Strategic Management Involvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Management Involvement - Essay Example This pattern in decisions as well as actions clearly defines what Mintzberg called "realized" strategy. The examples given below clearly describe the situations in which this realized strategy will completely fail: External analysis is clearly described by Fahey and Narayanan (1986), they imply that organizations always in order scan the environment to recognize the ever changing trends and new patterns, keep an eye on all the specific trends as well as patterns, estimate the future course of the monitored changes and patterns, and then in the analysis the organizational impact these changes and patterns will have on the organization (Dolence etal 1997). Merged long with internal analysis of the organization's, well defined vision , mission statement , strengths, and weaknesses, external analysis greatly helps decision makers in creating strategic directions as well as strategic plans. The first and foremost goal of environmental scanning is to make the decision makers aware of the potentially important external changes long before they take shape so that decision makers have enough lead time to act in response to predicted the change. Therefore, environmental scanning plays a very important role for the organizations to manage change (Capon 1987). Environment Domains is a very board area, External environment refers to those people, resources, leadership and communication structures existing outside the organizational structure which may involve the following sector Industry sector Raw material sector Financial sector Market sector Technology sector Government sector International sector Internal and External Analysis Internal analysis of the organization is a practice that to help us to identifying the Strengths and weakness of the company, which point out some key factors that able the organization to get a better advantage of the market. And the most common tools are Core

Entrepreneurship and New Ventures Research Paper

Entrepreneurship and New Ventures - Research Paper Example Because of these trends, there has been explosive growth in profitability in health clubs devoted to women’s needs that are both exclusive and have programs that are designed with female camaraderie in mind. In fact, in 2005, the entire global health club industry reported over 105 million members, with well over 50 percent concentrated in the United States (ihrsa.org, 2006). This indicates a sizeable potential market even when futher deconstructing the existing market to include only women and their active participation and desire in health club membership. Since the market for health clubs is divided nearly 50/50 for men and women who currently hold membership, it should be assumed that the potential market opportunities for health club development and ownership consists of 52 million women. What can explain this growing interest in the female market (consisting of 18-60 year old market characteristics) for health club use and membership? There are many factors that are both motivational at the intrinsic level and also relating to personal desire for a better body to satisfy vanity and tangible health care needs. Offers one expert organization pertaining to the health club industry, â€Å"women want to work out without having to worry about looking fat, sweaty or makeup free in front of a bunch of men they don’t know† (Dean, 2011, p.1). Women who are interested in women-only health clubs are finding personal camaraderie with others in an environment where they can comfortably exercise among women with similar body characteristics or other fitness goals. These environments provide for a sense of privacy and exclusivity and also maintain the potential to develop many long-term friendships developed through the sharing of individual health goal needs. There are also motivational elements that continue to provide intense profit for existing women’s only health clubs. According to Marandi, Little & Sekhon (2006), the values that drive w omen to these health clubs is a personal sense of accomplishment, self-respect, a more active lifestyle, and establishment of a sense of personal belonging with others. These motivational elements are psychologically-driven and are essentially uniform between all age groups, marital status, occupation, and lifestyle security (Marandi, et al.). Much to the advantage of this proposed health club development, there are no specific markets requiring segmentation that would supersede another, thus, again, providing virtually unlimited market potential with an active 52 million female market group. The industry outlook is significant, as existing companies that specialize in women’s health needs continue to diversify their product offerings and programs to sustain the benefits of women looking to establish better self-image and personal health. It is common in this industry to gain extended marketing presence and profitability through supplementary vitamin products, health and well ness books, and also the existence of new personal training activities such as massage therapists and other club professionals. Since 2009, 37.4 percent of all adults (both male and female) have used some variety of health

Business connection The Key in perfect competition Managing costs Research Essay Example for Free

