A Letter Of A Prisoner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Letter Of A Prisoner - Essay Example Inside the prison, we have a small clinic, something similar to the family doctor. One day I had a bad stomach ache and they took me to that clinic. The doctor examined me and assured me that I was going to be all right and that there was no major problem to worry about. The pain stayed with me for two days, after that, they took me to the hospital with two guards because the doctor in the prison’s clinic did not know what I actually have. In the hospital, they said that it was the appendix, so I had the appendix operation done for me, and then I went back to the prison. In fact, the guards who were accompanying me were treating were very nice people. They treated me so nicely and for once I felt a touch of the love that I so long to have close to me; your motherly love. I noticed that they were better than when we are in prison. I suppose this was out of compassion. Normally they are not nice people, especially when dealing with us. Prison-officers are tough and stern in the jail. They often insult us, and however much we try to be good and obedient, they can never command us for our behavior. All they do is an insult and mock us; that is the life that I have to live here in prison. We are not treated with less dignity and handled like animals or some creatures that are less human. It is correct that we are here owing to the fact that we are convicted as criminals, even though, it is enough for us to be punished with the confinement. However, not all the warders are that bad.... In hospital they said that it was the appendix, so I had the appendix operation done for me, and then I went back to the prison. In fact, the guards who were accompanying me were treating were very nice people. They treated me so nicely and for once I felt a touch of the love that I so long to have close to me; your motherly love. I noticed that they were better than when we are in prison. I suppose this was out of compassion. Normally they are not nice people, especially when dealing with us. Prison-officers are tough and stern in the jail. They often insult us, and however much we try to be good and obedient, they can never commend us for our behavior. All they do is insult and mock us; that is the life that I have to live here in prison. We are not treated with less dignity, and handled like animals, or some creatures that are less human. It is correct that we are here owing to the fact that we are convicted as criminals, even though, it is enough for us to be punished with the co nfinement. However, not all the warders are that bad. I usually meet a few good ones when I go to the library to study. Let me tell you something about the prison routine. Our day starts at 7:15 every morning lights,and lights are usually on by then. We are allowed to take breakfast from 7:45 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Breakfast is the same every day; two boiled eggs and some cheese, this comes with bread and a glass of orange juice. Lunchtime is from 1:00 until 3:00 in the afternoon. It is usually rice and chicken, and salad on the side. Nonetheless, I have heard from the other inmates that during some special occasions we could have either meat or fish instead of the chicken.

The Impact On Media In Britain Media Essay

The Impact On Media In Britain Media Essay This essay will focus on the impact mass media has had on British society and demonstrate a striking contrast between the previous and present roles of media in Britain society, meanwhile mass media as a propaganda tool , it brings many positive influence on British society. Currently, the people in Britain spend nearly thirty percent of their waking life in the media and communications activities (BBC,2010). The figures from Ofcom shows Britons expend seven hours per day on surfing the Internet, watching TV and using their mobile phones(BBC,2010). Media involve any communication institutions,and in Britain it generally include print media and broadcasting (Oakland,2006). Media have influenced British society in a variety of ways. Oakland claimed that nearly 70% percent of British people gain daily news from television,one fifth from newspapers and nearly 10% from radio. Kasier (2002) cited by Mackeogh (2004) that a investigation of fifteen to seventeen year olds showed that 72% teenagers felt young people can be influenced somewhat or a lot, though only one fourth thought it influenced young peoples behaviour. This paper will first analyze changing role of media in Britain, then illustrate how media influence British society. Finally, it will generate s everal recommendations for this situation. Outline the structure with key and supporting ideas (with referenced support): History: The British press began in the 1620s and development in the nineteenth century(Majesty,1976). Broadcasting began in the 1920s and became sturdy until mid-1980s.BBC was created in 1955 and ITA began in 1954 (Oakland,2006). Internet began in the 1990s ,and it developed rapidly since mid-1990s (BBC,2010). The current situation: Individual spent averagely 538 minutes per day on using all kinds of media(BBC,2010). The time Britons spend on print media are much less than past. Currently, people spend only 31 minutes per day on print media (BBC,2010). TV has become the most significant in the mass media, and the most convinent way for the public to get the news, as well as the information around the world,public spend almost 3.8 hours watching TV per day(BBC,2010). Internet play an important role in current life. Internet has been used by people for everyday,and people spend nearly one third of their waking time on Internet (BBC,2010). The influence of media on British society: Negative: Over-commercialization(Oakland,2006). Media involves some violence, it have some negative influences on young people(Sefton-Green,1993). Positive: Media play an important part of the British economy,people spent more than 10 billion pounds for media activities in 1988(Veljanovski, 1990 ). Media help people culative their citizenship. As a propaganda tool, media promotes citizenship and moral consciousness of the public by using public service advertisement ¼Ã‹â€ BBC,2010 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. The media press ahead with socialist democracy. Burton, G (2005, p.20) highlight that western government clearly know the value of media coverage in swaying public opinion. The broadcasting media play an role as an mirror to keep the diversity of opinion and act as a national communication platform. (Curran, J. and Seaton, J. 2003 p.234) Government control the individuals opinion by mass media(Curran,1938). Media involves the culture of different countries, promotes golblaziation (Hiebert,1987). Recommendation: Reduce the content of unhealth (sex and violence): Magazines for young girls and women should not include lots of information about sex(Stokes,1999). A example of boys own story(Sefton-Green,1993). report more positive aspects. Reduce business investment, re-define the direction of media guide. Media should be a transparent, open, democratic and should not be controlled by government. Conclusion: There has existed several negative affects of media on British society, however, media changed British life style and their thinking way in a variety of aspects. Chosen academic references BBC(2010) Ofcom report highlights multi-tasking media users. Accessed from : www.bbc.uk.com. Burton, G. (2005). Media and society: critical perspectives. Berkshire: Open University Press. Crisell,A.(1999) Broadcasting:Television and Radio. In Stokes, J. and Reading, A. The media in Britain current debates and developments. pp.61-74. Curran, J.(1987). Impact Influence. New York:Methuen co. Hiebert, R. (1988) Impact of mass media.New York: Longman. Majesty, H.(1976)The British press. England:Unwin Brothers Limited. Oakland, J.(2006) British Civilization New York: Routledge. Sefton-Green,J.(1993) Untidy, depressing and violent:a boys own story. In Buckingham, D. Reading audiences. pp.89-116. Stock ¼Ã…’J.(1999). Use it or lose it ¼Ã… ¡ sex,sexuality,and sexual health in magazines for girls. In Stokes, J. and Reading, A. The media in Britain current debates and developments. pp.209-217. Veljanovski,C.(1990). The media in Britain today. London: News International.

sleeping poll :: essays research papers

Many people have a hard time sleep sleeping, about two in five surveyed in this article are sleepy during the day that it causes them to nod off or interferes with work and activities during that day. Julia Sommerfeld, who wrote the article, "Poll paints portrait of a sleepy nation." Shows how if people got a little more sleep, it can stop a lot of little mistake that happen in everyday life. From getting impatient with the kids, overeating, and making mistakes at the work. These are all probably people have from not getting enough rest at night. The survey illustrates how being sleepy during the day it interferes with their activities during the day at least a couple of times a month. Sommerfeld explains about an additionally 58 percent report a few symptoms of insomnia. This is having problems falling asleep, waking up during the night , waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep and unrefreshed when you are waking up. Because of these problems are reaching for sleeping pills or thing to help you sleep. So to improve a person activites during the day you will need sleep to improve your life and the life around you. Many people have a hard time sleep sleeping, about two in five surveyed in this article are sleepy during the day that it causes them to nod off or interferes with work and activities during that day. Julia Sommerfeld, who wrote the article, "Poll paints portrait of a sleepy nation." Shows how if people got a little more sleep, it can stop a lot of little mistake that happen in everyday life. From getting impatient with the kids, overeating, and making mistakes at the work. These are all probably people have from not getting enough rest at night. The survey illustrates how being sleepy during the day it interferes with their activities during the day at least a couple of times a month.

