Market Research Paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market Research Paper - Coursework Example This paper will focus on the most significant market research, which the Mander Portman Woodward college business could employ to improve its collection of market research data. Types of research data Market research refers to gathering and analysis of data or information concerning customers, competitors and, or the effectiveness of the business marketing programs. Small-scale business owners conduct market research to evaluate the feasibility of the newly established business, preferences in new services and products, improve the business aspects like consumer services, channels of distribution of products and establish competitive strategies. In this case, the college carries out a market research to enable it to make decisions to respond effectively to the need of customers, and increase their profit. The research is also significant for the college to acquire accurate information about competitors and customers that necessitate the development of a solid marketing plan (Brace, 2 004). The college has to be conversant with their market niche, and the benefit they offer to the market. Market research aids the college hone in the marketplace and directs their operations in relation to the market segment that targets their products and services. The college utilizes both primary and secondary types of market research for data collection. ... Preliminary interactive meetings between the lower-sixth form students, their teachers and parents at the start of every summer term, discussions concerning university application and entrance, student seminars, and student interviews among others are all sources of primary data utilized by the school. It also utilizes secondary data from published examination results, such as, the academic year reports that provide significant information about the performance of the school and the challenges that need to be addressed to improve its general performance. Market research methods The key role of market research is to analyze the requirements of a certain target market, acceptability of services, competition as well as means of establishing and exploiting existing and new markets. Before conducting the research, a comprehensive understanding of the core problem that needs to be solved, the application of market research procedures and the market itself is significant (Grove and Vriens, 2006). The main reason for conducting market research in the school is to achieve a wider understanding of the methods of improving the school performance, and increasing the number of students who pursue the competitive courses. The three methods of research that could be appropriate for the school include primary research, secondary research, focused groups and student interviews. The school could use primary market research to collect original data relevant to the requirements of the students, staff and parents. Primary research entails both quantitative and qualitative categories of research. Quantitative research is based on numerical, statistical analysis and demand measurement of market

The influence of Nature and Nurture Essay Example for Free

The influence of Nature and Nurture Essay Can the influence of Nature and Nurture on two souls be compared? Nature and Nurture both determine Hucks and Jims personality ad behavior. Nature gives them their inborn traits often. Nature is how they are treated, and Nurture is the society, who natures them, and society nurtured them. Nature helps Huck become the person he is because the way your treated is the way you treat other people at times. Huck is thirteen whose place in society is second to a slave, like Jim. Hucks father is a drunk who takes care of Huck from time to time. Repeatedly Huck is filthy and left homeless. The nurturing society has failed to protect Huck from his father, because they didnt care for him, and nurture him. That doesnt go for everyone though, Widow Douglas took Huck in and tried to ameliorate Huck. Huck starts church and proper schooling. Even though Huck is a child the nurturing that he receives pushes him away from the cynicism of the world around him, which brings about another way nurturing has made who Huck is. At this time of age, African Americans were still in bondage as slaves, which brings about Jim in the story. Society does not nurture Jim; instead they treat him as an object of property. Huck doesnt agree with this though, according to Hucks sense of dialectic and fairness its not only acceptable but conscientiously good to help Jim. Hucks natural reasoning and his acquiescence to think through a situation on its own entitlement is what leads him to some conclusions that are right in their appurtenance but would clash society. An example is when he meets a group of slave-hunters, that telling a lie is sometimes the right course of action, in other words that sometimes lying is the right thing to do. Because Huck is a child, the world appears to be new to him. Everything he does is an instant for thought. Because of Hucks past he does more than just bestow the rules that he has learned; Huck invents his own rules. Nevertheless, Huck is not indispensably a kind of autonomous ethical genius. Huck struggles with some of the prejudgment about African Americans, which society has inveterate in him. Unfortunately Huck ensue Tom Sawyers lead. These flaws are of Huck because nature nurtured him this way. This shows you  that these flaws are a important element of what makes Huck enticing and compassionate. However Huck is still a boy and consequently deceptive. Impaired as Huck is, he symbolizes what everyone is able of becoming rational, feeling human being rather than a sprocket in the dogmatic instrument of society. What makes Jim who he is Nature. If society didnt treat him as an object he would be able to become better in all aspects. In the story Huckleberry Finn Jim is Hucks friend that travels the Mississippi River with him. In the story Jim is portrayed as man of outstanding intellectual, and that he shows compassion to people, even if they dont show it to him. When I first read about Jim he was portrayed as an idiot, but as I read further I found out that this was not true. Nature enabled Jim from acting boldly or speaking his mind, which at times made him seem like he wasnt intelligent. Even though he is held down by Natures way of nurturing him, Jim still finds it somewhere in his heart to be one of the most compassionate and caring person in this novel, and further more he cares for Huck, like a father would and like a friend. For example Jim cooks for Huck and shelters him from the incidents like when he finds Pas corpse, and kept it from him. Overall Jim I believe that Jim cannot control the way Natures nurtures him, and Huck, is the goodness in the society, even though Nature in its nurturing ways corrupted Huck.

Mythology: Important Part Of History :: essays research papers

Mythology: Important Part of History Bullfinch once said "Mythology is the handmaid of literature...". That means that mythology is necessarily subservient or subordinate to literature. I personally think that is not true. Let me introduce myself. My name is Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and sexual desire. Mythology is important and interesting . In fact, I think I may be the most interesting of all the gods. Well, at least the most beautiful. In this auto biographical paper I will reveal to you who I am, how I relate to mythology, and a famous story about myself. Let me start with my birth. Many think I was born out of murder. They say that when Cronos butchered his father he flung the dismembered body into the sea, where it floated spouting blood and foam. From the foam rose me, a tall beautiful maiden with long blond hair the color of daffodils. Other legends say that I am the daughter of Cronos and Rheia or Jupiter and Dionne. I am married to Hephaestus, god of fire and metal work. Shortly after birth my poor husband was cast out of Olympus because of his deformities. My son is the famous arrow shooting Cupid. We are almost always together and Cupid is always shooting darts of desire in to the bosoms of Gods and men. I hate to admit it but in a way I am responsible for the Trojan War. One day Discord threw an apple on to Olympus to be given to the most beautiful goddess. Hera, Athene, and I all tried to claim the title. Each of us tried to persaude the judge, Paris, in our favor. Hera told him he would be a powerful ruler, Athene promised him that he would receive great military fame, and I guaranteed him Helen of Troy's hand in marriage. He then declared me the fairest of all, and abducted Helen of Troy thus beginning the Trojan War. I have also inspired many paintings, sculptures, and poetry. The most famous painting featuring me is the Birth of Venus. It is a very famous painting from the Renaissance. As you can see I am one of the most important goddess and have influenced mythology immensely. I relate to mythology by being the goddess of love and beauty. My Roman name is Venus. My work is my pleasure, my profession, and my hobby. I think about nothing but love and nobody expects any more from me. My job is to make other gods and goddess fall in love with each other. I am ashamed to say that I

