The Mind is Separate from the Brain a Descartes Assumptions

Table of Contents Introduction Process of Thought Creation Creating Memories Experienced Stimuli and Imaginary Stimuli Resolving the Issue Conclusion Reference List Introduction The assumption of Descartes that the mind is separate from the brain is indeed a very intriguing concept since to this day the origin of thought, which the mind consists of, has yet to be accurately pinpointed by science (Gamst, 2011). As scientists such as Tsien (2007) point out there have yet to be accurate studies which pinpoint exactly how thoughts manifest within the brain (Tsien, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While it may be true that it is now possible to know which area corresponds to which bodily function or which particular area is responsible for adaptation, pleasure or even general sensations it is still vague as to how neural firings come together to produce a thought (Fox, 2006). For example, an individual can think of either a single word such as â€Å"appetite† or think of doing a particular action such as â€Å"going for a drive† yet such simplistic thoughts cannot be identified as originating from a particular location. In this particular instance philosophers turn towards the universal law of â€Å"something cannot originate from nothing†, taking this into consideration thoughts must then originate from somewhere. It is assumed that the firings of neurons within the brain are responsible for the concept of thought yet when examining the origin of neurons themselves it is strange to think that the concept of complex thought and behaviors originates from electrical synapses which don’t produce thoughts of their own (Koch, 2011). It is based on this that various individuals do in fact agree with the assumption of Descartes that the mind must exist som ewhere outside of the body and that it influences the actions of the body through some here-to-unknown method of control (Pinker, 2007). On the other hand it has been stated by various psychological studies that such an assumption should not be considered 100% accurate. For example, Bensley (2003) states that â€Å"if the mind is separate from the brain then why is it that substances which affect or inebriate the brain causes changes in thought patterns which come from the mind?† (Bensley, 2003). This particular viewpoint is expressed by studies such as those by Astin(2004) which examine the preponderance of drug usage among many artists, musicians, and even scientists to which they attribute a great deal of their moments of sudden clarity and imagination from which they derive their greatest work (Astin, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If the mind were truly s eparate from the brain then the concept of thought creation should remain constant instead of experiencing sudden shifts through artificial external influences. Process of Thought Creation It is still relatively unknown how thoughts are created yet what is known at the present is the way in which various substances can affect thought processes and how certain mental states can be achieved through the cornucopia of present day drugs or sudden accidents. For example, many people in the U.S. suffer from depression yet are able to overcome this particular mental state through the use of antidepressants. Other examples include individuals that use illegal drugs, alcohol or even people that were involved in car accidents resulting in brain damage. All these individuals, in one way or another, showed evidence of altered mental states which goes completely against the assumption of Descartes. Another way of looking at this particular situation is based on the views of Flanagan (1991) which examine the origin of knowledge and how people learn to think in precise ways (Flanagan, 1991). Flanagan (1991) explains that while various psychologists such as Freud have suggested that mental processes consist of id, ego, and superego most of them present the notion that the mind is located within the body (Flanagan, 1991). In fact various modern day psychologists such as Levine (1997) explain that knowledge of the latest psychoactive drugs is a necessity in the field of psychology due to chemical based treatments showing a great deal of effectiveness in dealing with a large percentage of many of today’s abnormal psychological behaviors (Levine, 1997). It must also be noted that thought should not be separated from behavior since behavior affects the formation of thoughts based on external stimuli which in turn affects the way in which a person perceives a particular situation. Since various psychoactive drugs can help to change the way in which a person behaves this in tu rn affects the way in which thoughts are created. These chemicals work by altering chemical firings within the brain by enabling better connections and lowering or increasing neural firings. This shows that thoughts can in fact be altered based on artificial external stimuli from chemicals that affect the brain.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking into consideration the fact that the mind is basically made up of a collection of thoughts and memories this shows that the mind is not as separate from the body as Descartes may have us believe. Creating Memories When pursuing arguments in favor of the mind being situated within the brain it is important to explore the concept of memory and how this relates to the creation of thoughts. Memories are basically stored experiences from which thoughts are based upon, as Murchland (2010) explains thoughts are basically the result of accumulated experiences from which memory plays an essential role and as such you cannot separate one from the other. Based on the experiments it was seen that memories are created and formed through the activation of thousands upon thousands of neurons within the brain. In the experiments electrodes were attached directly into the subjects brain after which they were asked to watch a series of short films while the firing of their neurons were recorded. When asked to recall specific parts of a clip neurons that were recorded firing when that specific clip was being shown began to activate after which the patients explained what was in that specific segment. It is based on this experiment that the process of memory creation and recall was shown and as such proves that the concept of â€Å"memory† exists within the brain. Further evidence of this lies in the fact that individuals that have experienced bra in trauma in the past experienced prolonged lapses in memory. Since thoughts are a result of accumulated memories and accumulated thoughts create the concept of the mind it can be stated that the mind is within the brain and not located outside of it. On the other hand some defendants of Descartes state that the brain is merely a node from which the mind channels thoughts and as such problems with the brain would of course affect this process of communication (Alanen, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This does present a rather intriguing way of looking at the issue since if the brain can be considered nothing more than a transmitter instead of the origin of thoughts then this lends a significant amount of credence to the Descartes’’ assumptions. For example, if the process of the interaction between the mind and the brain can be simplified into two people talking over walkie-talkies within a finite distance then interference in the way of weather phenomena or distance will result in miscommunication. Taking this into consideration drugs, accidents or a variety of other factors that affect the brain can thus be thought of as a form of â€Å"interference† that normally affects the process of communication. It must be questioned though, if the mind is not within the brain then where does the mind exist? It cannot be denied that the concept of â€Å"the mind† does indeed exist since it is an accumulation of thoughts which are undeniably real yet there has yet to be an undeniably proven area where the mind exists outside the body. Experienced Stimuli and Imaginary Stimuli One of the current ongoing justifications behind the separation of the mind from the body is the concept of substance dualism which states that the mind and matter are essentially fundamentally different types of substances that interact in some unknown fashion. This particular assertion is part of Descartes’’ Cartesian dualism in which he suggests that the mental actually does not have an extension in space and material objects cannot essentially â€Å"think†. From a certain perspective this does have basis on a certain degree of truth, the way in which the mind transmits information is basically through a series of chemical and electrical signal within the brain. Neither electricity nor chemicals can actually â€Å"think† and as such it cannot really be said that by combining the two the concept of thought will suddenly emerge. It must also be noted that the human body is essentially made up of water and carbon which on their own don’t have the capacity for thought and even when combined wouldn’t have the capacity to create thought as well. Taking this into consideration it is assumed by the defendant of Descartes’ that the concept of the mind must thus exist in some other plane of existence (similar to the concept of the soul) and it is through the brain that the mind interacts with the body. The inherent problem with this particular observation is the assumption that the concept of thought is actually a substance. For example, experienced stimuli in the form of eating an apple, going on a date or kissing someone you love are recorded and can be brought to the forefront of an individual’s thoughts merely by trying to recall a particular event. Imagined stimuli on the other hand can take the form of day dreaming about kissing the person you love, imagining that you won the lottery or ev en eating something that you have never once eaten before. What must be understood is that while both methods of stimuli exist within the thoughts of the mind they cannot be considered as being equivalent to actual substances. While it may be true that the universal concept of something cannot come from nothing prevails even in the realm of psychology and philosophy what must be understood is that the imagination can be considered a realm that both exists and doesn’t exist in the first place and that it is wholly dependent on experienced stimuli. Everything that a person imagines is based upon some form of experienced stimuli that they encountered in one form or the other. This is the inherent origin of imagined stimuli, furthermore imagined stimuli is considered by researchers such as Condillac Aarsleff ( 2001) as being fleeting and cannot be â€Å"fixed† so to speak (Condillac Aarsleff, 2001). Thus if something is not fixed and cannot be touched, held, smelt or tas ted then such a type of stimuli can be considered as being â€Å"inferior† to experienced stimuli. For example, a person can experience two different ways of eating a chocolate sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and chocolate sprinkles: they can either experience this within the mind through imagined stimuli or they can actually do so through experience stimuli. Only in experienced stimuli can an individual feel the full gamut of flavors, textures, scent and taste of eating a chocolate ice cream sundae while in the case of imagined stimuli it is limited to a vague visual representation. While this doesn’t prove that the â€Å"space† that Descartes’ refers to doesn’t exist it does show the fundamental difference in experiences between the physical and the imaginary (Devlin, 1996). If the objects in the physical realm cannot â€Å"think† in the words of Descartes then why is it that experiences within the physical realm are more vivid and enticing as compared to the imaginary world? When trying to examine whether the mind is part of the brain it is important to examine the effect of visual and verbal stimuli and how this affects comprehension. Visual stimuli can come in a variety of forms whether it is an image, a video or a piece of scenery (Gollwitzer, 1990). All individuals in one way or another are exposed to various aspects of visual stimuli whether they want to or not which can take the form of sights and scenes that they see on a daily basis (Gollwitzer, 1990). Speaking on the other hand is a less permanent method of stimulation due to its spontaneous nature wherein the act of talking between two or more individuals produces varying views, thoughts and concepts that are produced at a faster rate compared to objects, people and scenes that are aspects of visual stimulation. It is actually due to this that ideas conveyed during the act of speaking are at times forgotten or not conveyed in the way the communi cator intended due to the way in which people interpret information differently through the act of talking. Furthermore, due to the presence of other communicators the result is a less controlled environment for stimulation wherein each individual gives out their own thoughts and ideas without there being a specific order to their introduction in the conversation (Spivey, 2007). What must be understood is that conveying emotion through vocal tones, facial expressions and gestures is one of the most important aspects of speaking due to the fact that these are the methods by which other communicators derive the intent of the speaker. For example, the phrase â€Å"get here now† can be said with little emotion and no facial expression and the communicator would be unable to determine the importance of â€Å"going there now†. On the other hand when phrase â€Å"Get Here Now!† utilizes a strong forceful voice and an angry facial expression the other communicator reali zes the urgency of the situation and â€Å"goes there† immediately. Studies such as those by Fields (2005) show that when it comes to processing particular types of information people are more adept at memorizing and recalling visual stimuli as compared to speech stimuli (Fields, 2005). Fields (2005) explains that this is due to the fact that remembering various aspect of speech stimuli involves not only having to recall specific words and phrases but individual responses as well whereas visual stimulus involves nothing more than what can be seen through the eyes (Fields, 2005). This is particularly important to take note of since when it comes to forming thoughts and imagery in the way that Descartes perceives most do so through imagery rather than through words. Since speech and visual imagery are basically processes of external stimulation why is it that people are more predisposed towards visual imagery when it comes to thought processes rather than speech? The reason beh ind this is actually connected to the study of Yuperlik (2009) which explains that the brain is more adept at processing images than speech and as such there are inherent limitations to what can be memorized and imagined (Yuperlik, 2009). In fact studies such as those by Spivey (2007) explain that humans are more evolutionary adept at visual stimulation than all other senses (Spivey, 2007). Since the brain has an inherent evolutionary predisposition towards a particular way of operating then if the mind were truly separated from the brain then it wouldn’t experience the same limitations as the brain however it does and as such this is indicative of the fact that the mind is within brain. If it weren’t it wouldn’t be subject to the same inherent predisposition towards visual imagery. Resolving the Issue In order to resolve this issue it is best to subject the assumption of the mind being outside of the brain to Occam’s razor in order to determine the overa ll validity of the assumption. The basis of Occam’s razor is â€Å"the simplest explanation for a problem is usually the right one†. This is based off the principle of parsimony which states that â€Å"it is pointless to do more with something when it can be done with less†. Taking this into consideration, it can be stated that since thoughts can be affected by drugs, alcohol and injuries to the brain, and since all of these occurrences are dependent on some external force affecting the brain, this means that thoughts are within the brain and thus the mind exists within the brain and not outside of it. What must be understood is that since there is no current concrete evidence in support of Descartes’ assumptions it cannot be supported under Occam’s razor and thus it should not be considered as something which is 100% valid. It can only be considered as such when there is sufficient corroborating evidence however till such a time occurs it can be c onsidered nothing more than philosophical conjecture without sufficient facts backing it up. Conclusion Based on the findings of this paper it can be stated that the mind is an inherent function of a developed human brain and as such cannot be considered a separate aspect of it placed in some sort of space outside of human understanding. If something affects the brain it affects the mind as well and as such Descartes reasoning is inherently flawed. On the other hand it must be noted that at the time when he created his assumption regarding the separation of the mind from the brain the science of understanding the brain’s neurologic functions was barely in its infancy and as such it can be stated that Descartes may have made such an assumption due to an inherent lack of knowledge. Reference List Alanen, L. (2004). Descarte’s concept of mind. Times Higher Education Supplement, (1624), 11. Astin, J. (2004). Psychosocial Determinants of Health and Illness: Integrating Mind , Body, and Spirit. Advances In Mind-Body Medicine, 20(4), 14. Bensley, D. (2003). Can Minds Leave Bodies?. Skeptical Inquirer, 27(4), 34. Condillac, E., Aarsleff, H. (2001). Essay on the Origin of Human Knowledge. Cambridge University Press. Devlin, K. (1996). Good-bye Descartes?. Mathematics Magazine, 69(5), 344. Fields, R. (2005). Making Memories Stick. Scientific American, 292(2), 74. Flanagan, O. J. (1991). The Science of the Mind. MIT Press. Fox, D. (2006). Through the mind’s eye. New Scientist, 190(2550), 32. Gamst, G. C. (2011). The recursive mind: the origins of human language, thought, and civilization. Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries, 49(2), 400-401. Gollwitzer, P. H. (1990). Deliberative and Implemental Mind-Sets: Cognitive Tuning Toward Congruous Thoughts and Information. Journal Of Personality Social  Psychology, 59(6), 1119. Koch, C. (2011). Probing the Unconscious Mind. Scientific American Mind, 22(5), 22. Levine, G. (1997). Carlyle, Descart es, and Objectivity. Raritan, 17(1), 45. Murchland, B. G. (2010). Mind’s world: imagination and subjectivity from Descartes to Romanticism. Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries, 47(8), 1490. Pinker, S. (2007). The mystery of consciousness. (cover story). Time International  (South Pacific Edition), (3), 54. Spivey, M. J. (2007). Redesigning our theories of human information processing.  Information Design Journal (IDJ), 15(3), 261-26 Yuperlik, A. (2009). Rapid formation and selective stabilization of synapses for enduring motor memories. Nature, 462(7275), 915. Tsien, J. T. (2007). The Memory Code. (cover story). Scientific American, 297(1), 52. This research paper on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions was written and submitted by user Er1ck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Creativity and Gifted Students

