manager. Or, if you are the manager, take corrective action, which is a topic for another time and post. Recommended Reading: How to Meet Deadlines When You're Sick and Tired of Missing Them Additional Training Resources to Consider Say you want to take your project management capabilities to the next level. Where can you go for further training or what should you read to learn more? Here are some suggestions. Blog Posts and Guides: How to Get Started With Agile Marketing and Do Your Best Work The Complete 16-Step Marketing Project Management Process That Will Get You Organized 19 of the Best Project Management Training Opportunities for Marketers Free Resources: Free Training Videos from Project Manager Introduction to Project Management from EDX Paid Resources: Project Management courses from LearningTree Training and development resources from Project Management Institute That should be plenty to get you started, though a quick Google search can yield many more options. Manage Any Marketing Project With You’ve seen mentioned throughout this post, and even saw some high-level examples of how it works. If you’re interested in learning more about how it can help you get project management under control, then get all the information you need to get started below: Believe It or Not, You Can Successfully Manage Projects This isn’t a complete guide to managing projects, and there’s plenty more you can learn about its ins and outs. But, for most marketers, this post may well include as much as you’ll practically need to know to manage projects and campaigns day to day. It might seem overwhelming at first, but with a little bit of practice, it’ll start to feel like second nature. Best of luck.

Persuasive speech PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasive speech - PowerPoint Presentation Example Mayoclinic(2010) reports that three hundred people are added to the waiting list each month, and each day approximately seventy-seven people get a life saving donated organ. The kidneys are the most sought after organs, their main responsibility is to filter the blood; that is, keeping the blood clean, and helping it to maintain its proper balance of water and electrolytes(balanced electrolytes allows the body to function normally). Diabetes, we hear about it every day, in the media, people with whom we associate, diabetes, the silent killer, is a widespread disease in the United States, and high blood pressure are the most common cause of kidney disease. However, these are not the only causes of kidney disease, other causes are infection and genetic disorder (New York Organ Donor Network). I have seen first hand what kidney disease can do. Dialysis can be a painful procedure. One sits for four hours three time per week as their blood is filtered. Sometimes this causes weakness or nausea, or both. New York Organ Network(2010) reports that â€Å"there are currently over 80,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list. prospect of survival is heart transplant. New York Organ Donation Network(2010) reports that: â€Å"Each year, over 2000 heart transplants are performed in the United States.   These lives were saved as a result of selfless individuals who chose to give the gift of life.   Yet, thousands more are still on the waiting list of a heart transplant.† If you are giving away your heart you are already dead. Therefore, make someone life better and become an organ donor. Cigarettes, that what most people think when they hear the words â€Å"lungs’ disease.† Of course, smoking is one of the major cause of lung disease, yet, not the only cause. According to Medline Plus (2011), There are three types of lung disease: airway diseases

Onset Ventures Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Onset Ventures - Case Study Example Early-stage ventures are very young firms with limited operational resources and are usually in the development, startup or survival stages. The seasoned firms are usually in rapid-growth or maturity stages (Leach & Melicher, p.21-22). Seed financing is represented by the funds required to determine if an idea can be a viable business opportunity. This is usually necessary at the development stage of a venture. Other sources of financing are startup financing, first-round, second-round, liquidity stage, mezzanine and seasoned financing, depending upon the ventures life cycle stage. Onset Ventures is a top-tier seed investor which has raised three funds till now. The partners at Onset have analyzed and set six principles, based on which they provide seed financing to a startup venture. The principles address the skill set and experience of the entrepreneur, continuously evolving business model, validation of business model followed by hiring the CEO, the funds spent only to add value perceived by the capital providers, product’s Unique Selling Proposition and the skills of personnel hired. These principles have been refined over time and lead to the development of incubation process through which the company develops, refines and pursues or rejects business ideas. During the first phase, pre-seed phase of incubation process, Onset analyzes if the business concept can be an attractive investment. Based on the outcome of the pre-seed phase, it proceeds to the seed phase and provides seed financing to the business. Onset analyzes the possible risks and tries to address those risks during this phase. The five risks are market, technical, operating, pricing risks, as well as the risk related to the operational capability of the business team. Onset has a comprehensive process of screening the ideas and identifying profitable ventures but it has lost the opportunities of making more profits due to tight funding of the ventures and by being too careful and risk- averse. II. Facts of the Case A. Stated Facts Onset Ventures was set-up with an initial $5 million fund in 1984 and subsequently raised $30m (Onset I) and $67m funds (Onset II). Out of these funds, two-thirds have been invested in seed and follow-on investments, and the rest is kept as reserves in Onset II. In 1996-97, the size of an average VC fund increased by 40% to $71 billion. The company plans to raise $80m-$95m fund, it’s the largest fund till now. Onset has provided seed financing of $1m for the company TallyUp to develop a viable software product. Onset operates on a model of five business principles and a specific incubation process of pre-seed phase and seed phase to screen the business ideas. The company’s minimum target IRR of a fund is 30% over 12 year cycle. Onset puts in a company around $1m in seed round, $1.5m in the next round, and $2m in the third round. Onset I gave positive IRR within 4 years of its inception (appendix 1) and Onset II took only th ree years to give positive IRR (appendix 2). The average number of investment has increased in subsequent funds, i.e. $2.5m in Onset I, $3.5m to $4m in Onset II and expected $4.5m to $5m in Onset III. B. Implied Facts Over the last 13 years, Onset has invested mainly in seed-stage and early-stage financing. Onset II has performed better than Onset I (appendix 3). III. Problem Definition A. Source Problem How many funds must be raised for Onset III? Whether Onset should invest an additional $1m into TallyUp for