Determination of Factors Contributing to Success Essay

These factors will be uncovered by nalyzing the internal and external factors influencing strategic alliances and the phases through which these alliances evolve. In order to provide this research study with a practical element two case studies within the airline industry have been incorporated, namely the Swissair Qualiflyer Alliance and Star Alliance. These case studies represent a successful and an unsuccessful alliance, which are analyzed on a basis of the provided literature study, in this case the phases through which these evaluation of the case studies numerous supportive results were identified, ontributing toward establishing determinant factors, which emphasize the importance of a successful implementation of the different phases, however limitations affect the reliability of this study, due to the lack of evidence found in various different phases. Keywords: strategic alliances, internal and external factors, strategic alliance phases Introduction In past years a visible increase in the amount of strategic alliances, concerning firms with varying economic objectives, was observed (Das, Teng 2000). Strategic alliances are the â€Å"relatively enduring inter-firm cooperative arrangements, involving flows and inkages that utilize resources and/or governance structures from autonomous organizations, for the Joint accomplishment of individual goals linked to the corporate mission of each sponsoring firm† (Parkhe 1991, p. ). The amount of strategic alliances has recently doubled, predicting additional raise in the future (Booz, Allen, Hamilton 1997). Especially alliances in the form of non-equity based, which are defined as two or more firms developing a contractual-relationship in order to establish competitive advantage by combining resources and capabilities (Globerman 007), have increased in importance which is visible in non equity alliances accounting for 80 per cent (Hagedoorn 1996). Strategic alliances provide firms with the opportunity to recognize synergies through combining operations, such as in research and development, manufacturing etc (Aaker 1995; Addler 1966). The growth of strategic alliances is related to growing competition and globalization (Das, Teng 2000). This is in alignment with Doz and Hamels (1998) view which states that globalization as well as changes in economic activities is a consequence for the growth in strategic alliances, which is visible in various different industries Hagedoorn 1993). The primary reasons for the growth of the number of alliances is 1) the ability of cost savings in executing operations 2) the ability to access particular markets 3) the reducing of financial and political risk in addition to cheapest labor and production costs (Wheelen, Hungar 2000). A strategic alliance by definition is a hybrid organizational form which Jensen and Meckling (1991) refer to as a network organization. Harbison and Pekar (1998) highlight numerous common characteristics visible within strategic alliances, namely a required commitment of at least ten years, he connection of the partners is based on equity or on shared capabilities, a complementary relationship based on a shared strategy, increasing companies’ value in the market place, the pressuring of competitors and the willingness of sharing and leveraging core capabilities. Nevertheless, strategic alliances have noticeable high instability rates (Das, Teng 2000); furthermore, according to Kalmbach and Roussel (1999) the failure rates are approximately as high as 70 per cent. Studies conducted by Das and Teng (2000) reportedly state that encountered problems are witnessed in he first two years of two thirds of all alliances. This study is going to provide a more in-depth analysis on the factors that are necessary for determining success in all strategic alliances. Starting with an analysis of strategic alliances based on the as to which extent these factors play a crucial role in the determination of success rate of strategic alliances. In order to incorporate a practical view on the strategic alliances, this study will additionally implement two case studies to the analysis. Conceptual Model [pic] This conceptual model starts the literature study on strategic alliances as a central concept. From this central concept, emphasis is drawn on internal and external factors influencing strategic alliances, as well as on the different phases through which alliance evolve. Additionally, strategic alliances lead to either successful or unsuccessful alliances. Based on the research from Bronder and Pritzl (1992), Hoffmann and Schlosser (2001), Waddock (1989) and Wolhstetter, Smith and Malloy (2005), a framework of seven phases is established. Within these seven phases the most important activities and processes are analyzed, including reasoning behind strategic alliances, potential intensions for forming strategic alliances, partner election, external factors influencing the design of the strategic alliance, negotiation methods, followed by the structuring of the alliance. Furthermore, implementation and management of the strategic alliance is examined. Finally, the last two phases concerning the evaluation of the formation of strategic alliances and the termination of the partnership are discussed. Resulting from this literature study are two outcomes, namely a successful implementation of the phases and an unsuccessful implementation. In order to apply a practical element to this thesis, two case studies ill be analyzed, those of Qualiflyer, which turned out to be an unsuccessful alliance and Star Alliance, which was able to incorporate a success strategic alliance in the airline industry. After analyzing the cases the findings compared to the literature analysis, will hopefully correlate to each other and the determinants that influence more success in alliances can be established. Problem Statement Based on past literature research studys the outcomes of implementing strategic alliances as a change strategy in organizations is unfavorable, especially when looking at the failure rates. Nevertheless, the adoption of strategic alliances is a customary implemented firm strategy (Gulati 1998), as a means of securing their competitive position. Much research is conducted in order to provide more guidance in determining factors that achieve sustainable strategic alliances, therefore in this thesis the main research question is; What factors determine the success of strategic alliances? This research question will be addressed by the help of analyzing and answering these various sub-questions; Why do firms choose strategic alliances as a change process? What are the potential ntentions of a strategic alliance? activities and processes occur in which phase? Preview of the organization of the thesis This report begins by indicating the problem that strategic alliances are a favorable organizational change strategy in the business world today, however the failure rate is extremely high. Secondly, by applying literature analysis the main determinants influencing more success in strategic alliances will be uncovered, which will be coupled to the case study part of the thesis where the determinants will be compared to the specific cases. Finally, the thesis will conclude on the part if the eterminants uncovered in the literature study correlate to the findings in the case study. Methodology and Research Design In this thesis the methodology contained two specific approaches, including a literature study as well as evaluating two case studies. Firstly, the literature analysis was conducted; with as primary focus an in-depth analysis of academic articles. The findings of the literature study are compared to two case studies, those of the Qualiflyer alliance and Star Alliance. These two cases were chosen because they represent the different outcomes an alliance can hold, namely the successful mplementation the alliance strategy at Star Alliance and the unsuccessful outcome of an alliance strategy of the Qualiflyer alliance. In addition, even though these two examples vary substantially in size, which provides difficulty when comparing the two alliances, they both started off at reasonably the same size; therefore this thesis incorporated these two examples anyway. This evaluation will be conducted by means of desk research, exploring the different implementations of this strategy. The time frame of the case studies is from the first phase up until the last phase, through hich they evolved, in order to identify dependent unsuccessful and successful aspects. The significance of implementing case studies in this thesis is relating the findings from the literature analysis to real life cases of both a successful alliances as well as a non-successful alliance. Furthermore, comparing if the determinants of success found in the literature analysis correlate with the factors observed in the cases. Internal versus External factors Influencing Strategic Alliances Our internal tensions perspective framework (Figure 2, Appendices) of strategic alliances comprises three airs of competing forces-namely, cooperation versus competition, rigidity versus flexibility, and short-term versus long-term orientations (Das, Teng 2000). Competition is defined as pursuing one’s own interest at the expense of others, while cooperation is the pursuit of mutual interests and common benefits in alliances. This tension of cooperation versus competition is most salient in selecting alliance partners, the first of three major stages in the alliance making process, along with structuring and managing an alliance (Das, Teng 1997). In conclusion, the stability and success of trategic alliances will be inversely related to the difference between the cooperation level and the competition level. Rigidity refers to the characteristics of mutual to adapt, unencumbered by rigid arrangements. The dominance of either flexibility or rigidity may change the status quo and trigger the evolution of a new structure, which leads to unsuccessful alliances. Therefore, the stability of strategic alliances will be inversely related to the difference between the rigidity level and the flexibility level. Short-term orientation views strategic alliances as transitional in nature, with a emand for quick and tangible results, whereas long-term orientation regards alliances as at least semi permanent entities, so that more patience and commitment are exercised. A strategy that reflects only one temporal orientation is not compatible with the foundation for a sustainable strategic alliance, in other words the stability of strategic alliances will be inversely related to the difference between the short-term orientation and the long-term orientation. Furthermore, the three internal pairs of contradictory forces are interrelated within an evolving system, resulting in the ollowing propositions, namely that the levels of rigidity and cooperation will be positively related when the partners have a short-term orientation in strategic alliances. However, a negative relatedness at a high level of rigidity, cooperation and rigidity (Das, Teng 2000). will be negatively related when the partners have a long- term orientation in strategic alliances (Das, Teng 2000). According to Das and Teng (2000) the contradictions and tensions in these force-pairs may lead to an overthrow of the status quo namely, the strategic alliance. Strategic alliances can nevertheless e sustained and successful if a careful balance between these competing forces can be maintained. According to Todeva and Knoke (2005) external factors influence alliance formation, due to differing economic condition and organizational frameworks in partnering countries; these can include legal requirements, price controls, distribution channels and contract enforcement. Furthermore, these regulative state activities comprehend the freedom when firms are forming alliances. Moreover, the formation of an alliance necessitates the authorization of national governments. Additionally, of influence to the formation of alliances is the omplicated collection of relations visible with firms, such as business associations, local governments and elite universities. On an industrial note alliances are influenced on an interflrm basis by direct impacts, where the decision on which activities to internalize is based on severity of competition within the industry and the organization of ad hoc product markets, in the challenge for increased market share, the cooperation for specific advantages and the process of internationalization (Todeva, Knoke 2005) . The partner under consideration for the formation of an alliance is in a certain sense an external factor. Firms are susceptible in the case of partnering with a dominant firm (Pennings 1994), due to technical and economic rationales. Thus, technology is a specific part of the process to establishing organizational boundaries as well as intrinsic structures. Of importance to alliances is obtaining research and development advantages, which to certain extent differs across industries on terms of expenses and the sources provided by the government (Todeva, Knoke 2005). Every alliance design commences with negotiations, thereafter the phase of structuring the alliance in which various aspects are aligned, such as he objectives of both parties, organizational structures, functional operations and cultures (Ring, van de Ven 1994). The distinguishing of phases through which strategic alliances evolve plays an essential role in the development toward successful alliances, which according to Bronder and Pritzl (1992) evolves through the three stages, which are categorized as strategic decision, confguration of strategic alliance and partner selection. Where Bronder and Pritzl terminate their research on the establishment of phases other researchers continue in identifying essential phases, for the reason that partner election as final phase represents an incomplete evolution of strategic alliances. With regard to the research conducted by Hoffmann and Schlosser (2001), the identification of strategic alliance phases resulted in a five phase path through which strategic alliances evolve, namely strategic analysis and decision to cooperate, search for a partner, designing the partnership, implementation and management of the partnership and finally termination. When comparing both Bronder and Pritzls (1992) and Hoffman and Schlossers (2001) phases, a comparison is visible in the primary hases of strategic alliances, namely the strategic analysis and decision to cooperate (Hoffmann, Schlosser 2001) which corresponds with the strategic decision phase from Bronder and Pritzl (1992). Furthermore, the partner selection phase is visible in both frameworks on strategic alliance phase. The main difference between the two studies is the more detailed approach from Hoffmann and Schlosser (2001) also distinguishing phases after the partner selection process. Finally, a study building on Waddocks (1989) work, which suggests that strategic alliances progress through hree phases, which are identified as initiation, establishment and maturity, Wohlstetter, Smith and Malloy (2005) consistently debated that the strategic alliances process is organized into three similar phases