Education in the patient care setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Education in the patient care setting - Essay Example Before the means to develop and enhance the learning in my area of professional practice for a patient can be established, it is important to discuss first the different principles of learning which relate to the quality of feedback, individualization, relevance, and their applicability to practice. There are eight principles of learning which have to be considered in health education. These principles include: multi-sense learning, active learning, primacy and recency, tell them what you are going to tell them/tell them what you have told them, feedback, reward, practice and repetition, meaningful material, and holistic learning (Egle, 2007, pp. 4-5). In multi-sense learning, two or more senses are utilized, allowing the students to hear, to see, and touch, and to do (Kroehnert, 2000, p. 10). By using various techniques, it is possible to provide visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic outlets for more effective learning. Another principle – active learning also refers to learning by doing (Martyn, 2007, p. 71). This principle sets forth fact that as participants become more actively engaged in their learning, they are also likely to be engaged in the learning and application, as well as in the problem solving, and in case studies (Egle, 2007, p. 4). The third principle, primacy and recency – discusses that learners often remember the first and the last experiences (Castel, 2008, p. 429). A thorough and comprehensive introduction and conclusion are therefore important aspects of learning. The principle of telling them what you are going to tell them, and telling them what you have told discusses the fact that chunking or dividing lessons into mini-sessions can improve the learning process (Egle, 2007, p. 4). The fourth principle, that of feedback sets forth the importance of feedback from learners and trainers (Office of Assessment, Teaching, and Learning, 2010, p. 46). The message is ac tually the feedback; participants need feedback to assess their progress and the leaders need feedback to evaluate the sessions. The fifth principle is reward. This is about experiencing success and reward. Most people feel better when they are rewarded for their efforts and feeling good about themselves often leads to more improved efforts in their activities (Egle, 2007, p. 5). The sixth principle is reward, revision, and reinforcement (Sutton, 1999, p. 2). This principle sets forth that memory needs repetition of materials; the more it is repeated, the more it is ingrained in one’s memory. The seventh principle is on meaningful material. This principle basically sets forth that materials are related to previous knowledge and that participants are likely to learn best with materials which are relevant (Egle, 2007, p. 5). The last principle is on holistic learning. This principle s

Place Your Vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Place Your Vote - Essay Example Why energy is an important factor to consider when electing a presidentI would like to bring back some memories that most Americans would love to erase from their memories. This concerns the high oil prices that were experienced during Bush’s tenure in White House in 2008. This is a clear indication of the intricate nature of the oil prices to the American economy. Schoen (2008) while talking about the price increases by over 50 percent in January of 2008 observed that:â€Å"Airlines have been struggling to make a profit, even as they cut jobs and flights. American Airlines became the latest to announce it was tightening its belt another notch, saying Thursday that it plans to shrink capacity by as much as 12 percent and cut thousands of jobs† (Schoen, 2008)Furthermore, Schoen elaborates that these airlines were contemplating an increase in the prices of checking the first bag. He contends that smaller airlines would have had to file for bankruptcy. Other industries, su ch as the automobiles also experienced a drop in sales which is definitely not good to the overall wellness of the economy. Moreover, the price of food and other household goods were expected to rise. Threats of inflation were being envisaged at the time and these tended to spill over to the housing sector and the credit markets (Schoen, 2008). This led to job losses, higher costs of living and a generally dented economy.During this trying time inflation was attributed to the high oil prices that were being experienced.  