Business connection The Key in perfect competition Managing costs Research Essay Canada boasts of being among the world’s richest nations and of the western countries that have ultimate leverage over the economy, it is ranked in 10th place. It has an array of different industries characterized by a buzzing and quite rapid growth and development and production in the industries is entirely mechanized. Due to its trades it also happens to be a member of the G8 as well as Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Industries in Canada are high-tech and uphold state of the art technology and mechanization. Canada’s microeconomic issues Challenges however do come its way both internally and externally a good example being the world economic crisis of 2009 which saw to its financial stability regression and many employees losing their jobs since a majority of the industries could not sustain themselves let alone their large numbers of labor force. Previously the global economic downturn that had hit the US had led to a colossal fluctuation of market prices resulting in a massive decline of Canada’s profits. Despite the aforementioned global challenges, Canada like any other business has had its equal fair share of challenges. Sailing amongst the richest nations of the world, Canada has constantly overstretched its spending means leaving it with a huge burden of debts. According to the (Globe and Mail), it stands at a deficit of 3.3% of its GDP. Its lack of an economic slack makes it stand on the edge of a high inflation rate despite it being among the world’s countries with the least unemployed people. Canada has for a long time failed to embrace the art of international competition. Business connection: the key in perfection competition- managing costs Due to the trend in which the world has turned into a digital one with top notch technological systems being installed, and almost all operations going digital, leading to company’s marketing their merchandise on the internet. E-marketing is the most productive tool for any business that wants to thrive and stand way above its competitors and colossally out ways traditional methods of marketing. The largest proportion of the world’s population is now connected to the internet and in a bid to connect to large masses round the globe, e-marketing comes in handy as a business is able to have a wide presence ensuring it lures a wide variety of customers internationally which in the long run culminates into the company effectively managing its costs. Modern communication methods have been changing with time and it is therefore essential for the company to be up to speed with the changing technological advancements. According to (quirk biz), when correctly implemented, return on investment from e-marketing exceedingly outdo traditional methods of marketing not to mention it is at the forefront of redefinition for businesses to effectively interact with their customers. By adopting unique and state of the art e-marketing strategies, the company is able to effectively outshine its competitors. A company can also maximize on its desired profits by correctively identifying its target market and capitalizing on meeting and satisfying their needs so as to build on customer loyalty which reflects into high profit returns. This can be effectively done by emphasizing on the research of original research. That which lured customers to the company’s services and products should be used as a strength hence improved on in a bid to bait a large clientele of the company’s target market. (Lead forensics) advice on the need to carry out intelligence beforehand so as to clearly identify the needs of the purposed target audience thus the need to use current pop culture. In the spirit of beating competition and managing costs effectively, the company ought to rise a notch higher than its competitors by taking up unique strategies that outdo its competitors. Such as getting into video savvy. This is a plus to any business as it offers the company the platform to show case their unique attributes. Through this the company can also invest in animations for putting up their advertisements and is suitable for advertisements on both products and services and it would be guaranteed of effectively beating its competitors as its target clientele will always identify to the video ad. The demographic and lifestyle segmentation of target consumers helps the company in getting a clear picture of their clientele’s needs in terms of age, marital status, religious beliefs among others hence getting a clear mode of communication to them with an inclusive need of their lifestyles as well as cultures. By so doing, the company is able to enjoy a massive return on investments having cut on a lot of miscellaneous costs and expenses. It is also essential to bear in mind the customers purchasing attitudes and behavior