Rene Descartes Essay -- biography biographies bio

"I think, therefore I am" Rene Descartes was a man obsessed with finding things out for himself, an intellectual who contributed to the field of psychology. Born in the 16th century, Descartes grew up in a society where ideas, thoughts and perceptions were not questioned but were supposed to be understood and supported. While growing up and through his studies, Descartes began to make strides in the fields of philosophy, mathematics and science. Descartes was a man who challenged accepted ideas and aided the field of psychology through his contributions to reflex theory, helping describe the mind-body problem, and challenging accepted theological ideas. An automaton is a mechanical robot that can be defined as a machine that moves itself. Descartes believed that humans and animals moved and acted in the same fashion of the automatons. A hydraulic system is how Descartes explained movements in humans: the brain pushed fluid from the brain through the nerves to our body causing humans to move (Bolles 25-30). After his death, scientist did an experiment and came to the conclusion that the hydraulic idea was incorrect. What might seem as a complete failure of an idea actually became one of the beginning ideas of a reflexive theory (Schultz 26). ?This idea of reflex action can also be seen as a precursor of modern-response psychology, in which an external object brings about an involuntary response,? (Schultz 28). This is a key idea to the reflexive theory that Descartes developed, the idea that humans have an involuntary response. During his work he did several illustration and experiments to test the idea that humans cannot control all of their actions. In one such case Descartes described shows how a human eye cannot be co... ...utual relationship between a humans mind and body. Probably the most difficult and revolutionary thing Descartes did, was make it acceptable to criticize and religion. While he did face criticism for this, he opened up ideas of thought and rationality. An important lesson Descartes taught is that everything in your mind should be in doubt and questions. Descartes is significant because he knew the power of a question. Bibliography Bolles, Robert C. The Story of Psychology: A Thematic History. Belmont, Calf.: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1993. Lowry, Richard. The Evolution of Psychological Theory. New York, NY.: Aldine Publishing Company, 1971. Schultz, Duane. A History of Modern Psychology. San Diego, Calf.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers, 1987. Watson, Robert. The Great Psychologists. Durhan N.H.: J.B. Lippincott Company.

The Theme of Capital Punishment in Norman Mailers The Executioners So

The Theme of Capital Punishment in Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song Throughout this entire book many different points of view are present. Since the main topic of the book is the murders that Gary Gilmore committed and the controversy of his sentence, it was difficult to choose the exact thesis. I believe I came pretty close with the one that I have chosen. I believe that Norman Mailer's thesis in The Executioner's Song (1979) is: The controversy over capital punishment. One reason I believe that this is the thesis is because Gary Gilmore says, "Nicole my inclination is to let them execute me." (473) By Gary telling Nicole, his girlfriend, this he shows that he is ready and willing to accept the fact that what he did was wrong. His preferred method of execution is to be shot....

Developing Orientation Program

Med-Veal handles all administrative functions from the time of the referral until the medical report is delivered to the requesting party. Their goal is to focus on providing excellent customer support while providing high level services to clients all over the country. It is a relatively small company, employing fewer than one hundred employees, many Of which are located at the corporate site in Sterling, Virginia. Med-Veal provides an innovative solution to insurance providers by providing medical examiners that are board certified in their specialties and specialties.All physicians that are contracted with Med-Veal are qualified and free from sanctions or judgments that could compromise their credibility on medical reports. They also provide these services through the united States, so they can be relied upon to locate a qualified provider virtually anywhere. Lastly they provide discounted diagnostic service for Worker's compensation insurance providers, again with facilities avai lable all over the country. The corporate human resources team recently conducted a thorough needs assessment in April of 201 3, and found many positive happenings and orgasm already in place in the company.There were however, several issues that they found during this process that needed to be addressed if they wanted to find contain due success in the industry. One major concern that corporate human resources and management felt needed to be addressed immediately was the high turnover rates within the company. The assessment also showed low employee satisfaction, and much of the staff expressed concern with the fact that was no orientation or onboard program in place, and they were often left to learn the job on their own.There was no formal orientation, with employees spending about 30 minutes with one of the human resource managers to discuss benefits and fill out paperwork, and then about a day being trained by fellow employees on how the computer systems work, and how to sched ule patients for various studies or evaluations. Human Resource Development Intervention Once the needs assessment had been completed, human resources determined that changes needed to be put into place in order to improve employee satisfaction levels, to reduce turnover rates, and to employ a more denaturized onboard and orientation process.If was felt that much of the emphasis should be placed on developing an onboard process and training program, and in doing so it was felt that the turnover rates would drop and the satisfaction rates would rise. Therefore an action plan was implemented in order to create an onboard an orientation program. According to author Patricia Duration (2007), there are three key elements of a successful onboard program. These include a clearly identified process, having the support of managers and other organizational leaders, and aging sure there is timely follow up at the close of the orientation class.Because there was no formal onboard program or ori entation program in place, it was quickly realized that these were all areas that required improvement. There was no traditional onboard process. Employees were brought in, and immediately put to work with very little training. The expectation was that they would learn about the values of the company as they worked. Training was limited and provided on the job. This complaint was felt amongst many of the employees, especially those that were in the independent medical evaluation group which requires being very detail oriented, and able to handle many tasks quickly and effectively.There was no clearly defined program to bring new employees up to speed and train them properly on their respective positions. As the human resources team evaluated these events, they realized that the first step was to come up with the