Fast Food Industry Challenges and Opportunities

Fast Food Industry Challenges and Opportunities Fast food franchising was still in its infancy in the 1950s however this picked up greatly in the 1970s due to several factors including the steady decline on hourly wages of US workers which resulted in a substantial percentage of women re-entering the job market to support their families. This trend resulted in great business opportunities for fast food chains whose product saw a substantial increase in demand due to long working hours of parents, thus lack of time to dedicate to cooking due to other family commitments, including a lack of quality time between family members. Fast food options thus made it easier for families who could choose to either purchase take away food, on their way home, or else consume it at the chains premises together with family members or friends. Thus this provided an affordable solution to purchase cooked food, for families, single parents, youths and professionals. Burger King was the first fast food chain to introduce drive thru service which now accounts for a majority of the companys business. www.datamonitor.com Apart from the drive thru option, Burger King as well as other fast food retailers, offered home service delivery in order to suit the needs of consumers who were pressed for time. The provision of such convenient services boosted the organisations turnover. Lack of elaborate furnishings and low skilled labour of fast food chains, compared to full service restaurants were substantially lower, contributed to low operating costs, which was reflected in the price of meals, rendering them affordable. Although the chains sales were very promising, stiff competition from other fast food operators forced fast food leaders to engage in aggressive marketing campaigns and diversified product offerings. Burger Kings major limitation has been the adoption of a reactive rather than a proactive strategy. This resulted in higher costs which were at times wasted as the reactive strategy would have been employed too late, and the competitors effort would have by then been too effective to be beaten. It is also worth noting that although in the case of Burger King, its major competitors have been McDonalds and Wendys being the first and third placed leaders respectively, in the fast food industry, so far, yet competition from many well-established food service companies, has been cut throat. The restaurant industry is intensely competitive and BKC competes with many well-established food service companies on the basis of product choice, quality, affordability, service and location. Burger King Corporation- SWOT Analysis: May 2010 ( www.datamonitor.com) Health concerns lead to a substantial slow down by fast food chain companies in the 1990s. Health campaigns bombarded the media claiming that obesity was the result of excessive fast food consumption. Fear of heart conditions, damaged liver and other health conditions, resulted in lower consumption of fast food, which proved to be a major threat to fast food sellers, particularly large chains like Burger King who had thousands of outlets spread across the globe reflecting high investments in the franchise. This major setback also led to a considerable drop in value meals which had been introduced to beat stiff competition from other fast food suppliers. Such favourable pricing strategies encouraged consumers to opt for the added value meal options, contributing further to health problems including obesity. During this period, Obesity was believed to cause more deaths than smoking. (Case Study:4) Apart from consuming high levels of fast food, people hardly engaged in physical due to their working commitments and hectic lifestyles which were the main reasons for drawing crowds to fast food consumption. Had fast food companies not have catered for such a shift in demand, they would have probably been driven out of the market particularly since people have become more health conscious due to higher exposure to media and the internet the latter being a super highway of information. The emerging popularity of certain diets including the Atkins and the South Beach diets, which proved to be effective for many, were also a threat to the industry, thus the introduction of a much varied menu by fast food retailers. With increased health consciousness, consumers shifted to healthy food like salads and organic food. (Case Study: 6). Leaders in the fast food industry sought to adapt to changing consumer preferences. The provision of healthier options increased operational costs, including the requirement for more cooking spaces. Fast food leaders sought to transform the initial threat into an opportunity for business development, particularly since the desire for healthy options at fast food outlets, was not a phase but is still in demand today. Awareness of the negative effects of hydrogenated oils which were deemed to be cancerous, had to be eliminated from fast food kitchens and replaced buy healthier oils. The industry was further challenged by the bird flu and Mad Cow diseases which also contributed to a decrease in consumer traffic. In 2005, the World Health Organisation (WHO), also made reference to the fact that Acrylamide in certain foods as fried or roasted potato products, has shown to cause cancer. Growing public awareness about Acrylamide levels in French fries, could affect the companys sales. Other threats faced by fast food retailers including Burger King, include Legal tangles such as violation of accessibility requirements under federal and state law, which will reflect negatively the brand image of the organisation. Unemployment and low consumer confidence the US a case in point, will affect consumer spending and thus will impact directly Burger Kings financial performance which tends to be highly sensitive to such economic conditions. Burger King, apart from dealing with the number of threats faced earlier in the write up, had a number of internal issues to solve. These problems contributed to higher challenges the company has to face particularly since for a company to deal with external factors, it must be backed up by key important factors, including internal organisational stability. Lack of constructive communication between the Mother Company and franchisees led to a number of outlets to close down. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] disagreements soon erupted between the franchisees and the parent company regarding issues of product control, store image, design and operations. (Case Study: pp 6) Franchisees claimed that Burger King failed to understand and adapt to the needs and requirements of the franchisees target audience who demanded a varied product to suit the culture and trends of the particular country and location. Franchisees also claimed that they had no financial backing from the mother company to refurbish the ir outlets, thus a considerable percentage of Burger Kings outlets were shabby and neglected. The No. 2 fast food chain may need to spend billions on refurbishing. Burt Helm (2010) Burger King also faces the threat of expiry franchise agreements. Of the 409 agreements that expired in fiscal 2006, only 47% were renewed and 28% were extended for similar periods. If a substantial number of franchisees decide not to renew their agreement, the companys operations would be affected. (www.datamonitor.com) In spite of the number of threats faced by fast food retailers during the past decades, one must not underestimate the future opportunities which such industry players can take advantage of. In this regard there has been a considerable rise of the restaurant industry in the US. New dining and lifestyle patterns including an increased percentage of working women, divorce, rise in single parent household and longer working hours have all been extended further over the last three decades. Demographic changes including the demand for snacking and increased comfort requirements are creating further opportunities for businesses within the catering industry. The FFHR business in the US is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4% per annum during 2006-2011. (www.datamonitor.com) Burger King is seeking to extend on product development by introducing new products and an increase in limited time offers. Ongoing product development must be in line with current market trends to ensure that the menu is appealing to the target market and to ensure that the menu is not stale, which will benefit competitors. Launching new products will enhance the brand image in line with the success of its direct competitors. However the success of the Whopper which is Burger Kings signature product which initially contributed to Burger King Brands image, should continue to appear in the chain marketing campaigns, with the latter being more innovative. Burger King is also seeking to expand in current and tap potential markets, including Asian markets such as China and Malaysia. This diversification plan will hopefully improve Burger Kings threat of market concentration. Further investment in the chains restaurants could also be an opportunity to boost the brand image. A change in design and image of the outlets, would provide an opportunity for further growth, targeting upcoming generations proactively. Market analysis and in-depth research will provide the company with feedback regarding the emerging customer needs not only as regards food menu, but also design and dà ©cor and in-store facilities including a potential area accommodating business meetings and coffee breaks, if in demand. In todays global, fast changing and ever growing competitive environment being a market leader, today, will give you some advantages but definitely will not grant you automatic market leadership for the future. A competitive strategy based on a number of key internal competences will provide a solid platform for organisation sustainability and long-term success. Internal competences may be referred to as stated by Barney (1991) in Lado et al. (1994) organisational resources that are rare, valuable, non substitutable and imperfectly imitable form the basis for a firms sustainable competitive advantage. Unless these core competences are unique to the company, achieving competitive advantage would be harder particularly in todays competitive business environments. Further more Prahalad and Hamel (1990) state that In the 1990s managers will be judged on their ability to identify, cultivate, and exploit th core competences that make growth possible indeed, theyll have to rethink the concept of the corporation it self. Organisations must seek to understand first and foremost the micro and macro environment including, the immediate industry (micro) and competitive environment, and general economic conditions (macro). Understanding the Critical Success Factors of the industry in which they operate helps companies identify the areas in which the company must excel over its competitors to achieve competitive advantage in the market place. Internal competences will prove to be effective if they contribute directly or indirectly to the organisations success, based on the industry Critical Success Factors. In this respect, the Board of Directors and the CEO should: have the ability of understanding the process of industry evolution; be able to predict change that would satisfy customers in terms of their expectations and preferences; understand that company Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, is not a one off exercise. Such factors have to be analysed and revised regularly to ensure that the organisations strategy is updated to cater for any changing patters, newly recognized weaknesses or threats and that any potential opportunities are tapped in real time Investment in quality Human Resources contributes towards achieving competitive advantage. Recruitment and selection processes are fundamental for a companys long term success, considering nowadays, the organisations best resources are human resources. Ongoing training and development of employees contributes to high efficiency levels within companies, and in the case of retail, ongoing training and monitoring ensures that high levels of customer service by the organisations employees, is practiced at all times. In the case of a large company as Burger King, standardised and compulsory training ensures that service standardisation is achieved throughout its franchise outlets. Apart from providing ongoing, updated training, companies should seek to develop their staff complement so that their key staff members will improve their skills and will be given the opportunity to be promoted internally and contribute to the companys success, rather than leave the organisation in search for better opportunities. This investment in human resources contributes highly to a companys internal competences, thus to the companys overall success, considering a substantial percentage of Burger Kings (as an example) employees are the chains front liners, providing the service directly to the customer. The way employees are treated at the workplace and the relationships with their superiors, automatically affects their performance and hence the efforts they give. In a way this all depends on the management level and as Foot and Hook (1999) state [] they enhance the willingness and ability of employees to contribute to the achievement of their organisations goal. The level of Information Sharing and Effective Communication within organisations may also be viewed as a fundamental internal competence. Members within an organisation should be informed and should feel part of the organisations success of failure. The Mission and Vision of the company must be clear from top to bottom, otherwise it may result in lack of commitment due to a lack of understanding of the companys goals. Dissemination of information and communication within companies may take different forms ranging from meetings, e-mails, intranet and newsletters. Further advancements in technologies, have reduced communication barriers to a substantial degree, thus communication between the head office, or parents company and its internationally spread businesses, is now even more possible than ever. The use of Skpe, conference calls, video conferencing have contributed to new forms of communication options. Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasises the responsibility of each individual for ensuring high levels of quality throughout the organisation. Commitment and training in this regard will require less supervision and higher levels of commitment. Encouraging Quality Circles, involves having a group of people who meet away from the shop floor to discuss potential improvements in the work systems. Members of quality circles will then analyse the data and set up proposals addressed to senior management for consideration. Achievement of effective Total Quality Management within companies provides results in competitive advantage over competitor organisations since high levels of quality, are the order of the day. Other examples of organisational competences include; innovation, embracing change rather than resisting it and other key characteristics which render a companys product or service distinct from those of direct competitors or substitutes. Organisations must not take their internal competences for granted but must seek to develop them further so as to maintain long-term competitive advantage. Seeking other forms of key internal competences is very important in view of the ever changing market conditions in which organisations operate. Unless organisations have key ingredients distinguishing them from what their competitors are offering, it would be very challenging to operate sustainably and register ongoing growth. Market research including competitor analysis is carried out by companies with the main purpose of identifying any potential threats or new opportunities within the diverse business markets. Unless companies seek to embrace their key competences and improve to maintain mar ket leadership position whenever possible, they will soon be challenged by upcoming competitors. Enterprises across the whole spectrum of the economy are faced with multiple challenges generated within the parameters of national and global economy. Globalisation is resulting in a high degree of economic openness, and to a very large measure, this exposes emerging businesses to vulnerable business scenarios. Ruysseveldt et al (1995) highlighted that In general, companies now face fierce competition, and this in turn affects the employment relationship, which is increasingly subject to the logic of the market. In this regard, organisations which fail in adapting their structures to emerging societies of the market will eventually face a natural death. Subsequently, visionary agile organisations need to capitalise on a proactive approach, in anticipating and responding to change effectively. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the franchising business model used by Burger King. What are the implications of this approach for successful implementation of their strategies? Franchising is a form of business in which the franchiser gives the authority to a franchisee to distribute services, products or methods of business to affiliated dealers. In many cases franchisees are given exclusive access to a particular geographical area. The franchiser usually mandates uniform symbols, trademarks and standardization of services. On the other hand negative macro consequences of franchising include the propensity of franchising to promote anticompetitive distribution systems (Hunt, 1972), the rationalization of consumer choice (Alon, 2004), and the destruction of local customs (Ram, 2004), leading to what has been called the McDonaldization of Society (Ritzer, 1995). Currently Burger King has 3 different forms of franchise schemes, which correspond to 3 different types of franchise ownership: Individual or Owner/ Operator Entity Corporate Individual or owner/ operator ownership was traditionally used for individuals who signed the franchise agreement personally and who were personally responsible for operating the franchise restaurant. Although the individual franchise agreement can be assigned to an operating company under certain conditions, the individual remains personally responsible under the franchise agreement. Entity ownership allows different forms of ownership and management of, and equity investment in the franchisee. Under the Entity ownership program, a corporation, a limited partnership or a limited liability company can directly execute the Entity franchisee scheme if they satisfy Burger Kings guidelines and for approval of franchise ownership distribution plans. Generally, one of the conditions of Entity ownership is that one or more individuals or entities guarantee to be responsible for the franchisee obligations to Burger King out of which one of them has to be designated by Burger Kings approval to be the managing owner who shall be responsible to ensure that they comply to the franchise agreement and has to have enough authority to make certain decisions. Additionally the managing owner must have at least 5% ownership of the franchisee. Corporate ownership franchise scheme occurs when a company with publicly-traded stock or a subsidiary of a publicly-traded company, that controls locations that are not accessible or have limited access to the general public. Such franchisees are typically food service companies that provide a variety of contract feeding services in a institutional location such as government buildings and facilities, airports, bus and train stations, theme parks and zoos. A qualified director of operations who shall be approved by Burger King needs to be appointed who will have certain responsibilities and authority to ensure that the corporate franchisee is complying with the franchise agreement. Although these 3 franchise schemes may slightly vary between them as to responsibilities and setup costs, however in substance they follow the traditional franchise setup that Burger King has adopted through the years. Burger King grants franchisees to operate restaurants using Burger King trademarks, trade dress and other intellectual property rights that it owns, from quality of products and standardization of service. For each franchise restaurant, Burger King enters into a franchise agreement that covers a number of standard terms and conditions that are common to all franchisees. Franchisees incur recurring fees consisting of royalty and advertising payments that range between 3.5% to 5% on monthly gross sales, and a fixed yearly fee that starts from $50,000 depending on the size of franchisee set-up. Burger King offers its franchisees its renowned barbell menu strategy, which gives the franchisees the opportunity to expand on Burger Kings high-margin premium products and value products in order to grow the core drivers of its product offerings. The barbell menu strategy is aimed at driving average check and traffic, since Burger Kings management team believes that by adopting this strategy Burger king is balancing higher margin products with value offerings and at the same time increasing the brand equity of flame-broiled taste. However the fast food industry is highly competitive and some of Burger Kings competitors have greater resources, such as Macdonalds. This leads to a disadvantage when it comes to compete with Macdonalds, since Burger King takes a reactive mode to price changes, furthermore Macdonalds marketing campaigns in general are more effective than Burger Kings. Clearly this gives the competitors a competitive advantage through higher levels of brand awareness among consumers. In addition, our major competitors are also able to devote greater resources to accelerate their restaurant re-modelling and rebuilding efforts, introduce new product and implement advantageous product offerings, which in most cases gives them a competitive edge over Burger King. Furthermore, the market for retail real estate is highly competitive. Due to the economies of scale that Burger Kings competitors managed to achieve, Burger Kings major competitors may have the ability to negotiate more favourable terms and entrepreneurs may offer priority or grant exclusivity to these competitors for more desirable locations. As a result, this may hinder the ability to obtain new franchisees or renew existing agreements. The capital required to grow and maintain Burger King Corporation is primarily funded by franchise agreements, this presents a number of drawbacks in Burger Kings portfolio management strategy, especially when the company currently holds ownership of only 10% of its restaurants. Burger King is planning to significantly reduce the ownership of these restaurants over the next 5 years. This may lead to problematic situations whereby Burger King being the franchisor will have limited influence over franchisees and high reliance on franchisees to implement major initiatives. This may also lead to limited ability to facilitate changes in restaurant ownership, limitations on enforcement of franchise obligations due to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings and inability or unwillingness of franchisees to participate in our strategic initiatives. On the other hand Burger Kings principal competitors are mainly Macdonalds and Wendys. These have greater influence over their respective franchisees due to the significantly higher percentage of company restaurants and ownership of franchisee real estate that they hold. This may result, that they may have a greater ability to implement operational initiatives and business strategies, including their marketing and advertising programs. While Burger King can mandate certain strategic initiatives through the enforcement of its franchise agreements, they need the actively seek support from its franchisees for a successful implementation of these initiatives. These efforts to build this alignment with its franchisees may result in a delay in the implementation of the marketing and advertising programs. Although the current relationship with its franchisees is positive, there is no assurance that it will continue to be so. In fact Burger King has already been sued by the National Franchisee association, this organisation represents over 50% of Burger Kings franchisees in the United States. This law suit is due to Burger Kings decision to dictate to the U.S. franchisees to sell the 1/4 lb. Double Cheeseburger and the Buck Double burger at $1. This is a clear example whereby Burger Kings failure to win the franchisees support in its marketing programs and strategic initiatives could lead to negatively affect the ability t o implement the strategy that it would have decided to adopt. Burger Kings operating results substantially depend upon its franchisees sales. However, its franchisees are independent operators and they cannot control many factors that impact the profitability of their restaurants. Pursuant to the franchise agreements and their operational manual, Burger King mandate menu items, signage, equipment, hours of operation and value menu, standardization of procedures and approval of suppliers. However, the quality of franchise restaurant operations may be diminished by any number of factors beyond its control. Consequently, franchisees may not successfully operate restaurants in a consistent manner with the mother company standards and requirements. Due to various factors, Burger King as a franchisor may not be able to identify problems and take action quickly enough; as a result, its image and reputation may suffer. Most of Burger Kings franchisee restaurants are presently located on leased premises. As restaurant leases expire, our franchisees may be unable to renegotiate a new lease, on commercially acceptable terms or nothing at all, which could cause a number of its franchisees to close down. As already stated, the fast food industry is intensely competitive and Burger King has to compete both in the U.S. and internationally with a number of established companies on the basis of product choice, quality, affordability, service and location. Burger Kings competitors include a variety of independent operators, in addition to well-capitalized national and international chains and franchises. Furthermore, this industry has few barriers to entry, and therefore new competitors may emerge at any time. Burger Kings ability to compete will mainly depend on the success to improve existing products, to develop new products, effectively respond to consumer preferences and to manage the complexity of its operations as well as the impact of our competitors actions. 3.Using relevant theory and examples to support your answer, critically evaluate the role of leadership in managing cultural and behavioural factors during the execution of a turnaround strategy.    In the rapidly developing modern world and the age of globalization, the concept of organisational change has become more important than ever before. Although it has always been an important feature of organisational life, the place, magnitude and necessity of organisational change has considerably escalated over the past two decades (Arnold, 2005). As Mullins (2007) states, Change is a pervasive influence. It is an inescapable part of both social and organisational life and we are all subject to continual change of one form or another. There exists a multitude of reasons as to why organisations must constantly make changes, both external and internal. Although internal factors play a role, the main pressures faced by companies to change comes from external forces. This is because in order to survive in the corporate world, organisations must be properly prepared to face and respond to the new challenges and opportunities presented by the ever-changing external environment (Mullins, 2007). Many organisations appear to be in a continuous state of change as they are forced to increase the speed with which they respond to the unpredictability of external factors, essential for their survival (Hussey, 2000). One of the most influential forces instigating organisational change today is the rapid rate of globalisation and consequent fierce world competition. With the accelerating emergence of economies such as India and China, Mayle (2006) states that globalisation is no longer an academic discipline or a fringe movement but a business imperative Thus creating the need for constant change and the fact that competition is intensifying, means that organisations cannot simply ignore developments and give advantage to their competitors. Technological change has therefore become extremely significant as the rate of obsolescence increases, a trend that is set to become more significant with the rapid growth of the internet and E-commerce. As Hussey (2000) states, it is unlikely that organisations can introduce new developments without causing changes to skills, jobs, structure and often culture. Another external factor to consider is that the demographic profile of most countries is changing the proportion of older people is increasing relative to the proportion of younger people. This will create huge pressures for organisations, and corporate issues may involve finding ways of dealing with skill shortages, changes in attitudes to the employment of older people and problems of motivation in flat organisational structures which of fer little opportunity for promotion (Hussey, 2000). Other external forces of change relevant to organisations include government intervention, political interests, scarcity of natural resources and the nature of customers. Internal sources of change include innovations, new methods of work, re-locating, training, staff development and the re-allocation of resources and responsibilities (Mullins, 2007). The survival and success of any organisation depends how they choose to adapt to these internal and external demands. It is not about whether to change, but to how and when. Burger King started this process in 1977, by hiring Donald Smith as president and CEO. Smith identified the shortfalls that Burger King was facing at the time. Smith adapted and executed his turnaround strategy, and modelled on the basis of Macdonalds strategy which proofed rather successful. The processes involved in organisational change may differ widely depending on the corporation in question and the current situation that it is facing. However, it is important for all organisations in todays globalised economy to understand the importance of continual change constantly transforming in order to keep up with the changing environment and hence survive in the competitive modern world. The actual changes to an organisation can either be implemented in a planned and systematic fashion, often designed and implemented by consultants, or in a more informal and reactive way, where managers react to situations on a daily basis and implement change accordingly (Tosi, Rizzo Carroll, 1994). The notion of organisational development change that focuses on the whole organisation is concerned with anticipated, planned and consciously designed change that will serve to increase an organisations effectiveness (Cummings and Worley, 2001). Lewins change model provides a fundamental m odel of planned change, which perceives change as a modification of those forces keeping a systems behaviour stable. In this model, Lewin believes that the change process consists of three steps: Unfreezing, Moving and Refreezing. Unfreezing involves diminishing the forces that uphold an organisations current behaviour often done by showing employees the discrepancies between behaviour desired by the organisation and behaviour that is currently displayed. Through a process of psychological disconfirmation members can thereby be motivated to change. The second step, Moving aims to shift the current behaviour of