Marketing strategies Essay Example for Free

Marketing strategies Essay Types of strategies Marketing strategies may differ depending on the unique situation of the individual business. However there are a number of ways of categorizing some generic strategies. A brief description of the most common categorizing schemes is presented below: Strategies based on market dominance In this scheme, firms are classified based on their market share or dominance of an industry. Typically there are four types of market dominance strategies: Leader Challenger Follower Nicher According to Shaw, Eric (2012). Marketing Strategy: From the Origin of the Concept to the Development of a Conceptual Framework. Journal of Historical Research in Marketing., there is a framework for marketing strategies. Market introduction strategies At introduction, the marketing strategist has two principle strategies to choose from: penetration or niche (47). Market growth strategies  In the early growth stage, the marketing manager may choose from two additional strategic alternatives: segment expansion (Smith, Ansoff) or brand expansion (Borden, Ansoff, Kerin and Peterson, 1978) (48). Market maturity strategies In maturity, sales growth slows, stabilizes and starts to decline. In early  maturity, it is common to employ a maintenance strategy (BCG), where the firm maintains or holds a stable marketing mix (48). Market decline strategies At some point the decline in sales approaches and then begins to exceed costs. And not just accounting costs, there are hidden costs as well; as Kotler (1965, p. 109) observed: No financial accounting can adequately convey all the hidden costs. At some point, with declining sales and rising costs, a harvesting strategy becomes unprofitable and a divesting strategy necessary (49). Early marketing strategy concepts were: Borden’s â€Å"marketing mix†Ã‚  In his classic Harvard Business Review (HBR) article of the marketing mix, Borden (1964) credits James Culliton in 1948 with describing the marketing executive as a decider and a mixer of ingredients. This led Borden, in the early 1950s, to the insight that what this mixer of ingredients was deciding upon was a marketing mix' (34). Smith’s â€Å"differentiation and segmentation strategies† In product differentiation, according to Smith (1956, p. 5), a firm tries bending the will of demand to the will of supply. That is, distinguishing or differentiating some aspect(s) of its marketing mix from those of competitors, in a mass market or large segment, where customer preferences are relatively homogeneous (or heterogeneity is ignored, Hunt, 2011, p. 80), in an attempt to shift its aggregate demand curve to the left (greater quantity sold for a given price) and make it more inelastic (less amenable to substitutes). With segmentation, a firm recognizes that it faces multiple demand curves, because customer preferences are heterogeneous, and focuses on serving one or more specific target segments within the overall market (35). Dean’s â€Å"skimming and penetration strategies† With skimming, a firm introduces a product with a high price and after milking the least price sensitive segment, gradually reduces price, in a stepwise fashion, tapping effective demand at each price level. With penetration pricing a firm continues its initial low price from introduction  to rapidly capture sales and market share, but with lower profit margins than skimming (37). Forrester’s â€Å"product life cycle (PLC)† The PLC does not offer marketing strategies, per se; rather it provides an overarching framework from which to choose among various strategic alternatives (38). There are also corporate strategy concepts like: Andrews’ â€Å"SWOT analysis† Although widely used in marketing strategy, SWOT (also known as TOWS) Analysis originated in corporate strategy. The SWOT concept, if not the acronym, is the work of Kenneth R. Andrews who is credited with writing the text portion of the classic: Business Policy: Text and Cases (Learned et al., 1965) (41). Ansoff’s â€Å"growth strategies† The most well-known, and least often attributed, aspect of Igor Ansoff’s Growth Strategies in the marketing literature is the term product-market. The product-market concept results from Ansoff juxtaposing new and existing products with new and existing markets in a two by two matrix (41-42). Porter’s â€Å"generic strategies† Porter generic strategies strategy on the dimensions of strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope refers to the market penetration while strategic strength refers to the firm’s sustainable competitive advantage. The generic strategy framework (porter 1984) comprises two alternatives each with two alternative scopes. These are Differentiation and low-cost leadership each with a dimension of Focus-broad or narrow. ** Product differentiation ** Cost leadership ** Market segmentation * Innovation strategies — This deals with the firms rate of the new product development and business model innovation. It asks whether the company is on the cutting edge of technology and business innovation. There are three types: ** Pioneers ** Close followers ** Late followers * Growth strategies — In this scheme we ask the question, â€Å"How should the firm grow?†. There are a number of different ways of answering that question, but the most common gives four answers: Horizontal integration Vertical integration Diversification Intensification These ways of growth are termed as organic growth. Horizontal growth is whereby a firm grows towards acquiring other businesses that are in the same line of business for example a clothing retail outlet acquiring a food outlet. The two are in the retail establishments and their integration lead to expansion. Vertical integration can be forward or backward. Forward integration is whereby a firm grows towards its customers for example a food manufacturing firm acquiring a food outlet. Backward integration is whereby a firm grows towards its source of supply for example a food outlet acquiring a food manufacturing outlet. A more detailed scheme uses the categoriesMiles, Raymond (2003). Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4840-3.: Prospector Analyzer Defender Reactor Marketing warfare strategies This scheme draws parallels between marketing strategies and military strategies. BCG’s â€Å"growth-share portfolio matrix† Based on his work with experience curves (that also provides the rationale for Porter’s low cost leadership strategy), the growth-share matrix was originally created by Bruce D. Henderson, CEO of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 1968 (according to BCG history). Throughout the 1970s, Henderson expanded upon the concept in a series of short (one to three page) articles in the BCG newsletter titled Perspectives (Henderson, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976a, b). Tremendously popular among large multi-product firms, the BCG portfolio matrix was popularized in the marketing literature by Day (1977) (45).

Craig Waddell’s Perils of a Modern Cassandra and the Ehrlichs’ The Population Bomb :: Perils of a Modern Cassandra Population Bomb

Rhetorical Strategy in Craig Waddell’s Perils of a Modern Cassandra and the Ehrlichs’ The Population Bomb In Perils of a Modern Cassandra, Craig Waddell suggests that the Ehrlichs should revise their rhetorical strategy in The Population Bomb because it is ineffective in attracting readers to their argument. Particularly problematic are the Ehrlichs’ alienating attitude towards non-educated non-environmentalists in his audience, a lack of both an inviting ethos, and a lack of compassion for the reader. Since the goal of a book is usually to inform or persuade readers, the Ehrlichs’ book does not serve its purpose and is therefore ineffective. The same â€Å"ineffective argument† problem can be seen in Betrayal of Science and Reason, since many of the Ehrlichs’ key ideas on environmental problems (along with their contestable use of rhetoric) in The Population Bomb are mirrored in Betrayal of Science and Reason. The following passages were taken from Betrayal of Science and Reason to demonstrate what Waddell sees as problems in the Ehrlichs’ rhetoric:â€Å"†¦Paul began to appear on radio and television to condemn the behavior of human beings in general. The possible public response worried him less than his colleagues’ reactions because, as is the case for most scientists, Paul’s ego rewards come mostly from the approval of his peers† (Ehrlich and Ehrlich 8). This passage supports Waddell’s claim by showing that one of the Ehrlichs is lacking in compassion toward humankind. When reading this passage, the reader gets a sense of ethos that revolves mostly around Paul Ehrlich’s ego, and consequently, the reader feels that the entire environmentalist argument of the book was written to satisfy his ego. This is because Paul Ehrlich liked the approval of his educated, environmentalist peers, and therefore, he really did not need to care about others in his audience. â€Å"Anti-science as promoted by the brownlash is not a unique phenomenon in our society; the largely successful efforts of creationists to keep Americans ignorant of evolution is another example, which is perhaps not entirely unrelated† (Ehrlich and Ehrlich 12). This is a good example of how the Ehrlichs inadvertently alienate large sections of their actual, not invoked, audience. The Ehrlichs may have invoked an audience full of educated, environmentalist readers, but this is not the audience who is reading Betrayal of Science and Reason. There are also creationists who might happen to harbor some environmentalist sentiment and who might want to share a stronger environmentalist view given that the Ehrlichs’ argument is persuasive enough.