objectives of what they want their new onboard and orientation process to accomplish. This starts with creating a proper training program for new hires. Instructional Design Plan In order to address this problem effectively and create an effective unbarring and orientation program it is important to assess what measures need to be taken.It is imperative that human resources has a broad understanding of the learning style of the participants in order to create the proper objectives for the instruction. In this case, what is needed is a plan to create a more comprehensive onboard and orientation. The objective here would be to create an onboard that answers all questions that new employees might have, to make sure that employees are properly oriented to the company and their position, and that training rules are in place so that employees do not feel that they have been placed in a sink or swim situation.Learning Objectives By completing the instructional design plan, and combining that with the results of the needs assessment, as well as feedback from surveys given to management and employees, it is possible for the Human Resources team to be able to de termine what objectives are important for them to meet in order for new orientation classes and onboard sessions to be successful. In this case the first training session will need to focus on the importance of the onboard program.In this particular case, this session needs to involve a ore detailed overview of the company structure, as this will assist new employees in better understanding the inner workings of the company, and know the proper protocol to follow when questions arise. Objective number two relates to the fact that this is a very specific type of work environment, because you are dealing with workers compensation, and the specific rules and regulations that each state has.It is understood that many of the new hires do not have specific training in workers compensation programs, and that significant time will need to be spent explaining workers compensation ales and regulations, and how they differ from state to State. The third major objective that needs to be address ed in this program is customer service and the importance of provident excellent service to the customer. New employees need to be trained on how to handle various issues when they arise, while keeping the customer informed of the situation at all times.New staff needs to have an onboard and orientation process of at least two weeks. The first week in the onboard sessions, learning about company culture, and having in-services on customer service. In the second week of employment the new employee should be assigned to a senior team member whom they can shadow and be properly trained in their position. Lesson Plan According to Werner and Decision (201 2), an effective lesson plan lays out the step by step agenda of the training process.In the case of Med-Veal, this lesson plan is being established for a new employee onboard and orientation class. Onboard and orientation are to take place at corporate headquarters in Sterling, Virginia, and this will not change. Or in the case of SST. Choir Hospice, the plan for the new employee orientation class. As previously mentioned the first week will be the onboard process, where they will learn company culture, meet various staff members including members of human resources, management and payroll.A sample lesson plan would be as follows: Med – Veal On – Boarding Day 1 Objective: To Introduce new employees to Med – Veal. To inform them of the corporate culture, history and mission of Med -? Veal. Preparation Required: 1. Physical Environment – This course will be taken in the main conference room. All participants will meet there. 2. Equipment and Materials -? Materials ill be provided by Med – Veal. They will include paper and pen for note taking. Employee handbook will be provided during this session. We will require a laptop and projector set up, to be provided by IT. 3.Instructor 4. Participants -? DB – New Hires to Med -? Veal: Onboard class to be the First Monday of each mo nth as necessary to accommodate new employees. Day 1 9:00 -? 9:30 – Introduction and ice breaker. Have new employees get to know 5 facts about their new coworkers, and share these with the rest of the group. 9:30 – 10:30 Introduction to Med – Veal. This session will include history of Med – Veal, and discussion of the company mission. Also discuss code of ethics. 10:30 – 12:00- Meeting with HER staff. Discussion of benefits, and services offered to Med-Veal employees. 2:00 – 1:00 – Break for Lunch 1 -? 2:30 – Introduction to MIME department. Discuss the purpose of MIME. Overview of breakdowns within the department and the differences that can be found from state to state. Discuss the differences between a deposition, an MIME and a DAME. This section with be covered by Shannon Checker – MIME Manager 2:30-3:30 – Introduction to CICS and Diagnostic Department – Discuss duties of this department. Explain differ ences between CICS and MIME departments. Discuss where the referrals come from. Explain the process of getting referrals, and provide overview of procedures.This section will be covered by Lindsey Jensen -? CICS Manager 3:30 – 3:45 -? Break 3:45 – 4:30 – Introduction to CSS department. Discuss how this department provides support to MIME department. Provide overview of job duties and responsibilities. This section will be covered by Even Wagner -? CSS Manager 4:30 – 5:00 – Review of material covered in day one. Answer any outstanding questions. Provide overview of onboard session for day 2. Instructional Methods The instructional methods for this program will be handled in an lecture setting, using instructor led live programs.There will be discussion Of corporate culture, set in a question and answer forum. With the use of audio visual devices they will be able to provide the necessary information to the new hires. There will also be industry spec ific material presented, as worker's compensation has very specific rules that need to be adhered to. There will be a question and answer period at the end of each session, and then there ill also be testing will be given at the end of each day to determine what the new employees have learned, and what they are retaining.Instructors can then determine based on the testing results where and if any additional training needs to be provided to the individual new hires to ensure that they are retaining the necessary material. These training sessions will be provided during working hours which are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. They will break for a one hour lunch daily. Once the first week of onboard has been completed the employee will then move on to the second week of the orientation process which will be done in a one on one setting with senior team members.This on the job training will allow new employees to sit with various senior team members to be trained in multi ple aspects of the position, and also for them to see that they have several different resources available to them. This will provide additional support to the new employees not just from management, but also from senior team members who have the experience. By doing this new hires should feel more secure in their job before they begin, and should ultimately reduce the mount of turnover that Med-Veal is facing.

