buy custom Business Memorandum Assignment essay

buy custom Business Memorandum Assignment essay In the guidelines released on July 19, 2005 concerning Plain English and disclosure documents, the SEC turned its regulatory concerns from the substance to the presentation format of the disclosure. In essence, the SECs Plain English guidelines sought to give interested readers the chance to understand in simple language the complex information contained in the disclosure documents. Indeed, poor writing has the possibility of obscuring meaning sought after in the documents. Baroque writing style clouds the truth thereby undercutting compelled disclosure policy. In brief, non-plain English prevents the intention of the message conveyed from reaching the audience. The SEC principles of disclosure language encourage logical document structure, tight sentence structure, appealing design, direct tone, active voice, and word economy (SEC, 2005). In other words, Securities and Exchange disclosure documents should be read with ease devoid of jargon vocabulary. SECs Plain-English guidelines govern writing style and the manner in which information such as charts, statistical graphics and tables are presented in the annual reports or prospectuses. As explained by Ricky Lowry, making these disclosure documents readable does not amount to watering them down. Revising previous prospectuses may be time consuming and requires a lot of effort as well as extensive rewriting at times. Plain English in companies disclosures demands the following: Text Information Use of simple English in writing the titles in the front covers of the disclosures, as well as the back covers, risk factor sections of prospectuses and summary writing. The utilization of active voice and stronger verbs are highly recommended by the guidelines. Information should be presented in concise sentences and paragraphs. If possible, bullet lists should be used with short explanatory sentences. Description of specific disclosures should have subheadings or captions in the sections for easy identification and understanding. Legal terms and technical business language should not find their way in the disclosures. If technical vocabulary must be used, then definition should be provided in the glossary section for clarity for the meanings of terminologies that are not familiar (Lowry, 2000). Rules for graphics Fancy designs may distort clear presentation that translates into complexities in understanding graphics. The SEC guidelines advocate for simplicity of graphics in the disclosure documents to avoid such difficulties. To achieve this objective, the following proposals should be adhered to: All graphics should start at a zero baseline to avoid distorting correct proportions. All graphics should be drawn to scale for correct proportionality Graphics data [presentation should be done in a single unit (for instance, in billions, millions of dollars) to avoid misleading readers Graphics with the intent of showing periodic information should flow forward (January..June) Data presented in tables should be organized in such a way that enables quick deciphering. Presentation of stock markets and their returns for instance should be done according to the magnitude of the returns in descending order as opposed to alphabetical order of names of the markets. Buy custom Business Memorandum Assignment essay

Intermediate Level English for Medical Purposes

Intermediate Level English for Medical Purposes This sample conversation is for a physical examination. Doctor: When did you last come in for a physical exam?Patient: I had my last physical two years ago. Doctor: Have you had any other exams recently? Blood work, an EKG or an ultra-sound?Patient: Well, I had a few X-rays at the dentist. Doctor: How have you been feeling in general?Patient: Pretty well. No complaints, really. Doctor: Could you roll up your left sleeve? Id like to take your blood pressure.Patient: Certainly. Doctor: 120 over 80. Thats fine. You dont seem to be overweight, thats good. Do you exercise regularly?Patient: No, not really. If I run up a flight of stairs, it takes me a while to get my breath back. I need to get out more. Doctor: That would be a good idea. How about your diet?Patient: I think I eat a pretty balanced diet. You know, Ill have a hamburger from time to time, but generally, I have well-balanced meals. Doctor: Thats good. Now, Im going to listen to your heart.Patient: Ooh, thats cold! Doctor: Dont worry its just my stethoscope. Now, breathe in and hold your breath. Please pull up your shirt, and breathe deeply... Everything sounds good. Lets take a look at your throat. Please open wide and say ah.Patient: ah Doctor: OK. Everything looks ship shape. Im going to order some blood work and thats about it. Take this slip to the front desk and theyll arrange an appointment for the tests.Patient: Thank you, doctor. Have a nice day. Key Vocabulary physical examination (exam)blood workEKGultra-soundx-raysto roll up sleevesoverweight - underweightto exercise regularlybalanced dietwell-balanced mealsstethoscopeto breath into hold ones breathto pull on ones shirtto breathe deeplyto open wideto look ship shapeslipfront deskto arrange an appointment

The Tai Yang Syndrome and The Tao He Cheng Qi Tang of Clause Essay

The Tai Yang Syndrome and The Tao He Cheng Qi Tang of Clause - Essay Example The "Shang Han Lun" also incorporates medicial therapy into theory and patterns of diseases. Zhang Zhong Jin used short and simple sentences yet the words were layered with different meanings, and lets readers provide their own interpretation (Fan, n.d.). Thus, it is easy and very useful for doctors in various fields to apply in their own practices. In addition to this, discussion is focused on the more difficult and complicated cases because Zhang Zhong Jin expected that doctors already know the treatment and cure for common medical scenarios (Fan, n.d.). Again, this makes his theoretical discussions more interesting and useful to the practice of medicine. The "Shang Han Lun" establishes that diseases can be diagnosed through syndrome differentiation according to the 6 channels: the tai yang, yang min, shao yang, tai yin, shao yin, and jue yin. This method of diagnosis and differentiation examines the pathological changes over the route of an exogenous disease or disease due to an external factor, especially for cold induced diseases known as the "Shang Han" (Shen Nong Ltd., 2006). Based on the differentiation of diseases, syndromes are divided between the yang meridian, which focuses itself on external factors, and the yin meridian, which is about internal factors. The yang meridian is further classified into three: the tai yang, the yang ming, and the shao yang. The yin meridian is the classified into the tai yin, shao yin, and jue yin. The usual pathway of the progression of a disease through the six channels is illustrated below. Table 1. a diagram of the progression of diseases from Shen Nong Limited. Tai Yang: The greater Yang Syndrome The location of the three yang meridians are on the exterior parts of the body and as an evil develops the disease's symptoms will worsen along the more internal yin meridians (Shen Nong Ltd., 2006). The tai yang or the greater yang, refers to cold damage in general. It is also known as the exterior syndrome (Shen Nong Ltd., 2006). It focuses itself on externally contracted diseases that is caused by evils that enter the body from the outside (Greater yang disease: Pulses and signs; treatment). It refers to the original attack of an external cold evil through the pores and interstices of the skin ("TCM diagnosis," 2007). The tai yang is the first to be affected because this is the greater channel that rules the exterior of the body, such as the skin, the muscles, and the hair. This stage is broad in scope yet milder in its manifestations of symptoms, being external in essence. There are three major forms of the greater yang syndrome: (1) wind strike, (2) cold damage, and (3) warm disease. These three basic forms reflect Zhang Zhong Jin's understanding that exogenous diseases are due to the wind, the cold, or the warmth. However, less attention is given to the warm disease, and is rendered less

