Frederick Douglas - liberation of slaves Research Paper

Frederick Douglas - liberation of slaves - Research Paper Example To keep them in their place, slaves were forbidden to be taught how to read or write, they were separated from their families at even very young ages and were regularly physically and emotionally beaten as a means of keeping them in line. All of this had the effect of reducing these people to the survival instincts of animals, reinforcing concepts held by the white people as well as the slaves that this menial labor was all they were capable of – higher thought was clearly beyond the capacity of their more primitive brains. Proving that this was not the case, though, was Frederick Douglass, the first black man to appear on a presidential ticket in America. An escaped slave from Maryland, Douglass toured the country and the world telling his story and illuminating the various ways in which black people are kept in their dark imprisonment through no fault of their own and with little hope of discovering a means of true escape. In his early narrative Frederick Douglass: Life of a n American Slave, the author details his early life and education in such a way that he illustrates both the dehumanizing effects of slavery as well as those factors that operated to inspire him to ‘become a man’ rather than remaining in the role of a slave. This narrative, as well as the speeches and work Douglass did to increase awareness of the true condition of the slave, did much to convince the white people of the world that black people had equal potential when given equal opportunity. Although his exact birth date is unknown, Douglass believed he was born sometime in February of 1818, already a slave on a Maryland farm. He died on February 20, 1895. The name he was given at birth was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, but he later changed it as he discovered more information about his probable parentage. â€Å"He spent his early years with his grandparents and with an aunt, seeing his mother only four or five times before her death when he was

Advantage and disadvantages of trade on the silk route Essay

Advantage and disadvantages of trade on the silk route - Essay Example Muslims, Christians and Buddhists traded mostly in silk and gave it out as a sacred token in the process of spreading their religious beliefs. Buddhist monks travelled willingly to India whereas Islamic groups produced bulks of silk to trade in Eurasia, which facilitated the spread of religious beliefs between nations. Buddhists and Muslims spread their beliefs across India, China, and Japan (Omar, 2014). Acquisition of technology and innovation by the East from lands in the West was another advantage of the silk route (Omar, 2014). The Steppe nomads passed on harnesses, saddles and stirrups for use in animal transport. Mountain road construction and bridge construction was an essential addition to the people of the East. One of the disadvantages of the silk route was the spread of diseases such as smallpox, measles and bubonic plague. The route involved significant human traffic and hence easy spread of the communicable infections. These infections were catastrophic in Europe killing many people (Omar, 2014). Another disadvantage was the rise of intermediaries involved in the trade. These intermediaries would charge hefty prices for the acquisition of goods hence making huge profits and start acting like bullies to the Far East

Role of Community Pharmacists in Healthcare

Role of Community Pharmacists in Healthcare INTRODUCTION Community pharmacists may be regarded as the health professionals most accessible to the public1 and whose services are coveted by the public and patients. Round the world, millions of people visit community pharmacies for their daily health care requirements. Pharmacists are placed as the first point of contact in the healthcare system because of their ease of approach2. They dispense medications in accordance with a prescription or without prescription when permitted, as in the case of OTC medicines. In addition to the supply of medicines the professional services of a community pharmacist should also cover patient counselling, drug information to healthcare professionals, patients and public, participation in healthcare programmes.3 The main activities of community pharmacists include: 3, 4, 5 Processing of prescriptions The pharmacist checks for the legality, safety and appropriateness of the prescription order and decides whether the medication should be handed to the patient with appropriate counselling, by a pharmacist. The community pharmacist is in a unique position to be fully aware of the patient’s past and current drug history and, consequently, can provide essential advice to the prescriber. Care of patients or clinical pharmacy The pharmacist seeks to collect and integrate information about the patient’s drug history, clarifies the patient’s understanding of the intended dosage regimen and method of administration, and advises the patient of drug-related precautions. Monitoring of drug utilization The pharmacist can participate in arrangements for monitoring the utilization of drugs, such as practice research projects, and schemes to analyze prescriptions for the monitoring of adverse drug reactions. Extemporaneous preparation and small-scale manufacture of medicines New developments in drugs and delivery systems may well extend the need for individually adapted medicines and thus increase the pharmacist’s need to continue with pharmacy formulation. Pharmacists engage in the small-scale manufacture of medicines, which must accord with good manufacturing and distribution practice guidelines. Traditional and alternative medicines In some countries, as in India, pharmacists supply traditional medicines and dispense homoeopathic prescriptions. Responding to symptoms of minor ailments The pharmacist receives requests from members of the public for advice on a variety of symptoms and, when indicated, refers the inquiries to a medical practitioner. If the symptoms relate to a self-limiting minor ailment, the pharmacist can supply a non-prescription medicine, with advice to consult a medical practitioner if the symptoms persist for more than a few days. Alternatively, the pharmacist may give advice without supplying medicine. Informing health care professionals and the public The pharmacist can compile and maintain information on all medicines, and particularly on newly introduced medicines, provide this information as necessary to other health care professionals and to patients, and use it in promoting the rational use of drugs, by providing advice and explanations to physicians and to members of the public. Health promotion The pharmacist can take part in health promotion campaigns, locally and nationally, on a wide range of health-related topics, and particularly on drug-related topics (e.g., rational use of drugs, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, discouragement of drug use during pregnancy, organic solvent abuse, poison prevention) or topics concerned with other health problems (diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, diabetes care, leprosy, HIV-infection/AIDS), nutritional counselling and family planning. They may also take part in the education of local community groups in health promotion, and in campaigns on disease prevention, such as the Expanded Programme on Immunization, and malaria and blindness programmes. Domiciliary services In a number of countries, the pharmacist provides an advisory as well as a supply service to residential homes for the elderly, and other long-term patients. In some countries, policies are being developed under which pharmacists will visit certain categories of house-bound patients to provide the counselling service that the patients would have received had they been able to visit the pharmacy. Agricultural and veterinary practice Pharmacists supply animal medicines and medicated animal feeds. Global setting of Community Pharmacy Community pharmacy practice evolved in a period after Second World War. A pharmacist began to perform functions that were new to pharmacy. The popular motto of patient oriented practice and drug use control came into practice.6 Around the world there are community pharmacists who are drug experts providing patient care in their community pharmacies. In many countries community pharmacies are places where individuals may obtain health advice assistance with managing their disease status with medication. In UKpharmacist have role in primary care public health. In community pharmacies the concept of responsible pharmacist is adopted from 2005. In Canada community pharmacies offer professional services like home delivery of prescription, in store blood pressure monitoring device, in store screening/risk assessments, patient library, in store educational seminar/programs, trial prescriptions, patients call back system, in store disease management, home visits, out of store educational seminars/program documented care plans. InBrazilcommunity pharmacies provide pharmaceutical services like drug dispensing, blood pressure measurement, capillary glucose test, cholesterol/triglyceride test, nebulization, administration o injectables compounding. In Germany community pharmacists contributes to health promotion promote rational prescribing and appropriate use of medicine along with this they provide drug information, pharmaceutical care preventive care services. In Finlandmedication counseling by community pharmacists was made mandated by law in 1983. In Australia, disease state management in asthma diabetes is being considered for reimbursement in Portugal, programs exists for diabetes, asthma hypertension. In Sweden all pharmacies have an information technology-based drug related problem documentation system a new national drug related problem database.8 Community Pharmacy in India The genesis of community pharmacy practice in India can be traced back to the Colonial period when allopathic drugs were introduced and were made available through drug stores towards the end of the nineteenth century. The pharmacy practice scenario and especially community pharmacy practice during pre-independence era was highly unregulated and there were no restrictions on the practice of pharmacy in India.7 When we look into our country, as compared with the global setting, things are totally different and honestly it is quite disturbing. More or less, with very few exceptions, pharmacies are the drug selling shops and not yet healthcare settings. The true community pharmacy concept is not developed yet. Although community pharmacist is of key importance in providing better healthcare, the situation and condition of the community pharmaceutical service has stood where it was in its commencement.6 Today, community pharmacists play an important role in any country as they take responsibility for patient’s medicine related needs for access to healthcare. However, in India only the supply of medicines remains the core activity of the community pharmacist. Most community pharmacists in the country still hardly offer patient-oriented service. The role of the pharmacists in the community, and with it their medicine management, may change in the wake of the rapid growth of domestic medicine output and national healthcare expenditure.7 The profession of pharmacy in India can seize the opportunity and respond to changes in the  health care system, in part, by making pharmaceutical care its mission. Good Pharmacy Practice Guidelines aim to set standards for practice of pharmacy as a profession in India. It is also an affirmative statement conveying that we ourselves control our profession’s standards, not anyone else. These guidelines aim to provide the framework to meet the criteria that has the potential to make pharmacy profession relevant to the society. Hence it is necessary that every individual pharmacist should be aware of the guidelines and uplift their profession. Prevalence of diabetes and the role of community pharmacist in diabetes care According to recent estimates, approximately 285 million people worldwide (6.6%) in the 20–79 year age group will have diabetes in 2010 and by 2030, 438 million people (7.8%) of the adult population, is expected to have diabetes9. Between 2010 and 2030, there will be a 69% increase in numbers of adults with diabetes in developing countries and a 20% increase in developed countries.10 It is estimated that the total number of people with diabetes in 2010 to be around 50.8 million in India, rising to 87.0 million by 2030. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, the prevalence of known diabetes was 5.6% and 2.7% among urban and rural areas, respectively. India is ranked first among the top10 countries for estimated numbers of adults  with diabetes, 2010 and 2030 11. Several studies have reported the role of pharmacists in diabetes care. Community Pharmacists for diabetes patients intervention study in Japan showed a marked increase in HbA1C levels.12 A Study conducted in Tamil Nadu has turned out to show that community pharmacists are in a unique position to monitor and counsel rural patients with diabetes. This study demonstrates the positive impact that the community pharmacist can have in achieving the primary therapeutic goal in diabetes patients of overall diabetes control. 13 It is evident that community pharmacy in its broad meaning has not yet come into practice and the community pharmacist has a major role to play in diabetes care. An evaluation will reflect how far our pharmacists are aware of their role and will help to improve themselves in their profession. Hence our study aims at assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice of the community pharmacist towards Good Pharmacy Practice and diabetes with an objective of imparting academic and professional updation through professional development initiatives. References Krishna Goudar Bhimaray, Mahadevamma C, Yoganada R, Shaik Shafiya Begum. The key role of community pharmacist in Health care system. An over view. Adepu R, Nagavi BG. General practitioner’s perceptions about the extended roles of the community pharmacist in the state of Karnataka: A study. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2006; 68(1): 36-40. Report of WHO Consultative Group; New Delhi, India. The role of the pharmacist in the health care system; N- December 1988; p 10-12. Stephen Greenwood, Australian Health Consumer number one 2005–2006; Value of the current system of community pharmacy; p 10 – 13 Rai Awani Kumar, Saini Rakesh, A Textbook of Community Pharmacy; Roles and responsibilities of community pharmacist; p 2 – 3 Ishita, Deepak Kaushik Harish Dureja ; Role of community pharmacist in ensuring better healthcare http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=22582sectionid=46 Subal Chandra Basak, Dondeti Sathyanarayana; Community Pharmacy Practice in India: Past, Present and Future, Southern Med Review: Volume 2 | Issue 1 | April 2009 p 11 14 International Scenario Community Pharmacy http://www.pharmainfo.net/vijayaratna/blog/community-pharmacy-india-and-some-issues IDF Diabetes Atlas, 4th edition. International Diabetes Federation, 2009. J.E. Shaw , R.A. Sicree, P.Z. Zimmet, Diabetes Atlas; Global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2010 and 2030 A Ramachandran, AK Das, SR Joshi, CS Yajnik, S Shah, KM Prasanna Kumar Current Status of Diabetes in India and Need for Novel Therapeutic Agents; Supplement to japi †¢ june 2010 †¢ vol. 58 Okada H, Nakagawa Y, Onda M, Shoji M, Fukuoka K, Ishii Y, Sakane N; Community Pharmacists for Diabetes Patients Intervention Study in Japan – Compass Project R Venkatesan, AS Manjuladevi , S Sriram; Role of community pharmacist in improving glycemic control, Perspectives in clinical research