Creativity and Gifted Students Introduction Creativity refers to the ability of a person to bring something ‘new’ or simply one that did not exist before into being. It can also be defined as finding new applications for ideas or things that previously existed. New in this case is used relatively to refer to new ideas as is in the experience of the person.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Creativity and Gifted Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The process of creativity can be divided into two main processes, that is, coming up with the original idea and then acting on the original idea to produce it into a reality. A gifted person is one who shows remarkably extraordinary performance in doing something compared to other people of the same age and experience. Inventories for measuring giftedness The giftedness of a person is considered measurable and can be evaluated by administering the subject customized tests and then analyzi ng the results. A lot of research, in the past, has been carried out on the topic of giftedness as a result; different people have discovered numerous tests that are used to determine the giftedness of a person. Gifted children are identified and enrolled into programs for gifted people where they are nurtured into better people. These tests have been applied over time to determine which students are eligible for enrollment into the gifted programs. Some of the tests used include; The Cognitive Abilities Test that is used to measure a person’s mental ability, the Iowa Test of Basic skills together with the Iowa Test of Education Development both used to measure the subject’s achievement and Children’s Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory are used to measure the subject’s level of motivation. Tests for creativity of a person should also be used in determining eligibility into gifted programs (Kim, 2009, p.7). The capacity of creativity of a person is me asured by The Group Inventory for finding Creative Talent and the Torrance test of Creative Thinking, which was named after its inventor Dr. E. Paul Torrance, a leading researcher in the field of creativity who developed it in 1966.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Dr. Torrance, creativity can be summarized as a continuous process of realizing problems, deficiencies, gaps in knowledge, missing elements, disharmonies; identifying the difficulty and its solutions by making guesses, formulating hypotheses, testing, changing and retesting them where necessary and then eventually communicating the result. Tests for creativity should be used in evaluation of eligible students for gifted programs because they help determine the potential of the subject in creative tendencies (Davis, 1986, p. 63). There are many dimensions of creativity, and it is important that the corr ect test is chosen to determine each dimension of creativity. Therefore, different sets of tests to measure creativity should be used in choosing children for gifted programs depending on the focus of the program. The creative capacity measuring tests contain a wealth of information on them which can help reveal the divergent thinking and the fluency of the subject. When a person engages in creative tendencies, they are mostly framed by many factors including their background, their culture and discipline and most importantly, his or her own description of creativity, and therefore, administrators of tests that measure a child’s eligibility for enrollment into a gifted program should take this into consideration when doing so (Kim, 2009, p.11). The tests should rhyme well with the subject’s culture disposition and discipline because the environment of the subjects also not only the talents the person possesses influences their abilities. It is for the best interests th at the creative measurement tests be not the only ways used to identify creativity in individuals and eligibility or be the only instrument on which the decision is made. There should be several tests to pick out legitimately individuals for gifted programs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Creativity and Gifted Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the results of tests for evaluating eligibility of children in gifted programs enrollment should not be compared against each other. Each culture and society has their own definitions of excellence and the kinds of intelligence that it values. These factors should also be taken into consideration when administering creativity tests. This means that tests for divergent thinking, motivation, inventories in interest, attitude and personality and judgment of products should be administered when deciding which child will be accepted into a gifted program and which one will not. Most tests of giftedness rely mostly on the verbal prowess or the amount and vastness of information the subject possesses which is why creative tests should be adopted as a good addition to those tests. Creativity tests provide of the other side of the subject’s abilities that are separate from the vast knowledge and talents hence scrapping off biasness. Also, opinions from other experts in the relevant fields and disciplines should be employed to ensure the success of the process of identifying eligible children for gifted programs. Creativity tests, for example, the Torrance test of Creative Thinking are very easy to administer, and they do not require much time. They have a few cautions to observe and considering the extensive research on this field that has been going on, they are highly effective. They are fair in terms of gender, culture and socioeconomic disparities, and they should be adjoined with other tests to determine which students are enrolled i n gifted programs.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Davis, G. A. (1986). Creativity is forever (2nd ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co.. Kim, K. (2009). Can we trust creativity tests? A review of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)†. Creativity Research Journal. 18(1), 3-14.

The Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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A Great Civil War Hero and a Great Military Commander Whose Name is Case Study - 1

A Great Civil War Hero and a Great Military Commander Whose Name is Hiram Ulysses Simpson Grant - Case Study Example Grant is a complex man (Bartholomees, 2002, p. 133) filled with great contradictions. Drain, the executive producer of American Experience describes him as a man hailed from an educated family, yet a school bus; a man who hates violence and the sight of blood, yet had been a brutal commander (cited in Lasner, 2002, p. 20). A man devoid of any qualities of greatness yet had saved and united this nation. A man of constant failure yet in his not so distinct previous military career had earned President Lincoln’s trust and confidence against the opposition of many, had been able to tame and discipline the seemingly hopeless rowdy Illinois regimen, and had defeated Robert E. Lee’s forces, victoriously ending the bloody Southern rebellion (Goode, 1999, p. 330; Lasner, 2002, p. 20). An honest man yet his administration were best known for many scandals involving his own people – his secretary of war (William Belknap) and private secretary (Gen. Orville Babcock). Among t he major scandals that smeared his term were the Black Friday (September 24, 1869), Whiskey Ring (1875), and Belknap Bribery (1876). (Toppin, 2002, pp. 244-246) Also, a child of the frontier, a drunkard and a stern military commander, yet rarely swears using only the oath ‘doggone it’ and acts with ‘girlish modesty’. According to him, â€Å"no one had seen him naked since he was a boy.† (Goode, 1999, p.330) Civil War brought success to Grant from being a war hero to the White House, becoming the 18th and youngest US President serving two terms (1869-1877).

The Learning and Growth Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Business Plan To Achieve Funding And Growth Goals Marketing Essay