Applebee's strategy (some parts) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Applebee's strategy (some parts) - Essay Example volumes in existing restaurants by improving the fundamentals of Applebee’s concepts and placing less emphasis on new restaurants development for company-owned markets in past. As part of this strategy, we are concentrating leveraging our value proposition and broadening our appeal to guests through an improved menu and consumer messaging.† DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY. In its quest to capture a large portion of the casual dining industry, Applebee has focused on employing a differentiation strategy which primarily separates itself from the other players in the market. It should be noted that its more than 1,900 stores carries the same aim of â€Å"attractive, friendly, neighborhood, establishment featuring moderately priced, high quality, food and beverage items, table service, and a comfortable atmosphere which speaks to all ages† (Company Overview, 2007) of focusing on a narrow market, Applebee’s strategy is to appeal to a broad clientele regardless of age, gender, and status. The company stresses that its aim is to appeal to a wide range of customers including young adults, senior citizens, and families with children (Annual Report, 2006). In its business operation, Applebee maintains its capability of being unique by stressing the quality of its products. Recognizing that casual dining is not just all about offering sumptuous dishes and beverages but also accompanies an intangible component, Applebee also differentiates itself from its competitors by extending excellent customer service (Ronsefeld, 2000). Through these efforts, the industry leader is able to make its distinct mark relative to its rivals. The company’s utilization of differentiation strategy is supported by the following complementary and specific strategies. 1. Product Development. Applebee recognizes that even though it needs to maintain its traditional and signature recipes, the palate and general preferences of its market changes over time necessitating the introduction of new

Prisoner’s Education Essay Example for Free

Prisoner’s Education Essay Should prisoners be allowed access to online education at community colleges?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Distance education for prisoners is a good solution for instructional problems that were noted among prisoners. Lack of education would mean lack of the basic skills to create a better life and find a better paying job. Lack of education would mean lack of information and understanding about economics, business structure and social or community life. Failure to understand the environment will most likely result to challenge behavior. And that challenge behavior will grow to worst if one’s situation won’t change from worst to better in a given time. Access to education is very important to prisoners provided that the kind of subjects or coursework they are allowed to take will be limited and subject to higher approval.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Attitudes may change for the better but there is a big possibility that some prisoners may proved to be real problematic that a monitored coursework is better so access to education materials and information may also be limited and does not put the society or the police force at risk. It is advisable that a series of psychological test will be performed to the prisoners in order to assess and determine their potential and their ability to handle intellectual programs like distance learning. Internet access must also be limited to the sessions and all the homework will be done at the library of the correctional facility. Proper monitoring eliminates any potential risk in the system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although there are a lot of learning and training programs provided by community colleges, prisoners access and allowed opportunities must be limited and carefully studied. The offender’s attitude can be determined on how they take the distance education delivery system. This formal education will make them earn a degree while in prison. What is important is that they get out of prison with a diploma (Wilson Ruess 173) and is ready to face the challenges of the labor market. Lower educational level does not compel these people to commit crime but it is indeed a great factor that influenced the person’s decision making process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I firmly believed that prisoners are victims of their own environment and experiences. People and environment interaction have the ability to make and unmake people. Education will attempt to enhance basic skills and their ability to learn and assess certain situations that may be good or detrimental to their being and the well being of their community. Know that a person of limited options has much to tackle within himself in terms of self confidence or low regard to self, frustrations to alleviate life and the absence of voice in society. A person who does not understand the pathology of addiction and experience what acceptance to society and good life is will never grasp the meaning of being good to live a good life. He does not have any idea of what a good life is. He was so used to being bad he does not even know the meaning of good.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, for me prisoners need to be given the chance to access distance learning education in a limited coursework and selected programs that involves no risk at all. Police work or study of law is simply a no go or they may be able to study the system well. Prisons and correctional institutions should take advantage of technology to educate their prisoners. Technology has just given correctional institutions a very flexible and easier channel for the education of its prisoners. The only way to bring a nation down is to stop educating its people. The only way to improve the economy of a nation is to begin educating its people and giving them the skills needed and required by the labor workforce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am certain that education is not to be regarded as their second chance. Education is to be regarded as the responsibility of the state and the community to help the person obtain the basic skills for survival and obtain comprehensive knowledge that will make him understand life, society and morality. The No Child Left Behind Act was very effective. Well then let us consider those who were already an adult when the Act was initiated. We are not to leave behind any member of the community. We are not to disregard their needs and discriminate them because of their challenge behaviors. They are a challenge to the state and to the society. And the only way I find that will bridge the gap of talking between an uneducated man and a moron is education. It helps sharpen the intellect to understand policies, law and their moral obligation to safeguard the well being of other people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We eliminate an enemy of the state by providing a structured online education. Structured is not brainwashing, structured means appropriateness of the courses that they are allowed to avail. Prisoners of higher age who are not adept to technology may be taught on how to make wise investments online. The process may be simpler and they only have to study the market fluctuations. Teach them to be entrepreneurs and keep them busy with school work. The key is teaching them to adapt the new lifestyle behind bars. Education is an opportunity for change not only for the prisoners themselves but for the state. This way the state will be able to increase the population of its professionals even behind bars. Society is not to condemn prisoners but they are to help them out of compassion. Negative reactions would mean no acceptance and outright denial of their ability to seek for a better life. Negative reactions solicit rebellion and feeling of abandonment which will result to commission of more crimes. I certainly agree that the only way to eliminate crime is to educate the person committing the crime. Works Cited Page Wilson, David and Ruess, Anne. Prison(er) education: Stories of change and transformation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Winchester, UK: Waterside Press, 2000.

