Leadership from the Bible Essay

The pages of History are littered with stories and legends of societies’ great leaders: Napoleon Bonaparte, a brilliant and charismatic military strategist; Mahatma Ghandi, the peaceful revolutionary; Pope John Paul II, the vibrant Roman pontiff that continues to inspire millions; Ronald Reagan, the â€Å"Great Communicator†; and the list goes on and on. And these leaders are looked upon, revered, and modeled in today’s society as those having exemplary leadership skills, having the keys to motivating, influencing, inspiring, and moving the masses to accomplish great and mighty things. But there was only one perfect, righteous leader; one who led by example, and implemented the wisdom keys from the Word of God: Jesus Christ. And He gave to us His Word, the Bible, the perfect manuscript for life, including key leadership concepts that we can be apply today. Using the life of Christ as the primary example and combining His life with God’s word, one finds perfect, holy, and successful leadership treasures that excel in relevance and effectiveness beyond history’s secular leadership examples. This paper is my exploration into how the Word defines a great leader and those wisdom nuggets that we can use today through the concepts of small beginnings, vision, service, and time management. When Israel returned from captivity to rebuild the Lord’s Temple, the Lord said through the Old Testament Prophet Zechariah, â€Å"[Do not] despise the day of small [beginnings]† (New King James Version, Zechariah 4:10). Referencing this verse, Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center rhetorically asks the question, â€Å"If it can’t be instantly huge, why bother? (â€Å"Small Beginnings†). The world is consumed with the concept of instant gratification, the desire to be the biggest and the best without enduring the struggle that comes with growth, but Jesus started his ministry small, with 120 passionate, committed followers. The LORD also started the Hebrew Nation with just one man, Abraham. And from that man, a great nation has grown and endured for thousands of years. And even before that, God created the first family, one man and one woman, to fill the earth and subdue it. Our God, the Christian God, is a God of small beginnings. I attend the mega-church Family Worship Center in Lakeland, FL. The church’s pastor and charismatic shepherd is Reggie Scarborough. Like the greater church body, the nation of Israel, and the beginnings described in Genesis; Pastor Reggie did not despise Family Worship Center’s day of small beginnings. In fact, I believe, he embraced it. Nearly 26 years ago, the church began with exactly 100 members and has flourished to a congregation of nearly 4,000. Great leaders do not despise or forsake the day of small beginnings. For those who suffer those small beginnings the Lord is faithful to yield much. In the financial world there are three mutually owned financial firms that separate themselves from the rest: New York Life, Massachusetts Mutual Life, and Northwestern Mutual Life. All three companies were founded in the mid-19th century with a strategy for small, slow, conservative growth. Today, the â€Å"Big Three Mutuals† are Fortune 100 companies with credit ratings and assets that surpass most other rivals in the financial markets. These companies saw the value of small beginnings, and the payoff has been a good, strong name. For me, leadership key number one is â€Å"do not despise the day of small beginnings. † To the prophet Habakukk, the Lord said, â€Å"Write the vision and make it plain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hab 2:2). This was the Lord’s reply to Habakukk’s complaint of the wickedness befalling Judah. Habakukk was seeking justice from the Lord and an answer on Judah’s future. In similar measure, the Lord spoke through Proverbs to say, â€Å"Without a vision, the people parish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Prov 29:18). A great leader must have a vision for the future. The text uses the phrase â€Å"mission statement [to] summarize ‘why’ an organization exists† (Kiniki and Kreitner 459). In like manner, the Word of God uses â€Å"vision† to give the people a purpose, an answer to the question, â€Å"Why do we do what we do? † A vision or mission statement also allows those in the organization to glimpse the â€Å"big picture. † Pastor Mac Hammond encourages his readers to, â€Å"Find out where you fit in the grand scheme of things. † (â€Å"The Big Picture†). It also allow for goal-setting. How will the organization accomplish the vision? Referring to the passage from Habakukk, Pastor Mac Hammond states, â€Å"Setting specific, measurable goals is a powerful exercise†¦ It’s one of the most important motivational tasks for winning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"The Exercise of Goal Setting†). Just as Pastor Reggie started Family Worship Center with small beginnings, he also had a vision for the congregation. That vision is espoused in the mission statement of Family Worship Center which reads: Our mission is to create a worship