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It helps the organization in achieving the competitive advantage to the organization. It also tells about the organization about its market, values and the way to handle the resources in order to meet the objectives of the organization. As per tutor2u.net Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organization through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations. In other words, strategy is about: * Where is the business trying to get to in the long-term (direction) * Which markets should a business compete in and what kind of activities are involved in such markets? (markets; scope) * How can the business perform better than the competition in those markets? (advantage)? * What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, facilities) are required in order to be able to compete? (resources)? * What external, environmental factors affect the businesses ability to compete? (environment)? * What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business? (stakeholders) Process of strategic management is as follows: 1) Screening of Ideas 2) Development of Mission and Setting of Objectives 3) SWOT analysis 4) Selection of Best alternative 5) Strategy Formulation 6) Implementation 7) Control Example of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is one of the top most companies in this globe dealing in consumer electronics and computer software products. It has got popular products such as Macintosh computers, the iPod and the iPhone, Mac OS X operating system, the iTunes media browser, the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software, the iWork suite of productivity software, and Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products. Apple has about 35,000 employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of US$32.48 billion in its fiscal year ending September 29, 2008. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008 and in the world in 2009. (Wikipedia, 2009) Successful Business strategy- Good Business model iTunes Music Store is a good source of revenue, especially with the iPod, iPhone and its availability on Windows platform. Apples success is built on its product offerings such as: iTunes Music Store, iTunes, I Phone and the iPod. (Sampublishing) Apples strategy has been two fold skimming and discriminatory with respect to Ipod and Itunes. The skimming pricing strategy is presented at two levels. First, the price of the same model is diminishing with time, especially when Apple is issuing the newest version of theiPod. Second, the price of every next generation model launched on the market is less expensive than its predecessor. (christophe.benavent) Apple seems to reduce its prices in order to make it affordable and popular among other competitive products.  Ã‚  Apples iPhone and iPod prices change according to its customers as well as geographical locations.  Ã‚  Also Apple has been reducing price of iTunes, As its  decision to offer a new pricing strategy is welcome news by the record labels, who are trying everything to boost revenues.  Ã‚  CD sales were down dramatically again in 2007, and the sale of online music was much slower in 2008 than in 2007.  Ã‚  Three new price levels were announced, ranging from .69 to .99 to $1.29 in 2009 . (GlgGroup) Moreover Apple has continuously launched superior products to remain ahead in the market. Recently it introduced Apple iPad and yesterday it has launched Apple iPhone 4. Response to i-Pad has been excellent and has led to increase its sales and profits.  Ã‚  Its Pricing has been reasonable as the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad costs $499. (Review,cnet.com) This is done to capture higher market share and to beat high priced competitors like Plastic Logic Que proReader, which starts at $649 and to take on the big competitors like Amazon and Sony. . Components of Planning Strategic plan is the blueprint for an organizations work: Mission: A mission statement answers the questions: Why does our organization exist? What business are we in? What values will guide us? A Mission statement tells you the fundamental purpose of the organization. It defines the customer and the critical processes. It informs you of the desired level of performance. (Answers Corporation, 2010).Hence Factors influencing Mission statement are: Stakeholders Internal resources and Power Values of top management Past development of firm Mission statement should clearly define the organizations products, markets and function (Technology and Processes. ) A Vision statement outlines what the organization wants to be, or how it wants the world in which it operates to be. It concentrates on the future. It is a source of inspiration. It provides clear decision-making criteria. (Answers Corporation, 2010). A vision is more encompassing. It answers the question, What will success look like? It is the pursuit of this image of success that really motivates people to work together. Values are hypothetical thought of what we think is good or important. They direct the way we feel and act about certain ideas, things, situations, and people. They are principles which lead us decisions and actions. Organizational values define the acceptable standards which govern the behavior of individuals within the organization. (Teal, 2010) Vision answers this question: What aspirations does the organization have for the world in which it operates and has some influence over. Mision answers this question What can (and /or does) the organization do or contribute to fulfill those aspirations?. Values help in aligning the behavior of individuals with organization. Without values, individuals will pursue behaviours that are in line with their own individual value systems, which may lead to behaviours that the organization doesnt wish to encourage. Example of Star Bucks: Starbucks Mission: To inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. Starbucks Values: Here are the principles of how we live that every day: Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality. Were passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done. Our Partners Were called partners, because its not just a job, its our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard. Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers- even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. Its really about human connection. Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. Its about enjoyment at the speed of life-sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action- bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility-and our potential for good-is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. Starbucks Vision According to the companys profile, (2006) its vision is to make Starbucks coffee the most recognized and respected brand in the world by using high quality roast beans to make coffee beverages along with other products. The company wants to develop enthusiastically satisfied customers at all times. They want to make positive contributions to their communities and their environment. Vision, Mission and Values has helped the Starbucks to formulate its Strategy and also give it a clear road map. Objectives: These refine the mission and address key issues like market standing, innovation, productivity, physical and financial resources, profitability, management and work force performance and efficiency. Goals: are defined as statements that are formulated and lack of specificity while objectives are likely to appear in exact form (Strategic Planning). Goals statements compose of five elements: task, what, who, timeframe and deadline (Lukaszewski, 1990)These are rational estimates of anticipated results. The goals are usually Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, and Timed (SMART). Planning as a Process As per tutor2u.net, Planning is the process of * Setting objectives * Determining what should be done to accomplish them * Implementing the plan * Evaluating A plan is a statement of intended means to accomplish a goal. Hence planning provides a blueprint to the organization telling about the actions to be taken in future. Organizing helps in allocating the resources, power and responsibilities in the organization. It creates organization structure, span of control and organization culture. Leading is about motivating the employees to work for the organizational objectives. Leadership is the process by which one person provides direction, implements the plans or strategies and motivates people. Strategic control is concerned with the monitoring progress in accomplishing the strategic goals of the organization. It is very critical to any organization, because without it the results could be chaotic. Organization have to improve their operational performance by proper evaluation and control mechanisms. http://www.2gc.co.uk/pdf/2GC-FAQP02.pdf Organizing Organizing focuses on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization Organizational structure is the formal decision-making framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated. Organizational structure determines the role and responsibilities within the organization. Organizational structure depends on the product to be developed. Wheelwright and Clark define a continuum of organizational structures between two extremes, functional organizations and project organizations. Functional organizations are organized according to technological disciplines. Directing Leadership is defined as the ability to lead and inspire people towards a common goal.  This quality is very important because it can determine the success or failure of an organization.  If the objectives and goals of the people are not aligned with the companys mission and vision, this will have detrimental impact on the financial bottom-line and eventual survivability of the company.  Ã‚   There are various leadership styles, each stemming out from the leaders personality and the culture of the organization.  It is also dependent on the circumstances relating to the people and the organizations goals.  Here is a description of each leadership style: Authoritarian (autocratic) here, the leader uses his authority and power position to direct people in doing the right things, regardless of their opinions.  This style is useful when there is urgency and the people are not really motivated to participate.   Participative (democratic) when the leader asks for input from his subordinates, he recognizes the fact that each one has something special to contribute for the task on hand.  The traditional view of a leader is someone who can think and do better than others.  However, the specialization of skills allow for the possibility that some people may actually be better than him.  Thus, its important to allow each staff to participate in the decision-making process. Delegative (free reign) when the leaders subordinates have very specialized skills, he may allow them to assume full control and responsibility of certain tasks.  This doesnt mean that the leader is shunning his own responsibilities, but rather delegating specialized tasks to experts within his group.  