Movie: All About Eve :: essays research papers

Movie: All About Eve English 30 Spring "97" In the film All About Eve, (directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and released in 1950), Eve Harrison (Anne Baxter) was a young woman with evil running through her veins. She wanted to be "somebody" and chose to get there through Margo Channing (Betty Davis) who was a famous stage star. Eve would do whatever it took to get where she wanted to be, including hurt the ones that trusted her and took her in as a "lost lamb". Though Eve was already evil within and throughout, the people around her made it even easier to acomplish her goals. Margo was one of the most popular stage actresses and put herself high on a pedastel, and looked at someone like Eve as being below her, a poor soul that could be of no threat to anyone, especially Margo Channing. Eve played the meek and shy girl that idolized Margo. She claimed to attend all the preformaces of the play that week due to the fact that she adored Margo and she would have nowhere else to go anyway. Doing this allowed Eve to get her foot in the door. If it wasn't for Margo's conceitedness, Eve would have had to work a little bit harder to get this. Margo took her into her home. Margo's secretary-aid, Birdie (Thelma Ritter), was the first to sense something was strange about Eve, but her position made it not her place to speak her mind. Eve knew this and also knew it would be easy to take control of her position because of this. It would only seem to Margo that she enjoyed doing things for her. Eve charmed Bill Simpson (Gary Merrill), director and Margo's lover, with her feminine qualities that Margo lacked. Eve just seemed to be overly interested in everything Bill had to say about the theater. She used to keep him admiring her and at the same time, drove Margo crazy with jealousy to tear their relationship apart. Little did she realize, Bill had no romantic feelings towards Eve at all, so she blew her cover when she made a pass at him. Karen Richards (Celeste Holm), Margo's best friend, was the one that found and introduced Eve to Margo. She was the type of person that would anything for anyone, sort of niave and trusted Eve from day one. Karen was amazed by Eve's devotion towards her idol. After getting into Margo's home, she used Karen's kindness to subtly suggest that she would love to replace Margo's pregnant understudy. Once again she got her way.

CIGNA Company Essay

CIGNA is a major health insurance company. Its CIGNA Behavioral Health covers 16 million Americans in all 50 states and internationally. In addition, it supports a network of more than 50,000 professionals who needed a system that quickly and automatically approved requests submitted by providers, such as therapists, for additional patient care. CIGNA Behavioral Health’s business processes for making approval determinations were supported in different locations using several different software applications. Certain rules in use sometimes conflicted with each other, and knowledge was lost due to employee turnover. In addition, the rules were in inflexible if-then statements. Accessing and changing the rules was a slow, cumbersome, and expensive process. To reduce the knowledge loss due to employee turnover and to increase consistency and efficiency of rule maintenance, CIGNA Behavioral Health decided to adopt rule-based intelligent systems that could automate decision-making situations. CIGNA chose Haley Authority knowledge management (KM) software and Haley Rules intelligent system to build a Web-based benefit management system named Provider eCare Online. How does it relate to this week’s course concepts? According to the book, this week we learn about long-term objectives and strategies, we also learn business strategies. It talks about generic strategies and grand strategies. Include in the grand strategies there is an innovation. Innovation is making some changes to increasing markets, this issue is like this. They build this system one reason is to reduce the cost and knowledge loss, the other reason is that it can give them more markets to sell their insurance, it is also convenience for people to use this. At which conclusions do you arrive at from your analysis? According to the book, some firms find it profitable to make innovation their grand strategy. They seek to reap the initially high profits associated with customer acceptance of a new or greatly improved product. For this insurance company, it build a system in order to solve problems and get more money, it can reach my analysis. What are the main takeaways from the situation, your analysis, and your conclusions? In my opinions, by expressing business processes in English using Haley Rules, eCare specialists can implement changes to the rules whenever needed, in hours instead of weeks. The adoption of knowledge-based systems has helped CIGNA enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs. The tools of Haley Authority and Haley Rules in combination provide a convenient platform for the implementation of such intelligent systems. So it is really good system for them to get more money, it also can help people a lot. Reference John A. Pearce, Richard B. Robinson, strategy management, thirteenth edition. Cigna, cigna.com.