environment through a union of the Word of God and the Spirit of God that will stimulate a progressive Pentecostal community. â€Å"Our Mission†). Its vision allows its congregants to know why they are there and how they fit in. The vision also helps Pastor and his Board of Advisors create and manage goals for Family Worship Center’s growth. And from that growth through goals formed from the vision, Family Worship Center has grown to a mega-church that sows into ministries throughout the world. Likewise, the Big Three Mutuals all had separate, yet similar, visions. All of their stories are alike in that each of their founders laid out a vision or mission for long-term financial security and conservative growth. The following mission statement was released in 1911 from the Northwestern Mutual Life (NML) Board of Trustee, and reads as follows: The ambition of the Northwestern has been less to be large than to be safe; its aim is to rank first in benefits to policyowners rather than first in size. Valuing quality above quantity, it has preferred to secure its business under certain salutary restrictions and limitations rather than to write a much larger business at the possible sacrifice of those valuable points which have made the Northwestern pre-eminently the policyowner’s company. Shannon and Poley) This mission statement has allowed NML to grow in an efficient conservative manner for nearly 100 years, and its reputation and name is revered in the industry. Like Family Worship Center, NML’s vision has giving its policyowners and staff the ability to see NML’s big-picture, and the vision has been the guidebook NML uses when setting goals and future plans. A Vision does multiple things for any organization: It gives the organization purpose, it shows the people where they fit in with the big-picture, and it gives a clear path for goal-setting. For me, leadership key number two is â€Å"have a vision. † Another prominent leadership concept is servant-leadership. Although the term â€Å"servant-leadership† was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, the concept was espoused by Christ two millennia before (â€Å"What is Servant Leadership†). Jesus promoted the idea of servant-leadership when He said to His disciples, â€Å"†¦whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (New International Version, Matt 20:26). His focus was putting others before oneself. I like the way John MacArthur describes the passage: In this rich text, the Lord was teaching the disciples that the style of greatness and leadership for believers is different [than for none believers]†¦ [Christians] lead by being servants and giving themselves away for others, as Jesus did. (1430) Servant-leadership gives the leader influence, builds moral, and provides him or her understanding. Through Jesus’ example, He did all those things. He had influence; He inspired the crowds; and His leadership style showed understanding. From a business point of view, there is an old saying, â€Å"He who serves best, profits most. † (Source unknown). And it’s true in any organization. Leaders in a church must serve the sheep, just as Pastor Reggie has done at Family Worship Center. Leaders in business must serve their clients, just as the Big Three Mutuals. For me, leadership key number three is â€Å"service. † The Apostle Paul said to the church at Ephesus, â€Å"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Eph 5:15 – 16). In comparison, the New King James uses the phrase â€Å"redeeming the times† instead of â€Å"making the most of every opportunity. † For the leader, what Paul may be inferring here is, â€Å"Use your time wisely. † In support of Paul’s letter, John MacArthur opines: â€Å"We are to make the most of our time on this evil earth in fulfilling God’s purposes, lining up every opportunity for useful worship and service (1812). In Scripture, we constantly see Jesus â€Å"redeeming the time† and â€Å"making the most of every opportunity. † He had priorities in place, taking care of the most pressing matters, first. Many of his miracle healings were interruptions in His schedule, but He often turned aside from His journey to touch the sick and heal the blind, making the most of the opportunity. He redeemed the time He had on the earth. For the Christian, Pastor Mac Hammond says, â€Å"†¦one of the most crucial lessons any leader can learn is how to use time wisely. † (â€Å"Time Management†). For me, leadership key number four is â€Å"time management†. Although this paper has addressed four keys to successful leadership, the wealth of leadership treasure in the Bible is without end. It does not matter the type of organization that applies these concepts. Whether a church like Family Worship Center, or one of the Big Three Mutuals; biblical leadership keys work. For me, if I only master these four, I believe I will be successful in both Christian ministry and the secular business world: small beginnings, the willingness to forgo instant gratification; vision, the idea that gives me purpose; service, putting others before myself; and, time management, making the most of every opportunity.