Homophobia - Educating Against Heterosexism :: Teaching Education Essays

Homophobia. It is defined as an irrational fear of sexual minorities including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and transexual individuals. It exists in our society, although at times it seems that our safe haven within the "university bubble" contains people that are both rational and educated preventing homophobia from becoming a reality. Denying that homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation are problems and identifying them as issues for "other" people can be extremely problematic. It is this type of thinking that perpetuates the status quo of heterosexual privilege. There have been several incidents in the past few weeks that have brought the existence of homophobia on our college campus and others as well to the forefront of many people’s minds. The incidents subsequently mentioned demonstrate the necessity of better education and understanding of sexual minorities not only for their own advancement towards equality, but for the growth of heterosexual individuals as well and progression away from the status quo. To provide a truly complete and fulfilling educational experience at Colby and other similar schools it is necessary to provide educational materials on all lifestyles and examples of diversity that exists not only in our own culture, but others as well. I believe that facilitating this complete learning experience leads to developing the individual mind morally as well as academically. I would argue that it is becoming more and more essential for our schools to provide the means for the moral development of our youth and young adults. We are living in a society where we are constantly bombarded by messages from the media, church, and even family that normalize only one way of living. It is necessary for there to be at least one facilitator of expanded thinking in people’s lives and for many college students and youth this can be found in the world of academia. Although I believe inclusiveness of sexual minorities is essential to a successful education, I demand that an institution such as Colby needs to do even more than this. The inclusion of sexual minorities is only a part of the larger picture of what needs to be accomplished to build a diverse and accepting community here at Colby. The college needs to become an institutional ally. Colby needs to do more than passively support gay, lesbian, intersexed, transexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBITTQ) issues on campus, it needs to take a stand on these issues and demand that there is progress to begin to disrupt the institutionalized heterosexism that currently exists.

Making Biases in Management Essay

A decision criterion defines what is relevant in a decision. (True; moderate; p. 158) 4. The fourth step of the decision-making process requires the decision maker to list viable alternatives that could resolve the problem. (True; easy; p. 159) 5. Once the alternatives have been identified, a decision maker must analyze each one. True; moderate; p. 159) 6. The step in the decision-making process that involves choosing a best alternative is termed implementation. Studies of the events leading up to the Challenger space shuttle disaster point to an escalation of commitment by decision makers. (True; moderate; p. 163) 12. Managers regularly use their intuition in decision making. (True; easy; p. 164) 13. Rational analysis and intuitive decision making are complementary. (True; moderate; p. 164) 14. Programmed decisions tend to be repetitive and routine. (True; easy; p. 165) 15. Rules and policies are basically the same. A policy is an explicit statement that tells a manager what he or she ought or ought not to do. False; moderate; p. 166) 17. The solution to nonprogrammed decision making relies on procedures, rules, and policies. (False; moderate; p. 166) 18. Most managerial decisions in the real world are fully nonprogrammed. (False; easy; p. 167) 19. The ideal situation for making decisions is low risk. (False; moderate; p. 167) 20. Risk is the condition in which the decision maker is able to estimate the likelihood of certain outcomes. (True; easy; p. 167) 21. Risk is a situation in which a decision maker has neither certainty nor reasonable probability estimates. (False; difficult; p. 168) 22. People who have a low tolerance for ambiguity and are rational in their way of thinking are said to have a directive style. (True; moderate; p. 171) 23. Decision makers with an analytic style have a much lower tolerance for ambiguity than do directive types. (False; moderate; p. 171) 24. Individuals with a conceptual style tend to be very broad in their outlook and will look at many alternatives. (True; moderate; p. 171) 25. Behavioral-style decision makers work well with others. (True; easy; p. 171) 26. Most managers have characteristics of analytic decision makers. (False; moderate; p. 171) 27. According to the boxed feature, â€Å"Managing Workforce Diversity,† diverse employees tend to make decisions faster than a homogeneous group of employees. (False; moderate; p. 172; AACSB: Diversity) The anchoring effect describes when decision makers fixate on initial information as a starting point and then, once set, they fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information. Answer a. When decision makers tend to think they know more than they do or hold unrealistically positive views of themselves and their performance, they’re exhibiting the overconfidence bias. b. The immediate gratification bias describes decision makers who tend to want immediate rewards and to avoid immediate costs. For these individuals, decision choices that provide quick payoffs are more appealing than those in the future. c. The anchoring effect describes when decision makers fixate on initial information as a starting point and then, once set, fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information. First impressions, ideas, prices, and estimates carry unwarranted weight relative to information received later. d. When decision makers selectively organize and interpret events based on their biased perceptions, they’re using the selective perception bias. This influences the information they pay attention to, the problems they identify, and the alternatives they develop. e. Decision makers who seek out information that reaffirms their past choices and discount information that contradicts past judgments exhibit the confirmation bias. These people tend to accept at face value information that confirms their preconceived views and are critical and skeptical of information that challenges these views. f. The framing bias is when decision makers select and highlight certain aspects of a situation while excluding others. By drawing attention to specific aspects of a situation and highlighting them, while at the same time downplaying or omitting other aspects, they distort what they see and create incorrect reference points. g. The availability bias is when decisions makers tend to remember events that are the most recent and vivid in their memory. The result is that it distorts their ability to recall events in an objective manner and results in distorted judgments and probability estimates. h. When decision makers assess the likelihood of an event based on how closely it resembles other events or sets of events, that’s the representation bias. Managers exhibiting this bias draw analogies and see identical situations where they don’t exist. i. The randomness bias describes when decision makers try to create meaning out of random events. They do this because most decision makers have difficulty dealing with chance even though random events happen to everyone and there’s nothing that can be done to predict them. j. The sunk costs error is when decision makers forget that current choices can’t correct the past. They incorrectly fixate on past expenditures of time, money, or effort in assessing choices rather than on future consequences. Instead of ignoring sunk costs, they can’t forget them. k. Decision makers who are quick to take credit for their successes and to blame failure on outside factors are exhibiting the self-serving bias. . Finally, the hindsight bias is the tendency for decision makers to falsely believe that they would have accurately predicted the outcome of an event once that outcome is actually known. They are alert to the smallest deviations and react early and quickly to anything that does not fit with their expectations. Another characteristic of HROs is that they defer to the experts on the front line. Frontline workers—those who interact day in and day out with customers, products, suppliers, an so forth—have firsthand knowledge of what can and cannot be done, what will and will not work. Get their input. Let them make decisions. Next, HROs let unexpected circumstances provide the solution. The fourth habit of HROs is that they embrace complexity. Because business is complex, these organizations aim for deeper understanding of the situation. They ask â€Å"why† and keep asking why as they probe more deeply into the causes of the problem and possible solutions. Finally, HROs anticipate, but alto anticipate their limits. These organizations do try to anticipate as much as possible, but they recognize that they can’t anticipate everything.