Sigmund Freud Paper

Many believe Freud to be the father of modern psychiatry and psychology and the only psychiatrist of any worth. He is certainly the most well known figure, perhaps because sex played such a prominent role in his system. There are other psychologists, however, whose theories demand respectful consideration. Erik Erickson, born Eric Homburger, whose theories while not as titillating as Freud’s, are just as sound. This paper will compare the two great men and their systems. In addition, this paper will argue that Freud offers the more useful foundation for understanding the Jenny Masterson’s confused psyche. Sigmund Freud showed signs of independence and brilliance well before entering the University of Vienna in 1873. He had a prodigious memory and loved reading to the point of running himself into debt at various bookstores. Among his favorite authors were Goethe, Shakespeare, Kant, Hegel and Nietzsche. To avoid disruption of his studies, he often ate in his room. After medical school, Freud began a private practice, specializing in nervous disorders. He was soon faced with patients whose disorders made no neurological sense. For example, a patient might have lost feeling in his foot with no evidence to any sensory nerve damage. Freud wondered if the problem could be psychological rather than physiological. Dr. Freud evolved as he treated patients and analyzed himself. He recorded his assessment and expounded his theories in 24 volumes published between 1888 and 1939. Although his first book, The Interpretation of Dreams, sold only 600 copies in its first eight years of publication, his ideas gradually began to attract faithful followers and students – along with a great number of critics. While exploring the possible psychological roots of nervous disorders, Freud spent several months in Paris, studying with Jean Charcot, a French neurologist from whom he learned hypnosis. On return to Vienna, Freud began to hypnotize patients and encouraging them while under hypnosis to speak openly about themselves and the onset of their symptoms. Often the patients responded freely, and upon reviewing their past, became quite upset and agitated. By this process, some saw their symptoms lessened or banished entirely. It was in this way that Freud discovered what he termed the â€Å"unconscious. Piecing together his patients’ accounts of their lives, he decided that the loss of feeling in one’s hand might be caused by, say, the fear of touching one’s genitals; blindness or deafness might be caused by the fear of hearing or seeing something that might arouse grief or distress. Over time, Freud saw hundreds of patients. He soon recognized that hypnosis was not as helpful as he had first hoped. He thus pioneered a new technique termed â€Å"free association. † Patients were told to relax and say whatever came to mind, no matter how mortifying or irrelevant. Freud believed that free association produced a chain of thought that was linked to the unconscious, and often painful, memories of childhood. Freud called this process psychoanalysis. Underlying Freud’s psychoanalytic perception of personality was his belief that the mind was akin to an iceberg – most of it was hidden from view. The conscious awareness is the part of the iceberg that is above the surface but below the surface is a much larger unconscious region that contains feelings, wishes and memories of which persons are largely unaware. Some thoughts are stored temporarily in a preconscious area, from where they can be retrieved at will. However, Freud was more interested in the mass of thought and feeling that are repressed – forcibly blocked from conscious thought because it would be too painful to acknowledge. Freud believed that these repressed materials unconsciously exert a powerful influence on behavior and choices. Freud believed that dreams and slips of tongue and pen were windows to his patient’s unconscious. Intrusive thoughts or seemingly trivial errors while reading, writing and speaking suggested to Freud that what is said and done reflects the working of the unconscious. Jokes especially were an outlet for expressing repressed sexual and aggressive tendencies. For Freud, nothing was accidental. Freud believed that human personality, expressed emotions, strivings, and beliefs arise from a conflict between the aggressive, pleasure-seeking, biological impulses and the social restraints against their expression. This conflict between expression and repression, in ways that bring the achievement of satisfaction without punishment or guilt, drives the development of personality. Freud divided the elements of that conflict into three interacting systems: the id, ego and superego. Freud did not propose a new, na? ve anatomy, but saw these terms as â€Å"useful aids to understanding† the mind’s dynamics. The id is a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that continually toils to satisfy basic drives to survive, reproduce and aggress. The id operates on the pleasure principle – if unconstrained, it seeks instantaneous gratification. It is exemplified by a new born child who cries out for satisfaction the moment it feels hungry, tired, uncomfortable – oblivious to conditions, wishes, or expectations of his environment. As the child learns to cope with the real world, his ego develops. The ego operates on the reality principle, which seeks to superintend the id’s impulses in realistic ways to accomplish pleasure in practical ways, avoiding pain in the process. The ego contains partly conscious perceptions, thoughts, judgements, and memories. It is the personality executive. The ego arbitrates between impulsive demands of the id, the restraining demands of the superego and the real-life demands of the external world. Around age 4 or 5, a child’s ego recognizes the demands of the newly emerging superego. The superego is the voice of conscience that forces the ego to consider not only the real but also the ideal. Its focus is on how one should behave. The superego develops as the child internalizes the morals and values of parents and culture, thereby providing both a sense of right, wrong and a set of ideals. It strives for perfection and judges our actions, producing positive feelings of pride or negative feelings of guilt. Someone with an exceptionally strong superego may be continually upright and socially correct yet ironically harbor guilt-, another with a weak superego may be wantonly self-indulgent and remorseless. Because the superego’s demands often oppose the id’s, the ego struggles to reconcile the two. The chaste student who is sexually attracted to someone and joins a volunteer organization to work alongside the desired person, satisfies both id and superego. Analysis of his patients’ histories convinced Freud that personality forms during a person’s first few years. Again and again his patients’ symptoms seemed rooted in unresolved conflicts from early childhood. He concluded that children pass through a series of psychosexual stages during which the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct pleasure-sensitive areas of the body he called â€Å"erogenous zones. † During the â€Å"oral stage,† usually the first 18 months, an infant’s sensual pleasure focuses on sucking, biting, and chewing. During the â€Å"anal stage,† from about 18 months to 3 years, the sphincter muscles become sensitive and controllable, and bowel and bladder retention and elimination become a source of gratification. During the phallic stage, from roughly ages 3 to 6 years, the pleasure zones shift to the genitals. Freud believed that during this stage boys seek genital stimulation and develop unconscious sexual desires for their mothers along with jealousy and hatred for their father, whom they consider a rival. Boys feel unrecognized guilt for their rivalry and a fear that their father will punish them, such as by castration. This collection of feelings he named the â€Å"Oedipus Complex’ after the Greek legend of Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. Originally Freud hypothesized that females experienced a parallel â€Å"Electra complex. † However, in time Freud changed his mind, saying, (1931, p. 229): â€Å"It is only in the male child that we find the fateful combination of love for the one parent and simultaneous hatred for the other as a rival. † Children eventually cope with these threatening feelings by repressing them then identifying with and trying to become like the rival parent. Through this identification process children’s superegos gain strength as they incorporate many of their parents’ values. Freud believed that identification with the same-sex parent provides our gender identity – the sense of being male or female. With their sexual feelings repressed and redirected, children enter a latency stage. Freud maintained that during this latency period, extending from around age 6 to puberty, sexuality is dormant and children play mostly with peers of the same sex. At puberty, latency gives way to the final stage — the genital stage — as youths begin to experience sexual feelings towards others. In Freud’s view, maladaptive behavior in the adult results from conflicts unresolved during earlier psychosexual stages. At any point in the oral, anal, or phallic stages, strong conflict can lock, or fixate, the person’s pleasure-seeking energies in that stage. Thus people who were either orally overindulged or deprived, perhaps by abrupt, early weaning, might fixate at the oral stage. Orally fixated adults are said to exhibit either passive dependence (like that of a nursing infant) or an exaggerated denial of this dependence, perhaps by acting tough and macho. They might continue to smoke or eat excessively to satisfy their needs for oral gratification. Those who never quite resolve their anal conflict, a desire to eliminate at will that combats the demands of toilet training, may be both messy and disorganized (†anal expulsive†) or highly controlled and compulsively neat (†anal-retentive†). To live in social groups, impulses cannot be freely acted on They must be controlled in logical, socially acceptable ways. When the ego fears losing control of the inner struggle between the demands of the id and the superego, the result is anxiety. Anxiety, said Freud, is the price paid for civilization. Unlike specific fears, the dark cloud of anxiety is unfocused. Anxiety is therefore, difficult to cope with, as when we feel unsettled but have no basis for feeling that way. Freud proposed that the ego protects itself against anxiety with ego defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms reduce or redirect anxiety in various ways, but always by distorting reality. Although Freud was known to change his mind, he was deeply committed to his ideas and principles, even in the face of harsh criticism. Although controversial, his ideas attracted followers who formed a dedicated inner circle. From time to time, sparks would fly and a member would leave or be outcast. Even the ideas of the outcasts, however, reflected Freud’s influence. Erik Erikson was one of these outcasts. He agreed with Freud that development proceeds through a series of critical stages. But he believed the stages were psychosocial, not psychosexual. Erikson also argued that life’s developmental stages encompass the whole life span According to Erikson, a crisis is equivalent to a turning point in life, where there is the opportunity to progress or regress. At these turning points, a person can either resolve conflicts or fail to adequately resolve the developmental task. Delving further into these differences, Erikson contended that each stage of life has its own psychosocial task. Young children wrestle with issues of trust, then autonomy, then initiative. School-age children develop competence, the sense that they are able and productive human beings. In adolescence, the task is to synthesize past, present, and future possibilities into a clearer sense of self. Adolescents wonder: â€Å"Who am I as an individual? What do I want to do with my life? What values should I live by? What do I believe in? † Erikson calls this quest to more deeply define a sense of self the adolescent’s â€Å"search for identity. † To refine their sense of identity, adolescents usually try out different â€Å"selves† in different situations – perhaps acting out one self at home, another with friends and still another at school and work. If two of these situations overlap – like when a teenager brings a friend home from school – the discomfort can be considerable. The teen may ask, â€Å"Which self is the real me? Which self should I be? † Often, this role confusion gets resolved by the gradual reshaping of a self-definition that unifies the various selves into a consistent and comfortable sense of who one is – an identity. But not always, Erikson believes that some adolescents forge their identity early, simply by taking on their parents’ values and expectations. Others may adopt a negative identity that defines itself in opposition to parents and society but in conformity with a particular peer group, complete perhaps with the shaved head or multi-colored coif. Still others never quite seem to find themselves or to develop strong commitments. For most, the struggle for identity continues past the teen years and reappears at turning points during adult life. During the first social stage, trust versus mistrust, an infant’s basic task is to develop a sense of trust in self, others, and the world. The infant needs to count on others and develop a sense of acceptance and security. This sense of trust is learned by being caressed and cared for. From Erikson’s viewpoint, if the significant others in an infant’s life provide the necessary love, the infant develops a sense of trust. When love is absent, the result is a general sense of mistrust in others. Clearly, infants who feel accepted are in a more favorable position to successfully meet future developmental crises than are those who do not receive adequate nurturing. However, Erikson postulates that since development is a ongoing lifelong process, personality is not fixed at any given time. Events, circumstances, and social relationships are dynamic and changing. Thus, even a child who emerged from the first stage of life with a strong sense of trust may become mistrustful and cy! nical if betrayed in later social relationships. Hence, personality is not viewed as fixed by the fifth year of life, as Freud believed, but remains fluid throughout the life span. Between the ages of one and three (Freud’s anal stage), children are developing a growing sense of control over their lives. They can now walk, run, climb, and get into all sorts of mischief. A sense of autonomy develops as they learn new skills and achieve a feeling of control over their environment. Thus Erikson’s titles this stage Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt. During this period, some parents, out of concern or impatience with their children’s progress may intervene and do things that the children should be doing by themselves. Other parents may demand a level of competence of which their children are not yet physically and/or emotionally capable. In either case, these children begin to doubt their own abilities and feel ashamed when they fail to live up to parental expectations. Children who fail to master the tasks of establishing some control over themselves and coping with the world around them develop a sense of shame and feelings of doubt about their capabilities During the next stage, Initiative versus Guilt, which takes place during the preschool years (ages 4 to 6 – Freud’s phallic stage), children seek to find out how much they can do. According to Erikson, the basic task of preschool years is to establish a sense of competence and initiative. Preschool children begin to initiate many of their own activities as they become physically and psychologically ready to engage in pursuits of their own choosing. If they are allowed realistic freedom to choose their own activities and make some of their own decisions, they tend to develop a positive orientation characterized by confidence to initiate actions and follow through on them. On the other hand, if they are unduly restricted, or if their choices are ridiculed, they tend to experience a sense of guilt and ultimately withdraw from taking an active and initiating stance. By the age of six, the child should enter elementary school. It is during this age that the stage of Industry versus Inferiority occurs. During the ensuing five years, the most important events in the child’s life revolve around setting and accomplishing goals related to school situations. When children are successful in mastering the many behaviors expected of them during these years, they develop feelings of competency and a sense of industry. They may express such feelings as: â€Å"I can do anything if I just work hard enough. Children who encounter failure during the early grades may experience severe handicaps later on. A child with learning problems may begin to feel like a worthless person. Such feelings may drastically affect his or her relationships with peers, which are also vital at this time. During the adolescent years, teens experience Identity versus Role Confusion. Typically, adolescents feel they are on center stage and everyone is looking at them. They are often highly critical of themselves and feel that others are equally critical. Their thoughts often turn inward. They look at themselves and question whether or not they measure up to their peers. They also begin thinking about lifelong goals and careers, wondering whether they will make it in the world of the adult. Their ruthless self-appraisal is often beneficial. It results in the development of values, social attitudes, and standards. This inward focus appears to be necessary for the development of a firm sense of self and of broader roles in the social order. During the stage of Intimacy versus Isolation, adolescence is now behind the individual and the early adult years loom ahead. Energies are focused on building careers, establishing lasting social ties, and achieving then maintaining intimate relationships. Marriage or cohabitation creates new demands on the individual – sharing, compromising, and relinquishing social mobility to some degree. Also, many young adults begin having children and raising families. Those who were unsuccessful in resolving their identity crises may find themselves isolated from mainstream society and unable to maintain healthy intimate relationships. The years between the ages of 35 and 60 are a time for learning how to live creatively with others; this period can be the most productive stage of an individual’s life. According to Erikson, the stimulus for continued growth in middle age is the crisis of Generatively versus Stagnation or Self-Absorption. By generatively, Erikson meant not just fostering children, but being productive in a broad sense – for example through creative pursuits in careers, in leisure-time activities, in volunteer work or caring for others. Two important qualities of the productive adult are the ability to love well and the ability to work well. Adults who fail to achieve a sense of productivity begin to stagnate, which s a form of psychological death. The years of maturity are typified by the stage of Integrity of the Self versus Despair. This is the most illuminating stage of a person’s life. If all the crises of earlier stages are resolved, looking back with satisfaction of a life well led is a healthy manifestation of self. Maintaining a sense of worth and personal integrity during the final years is natural. Those who could not resolve earlier crises will look upon the prospects of old age and death with a deep sense of dread and despair. Another primary concept to Erikson’s system is ego identity development and the ego strengths that delineate each of the eight stages. His system stresses the ego’s complete and stabilizing influences in a person’s life history. He depicts the ego from a psychosocial viewpoint as the hub of individual identity. As the ego develops through life crises, it gains the capacity to master in increasingly sophisticated ways the puzzles posed by inner and outer reality. Erikson proposed that ego strength is achieved in a sequence of psychosexual stages. Beginning in infancy, the child’s ego must first learn to trust itself and others to become autonomous and self-sufficient. With trust and autonomy come the virtues of hope and will, forms of ego strength that foster sufficient security for the child to risk the potential disappointment that hope entails, and sufficient independence of spirit for children to dare to initiate willingly their personal adaptation to their inescapable realities. Once these fundamental ego strengths are acquired, the child is able to acquire a sense of purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care and wisdom – the ego strengths associated with each stage. Erikson’s theory embodies a well-balanced concern for nonmothetic or universal psychological â€Å"laws† with some traditional psychoanalytic concern for the uniqueness of the individual, especially in the areas of clinical application and psychohistory. So where does all this theorizing leave Jenny Masterson? A Freudian psychoanalyst may have Jenny free associate to certain terms. Perhaps her free association would turn out something like this: Psychoanalyst: Jenny, I want you to relax and lay back. Close your eyes. Now, I want you to give me the first word that pops into your head when I say a certain word. For instance, if I said â€Å"Dog,† you might say, â€Å"Cat. † Jenny: No, if you said, â€Å"dog,† I would say â€Å"dependent. † Psycho: Interesting, why do you think you would say â€Å"dependent? † Jenny: â€Å"Well, they are aren’t they? I have to feed them, I have to bathe them, I have to wash them, I have to walk them – just like a small child. Except they won’t disobey you, and I expect they’d be a little more respectful of all that I would do for them. Psycho: Okay, the next word is religion. Jenny: Futile. Non-lasting. Psycho: Love Jenny: Useless. Really, love means nothing, just like marriage is meaningless. Psycho: I see. Next word, sex. Jenny: Ugh. So vulgar, dirty, disgusting. So beastly. Psycho: Okay. How about children? Jenny: Ungrateful. Possessions. Really, children just do not realize all that we do for them. We sacrifice, we slave so that their existence may be better and what do they do for us? Nothing. Just heartbreak, never ending hearbreak. Psycho: Okay, just one last word, woman. Jenny: Prostitute. Chip. Unclean. Most women are just so ugly, inside and out. I simply cannot stand their smiles – so inviting, those little trollops. Jenny had some major hang-ups in the area of sexuality. Perhaps all her â€Å"problems† stem from this one subject. Sex. Her hostility towards other women, her hinted-at incestuous relationship with Ross, her extreme jealousy of Ross’ girlfriends, her possessiveness, her lack of close friends – all of these can be traced back to her most important subject. Jenny might have been characterized as an anal character. It can be speculated that during her toilet training stage, she refused to give, was prudish and was retentive. It can be speculated that perhaps through unwise parental insistence, she may have come to value yet fear this psychical function and all the features associated with it. According to Freud, this type of person becomes orderly to the point of obsession, egocentric, picayunish, preoccupied with money and material things and obstinate. Jenny is all of these things. His theory also holds that sadomasochism is also a trait of the anal character. Jenny exhibits this. She inflicts and receives suffering all of her life. She is constantly asking for suffering from Glenn and Isabel when she continually insults them, yet they never give in and make her suffer. She creates situations where only suffering can result for her and others, like when Ross and her moved into the same flat. That was doomed to fail. She constan! tly obsessed over where he was, whom he was with, why he wasn’t paying rent – she drove herself crazy, and in the process alienated her son. Like any masochist, she seems in a strangely perverted way to relish her martyrdom and enjoy her distress. Freudian theory holds that the instincts seek pleasure and therefore that Jenny’s persistence in her treacherous behavior must give her some gratification. While her behavior goes against the very grain of survival, and therefore must be neurotic, it serves to gratify her masochistic needs. Continuing with this theme, Jenny believed sex to be dirty, and beastly. It is not known much about her marriage, but one can hardly picture Jenny as a wanton woman, or even as a woman with normal sexual drives. Her marriage may have even been a product of rebellion, again an anal trait, against her family. The principle explanation for Jenny in a Freudian analysis would turn to Jenny’s confused sexual identity. It might be said that she never worked through her oedipal complex successfully. She did identify with her mother, according to her sister however. By identifying with her mom, she may have taken on masculine role. After all, by 18 she was the main breadwinner in the house. Perhaps she wished to possess her mother, since she had taken on the male role. When she married, this psychosexual confusion was not resolved. In fact, it may have been worsened by her husband’s death. It is said that Jenny did not grieve for her husband. Perhaps she merely transferred her womanly affection onto Ross, expecting a relationship from him that was like that of a lover and not a son. Her jealousy over his girlfriends and her kisses under the moonlight certainly point towards unnatural feelings towards him. Perhaps, with Ross’ birth, she was able to find a replacement for her lack of penis. Ross may have been a projection of her true masculine nature. She was able to live her life in the masculine image by being one with Ross. When he died, she kept his robe and pipe, thus cherishing the remnants of her/his masculine identity. Her love of Ross gives an impression of an incestuous relationship. She has fits of jealousy over his lovers, calls him, â€Å"sex mad† and talks of him like a lover (†kissed under the stars†). She is very delusional when she believes that to Ross, she is responsible for his existence but that he owes her nothing. Her actions speak contrary to this. She is the perfect martyr, constantly making exaggerated sacrifices for Ross. In reality, she expected him to repay her with undying devotion. She wanted to possess him.