ed philosophy re: history :: essays research papers

To understand history, you must grasp how your everyday view of the world developed, how it was created by the reality of the people who lived before you. It took 1000 years to evolve the modern way of looking at things, and to really understand where you are today, you must take yourself back to the year 1000 and then move forward through the entire millennium experientially, as though you actually lived through the whole period yourself in a single lifetime.† (Redfield, 1994) I have chosen to become a history professor to open the minds of college students who have despised history, not because of the contents of what they are taught, but because of the way that they were taught. With an existentialist point of view on education, my teachings will be based on how individuals influences and reacted to certain events in history, not the events themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to fully explain why I agree with the existentialist philosophy, I should point out why I feel this will help my ability to teach my students. Existentialists rely on self-reflection as a major tool. I can’t think of a better way to show a student what happened throughout history than by asking how he or she would react in that time period. Imagine being a journalist trying to capture the feeling of a nation on November 23, 1963, the day after President John F. Kennedy was shot. Take your imagination further to capture the torn emotions felt by Mary Todd Lincoln, President Abraham Lincoln‘s wife, who’s half-brother Ben Hardin Helm was killed as a Confederate General in the Civil War (Find A Grave, Retrieved 2002). By throwing yourself into a situation and expressing those emotions you feel about that situation, your reactions will bring about a deeper meaning; one not so easily tossed aside after an exam is taken or the course is compl eted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Existentialists also believe that a classroom should be an open forum for discussion. I plan on lecturing for the first half of my class and letting the students share their thoughts in the remaining half of the class. Knowing that all individuals think and act differently, this help to explain all sides of an event. One student may feel that our current situation warrants military action against Iraq while another student may be strongly opposed to America‘s use of force. By letting these individuals express their true feeling without judgment, I believe other students will better understand the situation at hand. ed philosophy re: history :: essays research papers To understand history, you must grasp how your everyday view of the world developed, how it was created by the reality of the people who lived before you. It took 1000 years to evolve the modern way of looking at things, and to really understand where you are today, you must take yourself back to the year 1000 and then move forward through the entire millennium experientially, as though you actually lived through the whole period yourself in a single lifetime.† (Redfield, 1994) I have chosen to become a history professor to open the minds of college students who have despised history, not because of the contents of what they are taught, but because of the way that they were taught. With an existentialist point of view on education, my teachings will be based on how individuals influences and reacted to certain events in history, not the events themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to fully explain why I agree with the existentialist philosophy, I should point out why I feel this will help my ability to teach my students. Existentialists rely on self-reflection as a major tool. I can’t think of a better way to show a student what happened throughout history than by asking how he or she would react in that time period. Imagine being a journalist trying to capture the feeling of a nation on November 23, 1963, the day after President John F. Kennedy was shot. Take your imagination further to capture the torn emotions felt by Mary Todd Lincoln, President Abraham Lincoln‘s wife, who’s half-brother Ben Hardin Helm was killed as a Confederate General in the Civil War (Find A Grave, Retrieved 2002). By throwing yourself into a situation and expressing those emotions you feel about that situation, your reactions will bring about a deeper meaning; one not so easily tossed aside after an exam is taken or the course is compl eted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Existentialists also believe that a classroom should be an open forum for discussion. I plan on lecturing for the first half of my class and letting the students share their thoughts in the remaining half of the class. Knowing that all individuals think and act differently, this help to explain all sides of an event. One student may feel that our current situation warrants military action against Iraq while another student may be strongly opposed to America‘s use of force. By letting these individuals express their true feeling without judgment, I believe other students will better understand the situation at hand.