Project on McDonald’s Corporation Essay

Introduction and Background In 1940 two brothers Dick and Mack Macdonald opened their own restaurant. Eight years ago the first concepts and rules of fast food production and sales were formulated by them. Initially the business was created in a such way that everything should be very fast and effective. Brothers spent much time elaborating the layout of the kitchen in their first restaurant, so  they achieved the goal. Inspire of the fact that later they sold their business and their family no longer the owners of it, nowadays mcdonalds have the same efficient system of production and sales that it is able to introduce and maintain all over the world using different strategies and methods. External Environment External environment is a bunch of various outward forces that may have a great impact on the company’s performance. The external environment of every company comprises of three levels: the general, industry and competitor environments. The integration of information received from these environments helps to identify and shape the company’s strategies. Thereby, in order to understand what hindrances company faces or may encounter in the future, it is essential to analyze all the levels of its external environment. It was mentioned earlier that the headquarters of McDonald’s locates in the U.S. so we will analyze general and industry environments in this region. General Environment The general environment is usually examined by the analysis of 7 segments: demographic, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological, global and physical environment segments. First of all, the demographic segment is concerned with the population structure and Ã' omposition. The USA’s population is estimated at 313 286 000 people in 2012. By analyzing population composition, it can be said that there is very high level of immigration. Moreover, it can be said that the birth rate is sufficient: 13.68 births/1,000 population in 2012, according to CIA World Factbook. Thereby, these statistics help to understand that the region is quite profitable and comfortable to operate in due to the large population size and excessive number of potential employees. Last but no least, according to U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income during period of 2006 to 2010 is $51914 which is quite high. Secondly, the political/legal segment is quite important for the analysis because the industry is highly contingent on the different kind of taxes imposed by the governments. McDonald’s  Corporation is obliges to pay business taxes, payroll taxes, Food Product Association taxes (19% of the total profit and 19% in the price of each product) and health and social insurance for the employees. The changes in government’s tax policy may utterly affect the company’s revenue. As regards the economic segment, one of the major challenge for fast food industry is that to keep the price is low for the customer. However, it is quite hard because nowadays the USA is still suffering from the financial crisis which can be a possible reason to decrease in outside food consumption in a whole. The dimension influencing the fast food industry the most is the sociocultural. The reason is that the industry is dependent on people’s preferences and opinions that’s why even tiny changes are crucial. From 2000 to 2002 McDonald’s profits dropped from $1.977 million to $893 million. It was caused by the increase of customer’s health-consciousness and fears of obesity, as a consequence, some customers prefer more healthier options which offer a greater variety of food for health conscious customers. Furthermore, it is quite important to devote attention to technological segment because the technologies always mean faster operation and cost minimization. McDonald’s uses different modern appliances to prepare its food without many dangers and in a quick way. Moreover, the majority of McDonald’s restaurants provides free Wi-Fi. In addition, McDonald’s improved the technology of its supply chain management. Regarding the global segment, it should be highlighted that most U.S. companies are focused globally which means that they operate in many different countries. McDonald’s is not an exception. It is located in 119 countries and is known as one of the most spread fast food restaurants’ chain. Last but not least, nowadays more and more companies are concerned with social responsibility and environmentally friendly policies. Industry Environment The industry environment is usually analyzed by Porter’s five forces model. Firstly, it is the Threat of New Entrants. The threat of new entrants in the fast food industry is high because there are no legal barriers which would keep them from entering the industry. The major barriers in which a firm faces in the industry are the economies of scale and the access of the distribution. In order for a firm to enjoy success in the industry, they must spend a large amount of capital on advertising and marketing. The industry is very competitive because firms are always attempting to steal customers from each other. Access for distribution is crucial in the restaurant industry because if the customer can’t see you or access you easily it’s possible that they won’t go out of there way to eat there. Franchise options also make is easier to enter the market, for example Subway has built their strategic plan around franchise options. Therefore, initially the only cost to enter the market is the starting capital required to open a restaurant. However, it can cost upwards of millions of dollars for all the equipment, licensing, and the property. This costly barrier is the most probable reason that people do not enter this business. The food-service industry doesn’t have any exit barriers, which allow firms to easily leave the industry if they’re not successful, at virtually only the cost incurred. The second force is Bargaining Power of Buyers. McDonald’s, and the industry, has attempted to gain market capitalization, by keeping the customer satisfied, due to the fact there are relatively no switching costs. For this reason, they have adopted the slogan, â€Å"the customer is always right.† The industry must try to maintain a hold on the market by conforming to a changing society as well as maintaining high quality. One of the industry’s most recent concerns is that of creating a healthier society and prevention of obesity. McDonald’s corporation has faced previous law suits on being held accountable for obesity, similarly following the litigation process of cigarettes and tobacco companies. The courts ruled against this issue in McDonald’s favor, making this a remote future risk factor. McDonald’s has had to paid legal fees in order to defend itself in this type of litigation;  however, even with this incremental cost they are still achieving a significant rate of earnings growth. In addition, McDonald’s, in it’s effort to be a more socially responsible corporate citizen by supporting a healthier society, has developed â€Å"light† and healthy menu items in order to give customers additional eating options and in doing so, broadening the array of its customer base while offering it’s existing customer base with healthier menu options. Thirdly, it is Bargaining Power of Suppliers. It can be said that McDonald’s has a large bargaining power because of the fact that they spend 4.852 billion dollars in food and paper in 2004. This can be argued that the companies that McDonald’s buys from could be largely dependent on McDonald’s business. Although in recent years the industry has had a small problem with beef, because of the outbreak of the mad cow disease. This problem raised the cost of beef in Europe tremendously but the cost actually went up around the world because of the beef shortage in Europe. In this case it can be argued that the suppliers of beef have a strong voice as well. The suppliers that sell to McDonald’s have a strong voice also because of the fact that the switching cost for McDonald’s as a whole would be so tremendous that they would not want to make that change, so any problems or disputes would be worked out with there suppliers. Also, with the competition and the number of buyers in the market place, losing a large company like McDonald’s could destroy any supplier but there are other prospects out there to buy that product like Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Burger King and a few others that they may be able to salvage there losses. As for the paper goods that McDonald’s buy from the manufacturers, if McDonald’s were to change manufacturers the supplier could easily change there manufacturing to note book paper by just readjusting the machines but it would come at a great cost. The fourth force is Threat of Substitute Products. McDonald’s is known for their famous French Fries, Big Macs, and Happy Meals. Competitors of the industry also try to compete with similar products; therefore, leading to price wars. McDonald’s created a Dollar Value Menu, in response to competitors such as Wendy’s 99 cent menu. Overall, the industry has tried various product differentiations in order to accumulate greater market share, but most consumers are drawn to the classics for which the establishment is known for. However, growing concern  to achieve a healthier society has led McDonald’s, as well as other competitors, to make extensive menu changes, in order to conform to a more concerned society. McDonald’s is doing more and more to compete with health focused restaurants like Subway. Nutritionist and other leading experts have been hired to join the McDonald’s team in order to ensure that the correct items are added to the menu, while still keeping and improving the classics that they are famous for. For example, the chicken nuggets that we all grew up on are now 100% white meat. McDonald’s is flexible in their menu to conform to the changing tastes of society, but they always serve with a smile! The fifth and final force is Competitive Rivalry within an Industry. Currently in the fast food industry, there is intense competition for growth in the market. The market growth is rising because of the convenience factor and busy consumers not having enough time to cook a meal. The restaurant industry is also growing rapidly due to opportunities in other global markets. In McDonald’s case, they actually have a competitive advantage because they have already entered many different countries and are succeeding in these countries. Each firm within the food-service industry is susceptible to losing customers because there are relatively no switching costs for consumers, therefore the industry has to rely heavily on their brand image and quality of products. McDonald’s has a number of competitors; however they are currently the leader of the industry in market capitalization with a cap of $39.31 billion. Competitor Analysis It is almost vital to know the competitors in your industry in order to be able to overtake and surpass them. The top competitors of McDonald’s are Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC and Subway. Burger King Burger King is the second largest hamburger fast-food chain in the world and is the number one competitor for McDonald’s. Burger King has 11,400 locations in 58 countries and derives 55 percent of its revenue from the drive-through window. Burger King reported 1.72 billion in 2002 in revenue which is a 17 percent increase compared to a 4 percent increase reported by  McDonald’s over the same period. Burger King’s distinct assets include the unique Whopper with its one of kind charbroiled taste and the company policy of preparing the hamburger any way that the customer wants it. Burger King has distinguished itself over the years in many ways including being the first in the fast-food industry to enclose its patio seating in 1957 thereby offering customer indoor dining experience. Burger King also differentiated itself when it installed the drive-through window in its restaurants in 1975. In addition to the Whopper Burger King also offers a few set items on its breakfast menu that differs it from it competitors including the Croissan’wiches and french toast sticks. The rest of the menu also offered the unique veggie burger and chicken Caesar salad. Wendy’s Wendy’s is the third largest fast-food chain with 9,000 stores in 33 countries world wide. In 2002 they reported 2.73 billion in revenue which is up 14.2 percent from the previous year. Wendy’s offers several unique items including the Frostys and Spicy Chicken Sandwiches as well as healthier items such as salads, baked potatoes and chili. Wendy’s has also distinguished itself through the creation of the special value menu with all items on it under a one dollar. Wendy’s also owns several small companies including Tim Horton’s and Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. It plans on increasingly using acquisitions of smaller brands to further growth. In next decade Wendy’s plans to add between 2 and 4 thousand new stores worldwide. One important weakness of Wendy’s is the lack of easily recognizable product compared to McDonald’s Big Mac of the Burger King Whopper. KFC Strategic Objectives: KFC has the strategic objectives of expansion along with profits and