thus capitalizing on the pros. investing on research on consumer behavior is quite instrumental as the company is able to get the niche in the industry and easily manipulate and take leverage over the market share. This can be efficiently and effectively done through a proper survey of the market and observing the target customer’s needs and preferences. The company can also invest in qualitative studies so as to get up to date with the industry and a clear understanding of the overview market share. A clear outline of a research plan should also be in calculated in the company’s research process. This is to make sure that the company is up to date with all possible avenues for doing business. All this withstanding, it is essential for the company to bear in mind the psychographics of its customers through a comprehensive research process so as to determine consumer behavior by looking into the attitudes of potential and kinetic clientele as well as pinpoint its customer’s purchasing behavior. It is possible for a company to build on customer loyalty hence customer retention and this can effectively be managed by capitalizing on the purchasing behavior of the customers hence improving on them or emphasizing on them so as to retain the customers and lure more aboard. A company can effectively manage its costs by research ing on the other places their customers or other customers shop for products and services same as its. This would give it insight on how operations are carried out in the other companies and serve as an eye opener on what woos the customers to them and in turn work on their strategies to lure back the customers, all this with an aim of being on top of their customers. The customer can also lure its customers by rewarding them for shopping at their outlets hence ensuring they come back another time. Quite a number of customers are sensitive on prices hence it is important for a company to work on its prices so as to enhance on customer retention. This can be done using the varieties of pricing techniques. Promotions are a plus in any given industry thus it is advisable that the company does promotions for its products from time to time and rewarding its loyal customers. This would out rightly beat its competitions as customers will constantly be reminded of the company’s merch andise. Effective public relations should not be overlooked as they also are a place in any business. Government’s intervention on trade regulations helps in creating a perfect atmosphere for doing trade among various businesses offering the same merchandise since competition is regulated and malicious strategies aimed at seeing to the downfall of a specific company cannot be initiated. Connection debate summary In summary, the debate connection is aimed at providing companies with the knowhow on market penetration as well as standing out from the rest with an intent of taking leverage over the market share hence beating competition from its rival companies. This in the long run aids the company in managing its costs through profits maximization. The connections debate’s pros The debate is aimed at aiding companies in taking a leverage over others in the same industries as theirs which is good in creating friendly competition. By adopting strategies mentioned in the debate, a company is assured of increasing on their return on investments as well as standing out from the rest. The connection debate’s cons Not all businesses uphold friendly business competition strategies as some can have the malicious intent of tarnishing a different company’s names so as to take entire leverage over the industry. Basing an argument from Canada’s economic state, the country has failed to efficiently diversify its target international trade partners and concentrated on only one trade partner the US which is a risky trend as its stability entirely relies on the US’ economy. In an event of the downfall of the US’ economy, then Canada’s economy is bound to fail. Referencebusbus Britany Lee fries. November, 2009. Environment: the type of economy and level of industrialization in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.canada-britanyleefries.blogspot.comIndex Mundi. August, 2014. Canada economy profile 2014. Retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com The heritage foundation wall street journal. Canada: 2014 index economic freedom. Retrieved from http://www.herutage.org The Globe and Mail, 2013. Canada’s 7 deadly economic problems. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com Fred lazar, 1981. The new protectionism: non-tariff barriers and their effects on Canada. James Lorimar amp; company. Elijah M. James, 2008. Chapter 11. Microeconomics. Published by Pearson education Canada Lead Forensics, June 2014. 3 winning ideas to beat your competitors at content. Retrieved from http://www.leadforensics.com Source document