Of Mice And Men †Plans that go wrong Essay

In this essay, I will be examining how and why plans go wrong in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck, and I will also be looking at the other themes in the book. These themes include friendship, loneliness and the fragility of people’s dreams. The novel’s title comes from a poem by Robert Burns called â€Å"To A Mouse†. The chosen title fits in well with the theme of how fragile dreams are, and Burns shows how the plans of men are no more secure than those of the mouse, which is the message that Steinbeck is tries to portray throughout the book. Most of the characters in the novel have dreams or ambitions that are often kept secret to begin with. Curley’s wife was desperate to finally tell someone about her dreams, and it is ironic that is was Lennie that she confided in, who appeared to have no interest in what she has to say, and was in his own dream world. This is proven when Curley’s wife is midway telling Lennie about her dream, and Lennie is thinking about the puppy he has accidentally killed and says, â€Å"Maybe if I took this pup out and thrown him away, George would never know.† He has his mind on other things. Most of the characters experience loneliness, and they have different ways of dealing with it. For George and Lennie, they have each other, for Candy he has his dog, for Crooks it is his pride, and Curley’s wife combats it by flirting with all the workers. George and Lennie’s dream is to own a small ranch where they can live and work for themselves â€Å"an’ live off the fatta the lan'†, as Lennie says. Their dream is of independence and self-sufficiency. We are told each time the â€Å"dream† is mentioned, that ordinary ranch workers â€Å"are the loneliest guys in the world† and the pattern they follow is work, blow their money gambling or at the â€Å"cat house† and then going back to work. George however says â€Å"with us it aint like that. We got a future†, which shows that because of the friendship that he and Lennie share, they are able to plan for the future and they depend on each other. Lennie is particularly excited about him being able to â€Å"tend the rabbits† and this I think is why Lennie is so excited about the dream, because he gets responsibility to look after the animals which is his passion. George uses Lennie’s dream of tending the rabbits as a threat, for example if Lennie â€Å"does another bad thing†, George threatens to not let them tend the rabbits on their ranch. To begin with, the dream is strictly between Lennie and George. George says â€Å"we’d belong there† which shows that he needs to feel a sense of belonging which owning your own property can bring. When Candy hears of the dream, he also wants to join it. Candy is a character in the book that is also lonely. Since the shooting of his dog, Candy has lost his only companion, and by joining them in the dream, he has a chance for dignity, independence and freedom as well as company in his old age. We can tell that Candy feels very strongly about this, because Steinbeck tells us â€Å"his eyes were full of wonder† at the prospect. He is also willing to put â€Å"three hundred an’ fifty bucks† into the buying of the ranch, which brings the dream all the more closer and more reachable for Lennie and George. It all goes wrong however, when Lennie’s childlike obsession for â€Å"petting† things goes out of hand, and he ends up killing Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife in pursuit of company leads her to Lennie. She pours out her pent up frustration of her unrealised dreams and ambitions. When she realises Lennie isn’t taking much interest, she lets him feel her hair. Lennie being Lennie strokes harder and harder even though Curley’s wife begs him to stop. As we already know from the book, Lennie gets confused very easily and panics. When he felt Curley’s wife struggling, â€Å"Lennie was in panic† which shows us that Lennie cannot understand what he should do, and believes that putting his hand over â€Å"her mouth and nose† is the right thing to do to stop her screaming. This shows us that Lennie is not rational. As she struggled to get out of his grasp he accidentally broke her neck. Lennie then ran off to his hiding place where he was told to go if he ever did a ‘bad thing.’ When Curley discovers his wife’s body, he runs after Lennie with a mob including George. George realises that if the mob catches Lennie, he will be lynched for the murder of a woman, and feels that it is much more painless for George to kill him himself. This also shows us the attitude of the time in that part of America. The police will not be involved, as the company is driven on revenge. This is the end of the great dream that George had manufactured, all gone in the wink of an eye. All the anticipation for the life they might of had is gone. Candy shows that he is still willing to carry out the dream when he says â€Å"You an’ me can go there an’ live nice can’t we George?† This twist in the plot relates back to the title of the novel, where it says how easily plans can go wrong. I feel Curley’s wife is the most despairing and lonely character in the book. She has no friends, no future, no respect and she doesn’t even deserve a name. She is just called â€Å"Curley’s wife†. I feel sorry for her because, all she wants is someone to talk to, to converse with, and in her mind the only way she can do this is by flaunting herself to the men just to get noticed. This leads her to be perceived as a ‘tart’ by the men, and they think she has â€Å"got the eye† on all of them. I think she represents absolute loneliness and desperation to achieve something better in life. The only reason she parades herself is to get attention. She believes that ‘ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live.’ This is in fact true, because no one in the book cares about her or how she feels not even her husband, which must be very depressing for her. This situation leads her to become frustrated and she lets it all out during a conversation with Crooks, Lennie and Candy. She ‘flared up’ and started to pour out her feelings about how she doesn’t like her husband and begins to pick on and threaten Crooks to make her feel powerful and tells him â€Å"I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny†. This incident really gives us an insight on how unhappy and bitter she is with her life. Her marriage to Curley was an attempt to escape her solitary life. In fact it has only made it worse. Curley holds no respect for his wife and regards her as a trophy. His insecure feelings towards his wife, forces her into flirting with the other ranchers. Her visits to find Curley are only there so that she can speak to somebody, but none of them seem to realise this and instead regard her as a hussy. In conclusion, I think that â€Å"Of Mice And Men† is very appropriate to life, because dreams and ambitions are fragile, and can easily be lost. Even the best plans depend on lots of factors that can go wrong. I do however think that things could have turned out differently. If Curley had only a little respect for his wife, and gave her the love and affection that she needed, she would not have had to gone to Lennie to tell him her problems, and her death could have been prevented. I do think that George did the right thing at the end of the book, and Slim understood this as he said â€Å"You hadda, George. I swear you hadda.† Lennie would have only been more confused if he would have had to answer endless questions about the death of Curley’s wife. We can tell how much affection George felt for Lennie, because before he died, he left Lennie with the vision of their dream, and tells him that â€Å"Ever’body gonna be nice to you. Aint gonna be no more trouble.† I think on the basis of this novel, Steinbeck’s views are quite pessimistic in the fact that not everybody thinks that dreams are so easily lost. We can tell that Steinbeck appreciates nature and the beauty of it though, because of the many references to it. For example before Lennie dies, he describes â€Å"the deep green pool† and â€Å"the hilltops were rosy†. It is almost as if he believes that whatever mankind may do, nature will always be there.

Empowering Your Organization Essay

Organizations are about people. People are the most valuable asset that an organization can possess to create success. The development of these people and the ability for an organization to retain talent can be complex. An organization must be organized to communicate and provide the structure necessary for growth and development. They must also have the people within the organization understand their ability to grow and the directions available within the organization for growth. In the industrial age a company was primarily there to provide goods and serves. Many organizational behaviorists at that time focused on getting the most production from the employee. The employee was looked at as a necessary evil in creating the goods for market. We have now realized that people are the foundation that can make or break an organization. The thoughts and actions of the company and the employee are imperative to their success. Retaining top talent is about creating a structure that is conducive to growth and development. Empowerment is important on an organizational level and an individual level. When looking at the dynamics of an organizations empowerment it is essential to recognize the symptoms of disempowerment. Gershon and Straub identified ten symptoms of a disempowered organization. We will look at one case within an organization and four of these symptoms that were evident and describe these dysfunctions. We will then create a plan using Gershon and Straub six values to create an empowering environment. Four Symptoms of Disempowerment Distrust and Cynicism When individuals feel that they must constantly compete for their future a sense of distrust begins to arise. In the case study this organization had weak leaders that did not give others a sense of team involvement. There was constant distrust in coworkers and in management to make the right decisions. Due to the lack of leadership employees felt the need to compete through criticizing and creating blame. Management did not give true direction or provide any plan of action but instead were quick to criticize the actions individuals took in order to compete tasks without direction. Apathy and Burnout The organization in the case study was constantly in a state of change. New projects can be exhausting in themselves. When a project goes beyond the original plan many times companies will use the resources they have and overwork the employee in order to reach plan. This can create burnout and apathy within the workforce. This was the case with this organization, instead of bringing in additional contact workers to assist the company expected employees to work overtime to meet goals. This would involve as many as eighty hours per week. The result was burnout and exhaustion and a general sense of being unappreciated. The personal life of the employees was expected to be put on hold and this creating a general sense of apathy within the workforce. Gossip and back biting poisoning work environment Many times people are the reflection of the environment that they are surrounded by. There is a saying about how weak people talk about other people; this was the case in this organization. Gossip was common place and a reflection of the emotional turmoil of not being able to move within the organization. Management did not stop the personal conflict that was created within many of the groups by gossip and â€Å"back stabbing†. Top talent leaving for better opportunities or work environment Due to the inability to move within the organization and the general atmosphere of distrust and dissatisfaction many of the top talent moved on to better opportunities. The organization was a revolving door and the issue was that the positions available were not backfilled with internal, local talent but instead more â€Å"new† employees were brought in to replace the talent that let the organization. This further fueled the discord and ill feeling of the current workforce. Six