The Cyclops

Odysseus, the guy who poked me in my only eye, has been fighting for ten years in a city called Troy. When he finally finished, the gods were angry and sent a huge storm in the sea their way. The Greek warriors waited for the storm to end. They ended up on the shore of an island. It’s actually my island. I, Polyphemus, live in a cave on my island. It has lots of food so I’m good. Odysseus and his men explored the island and found my cave. They feasted on my baby lambs, goats, fruits and vegetables.They knew I was going to arrive soon so they planned on offering wine. Then I came in and saw visitors that were not invited. I asked who they were. They said they are warriors from Troy and they were under protection from the god Zeus. I said that I don’t care if they were under protection from Zeus and that I was not afraid of him. I ate two guys and fell asleep. That night Odysseus desperately tried to think of a plan to escape. He found timber and sharpened the end of it. He offers me wine. I drank it.Then for the second time in the story I fall asleep. Odysseus and his men blind me with the sharpened timber. They hid under my fat lambs so I couldn’t find them. They quickly escape and run to their ship. Odysseus taunts me. I throw a boulder with my almost perfect aim. I miss by just a little bit so they got away safely. I mean, come on, they should’ve got a screwed up ship because I only missed by like inches , but anyways, yea, I promise to get revenge the next time he comes back and touches my eye.

Cheat Sheet for Strategic Management

M&A & Restructuring Strategies. Merger: Two Firms agree to integrate operations on relatively equal basis(usually 1 dominates another in mkt share/size/asset value) Hostile takeover: (delivers higher shareholder value than friendly acquires)(Preannouncement returns of hostile takeover anticipated with increase in bidder & target's share price). Diversification creates value by using excess resource. Restructuring used to correct with ineffective mergers/acquisitions. M used as means of growth to potentially lead to strategic competitiveness. ?ing ext env affect type of M used. M used cuz of uncertainty in competitive l. )Increase market power due to competitive threat 2)Spread risk due to uncertainty 3)Shift core biz to diff mkts 4)Manage industry & regulatory ? s. –> Increases strategic competitiveness & value. Shareholders of acquired firm earn above avg returns while shareholders of acquiring firm earn ~0 returns. Reflects investors' scepticism of projected synergies. Reaso ns for Acquisition 1)Increased mkt power(horizontal,vertical,related, sbjct to regulatory review & financial mkt analysis)able to sell good/service above competitive levels/costs of its primary or support activities lower than competitors.Buy competitor/supplier/distributer to Increase size, resource & capabilities. Horizontal Acq helps to exploit cost-based & revenue synergies. Better Most effective when integrate assets with acqed firm. Vertical Acqsitions controls additional parts of value chain. (CVS/Caremark)Related acquisitions(acqing firm in related industry). Create value thru synergy by integrating resource & capabilities. 2)Overcome entry barriers. Help gain immediate access to international markets. Higher the barrier, higher chance firm will acquire. )Cross-border acquisitions(made btwn companies with HQs in diff ctys) global M declined in financial crisis. Chinese companies seek horizontal cross-border acqtns of natural resource. India seek access to pdt innovation capa bilities & new br/distribution channels. 4)Cost of new product development & increased speed to mkt. Gain access to new pdts & to current pdts new to firm. Pharmaceutical firms. 5)Lower risk than developing new products. Acquisitions may become a substitute for innovation. Acquisitions shld always be strategic than defensive 6)Increased Diversification.Diff for companies to develop pdts that differ from current lines for mkts in which they lack experience. Acquisition strategies used to support unrelated & related diversification stgies. More related firms are, greater prob acq is successful. Horizontal & related acqs contribute more to strategic competitiveness. Cisco. 7)Avoid excessive competition 8)Reshaping firm's competitive scope(Lessen dependence on specific mkts) 9)Learn & developing new capabilities. Broadens their knowledge base & reduce inertia. Acquire good talent through cross-border acqtns.Seek to acquire diff but related & complementary capabilities to build own knowl edge base. Biological Drugs, AstraZeneca. Problems in achieving Acquisition success Greater success accrues to (select right target, avoid high premium by doing due dilligence, integrate operations,retain human capital to underst& target firm's operations) 1)Integration difficulties (cultures,diff financia & control systems, working relationships, resolve problems of status of acqed firm's executives) 2)Inadequate evaluation of target.Due diligence – Potential acquirer evaluates target firm for acquisition. Done by investment bankers,accountatnts,lawyers,mgmt consultants. Without due dilligence, purchase price is made by pricing of other ‘comparable' acquisitions than rigorous assessment of where,when,how mgmt can drive real perf gains. â€Å"bidding war† 3)Large & Extraordinary debt. Firms increase debt to finance acqtns. E. g. Junk Bonds. High debt increases chance of bankruptcy, downgrading credit rating & firm may divest some assets to relieve burden to remai n solvent. )Inability to achieve Synergy. Assets worth more when used tgt than seperately. Created by efficiences from EOS, EOSC & sharing resources. Private synergy(combining & integrating target firm & acquiring firm's assets yield capabilities & core competencies that couldn't be developed by integrating either firm's assets with another firm. Transaction costs to acquire & create synergies (indirect & direct) 5)Overdiversification Related diversification outperforms unrelated.Related diversification req more info processing, thus being overdiversified with smaller no. of biz units than unrelated. Scope created by over diversification causes mangers to rely on financial than strategic controls. Tendencyfor acquisitions to become substitutes for innovation. 