Reasons for Human Population on Santa Rosalia essays

Reasons for Human Population on Santa Rosalia essays The fact that the island was remote and uninhabited, the Captain was incompetent, the colonists were flexible, and Mary Hepburn had a genius plan of artificial insemination all kept the population of humans on Santa The Galapagos islands, being located west of the Peruvian coast, "separated from the mainland by one thousand kilometers of very deep water, very cold water fresh from the Antarctic" (Vonnegut 3). The islands are described as a "sailor's nightmare where the bits of land were mockeries, without safe anchorage or shade or sweet water or dangling fruit, or human being of any kind" (17). Santa Rosalia was the "northernmost of the islands, so all alone, so far from the rest" (43). However remote, the islands were mysteriously occupied with life forms such as geckos, rice rats, lava lizards, spiders, ants, grasshoppers, and tortoises. What Darwin referred to as magic for these animals to have lived on these islands, also proved to be magic for those aboard Bahia de Darwin as well. Another contributing factor to the colonists' survival was the inadequate Adolph von Kleist. In fact, we are told that the "combination of the Captain's incompetence . . . has turned out to be of incalculable value to present-day humankind" (139-40). If the ship had ever reached Balta, which the Captain desperately wanted to do, those aboard "would have found it devastated and depopulated by yet another package of dagonite" (233). His incompetence kept the ship at sea for dayshe had no map and continued to rely on his "big brain," which was misleading him. He kept steering the ship to put the sun where it was supposed to be, according to his big brain. We are later told that the ship was sailing far too north. (243). About a week later, they are still lost, with the Captain still "turning the ship this way and then that way" (247). In addition, as Leon tells us that if the Captain...