namely initiation, operations and evaluation. When comparing these views with the earlier stated reasoning on strategic alliance phases merely a fguration is enabled as to which phases from Bronder and Pritzl (1992) and Hoffmann and Schlosser (2001) are in comparison with Wohlstetters et al (2005) view and could be placed within their views, for example the artner selection phase distinguished the above stated views is probably placed within the initiation phase identified by Wohlstetter et al. (2005). In order to provide this thesis with an in-depth view on the phases through which strategic alliances evolve a combination of the three above stated views is implemented. Phase 1: Strategic Decision According to Bronder and Pritzl (1992) a clarification of the firms’ position is to be analyzed, refer ably because this is identified as the first direction toward alliance formation. Pumpin (1987), states that the evaluation of the actual situation of the firm s identified by exploring its mission, possible values and core competencies. Additionally, the firm identifies the reasoning behind incorporating an alliance strategy. According to Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1996), Harrigan (1985), Link and Bauer (1989), Pisano (1991) and Teece (1992) technological change faced by firms is related to the favorability toward flexible organizational forms like alliances. Additionally, Ciborra (1991) and Oster (1992) state that high-tech industries, in which learning and flexibility are key characteristics, will preferably choose alliances, lexibility, firms favorably adopt a merger and acquisition strategy. The flexibility of strategic alliances is suitable as organizational structure due to the fast expiring of new knowledge and the lengthy learning time from partners (Eisenhardt, Schoonhoven, 1996; Hagedoorn 1993). Furthermore, these flexible organizational structures appear more effectively in uncertain environmental situations when adjusting to changes (Lawrence, Lorsch 1967; Pffeffer, Salancik 1978). In continuation of Powells (1996) view, Hagedoorn and Duysters (2002) predict that strategic alliance xperience positively contribute to choosing alliances as instrument for obtaining external innovative capabilities. This view is aligned with that of Kogut et al. (1992) and Gulati (1993) who accentuate the relationship between actual alliance formation and past alliances, however emphasize on a more social basis. Therefore, the formation of strategic alliances is dependent on both strategic as well as social factors. According to Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1996), an extension of the resource-based view provides a basis for examining the relationship through which alliances form by means of strategic and social resources. This research study contributed numerous outcomes on strategic alliances to existing literature, namely that increasingly challenging market conditions and Jeopardous organizational strategies result into an increase of alliance formations as an organizational change process. Additionally, of importance to the rate of formation of alliances are managerial characteristics, visible when large, experienced teams were implemented through previous employers, the rates of alliances increased (Eisenhardt, Schoonhoven 1996). In conclusion of their research Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven 1996) state that in cases of either a vulnerable strategic situations or a strong social situation the likelihood of the formation of strategic alliances increase. Phase 2: Initiation Phase The initiation phase is characterized by informal structures and communication channels as the critical issue is the development and understanding of the purpose for strategic alliances (Waddock 1989). According to Hitt et al. 1997), the potential intentions to be realized behind entering into strategic alliances are categorized into three market types 1) namely markets characterized by slow cycle, which adopt trategic alliances for original intentions such as the gaining of access to restricted markets, establishing franchises in a new market and maintaining market stability 2) in markets characterized by a standard cycle amongst the intentions able to be achieved are the gaining of market power and access to complementary resources, over coming trade barriers, gaining knowledge and learning about new business techniques 3) in the final market, the fast cycle, the achievable goals are the speeding up of the entry of new products and services in addition to new markets, maintaining he market leadership position, sharing the risky Research and Development expenses and overcoming uncertainty. Furthermore, several internal conditions drive the initiation phase including, a champion taking responsibility, complementary needs and assets, compatible goals and trust. According to Waddock (1989), the main responsibility of the champion is the guidance of the organization through the initiation phase, especially visible in the process of partner selection. Stated in the initiation phase is essential for identifying needs in addition to the process of partner selection. Complementary needs and assets appear in various different forms, however is one of the main reasons for partnering (Oliver 1990; Robertson 1998). Additionally, the main goal of partnering is achieving compatible goals among the partners, which might not have been achieved otherwise (Austin 2000; Das, Teng 1998; Kanter 1994; Oliver 1990; Robertson 1998; Spillett 1999). Finally, the initiation phase stands no chance without trust, which is mainly established through existing networks (Austin, 2000; Waddock 1989; Waide 1999), within these networks similar interests are the main characteristic. Phase 3: Partner Selection The purpose behind strategic alliance partnering is to initiate and prolong a long- term partnership, which enables more effective competition with others firms which are positioned outside the partnership Carillo 1988; Walker, Poppo 1991). The crucial decision toward the correct partner selection is the primary focus after pursuing this alliance strategy (Hitt, Tyler, Hardee, Park 1995). According to Koot (1988) the selecting of a partner is a complex process however crucial to the success of an alliance. In the partner selection process perspectives of both resource-based and organizational earning provide an explanation as to why certain partners are selected (Barkema, Bell, Pennings 1996). In explanation, firms own certain resource endowments (Barney 1991) however, in order to obtain a competitive position in a specific market supplementary resources are necessary (Hitt, Nixon, Clifford, Coyne 1999), which is the main objective for engaging in strategic alliances. Hitt et al. (2000) argues that of importance to the partner selection process is the firms’ embeddedness in both emerging markets and developed markets. Furthermore, the access to necessary esources for leveraging as well as the obtaining of capabilities for learning are primary reasons for the selection of partners. Table 1 in the Appendices, state the concluding outcomes on the selection of partners by Hitt et al. (2000), which explains the fundamental elements of the process toward partner selection. Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1996) and Dacin and Olivers’ (1997) view state that legitimacy enhancements are an additional intention for establishing alliances, therefore the partner selection process is focused on those providing strong intangible assets, for example strong reputations. According to Bronder and Pritzl (1992) critical to the partner selection process is the establishment of fundamental, strategic and cultural fit. This fundamental fit is achieved if a win-win situation for both parties is established and potential value is increased. The strategic fit is realized when the alliance involves partners with harmony of the business plans. Finally, the cultural fit is an essential success factor for partner selection, which is accomplished after acceptance of cultural differences among the partners. Phase 4: Designing the Partnership Niederkofler (1991) argues that the negotiation process must essentially interpret learly understandable resources and interests of the partners involved, in order for the creation of strategic and organizational fit to be achieved, which will direct the accomplished through open and detailed communication, circumventing hidden agendas of any sort. The consequence of this open communication translates into a coherent attitude of sincerity toward the different partners, which demands trust. In addition to strategic fit, the negotiation process also initiates a solid basis for the enforcement of an operational fit within the partnership, which can be viewed in Figure 1 of the Appendices. An important aspect of the negotiation process is the creation of flexibility, which is increased through contract provisions in addition to developing and prolonging of trust. The process of conquering complexity in operations embarks with the communication of the discovered complexity, followed by a tracking and solving of this difficulty, which results in the avoidance of any operational unalignments. The flexibility within the partnering arrangement, in addition to trust, permits renegotiation processes within the partnership; however a coherent basis must be accomplished (Niederkofler 1991). The success of alliances is highly dependent on a competent and effective alignment, therefore of importance is the designing of the partnership, thus the structure implemented. This structure is in need of a fine constructed collection of strategy, procedures and management views, which can be viewed as the internal alignment (Miles, Snow 1994). In the process of obtaining internal alignment interests as well as environmental aspects must be balanced between the partners, enabling a profitable situation (Douma, Bilderbeek, Idenburg, Looise 2000). Additionally, their framework, Figure 3, Appendices, stress the act that the five features must sufficiently be aligned to prevent failure. One of the features, namely strategic fit, is established when expected advantages and possible risks are weighed against that of the individual interests in the alliance. Various driver of strategic fit can be identified, starting with a shared vision. Further conditions necessary for strategic fit are compatibility of strategies (Brouthers, Brouthers, Wilkinson 1993), strategic importance (Doz 1988), acceptance into the market and mutual dependency. In addition to strategic fit, organizational fit is a ecessity, however due to the differences in many aspects, such as market position, organizational structure and views, management style, this is a complex task. By clarifying these differences an understanding between partners is achieved. Numerous drivers toward organizational fit are identified, namely as stated above the addressing of organizational differences (Doz 1988) furthermore, essential drivers are facilitating strategic and organizational flexibility, minimal complexity to enhance manageability (Killing 1988), efficient management control, enhancing long-term tability by investigating possible strategic conflicts and finally, the achievement of the strategic objective. Of influence, however to lesser extent are the three remaining features in the framework, which are human, operational and cultural fit. Human fit is particularly of importance in alliances processes (Boersma 1999) and according to Lewis (1990) the cultural fit is specifically an issue among employers and employees, which translates to their functioning in for example boardrooms. Finally, operational fit, also relates to the functioning of the alliance and is often susceptible to various ontingencies, therefore must be aligned. Research and Development activities have gradually evolved since the 1980s (Peterson, 1991). Creamer (1976) and Pearce (1989) identified three primary types of Research and Development activities, namely basic purpose is an understanding of the inherent and fundamental scientific development, however disregarding commercial applications. Furthermore, applied research employs knowledge conceived from the basic research to certain dimensions such as technical problems or related commercial technology aspects. In conclusion, basic research generates new facts and theories which are thereafter roven through applied research. These proven facts are generated into products and processes in the development stadium. The intention of development activities is the configuration of applied research contributions into commercially feasible products, processes and technologies Oansen 1995; Jones, Davis 2000). Phase 5: Implementation and Management of the Partnership The role of the management of strategic alliances is valuable for the progression of the alliance toward a successful outcome, however it is complex to manage (Koza, Lewin 2000). An important aspect in serving this complexity is the acquiring of nowledge from past engaging in alliances, which provides meaningful know-how to be leveraged (Kale, Dyer, Singh 2001). The framework of the four C’s of learning and leveraging alliance know how provides a tool for obtaining valuable knowledge. The four components in the framework are, capture, codify, communicate and create, and coach (Kale, Dyer, Singh 2001), also visible in Figure 4, Appendices. Capture refers to managements’ role of accessing and obtaining of valuable alliance insights and past experiences. To codify past experiences and practices contributes to the accomplishing of alliance specific needs. In order to have a common thread through the organization on these past knowledge practices, communication is essential in sharing experiences. Additionally, the creation of networks within the alliance facilitates the distribution of these valuable experiences and knowledge. Intrinsically executed coaching and education programs increase the ability to obtain alliance skills. An additional benefit from coaching is the establishment of informal social networks, which provides assistance in key situations. Furthermore, networks are critical to the development of opportunities, the assessing of concepts and obtaining esources in order to construct the new partnership (Aldrich, Zimmer 1986). The incorporation of social networks within a firm improves communication between partners, which in turn results in improved decision making processes (Gulati 1993). Various intentions for the implementation of networks can be identified, one specific is the preserving of advantages (Lorenzoni, Baden- Fuller 1995). According to Madhaven, Koka and Prescott (1998) the initiation of inter-organizational networks is created by exogenous factors, which could include competition background and specific industrial activities. Building on this theory, Gulati et al. (1997) argues that the initiation of these inter-organizational networks is dependent on two aspects, namely exogenous resource dependencies, which achieve motivation of the cooperation and an â€Å"endogenous embeddedness† dynamic, which in turn familiarizes toward partner selection. According to Stinchcombe (1990), in flows of network information meaningful views are discovered,