Hypercompetition

Jouma! of Marketing Management, 1997, 13, 4 2 1 ^ 3 0 Evert Gummesson Stockholm University, School of Business, Stockholm, Sudden In Search of Marketing Equilibrium: Relationship Marketing Versus Hypercompetition This paper is a discussion on work in progress conceming tke development qf relationship marketing (RM). It is particularly focused on the concept of marketing equilibrium which is a marketing management correspondence to market equilibrium, the traditional concept of neoclassical economic;. The paper starts with a brief introduction to the author's approach to RJ4.It proceeds with a summary of the concept of marketing equilibrium. The next section is a discourse on hypercompetition, a partiailarly intense type of competition that has been observed by several authors. RM offers a marketing theory based on collaboration with various stakeholders through long-term relationships, customer retention and loyalty. In contrast, hypercompetitiett claims that customers uHU switch bet ween suppUers at an inaeasingly faster rate and that competitors will become increasingly hostile to one another.Two basic questions are raised: do RM and hypercompetition represent two conflicting but coexisting trends that arc both growing in intensity? and How can this coexistence or conflict be conceptually handled? Tlie aim qf this paper is not to be complete and provide an answer, only to draw the reader's attention to hypercompetition as an opposite trend to RMand to offer a platform for further analysis and constructive and reflective scholarly dialogue. The 30R Approach to R M The 30R approach to RM is the outcome of an ongoing research project on â€Å"the new markedng† (Gummesson 1994, 1995). 0R refers to thirty reladonships that were found to exist in marketing. During the research process, three core variables stood out: relatiorahips, networks and interacdon. A consequent definidon of RM then became â€Å"RM is marketing seen as reladonships, networks and inter acdon†. The 3ORs wiU not be listed here, but their basic structure wiU be given. A distinction is made between market reladonships (reladonships between actors in the market such as suppUers, customers, compedtors and intermedieiries), nd two types of non-market reladonships which exercise an influence on market reladonships, but are not part of the market propier. These are mega reladonships (reladonships in society, above the market reladonships, such as reladonships to governments) and nano reladonships (reladonships inside organizadons, such as intemal customer reladonships). Services markedng and ttie network approach to industrial marketing have provided the primary theoredcal impietus for the author to explore the shortcomings 0267-257X/97/050421 + 10 $12. 00/0  ©1997'nte Dryden Press 422Evert Gummesson of traditional marketing management theory. ^ Both theories were bom in the 1970s and have continued to giow in importance. The author's idea to merge the two goes bac k to 1982 and has since been pursued and broadened (Gummesson 1983, 1987, 1995). The term RM, however, was not used in a general sense until about 1990 (see e. g. Christopher et al. 1991; Groru-oos 1994; Gummesson 1994; Hunt and Morgan 1994; Sheth 1994). Instead, terms Uke long-term interactive relationships, interactive marketing, network approach and a new concept of marketing were used.My resejtrch approach is theory generating and based on comparative, qualitative analysis and syniiieses between data from inductive, real-world studies^ received theories and new theories in the process of development. Marketing Equilibrium This section is an introduction to the general concept of marketing equilibrium and a discussion on certain aspects of the equilibrium. Marketing equilibrium is a serendipitous outcome of the author's research on RM. The concept is further elaborated in Gummesson (1995, 19%). The three forces of marketing equilibrium are competition, collaboration and regulatio ns/institutions.Although Western economies are repeatedly referred to as market economies with free competition as their ethos, in reality they are mixed economies in which competition coexists with collaboration and regulations/ institutions. Marketing equilibrium contends that a sound market is the outcome of an optimal combination of the three forces of competition, collaboration and regulatiorw/institutions. As all kinds of equilibria in dynanuc envirorunents are unstable, it is a matter of heading toward a moving target, orJy rarely reaching it and only rarely staying there for any longer period of time.Whereas traditional marketing management literature primarily deals with competition, RM highlights collaboration. Collaboration implies that aU parties actively assume responsibility to make relationships functional. The author's conclusion is that: The focus on collaboration is the most important contribution from RM, with an impact on both marketing management and economics, and that collaboration in a market economy needs to be treated with the same attention and resped as competition. Although the third force, regulations/institutions, is not the theme of this paper, a few words will be said about it.Regulations indude both formal regulations through legislation, and informal codes of conduct through culture; institutiorts are both formal authorities whose task is to ascertain that regulations are enforced, and phenomena such as the family or religion that enforce a certain behaviour. In marketing rhetoric, regulations/institutions—and to a large extent also collaboration— are treated with suspidon and as inhibiting competition and the dynamics ^Inputs to the 30R concept also came from traditional marketing management, sales management, quality management, orgaruzation theory, and other areas. The term real world data is iised here instead of empirical data. Thereasonis that too often researchers in business subject mistake empirical for qiiantitative, while in the geiieral language of sdence empirical refers to all types of data, whrther they come as qualitative, quantitative, or in any other format. In Search of Marketing Equilibrium: Rdationship Marketing vs Hypercompetition 423 of an economy. In narketing practice, however, they are ubiquitous. Douglass North, Nobel Prize laureate in the economic sdences in 1993, has shown that regulations/institutions are dynamic and necessary elements of a narket economy (North 1993).Marketing equiUbrium attempts to see the role of marketing management in the context of sodety and on an industry and economics level. It should not be confused with the market equiUbrium of neoclassical theory of economics (also referred to as microeconomics or simply price theory). ^ In neoclassical economics, the core variables are supply and demand balanced by the invisible hand of price in a market of free competition. The market is assumed to be striving in the direction of a longterm equiU brium in which aU prices are equal and all products are standardized. Customers and suppliers are anonymous masses.Companies and industries are not managing their production and sales, they are orUy adjusting to exogenous market influences. All deviations from this idealized model axe referred to as unwanted imperfections. Although marketing management is offen described as an adaptation of neodassical economics, it is blatantly obvious from even a simple real-world study of markets, industries and individual companies, that a different foundation for a marketing management theory is imperative. For example, services which constitute anything from 60 to 90% of today's economies (depending on definition) are not considered.The assumptions of neoclassical economics are simply not vaUd. There are signs that the interest in coUaboration is gaining ground not only in real business life but also in marketing theory; the most obvious being the upsurge of literature on RM and related subjec ts such as customer loyalty and alUances. Brandenbui^er and Nalebuff (1996) introduce the term â€Å"co-opetition†, which is a combination of co-operation and competition. They show that game theory is one possible way of exploring this combination (â€Å"the prisoners' dilemma†).Gray (1989) points to coUaboration as a solution to multi-party problem and says (p. 54): â€Å"Despite powerful incentives to collaborate, our capacity to do so is underdeveloped†. In the same spirit Senge (1990), in his treatise on learning organizations and the need for dialogue says (p. 10): â€Å"Interestingly, the practice of dialogue has been preserved in many â€Å"primitive† cultures†¦ but it has been almost completely lose to modem sodety. Today, the prindples and practices of dialogue are being redbcovered and put into a contemporary context†.EMalogue UteraUy means â€Å"tlunking together† There is ein extensive literature on competition both in mark eting and economics. Particularly the books by Porter (1979, 1985) have received the attention of marketers. No effort wiU be made here to review the various aspeds of competition; the treatment of competition will be directed to its role in the marketing equilibrium and to the properties of hypercompetition. In market economies, competition is hailed as the driver of economic evolution and a necessary condition for wealth. The customer is given a choice, and a supplier can never be sure to have the customer in its pocket.ITiis is a traditional view advocated by the business community, and to an extent also by the pubUc sector in many countries where deregiilation and privatization have become foreeful strategies. The countries of the Westem world—the capitalist sodeties—are not genuine ^See Hunt and Morgan (1995) for further analysis of the shortcomings of neoclassical theory. 