sales growth. KFC has also been applying its strategies at improving services and making them more and more customer friendly. It has not only been customizing its menu according to the countries that it has been operating in, it has also been trying to cater to different ethnic groups like African Americans and Hispanics. Such types of strategies are focused on increasing the customer base by better customization of products. Other than the  traditional eat-in restaurants, KFC has also been expanding into non-traditional facilities like shopping malls, hospitals, universities, stadiums; office buildings etc and a number of strategies have been formulated to aid this kind of expansion. Competitive Advantage: A very strong financial background is one of KFC’s competitive advantages. KFC has been functioning as a multinational corporation for several decades. As a result, the company is familiar with the logistical and quality problems which accompany operating an international food operation, and has demonstrated that it can work with host countries and businesses within the host country to develop a strategy which works in the most cost effective way. With the passage of time, KFC has developed another very important competitive advantage for itself — Environmental Friendliness. In March 2009, the first eco-friendly green KFC was opened in Northampton USA. The restaurant is designed according to environmental goals that include cutting energy and water consumption by 30 percent and reducing CO2 emissions. Operations at the new site are also expected to reduce waste and the amount of rubbish sent to landfills; the restaurant composts and recycles other waste, grease and used cooking oil. Other than this, in an effort to reduce its packaging by 1,400 tons, KFC is now switching from cardboard to recyclable and biodegradable paper wrapping for some of its products. Subway Strategic Objectives: The strategic objectives of Subway focus on creating a global strategic plan to enable Subway restaurants to succeed internationally. Other than this subway is intent upon introducing the concept of ‘healthy fast food’. Sandwiches of Subway have been included in diet plans by experts. Subway’s stand regarding obesity in children is not new to its customers. Strategies at Subway are not only about a really ambitious increase in franchises all over the world but they are also about making the food more and more appealing to the health conscious customers because health conscious attitudes, according to the experts, are here to stay now. Competitive Advantage: One of the greatest competitive advantages that Subway was born with is its healthy menu. The salads and sandwiches appeal much more to the people as compared to fried chicken, burgers, fries and pizzas. With its advertising and promotion, Subway has long been highlighting its healthy food in advertising and promotions and with the passage of time, it has established itself as a healthy brand. Another competitive advantage that subway enjoys is the fact that along with traditional locations, Subway restaurants can be found in more than 4,000 non traditional locations such as food courts, health clubs, hospitals, universities, amusement parks or just about anywhere. In fact, Subway restaurants can even be found in automobile showrooms and Laundromats! This global presence is indeed a sustainable advantage for Subway and needs to be managed properly. Subway’s fresh food is also a competitive advantage because unlike its competitors like McDonald’s it allows its franchisees to choose their own food suppliers, to ensure they can access the freshest ingredients. Resources, Capabilities and Core Competences Resources †¢ Human resources McDonald’s is does its best to reward outstanding employees for exception work. It is also putting more emphasis on its hospitality training to ensure a friendlier and customer focused support staff. †¢ Brand loyalty The long queues to McDonald’s in food courts is the best illustration of high level of brand loyalty, that company continues to develop. In advertising campaigns McDonald’s uses the slogan â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† which it there attempt to make McDonald’s an easy choice for families. They have also started using popular music to appeal to youth population. †¢ Real estate It may be surprising, but real estate ownership is one of the significant Mcdonalds resources. It is estimated that McDonald’s generates more money from its rent than from its franchise fees. One of the ways in which  McDonald’s receives funds from its franchises is in rent money. McDonald’s owns all property in which a McDonald’s outlet was built regardless if the location is a franchise or company owned. Capabilities McDonalds used to have several capabilities, among them hiring process and employees training and product innovation.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Hiring process  It is complicated and systematic. It comprises of 3 main stages. 1. Initial interview and psychometric evaluation. On this step the candidates undergoing simple interview and tests evaluating their verbal and critical reasoning 2. Job evaluation. On this step candidates have 2 days practice in a restaurant that allows them to look at McDonalds as a future employees and HR team to assess candidates performance 3. Final interview. The last stage of hiring process includes overall interview and decision about the candidates is made. Taking into consideration staff training, McDonalds has many training programs on every level of restaurant. Training forums are made for basic workers and they start from the very beginning of working in the restaurant. They are designed to help employees with their communicational skills and encourage growth in the company. Other programs are created for managers of the restaurants, such as Basic Shift Management, Advanced Shift Management, and Systems Management Course . Their main objectives are: providing information about internal standards and procedures, teaching data analyses and strategies of identifying and solving different problems. For higher levels employees McDonalds has internship programs for students and recent graduates. Programs let them practice in different spheres of companies performance such as Information technologies, Marketing, Finance and others. Other McDonald’s project – Leadership Development program is based career planning, Individual Development plans, career maps, succession planning, learning activities and others. †¢ Product innovation The main resource developing product innovation strategy are full-time chief working in studios in Munich, Hong-Kong and Chicago. Moreover, localization of products also plays important role in development of innovative products. For example, in India Beef and pork products are not offered due to Indian religious beliefs. What is more, meat and vegetarian meals are prepared in separate areas of the restaurant again as a result of religious laws about preparation of food for vegetarians and meat-eaters. There is an Indian version of the Big Mac in India is called the Maharaja Mac and made with two grilled chicken slices, onions, tomatoes, cheese and a spicy mayonnaise. In Taiwan company introduced kao fan (literally â€Å"baked rice†), that resembles a burger with rice patties in place of buns. Finally, in Philippines McDonalds serves even spaghetti with in sweet tomato sauce, topped with cheese. Core Competences †¢ Produce quick cheap food to large number of customers With this concept, they are able to expand into many countries be the largest fast-food chain in the world. The process of production is the company core competence. Initially it was designed in such way as to be fast and very effective. There is precise guidance of how to do every activity. Mcdonalds pioneered in the systematization of its processes. Efficiency of operations and synchronization is the basis for success of the company. Also, it may be said, that burgers and fries are themselves McDonalds core competences. McDonald’s classic burgers has always taste the same in any outlet in the world. This consistent quality assures customer’s trust and loyalty to the product. It also provides an assuring brand experience. †¢ Structure Some specialists consider the unique organizational structure of McDonalds as its core competence. McDonalds never used rigid hierarchical organizational structure, that company managed to sustain over the years. It uses â€Å"freedom with framework† mantra, keeping structure decentralized. It allows local managers to make decisions by themselves. It also plays significant role in localization of menu due to local needs. Business-Level Strategy The business level strategy McDonald’s uses integrated cost leadership and differentiation. It means the products of mcdonalds is the cheapest on the market and more over McDonalds does its best to make them absolutely different from what others produce, using localization and launching new products almost every year. So the target of its strategy is to meet the needs of buyers whose preferences are distinctively different from others. So MD deals with the costumers who want very fast service with good quality. And it is different from the visitors of not fast food restaurants. The product line is customized to meet their needs. The marketing emphasis is put on communication and market analysis again to satisfy their needs. Finally the way to sustain strategy is remaining dedicated to serving one niche and be better than competitors in everything and do not dilute the brand image entering other niches. Corporate-Level Strategy Corporate-level strategy is a strategy which is aimed at the long term position of a business. A corporation or business can use plenty of methods to develop a corporate level strategy, however, basically, there are four main strategies that almost all businesses use which are: †¢ Concentrate on a single business, other words, business stays on the same industry on purpose to create a strong competitive position within the industry. †¢ Diversification; which is to move to a new business to provide a new good or service. There are two kinds of diversification, related diversification which is to compete in similar area/industry of activities to build a  synergy and unrelated diversification which is to enter a new industry to compete and build a portfolio strategy. †¢ International Expansion. This means some competition in more than one market to serve the needs of the other markets/countries.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Vertical Integration. This is a way to cut costs by providing your own ways of inputs, backward vertical integration and your own channels of distribution and selling outputs by forward integration. Therefore, now let’s move directly to McDonald’s corporate-level strategy. Nevertheless, before we start to consider all the main points of this particular type of strategy, some overview details will be given. Mc Donald’s is a fast food restaurant operating on a global basis. It is operating on 119countries world wide. Mc Donald’s was opened for the first time in Cyprus in June 1997 and by now there are 16 Mc Donald’s restaurants in Cyprus. So, Mc Donald’s uses corporate level strategies like all other global basis corporations in order to reach corporate goals to be cost effective. MC Donald’s is a business which only concentrates on a single task which is the fast food business industry as stated by Dr. Weber, (2000). This special issue someday will help a lot the business to concentrate directly on one single task and get not only more power and market share, but consumer loyalty also in result. This happens because of the fact that they will run many strategies to find the best solutions of the consumer needs and preferences. However this can be very risky if the business fails to meet the right needs of consumers and therefore will not be profitable and as a result will close down due to the possible bankruptcy. Firstly, as it was stated in Washington post (2005) MC Donald’s diversifies its operations in many ways. Thus, the company uses related diversification in order to produce the same products which are burgers and salads basically, but they provide just an enormous number of choices, such as: Big Mac or Mac chicken, different kinds of salads. Moreover, McDonald’s operates in more than one geographical area but still performing the same task. Also it has opened MC cafes all around the world. McDonald’s gets many advantages by doing related diversification, firstly, if there are two Mc Donald’s restaurants in a city, then the two firms can build a synergy by co-operating with the right to use some special facilities such as the advertisements, suppliers and sometimes events, for instance, charity events. Secondly, as stated by Ricky, W (2003), the firm depends less on a single product, so it’s less vulnerable to competitive or economic threats. Other words, Mc Donald’s having variety of products like burgers, salads, ice creams and drinks is not being threaten of competition because this particular company has diversity in its products, for instance, Mc Donald’s Greek Mac makes it more stable and steady than such rivals as Burger King because the