Jewish beliefs on life after death and Jewish Funerals Essay

Describe the Jewish beliefs about what happens to evil people after death. Death as a general concept is a very difficult concept to come to grips with; it is one of the very few events that occur in modern life where we do not have primary sources to inform us. The torah talks about â€Å"Every Jew having a portion in the world to come†. So we have already established that even the most evil person amongst our ranks will live beside us in the world to come. The problem in the above paragraph which is talked about a lot in Jewish teachings and literature is weather the evil people will live beside us or weather just like a class divide on the trains in England’s past they will be mere peasants in the back carriages. All sources at hand concur that for those possessed with good that have devoted their lives to mitzvoth the after life will only bring pleasure and the most desirable dreams. Back to the original question the problem and arguments occur when talking about evil people. During torah times we were told of a place designed for these sinners referred to as â€Å"Sheol†. When comparing this ideology to the idea of â€Å"Hell† believed by followers of the Christian belief, it was agreed that this is not the case and in fact Judaism does not believe in Hell. – Which is believed to be a mans worst nightmare and often depicted as a fiery underworld. The most well known description of Sheol is a place where the soul is made to stand naked, with no shelter to hide and to have to explain and come to terms with all the sins it has committed. AO2 – Explain how a Jewish funeral service might comfort someone whose close friend has died. The most visually explicit seen which would comfort a friend is the first part of a Jewish funeral, in Hebrew called the leveya translated into the accompaniment. This brings respect to the body and shows the onlookers including the friend how much this body is being respected in its current state and therefore how much it was loved. The (Chevra Kadisha) The most holy people, are the ones responsible for caring for the body after its death and before it is returned to the dust it was made from. It would make anybody feel comforted knowing that their loved was in the hands of these very people, they perform their tasks with the utmost respect. A Eulogy is delivered after the burial; this reminds the friend of the accomplishments that the man has achieved and that his time on the Earth will be remembered. During the second part of the funeral, a hole is dug and the body is put in, the mourner is made to cover the grave himself, this stimulates the mourners body physically and emotionally, and combined the realisation process will begin and he will start understanding that his friend is no longer with us in this world. After he has buried his friend he is in a period of mourning. During this crucial period of a Jewish death, he has certain mitzvoth he must observe, these include not shaving and not preparing your own food. Even non – Jewish therapists have agreed that this method is very good and helps an individual to accept the passing away in a gradual process. Kadish is a prayer said by a mourner and is important because it is said to elevate the soul of the relative and also allows the mourner to feel as if he is still helping even as his relative lies in his coffin. All of these tasks are specifically designed to help the mourner to understand this natural process and to help respect the dead. AO3 – â€Å"It cannot be true that there is life after death because there is no evidence for it. As afore mentioned it is difficult to find proof of the afterlife because we do not have primary sources to agree or disagree with its existence. The torah does specifically mention the afterlife in the form of â€Å"Sheol† and for Jews which follow the torah, this is the most textual proof they need in order to believe this. Just like most of the Jewish religion, Belief plays a huge part, and to believe in the after life is to have beliefs about Jewish ideology. The Mishna and the Gemara, Jewish book of learning do bring textual proof of their being an afterlife. In my opinion the after life does exist, because I am a believer of Jewish principles which tell you that your good deeds will be rewarded and your bad ones deducted from you, I can only believe that my actions in this world, will all be linked to the world to come and I shall receive my just deserves.

Beatles essays

Beatles essays John, Paul, George, and Ringo formed a group known as the Beatles. They were one the first British rock group of consequence to influence not only American culture but Western culture as well. Me- Im conservative. I feel I need to check things. I was the last to try pot and LSD and floral clothes. Im slower than John, the least likely to succeed in class(http://members.tripod.com/beatlefanatic_2/beathistory.html). Coming from the Liverpool underclass, they were drawn to the rock and roll and rhythm and blues music that celebrated the life of the common man. Elvis, the Man who came before them, symbolized the classless society in America where a poor man can become a king. In the beginning, the Beatles learned their music by copying the American music they loved. As they gained popularity they were commercialized and formed by music promoters. Finally, they developed their skills and style to express themselves and define their own image. It is at this point that The Beatles evolved to become a dominant influence on the Cultural Revolution that began in the 1960s. The later Beatles music would scream the painful song of an abandoned child. John Lennon who was raised in a middle class home in Liverpool, England was the original Beatle. John was abandoned by his parents at a very young age. His father, Alfred Lennon, left the family first after a short, unhappy marriage to Julia Stanley. Later, Julia left John with her sister Mimi Smith to raise when she remarried. After that marriage ended in divorce, she returned to live with John. Unfortunately, this reunion did not last long. The ultimate abandonment occurred when Johns mother died after being hit by a car on Menlove Avenue. Years later John said about his mothers death, It was the worst thing that happened to me. Wed caught up so much, me and Julia. In just a few years. We could communicate. We got on. She was great... That...