424 Evert Gummesson market economies. They are mixed economies in which market forces and re gulations have entered into wedlock. In totally unregulated markets only few can obtain the necessities of life.For example, free markets give large corporations the freedom to offset competition, and those who cannot compete on the labour market are left to charity or misery. The opposite—total regulation — leads to rigidity. There is no general formula that tells us in what projx)rtions individual discretion and collective regulation should be mixed. Every market and period have to find their own specific solution. Competition is a driver of certain types of change. Even if RM puts emphasis on collaboration, I would like to see RM as a synthesis of competition, collaboration and regulations/institutions.The issue is which combination of these will create the balance—the marketing equilibrium — in each sptedfic situation. If either of the three forces becomes unduly powerful, the economy will suffer; regulations/institutions is the sole force of a planne d economy. To some extent there is a naive belief in competition to set everything right. The global wave of privatization and deregulation is a reaction in markets that have become stified. It is an effort to find a marketing equilibrium. Bureaucratic and legal values have often led to a misguided interference by politidans and an unreal belief in centralized control of sodety.Although the term deregulation implies that regulations are abandoned, it is a search for more adequate laws and institutions which can become supportive to constructive forces of sodety and hold back destructive forces: Deregulation is reregulation! Some of the more conspicuous results from deregulation are found in the split up of Bell in the US and national telecom operators in many countries have lost their monopoly; the privatization of British government bodies such as the British Rail and the Airport Authority; and the most dramatic of all, the breakdown of the communist planned economies.However, nobo dy so far has been able to overview the long-term effects of deregulation and privatization. There are necessary elements of the market economy that competifion and the free market forces do not master. They can be expressed in two paradoxes. The first paradox says: regulations are needed to secure that free competition will not be curbed. In spite of adl sweet talk about competition, every individual company or industry prefers to be spared the hazards of competitions (but they consider it essential for other comparues and industries). The second paradox says: The purpose of competition is to get rid of competition.Competition attempts to reduce the infiuence of other suppliers by lower costs and prices, differentiated and difficult-tocopy offerings, or dominance of selected market niches. Hypercompetition The ideas on a new type of competition will be assembled under the umbrella concept of hjfpercompetition. They are taken from many sources, among them D'Aveni (1994), Hamel and P rahalad (1994), Moore (1996), and Verbeke and Peelen (1996). The term hypercompetition was first found in D'Aveni and the ensuing discussion on hypercompefition is mainly based on his concepts, but the comparison with RM strategies and the conclusions are my own.In marketing management and strategy, the recommendation is usually advanced that companies should build a sustainable competitive advantage, thus limiting In Search of Marketing Equilibrium: Relationship Marketing vs Hypercompetition 425 price competition or even creating a monopoly-Uke situation. Hypercompefition is the opposite: a company should actively disrupt status quo and the current competitive advantages, both its own and those of competitors, in an environment of hypercompetition, advantages are rapidly created and eroded.Hypercompefition trends are identified in four arenas of traditional competition (D'Aveni 1994, pp. 13-17): /. Cos/ and quality arena For example, upstarts Uke Southwest Airlines attack estabUshe d carriers by slashing costs or enhancing quaUty, thus lowering the bottom of the market and raising the top of it. This behaviour counteracts the RM strategy of frequent flyers' programmes. 2. Timing and know-hot/' arena The first mover in the nnarket may create an advantage and sets up impediments to imitation. Followers quickly try to overcome these, fordng the first mover to change its tactics.The know-how exploited by one company is imitated by another and imitation becomes faster and faster; eventually the innovator cannot recapture its R&D investment. 3. Strongholds arena Companies create entry barriers to keep the competition out Entrants circumvent the barriers, giving rise to a series of attacks and counterattacks. This is currently happening in inten:ontinental air services between major American carriers and national European carriers. The current war for mastery over the Intemet, with Microsoff and Netscape as the combatants, is another example. 4.Deep pockets arena Thi s means having more money than the competition. The finandally stronger and usuaUy bigger companies can endure price competition from smaUer companies. The latter, however, can caU upon govemment regulations and form aUiances with others, thus balancing out the financJal advantage. In marketing equilibrium, regulations is one of the balancing forces, and alliances is a collaborative RM strategy. For example, Microsoff's financial advantage has been counteracted by the aUiance between IBM and Apple. Information technology is a driver of hypercompetition.By using databases it is possible, and wiU be more so in the future, to quickly survey prices and other conditions, and select the best combination at each point of time. Purchasing then becomes close to the system of exchanges. But even if comparisons of suppUers are made easier for customers, so many conditions are not comparable, for example, to 426 Evert Gummesson what extent can you trust the supplier. Trust and security are basi c condidons for collaboradon and trust has proven to be a driver of business in all types of sodedes (Fukuyama 1995).D'Aveni concludes that the battle for comp>eddve advantage is eventuaUy driving the market back into a price-compieddve market. The outcome is the neodassical long-term equilibrium, although the road to this equiUbrium goes via marketing equilibrium and not just via price adjustments. He refers to the old compedfive equilibrium as looking stable because it moved so slowly that it appeared stable. Hypiercomp>eddon is a coristant state of disequiUbritim. D'Aveni deploys a revised 7Ss framework to propose hypiercompeddve strategies.The original 7Ss — designed by the McKinsey consulting company—comprise seven factors for success: structure, strategy, systems, style, skills, staff, and shared values. Successful hypiercomp;eddve firms need a new set of Ss in order to create disrupdon (p. 31ff). The first new S is stakeholder satisfacdon, referring to new ways of creating satisfied customers and a modvated eind empowered work force. The second is strategic soothsajdng â€Å"a process of seeking out new knowledge necessary for predicting or even creating new temporary windows of opportunity that compiedtors wiU eventuaUy enter but are not now served by anyone else† (p. 2). The comparafive advantage of these two factors is â€Å"†¦ the abiUty to win each dynamic strategic acdon with compiedtors† (p. 32). The third and fourth Ss are spieed and surprise, both capabiUdes for disrupdon. The hypercompeddve company both reacts more quickly and is proacdve, thus taking the market with surprise. The final three are tacdcs for disrupdon. Shifting the rules includes new ways of sadsfying the customers and playing the marketing game with a new set of rules. Signals refer to announcements of strategic intent with the purpose of stalling acdons and misleading compiedtors.For example, a preannouncement of a coining product may make cus tomers wait to see the new version and postpone planned purchases of competing products. Simultaneous and sequendal strategic thrusts â€Å"†¦ are used by hypercompieddve firms to harass, paralyze, induce errors, or block compiedtors† (p. 34). Several acdons are taken at the same dme in combinadons that make it difficult to understand what a compiedtor is actuaUy up to. In summary, whereas RM strives for stabiUty through long-term reladonships, hypercompieddon strives for continuous disrupdon at an increasingly faster rate.In RM, security is found in stabiUty; in hypercompeddon it is fotind in the ability to continuously counteract instabiUty. The RM concept is by many authors broadened to comprise more than the suppUer—customer dyad,'* for example, reladonships through alUances which is a way of counteracting hyp>ercompieddon. The imaginary organizadon^ is a network-based company which transcends the tradidonal organizadonal boundaries. It can more freely acquire Jind drop resources through outsourcing (or rather: resourcing) instead of investing in tradidonal growth (intemal or through acquisidon); the advantage of the deep pocket is thus offset. †¢See Christopher et al. (1991), Kotler (1992), and Hunt and Morgan (1994), who have approached marketing as relationships with a series of stakeholders. This is in line with the 30R approach, but flie 3ORs go further and also establish relationships based on other than the stakeholder dimension. ‘See Hedberg et al. (1994). Other terms representing the same phenomenon are virtual organizations, boundarykss organizations, and rwtwork organizations. In Search of Marketing Equilibrium: Relationship Marketing vs Hypercmnpetition 427D'Aveni (1994) discusses the role of co-operation and collusion and says that they should only be used for hypercompetitive purposes. They are not long-term relationships, they are merely temporary strategies. He lists a number of generic instances of hypercompet itive use of collaboration (pp. 338-339): to gang up against others groups; to limit the domain of competition; to biuld resojirces; to buy time; to gain access; and to leam. Hunt and Morgan (1995) suggest a comparative advantage theory of competition within a marketing management paradigm, and they present a devastating critique of neoclassical economics.D'Aveni's conclusions are contrary to Hunt and Morgan's; he rewrites neoclassical theory, using marketing management theory as a lever. Interpreted in my terms, we depart from the original and simple form of neoclassical market equilibrium, go through a phase of marketing equilibrium, and arrive at a