rivals do not have such product. Thirdly, it allows the firm to use technology or expertise developed in one market, for example, fast food to enter a second market more cheaply and easily e.g. MC Cafà ©. However, the only disadvantage that Mc Donald’s faces, is the cost of coordinating the operations of the related divisions. In 2001, McDonald’s launched a new venture by opening two hotels in Switzerland (Zurich and Lully) under the name â€Å"Golden Arch Hotel† Stefan, M (2005). This is a good example of an unrelated diversification because of the fact that Mc Donald’s is taking risks of its business from a single activity to many others like taking part in the Hotel industry. Unrelated diversification provides a portfolio for Mc Donald’s because it is operating on two absolutely different industries and the risk is reduced because if one of the two markets that the business has activity in fails to grow successfully, then the growth of the other market will cover the costs of it. Secondly, such strategy is less vulnerable to competitive threats because any given threat from a competitor is likely to affect only a portion of its total operations. However, unrelated diversification is very difficult to manage since the company has to deal with two markets and their strategies, plans and organization and coordination of each specific market which it is  dealing with. McDonald’s has introduced the American concept of fast food to many foreign Markets as stated by, Francine L, (2005). Moreover, the firm has by now, expanded throughout most of the world by operating on 119 countries. †¢ Thus, Mc Donald’s is known globally today because it is expanded internationally. †¢ Mc Donald’s is using multi-domestic strategy to serve each nations needs. It is customizing the fast food menus for each specific country/nation to suit the people’s wants. For instance there is Greek Mac in Cyprus and Greece. †¢ The advantage of this strategy is that the company is targeting a nation very effectively and gains market share by attracting the customers whereas, the cost of production will increase in order to add a new feature to the firm and the prices will rise to cover the costs. As stated in â€Å"Getting the Facts Straight† leaflet of Mc Donald’s, the firm is working with top suppliers and independent experts on health and safety. The Cyprus Mc Donald’s restaurants’ inputs such as meat, is ordered regularly from Italy with the highest quality and when they enter the island,  it is supplied to all the franchise branches on the island by Mc Donald’s vans and trucks. This shows that Mc Donald’s owns its inputs and has its farms to breed cattle and grow vegetable and potatoes. Therefore, this allows the company to diminish costs by doing vertical backward integration. Moreover, it maintains a guaranteed time, quality and amount of supply to the restaurants when required. The drawback of vertical integration is that, at the beginning of the integration huge amounts of capital should be invested in to the backward integration. Mc Donald’s business has been working since 1956 till now successfully and still operates under these corporate level strategies. Cooperative Strategy A cooperative strategy means interaction between two or group of companies which work together to achieve a shared objective. By measures which are  included in cooperation, companies can create value for the customer at a lower cost or with more benefits than it is able to do by itself. The primary type of cooperative strategy used is strategic alliances. Such kind of cooperations means that companies partly share their resources and capabilities between each others to produce new resources and capabilities, e.g. gain shared objectives. Such corporations as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Disney are the biggest multinational corporation with outstanding profits.But how can they enlarge their profits with the same amount of resources? The answer to this question is cooperation. Let’s look through some strategic alliances formed by McDonald’s. Alliance with Coca-Cola McDonald’s alliance with Coca-Cola has  «no piece of paper to fall back on—just  «a common vision and a lot of trust », according to Mr Ivester (Coke’s chairman) ». On setting up in the burger business in the 1950s, one of Ray Kroc’s first successes was persuading a Coke executive Waddy Pratt to provide him with their drink. Coke’s relationship with McDonald’s goes far beyond than just a supplier – It has helped McDonald’s to go to the new markets all over the world, because Coke is sold in almost twice as many countries as McDonald’s. Michael Quinlan, McDonald’s chairman,  «runs off a long list of areas of cooperation, from banking relationships to equipment design ». There is also very close relations between the members of this alliance at board level. When Coke’s chairman Robert Goizueta died, flags flew at half-mast at McDonald’s around the world. Alliance with Disney The alliance between McDonald’s and Disney has moved â€Å"way beyond doing only movie promotions with Happy Meal toys.† Nowadays this alliance has made enormous amounts of progress, for example McDonald’s being a sponsor of Dinoland, one of Disney’s attraction in Animal Kingdom, has built its restaurant outside this attractions park. This new â€Å"smart McDonald’s† is decorated in DisneyWorld style. The staff wear uniforms which is approved by  Disney, which demonstrates McDonald’s characters. Alliance with Master Card and Visa McDonald’s has announced an alliance with MasterCard and another alliance with Visa USA to bring cashless payment options to McDonald’s restaurants in the US. By this cooperation with MC and Visa, a company has provided more comfortable system of payment in McDonald’s which attracts customers. Alliance with Malls and Gas Stations McDonald’s latest expansion targets call for approximately 3,000 new restaurants world-wide both 2008 and 2009. Two-thirds of new restaurants will be built outside the USA. On the other hand, in the US approximately 600 new restaurants will be so-called satellite units mini-McDonald’s found in malls and especially in nationwide retailer. McDonald’s has formed alliances with Amoco Oil Co. and Chevron Corp. in the US to built restaurants in tandem with gas stations to cover more and more destinations all over the country. Global Strategy McDonalds has initially expanded to international markets in the conditions of strong regulations and overcrowded market in the USA. In the very beginning they offered a standardized products and attracted new clients with clean environment policy and brand equity. Recently the company adapt to new conditions by providing new product line and redesigning retail space in order to meet local needs and tastes. This strategy has allowed McDonalds to adapt quickly to new countries, but at the same time it created a long-term threat of diluting the brand and loosing its association with American culture. For instance, in Europe McDonalds becomes going beyond fast-food conception. In order to compete with coffee shops, McDonalds started offering more comfortable conditions, such as WI-FI and iPods for rent. Moreover, they created new healthier and locally adopted foods. Some specialists suggest, that if the company continue to expand with this strategy, it will be quite difficult to remain recognizable and meaningful brand.  Now it is time to consider McDonalds global strategy in more detail, taking China, South Africa, Brazil and Saudi Arabia as examples of strategy realization. But firstly, it is worth mentioning a few background facts. There is an incredible opportunity to expand in the world. McDonalds annual growth rate is about 1000-1500 restaurants and by 5-10 countries. According to the statistics, the company employed about 2 million people worldwide in 2000. The company adapts easily to new customers preferences by incorporating in the menu pommefrite sauce in Belgium and Holland and special mayonnaise based sauce in Iceland. China The McDonalds strategy in China is vary specific and it is aimed for adaptation to local culture. In comparison with the US, it was important for Chinese clients to focus not only on the food, but also on the restaurants’ atmosphere. That is why in China McDonalds restaurants are very similar to the American coffee houses with comfortable conditions for conversation and meetings. An other part of McDonalds strategy is introducing national tastes in its menu, such as the teriyaki burger. South Africa In South Africa McDonalds decided to focus on high populated cites. The point is to serve people where they eat, shop or play. The companies survey figured out that drive thru facilities are much effective then restaurants themselves, that is why there was made a decision on improving retail spaces. Moreover, McDonalds marketing strategy was concentrated on potential customers with different income level. In South Africa McDonalds has 90 branches spanning all nine provinces. It has 3 000 staff in just 39 restaurants, most working for franchisees. Each new restaurant opening creates as many as 80 new jobs, which is really important in current conditions. Brazil The eighth largest McDonalds market is concentrated in Brazil. Management team here is mostly focused on quality improvement and customer satisfaction and it was awarded for these efforts with Franchising Hallmark of Quality. Furthermore, McDonalds Brazil is one of the best employers and fifth among most admired companies in the country. Saudi Arabia and India The most characteristic feature of McDonalds in Saudi Arabia is that it closes five times a day for muslim prayers. McDonald’s India offers aloo tikki and paneer. And it doesn’t serve beef or pork at all. The Big Mac becomes Maharaja Mac in India. The company created special conditions for vegetarians with separate kitchen, cook and utensils. Moreover, in Ahmedabad the company decided to open an all-vegetarian outlet. Holding in respect Muslim tenets of belief, the company does not serve pork in all Islamic countries. There are two absolutely unique restaurants in the Holy City of Makkah, where Moslem customers are exclusively served by the staff, fully consists of Moslem employees, from the Service Crew to the Restaurant Manager level . And finally, McDonalds efforts have improved the local industries and national economy due to the fact that more than 50% of the products used are manufactured locally and in the gulf regions. Recommendations For Business-Level Strategy The main recommendation in terms of business-level strategy is to remain in the same niche. McDonald’s pioneered the whole concept of the fast food restaurant, that is why it should go to some other businesses, such as higher-level restaurant, because it can dilute their image of best fast food restaurant. For Corporate-Level Strategy Due to the fact that not every family has a direct access to McDonald’s cafes or just their place is too far from the restaurants, the idea to provide fast food to supermarkets. The products will be sold in the special vacuum package, so that it would have their original taste. This way the restaurant will loose nothing because there are only advantages which consist of making extra profit and gaining customer loyalty through spreading their production into the farplaced (far located) regions. For Cooperative Strategy As we have seen in the examples of McDonald’s alliances – cooperation is very efficient way of development. In my opinion, McDonald’s can cooperate with greater amount of companies. However, it should be very selective in choosing partner not to dilute its image. For example McDonald’s can cooperate with Apple: McD’s can provide free rechargers to Apple gadgets in its restaurants, while apple spread some apps by the AppStore. I think that McDonald’s also should create alliance with some attraction park companies, as they’ve made with Disney. Of course it would be more profitable for McDonald’s because of the amount of clients concentrated in one place. On the other hand, ones park logo and symbolic in MacDonald’s is worth it. For Global Strategy In spite of the fact, that McDonalds has great expansion opportunities, it is essential for the company to remember about its strength and to prevent brand dilution by means of concentrating on traditional American fast-food menu and including no more then 30% of specific dishes. Talking about the company’s pros, it is essential to continue developing and improving marketing campaign towards children and adults in foreign countries. In addition, such fresh ideas as creating vegetarian restaurants should be adopted in more countries in order to give customers alternative choice. Moreover. It would be a great idea to install Internet access terminals in each restaurants in order to reduce the amount of lag time between a customer’s orders and pick up of the order. This will show the innovative company level and improve its brand image for customers. Conclusion In the conclusion it is worth mentioning that the best prove of fantastic effectiveness of McDonald’s strategy is the fact that it’s competitors trying to copy its standards and processes to become more competitive at the market where McDonald’s still remains the leader. View as multi-pages