Medical Article Essays - Biology, Medicine, Stem Cells, Anatomy

Medical Article Essays - Biology, Medicine, Stem Cells, Anatomy Medical Article December 21, 1999 The Hope, and Hype, of Cord Blood By DENISE GRADY Should parents pay a blood bank to store the blood from their newborn baby's umbilical cord and placenta, in case that child or another family member ever needs it to treat cancer or leukemia? Expectant parents are being urged to do so by companies that have sprung up during the past few years to sell cord-blood banking as a form of biological insurance against such dreaded diseases. The pitch is based on reports in medical journals, such as a major study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that cord blood can sometimes be used in place of a bone marrow transplant. Like bone marrow, cord blood is rich in stem cells, which can churn out many different types of cells to rebuild a patient's blood supply and immune system after high doses of radiation and chemotherapy. And a patient's own cord blood, or that from a relative, is more likely than cord blood from an unrelated donor to be a good tissue match and to be accepted by the recipient's body. Some experts in bone-marrow transplantation and blood banking frown on the cord-blood business, arguing that people are being frightened into wasting money on a service they will probably never need. Moreover, private companies are growing in tandem with public banks, and some scientists worry that private banking will limit public access to cord blood. They are concerned because the cord blood in private banks remains the property of the donor family and is not available to patients seeking a compatible donor. But the companies say that however remote the possibility that the blood will be needed, people who choose to bank their own cord blood have a right to do so. In most cases their cord blood would be thrown away in the delivery room if they did not pay to bank it. There are only a few cord-blood banks in the United States, and most hospitals do not have specially trained staff members to collect the blood. Like bone marrow, cord blood must be matched to the recipient by tests for six inherited traits that determine an individual's tissue type. Cord blood does not have to be as precisely matched as bone marrow, but still, the closer the match, the better the odds of success. The weaker the match, the more likely it is that the recipient's body will reject the transplant, or the transplant will attack the recipient's tissues, in a life-threatening reaction called graft versus host disease. The companies that freeze cord blood and bank it point out that a person's own cord blood is a perfect match, and a sibling's cord blood a more likely match than a specimen from a stranger. And so, the argument goes, the best way to protect an entire family from the unthinkable is to save the newborns' cord blood. Promotional literature for one company, Cord Blood Registry, in San Bruno, Calif., emphasizes that people with cancer in the family may have a special interest in cord-blood banking, along with those who have the hardest time finding matches, which includes members of racial minorities, especially families in which the parents are of different races. According to a spokeswoman, Scoti Kaesshaefer, the company reaches parents-to-be by promoting itself to doctors, nurses and childbirth educators, and by leaving information at hospitals. Among the promotional materials the company provided to the New York Times were copies of articles from other newspapers suggesting that cancer among children is on the rise. The company also has a Web site and an 800 number with a recorded greeting that instructs callers to have their credit cards ready. The idea of saving one's own cord blood seems to be catching on. Cord Blood Registry, which describes itself as the largest private cord-blood banking firm in the United States, has stored 10,000 samples during the past three years: 1,500 in 1995, 3,000 in 1996 and 6,000 in 1997. The company charges an initial fee of $1,200 to collect a sample and freeze it, and then $95 a year to keep it stored in liquid nitrogen at the blood bank at the University of Arizona. Customers include people with perfectly healthy children, who just want extra peace of mind, as well as some families who have lost a child to leukemia or another disease and fear for the health of their other children. In its three

Broken Windows Theory Essay Example for Free

Broken Windows Theory Essay The â€Å"broken windows† theory as explained in the article; which holds that physical detoriation and an increase in unrepaired buildings leads to increased concerns for personal safety of residents and a rise in the crime rates, is an applicable theory for the conditions in the inner cities. I believe it also can apply to the current conditions in some suburban areas that are degrading, such as the local town of Norristown where I grew up. Norristown up until the 1960’s and the rise in drug use, was peaceful little mini-city in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Growing up in Norristown, my father would tell me stories of neighbors taking care of neighbors during tough economic times, and even fearing getting in trouble because everyone in the neighborhood would hit him before he got home to his father. The area hangouts were always clean and peaceful, and the houses were up kept. There still was crime, but it wasn’t always violent or prevalent. That all changed in his estimation by the late 1960’s. The drug culture entered into the area, and houses started to become run-down due to numerous squatters living 10-15 at the time in them. Area hangouts became dangerous, and he said they would have to literally fight other groups to be allowed to use the basketball courts. Violent crimes with weapons rose, and so did murder. During the 1970’s and the 1980’s, older residents began moving out in droves despite the Council’s attempts to institute tougher crime-fighting tactics. By the turn of the 2000’s, many neighborhoods looked rundown and were dangerous. I was born in Norristown in 1986 and lived there until my parents were able to move out in 1998. Drugs were rampant, crime was bad, and my mother never let me leave the house without someone older and trustworthy escorting me. If you took the time walking down in the neighborhoods, which we did a lot to get to school, you noticed many of the things mentioned in the â€Å"broken windows† theory breakdown. Many houses had broken windows, graffiti, and were the hangouts for drug users. Squatters were as prevalent as they were in the late 1960’s, with anywhere between 10-20 adults of all kinds of races living in the houses and dealing drugs. The police couldn’t do anything without getting shot. A lot of officers were harmed, and the drug operations to try and stop the flow of drugs from Philadelphia and Camden, NJ were hardly successful. I personally saw two of my cousins fall trapped to both sides of this dichotomy, one became a narcotics officer who was forced into retirement due to being shot in the back by a drug dealer, and another cousin is spending the next 25 years in prison for drug trafficking and the sale of cocaine. Gangs and drug dealers began coming from Philadelphia to establish â€Å"satellite† branches of their operations. People began putting bars on their window s due to the break-ins, community events kept getting cancelled, and the sound of gunshots became normal. By late 2004, the Council in Norristown decided to take action. Rundown houses were boarded up and condemned. Cops were brought in from outside jurisdictions to train the Norristown police on how to run better undercover drug sting operations. Crime was reduced, but murders were still high. The Council also sought out one thing they didn’t before, outside investment by companies to revitalize sections of the town. With these steps, Norristown has begun to improve, and so has the feelings of safety for the local populace. However, Norristown has decades of decay to combat, which will take time. If only they had looked at the â€Å"broken windows† theory they could have fixed this years ago. Broken Windows Theory. (2018, Oct 20).

An International and Comparative Human Resource Management Essay

An International and Comparative Human Resource Management - Essay Example As the essay states globalization of markets is an important aspect of modern world system which involves all areas of public life, including economy, politics, social sphere, culture, ecology, and safety. It is one of the most influential forces determining the international HRM. Development of IHRM becomes important in maintenance of human relationships and ensuring the physical well-being of employees so that they give the maximum contri ¬bution to efficient working. It is obviously closely related to the management process as a whole and each functional manager and supervisor must apply the principles effectively. According to the discussion findings International HRM have a great influence on the global consumer market as well. The transition to the knowledge economy, globalisation, and omnipresence of information and communication technologies (ICT) require a permanent updating of the skills and competences of organizational workforce. Business is not all about profit but also for organizational value creation. Organizational values in MNEs involve providing opportunities for employees’ development and self-realization, pursuing unmatched product quality, creating a safe working environment, and working for the improvement of the natural environment. . The aim of the paper is to apply the concepts of International HRM and comparative HRM for analyzing practices of P&G in South Korea. Information about the MNE's background (Proctor & Gambler) P&G is a multinational enterprise which operates in 160 countries around the world. Its main activity includes manufacturing of consumer, pharmaceutical and household products for diverse target audience. After the Second World War, P&G had started its international and global expansion in manufacturing and sales. In 1954 P&G has started its international activity in Europe leasing a detergent manufacturer.In 1980 P&G became a global company, and after a period of successful mergers and acquisitions with such brands as Noxell, Max Factor and Ellen Betrix, P&G expands its global presence. In 1993, the 50% of sales came outside the USA (Bob's River View, 2002). With the changing economic environment, globalization of markets, international economic integration and increased competition have enhanced the need of new strategies in international and global business. Today, it is one of the most important infrastructure requirements, which is essential for the expansion of opportunities and plays an important role in making or breaking the competitive positioning of P&G. The main products of the company can be divided into 6 categories: laundry and cleaning products, beauty

Substance requirement in global tax planning Research Paper

Substance requirement in global tax planning - Research Paper Example As tax planning possibilities increase for companies, particularly holding companies, the research paper agreed with Jourdan (2009) who found that â€Å"concerned states are eagerly trying to protect their tax base by developing anti-tax-avoidance legislation – often in ways that disregard the character of the activity conducted.† It is based on this recurring development that the research makes a very strong advocacy to companies to adapt radical means and measures of ensuring that the payment of taxes does not become a hitch to their financial growth. Part from the setting up of holding companies to be used in qualifying for tax exemptions, the research therefore concludes that companies could rather use re-basement of their assets. Some of the key findings made from the research paper on tax strategizing are given in the bullet points below: The key advantage associated with substance in international tax planning is that it helps the multinational company in better tracking its true financial assets with or without tax reliefs The use of claiming treaty benefit is one of the safest legal means of gaining legitimate reliefs from taxes.

Germany and the Gurmans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Germany and the Gurmans - Essay Example The thought of that period painted in me a negative perception towards Germany and the German people in general. However, my current perception is that of respect and understanding of how Germany has contributed significantly to some of the technological advancements we enjoy in the world today. The historical significance of Germany in shaping the politics of the world is also without doubt. A key theme in this perspective is that Germany has always been a primary player in the world politics and as a result a major contributor to the global affairs. Although I had known that Germany had significant influence in the course of things during the 1st and the 2nd world war, I had not known that the influence dated back centuries ago to great leaders such as Frederick the Great. Germany has also produced one of the best scientists that have contributed significantly to the field of medicine. For instance, scientists like Paul Elhrich and Robert Koch who contributed significantly to the scientific fields of medicine, microbiology and immunology. These are men who dedicated their lives for the noble course of humanity with the aim of improving better understanding of diseases. One wonders the condition of the world had there not existed such scientists. Germany is a country that strived to ensure that it was at the forefront of scientific inventions and therefore consolidating its position as one of the leading countries in the world. Such scientists had the whole world in perspective when conducting their experiments in order to find solutions not to the problems of Germany alone but to the problems of the whole world. In the field of psychology and sociology, Germany also produced one of the key contributors in these fields. The contributions of German sociologists and psychologists improved the understanding of mental diseases and human behaviors in the society, thereby setting the pace for contemporary sociologists and