Joplin Scott’s The Entertainer

Joplin Scott’s The Entertainer is undoubtedly one of the most easily recognizable melodies in music. Its popularity can be considered part of popular culture that has lasted a century thanks to modern adaptations of the music. The piece created in the height of American rag time music, has a great history and is considered as an important cultural piece in African American art genre (French, 2007). Joplin himself is an icon of American music and proved himself devoted to his craft to develop ragtime music to a classical status. The Setting The turn to the 20th century is among the most critical times in history. Globally, the United States is becoming a leader, spearheading the industrial movement of internationalization of commerce. Within the United States itself, there was significant economic growth and social development in terms of rights and suffrage movements. Though African Americans were still subject to a significant amount of legal and social discrimination, they were beginning to organize interest and lobby movements and cultivate their identity in American society (Schafer et al, 1977, pp. 47-52). One of the fields that they gained recognition was in music. Strongly based in church and community musical traditions, composers like Scott combined it with European classical and romantic music to broaden its appeal. Ragtime music, shortened from its original ragged time, is a good example of the musical combination of African American style and contemporary ones. The music also was a means of displaying musical dexterity, a talent that often enjoyed significant success on country wide circuits (Sporre, 2003). The Song Written in 1902, The Entertainer is a rag time two step both enjoyed as music and for dance. Like other rag time music, it is not a metered piece and can be more appropriately considered as timed by its syncopation. The effect is however is that beats are emphasized even more which encourages movement from the audience. The piece requires that listener become in tune with the syncopation and pattern their movements thusly which encourages the audience to catch the rhythm of the song (French, 2007). The piece is written in the key of C but also has a section written in F. The primary chord pattern in A-B-A-C-D and repetitions become progressively higher in octave. Performers of the piece are given significant margin in its performance allowing for intricate melody detailing that will become popularized in jazz and rhythm and blues music. For a time, the song was lost to posterity together with ragtime music genre until it regained popularity when it adapted by Marvin Hamlisch for the movie 1973 Academy-winning film The Sting. The track reached the top three on Billboard magazine and since then has become the anthem for the sport of snooker, theme of several television and entertainment productions and a staple of the musical repertoire of musicians (Schafer et al, 1977, pp. 95-101). The Appeal The Entertainer’s appeal lies both in its artistry and its value in culture. The technical aspect of the song reveals a great deal of creative genius and facility in combining musical styles to appeal to a contemporary public (Sporre, 2003). At the same time, it gives insight to the social and cultural development of African Americans in the United States (Schafer et al, 1977, pp. 12-14). Most of all, it highlights the role of music in communication and society across races and beliefs overcoming discrimination and bigotry. As much as these perspectives remain important today, so does will the song. Its revival in the 1970’s reflects that good music is timeless. Like the people who first heard the tune a hundred years ago, The Entertainer challenges listeners to really listen to it, learning its melody beats and mood. It encourages listeners to experience music and to allow it to move them. For these reasons, The Entertainer fulfills its role not only as a musical piece but also as a cultural heritage that many generations will continue to love. Works Cited French, Christopher W. â€Å"Joplin Scott’s The Entertainer†. Rhythm on the Rock Productions. 2007. 31 May 2007. Schafer, W.J., and Riedel, J. The Art of Ragtime: Form and Meaning of an Original Black American Art, Revised Edition. Louisiana State University Press, 1977 Sporre, Dennis J. Perceiving the Arts: An Introduction to the Humanities New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc, 2003