Managing Future Change for Technical Service Organization

Managing Future Change for Technical Service Organization Abstract The paper examines Saudi Arabian Airlines and it is specifically concerned with the technical services department. It is a research proposal, the main objective being how the company can introduce new aircrafts in its fleet, without disruption of services. The paper begins with an introduction of Saudi Arabian Airlines and observes its growth over the years. It notes the main aspects and expectations of the technical services department in organizations. The paper takes a closer look at the technical department in the Saudi Airlines. It specifically analyses the role and tasks carried out by the technical department, the different sections in the departments, and the role of these departments. The proposal addresses the scope of the study and the major problems addressed in the research. The aim is to find any opportunities for the improvement of services in the technical departments in the airline and this will be achieved by defining the problems that exist in the department. Keywords: Saudi Arabian Airlines, technical services department, research, opportunity Background The Saudi Arabian Airlines had its beginnings in 1945. In 1946, the airline was formally established as an operating agency in the ministry of defense. Saudi Arabian airlines were the first airlines to operate commercial jets, and they did this in 1962. The airlines growth was fast and they acquired aircrafts almost on an annual basis. The airline became a corporation in 1963 and two years later, it became part of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. In 1967, the airlines became part of the International Air Transport Association. The Flight Training Center was opened in 1979. In 1996, the airline unveiled its new corporate identity. The airline is a pioneer in its field as it tries to be the best airline in the world. In 1994, the airline installed air phone in some of its aircrafts. In December 1996, the airline introduced its website and the following year, it introduced Braille, thus ensuring that passengers who were visually impaired were not left out. The airline’s techni cal services and materials management division received the ISO-9002:1994 certification in the year 2000. Although the airline has a humble background, it has grown to become one of the most sought after and largest airlines in the world. It increased the number of destinations rapidly and the number of passengers who use it continues to grow steadily. As the national carrier, Saudi Airline has twenty-six domestic stations and sixty-four international stations (Saudi Airlines). The airline currently has more than one hundred aircrafts. Some of the aircrafts in its range include the B747-400, Airbus A300-600 and MD-11 among others. Technical Services Departments Technical services departments are very crucial in every business. They ensure smooth running of the business by ensuring that the business maintains its production of quality services and products. Technical services offer assistance to those who use the technical facilities of the business. They provide support services to the consumers and other people who might be in need of them. The technical services department is important for ensuring that the business or company complies with all laws pertaining to its field. Although these are the basic elements of the technical services department, organizations differ in many ways and they define their own roles based on the work they have to do and their organizational structure. Although there may be many organizations in the same field, their technical services department may not be similar. The people involved in the technical services department may include engineers and other professionals. They are responsible for technological de velopments of the business and they ensure that they are up to date with emerging technology. They help the organization to blend in with the changing environment by making sure they deal with the problems that face the organization. They look for any opportunities that the business might find useful and they keenly observe the threats facing the organization (Daft 2009 p. 27). The role of technical services organizations and departments keep on changing. This is mainly because of the changing job roles and advancement in technology that has made work easier over the years. Technological advancement is very important as it contributes to other innovations in the industry (Afable 2002, p. 1). Description of the problem or opportunity In an attempt to offer improved services and attract more clients, airlines are increasingly adopting new technologies. Airlines introduce new aircrafts to their fleet based on the performance of these aircrafts. Some of these aircrafts are introduced because they are fast, while others are more popular because of the comfort they offer the clients. People everywhere have become more interested in environmental matters. Airlines are no exception to this, and they are looking at the latest aircrafts, which have considered the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This means that they are acquiring environmentally friendly aircrafts and abandoning the older models. What then happens to the older models? The technical department is responsible for ensuring that the models perform well. They inspect the aircrafts for any malfunction and they prepare them for travel. They take care of the different component parts and they are the first to know when something goes wrong. However, in order for them to do their work effectively, they have to have a thorough knowledge of how the aircraft works. Aircraft models are designed differently. Aircrafts cannot be introduced into a fleet haphazardly. The employees in the technical department require time to learn how the aircraft works. The management has to ensure that it provides the required training for the employees. The employees may resist change because of several reasons and this will ultimately affect service delivery in the airlines. How can the management introduce the new aircrafts to its fleet, while ensuring service delivery? How will it convince and involve its employees to embrace the changes? When is it most appropriate to introduce the changes and how can they be implemented in the right way? Saudi Airlines has an opportunity to increase its market and its destinations by introducing these aircrafts to its fleet. This is in line with the company’s vision of becoming the leading airlines company in the Middle East. The introduction of the aircrafts will cause another problem, since the company has to dispose off its old aircrafts. Although these aircrafts are in good condition, they will not be used. Technical Services Departments in Saudi Arabia Airlines The technical services in Saudi Airlines are divided into nine departments. They include Technical Department DPM, Technical Quality Assurance DPM, Facilities and Ground Support Equipment Maintenance DPM, Major Base Aircraft Maintenance DPM, Aircraft Engineering DPM, Maintenance Planning Control Center DPM, System Maintenance DPM and Aircraft Component Overhaul DPM. The staff offering technical services makes up the majority of employees in the airlines. The staff includes technicians, inspectors, engineers and planners. The technical services personnel operate twenty-six sections within the kingdom and thirty stations outside the kingdom (Saudi Airlines). The head of the department is the director general and he is assisted by the vice president of technical services. General Managers of the various departments work under the vice president. The staff has many responsibilities especially in maintenance. They maintain the aircraft bodies and engines, and avionics. They maintain the fleet support equipment and they ensure that all machinery is working well (Saudi airlines 2006). The technical services training department is responsible for the training of the staff. The department establishes whether there is any need for the training of staff and it assess the training conducted by outside bodies. It makes sure that the staff is performing their work accordingly and it recognizes those who have exemplary performance. The company privatized technical services, hoping that this would help it improve its services. The privatization of the technical services in line with the current trend in corporate management whereby companies are outsourcing some of the duties with the aim of cutting back on costs and increasing efficiency. This is because it brings about the subject of division of labor and specialization whereby companies and individuals engage in activities they are best suited in. with this respect, the company has been able to outsource this service to some of the most qualified companies, that are best equipped and qualified to bring about the desired results. The company’s objective is to become the leading center for processing and maintaining aircraft bodies and engines in the Middle East. The current cost of operations is high and the company hopes that it will reduce these costs by adopting new technology. Although the airline prides itself in providing quality services, it does not neglect the fact that it needs to invest more on it service production. It aims to improve its service delivery and ensure high performance standards. The agreement signed by the airline and Pratt Whitney provides that the airline should wash its engines and the engines of other commercial airlines operating in the kingdom. This is a benefit to the airline as it works to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. The â€Å"ecowash system† developed by Pratt Whitney ensures a reduction in fuel burn, eliminates carbon dioxide emissions and decreases the temperature of the engine gas. The airline has to undertake this additional responsibility and as such, it needs to train people to do the work. In addition to the maintenance and the inspection service the airline offers, it also offers training in different sectors. The airline has a fleet of different aircrafts, which include twenty B747, twenty-three B777, twenty-nine MD90, four MD11F and fifteen E170. Seven of these aircrafts operate as royal aircrafts. They include four B747, one B757 and two MD11s. The company phased out the Airbus 300 (Saudi Airline). People develop different aircrafts for several reasons. Some want to increase the speed, while others are more concerned about the environment and they design aircrafts that will not emit a lot of carbon. For a training program to be successful, one has to observe the changes made in other department. For instance, the staff needs to be made aware of why they are undertaking the particular program. The person giving the instructions in a training program should know all the theories applicable, and he or she should be able to apply these theories practically. Research objective The objective of this research is to identify ways through which the airline can effectively introduce the new aircrafts to its fleet without disruption of services. The paper will essentially be concerned with how the staff in the technical department can be trained to handle the new aircrafts effectively. Variables to be addressed The staff members need motivation in order for them to perform their duties and to accept the changes. They also require training so that they can be able to manage a new fleet. High quality training may cost the organization a lot of money. It is however necessary so that the staff can manage the fleet without any problems. Motivation is a necessary factor in the training program. Staff needs to be motivated to attend the training and the organization can achieve this using different ways. The number of aircrafts to be affected needs to be identified. Some of the aircrafts will not be needed when the new fleet is introduced. However, they should not be written off before the other ones are fully implemented in the fleet. Scope of investigation The research will be based in Saudi Airlines only, since it is a departmental problem concerning the airlines. It will extensively use the information gathered in its website and other electronic sources containing useful information. Some of the employees working in the technical services department of the company will be interviewed. The information from the employees will especially be useful since it will offer first-hand account of how the employees receive training, and how effective the training is. They will also assist in identifying the best training methods. Most of the content will involve the technical services department in the company. Where necessary, the research will include information from other places for comparison purposes. The investigative research will not take a lot of time since most of the information is available. Problem Anticipation One of the major problems anticipated in this research is that the employees might refuse to cooperate and give the required information. This will hinder the research process since it will limit the information available thus, a conclusive decision will not be made. Another anticipated problem is time. Although information from electronic sources is readily available, the employees may lack the time due to busy schedules. Training the staff to take on new responsibility can prove challenging, especially if they perceive they are going to be affected negatively by the changes. Technology has made things easier and the instructor should be able to demonstrate thorough knowledge of how to use the relevant technology. In this case, the instructor should demonstrate that he knows how to handle the new aircraft models and how to clean the engines using the â€Å"ecowash system†. The instructor should show an understanding of communications technology by using it to demonstrate his lessons. This not only adds to the interest of the lesson, but it enhances efficiency and effectiveness of the program. The trainees should participate in the training program. It should not be a lecture-type kind of training where the instructor teaches all that he knows. The training program should be a partnership between the instructor and the trainees (Dessinger Moseley p. 41). The Saudi Airlines has recently acquired additional aircrafts and all the technical personnel should know how to handle them. The staff may already be familiar with some of the aircrafts and so this might not be a big challenge. The airline’s decision to upgrade the extended range of Boeing 777 was a good idea. The main objective of the upgrade was to ensure that the passengers enjoyed their travel. Moreover, the fleet had a more elegant design than the previous fleet. The design not only enhances comfort and style, but it also ensures that the fleet meets the maintenance standards. It is of paramount importance that the technical personnel should attend the engineering services offered by Boeing so that they can learn of any changes made to the engines or other aircraft components. This will ensure better service delivery since the technical personnel will know what to do incase a problem occurs. Conclusion The technical services department has been of core importance to the Saudi Airlines. The department has been mandated with the smooth and efficient mergence between recourse utilization and service delivery to the customers. Saudi airlines has successfully entrenched the technical services departments in its operations through the creation of nine departments. This has gone a long way in meeting the company’s objective of becoming the leading center for processing and maintaining aircraft bodies and engines in the Middle East. References: Afable DJ, 2002, A beginner’s guide to understanding technical support, iUniverse Daft, JM, Willmott H, 2010, Organization theory and design, Cengage Learning EMEA Saudi Airlines 2006, 2006 Saudi technical services staff on the increase, Saudi Airlines, viewed 15 August 2011, saudiairlines.com/portal/site/saudiairlines/menuitem.f79b25a0f48ef685173ff63dc8f034a0/?vgnextoid=39244005b547b110VgnVCM1000001f64e80aRCRD Saudi Airlines, 2006, 2006 The privatization of technical services, Saudi Airlines, viewed 15 August 2011, saudiairlines.com/portal/site/saudiairlines/menuitem.f79b25a0f48ef685173ff63dc8f034a0/?vgnextoid=f6934005b547b110VgnVCM1000001f64e80aRCRD