Who are the 'winners' and 'losers' in globalization Essay

Who are the 'winners' and 'losers' in globalization - Essay Example the article concludes that the prospects for a satisfactory synthesis of a liberal economic theory of globalization, a normative political theory of the global public domain, and a new social bond are remote"( Devetak & Higgott 1999). Largely looking in terms of distribution of economic benefits of globalization it can be surmised that entrenched vested interests and inequalities have remained or even worsened. These inequalities, by themselves, would make any concept of global polity, economy or social bond from arriving in synthesis for maintenance of global social order. We examine the extent of inequalities below. Again in a slightly different context Phillip W.Jones makes a statement which is extremely relevant to the definition of globalization in present context. Jones states that," The logic of globalization contrasts markedly with that of internationalism. The latter, with its intrinsically democratic foundation, looks to a world ordered by structures supportive of that functionalism which is embedded in accountability. Globalization, by contrast, implies few logical imperatives in favour of accountability, but rather looks to the pursuit of interest on the global level through the operation of unfettered capitalism"(Jones,1998). Examining the globalization context from economic point of view prima facie capitalist motives of profits appear predominant. New technological developments, improvements in communication, growth in transnational infrastructure and liberalizing of trade and capital flows have enabled entrepreneurs the globe over to deploy and run their capitals chasing markets the globe over. The globalization aligned attitudes of IMF and World Bank are exemplified with clarity by Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, when he says that," The key aim of today's policy makers has not changed compared to those at the Bretton Woods times - it has been, and still is, global prosperity and stability - but the environment in which we are acting has changed profoundly......Today we are striving for stability of the international financial system in a world of free capital flows with a growing importance of private flows and increasing trade and financial integration"(Trichet, 2004). As Roby says," world-wide output and trade have grown apace with market openings and the rise of efficient global business networks these past 15 years. An entrepreneurial class is energizing once-stagnant command economies" (Roby, 2005). It is at once apparent that this 'entrepreneurial class' is essentially limited in number the globe over. They also have limited spheres of influence. Consider for instance, the pharmaceuticals giant Astra Zeneca (AZ) has multinational operations and employs just about 65000 employees globally (Annual, 2004). Such instances abound in almost all industrial and commercial sectors where spread and success have been limited. Has AZ been able to provide cheap drugs to global population-perhaps no. We perhaps need more global entrepreneurs in each activity to raise

The King of Pop VS The King of Rock N Roll Essay

The King of Pop VS The King of Rock N Roll - Essay Example Another artist who gained fame from his ability to entertain the audience with passionate dancing moves is Elvis Presley. The eye-popping dancing moves displayed by both Jackson and Elvis resulted to them being crowned as king of Pop and Rock N Roll respectively. Therefore, the essay will seek to provide detailed comparison between Jackson and Elvis with respect to their dancing power as well as their contribution towards musical dancing styles. The fame and popularity of both Jackson and Elvis resulted from their ability to drive their audience wild. Since the two artists specialized in different genres, their dancing styles also varied. Taking a look at the Jackson, he managed to cement his name not only as the king of Pop music but also the master of dance floor (Steve Huey). Jackson managed to increase the number of his followers following his ability to display extra ordinary dancing moves. He could make slicker glide accompanied with snappier heel leading to fine and smooth moonwalk dancing moves. Despite being a talented singer, Jackson had mastered ways of spinning around his dancing move and then slotting it into the beats as if it is a musical riff (Roy). While his audience surrendered as he ruled the stage, his taut and perfectly rhythmic dancing moves totally changed various aspects of his music videos. The style, story, the value of production and audience to Jackson’s music videos were greatly impacted by iconic dancing moves. The smooth formation drills as well as gravity-defying lean and crotch-grab are among the ground breaking dancing moves that have greatly shaped the modern Pop culture (Roy). The dancing moves by Jackson have had lasting impacts in the field of entertainment. Endless examples can be witnessed in the dances employed by film stars in Bollywood as well as sharply choreographed bands in the early 1990s. While Jackson can be

The Importance of Motivation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Importance of Motivation - Research Paper Example The researcher states that motivation applies in many areas including the classroom, working place and even at the home place. This paper will discuss the importance of motivation in the mentioned areas, the positive effects of motivation and the happenings if there is no motivation. In a classroom with no motivation, the students with less learning capabilities or rather those who are slow in learning get disadvantaged. They become frustrated and bored with assigned tasks that they cannot handle. These students tend to have little interest during class time thus their concentration lowered. Their view of the importance of education is changed and such students will take it as a burden. Their attendance for classes decreases while some can even stop schooling. In a classroom, motivation comes in where the students feel some sense of belonging. The teachers base the syllabus according to the interests of the students. The students instructed using different approaches. Some theory wor k put into practice to break the monotony of being in a classroom. The students have the opportunity to make decisions about how they prefer to learn a given subject or topic. Motivation in a classroom is important since it has a positive result in the long run. The desired achievements of success attained. The gap between the fast and slow learners brought closer. The courage, pride, behavior, and performance of motivated students generally rise compared to those who are not motivated. A workplace is a social place where combined capabilities or different individuals bring out a tangible effect. Motivation at the workplace is all about what and how workers want to work. It entails what they want to be introduced, improved, or abolished for them to work comfortably. Lack of motivation in workplaces brings in headaches to the managers and employers, as the employees do not produce the best. There arise issues of low profitability, company failures, and thus closure due to low product ion.

The King of Pop VS The King of Rock N Roll Essay

The King of Pop VS The King of Rock N Roll - Essay Example Another artist who gained fame from his ability to entertain the audience with passionate dancing moves is Elvis Presley. The eye-popping dancing moves displayed by both Jackson and Elvis resulted to them being crowned as king of Pop and Rock N Roll respectively. Therefore, the essay will seek to provide detailed comparison between Jackson and Elvis with respect to their dancing power as well as their contribution towards musical dancing styles. The fame and popularity of both Jackson and Elvis resulted from their ability to drive their audience wild. Since the two artists specialized in different genres, their dancing styles also varied. Taking a look at the Jackson, he managed to cement his name not only as the king of Pop music but also the master of dance floor (Steve Huey). Jackson managed to increase the number of his followers following his ability to display extra ordinary dancing moves. He could make slicker glide accompanied with snappier heel leading to fine and smooth moonwalk dancing moves. Despite being a talented singer, Jackson had mastered ways of spinning around his dancing move and then slotting it into the beats as if it is a musical riff (Roy). While his audience surrendered as he ruled the stage, his taut and perfectly rhythmic dancing moves totally changed various aspects of his music videos. The style, story, the value of production and audience to Jackson’s music videos were greatly impacted by iconic dancing moves. The smooth formation drills as well as gravity-defying lean and crotch-grab are among the ground breaking dancing moves that have greatly shaped the modern Pop culture (Roy). The dancing moves by Jackson have had lasting impacts in the field of entertainment. Endless examples can be witnessed in the dances employed by film stars in Bollywood as well as sharply choreographed bands in the early 1990s. While Jackson can be

Soil Conversations Essay Example for Free

Soil Conversations Essay The aim of soil conservation is the prevention of soil erosion so that the fertile topsoil is retained. There are a lot of methods that can be used to conserve the soil. These are: *Mechanical methods: The main strategy used in mountainous areas is terracing. Terraces built across slopes hold the soil on flatter land. These are mainly needed in tropical lands were rain falls in heavy storms, capable of removing large amounts of soil on slopes. On a smaller scale are embankments placed across the bottom of steep slopes to hold back soil and water. Farmers can help by using contour ploughing (around the slope instead of up and down). Ridges formed by ploughing block the downward movement of water on slopes. Planting trees in lines, either as windbreaks for the farm or as shelter belts between the fields, checks wind speed and protects from erosion. *Changes in farming practices: Erosion rates are lower when the soil is covered, one strategy can be the use of mixed cropping or internal cropping. For example, a field crop like maize can be planted between a bush or tree of coffee. Instead of leaving the soil open to wind, the bushes will afford protection. Crop rotation can also help in the same way if crops of different sizes and periods of growths are planted in neighbouring fields. The main advantage of crop rotation is the maintenance of soil fertility. This is because not all crops use the same nutrients: what one takes out from the soil, another will give back. Maintaining soil fertility is very important; adding organic matter to the soil is the best way to hold water and promote a stable soil structure. The main farm sources are animal manure, crop stubble, and straw. Mixed farming cannot be practiced everywhere, in the Great Plains in the western USA dry farming is used. Because of the low water availability, dry farming involves spacing plants more widely than in wetter areas and leaving the land empty of crops (fallow) every other year. In the dry years of the 1930s the top soil blew away in great clouds. Farmers were obliged to change their techniques during fallow years. Now field surfaces are left rough, and the soil is covered with a layer of waste and straw to protect it from the action of both sun and wind. *Community solutions: Some strategies are funded by governments, for example tree planting on slopes in and next to farming areas, in order to replace trees already cleared. Planting schemes without the community support are not always successful; the participation of the community increases the chances of success. For example in Nepal local people are allowed to harvest grass that is taken to the village to fed animals, animal dung is used to fertilize the land. When government instructs and supports this kind of projects, schemes like this can form part of an integrated rural development program. Soil conservation is integrated with agricultural change to increase food output and improve rural standards of living. A major issue in many rural communities in developing countries is land ownership. A majority of farmer don’t own their lands but pay rent to landlords, making the introduction of new conservation strategies impossible. What is need is a land reform that change this, but liitle progress has been made because powerful landowners have too much too lose.