Differences Between Daisy and Brett Essay

Differences between Daisy and Brett I. Introduction Thesis: Daisy and Brett differ in conformity, personality, and lifestyle. II. Body A. Daisy 1. Conformity 2. Personality 3. Lifestyle B. Brett 1. Conformity 2. Personality 3. Lifestyle III. Conclusion Differences between Daisy and Brett In the two novels, â€Å"The Great Gatsby† and â€Å"The Sun Also Rises,† the differences between the two major female characters are greatly evident. Daisy, who is a major female character in â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† and Brett, who is a major female character in â€Å"The Sun Also Rises,† plays major roles in providing apparent themes for the two novels. They do so with different strategies and beliefs. Daisy and Brett differ in conformity, personality, and lifestyle. Daisy is a beautiful young woman who is married to Tom Buchanan. She is expected to be like other proper women of that time; therefore, she is. She is not independent and relies on her husband Tom for everything. In the novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† Daisy can not decide between her husband Tom and her past lover Gatsby. In chapter seven it states, â€Å"As Tom left the room again Daisy got up and went over to Gatsby, and pulled his face down kissing him on the mouth. † She then murmured, â€Å"You know I love you. † This shows that she does not have a personality of her own and that she can not make decisions alone. In chapter one, Miss Baker states, â€Å"We ought to plan something. † Daisy then replies, â€Å"All right, what will we plan? † She then turned to Nick, the narrator, helplessly and asked, â€Å"What do people plan? † She lives an exuberant lifestyle with her wealthy husband and she gets everything she wants. In chapter one Nick states, â€Å"Their house was even more elaborate that I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. † Money is the source of her contentment as she states, â€Å"I’m p-paralyzed with happiness. † In â€Å"The Sun Also Rises,† Brett is an extremely attractive young woman. In the book Jake, the narrator, states, â€Å"With them was Brett. She looked very lovely. † Also, Brett does not give in easily to conformity as most women of that time. She loves to drink in large intervals as did most of the people during the period of time the story took place. An excerpt in chapter seven states, â€Å"Let’s enjoy a little more of this,† Brett pushed her glass forward. Then Mrs. Barnes states, â€Å"She is the only lady I have ever known who was as charming when she was drunk as when she was sober. † Brett is very independent and does not rely on a single man for anything. She makes her own decisions and looks after herself everyday. Brett’s lifestyle is far from perfect because she does not really own any possessions, but she is happy. Other females occasionally look upon her as a whore or slut solely because she is different, but she chooses the lifestyle she lives and loves it. To prove this point true Jake states, â€Å"Brett was radiant. She was happy. The sun was out and the day was bright. † The differences between Daisy and Brett are very evident to the reader. They are almost as complete opposites if analyzed closely. Daisy and Brett have very distinctly different views on conformity, different types of personalities, and two totally different lifestyles.

Jain Man Fasts to Death Essay

A 76 year old Indian man died of starvation that is called â€Å"santhara†. It is an old practice in Jainism where a person fasts for a number of days and is believed to help the person achieve salvation. Some people are still not amenable to this practice as they believe that this is a sort of suicide. On the other hand, Amar Chand, the man who died, believed that it would help him cleanse his soul as he has been ill for some time already. â€Å"Santhara† is a religious ritual described as intended death by fasting. During the process of fasting, the person is given time to reflect on his life, which is reason why this is considered to bring salvation. If someone feels like he has served his purpose in life and felt like he has imparted enough of himself to the world, one can decide to fast. There are a lot of religious practices in the world; some may even seem absurd and illogical. However, to the followers of the specific religions, their belief stands by the fact that they would be able to achieve something out of it; in this case, salvation. If you think about it, to decide that you have served your purpose is a sign of consciousness and knowledge of the belief that you are following. It shows that given enough will power and faith in something, anybody can do anything. To the Jains, though some may think that â€Å"santhara† is synonymous to suicide, they still hold on to the practice because as far as they know, being able to reflect upon one’s life can help them save themselves from spiritual death just as the Muslims believe that they need to travel to Mecca at least once in their life.

The Importance of the Central Limit Theorem

The Importance of the Central Limit Theorem The central limit theorem is a result from probability theory. This theorem shows up in a number of places in the field of statistics. Although the central limit theorem can seem abstract and devoid of any application, this theorem is actually quite important to the practice of statistics. So what exactly is the importance of the central limit theorem? It all has to do with the distribution of our population. This theorem allows you to simplify problems in statistics by allowing you to work with a distribution that is approximately normal. Statement of the Theorem The statement of the central limit theorem can seem quite technical but can be understood if we think through the following steps. We begin with a simple random sample with n individuals from a population of interest. From this sample, we can easily form a sample mean that corresponds to the mean of what measurement we are curious about in our population. A sampling distribution for the sample mean is produced by repeatedly selecting simple random samples from the same population and of the same size, and then computing the sample mean for each of these samples. These samples are to be thought of as being independent of one another. The central limit theorem concerns the sampling distribution of the sample means. We may ask about the overall shape of the sampling distribution. The central limit theorem says that this sampling distribution is approximately normal- commonly known as a bell curve. This approximation improves as we increase the size of the simple random samples that are used to produce the sampling distribution. There is a very surprising feature concerning the central limit theorem. The astonishing fact is that this theorem says that a normal distribution arises regardless of the initial distribution. Even if our population has a skewed distribution, which occurs when we examine things such as incomes or people’s weights, a sampling distribution for a sample with a sufficiently large sample size will be normal. Central Limit Theorem in Practice The unexpected appearance of a normal distribution from a population distribution that is skewed (even quite heavily skewed) has some very important applications in statistical practice. Many practices in statistics, such as those involving hypothesis testing or confidence intervals, make some assumptions concerning the population that the data was obtained from. One assumption that is initially made in a statistics course is that the populations that we work with are normally distributed. The assumption that data is from a normal distribution simplifies matters  but seems a little unrealistic. Just a little work with some real-world data shows that outliers, ​skewness, multiple peaks and asymmetry show up quite routinely. We can get around the problem of data from a population that is not normal. The use of an appropriate sample size and the central limit theorem help us to get around the problem of data from populations that are not normal. Thus, even though we might not know the shape of the distribution where our data comes from, the central limit theorem says that we can treat the sampling distribution as if it were normal. Of course, in order for the conclusions of the theorem to hold, we do need a sample size that is large enough. Exploratory data analysis can help us to determine how large of a sample is necessary for a given situation.