Can Calcium Help with Weight Loss and Maintenance?

Can Calcium Help with Weight Loss and Maintenance? As we all know, calcium plays an important role in the protection and production of the bodys teeth and bones. An important question, we as nutritionists are wondering is, can calcium help with weight maintenance, weight loss, and obesity? We looked at several studies based on this question. The first study looked at the effects of weight, loss of a high-calcium energy, reduced diet on the biomarkers of inflammatory stress, fibrinolysis, and endothelial function in obese subjects. There were 35 subjects who lost at least 3% of initial body weight involved in this study. The study lasted a total of 16 weeks. The subjects were split up into two groups. One group was the high-calcium diet (HCD) group and the other was the low-calcium diet (LCD) group (Torres, M. R. S. G., and Sanjuliani, A. F., 2013). The HCD group was measured in a calcium intake of 1,200 1,300 mg/day, whereas the LCD group was measured in a calcium intake of less than 500 mg/day. Both on the diets followed the same intake for protein (22%), fat (28%), carbohydrates (50%), and 19 grams of fiber. The only difference in the diets was the HCD group received 60 grams/day of a non-fat powdered milk. The results indicated that those on the HCD had a greater reduction in the waist to hip ratio and waist circumfe rence. Both groups had similar reductions in the biomarkers. Therefore, an HCD helped to reduce waist circumference, but had no benefit in the biomarkers of inflammation, fibrinolysis, and endothelial function. According to this study, there seems to be a need for further research on the effectiveness of increased calcium in the diet and its correlation to weight loss and weight management (Torres, M. R. S. G., and Sanjuliani, A. F., 2013). Calcium plays a major role in accelerating fat and weight loss, especially in overweight and obese adults with calcium deficiency (Zhu et al., 2013). The authors of this second study looked at calcium and vitamin D supplements among overweight and obese college students to prevent fat storage and improve metabolic functions. In their randomized control study, 53 adults participated in the study and they were assigned 600 milligrams of calcium with 125 IU of vitamin D. The study was 12 weeks long to determine the effectiveness of supplementation in weight management, and involved a control group. The results showed that the calcium and vitamin D group had a decreased body fat and visceral fat level, but no changes in weight when compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the weight loss program can motivate adults to lose body fat along with further restrictions. It seems that further research is needed to address the dosage of calcium and vitamin D supplements in prom oting weight management among adults (Zhu et al., 2013). A systematic review conducted by Onakpoya, Perry, Zhang and Ernst (2011) looked at calcium supplementation as it relates to weight loss. Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are commonly used dietary supplements and may influence weight loss. The investigators electronically searched for randomized, double-blind, placebo control studies in their review. A total of 729 participants could be included in this review. A forest plot of the seven main randomized control trials used in this review demonstrated that a small, significantly greater reduction in body fat was associated with calcium as it was compared with a placebo (Onakpoya, Perry, Zhang, Ernst, 2011). The researchers determined that the effect of calcium supplementation is small and not clinically relevant because less than 5% of total body weight at baseline was lost with calcium supplementation (Onakpoya Perry, Zhang, Ernst, 2011). This review shows that calcium supplementation for at least six months can have a small effe ct on weight loss, however, the researchers warn that the information obtained from the studies may not be completely accurate. The good news is, no adverse effects from calcium supplementation were reported in any of the randomized control trials (Onakpoya, Perry, Zhang, Ernst, 2011). It appears supplementing with calcium at recommended dietary intakes may help in weight loss but it is not a miracle drug. According to the three articles mentioned above, calcium does not seem to be a significant factor in weight loss and management. In the studies, there was often less than a 5% reduction in body weight, leading to the insignificance of a higher calcium diet. Further research needs to be conducted in order to better understand if a higher calcium diet is important in weight management. References Onakpoya, I.J., Perry, R., Zhang, J., Ernst, E. (2011). Efficacy of calcium supplementation for management of overweight and obesity: systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Nutrition Reviews. 69, 335-343. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21631515 Torres, M. R. S. G., and Sanjuliani, A. F., 2013. Effects of weight loss from a high-calcium energy reduced diet on biomarkers of inflammatory stress, fibrinolysis, and endothelial function in obese subjects. Nutrition Journal. 29. 143-151. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23010419 Zhu, W., Cai, D., Wang, Y., Lin, N., Hu, Q., Qi, Y., †¦ Amarasekara, S. (2013). Calcium plus vitamin D3 supplementation facilitated Fat loss in overweight and obese college students with very- low calcium consumption: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal, 12, 8. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3599592/

Independent Man :: essays papers

Independent Man1 Growing up in a dysfunctional family is a hard thing for a child to endure. As a child my classmates and I lived average lives. On occasion I would hear stories, from friends at school, how "dysfunctional" their families were. It was not until my sophomore year of high school that I had a friend that was from a dysfunctional family. Through my best friend I learned that growing up in a dysfunctional family builds a child’s personality in numerous positive ways. I saw, in James Smith, that being raised in a dysfunctional family made him an independent man. James was born and raised in Houston, Texas. At a young age James’ parents divorced. Due to the divorce James has two younger half brothers. One from each biological parent and their second spouse. The older of the two brothers is 16 and serving time in a state correctional facility for boys because of burglary charges. The younger of the two is about 9 years old and lives with James’ estranged ex-stepmother. James’ biological father is very ill with the HIV virus and James is unsure of his health or where he currently lives. James worries if his father is well or even still alive. His mother and stepfather, whom he lived with until he was 12, are currently trying to kick their heroine addiction. Throughout the 20 years of James’ life he has lived with multiple family members and a friend, which is I. He currently, has a two-bedroom apartment, in a very exclusive area of Houston, with a co-worker. James has been working at Compaq Computer Corp. for almost a year. He works 40 to 48 hour weeks as a computer technician earning $14.50 due to his vast knowledge in the computer field. James is a very unique person. He is 5’5 and weights about 150 lbs. making him slightly stout. His jolly round face is set on his manila colored skin. While accompanied by hair, as brown as the wet sand on a beach, cut in a military style. However when it gets long it curls and resembles a shaggy dog. The whites of his mocha brown eyes have a blue tint to them as a result of James having Osteoporosis. A past leg injury has left him with a slight stagger when he jogs or runs. When he walks he always seems to keep his hand right at his sides.