Job Shadowing

The career of choice I would like to pursue is auditing. Since this field involves a lot of confidential items and work I was not able to find someone outside my own current job to allow me to job shadow. Therefore, I would like to discuss a time where I first went on an audit at my current job, which is with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. Before I got this job I was not sure of what I wanted to do with my accounting degree. I did not think of auditing as being a career choice until I got hired on with the IRS. Before working with the IRS I only worked as an usher for the Journal Pavilion and I knew I needed to get a job with experience related to my degree. So I took the opportunity to register to the e-recruiting listservs for the Anderson School of Management. Any job description that was sent to me where I knew I could qualify, I applied for. I applied to several job descriptions and got many rejections, and I knew it was because I had no experience related to the accounting field. Finally I got a call from Leonard Lopez who is now my boss for an interview for a temp position with the State of New Mexico. I went to the interview not really knowing what this position entailed but I knew any experience would be beneficial to me. That day I was hired as a temp and it started a chain of events that led me to wanting a career as an auditor. The first week I began to realize what the job was about and what the IRS did. My boss asked me to join two female auditors to help them with the audit field work. I was very excited as I have heard about audits and now I was about to experience hands on what an audit entailed. The females I went with were Christina Owens (Internal Audit Manager) and Jennifer Leal (Entry level Auditor). Christina has had nine years experience with auditing and she has a BBA in accounting, an MBA in Tax, and also a CPA. Jennifer just started as an auditor and has had about two years experience with another firm. We went out to audit the Dealership Reliable Nissan. When we first arrived we spoke to the manager about what we were there to look for and also what documents we were going to be looking at. The manager complied and gave us the transactions for our audit period which was for a year. Before hand Jennifer had seen the transactions and picked a random sample for us to check. We took those samples from the files and began to look at everything that was on our check list for the compliance based on the New Mexico state statutes related to the sales of vehicles. I enjoyed looking at these files and making sure the Dealership was doing its job properly. We also looked at bank statements to make sure checks were clearing and for other possible errors or fraud. We were there for about a few days and I enjoyed being out on the field. Then after we were done with the test work it was time to look over everything and write the report. Jennifer had me help her write the findings and I enjoyed that she gave me the opportunity to do so. Self Assessment I believe I enjoy this field of work because of both going out on the field and also having some time in the office. I like that most of the audits are done with more than one person so this gives you the opportunity to work with others and to learn from others. I am an introvert but I also like to be around people so I think auditing is a great mix for me to handle being around others but not just being by myself in an office all day. I also like the investigative part of auditing and being detail-oriented. When I started college I thought about being a detective of some sort and I think auditing feels that interest of having investigative work without having to be in such danger with the police department or FBI. One thing I have noticed is that I would like to give back to others or help the community. I think auditing does a little of helping others. For example, our agency goes to audit businesses to help them not just to find out things that are wrong with their operations. Also with the IRS, yes we try to save taxpayers money as weird as that sounds. So I think this helps with me wanting to help others. So for the most part I feel like auditing is the choice for me right now. I need to dwell on the fact that if I choose auditing as a career will I want to do this for 40 years. Right now I say I can but I never know what I will encounter in the future. Career Exploration As I said above I was introduced to my current job from the e-recruiting services offered at ASM. I think that this service is great to have for busy students. I found it hard to find jobs online or from the newspaper. I registered on the Monster. com site and although it gave me job descriptions related to my degree it was a bit confusing to use and I got so much junk mail and pop ups when using there site. With the e-recruiting I get the best job ads sent right to me knowing that they are legit and meaningful to my degree and career choice. I also will attend information sessions and job fairs at UNM in the future. I have attended an accounting job fair once but I was really not sure what I wanted to do at the time so it was a little waste of my time. I also think when going to these sessions and career fairs I will gain access to the companies available for auditing positions and I will access these companies websites. All options made by UNM should surely help me find a job to apply for. List of Search Tactics I have already taken the opportunity to upload my resume and information on the Career Services site for UNM. I continue to get job descriptions from the ASM listservs form e-recruiting and I keep my eyes open for any job I feel will be worth applying for or interesting. With the opportunity to do an informational interview for this class I believe I have got my foot in the door with the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). I will continue to reach out to them and hope one day I can apply for a position. I will also continue my internship with IRS as long as I can and hope a position opens up for me there as well. I enjoy where I currently work and hope to continue networking with people in my organization. I plan to reach out to the DCAA when I have acquired my MBA and even the CPA. I will attend the career fair next semester when I am going to get my BBA, this way I can put my foot in the door for many companies and hopefully also see the DCAA there. Really if the opportunity comes up for any of these tactics I will act on them as I see them being appropriate.

Analysis of the Warehouse Automation Failure at Sainsbury’s The WritePass Journal

Analysis of the Warehouse Automation Failure at Sainsbury’s Abstract Analysis of the Warehouse Automation Failure at Sainsbury’s ). Even though the company being outsourced to might have had a good reputation in implementing such projects, the lack of involvement by parent company managers in the monitoring and evaluation of the project can affect the attainment of the intended objective (Alexander Walker, 2013). The minimal involvement by Sainsbury’s management in this project explains why it took three years and a change in leadership to realize that the project was not likely to attain its set objectives (Alexander Walker, 2013). Another possible cause, which has also been identified by Double Loop (2013) is that there was insufficient engagement between the company’s CEO and its IT suppliers in projecting the possible key business and IT risks. For this reason, no delivery strategy that could tackle these challenges was promptly designed (Chermack, 2011). This can also be considered as the lack of sufficient preparations by the then CEO (Sir Peter Davis) before the initiation of the project. Insufficient preparation exposes projects to the risk of possible failure and over-expenditure (Kardes et al., 2013). There was also a communication problem, which can be mainly blamed on Sir Peter Davis. Whereas it must have been known to him that the project could probably fail to serve its intended objective, his presentation about the project to the public was that its progress was as planned and that by 2003, it had saved the company  £700 million. Had the issues been frankly and promptly pointed out, necessary measures could have been undertaken to avert the heavy loss that was later incurred (Aula Siira, 2010). Given that this failure was associated with the warehouse automation exercise at Sainsbury’s warehouse automation project, it is also worth noting that the failure might have been partly caused by automation challenges. The fact that automated system failed to operate as it was intended to, indicates that all the inputs in terms of time, money and resources were lost (Kardes et al., 2013). Porter’s Value chain Analysis of the Failure Porters value chain model can be used to identify the primary and supporting activities which contributed to the failure at Sainsbury’s According to Porter (1985), generic value added activities can be divided into two. These are primary activities and support activities. Primary activities comprise of inbound and outbound logistics, sales and marketing, services and operations. Supporting activities, on the other hand, comprise of firm infrastructure, senior management roles, internal culture, procurement, outsourcing and technological developments. The model is represented in the diagram below, in which the functions that contributed to the failure at Sainsbury’s have been marked. Fig. 1: Sainsbury’s value chain components that contributed to the failure in warehouse automation The functions marked in the value chain model above have been identified as the contributors towards the identified failure. They are explained in more detail below: Outbound logistics: in the value chain, outbound logistics are referred to as activities that mainly relate to transference of goods to customers through warehousing. The automation of the warehouse at Sainsbury’s was being done so as to facilitate this primary activity in the organization. The failure of the warehouse automation to effectively take place thus affected the activities in outbound logistics (Zott et al., 2011). Senior management Roles: There was a failure by the senior management, led by the company’s CEO to effectively make an exhaustive plan of the warehouse automation project, which could have identified the potential risks and contributed to the formulation of possible strategies to overcome these challenges (Kardes et al., 2013). Another failure by the management was in terms of their involvement in the implementation of the project, only to identify issues three years after implementation of the project (Double Loop, 2013). Internal Communications: This function refers to how effectively and accurately information is passed within the organizational precinct (Wright, 2012). The failure was due to the miscommunication by the CEO, where he purported that the project was on the right track and had in fact saved the company a reasonable amount of money. This shows that he was either being given the wrong information by the contractor company or he was presenting wrong information about the project. Technology developments:   It has to be acknowledged that the company’s agenda was to improve its service delivery to its customers through technological innovation. However, given that the entire automation project failed to materialize, it can be argued that there was a technological development failure. According to Porter’s (1985) model, technological development comprises of all activities that relate to the processing and management of information. It also involves the activities undertaken in ensuring that the organization keeps up with the latest technological changes. Outsourcing: The IT automation project was undertaken by Accenture, an outsourced IT company, which failed to deliver the intended automation results, and ultimately led to the cancellation of the contract (Double Loop, 2013). Conclusion This paper has presented a case of warehouse automation failure at Sainsbury’s in 2004. With the help of the Porter’s value chain model, several primary and supporting activities that might have contributed to the failure have been identified. The identified primary activities are inbound logistics and outbound logistics. Supporting activities are outsourcing, technology developments, internal communications and senior management roles. The fact that all these activities affected and were also affected by the warehouse automation failure at Sainsbury’s proves that many operational failures or disasters that occur because there is lack of understanding of the whole organization, resulting in problems in the synchronization of different organizational functions. References Alexander, A. Walker, H., 2013. Sustainable supply chain management: towards a systems theory perspective. Dublin: EUROMA conference. Double Loop, 2013. Sainsbury’s Warehouse Automation Project. [Online] Available at:   Ã‚  doubleloopconsulting.com/sainsbury-warehouse-automation   [Accessed 6 March 2014]. Kardes, I., Ozturk, A., Cavusgil, S.T. Cavusgil, E., 2013. Managing global megaprojects: Complexity and risk management. International Business Review, 22(6), pp.905-17. OBrien, L., 2004. Digital disaster. [Online] Available at:   Ã‚  supplymanagement.com/analysis/features/2004/digital-disaster/   [Accessed 6 March 2014]. Porter, M., 1985. Competitive Advantage. New York: Free Press. Sainsburys, 2014. About us. [Online] Available at: j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/   [Accessed 6 March 2014]. Zott, C., Amit, R. Massa, L., 2011. The business model: recent developments and future research. Journal of Management , 37(4), pp.1019-42. Abdullah, L.M. Verner, J.M., 2012. Analysis and application of an outsourcing risk framework. Journal of Systems and Software, 85(8), pp.1930-52. Aula, P. Siira, K., 2010. Organizational Communication and Conflict Management Systems: A Social Complexity Approach. Nordicom Review, 31, pp.125-41. Chermack, T.J., 2011. Scenario Planning in Organizations. California: Berrett-Koehler. Wright, M., 2012. Gower Handbook of Internal Communication. Burlington: Gower Publishing.