Values Applied to Disempowerment Change in anything that we do must first come from the inside before we can change the outside. A great example of this is in losing weight many people choose to go on a quick fix diet plan. This is a wonderful way to reduce the weight in the short term but the person eventually returns to their previous weight. Change must come from the inside through long term changes in the way that they think about food and the long term change in diet. When an organization has the symptoms of disempowerment it is not just from the inability of the individuals internally but from a dysfunctional mindset within the organization. Therefore the organization must perform a metamorphose to change the structure of the company and the mindset of the individuals and management. There are six values that are an essential part of the framework necessary for change within an organization. These six values are self-responsibility, authentic communication, trust, learning and growing, interpersonal process skills and caring. When looking at an organizational level of self-responsibility the empowering organization has individuals that take responsibility for their jobs, team and organization being the way that they need it to be. This is the opposite of the mindset of victimization and an understanding that changes comes from each individual within an organization. If an organization promotes authentic communication it is obvious through observing the individuals and their communication. If the communication is open, transparent, honest and vulnerable then the company is communicating authentically. When observing trust within an organization the first thing that needs to be evident is the ability for individuals to feel safe within the environment. This trust is apparent in the ability of individuals to take risks and tryout new behaviors without risk of reprimand from supervisors. When an organization promotes an environment conducive to growth and learning individuals are challenged to recognize their weaknesses and given the opportunity to learn and develop these skills. The growth and encouragement is transferable to both the employee and the organizational growth. Learning is on a bilateral level through growth of both the structure and the individual. An empowered organization understands individuals as independent and of their own mindset. They champaign the individual and have created process and protocols to resolve personal issues that may arise. The organization is high functioning within their relationships internally and support teamwork and individualism equally. There is a general sense of caring within an empowered organization. Leadership demonstrates genuine caring of the individuals that work within the company. Individuals feel valued and inspired creating motivation to do their best. The Plan To develop these skills within an organization that is lacking these basic values can be challenging. The plan must start with leadership and management having a full grasp of the qualities that create an empowered organization. The first step is to educate management in the skills necessary to create this environment. This cannot be done with a week-long workshop but with concrete training and development over the long-term. Honing and developing the skills on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Removing the â€Å"boss barrier† is an essential part of creating an environment for growth and productivity. The second step is to remove the â€Å"system† barrier. Looking at the process and the policies the current organization and recreating an environment that gives employees the opportunity to develop. Realigning the reward systems and identifying the blocks that disempower change within the organization is essential. The third aspect is to remove the barriers of the mind. This is important in empower both the leadership and the employee. People have a way of thinking about things until you give them the opportunity and the tools to look at things differently. You are basically what you think you are and it takes reconditioning the minds of the individuals within an organization to change. Change happens from within. It is the willingness of the organization to change and the individuals to change that will make a move towards empowerment possible. Motivation to change must be driven by emotions and the key is to find these emotional triggers and create a plan towards growth and opportunity for both the organization and the individual. References Bigelow, D. (2011). Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. Library Journal, 136(9), 95. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2011), Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. SterlingEtbos.2011.c.256p.. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2009). Empowerment Institute: The empowering organization: Changing behavior and developing talent in organizations. Retrieved from http://www.empowermentinstitute.net/index.php/organizational/organizational-empowerment/57-organizational-empowerment Individuals’ Mindset: Empowering the Individual. (2004). Black Book – Reengineering Investment Management & Advice to the Individual, 31-36. Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S. (2002). The heart of change: Real-life stories of how people change their organizations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Big Switch Network Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Big Switch Network Design - Assignment Example All the above require completion of very complex tasks; these are information gathering, planning as a task, designing and modeling. While building a network, the designer focuses more on three layers of the OSI model. Although there are many technologies available for network construction, it is extremely important to be aware of the implications of selecting a technology over the other, the network devices or equipment to use, and in which layer the device can function, and lastly have knowledge on the functionality of the device by conforming to the network architecture requirements. Implementation of VLAN segments in a network (Keith, 2011) VLAN is Virtual Local Area Network. VLAN is a logical LAN segment that pair different physical LANs by creation of logical subnets. In VLAN, we involve different physical LAN segment to enable communications between them. This infrastructure enables functional separation of the departments, for example, separating the HR department from the pr oduction department by two different LANs without a router. Creation of workgroups enables communication of two different VLANs even though there are in different buildings physically. VLAN improves performance increasing available bandwidth according to how many VLANs are created to share the bandwidth being consumed. This infrastructure eases network maintenance; this can involve removal, changing and addition of network users and equipments. In LANs, a designer needs to re-configure the routers, servers and the work stations if a user moves, and this leads to reconfigure the switch, hub and arrangement of the cables. This can be avoided in a VLAN on the work station and the involved router however; they bring additional administrative complexity which in the other hand increases security by management of virtual workgroups by the administration. Generally, this type of networking reduces every type of cost from implementation cost to maintenance cost by minimizing the network adm inistration (Krzysztof, 2008). We can also use multiple VLANs per switch port. This is using of shared hub off of the switch ports. Also, the designer can introduce a wireless VLAN. In implementing this, the designer introduces a wireless access point that can be located by more units from one administration centre so that we avoid a lot of cabling and use of routers. At each access point contain mapped SSIDs of a maximum of 16 membership units. Then the access points is assigned a 802.11 standard called a primary SSID, broadcasting with beacons to all wireless clients on that segment. Membership is assigned for each wireless client on the VLAN by considering the specific company department, the security rights and which servers are most accessed. Then VLAN 1 is considered as the default native VLAN, so it does not tag traffic. This native VLAN number given must then watch all the attached access points assigned VLAN on that network segment. To filter traffic and enable secure manag ement VLAN traffic, this company will implement access control lists on every network switch. The introduction of the RADIUS SSID control will require wireless clients with an authenticated configuration of 802.1x, to have a RADIUS server that is already configured with mapped SSIDs on every wireless client. The list is sent to the access point where the client is a member by the server. Here, the employee cannot be a member of just any wired VLAN except to the assigned specific VLAN, and all this is done during authentication. The VLAN defines its own policy group filters, so all infrastructure devices are denied membership to a

Introduction of ICT Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction of ICT Industry - Assignment Example 1). As such, it can be observed that the phenomenal growth of ICT especially the internet has dramatically revolutionised the business landscape across the whole globe (Cloete, 2001). The advent of the internet has resulted in a boom of e-business activities between individuals as well as other organisations. This is commonly referred to as e-commerce where a range of online business activities for products and services are carried out (Andam, 2003). ICT supports online business which has significantly gained prominence during the recent years. It can also be seen that there have been various global changes in the ICT industry. For instance, Andam (2003) posits to the effect that developments in the Internet and Web-based technologies have resulted in the narrowing of distinctions between traditional markets and the global electronic marketplace-such as business capital size. The â€Å"International Data Corp (IDC) estimates the value of global e-commerce in 2000 at US$350.38 billio n and was projected to climb to as high as US$3.14 trillion by 2004,† (Andam, 2003, p.6). This major change in the global ICT industry is mainly attributed to the fact that information and communication technology is used to enhance one’s business where computer mediated network is used. Governments and businesses across the globe are investing heavily in the ICT sector in order to keep pace with the global changes in this particular industry. New Brunswick’s ICT sector is mainly comprised of organizations that deal with information technology (IT) services and products, telecommunications and interactive digital media (New Brunswick Information & Communications Technology Sector Strategy 2012-2016, n.d). In terms of local changes in IT, it can be seen that growth has been spurred by the following factors: Strong consumer demand for applications for mobile devices, increased productivity, privacy, integration of supply chains, emergence of affordable broadband as well as rapid pace of technological change. These factors have contributed to the changes in the IT sector. The New â€Å"Brunswick’s ICT sector is regarded as a major contributor to the economy, directly employing approximately 8,000 people and generating close to $875 million in Gross Domestic Product (2002$), close to four per cent of the provincial total in 2011,† (New Brunswick Information & Communications Technology Sector Strategy 2012-2016, n.d). The major changes that have been witnessed in this sector are related to its growth. It is expected that the industry grew at an average rate of two per cent since 2006, compared to the average of 1.3 per cent for all sectors. This shows that there have been major strides in the development of this particular industry compared to other industries in the province. The other major notable change is that it offers 100% broadband coverage which is by far a larger development compared to other regions across the whole glob e. With regards to investment, it can be seen that the province has also made efforts to attract investors to develop in this very important sector in as far as business development and growth are concerned. For instance, quite a number of marquee companies in the ICT sector have established operations in the province according to the New Brunswick Information & Communications Technology Sector Strategy 2012-2016.This development has helped the province to increase its visibility as a