6)Managers over focus on acqusitions Managers need to: search for viable c, complete due dilligence, prepare negotiations & manage integration process, can divert attention. 7)Too large –> Bureaucratic controls, stifling innovation.Effective Acquisitions Complementary Assets/resources(meet current needs to build competitiveness, high synergy & competitive advantage), Friendly acquisitions(lower premiums,faster & effective integration), Due dilligence(overpayment avoided), Maintain Financial slack(Acquired firm has slack, financing is easier/cheaper), Low-moderate debt(lower risk/financing cost),Sustained emphasis on R of acqing firm (maintain LT CA in mkts), Acqing firm is flexible (faster/effective integration for synergy) Restructuring (firm ? s its set of biz or financial structure).Deal with failure of acquisition/? s in ext or int env. Downsizing (reduction in no. of employee/operating units but may change the composition of biz in company portfolio) used when paid too high premium, reduce duplicate functional jobs. Downscoping(divesture,spin-off to eliminate biz unrelated to firm's core biz) Refocus on core biz Leverage Buyouts(party buys all of firm's assets with debt to take firm private). Restructure & sell. Management buyouts, Employee buyouts, whole-firm buy outs(purchase whole than part of firm). MBOs lead to downscoping, strategic focus, improved performance.Downsizing-;reduced labour costs(ST) -; loss of human capital/lower performance(LT). Downscoping-; reduced debt costs/emphasis on strategic controls(ST)-;higher performance(LT). LBOs-;emphasis on strategic controls/high debt cost(ST)-;higher performance/risk[creates ST & risk-averse managerial focus](LT) International StrategyRationale for international diversification is to extend product life cycle. 4 benefits of using international strategy: 1)Increase market size (size of international mkt affect firm's willingness to invest in R&D to build CA in that mkt.Firm prefer to invest more in cty with scientific knowledge&talent to produce value creating product & processes 2)increased EOS & learning (Firm able to exploit core competencies through resource&knowledge sharing btwn units & network partners across bo rders. New learning opportunities. BUT, firms need to have strong R&D system to absorb knowledge) 3)develop CA through location(lower basic cost of gds/services. Gain access to critical supplies/customers. Reduce liability of foreignness if low cultural distance) 4)return on investment (Generate above-avg ROI) International BL Strategies(cost leadership, differentiated, focus, integrated).Determinants of National Advantage: 1)Factors of production. Basic Factors. Advanced Factors(digital comm systems & educated workforce). Generalized factors(highway system/ss of debt capital). Specialized Factors(skilled personnel in specific indsty). 2)Dem& conditions(nature/size of buyer's needs in home market for industry's gds/services) Large mkt sgmt produce dem& to create scaleefficient facilities. 3)Related & Supporting Industries (Italy's leather-processing industry provides leather to produce shoes. Supporting indstry & design services contribute to success of shoe industry.Cameras & copie rs are related industries in Japan) 4)Firm strategy, structure & rivalry(Germany technical training system for continuous product & process improvements. Italy designers. Japan cooperative & competitive systems facilitate cross-functional management of complex assembly operations. US compt btwn computer & software producers increase development). The factors are likely to produce CA when firm develops & implements an appropriate strategy that take advantage of distinct cty factors. International CL Strategy (scope of firm's operations thru pdct & geog diversification) Unilever Multi-domestic Strategy.Decentralized decisions to SBUs. ! less knowledge sharing for firm as a whole =(no economies of scale,costly. Global strategy(centralized control at home office. SBUs interdependent to achieve integration across bizs) EOS. =( forgo growth opp in local mkts. CEMEX Transnational Strategy Flexible Coordination is required-Building shared vision & individual commitment thru integrated netwo rk. Starbucks China Environmental Trends :Liability of foreignness relative to domestic competitors. Regionalization(more similar culture, legal social norms)EU & NAFTA promotes regionalization.Internatonal Entry Mode 1)Exporting (exporters must establish some means of marketing & distribution) ! high transportation costs, tariffs, less control of products, pay distributer fee,diff to market competitive product/provide customization to international mkt, Exchange rates volatility. 2)Licensing (purchase right to manufacture/sell firms pdts by paying a royalty)~exp& returns based on prior innovation. low cost, low risk ! little control, low returns. 3)Strategic Alliances(uncertain env) ~shared costs/risks/resources, gain access to new technologies, no tariffs! roblem integrating btwn partners (2 cultures) 4)Acquisitions(quicker) ~quick access to new mkt ! high cost(debt), complex negotiations, prob merging with domestic operations 5)New Wholly Owned Subsidiary(Green Field venture) ~Ma x control, potential above-avg returns ! complex, costly, time consuming, high risk. Export,licensing & strategic alliance good for early market development. Joint venture/greenfield venture -> IP rights not protected, high need for global integration, growing no. of competitors. Strategic competitive outcomes 1)Enhanced returns.Decrease initially, then increase. Diversifying geographically into core biz areas positive effect on stock price. Offshore outsourcing created sig value-creation opp as firms move into flexible labor mkts. 2)Enhanced innovation. Exposure to new pdcts & mkts. Opp to integrate new knowledge into operations. Generation of resources to sustain innovation. Risks in international environment 1)Politcal Risk. Govt instability/regulations/corruption/conflict/war/conflicting & diverse legal authorities/potential nationalization of private assets/? s in govt policy 2)Economic risk.Govt oversigh & control of economic&financial capital/weak IP rights&protections impact FDI/terrorism/investment losses from political risk/security risk of foreign firms acquiring key natural resources or strategic IP. Cooperative Strategy(shared objective) Strategic alliance(firms combine resources&capabilities to create CA) Leverage existing resource/capabilities to develop additional resources/capabilities for new CAs. Collaborative/relational Advantage-CA developed through a cooperative strategy. 