This leadership style is used when the leader has a high level of trust of his staff, or if delegation is really needed in order for him to do other important things. This perhaps is the most important function of all management functions. It has been said that the nature of a man is to avoid work. A manager influences the behavior of an employee through motivation, communication, education, group dynamics, leadership and discipline. Thus we will have participative leadership and we will guide the employees accordingly. Good communication between leaders and workers to ensure that everyone interprets their intent the same and every one works together in harmony can be the basis for a very successful endeavor. The purpose of direction is to channel the behavior of all personnel to accomplish the mission while helping them accomplish personal goal as well prepare them to take your position. Controlling It is a process of comparing the standards with the actual results to find out variation and then to take corrective action. control programs are critical to any organization, because without it the results could be chaotic. It helps: In maximizing efficiency and minimize waste. To facilitate management and control. In Effectiveness and efficiency of operations include the use of the entitys resources. Help in strategy implementation Control activities occur at all levels and functions of the entity. We will include a wide range of diverse activities . Top level reviews of actual performance, Reviews by management at the functional or activity level, Management of human capital, Controls over information processing, Physical control over vulnerable assets, Establishment and review of performance measures and indicators, Segregation of duties, Proper execution of transactions and events, Accurate and timely recording of transactions and events, Access restrictions to and accountability for resources and records, and CONTENT OF BUSINESS PLAN 1. Executive summary 2. Business description 3. Environmental analysis 4. Marketing Plan 5. Design and Operational plan 6. Management plan 7. Financial factors Common Pitfalls of a Business Plan Only a summary of a project and its potential Wait for all analysis to be completed Become a prisoner of the plans and the contents therein Difficulty in deviating from the plan Push with the plan, hiding weaknesses under the carpet Make unrealistic assumptions Quality of a strategy is as good as its implementation Typical mental attitude of promoters I have a good product / service; others will buy Everybody is waiting to help me Their priorities are same as mine Others (all stakeholders) will stick to their promises Customer will pay and give me feedback for me to improve the product / service Environment / government policies will remain the same (blinkers of an entrepreneur) Lack of contingency plans for time and cost overrun Blind faith in consultants Not clearly understanding regulatory requirements Optimistic assessment of project cost and funding Lack of budgeting of trial production trial production expenses, incidental and invisible expenses Not taking fully into account the cost implications of the business activities and operating plans Not including cost implications of regulatory compliance Improper assessment of components of working capital The gap between sanction and disbursement Lack of efforts in confidence building with investors Lack of contingency plans for time and cost overruns Business Plan- Risk Evaluation Prepare best-case and worst-case scenarios with key parameters of the business to help assess Market risks Competition risks Technology risks Regulatory risks Financial risks Management risks What measures are proposed to counter these risks Sensitivity analysis of key factors to simulate the impact of changes Exercise 1 Business Planning Review the following business plan: Anywhere Remodeling Corporation http://www.bplans.com/residential_remodeling_business_plan/executive_s ummary_fc.cfm After carefully reviewing this business plan discuss following issues: 1. The industry that this venture is in 2. The riskiness of this venture 3. The potential for growths 4. Your long-term plan for this company Exercise 2 Shahnaz Husain Contributed by: Rajeev Roy, Professor of Entrepreneurship XIM B, India (Adapted from NEN) Shahnaz Husain is acknowledged as one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India. Her company, Shahnaz Husain Herbals, is one of the leading manufacturers of herbal products in the world. The company sells over 350 herbal products and operates over 200 salons in more than 130 countries. The brand, Shahnaz Husain, was valued at over $100 million in 1996 and now it is likely to be worth much more. Shehnaz is from an aristocratic Muslim family and her father was a Chief Justice. Her upbringing was both traditional and modern. At the age of 15, she was married and she became a mother at the age of 16. When her husband was posted in Tehran, she became interested in beauty treatments and she decided to formally study cosmetology. After an introduction to the subject in Tehran, she wanted to know more and over the next ten years, she studied the subject extensively in London, Paris and other parts of Europe. On returning to India in 1977, she started her first salon in Delhi with a capital investment of Rs.35,000. She had also studied Ayurveda and her interest in that field has kept growing. She started formulating her own products and these were very successful. The company was able to grow systematically and currently operates three major complementary businesses Herbal products: Shehnaz Husain has an extensive range of over 350 herbal cosmetic products. These are divided into 15 distinct categories for skin, hair and body care. The distribution of these products is carried out in a fashion similar to that of other consumer goods. The products are available in all leading stores around the world like Harrods (London), Bloomingdale (New Yory) and Galleries Lafayette (Paris). Recently, the company has decided to launch four skin care products in partnership with Elder Pharma. Beauty Salons: Mostly operated on a franchise basis, there are over 200 Shehnaz Husain spas and salons worldwide. The company provides support in setting up and training and provides ongoing support too. The franchisee pays an initial fee but there are no ongoing royalty payments. The company is able to get a revenue stream from sale of their products through the salon. Training: Shahnaz Husain also operates training institutes where students can obtain professional qualifications in beauty therapy. The institutes also operate a number of short term vocational courses. The institutes provide a steady flow of people trained in the use of Shehnaz Husain products, in addition to contributing to profits of the group. Shehnaz Husain Herbals is still a privately held company even after 30 years of its formation but that has not hampered its growth. Shehnaz Husain continues to look ahead and her story is an inspiration for many others. For her contribution to business and in promoting Ayurveda, Shahnaz Husain was conferred the Padmashree. She has also won numerous other awards from all over the world. Q- What are the critical success factors of Shahnaz Husain. Give reasons. References: All year 2011 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-importance-of-strategic-planning-in-business.html. http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/what_is_strategy.htm. http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/strategic-planning/ http://www.answers.com/topic/strategic-planning James E. Lukaszewski, APR. Focus on Success: Choosing Corporate Goals You Can Actually Achieve. http://www.e911.com/exacts/EA021.htmls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. http://www.glgroup.com/News/New-Pricing-Strategy-by-Apple-a-Hope-to-Boost-Sales-31248.html http://www.samspublishing.com/articles/article.asp?p=602978seqNum=1rl=1 christophe.benavent.free.fr//AINI_2008_Apple_s_Pricing_Strategy.pdf http://www.answers.com/topic/strategic-planning   http://www.teal.org.uk/mat/page6.htm. http://www.starbucks.com/mission/default.asp . Business Plan Template Important: Select file then Save As to first save this document to your desktop. If you make edits to this document without doing this you may not be able to save your changes. Business Plan Enter your business name Enter your name May 6, 2013 Section 1: The Business Profile Description of My Business (Session 1): Describe your product or service. Targeted Market and Customers (Session 1): Describe your customer profile and why customers want or need your product or service. Growth Trends In This Business (Session 1): Is the market for your product or service growing or shrinking? Pricing Power (Session 1): Explain the unique qualities or circumstances concerning your product or service that will enable you to maintain profitable pricing. Section 2: The Vision and the People (Session 2): Describe convincingly that you are passionately committed to your new business and have the realism to make inevitable hard choices. The People Work Experience Related to My Intended Business (Session 2): Describe your work experience in the business you plan to start including a list of your skills and knowledge, which will be required in your business. Personal Background and Education Credentials (Session 2): Describe yourself, including your education. Section 3: Communications Computer and Communications Tools (Session 3): Furnish a tabulation of each piece of equipment you intend to use including a description and the budget for each. You can use the following as a guide. Resource Requirements: Communications Enter a description and budget of all communications equipment. Telephones Enter a description and budget for all telephone equipment. Pagers Enter a description and budget for pagers. Facsimile Enter a description and budget for all fax equipment. Computers Enter a description and budget for all computer equipment. Internet Enter a description and budget for necessary Internet access and providers. Section 4: Organization Business Organization (Session 4): Explain the form of business organization you intend to use and why it is best for your business. Professional Consultants (Session 4): List the names of your lawyer, accountant, insurance agent and any other professionals. Licenses (Session 4): List what licenses you will require to go into business. Section 5: Licenses, Permits and Business Names Due Diligence Procedures for Licenses, Permits and Business Names (Session 14): List the following: DBA: List the name you intend to do business as. Zoning: Indicate if the zoning if appropriate for your intended office location. Licenses: List the appropriate licenses you will need at the local, state, and federal level. Local: State: Central: Trademark: Indicate your trademark intentions if any exist. Sellers Permit: List any sellers permits that you may need. EIN: Indicate if you will obtain an employers identification number. Section 6: Insurance Insurance (Session 6): List the forms of insurance coverage including costs are anticipated. Section 7: Premises Location Criteria (Session 7): Outline your location criteria. space requirements. future requirements. site analysis study if needed (attach). demographic study if needed (attach). lease check-off list (attach). estimated occupancy cost as a % of sales. zoning and use approvals. Section 8: Accounting and Cash Flow Accounting (Session 8): Furnish, as a separate exhibit of your starting balance sheet and projected income statements for the first six months to one year. Cash Flow Planning (Session 8): Provide a separate exhibit of your one year cash flow analysis including estimated sales, all costs and capital investments. Provide a checklist of all expense items for input into your cash flow projection. Analysis of Costs (Session 8): What are all of my costs: fixed, variable, product, delivery, etc. Internal Controls (Session 8): Explain your: Intended internal controls and cash controls, check signing policy, strategy for controlling shrinkage and dishonesty and control of incoming merchandise. Section 9: Financing Financing Strategy (Session 9): Provide a chart or spreadsheet showing all of the sources of your start-up capital. Explain any government assistance or loan guarantee programs you intend to apply for. If your business is for use with potential lenders, include a cash flow projection and projected income statements to show sources of repayment of loans. Be conservative in your forecasts. List your sources of referrals to lending institutions. (Your accountant, etc.) Section 10: E-Commerce E-Commerce Plans (Session 10): Describe in detail how you plan to use the Internet in marketing your product or service. E-Commerce Budgeting (Session 10): Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in creating, operating and maintaining your e-commerce activities. E-Commerce Competition (Session 10): Describe how your best competitors utilize e-commerce and your strategy to improve on their practices. Section 11: Acquisitions Due Diligence Procedures for Acquisitions (Session 11): List the following: Your consulting team: Attorney, accountant, banker, broker, etc. Verification of sellers revenues: how you plan to authenticate. Sellers records to be inspected: Financial statements, income tax returns, sales backlog, cash deposit records, utility bills, accounts payable and receivable, backlog, financial comparisons of similar businesses, etc. Inspections and approval of leases and contracts. Appraisals, as appropriate. If a franchise, interview with randomly selected franchisees. Finance plan for acquisitions: include sources including seller financing. Market conditions. Value of goodwill. Method of purchase: stock, assets, etc. Section 12: Marketing Marketing Plan (Session 12): Describe your overall marketing and sales strategy including how you plan to get and retain customers. Advertising and Promotion Plans (Session 12): Describe your plans and budgets for advertising and promotions. Purchasing and Inventory Control (Session 12): See how to buy checklist. Training Policies (Session 12): Describe your plans for hiring and training your sales associates. The Competition (Session 12): Describe your strongest competitors and how you intend to compete. How I Plan to Take Advantage of Competitors Weak Points (Session 12): List your competitors shortcomings and how you can capitalize on them. Section 13: Growth Program Expansion (Session 13): Describe your growth: You might include