more sophisticated level of market equilibrium. Hjrpercompietition goes beyond the neoclassical theory of perfect connpetition and restores it on a new level. Through a series of disruptive moves, where competitive advantage is surpassed, an escalation toward perfect competition develops.This means that we are back in transaction marke ting, the very evil to which RM is held to be the antidote. Conclusions for Discussion This paper has dealt with certain aspects of marketing equilibrium, one of several RM issues that preoccupy the author's nund during the ongoing research joumey into the world of RM. ‘The paper is limited to the two trends of collaboration, advanced by the RM concept, and hypercompetition, advanced by authors on strategy and competition. A paradox is seemingly a contradiction; it is not in actual fact a contradiction. An oxymoron is a combination of two phenomena that cannot be combined.So the first question in the beginning of the paper could be rephrased: are RM and hypercompetition forming a paradox or an oxymoron? When I read up on the current literatxire on competition, I found that the â€Å"new† competition was described as more fierce and faster than ever before. It had affinity with marketing warfare which was in vogue in the 19S0s. It certainly seemed contradictory to the RM idea of long-term relationships and collaboration. In my present state of ignorance the answer is: within the concept of the marketing equilibrium, both competition and collaboration coexist. They can do so and will do so.Our attention has to be directed to both of them. When competition becomes hypercompetition, collaboration may become hypercollaboration. Could it be that hypercompetition is the current driver of the upsuiging interest in RM and that RM tries to neutralize the effects of hypercompetition? To be Continued As this is work in progress, the issues that have been presented are not complete and the views are tentative and wiil be further studied. Among other issues concerning marketing equilibrium that are also being studied are the following: Tlie marketing equilibrium which has so far been described could be seen as 28 Evert Gumntesson partial marketing equiUbrium. The RM researdi project is suggesting an extention into complete marketing equilibrium. It consists of a synthesis of RM and the theory of imaginary organizations where not only the market but also the organizations (suppUers, customers, competitors and others) and sodety are included in a network of interactive relationships (Hedberg et al. 1994; Gummesson 1996). In traditional marketing management and economics, the market is outside the company and n «rketing activities are directed toward extemal customers.But there are also markets inside the company and marketing activities take place between intemal customers. This is laid bare in the treatment of the nano relationships of the 30R approach. Both intemal and extemal customers interact in networks of relationships. The boundaries between the â€Å"inside† and the â€Å"outside† have dissolved and both can be seen as parts of the same networks. Another area is the black economy with tax evasion, bribery, fraud, and organized crime as additional and disrupting forces of competition. One of the relationships in the 30R approach is named The Criminal Network.For example, Blumberg (1989) has pointed out that the strength of the market economy — competition and the profit incentive—encourages fraud. It pays to cheat! He calls this the paradox of the market economy. Everybody is familiar with it from jobs and private consumption, but it is swept under the carpet in marketing theory and textbooks. The Literature prefers the idealized image: competition as the driver to create customer satisfaction and customer perceived quality; to give customers everything they want and are willing to pay for; and to offer numerous options for consumers.Customers are asked about satisfaction and quality, but their knowledge is limited and the ignorance of the customer is exploited. Neither market economies through competition, nor command economies through regulations, have proven themselves capable of handling environmental and ecological issues. What has been achieved is primarily the outcome of vo luntary pressure group activity and law enforcement. Competitive forces have clearly not provided enough incentive for the market to innovate and reinnovate in the field.One of the relationship in the 30R approach is The Green Relationships, adding a relationship angle to environmental issues. Probably most of the achievements for a long time will only come through legislation (regulations), tight control and litigation (institutions). Can the marketing equilibrium conceptually include environmental and ecological issues? After the Paper Presentation: An Addendum In the discussion following its presentation, the paper was criticized on two points in peirticular: (1) The choice of the term â€Å"marketing equiUbrium†.The critics said — and some were dearly provoked by the term — that it gives the wrong connotation and that the term is so heavily committed to neoclassical economic theory that people will not be able to see my point. Suggested substitutes were â₠¬Å"dynamic balance† or â€Å"optimal combination†. EquiUbrium, it was claimed, conveys the idea that such a state exists and it is just a matter of time {long-term, though) before it is reached. In defence of the term {but I intend to give it more thought) I would like to claim that equilibrium can be perceived as dynamic and unattainable, but still have a value n Search of Marketing Equilibrium: Relationship Marketing vs Hypercompetition 429 in providing direction, although the journey is a never-ending journey. Perhaps the provocation as such is o( value. When a new thought or term is met with aggressions from several established scholars it may have hit a sore spot; it may even be important. The original intention was to show that equilibrium from the idealized and imrealistic assumptions of neoclassical theory could be supplemented by a marketing management-oriented equilibrium based on real-world premises.Neoclassical economics currently seems to be no more than a computer game for adult entertainment and career boosting under the disguise of â€Å"sdence†. To me, the contrast between â€Å"market† and â€Å"marketing†, designating an economics versus a management approach but still indicating affinity, makes the term expressive. Whatever term I choose, however, I am confident that economists and â€Å"me-too† researchers wiU not be impressed. 2. â€Å"Hyper† was claimed by Americans to mean â€Å"too much†, for example a hyperactive child is active to a degree that implies mental and/or physical disorder.The British perceived it as â€Å"very much†, for example a hypermarket which is a bigger European version of a supermarket. Maybe this is evidence of the validity of Oscar Wilde's statement that â€Å"England and America are two countries separated by a common language†. On the other hand, maybe â€Å"too much† is also a correct interpretation. For many of us, hypercompetition i s probably too much. Personally, it makes me nervous. References Blumberg, P. (1989), The Predatory Society, New York, Oxford University Press. Brandenburger, A.M. and Nalebuff, B. J. (1996), Co-opetition, Boston, MA, Harvard Business School Press. Christopher, M. , Payne, A. and Ballant)Tie, D. (1991), Relationship Marketing, London, Heinemarm. D'Aveni, R,A. (1994), Hypercompetition, New York, The Free Press. Fukuyama, F. (1995), Trust, New York, The Free Press. Gray, B. (1989), Collaborating, San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass. Gronroos, C. (1994), â€Å"Quo vadis, marketing? Towards a relationship marketing paradigm†, Joumal of Marketing Martagement, 10, No. 4 Gummesson, E. 1983), â€Å"A New Concept of Marketing†, paper presented at the 1983 EMAC Annual Conference, Institut d'Etudes Commerdales de Grenoble, France, April. Gummesson, E. (1987), â€Å"The New Marketing: Developing Long-term Interactive Relationships†, Long Range Planning, 20, No. 4, pp. 10-20. Gum messon, E, (1994), â€Å"Making Relationship Marketing Operational†. The International Joumal of Service Industry Management, 5, No. 5, pp. 5-20. Gummesson, E. (1995), Relationsmarknadsforing: Frdn 4P till 30R (Relationship Marketing: From 4Ps to 3ORs), Malmo, Sweden: Liber-Hermods (forthcoming in English).Gummesson, E. (1996), â€Å"Relationship Marketing and Imaginary Organizations: A Synthesis†, European Joumal of Marketing, 30, No. 2, pp. 31-44. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C. K. (1994), Competing for the Future, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1994, 430 Epert Gummesson Hedberg, B. , Dahlgren, G. , Hansson, J. and Olve, N. -G. (1994), Imagindra organisationer (Imaginary Organizations), Malmfi, Sweden: Liber-Hermods. Hunt, S. D. and Morgan, R. M. (1994), â€Å"Relationship Marketing in the Era of Network Competition†. Marketing Management, 3, No. 1, pp. 9-28. Hunt, S. D. and Morgan, R. M. (1995), â€Å"The Comparative Advantage Theory of Competitionâ⠂¬ , Joumal qf Marketing, 59, April, pp. 1-15. Kotter, P (1992), ‘Total Marketing†, Business Week Advance, Executive Brief, Vol. 2. Moore, J. E (1996), The Death of Competition, Chichester, UK, Wiley. North, D. C. (1993), â€Å"Economic Performance Through Time†. Stockholm, The Nobel Foundation, Prize Lecture in Economic Science in Memory qf Alfred Nobel, Stockholm, December 9. Porter, M. E. (1980), Competitive Strategy, New York, The Free Press. Porter, M. E. 1985), Competitive Advantage, New York, The Free Press. Senge, P. M. (1990), The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Sheth, J. N. (1994), â€Å"The Donnain of Relationship Marketing†. Handout at the Sectmd Research Conference on Relationship Marketing. Centre for Relationship Marketing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, June. Verbeke, W. and Peelen, E. (1996), â€Å"Redefining the New SeUing Practices in an Era of Hyper Competition†. Paper presented at the workshop Relationship Market ing in an Era qf Hypercompetition, Erasmus University and EIASM, Rotterdam, May.