Jake Drake Bully Buster Chapter Book About Bullying

Jake Drake Bully Buster Chapter Book About Bullying Jake Drake Bully Buster: Summary In Jake Drake Bully Buster, author Andrew Clements focuses on a problem too many kids have to cope with: bullies and bullying. What do you do if youre a bully-magnet? Thats Jakes problem in the chapter book Jake Drake Bully Buster. Fourth grader Jake Drake tells the story of how he went from being a bully-magnet starting in preschool to becoming a bully buster in second grade. Jakes experiences not only make an entertaining story for 7-10 year olds, they also provide a lot of food for thought. Why Jake Was a Bully-Magnet Jake begins his story with tales of all of the bullies who bullied him before second grade, starting when he was a 3-year-old and continuing through preschool, kindergarten and first grade. Jake figures he has these bully-magnet characteristics: Hes small but not so small that he doesnt represent a challenge, he doesn’t have an older brother or sister to defend him, he’s not the type to complain, and he looks â€Å"brainy.† Interestingly, these dont change as Jake goes from being a bully-magnet to a bully buster. Instead, Jakes experiences in second grade change him. Jake and the Grade A, SuperBully Jakes says he didn’t become a bully buster until second grade and then, only after â€Å"being picked on by a Certified, Grade A Super Bully.† Second grade starts out wonderfully. Jake likes his teacher, Mrs. Brattle. There are no bullies in his class, although he still has to watch out for bullies on the playground and in the lunchroom. However, when a new student, Link Baxter, whom Jakes quickly learns is â€Å"a Certified, Grade A Super Bully,† joins the class. Link continually picks on Jake at school and on the school bus. The first time it happens, Jake is so upset that when he gets home he bullies his little sister until his mother stops him, saying, â€Å"What’s gotten into you!?† Jake realizes that â€Å"It was Link. Link had gotten into me! I was being like Link. I had caught BULLYITIS!† When he apologizes to his little sister, she tell him that Link’s sister is in her class, and she is a bully like her brother. Jakes Attempts to End the Bullying Jake decides to try acting like Link’s bullying doesn’t bother him. When Link makes fun of him on the bus, Jake acts like it’s a joke. All day, Jake tries to act cook when Link bothers him, but this only makes Link bully him more. Finally, Link splashes water on Jake so it looks like Jake wet him pants and proceeds to mock him, â€Å"Wook, wook! Wittle Jakey had an accident!† Jake get very mad and can tell Link is pleased about that. Jake is so mad that he hits Link, who acts like he has a terrible injury. Link gets sent to the nurse’s office for ice and sympathy and Jake was sent to the principal’s office. Afterwards, when he and Link meet in the hallway, Jake asks Link why he bullies him and Link doesn’t have an answer. Jake decides, â€Å"†¦if I could figure out that reason – or if I could give him a reason NOT to be a bully – then Link Baxter, SuperBully, would become Link Baxter, Ex-SuperBully.† From Bad to Worse Leads to New Insights Things go from bad to worse when Jake’s teacher decides that everyone in the class has to work in pairs on a Thanksgiving project, and she assigns Jake and Link to work together. Their assignment is to do a project about how Native Americans lived. Jake is appalled, but Link thinks it’s funny and tells Jake that he’s going to have to do all the work. Jake prepares the report but keeps hoping Link will help so they have something to show the class. When the day before the project is due Link tells Jake to do that also, Jake is so mad that he refuses. Link tells him to come over to his house after school so they can make something. At Link’s house, Jake learns two surprising things about Link: Link is skilled at creating models and dioramas and his older sister bullies him. He also learns that when Link is involved in model making, it’s like he’s one of the kids instead of a SuperBully. In fact, according to Jake, â€Å"When he forgot I was there, he had a different face from his bully face, Not mean. Almost nice.† The visit to Link’s house gives Jake a lot to think about, but he’s still not sure how to make Link stop bullying him. Everything Changes With Jakes Good Choices Everything changes again when it is time for Jake and Link to give their project report. Jake finds out that Link has stage fright about doing the presentation. Rather than pay Link back for all Link has done to Jake by humiliating Link in front of his classmates, Jake covers for him. He tells Link he will give the report and Link can point out things in the diorama he made. Their project is a big success, but the best outcome is that Link no longer bullies Jake and Jake realizes that by getting to know the real person â€Å"behind those mean eyes and that bully-face,† he can be a bully buster rather than a bully-magnet. Throughout the book, Jake reacts to the bullying in different ways, not all of them appropriate. He quickly learns that bullying others, being mean, and hitting the bully are all not the responses he wants to, or should, make. As time passes and he learns more and more about the bully, Jake begins to make better decisions: standing up to Link and refusing to finish the project by himself, covering for Link when it’s time for their presentation and acknowledging Link’s model-building skills in front of the class. Its the fact that Jake is essentially a good kid who is willing to take the time and thought to look beyond the bully-face to the person within that enables him to become a bully buster. Jake Drake Bully Buster: Guide Recommendation I recommend Jake Drake Bully Buster for independent readers in grades 2-4. It is also an excellent classroom or family read aloud. At under 90 pages, it is a quick and enjoyable read, but it also has some substance and can easily and effectively be used as a bullying discussion prompt. The Jake Drake series includes a total of four books about the fourth graders experiences st school, and I recommend them all. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon Schuster, 2007 reprint edition. ISBN: 9781416939337) Additional Resources About Bullies and Bullying From About.com Dr. Vincent Iannelli, the About.com Pediatrics Expert, provides statistics about bullying and some of the signs of bullying parents should look for in his article Bullying and Bullies. For information about cyberbullying, see A Parents Guide to Cyberbullying. For picture books about bullies and bullying, see my reviews of Each Kindness, Oliver Button Is a Sissy and The Bully Blockers Club. For a list of books about bullying for older kids, see Bullies and Bullying in Books for Kids to Teens.

Banking Technology in the Fight against Money Laundering in UK Private Essay

Banking Technology in the Fight against Money Laundering in UK Private Banking - Essay Example Banking has gone a long way since this was practised in Italy during the Renaissance Period. In other parts of the world, the ancient Persians and Arab traders had used a primitive form banking facilities to ply their commerce. China even had some form of checking facilities where the traders from faraway areas could encash a check for their use while in foreign lands. Globalisation in trade and commerce has made banking a crucial part of a modern economy. The fast growth in world commerce and finance has also brought with it new challenges not seen before. Along the heels of globalisation is the growth of crime syndicates and certain individuals who find it convenient to use modern banking facilities to move large sums of money around. This attempt to hide the monies is known as money laundering and it is the purpose of this research paper to explore how the use of modern banking technology can help in the fight against this pervasive crime. The amount of money being laundered in an estimate given by Asian Development Bank (ADB) is about $2.17 to $3.61 trillion annually or around 3%-5% of the total world gross domestic product. This represents a huge security risk to international finance and presents social, economic and political concerns due to narco-politics. 1.1. Early use of Technology in Banking The early uses of technology in the banking industry were for efficiency and accuracy. At that time, security was not yet a major concern. Use of electronic banking has also gone a long way from initial use of computers to keep customers' records, compute for interest and other transactions. Information and communications technology (ICT) resulted in great strides in efficiency in the financial and banking services sectors but this also spawned cyber-crimes (Shroff, 2007) related to money and banking such as identity thefts, illegal transfers of money or fictitious accounts. The use of computer technology was meant to be a tool for competitive advantage such as improving customer service. The adoption of computer technology in the industry was related to needs of information technology such as creating a niche strategy for bank branches (Violano & Collie, 1992). 1.2. Objectives The primary research question of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of using banking technology in fighting money laundering in private banking in the United Kingdom. In particular, this research objective is of great importance considering that London is one of the biggest financial centres in the world in terms of banking, investments and fund flows. A lot of the world’s funds pass through the London banking system and the criminals use this opportunity to mingle their funds with legitimate funds of local and foreign investors. Additionally, subsidiary research questions are posed in relation to the main question: 1. What are the steps involved in the money laundering process and what methods are used to launder money (the various ways to cover the tracks of its origin)? It is important to know what steps are involved in money laundering so it is easier to catch the criminals. The point is to disrupt the money flow and catch the criminals as early as possible and it takes knowledge of the money laundering process to do it effectively. 2. What existing banking technologies are used in the fight against money laundering? Existing banking technologies using modern computers are found to be inadequate in detecting money laundering. The urgent need is to use a far more sophisticated technology that is effective in detecting certain patterns from among thousands of seemingly-unrelated transactions. 3. What are the areas that are susceptible to money laundering in UK private banking? There are several areas in which money laundering can be done through the facilities and services of private banking. It can include practically the whole host of investment areas where large sums of money can be profitably invested and more importan tly, in the areas where it does not attract unwanted attention

The Role of a PPC Manager in a Leading Company Term Paper

The Role of a PPC Manager in a Leading Company - Term Paper Example Goals could be varied for clients. For some clients, the aim is branding and for some others, it could be a direct response. Some clients focus on improving their return on investment and some others focus on improving the traffic to their website. The role of the PPC Manager also involves identifying the goals of the clients, setting up, and maintaining the campaign in such a way that the aim of the client is fulfilled. Based on job analysis, the key aspects of the role include managing a portfolio of client accounts, interacting directly with the clients to understand their business, driving revenue and improving customer satisfaction. The PPC Manager should be able to optimize the performance of the campaign, set and implement strategies to achieve the goal of the client and demonstrate product expertise on PPC models. Apart from being an expert on analytics and reporting, they should also demonstrate their expertise on industry trends and customer education.   The basic pre-requisite of the candidate is to have around 3 years of experience in key account management, have proficiency in Microsoft Excel, be flexible and open, have very good communication and interpersonal skills. The candidate also should be a graduate with a good academic background. The HR Executive would conduct the phone screen interview. The aim of this interview is to see if the candidate fulfills the basic criterion required for the job.  