3 Types of Strategic Alliances: 1)Joint Venture.Siemens AG & Fujitsu -> Fujitsu Siemens Computers (Own equal % & contribute equally. 2 or more firm create legally independent company to share some resources/capabilities to develop CA). Optimal when firms need to create a CA that is diff from individual advantages & when highly uncertain hypercompetitive markets are targeted. 2)Equity. Baidu & Japanese telecom operator NTT DOCOMO (2or more firms own diff % of company they formed to create CA, e. g. many FDIs such as companies from multiple countries are making in China) 3 )Non-equity. HP (2 or more firms develop contractual relationship to create CA.Firm DOES NOT establish separate independent company thus don't take equity positions)-; less formal, fewer commitments & no intimate relationship. E. g. licensing/distribution agreements & supply contract. Reasons firm develop Strategic Alliances Allow partners to create value they couldn't develop alone & to enter markets faster with greater penetration. Firms lack full resources & capabilities to reach their objectives. Slow cyclemkt: Gain access to restricted mkt. Establish a franchise in a new mkt. Maintain mkt stability(establishing st&ards). Fast-cycle mkt: Speed up development of new goods/services.Speed up new market entry. Maintain market leadership. Form an industry technology st&ard(). Share risky R&D expenses. Overcome uncertainty. St&ard-cycle mkt: Gain mkt power(reduce industry overcapacity). Gain access to complementary resources. Establish better EOS. Overcome trade barriers. Meet competi tive challenges frm other competitors. Pool resources for large projects. Learn new biz techniques. BL Cooperative Strategy 1)Complementary Strategic Alliances (Vertical, horizontal) -firms share r&c in complementary ways to develop CAs. More value-creating than other strategies.Vertical(from diff stages of value chain e. g. Nintendo) Horizontal(same stage(s) of value chain to create CAs. ) 2)Competition response strategy(to competitor's attacks). Becuz they can be diff to reverse & exp t operate, strategic alliances are formed to take strategic than tactical actions to respond to attacks. 3)Uncertainty reducing strategy (new pdt mkts/emerging economies 4)Competition-reducing strategy (explicit/tacit collusions) Tacit collusion – Firms in industry indirectly coordinate their production & pricing decisions by observing each other actions/responses.Results in output below fully competitive levels & above fully competitive prices. !reduce service quality, on-time performance. Mu tual forbearance- Form of tacit collusion where firms dont take actions against rivals they meet in multiple mkts. Assessment: R integrated MUST be VCRN. vertical strategy have greatest probability of creating sustainable CA. CL Cooperative Strategy. Firm use this strategy to diversify in pdts offered/markets served. Diversify by means other than M. Require fewer resource commitments, greater flexibility. 1)Diversifying S/A !Highly diverse network of alliances can lead to poorer performance by partner firms. 2)Synergistic S/A(create EOScope across multiple functions/bizs btwn partners) 3) Franchising (contractual relationship to describe/control sharing of its R with partners) Advantages: Attractive strategy for fragmented industry(retailing,hotels,motels) where large number of small/med firms compete without one having a dominant share. Assessment: Alliance costs needs monitoring. International Cooperative Strategy 1)Cross-border alliance(firms with HQs in diff nations decide to co mbine some R to create CA & value).Incentives: limited domestic growth opp, foreign govt economic policies. China & India have strong preference to license local companies. Strategic alliance with local partners help firms overcome liability of foreignness. Operational advantages due to local market information. Network cooperative strategy (several firms form multiple partnerships to achieve shared objectives) Particularly effective when formed by geographically clustered firms. Gain heterogeneous info & knowledge from multiple sources. ! lock in partnerships precluding alliance with others.Stable Alliance network (mature industries where dem& is constant & predictable) Built primarily to exploit EOS/EOScope existing btwn partners e. g. airline industry Dynamic Alliance Network (frequent product innovations & short pdct lifecycle) Competitive risks: Inadequate contracts. Misrepresentation of competencies. Partners may act opportunistically. Partners fail to use their complementary resources. Holding alliance partner's specific investments hostage. Risk&Asset Management Approaches:Detailed contracts & monitoring. Develop trusting relationships -> create value.Managing cooperative strategies: Cost minimization(Firm develops formal contracts with partners specifying how strategy is to be monitored & how partner behavior is controlled) Opportunity maximization(Maximize partnership's value-creating opportunities) Corporate Governance – Set of mechanisms used to manage the relationship among stakeholders & to determine & control the strategic direction & performance of organizations.. It is concerned with: Strengthening effectiveness of company's board of directors. Verifying transparency of firm's operations. Enhancing accountability to shareholders.Incentivizing executives. Maximizing value creation for stakeholders & shareholders. Separation of Ownership & Managerial control. Allows each group to focus on what it does best: Shareholders bears risk that fi rm's expenses exceed revenue (shareholders will hold a diversified portfolio to diversify risk). Managers formulate & implement strategy & decision-making. Agency relationships(between firm's owner & top-level managers) Managerial opportunism seeking self-interest with deceit. An attitude & set of behaviors. Prevents maximization of shareholder's wealth.Product Diversification as Agency Problem 1)Diversification increase size/complexity & thus managerial compensation. 