The Yavapai essays

The Yavapai essays Since ancient times, they called themselves the people of the red rock country. The region they roamed on their hunting and plant gathering forays remains among the most lush and magnificent in the Southwest. Before white contact, the Yavapai were a wealthy people in terms of their environment. Unfortunately, the land that sustained them for centuries would be coveted by a more powerful and war-like tribe from the East...the English-speaking Americans. But Americans were not the first white people the Yavapai encountered. Two hundred years before American contact, Spanish white men from Mexico entered the Verde Valley (the area located in the center of the state, Camp Verde) in search of fabled lakes of gold, and a route to the South Seas. The Spanish had no difficulty in recognizing the differences in language between the Yavapai and Western Apache, whom they also encountered. Following on the heels of the gold-hungry prospectors were the settlers. By 1864, the U.S. Army was building forts throughout Yavapai and Apache ancestral lands. In less than 10 years, white efforts to destroy the well-ordered lifeways of the Yavapai and the Apache, and exterminate them as a people, very nearly succeeded. Soldiers knew that fighting the fierce Apaches of Arizona and New Mexico, required particular skill and heroic fearlessness. For many, the challenge was irresistible. Unfortunately, the peace-seeking Yavapai of Arizona were mistaken for Apaches...or, as the Yavapai tell it...there was no mistake. On September 26, 1864, the First Territorial Legislature met in Prescott, Arizona. The most pressing concern before this legislative session was the need for troops to make war against the Apaches. At this point in time, both Yavapai and Apaches were considered (by the whites) one and the same. The months between 1869-70 finally reac ...