Corporate and business strategy case study Essay

Corporate and business strategy case study - Essay Example 2) The other key issue is that the company’s chocolates are seasoned. For example the box chocolates show the sales of almost 35% during the period of 10 weeks before the Christmas, a further 10% are for the Easter, including three million Easter eggs. Typically the company sells almost ï‚ £10m in last 72 hours of Christmas. 3) Chocolates of the company are hand made this makes the process of automated packing difficult for the boxed chocolate. The other companies on the other hand like Cadburys make moulded chocolates, which makes the automated packing easier. 4) Thorntons long-term strategy included vertical integration and product differentiation. This means the top person in the company belonged to a particular family. The product differentiation apart from the taste of the chocolate was also marked by the freshness of the chocolate. 5) One of the key issues has been the taste of the chocolates manufactured by the company. Thorntons range of the continental chocolates has made the company largest selling specialist of assortment chocolates in the UK. of Thorntons’ chocolates. However, since the demand of company’s chocolates is seasonal this puts extra pressure on requirement of the manpower during the peak season. The requirement of casual staff for packing purposes increases which leads to reduction in efficiency. Also the sales during peak season become almost ten fold hence there is requirement of extra staff at the retail stores also during the peak season. This makes the company more dependent on the casual staff. The casual staffs are quite expensive and it is not easily available. As it is the requirement of the casual staff in general in the market is more during the festive seasons. Also the casual staff is untrained, hence it has to be trained, which requires some of the resources of the company. The casual staffs have lower speed of working thus reducing the efficiency. The other critical issue is that the chocolates

The wisdom of crowds, the way were working Essay

The wisdom of crowds, the way were working - Essay Example The wisdom of crowds, the way we’re working One of the key aspects that make Coca-Cola a market leader is that it allows the diversity of opinion. James argues that groups are remarkably intelligent based on the fact that each member of the group is given an opportunity to contribute. In its effort to ensure wide range of decisions, Coca-Cola initiated a strong feedback system where shareowners and the consumers can provide their own views regarding the management of the company the board. Additionally, the company has well established operating groups that ensure opinions and information from different people reach the company headquarters. Independence of the groups is another important aspect that ensures wise crowds. This means that there is no single individual who makes decision on behalf of the entire group. For example, Coca-Cola board of governors under the leadership of Muhtar Kent, ensures consultation with other heads of department especially during the launching of new products or when adopting a new technology. In this way, each of members of the team feels as part and parcel of the entire company. Decentralization is an additional aspect that results to wise crowds. For instance, to achieve the company objectives, Coca-Cola has allocated qualified marketers and engineers to oversee its bottling plants located in various countries. Through the collaboration of the various heads of departments, wise decisions are made and adequate information is obtained thus enhancing the profitability of the company.

The economics of labor market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The economics of labor market - Assignment Example By consuming leisure you are forgoing the wage you could have earned by working that hour.as the wage increases leisure get more expensive and you consume less leisure. That is as the wage increase you work more hours Income effect- leisure is a normal good as you get wealthier you’ll want to consume more leisure. As the wage you receive increase you become wealthier and thus will want to consume more leisure. Thus as the real wage increase you work fewer hours 5) hire another worker as long as the worker adds at least $1 to profits or hire another worker as long as the cost of that worker (his wage) is less than or equal to the value of that worker’s extra output. 6) Technological advances decrease demand for labor Anything that changes either the amount of output workers can produce or the price of that output will shift the labor demand curve. Fishers, for example, would be more productive if they were provided with better training, more equipment, or improved technology, so all of these things would tend to increase the demand for

The wisdom of crowds, the way were working Essay

The wisdom of crowds, the way were working - Essay Example The wisdom of crowds, the way we’re working One of the key aspects that make Coca-Cola a market leader is that it allows the diversity of opinion. James argues that groups are remarkably intelligent based on the fact that each member of the group is given an opportunity to contribute. In its effort to ensure wide range of decisions, Coca-Cola initiated a strong feedback system where shareowners and the consumers can provide their own views regarding the management of the company the board. Additionally, the company has well established operating groups that ensure opinions and information from different people reach the company headquarters. Independence of the groups is another important aspect that ensures wise crowds. This means that there is no single individual who makes decision on behalf of the entire group. For example, Coca-Cola board of governors under the leadership of Muhtar Kent, ensures consultation with other heads of department especially during the launching of new products or when adopting a new technology. In this way, each of members of the team feels as part and parcel of the entire company. Decentralization is an additional aspect that results to wise crowds. For instance, to achieve the company objectives, Coca-Cola has allocated qualified marketers and engineers to oversee its bottling plants located in various countries. Through the collaboration of the various heads of departments, wise decisions are made and adequate information is obtained thus enhancing the profitability of the company.

The history and evolution of La Cosa Nostra Essay

The history and evolution of La Cosa Nostra - Essay Example La Cosa Nostra, over several years, founded its reputation for the cold-blooded use of violence. This aggression has taken place generally in the form of thrashings and assassinations. Personal aggression, and to a lesser extent it was brutality against property, such as, intimidations, fire-raising, blasts, is the distinctive pattern of the methodical use of aggression as an instrument of doing business. Violence and the threat of aggression were the ways by which the LCN gained monopoly control over a variety of illegal enterprises. It disheartened and abolished competitors, and it strengthened the reputation and trustworthiness of the LCN. Aggression is also used for in-house discipline. By the mid 1950s, Cosa Nostra thought of shifting their business to the cities from the rural areas. They understood that they could achieve financial gains only in cities. The industrial boom took place in the cities of Sicily. Here, the gains in terms of real estate, construction, and transporta tion were more hopeful. Thus, they turned out to be industrialists and became an element of the urban enterprise.

The Mysterious Marisa Coulter Essay Example for Free

The Mysterious Marisa Coulter Essay Phillip Pullman’s â€Å"His Dark Materials† introduces a new twist on the old villainess character to the world of fiction. Mrs. Marisa Coulter is an almost purely evil character. Despite her charming and persuasive demeanor, Mrs. Coulter is the greediest, most power-hungry character in the trilogy. In Pullman’s world, every human has a daemon—a visible version of the soul that takes on an animal form. Mrs. Coulter’s daemon, a vicious little golden monkey, reflects its owner’s personality. Only a few seconds, and the monkey had overmastered him: with one fierce black paw around his throat and his black paws gripping the polecat’s lower limbs, he took one of Pantalaimon’s ears in his other paw and pulled as if he intended to tear it off. Not angrily, either, but with a cold curious force that was horrifying to see and even worse to feel. † (Pullman, 65) Just as the monkey, in book three, enjoys torturing and killing bats in the cave in which Mrs. Coulter keeps Lyra, Mrs. Coulter enjoys toying with people before she kills them. She shows no remorse after tearing people to pieces or torturing them to death. Mrs. Coulter, according to Lord Asriel, wanted to be involved in the religious hierarchy. However, being female, this was denied her. Mrs. Coulter is very intelligent and clever, but usually works for her own ends. She is manipulative and a very convincing liar. Every act of kindness or consideration is for her benefit only. Mrs. Coulter’s daemon attacks Lyra’s daemon in an attempt to subdue Lyra into doing her bidding. Immediately following this act Pullman writes, â€Å"‘What do you think of the flowers, dear? ’ said Mrs. Coulter as sweetly as if nothing had happened† (65). She has no sense of compassion and will do almost anything to reach her goals. She is not sympathetic or sentimental, and does not particularly care how her actions affect other people. She has tortured, killed, and torn children in half all for the sake of raising herself higher. From a young age she craved power, first attempting to obtain it through marrying a wealthy politician, Edward Coulter. When her husband was killed by her lover Lord Asriel she was left with almost nothing and decided to try to get power through the Church. She decided to experiment with Dust, a new kind of elementary particle that the Church knew about, but would not experiment with because it was a feared subject. Mrs. Coulter realized that daring to do what others will not, is an extremely useful tool for gaining power. After conducting several successful experiments in the North that severed children from their daemons, and stopped Dust from gathering around them, she became one of the Churchs most powerful agents. Of all the characters in Golden Compass, Mrs. Marisa Coulter is the most morally ambiguous. Marisa Coulter has one daughter. Lyra, the protagonist of the trilogy is the product of an affair between Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel while Mrs. Coulter was still married to Edward Coulter. When Mr. Coulter found out his wife was having an affair he chased the baby Lyra and her nurse into a cottage where Lord Asriel came in and killed him. â€Å"There is no Mr. Coulter, by the way: she is a widow. Her husband died very sadly in an accident some years ago; so you might bear that in mind before you ask. † (53) In the months that followed, when Lyras future life was being worked out Mrs. Coulter turned her back. She wanted to distance herself as far away from her daughter and the affair as she could because it would disgrace her and ruin her chances at becoming high in society. It is assumed that she has had many lovers since then, including Lord Boreal. Mrs. Coulter’s relationship with Lord Asriel, Lyra’s father, adds another dimension to her character. The struggle between Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel drives much of the trilogy’s narrative. Though Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel battle for control of their daughter, Lyra’s existence suggests that a powerful attraction once existed, and possibly still exists, between them. It becomes apparent that Mrs. Coulter is in cahoots with the General Oblation Board, who as the Gobblers has been kidnapping children to be sent off to Bolvangar. â€Å"’Really? Is she involved with the Oblation Board? ’ ‘My dear, she is the Oblation Board. It’s entirely her own project –‘† (67) There, the kidnapped children are separated by a process called Intercision from their daemons, something like being subjected to the Dementors kiss. Mrs. Coulter captures the children by manipulating them. She gives them food, tells them her exciting stories of adventures, and generally gives warm hospitality. The children feel comfortable with her, and so they are shipped to Bolvangar before they realize what has happened. The children describe her as angelic. But, despite her cruelty, Mrs. Coulter has a soft spot for Lyra. She rescues Lyra from intercision at Bolvanger, she looks after Lyra in the cave in the Himalayas, and she fights desperately with Father MacPhail to make sure that his bomb doesn’t kill Lyra. In the end, she gives her own life to drag Metatron into the abyss so that Lyra can accomplish her goal. Mrs. Coulter’s transformation is inspired by Lyra, who evokes extraordinary love from most people she encounters. So it could be stated that Lyra melted Mrs. Coulter’s cold icy heart, not only teaching her compassion, but maybe a smidge of humility as well.