Far600 Case Study Worldcom Essay Example

Far600 Case Study Worldcom Essay Example Far600 Case Study Worldcom Essay Far600 Case Study Worldcom Essay FAR600 CASE STUDY WORLDCOM QUESTION 1 a) Discuss the earnings management technique employed by the management of World Com. WorldCom admitted that the company had classified over $3. 8 billion in payments for line costs as capital expenditures rather than current expenses. Line costs are what WorldCom pays other companies for using their communications networks; they consist principally of access fees and transport charges for messages for WorldCom customers. Reportedly, $3. 055 billion was misclassified in 2001 and $797 million in the first quarter of 2002. According to the company, another $14. 7 billion in 2001 line costs was treated as a current expense. WorldCom’s accounting had been questioned before its June 25 admission. In March 2002, the SEC requested data from the firm about a range of financial reporting topics, including (1) disputed bills and sales commissions, (2) a 2000 charge against earnings related to wholesale customers, (3) accounting policies for mergers, (4) loans to the CEO, (5) integration of WorldCom’s computer systems with those of MCI, and (6) WorldCom’s tracking of Wall Street analysts’ earnings expectations. On July 1, 2002, WorldCom announced that it was also investigating possible irregularities in its reserve accounts. Companies establish these accounts to provide a cushion for predictable events, such as future tax liabilities, but they are not supposed to manipulate them to change reported earnings. On August 8th, WorldCom admitted that it had improperly used its reserves in recent years. The indictments issued August 28th charged that reserve accounts were reduced in order to provide credits against line expenses. ) In your opinion, why do managers of WorldCom want to manage their earnings and subsequently be engaged in fraudulent activities? In my opinion the main reason why the managers of WorldCom want to manage their earnings which then subsequent leads the to be engaged in fraudulent activities is mainly because the high expenses they have incurred that will then reflects a losses figure in WorldCom financial statements. Telecom analyst Tom Lauria had made estimation for the W orldCom losses in 2001 could reach up to $1. 5 billion. : In reality, it will implicates that WorldCom will lose their investors because of the huge amount of losses that had been incurred by WorldCom. In order to protect their investors or more importantly WorldCom company status, the managers decided to make an accounting moves that can reduced their expenses. This had been stated by the internal audit of WorldCom which indicates that they uncovered misdeeds that there were no accounting standards to support the expenses. It had been noted that WorldCom had inexplicably reduced one of WorldCom’s unit expenses by $33. million dollars and leads to a higher profit margin in WorldCom financial statements. Another reason that can be noted regarding why WorldCom want to manage their earnings which then leads to in fraudulent activities is because WorldCom wanted to make a tax evasion. This can been proved at Tyco International by the action of both CFO Mark Swartz and ousted CEO Dennis Kozlowski reportedly signed off on each of the score s of deals Tyco made since 1999. Main reason of the signed off on each of the scores is for tax evasion or to reduce the amount of tax to be paid to the IRR’s. Other than that both CFO Mark Swartz and ousted CEO Dennis Kozlowski used the earnings management to use the Tyco International money for their personal expenses. This issue had been provided by the evidence made by USA TODAY’s which had been published in their articles. Other reason why the managers of WorldCom want to manage their earnings which then subsequent leads to the engaged in fraudulent activities are the peer pressure made by the higher authority to increase WorldCom’s division profit margin. This issue had been posted in an article regarding an e-mail dated march5, 2001 which stated that Myers trefers to recent diner in which Sullivan and executives Tom Bosley discussed the need to â€Å"do whatever necessary to get Telco margins back in line†. It shows that the higher authority are pressuring their stuff to increase their profit margin which are currently declining at any means whether its uses appropriate accounting standards or not. c) What were the consequences that befell the company upon the discovery of the fraudulent activities? WorldCom stock had fallen from a high of $64. 50 a share in mid-1999 to less than $2 a share. The price fell below $1 a share immediately after the announcement and then to pennies a share upon news that there might be further accounting irregularities. While much and perhaps most of this decline might be attributed to the firm’s changing economic prospects, the accounting maneuver described above is likely to have hurt investors who continued to hold the shares or even bought more in anticipation of a rebound. WorldCom employees who hold the company’s stock in their retirement plans have also suffered losses. At the end of 2000, about 32%, or $642. 3 million, of WorldCom retirement funds were in company stock; those investment have fallen to less than 4%, or less than $18. 7 million, of the funds. WorldCom does not require employees to own company stock in their retirement plans, and they are permitted to sell the shares they do have. WorldCom stated that it would cut 17,000 of its 85,000 employees. The extent to which these dismissals would have occurred in the absence of the firm’s accounting problems is not clear. QUESTION 2 Discuss in what instance is earnings management acceptable and in what instances is it not acceptable? QUESTION 3 In your opinion, what are the strategies that the accounting profession can take to curb the abuses in earnings management that subsequently result in fraudulent activities?

Best War Ever America And World War Ii History Essay

Best War Ever America And World War Ii History Essay The objective of this book is to subject the chief features of the Good War myth to bright analysis in the hope of present an additional realistic picture, one that does not demean the achievement of the United States and of liberal democracy but that at the same time does not diminish the stress, suffering, problems, and failures inevitably faced by a society at war. The war was good for the economy. It was liberating for women. It was a war of tanks and airplanes — a cleaner war than World War I. Americans were united. Soldiers were proud. It was a time of prosperity, sound morality, and power. But according to historian Michael Adams, our memory is distorted, and it has left us with a misleading — even dangerous — legacy. Challenging many of our common assumptions about the period, Adams argues that our experience of World War II was positive but also disturbing, creating problems that continue to plague us today. Michael C Adams has contributed to The Best W ar Ever: America and World War II as an author. Michael C. C. Adams, a professor of history at Northern Kentucky University, is the author of â€Å"The Great Adventure: Male Desire and the Coming of World War I† (1990).   Much of the events of WWII has been mythologized not only by Hollywood and government propaganda, and over the years this mythology has been perpetuated by those who lived through the war themselves. Michael C. C. Adams has sought to expose these stories for what they are, fabrication and oversimplifications, and provide the basic facts that facilitate a truer understanding of WWII and the world wide cultural changes surrounding it, both before and after the war itself. In chapter one, â€Å"Mythmaking and the War†, Adams sets out the myth itself, as defined by Hollywood dramatization, government propaganda, advertisement agencies, and the revised memories of those who stayed home, as well as those who fought in the war itself. The war became  "America’s golden age, a peak in the life of society when everything worked out and the good guys definitely got a happy ending.† (Adams, 2) The WWII era came to serve a purpose; to be the bygone age which America once was, and if worked hard enough for, could be again. It was, in a sense, America’s Garden of Eden, the time and place where all things were right. Of course, this was a manufactured ideal, what Adams calls a â€Å"usable past.† â€Å"In creating a usable past, we seek formulas to apply in solving today’s problems. Americans believe that WWII proved one rule above all others†¦it is usually better to fight than to talk.† (Adams, 4) â€Å"To make WWII into the best war ever, we must leave out the area bombings and other questionable aspects while exaggerating the good things. The war myth is distorted not so much in what it says as in what it doesn’t say.† (Adams, 7) This applies not only to the war itself, but a lso to the home front.

E-Business security in your organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-Business security in your organisation - Essay Example It has over 3 million accounts, a quarter of which are active, and has total assets of $61 million (e-gold 4). For a decade-long company, it has not grown much compared to the largest online payment system, Paypal, which claims to do $60 million worth of transactions daily. e-gold transactions are 100 percent backed by metal deposits and are not reversible, which means that unlike credit card transactions, once a transaction is made there is no possibility that it can be cancelled. e-gold can be used to pay for transactions over other merchant websites and makes its money from maintenance fees that range up to 1 percent of the total transaction amount. Based on personal experience, the website is easy to use, getting an account is fast, and the fees are reasonable. The website (www.e-gold.com) is open 24/7 so account holders can transact anytime and anywhere. Users avail of e-gold for several types of transactions. They can have funds transferred to their e-gold account, and then have it transferred to a bank account in any currency using a reliable third party site like OmniPay or The Gold Shop. A user does this by simply logging on to a personal e-gold account, "spend" the desired amount (say, $1,000 worth of e-gold) into OmniPay, take note of the spend batch number issued for the transaction, log out of e-gold, log in to OmniPay, and fill up a bank transfer form with instructions to OmniPay to transfer the $1,000 that was "spent" or sold less fees to any bank account anywhere in the world. The funds take anywhere from two to five days to reach the bank account. Users normally tested the system by transferring small amounts, and when it worked they began moving bigger amounts of money. When someone anywhere in the world wants to pay an e-gold account holder, they give instructions to pay via e-gold by buying the e-currency and "spending" the amount to the user's account. The user can check his or her e-gold account from anywhere, even from a hot spot on a beach resort in the French Riviera, so they will know whether the payments have gone through or the funds have been transferred to the specified bank account. The user can then do transactions from there. This writer has been using e-gold for over a year now, and is happy with the service. This is the reason why this analysis on e-business security was done on this company, which has been only too happy to oblige and share information with me for this paper. Choosing the Standard One problem with selecting a standard to evaluate the e-business security issues of a merchant website is that there are too many standards to choose from. The main reason is simple: the chosen standard becomes a cash flow machine for the firm that develops it. There are several companies like Verisign, Oracle, IBM, and a host of other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions known by their acronyms: SEI, IETF, NIST, W3C, SAI, ISACA. The list is seemingly endless. The Europe-based International Organization of Standards is known for its ISO standards, the more famous of which are the ISO 9000 series used by companies to document their total quality management programs (Arnold 15). The letters ISO/IEC prefix its standards, which are adopted in both the U.S. and Europe. The British Standards Institute (BSI) is a similar organization that has several years of experience developing working standards for many industries. For these