Random Science Facts and Trivia

Random Science Facts and Trivia Everyone knows a few fun random facts they can pull out as a party trick or a conversation icebreaker. Here are a few more to add to your collection. Although some of these facts are strange and obscure, they are 100% verified, so rest assured that youll be sharing solid information at that party. Rotation of Earth Did you know that the Earth rotates a full 360 degrees in 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds, not 24 hours? Cataracts Sometimes the crystalline lenses of elderly people become milky and cloudy. This is called a cataract, and it causes partial or complete loss of vision. Berry Interesting Did you know that pineapples, oranges, and tomatoes are actually berries? Pure Gold Pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with your bare hands. Real Life Dragons The Komodo dragon is a renowned giant, with the average male measuring around 8 feet long; some exceptional individuals reach 10 feet long. It is the heaviest lizard of all, with an average weight of 130 pounds and some reaching nearly 180 pounds. Thats So Nuclear The word nuclear is related to the nucleus of an atom. It is often used to describe the energy produced when a nucleus is split (fission) or joined with another (fusion). Hes Lost It Did you know that a cockroach can live for nine days without its head  before it starves to death? He Said No Did you know that the physicist Albert Einstein refused the job of president of Israel? Einstein was asked to be the president when the Israeli president died in 1952. Old Guys The earliest cockroach fossil  is about 280 million years old, 80 million years older than the first dinosaurs. Newts Are Neat Newts are members of the salamander family. They are found in North America, Europe, and Asia. A Little Lithium in Your 7UP? The original formula for 7UP contained lithium citrate, a chemical used today as a treatment for bipolar disorders. The ingredient was removed by 1950. How Many Lightbulbs... The tungsten filament inside an incandescent light bulb reaches a temperature of 4,664 degrees when turned on. Blue as Turquoise Traces of copper  are what give turquoise its distinctive blue color. Brainless Starfish, like many radially symmetric animals, do not have brains.

Irish Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Irish Civil War - Essay Example These divisions become the cause to the complexity which arose in the Irish civil war. Religious divisions often were more intense then the political ones and political divisions appeared to change every month depending on recent objectives (Neeson 1990). A detailed understanding of the causes which led to Irish civil war requires an analysis of the people and events before war started as well as the vents that took place throughout the war. Like many protestant groups Sinn Fein made a military wing, and by 1914 civil war seemed unavoidable. The occurrence of the First World War nevertheless a lot of important events, like the British Parliament suspension a bill permitting free Irish home rule. The home rule bill's suspension was opposed by three small nationalist groups, these were the Citizen Army, this was an illegal group of citizens of Dublin, the Irish volunteers, which was a national body of defence, and the Sinn Fein, all got together by their military wings and made arrangements for the Easter Uprising, this was one of the most prominent events which led to the civil war. At noon on the 24th of April in 1916 (Younger 1986), approximately two thousand Irish nationalists took over the Dublin Post Office as well as other points in the city which could help them in their mission. The rebellion's leaders announced the Irish independence; they were in control of Dublin city by 25th April1. A counter offensive was launched by the British on the 26th of April, and martial law was implemented throughout Ireland2. This led to violent street fighting in the city, but the British forces were stronger as they were better armed they thus they were successful in slowly removing the Irish nationalists from the places which they had taken over. On the 29th of April the post office building which was the rebel headquarters, was attacked by the heavily armed British army, eventually the rebels had to surrender. Approximately four hundred and forty troops of the British army died in the small battle at the post office, and almost an equal of number Irishmen lost their lives. 15 rebels were put to death. Sinn Fein's leader Eamon de Valera was also was also given the death sentence. His sentence was changed to life imprisonment, the next he was given. Amnesty (Liam 2006). Even though the rebellion was not successful it had the support of a lot of Irish people, and the public extremely opposed the death sentence of fifteen rebels, this further strengthened Sinn Fein's electoral support. In the election 's of 1918, the candidates of Sinn Fein candidates won seventy three out of hundred and six seats which were allotted to Ireland for the British Parliament3. Due to such great support, in January of 1919 the members of Parliament which belonged to the Sinn Fein held a meeting in Dublin and announced independence of Ireland, for their objective they made Eamon de Valera their president. Sinn Fein 's armed wing, which was known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after the meeting began a violent guerrilla war in opposition to the British troops who were