Definition of Stack in Programming

Definition of Stack in Programming A stack is an array or list structure of function calls and parameters used in modern computer programming and CPU architecture. Similar to a stack of plates at a buffet restaurant or cafeteria, elements in a stack are added or removed from the top of the stack, in a â€Å"last in first, first out† or LIFO order. The process of adding data to a stack is referred to as a â€Å"push,† while retrieving data from a stack is called a â€Å"pop.† This occurs at the top of the stack. A stack pointer indicates the extent of the stack, adjusting as elements are pushed or popped to a stack. When a function is called, the  address  of the next instruction is pushed onto the stack. When the function exits, the address is popped off the stack and execution continues at that address. Actions on the Stack There are other actions that can be performed on a stack depending on the programming environment. Peek: Allows the inspection of the topmost element on a stack without actually removing the element.Swap: Also referred to as â€Å"exchange,† the positions of the two top elements of the stack are swapped, the first element becoming the second and the second becoming the top.Duplicate: The topmost element is popped from the stack and then pushed back onto the stack twice, creating a duplicate of the original element.Rotate: Also referred to as â€Å"roll,† specifies the number of elements in a stack which are rotated in their order. For example, rotating the top four elements of a stack would move the topmost element into the fourth position while the next three elements move up one position. The stack is also known as Last In First Out (LIFO). Examples: In C and C, variables declared locally (or auto) are stored on the stack.

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Strategic Human Resource Management - Essay Example The ever-changing environment reminds us that, for a business to survive, it has to concentrate on its core competencies to be ahead of the competitors. The concept of Strategic Human Resource Management has changed keeping in mind to be sustainable in this world of high cut throat competitions. Human resource management (HRM) involves all management activities and decisions that directly or indirectly keep marks on the human capital of the company. HRM is full of different strategies, in the other way HRM in strategic level is called SHRM. SHRM implies different aspects of an organization. First it gives importance on the human resources which is a differentiator among the competitors. Secondly it gives a clear idea about the process and goal of the company. Third it reflects different HR programs. The main aim of SHRM is to be successful through human capital. SHRM helps organization to get skilled, dedicated and motivated human capital. It also helps a company to retain its valuable workforce. There are lots of elements are related with SHRM. Those are discussed below. SHRM creates a transformation among the staffs. It brings certain changes among the staffs. Those are team building, global perspective, strategic planning. SHRM also brings transformations in organizational structures. The hr policy will maybe centralize or decentralized. It would be guided by SHRM. It is a discipline which enlightens different practises, ideas, concepts keeping in line with HRM tactical planning, philosophy, activities and long term goal of the company. SHRM gives great guidelines on how to lay the strong base for strategic advantages by the creation of effective organizational structure and design culture, value proposition of workforce. The appropriate communication strategy also can be prepared for a changing landscape. It gives Strategic human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words Strategic human resource management - Essay Example Building Business Case for HR as a Strategic Asset Human resource professionals need to build strong case studies supporting the business objective communicated by the management to employees. The HR department can use previous research works, academic resource, survey reports and industry data in order to support order to build business case. Strategy Map Creation Performance measurement action needs to be integrated by HR department in order to trigger value creation process. The company needs to create graphical representation of performance drivers while mapping the value chain process. HR Deliverable within Strategy Map HR managers need to depict performance drivers and HR enablers separately in order to increase potentiality of strategic map. HR deliverables must support firm level performance drivers of strategy map. Aligning HR Architecture with HR deliverables HR managers need to architect existing HR system (work organization, competencies) in accordance with HR deliverable s (low turnover) to increase strategic value of the map. Aligning existing HR system with organization’s macro level strategy plays cordial role in this step (Becker, Ulrich and Huselid, 2001, p.p 36-47). Strategic Measurement System In this stage HR managers develop measurement tool for HR deliverables to fulfil business objective of the organization. Measurement Detailed process flow for executing and monitoring is drawn in this step. HR managers focus on implementation strategy of the HR Scorecard in context to objective of the organization. The seven step model can be defined in the following manner. (Source: Becker, Ulrich and Huselid, 2001, p.p 36-47) 2.0 Balance Scorecard Some of the major performance measurement tools that are being used in current business scenario include Balanced Scorecard, Economic Value Added (EVA), Activity Based Costing and Management, Performance Prism and Quality Management. However among the aforementioned tools, importance and usage of bala nced scorecard will be principally highlighted through the entire report. While the saying ‘balanced scorecard was coined in the early 1990s’, the origin of this approach however is believed to be deep, and also embrace radical work of General Electric (GE) during the early 1950s. The work was basically based on reporting of performance measurement. Apart from this French process engineers have also contributed immensely towards the development of performance management tools. There work was during the early 20th century. In this context the engineers literally developed a â€Å"dashboard† in order to monitor performance levels in a simplified and efficient way. Despite of its early conception, it was originally developed at Harvard business school by Dr. David Norton and Dr. Robert Kaplan in the year 1992 (Eckerson, 2010, P. 11). During the initial phases after the development of balanced scorecard, it was merely used as the performance measurement tool or a per formance measurement agenda. Nevertheless slowly with the passage of time balanced scorecard has been able to gain much more importance in the professional field. A number of companies incorporated balanced scorecard into their system of operation in order to facilitate effective and well-organized performance measu

The Human Edge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Human Edge - Essay Example This is done by reducing the effects of the bad mutation on human species. For example, there is a treatment of PKU with a diet with low levels of phenylalanine (Palca 1). This means such individuals can reproduce and thus pass the defective genes to the subsequent generation. This makes it difficult to eliminate defective genes in the population. On the other hand, human beings have made advances in science that helps in overcoming disadvantageous mutations. For example, the problem of poor eyesight has been resolved by wearing eyeglasses, and contact lenses (Palca 1). This helps in overcoming problems faced by the ancestors. Consequently, man has managed to defy nature as he can routinely repair, remove or even insert genes on people. The characteristics have given the â€Å"Human Edge† in different ways. First, the ability of the human to modify the conditions provided a favorable way to have the â€Å"Human Edge†. This is because as the environment became unfavorable, human managed to change it to make it favorable for survival. This gave human an advantage as compared to other species and hence managed to survive and reproduce. On the other hand, other species were exterminated due to poor environment. This means they failed to produce and have subsequent generations. Second, the ability to maintain harmful mutations helped in reproducing without elimination of the species. This is because if defective genes are not regulated, they lead to eradication of species. However, human has managed to overcome this through the development of science. He can establish a specific gene that pose a risk to survival and adopts ways of minimizing risks. Therefore, human can survive even in the presence of a def ective gene in the population. The other thing that gives human a competitive advantage is the ability to overcome deleterious mutation. This is because unhealthy mutation makes one not