2)Reduces manger's employment risk as a firm & its managers are less vulnerable to reduction in dem& associated with a single/limited no. of product lines/bizs. 3)Managers have control of firm's free cash flows which they invest to diversify instead of giving to shareholders. Shareholders like a diversified position between dominant & related-constrained diversification strategies. Shareholders prefer riskier strategies & more focused diversification. Managers prefer higher levels of product diversification.Managers ma y prefer level of diversification that maximises firm size & compensation while reducing employment risk. Agency costs – sum of incentive/monitoring/enforcement costs, individual financial losses incurred by principals because of agents. 3 internal governance mechanism 1)Ownership Concentration (No. of large-block shareholders & total percentage of shares they own) X Diffuse ownership (large number of shareholders with small holdings & few large-block shareholders) Large-block shareholders are active in their dem&s that corporations adopt effective governance mechanisms.Ownership of many modern corporations now concentrated in h&s of institutional investors than individual shareholders. Institutional owners (financial institutions that control large-block shareholder positions) They are powerful governance mechanism. They have both size & incentive to discipline ineffective top-level managers. 2)Board of Directors (group of elected individuals to formally monitor & control ma nagers in order to act in owner's best interests) Insiders – Firm's CEO & other top-level managers. Related outsiders – Individuals not involved with firm's daily operations but have relationship with firm.Outsiders – provide independent counsel to firm & may hold managerial positions in their company. Outsiders have no firm info & thus emphasize use of financial than strategic controls to evaluate firm. Shifts risk to managers who make decision to maximise their interest & reduce employment risk. Enhance effectiveness of BOD 1. Increase diversity 2. Strengthen internal management & accounting control systems 3. Establish consistent use of formal processes to evaluate BOD performance 4. Creation of ‘lead director' 5. Compensation of director, reduce stock options. )Executive Compensation Use LT incentive plans. Effectiveness: don't link pay to financial outcomes. Manager may focus ST effects to enhance pay. Other factors also affect firm's performance whic h are not under manager's control. Market for Corporate Control (external governance mechanism. The market is a set of potential owners seeking to acquire undervalued firms & earn above average ROIs by replacing ineffective top-level management teams) Used only when internal controls fail. â€Å"Golden parachutes† help them leave while â€Å"Golden hellos† help them to get in the door of the next firm.Hostile Takeover Defensive Strategies â€Å"Poison pill† allows shareholders to convert their rights into large no. of common shares if anyone acquires more than set amount of target's stock to dilute percentage f shares acquiring firm must purchase at premium. Litigation – Lawsuits that help target company stall hostile attacks e. g. antitrust,fraud. Greenmail – repurchase of stocks from agressor at premium for agreement to no longer be targeted for takeover. Standstill agreement – Contract btwn parties in which pursuer agrees not to acquire a ny more stock for specified period for a fee.Capital structure change – Dilution of stock, making it costly for bidder to acquire e. g. recapitalization, new debt, share buybacks, stock selling) Corporate charter amendment – Ammendment to stagger elections of members to the BOD of attacked firm so that all are not elected same year, preventing bidder to install new board in same year. Corporate governance in Germany: 2 tiered board structure, place responsibility of monitoring & controlling managerial decisions & actions with separate groups. Banks exercise sig power as source of financing. Power sharing includes representation from community & unions.Corporate Governance in Japan: Cultural concepts of obligation, family & consensus. Close relationship btwn stakeholder & company through cross-shareholding can negatively impact efficiencies. Keiretsus: Strongly interrelated groups of firms tied tgt by cross-shareholdings. Banks are highly influential with firm's manager s. Global Corporate Governance: Relatively uniform governance structures, moving closer to US corporate governance model. Organizational Structure & Control. Organizational Structure – Specifies firm's formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls, authority & decision-making processes.Curcial to match structure with strategy! Controls guide the use of strategy, indicate how to compare actual results with expected results, & suggest corrective actions to take when the difference is unacceptable. Strategic Controls – Largely subjective criteria intended to verify that the firm is using appropriate strategies for theconditions in the external environment & the company’s competitive advantages. Strategic controls are concerned with examining the fit between: What the firm might do (opportunities in its external environment) What the firm can do (competitive advantages).Evaluate the degree to which the firm focuses on the requirements to implement strategy: B L:primary activities. CL(related): sharing of knowledge, markets, technologies