Eddie Rex: The Temper Tragedy :: Short Story Essays

Eddie Rex: The Temper Tragedy Tires scream as the limousine skids to a stop inches before it would have slammed into Eddie's posterior. Crimson anger explodes in his mind as Eddie turns with a jerk, flinging obscenities at the big man behind the wheel of the immaculate luxury car. The madness consumes him completely, dissolving all ability to reason. Eddie's boot meets the headlight of the limo. Shattering glass falls like rain on the hot asphalt. The old man in the back of the car has opened his door, not realizing the chauffer's intent to gun the engine now that the self-important moron in the street is moving around to the driver's side of the car. The limo leaps forward with a roar, sending the gray-haired man sprawling face-up on the hard blacktop. The driver slams the brake pedal to the floor again and four other men spring from the automobile just as Eddie thrusts a three-inch knife blade into the man lying on the ground. Eddie's vision blurs as the murderous rage envelopes him. Blinking, he shoves away fr om the softness covering his face and falls onto the floor in a heap of sweaty blankets. After extricating himself from the jumble of cloth, Eddie stands slowly and shakes his head. "Why'd I dream that? So long ago†¦ I showed that stupid old man†¦ Thought I'd forgotten†¦." Dense, hazy thoughts cloud Eddie's head as he fights for coherence in the dim light of his bedroom. He notices with relief that Jo has already left for her morning exercise. That she is old enough to be his mother and knows far more about his job than he does had made him feel slightly inferior since their marriage. It would have been embarrassing if she'd seen him lose a fight with his bed. With a clear head and a nicely pressed Hugo Boss pinstriped suit covering his freshly washed body, Vice President Edward Rex sits behind his desk, fuming. Angry thoughts ricochet like submachine gun blasts through the dense matter occupying the central cavity of his cranium. "As if this race weren't difficult enough," he said aloud, "now the media's slandering me!" Reaching without looking to punch the intercom, Eddie succeeds in punching his index finger into the unforgiving top of his oak desk. He emits a loud, sharp exclamation followed by muttered dysphemisms concerning the desk's maternal origins. Trying again, he carefully depresses the intercom buttons with his injured index finger.

Amys bread case study Essay

1. Who are the main players (name and position)? The main Player in this is Amy Scherber and she is the manager and owner. Another main character is Toy Kim Dupree and he is Amy’s assistant manager. 2. In what business or businesses and industry or industries is the company operating? Amy’s bread is in the business of selling bread products both wholesale and retail. They sell primarily to high quality restaurants, hotels and food shops. 3. What are the issues and problems facing the company? (Sort them by importance and urgency.) It is hard to make a large profit because Amy pays her employees a higher amount then the other business in her field. She also has to employee about four times as many employees to complete the same job due to the intensiveness provided on each batch of bread. The company is also struggling with the idea of wither to expand or stand pat with their business. 4. What is the primary problem for the company/organization in this case? The primary problem in this case is the idea of expansion. The problem is that they do not know if they should expand or stand pat. If they do expand how are they going to centralize their business. Are they going to do strictly wholesale or wholesale and retail. 5. Why have the problem (s) you cite emerged? Identify the causal chain (the events or circumstances that caused the problem-Some will be Internal Weaknesses, others EXTERNAL Threats). This main problem has occurred because they are currently located in a storefront that is not adequate to provide the needs of all their potential customers. The main weakness here is that they are in a bad location for advancement. In their current location they are completing all of the orders that they possibly can. 6. What are the characteristics of the industry that the company is in and how is the industry changing over time? When Amy’s Bread first open bread baking was a growth industry. The U. S Department of Commerce reported there was a 12 percent increase in the consumption of specialty breads per capita. This industry is also very tough to get into there are a great deal of company’s that already have been working with restaurants for a long time. The other problem with the industry is that because it was a growth period many new bakers were trying to enter it and earn a name for them. So the computation for customers is high in the industry and only growing more competitive. 7. What is the firm’s strategy for differentiation, enabling them to compete within the context of their industry? Amy had a clear goal she wanted to be famous for making a great product and for creating a good place to work. Amy’s product itself was different because she set the highest standards on her quality. They also do not use any machines in the shaping of their bread. Every load of bread was hand crafted and shaped which was why her payroll was so high but it set her breads apart from the average shop. 8. What are possible solutions to the problems you have identified? Possible solutions to her crisis on where to go or wither to move at all are one she could not move and be satisfied where she is. The second option is she could move to a building that she would be able to produce large amounts of wholesale goods at and not concentrate on retail goods. The third option is she could move to an even bigger place where she could sell retail product and still meet her needs for wholesale. 9. What are the advantages and possible disadvantages of your solution(s)? If she stays pat then she will be able to turn a marginal profit and meet the needs of her current customers. The disadvantages would be that she would then miss out on opportunity to sell to all the customers that she has on her waiting list and her retail business would not be any bigger. In second option they would be able to meet all her wholesale needs. The disadvantages would be that she could not sell retail customers any more and she would be paying more for the property. In the third option she would be able to sell both retail and wholesale. She would be in a newly developing retail market with access to foot traffic. She would also be able to meet all her whole sale needs. To top it off she would be able to design the layout of the building to fit her exact needs. The disadvantages of this are that it is very expensive. She would get everything that she is looking for but at a substantially higher price then the other two options. 10. Are there any possible problems with your suggested recommendations? What contingencies need to be accommodated? My recommendation would be to choose the third option. It is the most expensive but Amy has already demonstrated that she has a sharp business minded and is able to build business and promote it. The retail space will help spread the word of how good her bread actually is and word of mouth is the best advertisement they could have. The biggest problem that they could have is if they start to loose customers. A second problem would be if the market begins to shift away from the cravings of bread. Or another problem could be that they simply do not add enough customers to be able to afford the new space. Case Study Analysis Narrative Format Case title: Amy’s Bread Student: Nicholas Mustico Date: 3-18-2013 Course: Management Principles Firm Overview and Introduction to the Case (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this first section of the narrative, you will provide a brief description of the case subject firm and circumstances for your reader. YOU are the expert. Your analysis is reliant on the fact that you’ve read the case at least three In the case study of Amy’s bread you get a complete overview of the company. It discusses where they started how they started and the experience that the owner Amy Scherber has. Amy Scherber is the centerpiece of the company she is the founder, owner, manager, and lead baker/chef for Amy’s bread. Amy is also the main person in charge of the company’s finances and business discussions. Amy is now facing the problem of wither or not she is going to expand her company. She has been able to entrench her business in the tough industry of baking breads. This is a business that is very completive and hard to establish yourself in. Now that she has become establish she has to decide wither she would like to expand to meet consumer’s demands or stay where she is and be happy with what she has accomplished. Internal perspectives (Use this and all headings in your narrative) This section of your narrative is used to explain to your reader the internal, factual information about the case subject organization and the problems you’ve identified. Additionally, in this section you need to describe the causal chain. How did the problem arise? What caused it? The problem in this case would not be a problem if the company had not become as successful as it has. If the company had not become so popular then the small storefront that she had originally solicited would never have become a problem. They did become popular though and now they have to adjust to what they would like to become. No one knows if she had selected a larger site if she would have ever been able to get herself going but if she had then this problem may never have occurred. Her company now is at a point where they cannot satisfy one additional customer due to space constrictions. Amy’s problem is a hard one to decide on but for a company it is a good spot to be in if you have too much potential business. It is always better to have too much opportunity then too little. * External perspectives (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this section you will describe the characteristics of the industry in which the subject organization operates. Identify any changes over time, which you believe contribute to the problems you’ve identified. Has the Firm’s Strategy for differentiation within their industry caused, Added to or exacerbated the problems you’ve identified? Amy’s bread is in a very complex and difficult industry to work in. She is in a field that has been â€Å"well farmed. † What I mean by that is that there have already been people there doing what she is trying to do. The business she is trying to sell to unless they are newer then her have all already put someone in place to fulfill their need. She then would have to show these businesses that she is that much better then her computation that they have already employed. Amy’s strategy for differentiation is basically being better then the computation. She is striving to have the highest quality, freshest, and most innovative bread selection. She had made it a point that she will not sacrifice quality for anything else including profit. Amy was lucky, or smart enough to enter the backing industry when it was on the rise. Consumption of grains had just begun to rise when Amy entered the industry. The U. S Department of Commerce reported there was a 12 percent increase in the consumption of specialty breads per capita. This industry is also very tough to get into there are a great deal of company’s that already have been working with restaurants for a long time. The other problem with the industry is that because it was a growth period many new bakers were trying to enter it and earn a name for them. So the computation for customers is high in the industry and only growing more competitive. This main problem has occurred because they are currently located in a storefront that is not adequate to provide the needs of all their potential customers. The main weakness here is that they are in a bad location for advancement. In their current location they are completing all of the orders that they possibly can. Then again this is not a problem that most business would not want. Solutions (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this section you will provide a proposed solution to the primary problem/ secondary problems you’ve identified. Possible solutions to her crisis on where to go or wither to move at all are one she could not move and be satisfied where she is. The second option is she could move to a building that she would be able to produce large amounts of wholesale goods at and not concentrate on retail goods. The third option is she could move to an even bigger place where she could sell retail product and still meet her needs for wholesale. If she stays pat then she will be able to turn a marginal profit and meet the needs of her current customers. The disadvantages would be that she would then miss out on opportunity to sell to all the customers that she has on her waiting list and her retail business would not be any bigger. In second option they would be able to meet all her wholesale needs. The disadvantages would be that she could not sell retail customers any more and she would be paying more for the property. In the third option she would be able to sell both retail and wholesale. She would be in a newly developing retail market with access to foot traffic. She would also be able to meet all her whole sale needs. To top it off she would be able to design the layout of the building to fit her exact needs. The disadvantages of this are that it is very expensive. She would get everything that she is looking for but at a substantially higher price then the other two options. My recommendation would be to choose the third option. It is the most expensive but Amy has already demonstrated that she has a sharp business minded and is able to build business and promote it. The retail space will help spread the word of how good her bread actually is and word of mouth is the best advertisement they could have. The biggest problem that they could have is if they start to loose customers. A second problem would be if the market begins to shift away from the cravings of bread. Or another problem could be that they simply do not add enough customers to be able to afford the new space. Case Model Insert a copy of your case model at the end of your narrative. Model the problem and solution by drawing a diagram. Identify the problem, what is causing it, what is making the problem worse (or potentially hiding the problem), and what can be done to mitigate or eliminate it. Use the strategy models to help you think through the steps that must be taken to intervene and solve this problem.