THE Breaking the chins of psychological slavery by na'im akbar Essay

THE Breaking the chins of psychological slavery by na'im akbar - Essay Example In order to break out of the chains of mental slavery, it is essential for people to recognize their character. The author advises people to recognize the characters of other people. The author highlights how religion contributed to the emergence of chains of mental slavery. In the first chapter, the author explored the psychological legacy of slavery. This chapter focused on issues such as work, property, leadership, the clown, community division, personal inferiority, and the family and color discrimination (Akbar 2). I agree with the author’s views on these issues. The first chapter gives a historical background of slavery. Slavery caused long lasting social shock and trauma to African Americans. At work, African American slaves were considered as second-class humans. The Africans were subjected to mistreatment and punishment in their workplaces. In addition, they were given dehumanizing duties. It is vital to note that African American slaves did not have any rights in their workplaces. This animalistic treatment of slaves and the cruelty they faced added to the mental and communal distresses suffered by the affected people. In the case of property, African Americans were not allowed to own property since they were considered as property. The author notes that slaves were disqualified to own things because their owners or masters saw them as things. They could only have the necessary things required for the completion of their duties and tasks. The society expected slaves to live a simple life. Slaves were required to take orders from their masters. In most of the instances, the master’s children even gave orders to slaves. In case the slave refused to act on the orders from the master’s children, they were punished and humiliated. The gap between the master and their slaves led to hatred and disgust that led to the destruction of private and public property. There were usually instances of killing and torture of disobedient slaves.

Compare and Contrast Augustine(Political Writing) and Aquinas (The Essay

Compare and Contrast Augustine(Political Writing) and Aquinas (The Political Ideas Of ST. Thomas Aquinas) - Essay Example While some thinkers have argued for theological positions such as Christian communism, others propose that Christians should have limited participation in politics. Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas’ works attempt to provide a harmonious relationship between politics and Christianity. Augustine and Aquinas thoughts on politics are similar in terms of their theological positions, and differ in terms of Augustine’s theological outlook and Aquinas’s rational position on matters. Augustine, as a classical theologian, had notable works that he produced on politics. This occurred in spite of his firm grounding on religion. Augustine’s work had remained as classical in defining religion’s relationship with the society. Augustine discusses dual citizenship in terms of heaven and earth. He recognizes that human beings are bound to the functioning of the earthly state and the heavenly kingdom. Augustine allegorically refers to cities, the earthly city and th e city of God. The earthly city belongs to the class of individuals who are damned. According to Augustine, such individuals do not possess God’s blessings (Saint Augustine 5). On the other hand, the people in the City of God have God’s blessings. The City of God surpasses earthly institutions such as the state. On the other hand, Thomas Aquinas is a theologian who embarked on a study of the church within an intellectual frame. This explains why the papacy recommended Aquinas’s texts as preliminary in attaining ordainments. This suggests that these two scholars shared a similarity in articulating an objective view of the church. In turn, they had designed a philosophical outlook on spiritual matters. It is essential to highlight that Augustine and Aquinas shared similar convictions about wars. The scholars agree that war can be a just affair as long as it builds on certain premises. According to Aquinas, war is necessary as a means of defense. In addition, war i s vital in the event of ensuring long-term peace. Aquinas laid out Augustine’s principles in justifying given wars. To begin with, there has to be considerable possibilities of winning a given war. In addition, a strong central authority should be responsible for waging such a war. The third premise stated that peace was to be the central motive in pursuing a war. Similarly, Augustine had proposed pacifism as a Christian way of living. This means that Christians should oppose war and violence as a means of initiating conflict resolution. Augustine, however, asserted that peacefulness in the case of a serious wrong, which only violence could stop, is a sin Saint (Augustine 29). Augustine states that defense of the self and others could be necessary in the case of an attack. A legitimate authority, however, has to approve such a defense. In as much as Augustine did not explicitly state the components of a just war, he, in an indirect sense, coined the term in The City of God wo rk. In this sense, it was sometimes necessary to have a war that helped preserve peace in the long-term. All the same, Augustine insisted that war should not be preemptive. This is a functional outlook on war that Aquinas uses to lay out the components of a just war. Both Aquinas and Augustine believe that the state is instrumental in safeguarding a common interest. Augustine discusses this concept in the scope of a political community. Aquinas discusses the state’s purpose in terms of justice. According to Augustine, both the state and the