CHARITY FUNCTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CHARITY FUNCTIONS - Essay Example This gap between government remedies and social ills has long been a concern of organizational theorists in who examine corporate social responsibility, as well as humanitarians who work towards social change through establishing or donating to charities (Weisbord 2004). Although the general public consensus is that charities make a strong contribution to the social good, growing bodies of theorists and researchers have argued that the only function that charities can ever perform is that of relieving the symptoms without treating the disease (Rydenfelt 1983). In effect, charities merely salve people's conscience while maintaining the status quo. Within the world of finance such charity functions have emerged as firms or individual investors have placed funds into trusts with the intention that their donation is making a significant real world contribution to social progress. This essay explores this equity trust relationship through an examination of the extent that charities can tr uly be understood to make significant real world contributions, and argues that many of the current charitable organizations must structurally rethink their approach to humanitarian aid. When examining the extent that charities contribute to social progress one of the essential considerations is the establishment of a working understanding of the charity concept. In the United States, charities are clearly defined as non-profit organizations (NPO) that have philanthropic interests that directly contribute to the public good (Marion 2004). While the United Kingdom has a similar understanding as the United States, rather than defining the charitable organizations as the non-profit organizational label they are distinguished by the Charities Act. Originally established in 1993 the Charities Act has undergone a number of considerable amendments over the last two decades (Kihn 2012). The Charities Act 1993 was established by the Parliament of the United Kingdom as a means of altering the regulatory framework around which charities act (‘Charities Act, 2006’). The main provisions established in this act are the definition of the requirements to become a charity and the establishment of a Charity Tribunal to hear appeals from decisions of the Charity Commissions. Subsequent changes to this act, with the most recent 2011 act making alterations to the requirements for registering charities (Kihn 2012). These notions are significant as they establish the important elements of the United Kingdom’s charity trust system. Even as there are considerable amounts of charities that fall under the auspices of the United Kingdom’s Charities Act, a number of researchers have criticized these institutions for lack of true understanding of social change. Additionally, there are a number of laws that these charities benefit from. This is significant as it indicates that to a degree they fall under the auspices of government funding. Hudson (2009) indicates that the law grants charitable trusts in the United Kingdom exemption from most taxes, and the trustees have freedom from legal action. Although this research has found no direct link between the tax exemption and charitable inefficiencies, it seems highly possible that this policy has allowed a system to emerge where the government is actually subsidizing ineffectiveness. Each case is specific, yet there has emerged an overarching argument against these institutions. This argument contends that these equity funds simply stave off the immediate problem, yet fail to target the long-term solution. Metaphorically this

Goal statement, which states my purpose for applying to graduate Personal Statement

Goal , which states my purpose for applying to graduate school, choice of specialty and role, and future plan - Personal Statement Example For one of the projects, I had to write an essay as to why I was pursuing higher education. As a woman, from a cultural background where education for women was not significant, as they were considered only as homemakers this topic was of interest to me. This class was a revelation to me, as it motivated me to empower myself, develop knowledge and skills in my career as well as being confident in my practice. It as well encouraged me to go into the community and serve the people that were underserved. I am privileged to work as a Med Surg nurse on a general medicine floor in one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. This experience has made me grow professionally and personally. It gave me the prospect to work with a varied cluster of patients and their families with varying diagnosis and from various socioeconomic cultures. Additionally, I interacted with members of the hospital’s multidisciplinary team made up of staff members from various departments, as we coordinated and ensured that patients got safe and ultimate care they deserve. This was an immense learning experience. Working in the hospital has been an elevating experience. It has helped me in understanding the theoretical and practical aspects of nursing, which is caring of a patient as a whole. It has also formed the foundation for me to center my dreams of a passionate nurse that I am as I embark in the nurse practitioner role. I am interested of being a family nurse practitioner because after having the opportunity to interact with so many people while working at the hospital, I find being involved with a diverse population inspiring. I would like to work with the entire family of all ages from pediatric to the geriatric population. This aspiration was further strengthened in me after attending to 57-year-old patient diagnosed with end stage liver disease and encephalopathy and was struggling

STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN - Coursework Example The strategy is to become the ‘preferred destination by providing food that is up to one week fresher than the supermarkets’. The operations of Sunripe are affected by the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors. These factors influence the operations and decisions of Sunripe in varying degrees. The influence of economic, social and environmental factors on Sunripe appears to be more pronounced than the other factors of macro environment. 2.1.1 (c) The set up of the Ontario Food Terminal (OFT), where food items received from more than 100 countries are sold under one roof indicates that the government enjoys good diplomatic relations with other countries and has adopted a liberalised trade policy. 2.1.2 (b) The target market of Sunripe consists of people with ‘above-average’ incomes. Thus most of the economic factors, predominantly the income levels of the consumers, will affect Sunripe’s revenue. 2.1.6 (b) The case study only refers to the minimum hourly wage of $7.45 to be paid to part-time employees. Sunripe is not really affected by this aspect since it employs mostly full-time employees. 2.2.3 (b) Customers wait for retailers to roll out discounts and promotional offers. 2.2.3 (c) Sunripe makes price redundant since it competes on the plank of differentiation; fresh, high quality food at reasonable prices. Will Willemsen, the founder of Sunripe, is the single most important force behind Sunripe’s success. He painstakingly sourced the merchandise for his stores. Willemsen did not mind paying a premium to procure high quality, fresh food. Sunripe employed 90, mostly full-time employees, to manage the operations of its two stores. Sunripe is an entrepreneurial set up and therefore has limited capital. The retailer has managed to obtain steady cash inflows due to its operational efficacy. Sunripe had a sound financial position with the

Evaluate an Entrepreneurial Venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Evaluate an Entrepreneurial Venture - Essay Example 3Â  billion (Cozon, 2013). In less than four years, Dyson managed to become a market leader, as regard sales in vacuum cleaners, both in the US and UK markets, which clearly shows its success story. However, the journey that started with launching the Ballbarrow in the 1970s to the production of the extremely successful vacuum cleaner in the 2000s has been a rather difficult one. It involved struggles in procuring funds during the initial years to fighting court cases against multinational rivals for patent rights. Despite these major setbacks, Sir James Dyson persevered, and transformed his company into a leading manufacturing company in the market, amidst stiff competition from other large multinational brands. Dyson is considered as a great entrepreneur and his sense of innovation and business acumen is evident in his marketing of a product that used a technology rejected by other product manufacturers. The product, when launched, was priced at double the average market rates for similar products and there were very little advertisements and marketing done to promote it; instead, DAL commissioned retailers through their own efforts, an occasional article that described the product was published in newspapers, and the name was made to spread by a general word of mouth. Key Historical Facts James Dyson, a British entrepreneur in 1973, founded Dyson Appliances Ltd. ... The Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner he owned did not perform as he wanted and therefore took it upon himself to develop a better model. Between 1979 and 1984, Dyson developed over 5000 models of vacuum cleaners trying to make them more efficient. When he produced the first fully functional prototype, he had problems getting licenses in the European and American markets, mainly because other more established manufacturers feared the competition brought Dyson’s company. The company has a long history since its establishment in the 1970s. Here, we will examine some of the key historical facts such as products, market entry, funding and others critical to its start up. i.) Products In 1986, Dyson began the manufacture of the DC-series of vacuum cleaners. These had a lot of success on the market as discussed in the market entry segment. This series started with the DC01, DC02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 08T, DC9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 24, and DC25. Besides the vacuum cleaners, the company also deals in hand dryers. It is the manufacturer of the Air-blade hand dryer series. This series comprises of AB01, AB03, AB06, AB07, AB08, AB09, AB10, and AB11 (Dyson, 1998). The company also diversified into production of a bladeless fan called the Air Multiplier. The company also produced the contra-rotator washing machine CR01. This was followed by the CR02. The company however dropped this product line and ceased to provide any support services for it. ii.) Market entry The first vacuum cleaner that the company ever sold was sold in Japan for an equivalent of $2000 in 1986. This was not a sustainable venture for mass production. After setting up a research facility in Wiltshire in 1993, a cheaper model, the DA001 was produced and retailed at

Arizona State University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arizona State University - Essay Example As the requirement for professionalization in all the fields of organized undertakings is the index of modern business, universities and institutional managements are forced to induct more new courses in campuses with a motive of selling education at a higher price than ethically permissible. From the profit-making angle, most universities are adopting the policy of upsizing the classes inconsiderate of the defects awaiting their students and their own reputation in the future. This essay will focus on the argument that addition of excessive number of students to a classroom eventually damages the morale of students and the quality of the education offered by the university suffers due to the profit-motive ventures of most of the management of educational institutions today. The real impact The pressure imposed by the total system of a formative education that requires them to develop a career demands the students’ hard struggle for excellence. Induction of more names in the r oll means a teaching burden for many teachers. Faculty of many institutions have their grief that the increased class size adds pressure to their job and the quality of student attention suffers when the class is formed with a difference in performance levels of the students. They strongly argue that student outcomes from classroom lectures and practical demonstrations deteriorate easily with the students outnumbering the manageable proportions and also, the result of such forcible conditions before the faculty may force them to deleteriously change the mode of teaching. There have been a number of studies on the impact of classroom size on student performance in which many researchers rule out such possibilities. For instance, the study conducted by Glass and Smith in 1978 â€Å"concluded that if class size decreases, achievements increase for all students† (qtd in Rochester, 27). They believe that formative lectures and academic materials are distributed equally among all t he students irrespective of the size of the classroom and that they retain all essential subject information and material resources equally. However, it can be implicitly suggested that as the level of education goes higher, it becomes tougher for the students to learn the teachings without proper attention of lecturers. When the number of students becomes more, there are chances of classroom management issues related to time and discipline whereby the meritorious ones may face the serious threat of loss of quality education. Considering such spiritual elements involved in the course curriculum and the expectations of students about their achievement at classrooms, the student-teacher ratio must be optimally regulated. The impact of an increasingly high level competition at job markets and the random rearrangement of syllabus for the achievement of required accreditation status by many universities have made education a herculean task for most of the students. In many cases, student s feel annoyed about the sudden changes inside and outside the campuses, as the process of education becomes tougher for them with having to meet new challenges every day. When such conditions perturb the performance of the student with a better learning skill, they gradually become hopeless about their future in classroom filled with underperforming ones. The expectations are always seen high with bright students as their choices are mostly related to professional courses and comprehensive learning. The faculty, on the other hand can be demoralized by such hugely forcible insertion of more students as their lecture goes ineffective for the smarter ones in the classroom, and also for the reason that they lose their productive time meant for spending with top layer performers. When the size of the c