Project Management-Transformational Corporate Strategy Essay

Overview of the case study The business environment is very competitive. Consequently, companies need to offer customers proficient and reliable service. If they do not, customers will switch to more consumer efficient companies. Furthermore, as companies grow in size, it becomes harder to keep track of the growing amount of sales and customer information. If a company does a poor job by not focusing and maintaining customer satisfaction, it can result in problems for both the company and the consumer. This study will focus on the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, more commonly known as 3M, and how it empowered its employees, improved its growth rate, customer service and sales by introducing a new approach to growth. This study also provides critical interrogation on the approaches and strategies applied by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company in its efforts to turn around the company after the loss of profit despite the reputable strong tradition of innovation culture. Firstly, the study provides critical elements of innovative methods applied in order to exploit the profitable gains from the excellent research practise. This is done by explicating innovation process that has been applied at the 3M Company  leading to innovative strategic thinking coupled with the work done on the ground. It then identifies the curative recommendations in addressing the major problems that have been identified throughout the case. The fundamental problem of the 3M Company was the inability to exploit profitable improvements by exploiting its excellent and reliable research practice to the advantage of the company. Consequently, the company could not diversify its products in relation to the demands of the fast changing and sophisticated markets at a worldwide level. The company needed to embark on a major example change without compromising its excellent research tradition but to seek turn around strategies in order to maximise its profits. Recommendations and conclusions are clearly defined and they reveal what the author thinks about being an innovative leader who is able to support employees’ in their new ideas by implementing the company culture which is supportive to all of them to produce successful projects. QUESTION 1: What are the main elements of the innovative process at 3M? Is it possible and desirable for other companies to emulate them? â€Å"Richard Lynch defines Innovation as the generation and exploitation of new ideas. Furthermore it also provides organisations with the ammunition to move ahead of the competition. He states that innovation can deliver three priceless asserts to strategic management: 1. Substantial future growth 2. Competitive advantage 3. Ability to leapfrog major competition, even dominant competitors The innovative process at 3M has usually been a focus area for the top management. The company adopted a get out of the away approach towards the product developers in return worked accordingly towards innovation, together with technicians each team had a process engineer to ensure that the product was efficiently made. ï  ¶ The whole team did not face any risk if the product has failed. ï  ¶ The product developers should pay visits in the factories and workplaces to talk to the workers to get ideas for products. ï  ¶ The developers were not given the share of product royalties as the company believed that innovation was driven by sheer love of it. But the developers were encouraged by various means like rewards for innovation and grants for innovative projects. ï  ¶ There was also a dual ladder approach that provided the senior technical persons with great career opportunities to advance without switching over to management. Some of the elements of an innovative process at 3M is a free frame, people are able, capable and freed from any restrictions. Nevertheless someone should judge, review the Innovation Process. Stage stones should be set up otherwise it is no real process. Furthermore the consistency and the success factor should beat a specific period extremely revised and reconsidered regarding implement capability. In today’s competitive industry, cost plays a big role. Innovation is perhaps one of the most words that are over used in the business world today, and some of the organisations blow the innovation trumpet preach but don’t necessarily practice. But there are organisations like 3M that do practice innovation which gives hope to the organisation as they are using innovation in their daily lives through ground breaking products & services which made the company to be in the top ten of Fortune magazine’s most admired US Company. 3M Company sticks to its innovation, If we take a step back from the Innovation process, for the process to be successful it needs an environment to encourage Innovation, below are the points of what the environment characteristics needs to be: ï  ¶ Organizations eager to take measured risks. ï  ¶Ã‚  Business leaders being able to understand technology and the application of it. ï  ¶ An organization that is exposed to change. ï  ¶Ã‚  An organization that is brave enough to see beyond the financial benefits is not made visible that quickly. ï  ¶ Processes and structures to encourage brave thinking business leaders that are able to see what tomorrow will look like The Innovation Process: (Tidd et al., 2005). States that â€Å"the ability to manage the innovation process is an essential competence of any organization, but members must first understand the workings of the process to be successful† Figure 1.1 Adapted from: O’Sullivan (Innovation Process) – 5/29/2008 â€Å"O, Sullivan further explains that† Idea generation The first stage in this perspective of the innovation process relates to the creative activity of generating an opportunistic idea. This stage involves the continuous scanning of the internal and external environment for threats and opportunities that might be developed into an innovation by the organization. This stage involves mining the sources of innovation for new ideas and evaluating solutions to identified problems. An organizational culture that encourages creativity and empowerment can significantly support this phase of the process; this is exactly the similar culture that functional at 3M Company. The input typically stems from a technical insight into a product or process. This is evident in the case of 3M, when Fry had an idea of taking a peelable  adhesive that had been developed some year’s earlier at the 3M research laboratories and spreading it to marketers, it is further mentioned in the case study that it worked well. Opportunity Recognition The second stage of the process is opportunity recognition, in which the opportunity of developing the idea into a new product, process, or service is assessed and evaluated relative to other opportunities. This phase of the process involves deciding which innovative ideas will be pursued by the organization and which are deemed outside its interest. The undertaking of innovative actions is both expensive and resource intensive for any organization, and even large organizations such as 3M. Development If an opportunity is recognized as appropriate for the organization, then the idea moves to a new stage where it can be developed further. This phase involves the development of the idea or solution into a potential innovation that is ready for launch to its internal or external market. The development of an innovation can be highly resource intensive for any organization. It also applies to Fry when his ideas worked well and requested permission to develop the product commercially and he was given an opportunity to develop a manufacturing process. Realization This phase of the innovation process relates to the launch to the market, which is where the customer makes the final evaluation of the innovation. Understanding customer needs is essential to ensure that the eventual offering to the market meets these needs. Competitive Advantage: A superiority gained by an organisation when it can provide the same value as its competitors but at a lower price, or can charge higher prices by providing greater value through differentiation which results from matching  core competencies to the opportunities. They had strong innovation and research foundation at 3M Company that has ability of adaptability, although they experienced loss before but they managed to turn around the situation. It appears that they do not have a competitor in the world with the same level as they are. Instead, there appears to be several competitors in each sector or industry in which 3M offers its products and services. Frequently, as companies grow, they tend to become more bureaucratic and less able to adapt to changes in the market or industry. To conclude I would say that 3M Company’s existing controls are very good and support their strategy. However, they should also incorporate the other missing controls to ensure greater innovation power and profitability. Looking at today’s Industries and competitions amongst them, in my opinion ,I would suggest other company’s follow the steps of 3M, the have made some mistakes but were able to turn around the situation due to their elements of innovation process. QUESTION 2: What do you think of Six Sigma? Can other companies do the same? Firstly Six Sigma is defined as a â€Å"program that is used to improve processes within the organization be it in manufacturing or production processes. Six Sigma is usually prepared at defining goals and problems, measuring existing data and processes, analysing problems and goals, improving processes or tasks and controlling how the problems will be resolved in the future. According to the research I have identified three traits from Six Sigma† I.  The advantages ï  ¶ The benefits of Six Sigma contain the improvement and development of operating processes to ensure quicker response time, quality products and services and better monitoring of performance and work outputs, which I think it is the best approach to growth for 3M since they have dropped their sales. ï  ¶ This type of an approach or model surely and possibly saved 3M Company to come up with the said results and benefits because it provides a formula in which an existing processes is checked for consistency, efficiency and effectiveness, if it fails to measure to the existing industry standards it is revised and redesigned to match the best practices . I would advise other companies to do the same because it is the model that guides the company. II.  The costs ï  ¶ The Six Sigma model also ensures that costs will be dropped because there will be limited time spent in the process and more time to work on the actual tasks which is already handy at 3M. ï  ¶ It appears time its cost is huge and that an organization has to appoint or hire a person that would guide and train top management and middle management in the principles of Six Sigma which is wise for all the companies like 3M than running their businesses at a lot, dropping sale, losing profit. ï  ¶ Furthermore Six Sigma will also empower the employees to gain knowledge as it is the model that will require trainings, yes it will be costly but with productive results at the end. III.  The risks ï  ¶ Six Sigma might also have its own risks, some organisations might not be patient but looking at its approach, it had a positive impact on the 3M Company; it also developed leadership skills and focused on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, even though the approach does wonders in the company, not all  companies of the 3M embraces Six Sigma some of these reasons are very costly training of human force, only applies to the manufacturing industry, and it is just a trend. Other companies might think that, main issue that have to challenge with is if the Six Sigma really benefits the company or  it cost the company to sacrifice the innovative and creative culture for the sake of continuous improvement of products to satisfy the customers and accelerate the financial performance. Nevertheless it proven worth it by 3M because of the rescue it has done to the company while it was falling behind. Organisational Culture: In terms of its organization culture, 3M’s Company culture is promoted to be freedom and full of excitement and anticipation. Employees enjoy being heroes. 3M Company is being innovative in its cultures and company growth, so the focus needs to be on how innovation in 3M, including working cultures and people management etc. can be replicated and benefits different areas in our daily applications Goldman, Maritz, Nienaber, Pretorius, Priilaid and Willliams (2010:94) referring to Roger Harrison’s model of organisational culture mentions that â€Å"it has various attributes with four types of culture that could be easily observed at 3M Company although one called power culture seemed to be more dominant than others. Goldman et al., (2010:95) continue their notion by saying that a person whose personality is suitable for the culture of the organisation will be more likely to succeed than the person who does not naturally fit within the organisation’s culture. The table below reveals all these cultures and their attributes. Culture Attributes Achievement culture Competence, growth, success and distinction Power culture Strength, direction, decisiveness, determination Role culture Structure, order, stability, control Support culture Relationships, mutuality, service, integration Figure 2.1: Adapted from: Goldman et al., (2010:95). Organisational cultures and their attributes. This case study has stressed some of the key activities and principles that contribute to 3M Company’s performance. Most of these are not new and are certainly used by other companies. In 3M Company’s case they may be summarized as an effective company culture that nurtures innovation and a range of management techniques and strategies that together have delivered long-term success. Most of companies pay lip service to the organisation values and practice set out in this case study. There is evidence that 3M Company supports these words with actions. 3M Company hire good people and trust them; this will bring about innovation and excellent performance. 3M Company ensured that introducing Six Sigma is a good move than at other companies. Moreover, the success of the approach is due to the continual reinforcement of its objectives. Indeed, also the performance of individuals is partly judged on whether they are able to achieve the objective. Marketing pull and Marketing push technology According to Lynch (2009:283) market pull is one of the principal sources of innovation which is customer needs analysis. Baker in Lynch (2009:293) emphasize by suggesting that innovation takes place when companies identify new market opportunities and this is how 3M Company attempted to employ market pull by introducing Six Sigma and this exposes that they had ability for creating innovation. The 3M Company business area was completely different from what Six Sigma specialised on so they were necessary forced to encourage creativity, develop leadership skills, customer satisfaction, and exploration and focus where new ideas can come from a wide variety of sources. According to Lynch (2009:283) Technology Push is technology development analysis whereby other industries are being surveyed for their technology developments and assessment of their relevance to its own. 3M Company joined forces with external companies as mentioned above in trying to introduce new approach to growth and link the internally controlled culture of technology push even though they assumed that it was market pull. Their main challenge at 3M Company is that they need to know what technologies to push so that they do not dissolve their establishments. The diagram below illustrates how the two sources of innovation should be exploited by organisation without distinction. Figure 2.2 Adapted from Lynch (2009:283) Two major drives of innovation. QUESTION 3: To what extent, if at all, does innovation matter in setting the purpose of an organisation? Yes innovation does matter in this case because; many organizations invest in innovation in order to change. Organizations put aside a percentage of turnovers to change products, processes, and services. In particular, the  objectives should be achieved because of this investment. Yet, a very large amount of innovation activities does not meet these objectives. The motives behind failure provides clue regarding how to avoid such failure in the future. In this case study the process by which the companies should apply innovation has been examined. It has been examined by making sure that employee understands the process by which innovation takes place in the work place and then improving. In this case study 3M organizations has tried to lower their innovation failure rates and move faster with the process of growth as mentioned previously above about Six Sigma, the approach to growth. Looking at the process of innovation from idea generation, through evaluation, and on to realization, you will also find customers who become evaluators of the success of an  innovation in the company and by concluding there is also key ways to improve the ability of the company or organisation by monitoring the following innovation processes: ï  ¶ Goals, Actions, Teams, Results. Goals of Innovation The principal goals required by an organization in return for this investment vary between organizations. The following have been found across a large number of manufacturing and service organizations and ranked in order of popularity, with the first goal being common to most organizations (European Commission, 1996): ï  ¶ Improved quality ï  ¶ Creation of new markets ï  ¶ Extension of the product range ï  ¶ Reduced labour costs ï  ¶ Improved production processes ï  ¶ Reduced material ï  ¶ Reduced environmental damage ï  ¶ Replacement of products or services ï  ¶ Reduced energy consumption ï  ¶ Conformance to regulations Following are the critical factors that managing technical innovation in 3M Company: a) Organization culture b) Communication and c) Management The causes of failure can vary widely depending on the individual innovation. Some causes will be external to the organization and outside its influence of control. Others will be internal and ultimately within the control of the organization. Some of the more common causes of failure in organizations can be distilled into the following five types (O’Sullivan, 2002): ï  ¶ Poor goal definition It means that organizations find it difficult to define their goals. Poor goal definition requires that organizations decide on appropriate goals for their environment and define these goals in terms that are understandable to everyone involved in the innovation process. ï  ¶ Poor alignment of actions to goals Means that organizations find it difficult to continuously link the ideas and projects they are pursuing with their goals. This is perhaps even more acute if goals are difficult to define in the first place. It also influences effective management of the portfolios of projects that the organization is undertaking to ensure they are balanced appropriately. ï  ¶ Poor participation in teams It refers to the behaviour of individuals and teams, latent knowledge of the organization, and the particular skills of individuals to contribute to the achievement of innovation. It also refers to the payment and reward systems that link individuals to goals. ï  ¶ The poor monitoring of results It refers to sharing of the status of goals, actions, and teams involved in the innovation process within the innovation team and its main stakeholders. ï  ¶ Poor communication and sense of community It relate to ineffective channels of communication and collaboration that constrain knowledge sharing and the ability of employees to participate as a broader community in the innovation process and make informed decisions when needed. Steyn, Schmikl and van Dyk (2010:66) state that knowledge delivers sustainable competitive advantage as illustrated below Leading to> Resulting to> Increased revenue Knowledge creation Technology development Experimental and emergent purpose Innovation Enhanced value added Stronger sustainable competitiveadvantage Figure 3.1: Adapted from Lynch 2009:261- An emergent approach to purpose According to Palmer and Kaplan (2007:2) Strategic Innovation is the creation of growth strategies, new product categories, services or business models that change the game and generate significant new value for consumers, customers and the corporation. According to Lynch (2009:282) innovation is the generation and exploitation of new ideas. This has helped the 3M Company to gain strength in applying lessons learnt from previous experiences like the one of losing the sales and profit. This has made them to be able to deliver what refers to as the priceless assets to strategic management such as the following: ï  ¶ Substantial future growth: The process of improving some measure of the organisation’s success which can be achieved either by boosting the top line or revenue of the business with greater product sales or service income. 3M Company able to restructure by introducing the approach to growth. ï  ¶ Ability to leapfrog major competition, even dominant competitors: Ability to conquer competition focusing on extensive promotions to highlight the distinctive benefits or features of products. 3M Company had employees who are strong in making sales and come up with high successful product â€Å"Post-it notes†. In terms of the competition, it started internally. â€Å"Every company seeks the keys to innovation, but few find them. Over the decades, 3M learned how to be innovative and today the company uses that skill to great competitive advantage.† — Jerry I. Porras, Co-author, Built to Last â€Å"Innovation is more than just a bright idea; it is an idea that gets implemented and has a real impact. In other words, somebody has to make it happen.† — Ernest Gundling, Author, The 3M Way to Innovation: Balancing People and Profit 2.  CONCLUSION It is advisable that, organisation should have its own database in order to fix or limit the problems in the company rather than running at a loss. 3M Company created their database and spent about $20 million, it in an integrated database, which stores information on customers, products, sales, inventory, and finance from all divisions and geographies. If all the organisations of the same nature can follow what 3M Company did, access can be gained to the database through a user-friendly website. Strong search which bring together related products and services from across the entire 3M Company can be easily accessed. Personnel and partners can also access latest information on product prices, availability, specifications and reviews of customer accounts. â€Å"The profitability of customers and products and the performance of partners can also be analysed across the entire company allowing better allocation of company resources. This allows 3M Company to take advantage of market opp ortunities and cross-selling opportunities and at the same time meet and customize the needs of customer segments. â€Å"(Some of the information is adapted from Harvard Business Review) 3.  BIBLIOGRAPHY ï  ¶ Ernest Gundling, Author, The 3M Way to Innovation: Balancing People and Profit ï  ¶ (European Commission, 1996): Goal Innovation ï  ¶ Goldman, G., Maritz, R., Nienaber, H., Pretorius, M., Priilaid,D. & Williams, D.2010.Strategic Management: Supplement for Southern Africa. (1st Edition) South Africa: Pearson Education. ï  ¶ Havard Business Review. Vol 75 (6): 102-103 ï  ¶ Jerry I. Porras, Co-author, Built to Last ï  ¶ Lynch, R. 2009. Strategic Management. (5th Edition). England; Pearson Education Limited. ï  ¶ McQuarrie, E.F. 1993. Customer visits. Building a better market focus. California: SAGE Publication. ï  ¶ O’Sullivan (Innovation Process) – 5/29/2008