across bizs. Financial Controls objective criteria used to measure firm's performance against previously established st&ards. Focus on ST outcomes. ROI, ROA, EVA(economic value addedmarket based measure). ! produces risk-adverse managerial decisions. Essential for unrelated diversification! Simple Structure (owner manager makes all major decisions & monitors activities) Few rules, limited task specialization, basic tech system.Functional Structure(CEO & limited corporate staff make decisions. Functional line managers present. functional specialization from active sharing. ! impedes comm. & cordination among functional areas. Multi-divisional Structure. Operating divisions represent separate biz / profit center. Top corporate officer delegates responsibilities for daily operations & business unit strategies to division managers. ~Ties together all operating divisions. Enables more accurate monitoring of p erformance of each unit. Facilitates comparisons between divisions.Stimulates managers to look for improvements. Matches between BL strategies & Functional Structure 1)For cost leadership strategyWalmart (simple reporting structure, few layers in decision-making & authority, centralized in a staff function. Job specialized.. 2) For differentiation strategy. Complex & flexible reporting relationship, freq use of cross-functional product development teams, strong focus on mkting & R&D. Few formal rules & procedures. Jobs not specialized. Decentralized. 3)For integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy.Diff primary & support activities emphasized. Match between CL Strategy & Multi-divisional Structure(M-form) 1)Cooperative form for related-constrained. Centralized at corporate office; Extensive use of integration mechanism; emphasis on strategic criteria; linked to overall corporate performance. Frequent direct contact btwn division managers. Liason roles in each divisions redu ce time integrating with work occurring in other divisions. Matrix Organization might be formed(dual structure combining both functional specialization & biz product or project specialization.Cooperation among divisions implies loss of managerial autonomy -> managers hesitatnt to cooperate. Use strategic controls to evaluate manager on how well they cooperate. 2)SBUForm for related-linked strategy ! coordination between SBUs is hard. Diff to communicate complex biz model to shareholders. 3)Competitive form for Unrelated Diversification Strategy Decentralized to divisions; no integration mechanism; emphasize on financial criteria; linked to divisional performance. Finance & Auditing & Legal Affairs 2nd tier. Divisions 3 tier. ~internal competition creates flexibility; resources allocated to most potential division.Challenges the status quo & inertia. Motivates efforts due to funding if u are an efficient division. Matches btwn International Strategies & World-wide structure 1)Worldwi de Geog Area for Multidomestic Strategy. Decentralization to business units in each country. No integration mechanisms. Informal coordination ! inability to create global efficiency 2)Worldwide Product Divisional Structure for Global Strategy. Aims to gain EOS & EOSC;Centralized. Integrating mechanism important(e. g. Direct contact btwn managers, liaison roles btwn departments). inability to quikly respond to local needs & preferences; difficulty in coordinating decisions across borders. 3)Combination Structure for Transnational Strategy Global Matrix. ~flexibility in designing products & responding to customer needs. ! employee accountable to 2 boss. Difficult to be simultaneously loyal to both. Can be member of several functional or product group teams. Difficult & time consuming for approval. Hybrid Structure. (some divisions oriented to products while others oriented toward market areas) Matches btwn Cooperative Strategies & Network Structures.Strategic network (group of firms f ormed to create value by participating in multiple cooperative arrangements) can be a form of CA when operations create value that is hard to imitate. Used to implement BL, CL & International Strategies. Strategic center firm(main firm) does: Strategic outsourcing, seek ways to support members effort to develop Core competencies, Manage development & sharing of technology-based ideas(req formal reports of technology-orientated outcomes of their efforts),Emphasizes principal competition are btwn value chains & between networks of value chains.Centralized. Strategic network for BL Cooperative Strategy(horizontal,vertical Chp 9), CL Cooperative Strategies & International Cooperative Strategies(Distributed strategic networks -Several regional strategic centre firms are included in dist network to manage partner firms' multiple cooperative arrangements)

Aggression and gender on sports and exercise psychology

Aggression in sports can be looked at from different perspectives like hostile aggression or violence which is intended to harm someone or psychologically, or instrumental aggression with a goal twin and not to harm and assertive aggression which is a legitimate force with no intent to harm.In some cases sports and exercises are seen as means of controlling aggression in the society. Some argue that sport allows someone to pen up their aggression in an assertive manner. This notion however creates an argument on whether violence in the society is controlled by sports or it’s the sports that facilitate more violence (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).Various theories can be used to explain the nature of aggression in sports and exercises: the instinct/ biological theory which is bent on people are born aggressive which is not believed anymore, the frustration drive theory where one commits an act of aggression as a release, the revised frustration concept which determines if one will rep eat that behaviour for example, the reaction of a coach toward your aggressive behaviour and social learning theory which involves reinforcement and influence and repeating actions that one sees in sports (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).There