Evaluate an Entrepreneurial Venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Evaluate an Entrepreneurial Venture - Essay Example 3Â  billion (Cozon, 2013). In less than four years, Dyson managed to become a market leader, as regard sales in vacuum cleaners, both in the US and UK markets, which clearly shows its success story. However, the journey that started with launching the Ballbarrow in the 1970s to the production of the extremely successful vacuum cleaner in the 2000s has been a rather difficult one. It involved struggles in procuring funds during the initial years to fighting court cases against multinational rivals for patent rights. Despite these major setbacks, Sir James Dyson persevered, and transformed his company into a leading manufacturing company in the market, amidst stiff competition from other large multinational brands. Dyson is considered as a great entrepreneur and his sense of innovation and business acumen is evident in his marketing of a product that used a technology rejected by other product manufacturers. The product, when launched, was priced at double the average market rates for similar products and there were very little advertisements and marketing done to promote it; instead, DAL commissioned retailers through their own efforts, an occasional article that described the product was published in newspapers, and the name was made to spread by a general word of mouth. Key Historical Facts James Dyson, a British entrepreneur in 1973, founded Dyson Appliances Ltd. ... The Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner he owned did not perform as he wanted and therefore took it upon himself to develop a better model. Between 1979 and 1984, Dyson developed over 5000 models of vacuum cleaners trying to make them more efficient. When he produced the first fully functional prototype, he had problems getting licenses in the European and American markets, mainly because other more established manufacturers feared the competition brought Dyson’s company. The company has a long history since its establishment in the 1970s. Here, we will examine some of the key historical facts such as products, market entry, funding and others critical to its start up. i.) Products In 1986, Dyson began the manufacture of the DC-series of vacuum cleaners. These had a lot of success on the market as discussed in the market entry segment. This series started with the DC01, DC02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 08T, DC9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 24, and DC25. Besides the vacuum cleaners, the company also deals in hand dryers. It is the manufacturer of the Air-blade hand dryer series. This series comprises of AB01, AB03, AB06, AB07, AB08, AB09, AB10, and AB11 (Dyson, 1998). The company also diversified into production of a bladeless fan called the Air Multiplier. The company also produced the contra-rotator washing machine CR01. This was followed by the CR02. The company however dropped this product line and ceased to provide any support services for it. ii.) Market entry The first vacuum cleaner that the company ever sold was sold in Japan for an equivalent of $2000 in 1986. This was not a sustainable venture for mass production. After setting up a research facility in Wiltshire in 1993, a cheaper model, the DA001 was produced and retailed at

US-Australia Flights and Their Economic Implications Essay Example for Free

US-Australia Flights and Their Economic Implications Essay Airlines and flights availability have very strong implications upon tourism. And tourism, on the other hand affects the economy. Simply stated, it is not very convenient to reach a certain destination without a speedy transportation medium. Imagine how can you reach Washington from Melbourne if there is no flight connecting these two countries? However, connecting two destinations is not an easy task to do. There are a lot of considerations to be done to make the route successful and advantageous to both the air line company and the passengers. In the case of Australia, which has â€Å"eleven per cent (11%) air space of the earth’s surface† (Efficient Planning 2006, 41) flight region, it is quite easy to setup flights. Taking the flight to Washington from Melbourne, or Australia to the United States of America (USA) nowadays are more convenient. In fact recent talks between the officials of these two countries is to have â€Å"open skies† (â€Å"US-Australia†Ã‚   2008) to promote competition and thereby encouraging tourism. Currently, it is the Australian Qantas that takes the lead when flights between the two mentioned countries are concerned. â€Å"At the moment Australian airline Qantas has by far the most non-stop services to the US, and reportedly generates up to 20% of its profits from the route†, according to the BBC report. The weekly non-stop flights between these two countries carried out by Qantas consist of forty-eight (48) trips in all. Can you imagine the exchange of tourism earnings between the US a and Australia only be these flights by a single airline company? Aside from Qantas, other airlines planning to compete in bringing in passengers to Australia from the USA and vice versa are Virgin Blues V Australia and Singapore Airlines. Currently however, there are fourteen (14) weekly flights aside from that of Qantas which is offered by the United Airlines. These flights, totaling to sixty-two are only for the non-stop classification. How about if those with connecting flights are added here? More exchange of tourists can be done if more flights would be counted. Recently, the flights departing the USA going Australia has given   49,000 visitors from the  United States of America only for the 28-day month of February 2008 bringing the total for the two months of 2008, January and   February, to 86,100, â€Å"an  increase of 7 per cent  relative to the same period of the previous year.† (â€Å"February 2008 Highlights†) In fact there is a steady increase of arrivals from the USA to Australia as the year moves away from 2001, the time when security issues on air travels were so critical. The concerns on airline and airport security according to Beirman (2003, 53) became one of the most important challenges facing the world of tourism industry. Airlines and airport authorities worldwide had actively addressed this issue since air piracy first emerged as a terrorist tactic as far back as 1960s.   Beirman (54) further noted that   â€Å"the drop in both domestic and international airline patronage coupled with the reduction of scheduled air services was expected to flow through to patronage of hotels, resort and attractions. Indeed, as stated, the number of passengers is also reflective of the tourism industry because without a means of transportation, tourists cannot just reach where they want to go! And reciprocally, without passengers, flights/airline routes cannot simply survive. On the other hand, things causing people to travel include publicities such as in 1999 when   Qantas airline gained so much profit despite the economic challenges. It was attributed to exposure and publicity related to games would also result in a longer-term growth period  (Qantas Flies High as, 3). Furthermore, there were 44,900 visitors from the  United States of America  during December 2007 bringing the total for 2007 to 459,700, (â€Å"December 2007 Highlights† 2008) an  increase of one (1%) per cent  relative to 2006 while there were a total of 456,000 (â€Å"December 2006 Highlights† 2008) US American arrivals in 2006, a two (2%) per cent rise relative  to 2005, while in 2005, 446,200 (â€Å"December 2005†, 2008)   American visitors arrived,   making an increase of three (3%) per cent  relative to 2004 records. Table 1 American Flyers to Australia (2004-2007) Year Head Count Yearly Increase in % 2007 459.700 0,81 2006   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   456.000 2,20 2005 446.200 3,00 2004 433.200 Base   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the economic implications of the above result? Pairing with recent data above, the period covering 2006 and 2007, the tourism industry in Australia contributes 3.7% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 3.4% to the country’s Gross value added amount. Moreover the industry employed 482, 800 individuals comprising 4.7% of the total Australian employment (â€Å"Market Insights† 2008). It surely is a very positive output caused by tourism and one of the contributing factors are the flights and inflows of tourists and visitors mentioned in the preceding discussions. On the other hand, Australian visitor arrivals to the U.S.in 2003 summed up to approximately 582,000 giving a 12% rise from the previous year (â€Å"International Arrivals†, 2005). The following year, a 4% increase followed to 603,000 arrivals (â€Å"International Arrivals†, 2006). In fact the two countries exhibit similar trends, increasing flights as the years move away from 2001 and the number of arrivals are almost reciprocally comparable. In the US, more flights mean more commissions to or incentives to the travel and tourism industry and economy. According to Ioannides and Debbage (1998, 120), through travel agencies commissions, the airline industry can manipulate the type of advice given by the agents. This means more monetary circulation in the market and naturally, as previously mentioned, the ensuing effects to the hotel and accommodation industry, beaches and attractions business, museums, and any other tourist spots in the U.S. And not to be missed, the corresponding taxation paid by those earning entities. In fact, as Hall, and Page (2002, 2) stated, tourism, as with other forms of economic activity, therefore reflects the increasing interconnectedness of the international economy. Indeed, by its very nature in terms of connections between generating areas, destinations and travel routes or paths, tourism is perhaps a phenomenon which depends more than most not only on transport, service and trading networks but also on social, political and environmental relationships between the consumers and producers of the tourist experience. Furthermore tourism can be viewed as a primary industry which, through visitor spending, increases job opportunities and tax revenues, and enhances the communitys overall economic base  (Hall, and Page 2002, 5) Thus, these are what those flights and arrivals are all about: profits and taxes, money circulation and improved economy. Works Cited Beirman, David. 2003.  Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis : A Strategic Marketing Approach /. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen Unwin. http December 2004 Highlights://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=102031251. December 2005 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival data. Tourism Australia.http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=1173. December 2006 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival data. Tourism Australia. http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=2100. December 2007 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival data. Tourism Australia. http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=2808. Efficient Planning of Long Distance Flights Path. 2006. Airline Fleet and Network Management, January.   http://www.aviationindustrygroup.com/index.cfm?format=1184 . February 2008 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival Data. 2008. Tourism Australia. ttp://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=2878. International Arrivals to the United States for December, Fourth Quarter, and Annual 2005. ITA, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/pdf/2005ArrivalsAnalysis_DecFourthQtr.pdf. International Arrivals to the United States for Fourth Quarter and Annual 2006. ITA, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/a-2006-400/index.html. Ioannides, Dimitri and Keith G. Debbage, eds. 1998.  The Economic Geography of the Tourist Industry: A Supply-Side Analysis. London: Routledge. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=108239141. Hall, C. Michael, and Stephen J. Page. 2002.  The Geography of Tourism and Recreation: Environment, Place, and Space. London: Routledge. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=108405174. Market Insights, Tourism Facts. 2008. Torism Australia. http://www.tourism.australia.com/content/Research/Factsheets/Key_Tourism_Facts_07.pdf Qantas Flies High as Net Profits Rise. 1999.  Business Asia, August 30, 3. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5001296632. US-Australia flight talks begin could lead to cheaper flights across the Pacific.  2008. BBC News, February, 8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7240588.stm.