Developing a Learning Organisation: HRM

Developing a Learning Organisation: HRM You are a HRM manager in a global company. Your CEO has made it a strategic priority that the company should become a learning organisation. You have been asked by the CEO to manage this project. Discuss what is meant by a learning organisation, why it is important and as a HR manager how you would establish and develop a learning culture in the organisation. WHAT IS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT? WHAT MAKES STRATEGIC HRM MORE STRATEGIC THAN HRM Strategic HRM has become topical in recent years but years but definitions as to what is meant by the term vary widely. XXX. Typically, strategic HRM bridges business strategy and HRM and focuses on the integration of HR with the business and its environment. The main rationale for strategic HRM thinking is that by integrating HRM with the business strategy, rather than HR strategies being a separate set of priorities, employees will be managed more effectively, organizational performance will improve and therefore business success will follow. This in itself may not be enough. Tony Grundy (1998) suggests: Human Resources Strategy in itself may not be effective. Integrating Corporate Strategy and HR matters into an Organization and People Strategy may prove more successful. Human resources management needs to be closely integrated with managerial planning and decision making (i.e., international human resources, forecasting, planning, and mergers and acquisitions). Increasingly, an organizations top management is aware that the time to consider organizational HRM strengths or limitations is when strategic organizational decisions are being formulated, not after critical policies have been decided. A closer integration between top managements goals and HRM practices helps to elicit and reward the types of behavior necessary for achieving an organizations strategy. For example, if an organization is planning to become known for its high-quality products, HRM staff should design appraisal and reward systems that emphasize quality in order to support this competitive strategy. Strategic HRM is an outcome, as organizational systems are designed to achieve sustainable competitive advantage through people. For others, however, SHRM is viewed as a process, the process of linking HR practices to business strategy (Armstrong, 2006). Strategic management of human resources includes HRM planning. The HRM planning process involves forecasting HRM needs and developing programs to ensure that the right numbers and types of individuals are available at the right time and place. Such information enables an organization to plan its recruitment, selection, and training strategies. For example, lets say an organizations HRM plan estimates that 12 additional information systems (IS) technicians will be needed during the next year. The organization typically hires recent IS graduates to fill such positions. Because these majors are in high demand, the organization decides to begin its recruiting early in the school year, before other organizations can snatch away the best candidates. WHAT IS AN LEARNING ORGANISATION According to Peter Senge (1990: 3) learning organizations are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. A learning organization is simply put an organization that learns and encourages learning among its people and knowledge which innovates fast enough to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. It provides exchange of information hence creating a more knowledgeable workforce. This produces a more flexible organization encouraging risk taking with new ideas, allows mistakes, learn from experience and adapt to new ideas and changes through a shared vision. Learning organizations are not simply the most fashionable or current management trend, they can provide work environments that are open to creative thought, and embrace the concept that solutions to ongoing work-related problems are available inside each and every one of us. All we must do is tap into the knowledge base, which gives us the ability to think critically and creatively, the ability to communicate ideas and concepts, and the ability to cooperate with other human beings in the process of inquiry and action (Navran Associates Newsletter 1993). (Navran Associates Newsletter.) THE FIVE DISCIPLINES Peter Senge is a leading writer in the area of learning organizations, whose seminal works The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, and The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization explain that there are five disciplines, which must be mastered when introducing such an organization: Shared Vision: The key vision question is What do we want to create together?. Taking time early in the change process to have the conversations needed to shape a truly shared vision is crucial to build common understandings and commitments, unleash peoples aspirations and hopes and unearth reservations and resistances.   Leaders learn to use tools such as Positive Visioning, Concept-shifting and Values Alignment to create a shared vision, forge common meaning/focus and mutually agree what the learning targets, improvement strategies and challenge-goals should be to get there. (Senge 1990: 9) Mental Models: One key to change success is in surfacing deep-seated mental models beliefs, values, mind-sets and assumptions that determine the way people think and act. Getting in touch with the thinking going on about change in your workplace, challenging or clarifying assumptions and encouraging people to reframe is essential.   Leaders learn to use tools like the Ladder of Inference and Reflective Inquiry to practise making their mental models clearer for each other and challenging each others assumptions in order to build shared understanding. (Senge 1990: 8) Personal Mastery is centrally to do with self-awareness how much we know about ourselves and the impact our behaviour has on others. Personal mastery is the human face of change to manage change relationships sensitively, to be willing to have our own beliefs and values challenged and to ensure our change interactions and behaviours are authentic, congruent and principled. Leaders learn to use tools like Perceptual Positions and Reframing to enhance the quality of interaction and relationship in and outside their teams. (Senge 1990: 139) Team Learning happens when teams start thinking together sharing their experience, insights, knowledge and skills with each other about how to do things better. Teams develop reflection, inquiry and discussion skills to conduct more skillful change conversations with each other which form the basis for creating a shared vision of change and deciding on common commitments to action. Its also about teams developing the discipline to use the action learning cycle rigorously in change-work.   Leaders learn to use tools like the Action-Learning Cycle and Dialogue to develop critical reflection skills and conduct more robust, skillful discussions with their teams and each other.   (Senge 1990: 10) Systems Thinking is a framework for seeing inter-relationships that underlie complex situations and interactions rather than simplistic (and mostly inaccurate) linear cause-effect chains. It enables teams to unravel the often hidden subtleties, influences, leverage points and intended/unintended consequences of change plans and programs and leads to deeper, more complete awareness of the interconnections behind changing any system. Leaders learn to use Systems Thinking Maps and Archetypes to map and analyse situations, events, problems and possible causes/courses of action to find better (and often not obvious) change options/solutions. (Peter Senge (1990: 23) THREE TYPES OF ORGANISATION LEARNING Single-Loop Learning Double-Loop Learning Triple-Loop Learning Are we doing things right? Are we doing the right things? How do we decide what is right? Single-Loop Learning Single-loop learning assumes that problems and their solutions are close to each other in time and space (thought they often arent). In this form of learning, we are primarily considering our actions. Small changes are made to specific practices or behaviors, based on what has or has not worked in the past. This involves doing things better without necessarily examining or challenging our underlying beliefs and assumptions. The goal is improvements and fixes that often take the form of procedures or rules. Single-loop learning leads to making minor fixes or adjustments, like using a thermostat to regulate temperature. Are we doing things right? Heres what to do-procedures or rules. Double-Loop Learning Double-loop learning leads to insights about why a solution works. In this form of learning, we are considering our actions in the framework of our operating assumptions. This is the level of process analysis where people become observers of themselves, asking, What is going on here? What are the patterns? We need this insight to understand the pattern. We change the way we make decisions and deepen understanding of our assumptions. Double-loop learning works with major fixes or changes, like redesigning an organizational function or structure. Are we doing the right things? Heres why this works-insights and patterns. Triple-Loop Learning Triple-loop learning involves principles. The learning goes beyond insight and patterns to context. The result creates a shift in understanding our context or point of view. We produce new commitments and ways of learning. This form of learning challenges us to understand how problems and solutions are related, even when separated widely by time and space. It also challenges us to understand how our previous actions created the conditions that led to our current problems. The relationship between organizational structure and behavior is fundamentally changed because the organization learns how to learn. The results of this learning includes enhancing ways to comprehend and change our purpose, developing better understanding of how to respond to our environment, and deepening our comprehension of why we chose to do things we do. How do we decide what is right? Heres why we want to be doing this-principles. LEARNING ORIENTATIONS CREATING A LEARNING ORGANISATION The very first thing needed to create a learning organization is effective leadership, not based on traditional hierarchy, but a mix of different people from all levels of the system to lead in different ways (Senge 1996). Secondly, there must be the realization that we all have inherent power to find solutions to the problems we are faced with, and that we can and will envision a future for our library system and forge ahead to create it. As Gephart and associates point out in Learning Organizations Come Alive, the culture is the glue that holds an organization together; a learning organizations culture is based on openness and trust, where employees are supported and rewarded for learning and innovating, and one that promotes experimentation, risk taking, and values the well-being of all employees (Gephart 1996,39). Here we will look at the three aspects of leadership that he identifies and link his discussion with some other writers on leadership. Overall, to create a culture and environment that will be the foundation for a learning organization, people must realize the beginning comes with a shift of mind from seeing ourselves as separate from the world to connected to the world (Senge 1996,37); from seeing ourselves as integral components in the workplace, rather than as separate and unimportant, robotic caricatures. Finally, one of the biggest challenges that must be overcome in any organization, is to identify and breakdown the ways people reason defensively. Until then, change can never be anything but a passing phase (Argyris 1991,106). Everyone must learn that the steps they use to define and solve problems can be a source of additional problems for the organization (Argyris 1991,100). References Single-Loop and Double-Loop Models in Research on Decision Making Author(s): Chris Argyris Source: Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Sep., 1976), pp. 363-375 Published by: Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2391848 Senge, P. (1998) The Practice of Innovation, Leader to Leader 9 http://pfdf.org/leaderbooks/l2l/summer98/senge.html Senge, P. et. al. (1994) The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization Senge, P., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R., Roth, G. and Smith, B. (1999) The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations, New York: Doubleday/Currency). Senge, P., Cambron-McCabe, N. Lucas, T., Smith, B., Dutton, J. and Kleiner, A. (2000) Schools That Learn. A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares About Education, New York: Doubleday/Currency