Perception of Femininity as seen in The Ring and A Dolls House

Perception of Femininity as seen in The Ring and A Dolls House The perception of femininity has been the object of much thought and theoretical expression. Though countless debates have taken place upon a variety of fields within the expanse of the classification known as femininity, little clarification has come of it. There exist two standards by which females are judged: moral standards and physical appearance. However, there are many different details to be judged in these areas. The ethic criterion that determines what a woman is differs from person to person, whether they are sin or innocence; the same goes for outwards appearance, as each person has their own personal inclinations. One may further scrutinize these differences in the guises of the colorful characters presented in many works of literature.Isak Dinesen in his tale The Ring introduces a perspective of women that might be considered oppressing by the American standard of today. The main character Lise appears to have been highly tyrannized during her life, as is witnessed by h er unwavering loyalty and obedience towards her husband in the story.English: Vera Komissarzhevskaya as Nora in Ibsen's...As a daughter in her particular time period, she is expected to conform to her family's wishes, whatever they may be. As The Ring unravels, it is revealed that Lise is meant to marry Sigismund for possession rather than love, yet she eventually exhibits love for him, despite her situation. There are several examples of her submission dispersed throughout Dinesen's account. The most conspicuous one is Lise's encounter with the sick lambs. Though she is quite obviously disturbed by the various prodding and poking the two men expose the lambs to she does not run, but merely shrink back in fear. Only when her husband excuses her does she retreat to the groves that are, in her opinion, "full of promise." Repeatedly does she voice her wish to flee into...