Globalisation Of Communication Curriculum

Globalisation Of Communication Curriculum Globalisation is a word used more often today than twenty or thirty years ago. Globalisation describes the increasing movement of people, knowledge, ideas, goods and money across national borders (Eberlein 2011:15). When talking about globalisation people mostly refer to the political, economic and technological changes which they think makes the world function differently today than it did twenty or thirty years ago It is assured that higher education institutions are affected by globalisation and are being transformed on a day to day basis and is speeding up the process of interconnectedness. Most of the universities are internationally recognised and in touch and informed with what other universities across the world is doing (Marginson van der Wende 2006:4). According to Marginson and van der Wende (2006:4), globalisation is not a single or universal phenomenon. It is nuanced according to locality (local area, nation, world region); language(s) of use, and academic cultures; and it plays out very differently according to the type of institution. It is nearly impossible for single higher education institutions and countries to isolate themselves from other institutions across the globe because of the interconnected global environment. Globalisation has made it possible for institutions to be connected and visible to other institutions around the world through the medium of social networking and cell phones (Marginson van der Wende 2006:4). 3. Globalisation and Communication ICTin South Africa has developed faster than expected and it makes the mobility of learning easier and more accessible. ICTs has an increased influence on any society and this has resulted in the transformation in communication and sharing of information around the world (Bilas Franc 2010:105). Bilas and Franc (2010:105)say that ICT ensures a speedy flow of information at a low cost. Globalisation is changing the way we communicate to others and what we communicate. The University of Pretoria uses a website what we call Click-up, this site is used only by students and lecturers that are registered at the University of Pretoria. Lecturers have the opportunity to distribute their lecture notes and any other additional information with regards to their subject field or module on the website. The students can than access this website and download any notes and information they may require. It is also used as a communications tool for lecturers and students. The lecturers can communicate with students by posting announcements on their particular subject of module link. Students can also communicate with fellow students by commenting on a specific module link and also so with the lecturers. This is a fast and effective way of communicating between lecturers and fellow students and the sharing of information. I myself would be lost without Click-up and I find this website very convenient and easy to use and as mentioned earlier it is a source where inf ormation is sent fast and at a low cost. 4. Globalisation and Curriculum Curriculum means to study a few different subjects in one course either during school or at university level. Globalisation has a major effect on curriculum in terms of the course content and subject content. It has impacted the curriculum polies to an extent where lifelong learning is an important factor in the Outcomes Based Education (OBE) system. Ngubane (2008:17) says that the global economic dynamic desires to make education systems even more receptive to the goals of a global world through reviving human capital theory as a key ingredient of instrumentalist education. She says that with new developments taking place, the education system needs to keep up to date on a daily basis because of the impact of globalisation. Therefore the education policy must be of such dynamic structure so that it can restore itself (Ngubane 2008:15). The globalisation concept is promoted by the speed of education development, number of skilled citizens and number of trained academics. This means that certain effects of globalisation are responsible for the changes in the education system. To keep up with global change, the education system, tools, methods and structures must follow economic trends. Globalisation has changed the world and increased the international understanding between people by bringing them together from across the globe (N gubane 2008:16). In relation to what is said above, there are four key transformations associated with the effects of globalisation. One of the key transformations is accreditation and universalization. This means that an institutions accreditation serves the purpose of: assisting with state funds, providing loans and bursaries and when ease-transfer becomes helpful to students who wish to move from one institution to another (Ngubane 2008:20). At the University of Pretoria they have a policy where funds are available to assist students with access to state funds. Student finance is available to students who have difficulty to pay intuition fees up front. A student can apply for a student loan from the university or they can apply for a bursary to help lift the burden temporarily. At the University of Pretoria they also have a programme where exchange students have the opportunity to visit and learn possible new skills at the university for a certain period of time to see how we in South Africa operate in relation to their own home country. When students wish to transfer from one institution to another they will get full recognition and credit for the courses that they have already done and passed 5. Globalisation and Culture It is said that the global situation is in the process of change and that a New World Order will affect all humanity and developing countries. Cultural ideas and images can be transported from one end of the earth to the other end in an instant, wirelessly and through satellite technology. Because of this, diverse culture groups in different countries are brought together faster at an alarming rate. This is what globalisation means, being connected to the rest of the world through the internet and technology (Sijuwade 2006:125). Sijuwade (2006:125) says that: Part of the process of globalization is the need to develop a culture that, in some broad way, can transcend diverse economic, ethnic, political, racial, and religious backgrounds. A teacher is appointed to equip all learners with the skills, knowledge and values to resolve cultural and social conflicts that may arise amongst them peacefully and to respect each others culture and traditions in order to become responsible citizens of South Africa (Power 2000:7). Culture changes on a daily basis, from traditions to religions. South Africa is a very diverse country with eleven official languages which makes it a unique country. It is important for all South African citizens to be language and culture sensitive. During my experience at university it is clear that there are a lot of diverse culture groups being brought together as one Rainbow Nation. Seeing all these different groups is defiantly a new experience for me. I went to an Afrikaans-speaking medium school in Pretoria and the majority of the children there were white speaking Afrikaners. Today I get to participate in a whole new culture. Global forces are increasing populations and mixing all cultures, this has forced people to learn to live together and to celebrate difference as a fact of life (Power 2000:3). Cultures and traditions have changed over the past several years in relation to dress codes and eating habits. A practical example will be the Indian people, their culture has w esternised so much in the sense that they do not dress the way they would have 20 years ago. The Indian culture at varsity has modernised. They come to varsity dressed in jeans and t-shirts; they dont wear their traditional saris anymore and its the same with the African culture, they dont wear their traditional African outfits anymore. This means that we are moving into a new culture where everybody dresses of the same nature, we are all of one rainbow nation, united as one. 6. Conclusion In South Africa education is being shaped and influenced by the global market economy. It is changing the curriculum in schools and tertiary institutions. The staffing of a school is dependant by the number learners enrolled into that particular school for that particular year, when the teacher-learner ratio is exceeded, teacher are forced to be transferred. As said before, it is evident that the South African education system is shaped and influenced by the forces of globalisation (Ngubane 2008:24).

Pete Sampras Essay -- essays research papers fc

Pete Sampras the American Sensation The reason why I chose to do my research paper on Pete Sampras is because I love to play tennis, and Pete is the greatest tennis player alive. I have always made him my role model, and I hope to one day meet him. I try and model my tennis game after his and it has really helped my tennis game. Pete Sampras is my childhood hero, and that is the reason why I chose the topic of Pete Sampras. Pete was born on August 12, 1971. in Washington, DC. Although Pete was born in Washington, he grew up in Palos Verdes, California. Pete is a direct descendent of Sam and Georgia Sampras. Pete has three Siblings one elder and two younger. The elder sibling is Stella, the current head tennis coach at UCLA. Pete's younger sister Marion has not decided on a career yet, and Pete's third sibling is his only brother, Gus who is the Current Assistant Tournament Director at Scottsdale ATP Tour Event (Role Models). Pete began playing tennis at the age of seven, and when he was nine, his father asked Pete Fischer, a physician and amateur player, to hit with his son. Fischer was so impressed with Pete's ability, he became Pete's personal coach. When Pete was eleven, he had the opportunity to hit with his childhood hero Rod Laver. Pete later told his coach that he was so nervous he couldn't get the ball over the net. Pete rarely won a major junior tournament. Fischer believed that someone of his talent should play up in age groups against older and stronger players to develop his all around game. When Pete reached the age of 14, Fischer changed Pete's two-handed backhand to a one-handed. At the same time of his backhand switch Fischer switched Pete from a safe defensive baseliner to a risky serve and volleyer. The reason he did this was to try and make Pete feel much more laid back and in the end it worked. Pete turned pro at the age of 16 following his junior year in high-school. By the late 1980's, Pete split with his coach Pete Fischer because Pete felt that Fischer was an overbearing perfectionist. After the split with Fischer, Pete picked up a new coach, Tim Gullikson. Tim Gullikson showed Pete the value of playing percentage tennis--going for smart, conservative shots rather than flashy, difficult ones. On May 3, 1996, Gullik... ...aw: 96 R128 Bye, () N/A R64 Kiefer, Nicolas (GER ) 36 6-3 3-6 6-3 R32 Roddick, Andy (USA ) 131 6-7(2) 3-6 (S.L. Price) As you can see Pete has had a few wins but about two years ago, the peak of his career, he wouldn't have lost to any of those players. If you noticed in the Miami Ericsson open he was beat by Andy Roddick a young 19 year old player who just turned pro. That just reinstates my point that he will not be able to keep up with the young up and comers. WORKS CITED 1. " Role Models on the Web: Pete Sampras" April 27, 2000 Available: www.rolemodel.net/Sampras/Sampras.html April 27, 2001 2. Price, S.L. "The Passion of Pete Sampras." Sports Illustrated May 26 1997: 56-63 3. "Pete Sampras." Current Biography. 14th edition. The HW Publishing Company 233-242