Analysis for Chevron Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Analysis for Chevron Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example The company also looks at various stakeholders’ benefits. The company has adopted quite a few CSR strategies to get involved in the market. Table of Contents Abstract 2 1.0 About Chevron 4 2.0 The Corporate Social Responsibility Activities of Chevron 5 2.1 Business Ethics 6 2.2 Government 8 2.3 Human Rights 8 3.0 Evaluation of the Motivations for CSR Activities Drawing Upon the Company's Market Environment 9 4.0 Evaluation of the Motivations for CSR Activities Drawing Upon the Company's Non Market Environment 11 5.0 The Stakeholder Theory in Relation to Chevron 14 6.0 Conclusion 17 7.0 Recommendations 18 References 19 1.0 About Chevron Chevron is regarded to be one of the largest American multinational oil producing companies. It is considered as one of the top energy companies with various subsidiaries all over the world. The company is engaged in a string of activities such as exploration, transportation, production of crude oil along with natural gas as well. They are engag ed in generating power and in the production of geothermal energy. The company is focussed on providing safe and healthy environment to the people. Their main objective is to uphold the organisational reliability and effectiveness in the minds of the people. It also produces mining, pipelines, chemicals and is involved in power construction businesses as well. In the US, the company owns 9,600 gas stations that function under the brand name of Chevron along with Texaco. It also own or has stakes in around 12,400 gas stations outside the market of the US with brand name of ‘Caltex’. Chevron signed a $4.3 billion deal with  Atlas Energy  in 2011 (Chevron, 2008) 2.0 The Corporate Social Responsibility Activities of Chevron Corporate responsibility at Chevron is the use of ‘The Chevron Way’ across social, environmental along with governance issues and concerns. The corporate responsibility of the company is implemented through existing systems, procedures a nd policies of management in order to operate ethically and responsibly. The major aim of the company is to constantly develop the performance and activities in the organisation. The business is performed in an efficient, ethical and responsible way. Through the corporate social responsibility activities Chevron looks to perform their business responsibly by delivering not only energy but also creating sustainable partnership. Chevron has prepared an Action Plan in which climate change has played a significant part in their projects related to emissions reduction, research improvements and also efficiency improvements. Chevron also sustains their CSR activities by touching the requirements of the human lives by initiatives such as ‘Corporate Champion of The Global Fund’ in order to fight against diseases such as Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria. They were working towards controlling as well as eradicating these harmful diseases in six different countries that has high lev el incidence rate (Chevron, 2008). Chevron’s Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) defines the expectations with regard to the organised management of safety, reliability, environment, health and efficiency in order to attain outstanding performance in operational excellence (Chevron, 2010). Chevron uses various motives for their role towards corporate social responsibility. The motives are ethical motives, economic motives and strategic motives. CSR and

Celebrities Endorsement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Celebrities Endorsement - Essay Example This model can be employed by the brand managers of a company for the selection of entities for their respective celebrity endorsement initiatives and also for capitalizing and leveraging on the accessible celebrity resources through the use of a 360 degree model of brand communication which acts as the primary platform for assessing the impact and outcomes of celebrity endorsement on the popularity and positioning of a company. Celebrity endorsement has emerged as one of the most popular techniques used in advertising in the contemporary corporate world. Celebrity endorsement is perceived as a metaphorical trend and a winning formula in the domain of marketing, advertising and brand perception building for a wide category of companies. The choice of a celebrity for the advertisement of any particular product or service is one of the most crucial and tough decisions that is faced by the brand manager of a company. This is because, once a celebrity is chosen for the endorsement of the brand or the product, then the customers and stakeholders of the company automatically establish a direct sense of association between the enduring celebrity and the company and its products (Oyserman, Coon, and Kemmelmeier, 2002). Celebrity endorsement is a commonly used marketing and branding strategy that is employed by different marketing and branding managers of a company to promote brands, services or products. Though initially, the celebrity endorsement strategy of marketing was significantly used in the skincare and cosmetic brands, nowadays, celebrity endorsements have become an important marketing strategy for all types of industries and companies. celebrity endorsement is considered to be highly effective marketing strategies because they can easily trigger public interest and awareness and also draw their attention to buying the particular product or service of a company.