are various factors that promote aggression in sports and exercise like heat when temperature exceeds the optimal, loud noise and crowding like when riots occur. Psychological factors like low scoring sports and alcohol which can impair the judgement and induce violence.Other key factors include sociological factors like hooliganism and the media. Sport related factors like point spread, playing at home or away, a win or a loss and the standings of the game or sport (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).Aggressive acts are highly motivated, have tremendous release of physical energy and people not afraid of failure or getting hurt. Acts of aggression take place when official appear biased in low scoring games, fans unrealistic expectations of the team, early fouli ng game, player frustration, strong fan attachment to teams, where standings or records are highly different, losing, pain, embarrassment and playing poorly or unusual excitement when one cannot calm (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).There are various recommendations to reduce aggression in sports. The management should deal with alcohol at sporting events, choose calmer colors and make sports events family oriented. The media can help people approach sports in a more humanistic way.Coaches should promote sportsmanship while the officials need to be objective and change the rules of punishments. Players and fans should have individual responsibility (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).On the gender aspect the tendency for men to manifest a higher level of aggressiveness than men is quite evident. In connection to that men perceive aggression in sports to be more legitimate than men. In most cases in sports that are considered male oriented men display more aggression.Generally women tend to be less inv olved in violent or aggressive sports and exercises. Sports whose officials are female also tend to record less cases of aggression than those officiated by men. Again in most games gender has displayed impacts on instrumental aggression because men display more instrumental aggressive acts than females especially in those games are masculine characteristic (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).In other studies men have displayed more stereotypes in officiating than women, for example they tend to penalize women more than men especially in the male dominated sports.In conclusion aggression and gender greatly influence sports and exercise psychology. Gender also influences aggression in some sports.

Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Report - Essay Example This helps us to engross in a business scenario design and recommend substitute strategies ensuring a comprehensive market appraisal. Later in the document contains the endorsements for the modifications in the structure of the organization, bearing in mind the finest probable manner of handling the business collection and human possessions. An investigation is commenced with the financial assets and broad-spectrum corporation possessions as well as product expansion founded on the gaining of innovative understanding (Augustin, 2011). Consequently, the document recommends designing the impression of strategic alteration in operational administration, and scrutinizes any global plans for the firm. Precisely, this analysis offers in depth strategic SWOT analysis of the corporation’s businesses and operations. The firm’s explanation delivers a perfect and impartial opinion of the company’s key strengths and weaknesses and the prospective opportunities and threats. T his will aid to express strategies that supplement the trade by allowing you to comprehend their followers, patrons and competitors better. Introduction Sainsbury was established in 1869 and nowadays functioning in over 1,106 hypermarkets and suitability stores. The company has around 157,000 employees in all over the World. The slogan of the company is that we (the company) place our clients at the heart of the whole thing we fix and have devoted in their stores, their contemporaries and their channels to distribute the greatest likely shopping experience. Their resilient philosophy and values are the part of their uniqueness and essential to their success (Rowley, 2003). Core values The core values of the company are given as: Accomplishment improved every day – the company emphasizes on enlightening its facilities. Countless services drive sales, however, there is a condition that better provision is pointing to higher sales. Discrete accountability team delivery even thou gh teamwork is invigorated, right a distinct in the firm has accountability in the conference service standards. Retain it modest, humble and well-organized services are obtainable (j–Sainsbury, 2013). Admiration for the discrete employee – each discrete worker within the company is appreciated for his extravagance services. The income of the business is intended for dissemination and improvement of the corporation (Yong, James, Kevin, and Donna, 2011,). Strategy The values of the J Sainsbury are the section of their extended term strategy of development. The company is ready to review and reinforce their strategy, in order to create a decent business sense and provision of an actual competitive benefit (Wrigley, 2000). Business Performance The J Sainsbury has had one more efficacious year, outdoing the flea market in what residue a hard trading atmosphere. Their segment of the grocery shop is the uppermost for an era at 16.8% and they are at the moment the UK’s second major grocer ensuing 35 uninterrupted quarters of like for like sales progress. We endure to aid customers Live Well for Less and stared like for like auctions up 1.45 for the 28 weeks up to 28 the September 2013 (Francis, 2011). Business case The J Sainsbury recognizes as true as their values and their 20 x 20 sustainability obligations play an immense part in their accomplishment. They deliver opportunities for the employees to discriminate themselves with client, dealers,