Buy a Baseball America`s Favorite Game Essay Online

Buy a Baseball America`s Favorite Game Essay Online Essay about Baseball As spring comes in, when the beauty of the earth comes alive one more time, the great American game begins in North America and Canada. It is so much more than a ball game played between two teams of at nine players on a diamond-shaped field – with bases, gloves, bats and balls, a mound, dirt on in infield, grass in the outfield, and people in the stands. Baseball is a game of graceful athleticism, intelligence, and class. At times, baseball is like a ballet, a performance and a mind game, a game of chess. It’s very different than – even superior to –that ruthless game called American football, not to be confused with soccer. Baseball is far more humane in nature than football, which is a brutish game of violence much too similar to war. Baseball is a gentleman’s game, a thinking mans sport of brains, strength, stamina, speed, and reflex. Also, baseball, which is said to have evolved from the British game cricket, was created in New England around the time of the American Civil War, played by Union soldiers to occupy their downtime, to probably distract them and aid in helping them keep their sanity when not fighting. It requires concentration and competition, so it was a helpful tool in bringing them together to do something fun and enjoyable. Next came professional baseball leagues in various parts of the country, in cities in most states in America. Over time, in one form or another, people all over were playing the great game – whether for fun on pastures or on a flat, dirt field. Then it became a spectator sport during the summer months. Late nights meant for baseball all day long, and people began paying money to see games. It is still this way today. They were paying money to see the best local players compete against the best players in other locations, regions or towns. Since then, since the turn of the 21st century, baseball has been a staple of American life, culture, and society. This may be the reason baseball is called, time and time again, â€Å"America’s Favorite Pastime.† Today, Major League Baseball has become the authority on professional baseball in the United States – and has become a multi-million-dollar company (if not a multi-billion-dollar one). Its  games and other retail items attract millions and millions of Americans every year, and the professional league fan base extends to South America, Canada, Europa,  and Asia. Its  players – Major League Baseball players – make millions of dollars a year, through contracts with each team, which is essentially a large corporation, and through deals with athletic equipment companies, sponsors, and other such things. That is a lot of money for someone to play a game that was played for fun by soldiers in the Civil War, a game played by children on long summer days. In the last 150 years since the game was created, baseball – the actual game itself – probably hasn’t changed too much. It still involves the same notions and requires the same language, the same basics of the game, its  basic principles and rules and standards and requirements. But the game has most definitely changed. A major problem in American professional baseball these past couple decades has been the use of performance-enhancing drugs, like steroids, among the game’s best and most famous players. For someone who grew up idolizing these players and wanting to emulate them, it can be a real downer to think they are human and fallible ones at that, too human to be heroes and to do heroic things. They are only people who could play a simple game very well to the point they could get paid to do it day in and day and for years at a time. It has become an industry and not just a game. That game has changed – and not necessarily for the better.

Crafting Strategy Essays

Crafting Strategy Essays Crafting Strategy Paper Crafting Strategy Paper Henry Mintzberg’s Crafting Strategies is based on conclusions from decades of research that tracked 11 organizations through important moves they made in the observed period. . Patterns were marked and lumped as strategies, graphically showing distinct periods of stability, flux, or global change. (Mintzberg:75) His thesis: strategizing is more of crafting a strategy a potter shaping clay aware of her past experience and her future prospects as she performs her craft.. In contrast, the popular notion of bosses rationally and precisely plotting strategy in corporate meetings is an inaccurate depiction of strategizing and therefore misguides those who adhere to this notion uncritically. The article only seems to tilt towards an emergent approach to strategy. The author argues that a key to managing strategy is the ability to detect emerging patterns and to help them take shape. A manager’s job is not merely to see ahead but to detect patterns and get involved when the time is ripe. (Mintzberg:74,75). But Mintzberg also clarifies that all strategy making â€Å"walks on two feet: deliberate and emergent. † Purely deliberate precludes learning, and purely emergent has no control. Neither approach makes sense, which explains why strategy means emergent and deliberate behavior. (69) Mintzberg’s theory therefore also aptly captures the ideal mix of the four archetypes of Richard Whittington’s classical, evolutionary, systemic, and processual schools of strategy. These archetypes are in fact meant as conceptual reference points, set up in descriptive archetypal quadrants that are not necessarily exclusive of each other. In his interpretive article, William Sheridan aptly applied Whittington’s conceptual framework. His summary of Whittington is this: that strategic thinking requires conceptual space in which there is room for different policies, tactics, and intelligence gathering. Within each strategic space, the four archetypal quadrants each stand up for different assumptions, goals, methods, and perspectives. Sheridan translated the four quadrants into their operational core as behavioral, institutional, societal, and cognitive. He said strategic thinking now means anticipating and preparing for implications and consequences of present actions. Whether acting alone (classical), on behalf of another(evolutionary), or as adviser (processual), or as societal leader (systemic) , strategic thinking (considers ) the interests of all stakeholders to protect systemic integrity. (Sheridan: full article). Sheridan then intertwined Whittington and Mintzberg: The craft of strategy consists in identifying the mix of appropriate policies, deploying them as needed, and staying alert to the prospect that changing circumstances will require changing the mixture. Citing Mintzberg, within the context of Whittingtons four schools of strategy, Sheridan summed up that strategy is not predominantly rational modeling nor formal planning, but rather an informed overview, of which the key factor is the breadth of strategic thinking also labeled as wisdom in Crafting Strategy. (Mintszberg: 69 ) Mintzberg’s theory captured the four archetypes of Richard Whittington’s classical, evolutionary, systemic, and processual schools of strategy archetypes that characterized the potter as a craftman strategist. Theoretical Underpinnings, Assumptions on strategy, business environment or organizations of the essay : Is the author’s worldview rational or based on logic/chaos/uncertainty? Are the assumptions realistic? In the book Critical Approaches to Strategic Management by David L. Levy, Mats Alvesson and Hugh Willmott the authors concede that much current thinking on strategic management is anchored on the work of Michael Porter and Henry Mintzberg. Mintzberg and colleagues (1998) with their ten schools and five definitions of strategy. My own random survey of literature on strategic management shows the complexity of the task of selecting strategies, and the overload of very involved prescriptions and descriptions of strategy. Levy and group have panned against Mintzbergs approach for its skeptical look on established classical and rational perspectives. They note that his views miss broader issues of domination and fail to scrutinize managerial assumptions. For example, Mintzbergs view on power tends to look at this issue narrowly within an intra-organizational perspective that eschews broader social and political issues, according to these same authors. Though Mintzberg shares the basic comprehensive perspective of Whittington, I believe his school of thinking shows a palpable emphasis on the micro side of strategic management. Under his method, broader social issues affecting management concerns ( for example , current issues as the Wall Street crash and our problems in Iraq, etc) would have to be relatively relegated to the rear ground, and this may not serve the end of strategic management. Sheridan is right that in terms of social insights, critical theorists of strategic management have the edge. In the present essay, Mintzberg cited the example of GM as a large and complicated organization, describing the complexity and confusion that gets tucked under the veneer of strategic order meetings, debates, dead ends, folding and unfolding of ideas as the company pursues its strategies. (68) From its lens, Crafting Strategy sees the reality hidden in the veneer of strategic order. As a craft theorist, one would see alternately a balance of chaos or order. The craft theorist would therefore not just think of new clever strategies, but allow them to develop gradually. His strength would be in the intuitive balance, his espousal of both learning and controls, his responsiveness to the material at hand. (69) In this context the theory is receptive to application, creativity, and intervention. Crafting Strategy: Main strengths and weaknesses –Persuasive Power and Basis of Persuasion Within the framework of its own assumptions and findings, Henry Mintzberg’s â€Å"Crafting Strategy† has a persuasive expressive content. It however presents a doubtful diminution of previous schools of strategic management , arguably presenting itself as a comprehensive modifying school of thought. (Sheridan: c. 2003). On the other hand it has yet to offer operational tools for managers confronted with, for example, labor unrest or racial inequity. Of course its adherents may argue that managers schooled in its perspective would have the sensitivity and other skills of the craft, but as negated by Levi et al, its relative de-emphasis on broader social issues may limit management leaders from the optimal application of established strategic tools. If anything can be said on Crafting Strategy , it is that its arguments are always nuanced. For example, it upheld both the grass roots approach to strategic management, and its opposite, the hot house strategy, estimating Reality falls somewhere between the two. (68) There is however no evidence presented that traditional tools espoused by other schools of thought have necessarily become obsolete, even granting that those findings on the research basis of its thesis have been validated. Also, the example of 11 observed firms may be a statistically insignificant in a universe of millions of counterparts in other countries. Finally I find the potter inadequate as a metaphorical parallel of corporate reality. The metaphor fails to capture the sophistication of managing complex emotions, social distinctions, biases, intrigues, competition in the marketplace, corporate politics, etc†¦that are the problems of strategic management.