The Confederate Flag of the CSS Virginia Essays

The Confederate Flag of the CSS Virginia Essays The Confederate Flag of the CSS Virginia Essay The Confederate Flag of the CSS Virginia Essay The Confederate Flag of the CSS Virginia: The Stars and Bars were the first official flag of the Confederacy. Although a striking likeness is shared between this flag and to the Unions Stars and Stripes, the symbols are representations of two nations at war; two very different places and mindsets. The Confederate Stars and Bars were flown from March, 1861, to May, 1863 and throughout that time this flag would gain stars at the same rate that the confederacy gained states into their union, until a final count of thirteen. The Stars and Bars were flown as the Confederate Nations battle ensign during many battles f the Civil War, including the battle between ironclads, a world-changing battle that took place between the CSS Virginia and the US Monitor at Hampton Roads, Virginia. A battle ensign is the badge of a warship, worn before the ship enters battle, it is the indicator to enemies that conflict is on its way. This flag is the source of pride for its mother nation and for the crew aboard her; it is a source of hatred and fear for those who intend to battle against her. A battle ensign is always rescued, if possible, from a sinking ship and is bestowed with honor upon a senior officer. If the flag is derived from a battle ship with a particularly heroic history it is saved and displayed in a place where it can be admired and revered. The Stars and Bars of the CSS Virginia reside, for this reason, in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond Virginia. This flag is the only surviving symbol of a warship that was in itself, a symbol for a new era in the methods of naval battle and ship construction. The Stars and Bars of the CSS Virginia represent a war-ship of world altering consequences. The US Merrimack was a steam frigate, found by the confederate army after they overtook the abandoned Norfolk Navy Yard in 1861 after the commonwealth of Virginia seceded from the Union. The effort to completely destroy the yard was unsuccessful and the Merrimack lay, only half destroyed, in water too shallow for her to completely burn. Fortunately, the ships engines and hull had been spared from flame and remained mostly intact. The confederates, namely Confederate Secretary of the Navy, Stephen R. Mallory saw this as an opportunity; a plan was drawn up to salvage the only partially sunk and partially burned frigate Bourne Jar. , Joel K, Iron vs Oak National Geographic . 01 Mar. 2006:137 . The fact that her engines were unharmed made the ship too valuable an asset to let waste and the Confederates knew that an ironclad ship would be an important tool, Mallory was quoted as saying l regard the possession of an iron-armored ship as a matter of the first necessity. Such a vessel at this time could traverse the entire coast of the United States, prevent blockades, and encounter, with a fair prospect of success, their entire Navy. 2 Quarantines, V, John.. Proving the power of IRON over WOOD. Naval History. 01 Par. 2012:26. The US Merrimack, now in confederate hands, was armed, plated in an iron exoskeleton and outfitted with an iron ram on her bow. The ship was commissioned as the CSS Virginia in February 1862 but with all of the alterations, it was nearly impossible to maneuver. Limitations aside, the ironclad was the Confederacy only hope in the battle against the feared US Monitor, a fast, agile and equally outfitted ironclad from the many Union newspapers reporting on the Virginia, it said We learn, by the way of Washington, that the frigate Merrimac, which was sunk at the burning of the Norfolk Navy Yard has been raised, strengthened and armed by the Confederates, who have ad the audacity to make a trial trip in her, almost within gun shot of Fortress Monroe. It is reported that the Merrimac is expected to become a formidable opponent when put in order for battle. 3 The Valley Spirit. War and other News. 16, Cot. 1861 It would not be long before the Monitor met its Confederate counterpart and the anticipation would be put to rest. The final battle of the CSS Virginia took place at Hampton Roads, Virginia. The ship had seen battle there the day prior when it came up unexpectedly on the Union battleships the Congress and Cumberland. 4 Phillips, B. , Dwindle, Notes on the Monitor-Merrimac fight. The Southern Bivouac. March, The Southern Bivouac. March, thesis would be the first time that the confederate iron-clad would see real battle and Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan, knew that The control of the Roads was critical to Lincoln blockade of southern ports and Union plans to attack the Confederate capital at Richmond. l With this knowledge, Officer Buchanan prepared his crew to destroy the U. S. Ships. The Virginia managed to sink the Cumberland through the use of her bow-ram, which ripped open a hole large enough to admit a horse and cart4 into the side of the Union ship. Also, she arced the Congress to send up a white flag, due to the fact that the artillery of the Union ships were no match for the strong shell of the confederate hull; every shot fired from the Virginia to the Congress had much more effect than those fired back. The two Union ships were boarded by the confederate army and prisoners were taken. Later this same afternoon the CSS Virginia met up with the US Minnesota, she was run aground in the middle of the channel but due to the ebb tide the Virginia let the ship escape until morning in fear of grounding herself and instead, spent the night in the south channel to Swells Point. As dawn broke on the morning of March 9th a dawn was breaking, also, on a new day of maritime-battle. On this day the Virginia would wake to find that the Minnesota was no longer alone in the channel and was now being protected by the US Monitor who would act as a shield for the Minnesota because the loss of this ship would bring even more panic to the Union as confidence in the Navy would be tarnished slightly. For the entirety of the day the two ironclads would clash, the Minnesota would be untouched thanks to the Monitor and the end of the day would result in a veritable draw. Neither warship would be able to feat the other although injuries were sustained on both sides, the Ironclads were both able to leave the battle under their own power and no white flag was ever flown. The two ships had differences in construction but where the Monitor lacked, the Virginia was strong and vice versa. The two powers were equally matched. There are three criterion for a ship to be called an Iron-clad, it must use steam propulsion, it must fire explosives and it must be covered in a skin of strong iron. Prior to the Ironclad, war on the water was dependent on ships on the line and frigates; the heavy and strong and the light and fast. The ships on the line: of the 17th and 18th centuries were the big guns of battle, these were the ships with the most heavy artillery most often, the heaviest ship of the line would be the battle victor. These vessels would carry more than one hundred guns and a crew of hundreds of men. Popularity; this new tactic caused navies worldwide to have to conform to a new tactic called a line of battle. This line was a description of the configuration of warring ships; enemies would sit side by side now, instead of converging in large groups toward one another as they did in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and fire cannons abeam. Contrastingly, a frigate was a ship too small to fight on the battle line. These ships were valued for their invulnerability, they were armed, but not heavily and were used for patrolling. The frigate was in constant use and seein g constant action. It was the frigate that would eventually morph into the iron-clad because their already light-weight would be suitable for the addition of more mass (in the form of armor. ) The first fight of iron-class was on March 9th 1862 and although it was not a tide-turning battle of the American Civil War and it did not result in an overwhelming victory for either the Union or the Confederacy it did two ere important things for the world and for the war. The US Monitor was practically unscathed by the biting attempts of the Virginia to take it down but the damaged incurred by the Virginia to the Cumberland and Congress on the day before its scuttle with the Monitor sent the Union into a frenzy. So worried was the north, that an emergency cabinet meeting was called my President Lincoln to discuss the Virginia and what kind of threat she posed to the Union Navy. 5 Quarantines, V, John.. The CSS Virginia: Sink Before Surrender. The senior U. S Navy officer, Flag officer Louis M. Goldbricks, was fixated on the Virginia and rumored to be suffering from ram fever or Merrimac on the brain due to the disruption the confidence that the confederate iron-clad brought to the Union. 6 Nichols, Roy F. , Robert Underworld Johnson, and Clarence Slough Blue. From Sumter to Shiloh: Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 1 ; Being for the Most Part Contributions by Union and Confederate Officers. New York: T. Housefly, 1956. Print. Also, and more importantly, the battle at Hampton Roads sent an important message to the world; it was witnessed by tens of thousands of troops in ships and on shore, including military observers from Europel and for the first time the world powerhouses had a glimpse of what the naval warfare of the future would look like. Gone were the days where wooden behemoths were the key to success, no longer was it important to be able to haul weaponry en masses, hundreds of men werent necessary for Just one ship. No longer would a small, wooden, agile ship have a chance at survival against the maritime battering ram called an ironclad. The news was heard around the world as entire navies became obsolete in the course of a day. On this day, March 9th 1862 the powerhouses of Britain and France scrambled to rebuild their forces. On the subject of this changing world the London Times said Whereas we had available for immediate purposes one hundred and forty-nine first-class war-ships, we now have two, these two being the Warrior and her sister Ironsides. There is not now a ship in the English Ana apart from these two that it would not be madness to trust to an engagement with that little Monitor. 7 Frigates the world over would be reborn and ships of the line would fade into history. The Virginia was taken to dry dock after its engagement with the Monitor, and after repairs made it back out to patrol the eaters. The Virginia would patrol for a few months longer, waiting in vain for another chance at the Monitor. The Confederates would not get their much anticipated final Virginia and instead try to blockade them into the James River. On the morning of May 10th, 1962 the Virginia and her crew would wake to find that all of Norfolk had been over-run by union troops. Their position as guard was no longer necessary and no one had bothered to tell them! Eventually and for the days following, the Virginia would be stripped of all but some ammunition, in the hopes that her twenty-two foot raft could be lessened to a much more manageable eighteen feet of depth in order for the ship to be able to make its way out of the James River; it was thought that the best option for the Virginia was to get her to Richmond to help in the defense of that city. The draft was eventually achieved but at too much a cost, the fact had to be faced that the ship was no longer a sea-worthy vessel and in her lightened state she had two feet of unprotected hull showing above the waterline. In the end, under the command of Commodore Josiah Atonal the battle ship was grounded and burned in he harbor off of Carneys Island in order to prevent her capture by the Union Ana and her battle ensign was removed. The end of this iron-clad only signified the end of a single heroic ship. Throughout the lifespan of the Virginia many iterations of the Confederacy battle ensign that would have been flown at her stern during conflict. The Stars and Bars of the Virginia have found their home in the Confederate White House, now known as the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. It is one of only two surviving artifacts from the ship at the museum (an original anchor was excused from the wreck in more recent years and decorated the lawn of the museum for a short time). The Confederate White House is a fitting place for these Stars and Bars to be housed, there, they Join a host of other artifacts of the American Civil War and are held in high esteem. The stars and bars of a ship could be argued to be the single best representation of the ship it flew on; it is the embodiment of the soul of the vessel because while it flies, it is clear to anyone that can see it of the heroic intention of its mother ship. At the battle of Hampton roads, as the world watched he wooden navies of the world die and saw as a new age of iron-clad battle was ushered into the global arena, they without a doubt saw the red, white and blue confederate stars and bars flying high above the Virginia the entire time. The Virginia was the confederacy only answer to the iron-clad Monitor. Without it, the Monitor would have gone unchallenged and the confederacy would have been more swiftly beaten.