Development of Management Strategy for Growing Company

Development of Management Strategy for Growing Company Introduction Nowadays technologies are growing so fast that if we will not be able to adopt them in time, than our company becomes non-competitive. This project was done with an aim to apply gained knowledges in engineering and management course, to analyse how selected firm can be developed from engineering and management sides. Engineering studies will help from the one hand to apply engineering knowledges, but from the other hand to get known new technologies and how they make our life better. Universities experience in management and marketing studies will help to do analyses of rival companies and make clear how companys management can be improved or adopted from existing successful companies. There are two important processes in building construction, foundation and roof. Both constructions are equally important for building wellbeing. Foundation need to be designed and build up right in the beginning of construction, but roof need to be carry during all buildings life period. It means that roofs are every sequenced time of period that depends on material, need to be overlaid or repaired. On this theory was born projects engineering part. For projects object was selected a construction firm that focused on roof construction, its technologies and sheet metal works. By exploring roofing market will be determined its growing technologies with an aim to adopt them to selected firm. Exploring major roofing companies management, will help to improve chosen firm current way of management. Generally this project is based on roof technologies, management marketing research. Gained experience will be applied to chosen firm development in all directions. Aim Develop management strategy for a small company. Objectives 1. Literature review of management prescriptive strategy development: * Analysis of environment * Analysis of resources * Development of companys vision, mission and objective * Types of management strategies 2. Choose a company with an aim to apply management strategy 3. Literature review of chosen company 4. Develop management strategy to the chosen company 5. Develop additional management improvements 6. Conclusion Strategic Management Essence of Strategic Management According to the Emergent view there are strategist that suggest that it is hard to predict future and strategy need to be more dynamic with an element of risk. The Prescriptive view Strategic management is about defining a purpose and plans of organisation and work out the actions to achieve desired purposes. The essence of Strategic Management consist from two levels that are shown in Figure 1 and described below : * General corporate level Decision making process depends from in what type of business company belong. The leadership and culture of corporation are very important strategy management. * Individual business level Decision making process generally based on competing for customers, generating value from tangible and intangible business resources and focus on resources that can bring competitive advantage. Strategy is about relations of internal capabilities and external relationships. Figure 1 Essence of Strategic Management (Lynch, p5, 2010) (Lynch, p5, 2010) Approaches to Strategic Management There are exist two different approaches to strategy: Prescriptive and Emergent approach. The prescriptive approach Approach is based on idea that future is predictable and strategy development begins from Where-we-are now and all objectives and steps how implement ideas are developed. The prescriptive theory have three core areas: Strategic analysis, Strategic development and Strategy implementation. All three areas are closely related sequentially. The prescriptive strategy development process shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 The prescriptive strategic process (Lynch, p19, 2010) The emergent approach Approach is based on view that strategy emerges and developed during further period of time based on unpredictable environment. The final objective of emergent approach is unclear and objectives are developed during its realisation. Strategic analysis, Strategic development and Strategy implementation are interrelated. But because strategy is implemented by improvisation and allow mistakes, it is not need to make clear distinction in development and implementation phases. The prescriptive strategy development process shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 The emergent strategic process (Lynch, p19, 2010) Analysis of Environment Analysis of environment is a research of everything and everyone in external environment. It includes suppliers, customers, competitors, government, technologies etc. There are exist nine different tools how environment can be analysed and they are shown in Figure 4. Figure 4. Environment analysis tools (Lynch, p74, 2010) Environment basics There are three basic things that should be analysed: * Market definition and size Question need to be asked in this area is What is the size of market?. It is important to know market size because it will help to design strategy objectives. Market size usually shown in annual sales.  · Market growth After establishing market definition and size need to evaluate how much the market has grown in particular period of time, usually in a year. Market growth rate will influence strategy objectives. Organization that would like to grow quickly will be interested in fast growing market  · Market share It can be defined as ratio of all sales in a market that is detained by particular company. There are different ways how market share can be measured, but most important of them are Sales revenue and Sales volume. (tutor2u) (Lynch, p79, 2010) Degree of turbulence It is important to evaluate external conditions of organisation, specially dynamic of environment. In strategy environment will have high degree of turbulence it will be hard to apply analytical techniques. Environmental forces that influence organisation: * Changeability Degree of environment changeability that shows rate how external factors likely to change. Changeability splits further in such factors: o Complexity Degree of complexity of such factors as internationalisation, technological, social and political. o Novelty Degree of how often new situations influence environment. * Predictability Degree of how changeable environment is predictable. Predictability is subdivided in two categories: o Rate of change How fast environment changes. Usually rated from slow to fast. o Visibility of future Based on previous experience determine how predictable is future. Figure 5. Dynamics of environment. (Lynch, p81, 2010) After doing analysis of factors above will be possible see how stable will be strategy for particular environment. In predictable environment with low turbulence can be used prescriptive approach. In case of high turbulence better to use Emergent approach because of high rate of change where designed objectives can lose their value in short period of time. PESTEL analysis PESTEL is checklist type analysis that is widely used to analyse environment in different directions. Analysis rely on past experience and events that after listing can be used to forecast future or apply them on company improvement design. Factors that need to be discovered in PESTEL analysis:  · Political: o Government policy o Regulations  · Economical o World trends o GDP o Inflation o Unemployment o Energy costs  · Social o Changes in lifestyle o Demographic o Customer demand o Population o Culture  · Technological o Patents and products o Technology development o Speed and change of technologies o Innovations  · Environmental o Public opinion o Green issues o Recyclability o Renewable energy  · Legacy o Law o Health and Safety (Lynch, p82, 2010) Industry life cycle Entity of strategy will change as company move from one life cycle phase to another. In the Introduction phase, company try to attract interest in new product. As product became more recognizable and increase in demand than industry moves into next phase called Growth and with demand increase amount of competitors. Over time when market is saturated and most customers are satisfied with product life cycle proceed to Maturity phase where growth is slowed down. Few competitors may join in this phase, but hard to survive because of high competition. After Maturity phase cycle start to Decline. Whole process is shown in Figure 6. Figure 6. Stages of industry cycle. (Lynch, p87, 2010) Company have more opportunity to survive and gain more profit in life cycle early ages while entry barriers are low and there are only few competitors. But it is hard to determine the beginning of life cycle because if its unpredictable duration. (Lynch, p87, 2010) Key factors for success The Japanese strategist Kenichi Ohmae argue that for successful strategy organisation should define key factors for success that will help to define objectives more correctly. Key factors are resources such as skills, labour, experience or attributes that can bring competitive advantage to organisation. Key factors can be determined not only from internal advantages but also designed based on external environment. There are three factors need to be analysed:  · Customers What exactly customers want? Who are they? Are there any special segments? Why they buy from us? Need to be evaluated (Lynch, p95, 2010): o Price o Service o Product or service reliability o Quality o Technical specification o Branding  · Competition What factors help company to compete successfully? Who are our competitors? What factors influence competition? Need to be evaluated (Lynch, p95, 2010): o Cost comparison o Price comparison o Quality issues o Market dominance o Service o Distributors  · Corporation Companies technologies, organisational ability and marketing? Key resources of our competitors? Need to be evaluated (Lynch, p96, 2010): o Low-cost operations o Economies of scale o Labour costs o Production output levels o Quality operations o Innovative ability o Labour/Management relations o Technologies and copyright o Skills (Lynch, p94, 2010): Porters five forces One of the most important organisation analysis that need to be performed is evaluating environment forces that influence particular company. Such evaluation will help to gain better competitive advantage than rivals. Professor Michael Porter provide model (Figure 7) that helps evaluate forces that will help to understand organisation opportunities. Figure 7. Porters five forces model (Lynch, p95, 2010) The bargaining power of suppliers Every organisation require raw materials to produce product or service it mean that organisation depend from raw material suppliers. There are shown how suppliers can influence organisation: * If there are few suppliers it means that it is hard to switch to another supplier in case supplier is exert its power. * There are no substitute raw materials that supplier provide. * Organisation costs depend from suppliers price. If supplier increase price for provided material than costs will increase and organisation need decide: increase product price or not. Increased price can lead to lose of competitive advantage but if price stay the same that profit will be smaller. The bargaining power of buyers To make a profit organisation sell their products or service to customers. Every customer have need, wants and own opinion about particular product. Organisation should make customer power analysis to understand who have more influence over other. There are some issues: * There are only few buyers. Organisation have weak position and generally depend from customers and want to attract them as more as possible. In this case customers can easily influence organisation. * Product or service is undifferentiated. Customer can easily switch to product offered from other organisation. The threat of new entrants Entrance of new rivals is possible whet profit margins are attractive and entry barriers are low. Porter argue that there are seven factors that influence entry barriers: 1. Economies of scale Production cost are reducing when product volume significantly increased. These cost reductions provide entry barriers, because company entered in such market forced to keep small price to be competitive. 2. Product differentiation Brand, level of service, attracted customers provide entry barrier because by entering in such market will lead to spend extra funds and time to make new brand more recognizable and establish in the market. 3. Capital requirements Entrance in some markets require investment in technologies equipment, distribution etc. 4. Switching costs When customer is satisfied with provided service or product he is not thinking about other products and it is hard and require high investments to influence customers opinion. 5. Access to distribution channels Production need to be effectively distributed. It takes long time to establish own distribution channels and make it work profitably. 6. Cost disadvantages independent of scale Already established companies invested hardly in infrastructure and gained mayor buyers in the market. It becomes hard for new company to find what to start with, because infrastructure is already established and it is hard to involve changes. 7. Government policy Government tend to secure local companies and publish law that defend them. The threats of substitutes Substitutes is something that can replace a product or service usually provided for smaller price. Things that need to be analysed relative to substitutes: * Customer ability to switch to the substitute * The possible threat of obsolescence * What costs will provide switching to substitute Rivalry among existing firms Some markets and companies are more competitive than others. There are thing that need to be analysed (Model of competition): * Number of competitors * Size of competitors * Growth rate * Product differentiation (Lynch, p97-101, 2010): Four links analysis Most organisations links together to perform better with other companies help. Co-operation can lead such factors: * Reduce costs * Increase organisations sustainability * Open new market sectors The Co-operation usually divided in four subgroups that help more clearly define co-operation type and how it might be improved:  · Informal co-operative links and networks The organisation links and co-operates together on mutual basis without contract. The analysis need to be made to find out what opportunities will provide such link. Usually analysis contain from strengths and weaknesses. Need to pay attention by forming mutual contract because in case fraud it will be hard to prove that particular company is right.  · Formal co-operative links Formal co-operation is linked with legal contract. The difference from informal co-operation is in degree of formality. Such links usually form alliance or joint ventures that works together for many years to gain competitive advantage over rivals and take more market share.  · Complementors The Complementors are companies that supply products that add value to final product. Usually such co-operation is based on several companies that provide different skills and resources that work together on manufacturing of one product. Such organisations have interdependence between themselves.  · Government links and networks The organisations that have linkage with government. (Lynch, p102-105, 2010) Competitor analysis In most markets there are more than one competitor. It is hard to evaluate each of them and because usually it is done by taking few companies and making narrow evaluation. It will help to understand what advantages and disadvantages compare to organisation rivals have. Broad analysis of competitors and their power helps to find their forces. Basic analysis will consist from making competitor profile based on such issues:  · Objective An analysis of competitors objectives help to forecast its strategy. If competitor tend to gain market share then probably will start to implement aggressive strategy. If seeking profit growth than possibly competitor will invest hardly in new plant or improve technologies. Every objective can help to forecast rivals action. Companies annual statements can be useful in evaluating but need to be analysed wit attention because of factor of bluffing.  · Resources The type, size and amount of resources that provide competitive advantage to company need to be analysed.  · Past record of performance Can provide companys successful performance that can be adopted.  · Current products and services  · Links with other organisations Evaluate links, alliances and other types of co-operation than deliver competitive advantage.  · Present strategies Innovation, customers, investments, market share, product range etc. Evaluate how such things used for strategy purposes. Customer analysis Customer is crucial resource of company profit income. Any company will always be interested in as more as possible customer attraction. There are measurements that can be used in customer analysis: * Identification of the customer and market * Market segmentation and its strategic implications * The role of customers service and quality Previously market was based on Mass marketing theory where one product was sold to all customers. Nowadays is used Targeted marketing where company aims on particular market segment and provide product or service only for this segment. Market segmentation can deliver more opportunities to strategy: * Particular segments can be more profitable than others * Some segments can have less competitors that can provide competitive advantage * Some segments can have higher growing rate. (Lynch, p107-108, 2010) Analysis of resources and capabilities Analysis of resources and capabilities gives not only opportunity to look how resources provide competitive advantage but also help understand two important things: * How resources can provide higher profit and better service * Which resources provide competitive advantage and how they can they be improved all time. There are two way that goes interdependent: Value added and Sustainable competitive advantage (Figure 8). Path of resource analysis (Lynch, p119, 2010) Resources and Capabilities Resources and capabilities analysis aim is to recognize where is value added resources and explore what resources deliver competitive advantage to company. There are four questions need to be addressed to company with regard to resources and capability analysis (Lynch, p122, 2010): 1. What kind of resources and capabilities company own? 2. Why organisation have these resources? 3. Why they are important and what advantage they deliver to company? 4. How they can be improved? Figure 9 Sequence of resources and capabilities analysis (Lynch, p122, 2010) Analysis of resources and capabilities starts with full range analysis of resources. It is hard because of some resources are hard to measure. Resources and capabilities can be divided in three categories (Lynch, p123, 2010):  · Tangible resources Are physical resources that contribute to companies value added. These can be modern equipment, location, etc.  · Intangible resources Resources that have no physical presence. It can be companies recognisable brand name, culture, skills level etc.  · Organisational capabilities Such resources as management or leadership that manage tangible and intangible resources. Value added The role of resources in company is to add value and gain profit. The value adding process shown in Figure 10 and can be defined as the difference between product output price and the costs of input. Figure 10. Add Value process (Lynch, p130, 2010) The Value chain The value chain is a value of all activities that is linked with functional parts. Each part makes contribution in value add process. Company perform two types of activity that add value to product or service: Primary activities and support activities. Primary is activities that process itself. Support activities are performed by management and human resources. Porter designed companys value chain process that is shown in Figure 11. Where margin is difference between Total Value and Cost of performance Figure 11. The value chain (Lynch, p132, 2010) The primary activities add value to company by its own way and they are(Lynch, p132-133, 2010):  · Inbound logistics The areas that related to receiving raw materials and goods from suppliers, storing them till they will be required, moving and carrying within company.  · Operations The production area where products or services being produced.  · Outbound logistics The distribution of final product to customers. It is about transportation, warehousing, wrapping etc.  · Marketing and sales Analysis of customers needs and wants and deliver to customers information about what product or service company offer.  · Service It is about before product selling pre installation or after selling service. The support activities:  · Procurement The person or department that is responsible for purchasing raw materials or goods. The goods need to be purchased for as low as possible price and highest quality.  · Technology development The important are that need to be updated all the time.  · Human resource management Training, recruitment, management improvement, employees motivation is important for companies success.  · Firm infrastructure Background planning and control of system. The value system Every company have own value chain and at the same time belong to wide system that involve supply and distribution chain and customers chain. The competitive advantage can deliver suppliers that supply better goods to you rather than rival organisations. The value chain need to be evaluated and improved. Sources of competitive advantage (Lynch, p147, 2010): * Differentiation The development of exclusive feature or service that could appeal particular market. * Low costs Development of low cost product or service can attract more customers. * Niche marketing Concentration on particular market and distinguish and provide all necessary to appeal customers from this market. * High performance or technology Improved performance and customers needs satisfaction better than competitors will provide growth in the market share.  · Quality Provide quality that competitors not able to match. * Service Provide service that competitors not able to match. * Vertical integration The backward acquisition of raw material suppliers can increate competitive advantage. * Synergy The combination a parts of business that together could deliver better result success and profit than separate. * Culture leadership and style of an organisation The way how company is organised and managed. The good managed company will lead to employees satisfaction and improve their attitude to company. It will improve service, quality and deliver good environment for innovation. Resource based sustainable competitive advantage There are seven resource elements that can deliver sustainable competitive advantage:  · Prior or acquired resources Easier to create value on already available to company strengths rather than start from beginning.  · Innovative capability The innovation is important because it can deliver competitive advantage and improve entity.  · Being truly competitive Identify resources strength and opportunity is not enough because they need to be comparatively better than competitors as well.  · Sustainability Resources are more competitive if they dont have and cannot be substituted.  · Appropriability Resources must deliver success only to individual company, but not shared among others.  · Durability Good resources should last as long as possible. There is no reason to identify a competitive resources if they are not sustainable.  · Imitiability Resources should be hard to imitate. Defined resources need to be classified in hierarchy of resources (Figure 12) by their importance and delivered competitive advantage. Figure 12 Hierarchy of resources (Lynch, p151, 2010) Improving competitive advantage There are three methods how resources and capabilities can be improved (Lynch, p158-160, 2010): * Benchmarking Compare practice and experience with other companies and identify what improvements can be performed. The compared industry can be perform another kind of job, need to be copied only companies principles of operation. * Leveraging Exploit companies resources fully. That method can be subdivided in 5 prescriptive routes: 1. Concentration Focusing companys resources on the key objectives. 2. Conservation Exploit every resource or aspect available to company. 3. Accumulation Evaluate fully resources of company and use it where appropriate. 4. Complementarity Analyse resources with an aim to combine them. New combination can deliver competitive advantage. 5. Recovery Make sure that all resources generate produce as quickly as possible. * Upgrading resources The resource analysis can show that an organisation is losing its competitive advantage, so resources and technologies need to upgraded. Vision, Mission and objective of the company. Strategy purpose is explored by established mission and objectives of company. To identify mission and objective need to be evaluated why company exist and how value adding can be generated? Additionally need to be explored companys vision based on opportunities and how it can be evaluated. The purpose of the organisation The purposes of organisation need to be defined clearly otherwise it will be hard to establish proper strategy. To define purpose more clearly need to be considered six questions (Lynch, p221-226, 2010): 1. What is our activity and what should it be?  · Need to be considered the area of activity is it business or non-profit organisation?  · Evaluate what company is focused on should company concentrate on the purpose or it can be broad?  · Do company focuses on profit or diversifying? That issue can be defined broad or narrow.  · Usually strategists define purposes based on the competitive resources of company. 2. What kind of organisation do we wish to be?  · The company usually chose one of two areas: o Culture and style Organisations chose this area based on previous experience and developed history. o Challenges to be posed to members of the organisation. 3. What is relative importance of shareholders and stakeholders?  · Some companies purpose is to satisfy shareholders wealth. 4. Do we want to grow organisation?  · Is company growth is included in purpose or it should stay the same size? 5. What is our relationship with our immediate environment and with society in general?  · The purpose need to be considered with environment within which company perform. In immediate environment need to be assumed such factors as turbulence, competition etc. Society in general is about pressures that influence company. 6. How do we bring all these consideration together?  · The summary of purposes need to be stated in few sentences that will specifically describe. Vision for the future It is imagination of company that stakeholders, shareholders or owned would like to see it after a period of time. There are two views on the values that need to be explored to develop a strategy: * The irrelevance of strategic vision For approaching short-term goals strategic vision can be not performed. * The value of strategic vision Vision is a challenging and imaginative picture of the future role and objectives of an organisation, significantly going beyond its current environment and competitive position (Lynch, p227, 2010). There are a lot of reasons to develop a strategic vision and most important is that the vision is going far in future than organisation is and help to develop purposes how to get there. New vision can help to develop mission and objectives. The mission The mission of an organisation outlines the broad directions that it should and will follow and briefly summarises the reasoning and value that lie behind it (Lynch, p236, 2010). The mission need to be defined based on previously explored purposes. In prescriptive strategy mission is set to be realised in next few years. The role of mission is to develop direction which company will follow and try to realise. There are five elements of the mission statement that need to be explored and chosen appropriate: 1. Explore the nature of the company. In this case can be asked such questions as What business are company in? and What is desired business for company? 2. The mission should be developed from customers point of view rather than companys. 3. The mission should show the basic values and beliefs of the company. 4. The elements of sustainable competitive advantages need to be shown in the mission. 5. The mission need to show the particular reason for its choice to realise. The objectives Objectives are the aims that need to be realised to implement the mission. This process cover what and when is need to be done. In most cases objectives should be quantified and measurable, but sometimes such objectives as ethic, employee or customer satisfaction is hard to measure. Company should apply any measurements to hard measurable objectives with an aim to get a feedback how successfully they implemented. Usually companies set objectives in two areas: 1. Financial objectives Such as profit, cash flow, earnings per share etc. 2. Strategic objectives Such as customer satisfaction, market share, product quality etc. (Lynch, p242, 2010). Strategy options development When the purpose of company is defined need to develop a strategy options how to achieve it. After options development need to chose more suitable and that will bring advantage. SWOT analysis As a starting point of strategy options development can be summarising current position using SWOT analysis. SWOT is analysis that helps to find companys internal Strengths and Weaknesses, and external Op