Scientific Management was the product of 19th Century industrial Essay

Scientific Management was the product of 19th Century industrial practices and has no relevance to the present day. Discuss - Essay Example Referring to Murugan (2004), scientific management is a systematic and thoughtful approach to the job of management which applies the scientific methods of study and analysis to the problem of management, while using scientific approach of techniques to improve efficiency. This approach was based on the four main principles as developed by the earlier pioneers ; it included developing a science of work, scientific selection and training, educating workers and managers in the benefits of scientific management, equal division of responsibility, maximum output and finally specialization and collaboration between workers and managers (Admin, 2011). The modern form of management has been inspired through the social, economic, technological and legal importance attached to a firm or business. Modern management has blown out the significance of scientific management by introduction of reliable concepts which step further away from the classical management thought. Modern management employs empirical, decision theory, social, quantitative management, system management and contingency approach schools of thoughts, which create easier and flexible methods to handle differences in behavioural changes of the work force, and the demanding tasks in the working environment. Globalization: Pioneers of scientific management in the 19th century focused their attention on a particular area of production in manufacturing industries. The science of work carried out rotated within the industry hindering its application on the wider scope. Today, modern management operations have focused on broad concepts of management without limitations to its application on a variety of work environments, both local and foreign. Geographic boundaries are no longer barriers to management, even as organizations are increasingly been set up in different regions. Every business outside there has a mission to make profits in the common markets; the managers and other leaders in an organization will exp erience similar challenges inline with their job, not unless it can be able to sustain a comparative advantage over other competitors in the market. Modern management has extended to international co-operations which require managers to have a strategic plan in coordinating the functions and activities at different platforms. The scientific concept is primarily applicable to production operation of industrial engineering more than the general management, restricting its applicability to serve functions (Murugan 2004). Following the modern system’s approach, â€Å"management is expected to perform maintenance and adaptation functions† emphasizing on the interrelationship and interdependence among various activities of an organization (Murugan 2004, p.66). As organisations spread out across the globe through branches, their management complexities become difficult to monitor, requiring new faces to shape current practices in management, and solve different forms of crisi s as managers also take a new direction in the way they carry out their jobs. Though the entire large system is sub divided into manageable sub systems, all of them must be in balance with each other to ensure harmonization. The open system is ready to adapt new changes from the environment that is affected by different instabilities around the globe. Technology: Jobs today differ from the old method of manual practice. Businesses and organizations

Isolation and How It Kills within Ethan Frome Research Paper

Isolation and How It Kills within Ethan Frome - Research Paper Example Throughout the novel, isolation defines the plot and the characters' destinies. This essay analyzes the theme of isolation in Ethan Frome. Wharton uses setting, characterization, and symbolism to show how isolation emasculated Ethan Frome and affected his relationship with Mattie and Zeena. The setting of the book is Starkfield, a fictional New England village, which shows how physical isolation has resulted to the emasculation of Ethan Frome. Starkfield is an isolated and cold place, which also affects its small-town culture. It is very far from other cities and it often has harsh cold weather. The weather has become a cold blanket that rules over people's emotions and thoughts. The community is also poor, being constantly cold and poor of resources, which is why Harmon says that it is better if people left the village: â€Å"Most of the smart ones get away† (Wharton Chapter 1). The weather and geographical location leave people feeling terribly lonely and hopeless. The sadne ss and hopelessness in Starkfield have been embodied through several images in the novel. For instance: â€Å"Beyond the orchard lay a field or two...huddled against the white immensities of land and sky, one of those lonely New England farm-houses that make the landscape lonelier (Wharton â€Å"Ethan†). ... In addition, the farm houses can stand for the townspeople. They also feel isolated from each other. Gossip is commonplace, but they rarely show acts of empathy and love toward each other. For example, even they feel sorry for Frome after the â€Å"smash-up,† they do not offer him any real empathy. Frome must have felt lonelier after the smash-up, because people â€Å"guessed† what he and Mattie wanted to truly do. Moreover, the coldness of their environment spills over people's hopes and freezes their ability to dream and pursue their dreams. Ethan once wanted to be an engineer, but because of lack of social and financial support, he did not become one anymore. He also has to take care of his mother. Then, he dreams of being with Mattie, but due to his poverty and the problem of being â€Å"judged† by his society, he does not leave Zeena. Ethan wants an easier way out instead of facing poverty and ridicule, but this dream is snatched from him too. The setting al so evokes a fairy tale escape and simplification of characters and their isolation. Ammons argues that Ethan Frome can be viewed as a fairy tale, because the novel contains the archetypes of â€Å"the witch, the silvery maiden, the honest woodcutter† (Ammons 48). She compares Ethan Frome to Snow White, where Zeena is the witch, Mattie is the silvery maiden, and Ethan is the honest woodcutter. Zeena is the witch, because she is the selfish villain who wants to be Ethan's queen, even when Ethan no longer loves her. Zeena will do everything she can to keep Ethan from leaving her and Starkfield. One of her ways is being constantly sick. If she is sick, Ethan will remember what she did for his mother. She uses Ethan's indebtedness to her to force him into living with her, if not loving her. Another