Find Out What Happened to the Mayan People

Find Out What Happened to the Mayan People The fall of the Maya is one of history’s great mysteries. One of the mightiest civilizations in the ancient Americas simply fell into ruin in a very short time, leaving many wondering what happened to the ancient Maya. Mighty cities like Tikal were abandoned and Maya stonemasons stopped making temples and stelae. The dates are not in doubt: deciphered glyphs at several sites indicate a thriving culture in the ninth century A.D., but the record goes eerily silent after the last recorded date on a Maya stela, 904 A.D. Many theories exist as to what happened to the Maya, but experts display little consensus. The Disaster Theory Early Maya researchers believed that some catastrophic event may have doomed the Maya. An earthquake, volcanic eruption, or sudden epidemic disease could have destroyed cities and killed or displaced tens of thousands of people, bringing the Maya civilization crashing down. These theories have been discarded today, however, largely because of the fact that the decline of the Maya took about 200 years; some cities fell while others thrived, at least for a while longer. An earthquake, disease, or another widespread calamity would have snuffed out the great Maya cities more or less simultaneously. The Warfare Theory The Maya were once thought to have been a peaceful, Pacific culture. This image has been shattered by the historical record; new discoveries and newly deciphered stone carvings clearly indicate that the Maya battled frequently and viciously among themselves. City-states such as Dos Pilas, Tikal, Copn, and Quirigua went to war with one another often, and Dos Pilas was invaded and destroyed in 760 A.D. Some experts wonder if they went to war with one another enough to cause the collapse of their civilization, which is quite possible. War often brings with it an economic disaster and collateral damage that could have caused a domino effect in the Maya cities. Civil Strife Theory Staying with a theory of unrest, some researchers believe civil war may have been a cause. As the populations in the large cities boomed, a great strain was placed on the working class to produce food, build temples, clear rainforests, mine obsidian and jade, and do other labor-intensive tasks. At the same time, food was becoming more and more scarce. The idea that a hungry, overworked working class might overthrow the ruling elite is not too far-fetched, especially if warfare between city-states was as endemic as researchers believe. The Famine Theory Preclassic Maya (1000 B.C.–300 A.D.) practiced basic subsistence agriculture: slash-and-burn cultivation on small family plots. They planted mostly corn, beans, and squash. On the coast and lakes, there was some basic fishing as well. As the Maya civilization advanced, the cities grew, their population growing much larger than could be fed by local production. Improved agricultural techniques such as draining wetlands for planting or terracing hills picked up some of the slack, and increased trade also helped, but the large population in the cities must have put great strain on the food production. A famine or other agricultural calamity affecting these basic and vital crops could certainly have caused the downfall of the ancient Maya. Environmental Change Theory Climate change may also have done in the ancient Maya. As the Maya were dependent on the most basic agriculture and a handful of crops, supplemented by hunting and fishing, they were extremely vulnerable to droughts, floods, or any change in the conditions that affected their food and water supply. Some researchers have identified some climatic change that occurred around that time: for example, the coastal water levels rose toward the end of the Classic period. As coastal villages flooded, people would have moved to the large inland cities, placing added strain upon their resources while losing food from farms and fishing. So...What Happened to the Ancient Maya? Experts in the field simply do not have enough solid information to state with clear-cut certainty how the Maya civilization ended. The downfall of the ancient Maya was likely caused by some combination of the factors above. The question seems to be which factors were most important and if they were linked somehow. For example, did a famine lead to starvation, which in turn led to civil strife and warring upon neighbors? Investigations havent ceased. Archaeological digs are ongoing at many sites, and new technology is being used to re-examine previously excavated sites. For example, recent research, using chemical analysis of soil samples, indicates that a certain area at the Chunchucmil archaeological site in Yucatan was used for a food market, as had been long suspected. Mayan glyphs, long a mystery to researchers, have now mostly been deciphered. Sources: McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004. National Geographic Online: The Maya: Glory and Ruin. 2007. NY Times Online: Ancient Yucatn Soils Point to Maya Market, and Market Economy. 2008.

Learning Organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning Organization - Research Paper Example Thereby it decided to bring about a change in its working structure so as to make the production processes more efficient and to improve the weak points that were reducing its optimal functionality. The initial step the company took was to make an analysis of the black and white film department. It made them aware of the practices that were infringing upon the efficiency of the process along with working processes that could be improved to boast productivity. Moreover the evaluation report highlighted the processes which had become outdated over the period of time and required replacement. After finding out these issues, Kodak formulated a team by the name of Team Zebra, whose function was to make these issues their objectives and devise solutions for them. The prime purpose of the team was to cut down the inefficiencies of work practices and eliminate obsolete processes. As mentioned previously, learning organizations give companies an insight into the external environment and this is what the Zebra Team intended to do. It studied the environment the company was operating in, making an assessment of the technologies available. From the results, the Team was able to chalk out a plan for introducing best practices which would shorten the production lifecycle, prevent delays in delivering orders and improve the service provided to the customers (Barker & Camarata, 1998). The plan was essentially focused on a process known as the flow. Each employee of the organization was no longer employed in a conventional department; rather they worked as part of the flow and were called Zebras. They had meetings, in which they were apprised of the finances of the company. Such a measure allowed for the development of a sense of belonging in them (Dennis, Detering, Santos, Leonard & Norman, n.d.). Moreover, they were divided into different groups

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nursing - Essay Example There is progress, but it is considered to be a very slow trend which needed to be sped up to deliver the potential gains of the strategy (Department of Health, August 2010). An aspect of the End of Life Care Strategy wherein the Department of Health focused on its initial implementation is the care planning (inclusive of assessment) which comes after the identification of people approaching the end of life and will follow the step of coordination of care in the care pathway. It is also where nurses, being part of the multidisciplinary health care team, have active involvement whether working in hospitals or in community settings, more particularly in assessing the patient and the family regarding their needs, wishes and preferences, and is involved in initiating reviews of the care plan to the team if with patient’s permission, thus influenced the selection of the strategy’s aspect to be discussed by this paper. This will explore the implications of the care planning a spect for community heath care providers (nurses in particular), service users (patients) and significant others (family and carers). Community Health Care Providers The Strategy will give emphasis on the nurses’ role in assessment and documentation of patient’s needs, wishes and preferences in addition to her roles regulated by international, national and local policies during the end of life care. As per the code in Nursing & Midwifery Council (2008), nurses are responsible in gaining patient’s trust, treating them as individuals, respecting their dignity, working with others, providing high standard of care, being open and honest, acting with integrity and uphold reputation of profession. This will require nurses to assess and record the needs, wishes, preferences and agreed set of actions of the dying patient (advanced decisions, where to die, etc.) and to participate with the review of the care plan. An example is the Advanced Decisions to Refuse Treatment as a valid and applicable legally-binding document where the nurse is obligated to follow the physicians’ order to withhold life-preserving treatment as stated therein (NHS, 2010). Other options to be considered are the advanced statement and the DNACPR (Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). Service Users (Patients) The care planning of the Strategy aims to enforce assessment and recording of needs, wishes and preferences of patients undergoing their end of life. This will grant patients with greater autonomy in making decisions for their own health, including decisions on where they would like to die. Moreover, it will enforce the community health care providers to assess and record their needs, wishes and preferences even if the patient or family have not yet initiated the discussion of these matters, thereby raising patient’s awareness on his treatment options. The Strategy slightly decreased the number of patients dying at the hospital and die at home inst ead by offering the patient an option to die at home instead (Department of Health, August 2010). Significant Others Families and/or carers of the patient in end of life are also included with the care planning of the Strategy in terms of reviewing the care plan, yet not as specific as the