freedom of speech -- essays research papers fc

â€Å" Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press† -First Amendment, U.S. Constitution. According to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, one of the basic principles our country is based on is the freedom of speech. Because of this, as eras and ages have passed in this still young and growing country, this amendment has had a greater use then stated, as to just insure a citizen of this right; rather it is used and many times directed towards individuals who have suffered great injustices and forms of oppression in the nation and their strive for liberation. However, what speech is such thus uses to reach this liberation and freedom? What hidden phantom is it that can improve the reality of an individual being oppressed and transcend them from injustice in America? The answer is none other than the English language. It is the use of this language, written and spoken, which has altered the subjectivity lived in the past, as well as today. Take for instance the first official document our country based its freedom on, in the The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies. This document has laid the foundation of freedom and liberation from past oppression (British injustices)and in this country still existing today. However when viewing this document, one must take careful note of not only the theme of the document, rather the text itself to fully understand the genius and skill put forward in scribing such an influential document. For instance, a couple lines from the top, the author(s) state â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (Declaration 1). First should be noticed the type of voice used in this segment of the document. From this passage, throughout the rest of the document, the voice is of plural (or as seen â€Å" We hold...†). With using â€Å"We† rather than â€Å"The individuals of the colonies† or such else, the author(s) intern portray an equal status with the reader, as not only a citizen rather as a peer. A second passage from this document which personifies the use of the English language in the str... ...ng this metaphor, especially in this context, King compares that to church bells and other form of peaceful bells that ring. As a result, seen once again, is this emotional appeal through metaphorical analysis. In conclusion, the English language has and still plays an essential role in the liberation of the past and the oppositions still faced today.. Since the beginning of the nations existence, through the civil rights movements, carrying over till today, the first amendment, with this English language, has proven to be of great validity and importance. It can thus be concluded that the English language is essentially, the speech of freedom! Works Cited Breitman, George Malcolm X Speaks (pp. 23-44), (Ed). Published in 1965 by Grove Weidenfeld: New York, NY. King, Martin Luther: "I Have a Dream"delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