Corporate Restructuring Strategies Business Essay

Corporate Restructuring Strategies Business Essay Corporate restructuring is the process of redesigning one or more aspects of a company. The process of reorganizing a company may be implemented due to a number of different factors, such as positioning the company to be more competitive, survive a currently adverse economic climate, or poise the corporation to move in an entirely new direction. Here are some examples of why corporate restructuring may take place and what it can mean for the company. In general, the idea of corporate restructuring is to allow the company to continue functioning in some manner. Even when corporate raiders break up the company and leave behind a shell of the original structure, there is still usually a hope, what remains can function well enough for a new buyer to purchase the diminished corporation and return it to profitability. Purpose of Corporate Restructuring To enhance the share holder value, The company should continuously evaluate its: Portfolio of businesses, Capital mix, Ownership Asset arrangements to find opportunities to increase the share holders value. To focus on asset utilization and profitable investment opportunities. To reorganize or divest less profitable or loss making businesses/products. The company can also enhance value through capital Restructuring, it can innovate securities that help to reduce cost of capital. Corporate Restructuring entails a range of activities including financial restructuring and organization restructuring. 1. Financial Restructuring Financial restructuring is the reorganization of the financial assets and liabilities of a corporation in order to create the most beneficial financial environment for the company. The process of financial restructuring is often associated with corporate restructuring, in that restructuring the general function and composition of the company is likely to impact the financial health of the corporation. When completed, this reordering of corporate assets and liabilities can help the company to remain competitive, even in a depressed economy. Just about every business goes through a phase of financial restructuring at one time or another. In some cases, the process of restructuring takes place as a means of allocating resources for a new marketing campaign or the launch of a new product line. When this happens, the restructure is often viewed as a sign that the company is financially stable and has set goals for future growth and expansion. Need For Financial Restructuring The process of financial restructuring may be undertaken as a means of eliminating waste from the operations of the company. For example, the restructuring effort may find that two divisions or departments of the company perform related functions and in some cases duplicate efforts. Rather than continue to use financial resources to fund the operation of both departments, their efforts are combined. This helps to reduce costs without impairing the ability of the company to still achieve the same ends in a timely manner In some cases, financial restructuring is a strategy that must take place in order for the company to continue operations. This is especially true when sales decline and the corporation no longer generates a consistent net profit. A financial restructuring may include a review of the costs associated with each sector of the business and identify ways to cut costs and increase the net profit. The restructuring may also call for the reduction or suspension of production facilities that are obsolete or currently produce goods that are not selling well and are scheduled to be phased out. Financial restructuring also take place in response to a drop in sales, due to a sluggish economy or temporary concerns about the economy in general. When this happens, the corporation may need to reorder finances as a means of keeping the company operational through this rough time. Costs may be cut by combining divisions or departments, reassigning responsibilities and eliminating personnel, or scaling back production at various facilities owned by the company. With this type of corporate restructuring, the focus is on survival in a difficult market rather than on expanding the company to meet growing consumer demand. All businesses must pay attention to matters of finance in order to remain operational and to also hopefully grow over time. From this perspective, financial restructuring can be seen as a tool that can ensure the corporation is making the most efficient use of available resources and thus generating the highest amount of net profit possible within the current set economic environment. 2. Organizational Restructuring In organizational restructuring, the focus is on management and internal corporate governance structures. Organizational restructuring has become a very common practice amongst the firms in order to match the growing competition of the market. This makes the firms to change the organizational structure of the company for the betterment of the business. Need For Organization Restructuring New skills and capabilities are needed to meet current or expected operational requirements. Accountability for results are not clearly communicated and measurable resulting in subjective and biased performance appraisals. Parts of the organization are significantly over or under staffed. Organizational communications are inconsistent, fragmented, and inefficient. Technology and/or innovation are creating changes in workflow and production processes. Significant staffing increases or decreases are contemplated. Personnel retention and turnover is a significant problem. Workforce productivity is stagnant or deteriorating. Morale is deteriorating. Some of the most common features of organizational restructures are: Regrouping of business: This involves the firms regrouping their existing business into fewer business units. The management then handles theses lesser number of compact and strategic business units in an easier and better way that ensures the business to earn profit. Downsizing: Often companies may need to retrench the surplus manpower of the business. For that purpose offering voluntary retirement schemes (VRS) is the most useful tool taken by the firms for downsizing the businesss workforce. Decentralization: In order to enhance the organizational response to the developments in dynamic environment, the firms go for decentralization. This involves reducing the layers of management in the business so that the people at lower hierarchy are benefited. Outsourcing: Outsourcing is another measure of organizational restructuring that reduces the manpower and transfers the fixed costs of the company to variable costs. Enterprise Resource Planning: Enterprise resource planning is an integrated management information system that is enterprise-wide and computer-base. This management system enables the business management to understand any situation in faster and better way. The advancement of the information technology enhances the planning of a business. Business Process Engineering: It involves redesigning the business process so that the business maximizes the operation and value added content of the business while minimizing everything else. Total Quality Management: The businesses now have started to realize that an outside certification for the quality of the product helps to get a good will in the market. Quality improvement is also necessary to improve the customer service and reduce the cost of the business. VARIOUS STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING Smart sizing: It is the process of reducing the size of a company by laying off employees on the basis of incompetence and inefficiency. Some Examples Acquisitions: HLL took over TOMCO. Diversification: Videocon group is diversified into power projects, oil exploration and basic telecom services. Merger: Asea and Brown Boveri came together to form ABB. Strategic alliances: Siemens India has got a Strategic alliance with Bharati Telecom for marketing of its EPABX. Expansion: Siemens is expanding its medical electronics division- a new factory for medical electronics is already come up in Goa. Networking: It refers to the process of breaking companies into smaller independant business units for significant improvement in productivity and flexibility. The phenomenon is predominant in South Korea, where big companies like Samsung, Hyundai and Daewoo are breaking themselves up into smaller units. These firms convert their managers into entrepreneurs. Virtual Corporation: It is a company that has taken steps to turn itself inside out. Rather than having managers and staff sitting INSIDE in their offices moving papers from in basket to out basket, a virtual corporation kicks the employees outside, sending them to work in customers offices and plants, determining what the customer needs and wants, then reshaping the corporate products and services to the customers exact needs. This is a futuristic concept wherein companies will be edgeless, adaptable and perpetually changing. The centrepiece of the business revolution is a new kind of product called a Virtual Product Some of the these products already exist, camcorders create instant movies, personal computers and laser printers have made instant desktop publishing a reality. And for all these we can obtain cash instantly at ATMs. Verticalization: It refers to regrouping of management functions for particular functions for a particular product range to achieve higher accountability and transparency. Siemens in 1990 moved from a function-oriented structure to a vertical entrepreneur-oriented structure embracing size business and three support divisions. Delayering- Flat organization: In the post world war period the demand for goods was ever increasing. Main objective of the corporations was production and capacity build up to meet the demand. The classical, pyramidal structure was well suited to this high growth environment. This structure was scalable and the corporations could immediately translate their growth plans into action by adding workers at the bottom layer and filling in the management layers. But the price paid in the whole process was much higher. The overall process became complicated; number of middle managers and functional managers grew making the coordination of various functions complex. Senior/top management was alienated from the front-line people as well as the end users of the product or sen/ice. Decision-making became slower. Hence, a need is felt to attack the unproductive, bulky and sluggish network of white-collar staff. A powerful strategy would be to remove the layers of senior and middle management i. e. making the organization structure flat. The perspective of organizational restructuring may be different for the employees. When a company goes for the organizational restructuring, it often leads to reducing the manpower and hence meaning that people are losing their jobs. This may decrease the morale of employee in a large manner. Hence many firms provide strategies on career transitioning and outplacement support to their existing employees for an easy transition to their next job. The important methods of Corporate Restructuring are: Joint ventures Sell off and spin off Divestitures Equity carve out Leveraged buy outs (LBO) Management buy outs 1. Joint Ventures Joint ventures are new enterprises owned by two or more participants. They are typically formed for special purposes for a limited duration. It is a combination of subsets of assets contributed by two (or more) business entities for a specific business purpose and a limited duration. Each of the venture partners continues to exist as a separate firm, and the joint venture represents a new business enterprise. It is a contract to work together for a period of time each participant expects to gain from the activity but also must make a contribution. For Example: GM-Toyota JV: GM hoped to gain new experience in the management techniques of the Japanese in building high-quality, low-cost compact subcompact cars. Whereas, Toyota was seeking to learn from the management traditions that had made GE the no. 1 auto producer in the world and In addition to learn how to operate an auto company in the environment under the conditions in the US, dealing with contractors, suppliers, and workers. DCM group and Daewoo motors entered in to JV to form DCM DAEWOO Ltd. to manufacture automobiles in India. 2. Spin-off Spinoffs are a way to get rid of underperforming or non-core business divisions that can drag down profits. Process of spin-off The company decides to spin off a business division. The parent company files the necessary paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The spinoff becomes a company of its own and must also file paperwork with the SEBI. Shares in the new company are distributed to parent company shareholders. The spinoff company goes public. Notice that the spinoff shares are distributed to the parent company shareholders. There are two reasons why this creates value: Parent company shareholders rarely want anything to do with the new spinoff. After all, its an underperforming division that was cut off to improve the bottom line. As a result, many new shareholders sell immediately after the new company goes public. Large institutions are often forbidden to hold shares in spinoffs due to the smaller market capitalization, increased risk, or poor financials of the new company. Therefore, many large institutions automatically sell their shares immediately after the new company goes public. There is no money transaction in spin-off. The transaction is treated as stock dividend tax free exchange. Split-off: Is a transaction in which some, but not all, parent company shareholders receive shares in a subsidiary, in return for relinquishing their parent companys share. In other words some parent company shareholders receive the subsidiarys shares in return for which they must give up their parent company shares Feature of split-offs is that a portion of existing shareholders receives stock in a subsidiary in exchange for parent company stock. Split-up: Is a transaction in which a company spins off all of its subsidiaries to its shareholders ceases to exist. The entire firm is broken up in a series of spin-offs. The parent no longer exists and Only the new offspring survive. In a split-up, a company is split up into two or more independent companies. As a sequel, the parent company disappears as a corporate entity and in its place two or more separate companies emerge. 3. Divestures Divesture is a transaction through which a firm sells a portion of its assets or a division to another company. It involves selling some of the assets or division for cash or securities to a third party which is an outsider. Divestiture is a form of contraction for the selling company. means of expansion for the purchasing company. It represents the sale of a segment of a company (assets, a product line, a subsidiary) to a third party for cash and or securities. Mergers, assets purchase and takeovers lead to expansion in some way or the other. They are based on the principle of synergy which says 2 + 2 = 5! , divestiture on the other hand is based on the principle of anergy which says 5 3 = 3!. Among the various methods of divestiture, the most important ones are partial sell-off, demerger (spin-off split off) and equity carve out. Some scholars define divestiture rather narrowly as partial sell off and some scholars define divestiture more broadly to include partial sell offs, demergers and so on. Motives: Change of focus or corporate strategy Unit unprofitable can mistake Sale to pay off leveraged finance Antitrust Need cash Defend against takeover Good price. 4. Equity Carve-Out A transaction in which a parent firm offers some of a subsidiaries common stock to the general public, to bring in a cash infusion to the parent without loss of control. In other words equity carve outs are those in which some of a subsidiaries shares are offered for a sale to the general public, bringing an infusion of cash to the parent firm without loss of control. Equity carve out is also a means of reducing their exposure to a riskier line of business and to boost shareholders value. 5. Leveraged Buyout A buyout is a transaction in which a person, group of people, or organization buys a company or a controlling share in the stock of a company. Buyouts great and small occur all over the world on a daily basis. Buyouts can also be negotiated with people or companies on the outside. For example, a large candy company might buy out smaller candy companies with the goal of cornering the market more effectively and purchasing new brands which it can use to increase its customer base. Likewise, a company which makes widgets might decide to buy a company which makes thingamabobs in order to expand its operations, using an establishing company as a base rather than trying to start from scratch. 6. Management buyout In this case, management of the company buys the company, and they may be joined by employees in the venture. This practice is sometimes questioned because management can have unfair advantages in negotiations, and could potentially manipulate the value of the company in order to bring down the purchase price for themselves. On the other hand, for employees and management, the possibility of being able to buy out their employers in the future may serve as an incentive to make the company strong. It occurs when a companys managers buy or acquire a large part of the company. The goal of an MBO may be to strengthen the managers interest in the success of the company. Purpose of Management buyouts From management point of view may be: To save their jobs, either if the business has been scheduled for closure or if an outside purchaser would bring in its own management team. To maximize the financial benefits they receive from the success they bring to the company by taking the profits for themselves. To ward off aggressive buyers. The goal of an MBO may be to strengthen the managers interest in the success of the company. Key considerations in MBO are fairness to shareholders price, the future business plan, and legal and tax issues. Benefits of Management buyouts It provides an excellent opportunity for management of undervalued cos to realize the intrinsic value of the company. Lower agency cost: cost associated with conflict of interest between owners and managers. Source of tax savings: since interest payments are tax deductible, pushing up gearing rations to fund a management buyout can provide large tax covers. Conclusion: Restructuring strategies encompasses enhancing economy and improving efficiency. When a company wants to grow or survive in a competitive environment, it needs to restructure itself and focus on its competitive advantage. Thus, the merger and acquisition strategies have been conceived to improve general economic well-being of all those who are, directly or indirectly, connected with the corporate sector. The intension of buy back is visualized as to support share value during periods of temporary weakness, survival and to prevent takeover bids.