Tobacco Smoking and Legal Marijuana

Marijuana vs  cigarettes See also: Smoking Marijuana does not cause lung cancer Top anti drug researcher changes his mind: says legalize marijuana Marijuana and your lungs: recent studies Pot is not like tobacco The Effects of Marijuana Smoke There are many reasons why marijuana is  not  worse for you than smoking cigarettes. You may have heard that â€Å"one joint is equal to ten cigarettes† but this is exaggerated and misleading. Marijuana does contain more tar than tobacco — but low tar cigarettes cause just as much cancer, so what is that supposed to mean? Scientists have hown that smoking any plant is bad for your lungs, because it increases the number of ‘lesions’ in your small airways. This usually does not threaten your life, but there is a chance it will lead to infections. Marijuana users who are worried about this can find less harmful ways of taking marijuana like eating or vaporizing. (Be careful – marijuana is safe to eat — but tobacco is not, you might overdose! )  Marijuana does not cause cancer  the way tobacco does, though. Here is a list of interesting facts about marijuana smoking and tobacco smoking: o Marijuana smokers generally don’t chain smoke, nd so they smoke less. (Marijuana is not physically addictive like tobacco. ) The more potent marijuana is, the less a smoker will use at a time. o Tobacco contains nicotine, and marijuana doesn’t. Nicotine may harden the arteries and may be responsible for much of the heart disease caused by tobacco. New research has found that it may also cause a lot of the cancer in tobacco smokers and people who live or work where tobacco is smoked. This is because it breaks down into a cancer causing chemical called `N Nitrosamine’ when it is burned (and maybe even while it is inside the body as well. o Marijuana contains THC. THC is a bronchial dilator, which means it works like a cough drop and opens up your lungs, which aids clearance of smoke and dirt. Nicotine does just the opposite; it makes your lungs bunch up and makes it harder to cough anything up. o There are benefits from marijuana (besides bronchial dilation) that you don’t get from tobacco. Mainly, marijuana makes you relax, which improves your health and well-being. o  Scientists do not really know what it is that causes malignant lung cancer in tobacco. Many think it may be a substance known as Lead 210.Of course, there are many other theories as to what does cause cancer, but if this is true, it is easy to see why  no case of lung cancer resulting from marijuana use alone has ever been documented, because tobacco contains much more of this substance than marijuana. o Marijuana laws make it harder to use marijuana without damaging your body. Water-pipes are illegal in many states. Filtered cigarettes, vaporizers, and inhalers have to be mass produced, which is hard to arrange `underground. ’ People don’t eat marijuana often because you need more to get as high that way, nd it isn’t cheap or easy to get (which is the reason why some people will stoop to smoking leaves. ) This may sound funny to you — but  the more legal marijuana gets, the safer it is. It is pretty obvious to users that marijuana prohibition laws are not â€Å"for their own good. † In addition to the above, legal marijuana would be clean and free from adulterants. Some people add other drugs to marijuana before they sell it. Some people spray room freshener on it or soak in in chemicals like formaldehyde! A lot of the marijuana is grown outdoors, where it may be sprayed with esticides or contaminated with dangerous fungi. If the government really cared about our health, they would form an agency which would make sure only quality marijuana was sold. This would be cheaper than keeping it illegal, and it would keep people from getting hurt and going to the emergency room. (source) FACT: Studies have shown that smoki ng marijuana does NOT increase your chance of getting cancer and may even lower it slightly! Of course, vaping or eating cannabis are still considered the safest methods of ingestion especially for daily consumers. Early on, when our research appeared as if there would be a negative impact on lung health, I was opposed to legalization because I thought it would lead to increased use and that would lead to increased health effects,† Tashkin says. â€Å"But at this point, I’d be in favor of legalization. Tobacco smoking causes far more harm. And in terms of an intoxicant, alcohol causes far more harm. UCLA’s Tashkin studied heavy marijuana smokers to determine whether the use led to increased risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.He hypothesized that there would be a definitive link between cancer and marijuana smoking, but the results proved otherwise. â€Å"What we found instead was no association and even a suggestion of some p rotective effect,† says Tashkin, whose research was the largest case-control study ever conducted. Listen to Tashkin’s full video  here UPDATE Source  A new study, published in this month’s  Journal of the American Medical Association, tested the lung function of over 5,000 young adults between 18 and 30.After 20 years of testing, researchers found some buzzworthy results:  regular marijuana smokers (defined by up to a joint a day for seven years) had no discernible impairment in lung activity from non-smokers. In fact, researchers were surprised to find marijuana smokers performed slightly better than both smokers and non-smokers on the lung performance test. Why? The most likely explanation seems to be that the act of inhaling marijuana—holding each puff in for as long as possible—is a lot like a pulmonary function test, giving marijuana smokers an edge over their igarette smoking counterparts. For most of human existence, cannabis has bee n considered a medicine. Queen Victoria used it to alleviate her menstrual cramps. Extracts were prescribed by doctors and available at every pharmacy in the U. S. According to  Fast Food Nation  author Eric Schlosser, attitudes toward cannabis only shifted when Americans began to notice and object to its use by immigrants around the turn of the 20th century. More  here