Strategic Analysis (Individual) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Analysis (Individual) - Essay Example n, it is important that the firm must be able to look into the commercial aspects of the technology and focus on what market requires and what it can deliver. Firm’s core competencies were based upon its ability to produce high quality technology however it clearly lacked the ability to transform its core competencies into the commercially viable products. It is important to understand that the organizations have made a transition towards focusing on the mass customization where firms focus on delivering highly customizable products through a mass market. The firm though has a large and diversified market to serve however due to sheer size of the applications and potential market niches; it may not be possible for the firm to focus on developing commercially feasible products and services. This paper will discuss the internal and external analysis of Soundfacts firm and will provide strategic analysis and alternatives for the management to reposition the company and become commercially more successfully and viable. Firm operates in Denmark which is one of the advance countries in the world with favorable political system. There is little or no interference from the bureaucracy and the overall political structure of the firm favors the free markets and private enterprises. The transfer of private property laws are in favor of the organization and as such firms can easily move their assets in and out of the country with low level of political interference. Apart from this, the overall tax environment is relatively favorable for the firms with government acting as a welfare state. The higher ratio of taxes imposed on the individuals is off-set by the State being a welfare State. Further, Denmark is also part of European Union thus it enjoys the relative political support at the regional level. (Dimireva, 2009) Denmark is one of the highest ranked economies in the world with good per capita income thus suggesting that the consumers have the required purchasing

Music in the Baroque Era Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music in the Baroque Era - Research Paper Example Before getting into details about the factors that shaped the development of Baroque music, it is significant to know the basics of Baroque music. First of all, one must know that the Baroque music, as agreed upon by most researchers and critics, is used to refer to music that was composed during the time period of â€Å"1600 to 1750† (â€Å"). This cultural and artistic movement originated in the Western European region, mainly Rome, and then extended to other parts of the world such as baroque art in â€Å"Latin and South America† as well as architecture in â€Å"Ethiopia and America†. Basically, Baroque music can be defined as music that aims at evoking â€Å"emotional states† by the process of â€Å"appealing to the senses, often in dramatic ways†. Although Baroque music primarily refers to the music that was developed during the Baroque era, it is characterized by several other qualities in addition to the time period of its origin. These qual ities include â€Å"grandeur, sensuous richness,† drama expressed through movement and tension as well as â€Å"emotional exuberance† (1). Furthermore, this artistic style of movement often tended to â€Å"blur distinctions† between various artists, thereby uniting all kinds of musicians through the divine atmosphere generated by music. The origin as well as the development of this type of music finds its roots in the movements based on â€Å"Catholic Counter- Reformation,† thereby using its prime characteristics of â€Å"overt rhetoric and dynamic movement† in order to express the â€Å"self-confidence†.

E-Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

E-Business Strategy - Essay Example Strategic plans are to be made for every vertical of the business and those plans are to be further broken down into smaller ones to guide day to day operations. Every aspect of a strategic plan is well deliberated upon from every aspect and only then is it implemented. The process of formulation of strategies goes through a cycle of different stages and can be seen as the strategic planning cycle (Strategic Planning Cycle, n.d.). The first stage should cover the overall goal of the organization and its basic business viewpoint. This will act as a framework for its operations and decisions. The second stage deals with identification of specific goals or targets which are to be achieved within a certain stipulated period of time. The next phase will focus on the ways of reaching the target, i.e. the action which is required to achieve the goals. Once the firm identifies the action or a set of actions, then it has to analyze the resources it would need to support those actions or whether there is any need for additional resources. Different action would need different types of resources right from man and machine to technology. Only a proper incorporation of these measures would ensure success. Another important step is to establish KPI or key performance indicators. These will help the firm to keep tab of the route that the strategic plan is taking, once it has been initiated. If its course does not adhere to the KPIs then the company should go for course correction. After this the company gets to see the final result of its strategic plans and processes. The final outcome whether successful or unsuccessful always acts as a guiding principle for future processes and helps in rectifying the procedures and strategies. Be it an old economy business or a new economy one the basic principles of strategy and strategic formulations remain the same. In the case

Pledge of Allegiance in School Essay Example for Free

Pledge of Allegiance in School Essay Pledge of Allegiance in School My choice of writing for the Rogerian essay is on the topic of the Pledge of Allegiance in School. â€Å"In a decision that stunned the nation, a federal appeals court in June ruled that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional because the pledge contains the words under God â€Å" (Chmielewski). The banning of the Pledge of Allegiance is a very large controversial topic because one side believes that while the foundation of our country is religion, the other side believes that the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance is an infringement on our First Amendment right. The Pledge of Allegiance began in 1892. It was a way of showing a sense of celebration for being an American. Since 1892 the â€Å"Pledge† has been changed four times, and in 1954 the words â€Å"under God† were added (Chmielewski). A cause of the Pledge of Allegiance being banned from school is mostly because of these two words â€Å"under God†. An Atheist by the name, Newdow, filed the claim against the pledge because he did not want his second grade daughter pressured into saying something that he does not believe (Chmielewski). I believe that this topic has quite a bit of historic meaning because it basis is on our historical beginning. I think that because the times of our country and have changed so much, in that, religion is not just based on Christianity for our country anymore, it does way on peoples mind. I would like to show in this essay that the Pledge of Allegiance is an important part, not just in our schools, but in our nation. My research on this is going to be a bit strenuous. There are so many articles about court proceedings and individual states that it might be difficult to find a common ground. Most of what I have read has just been the individual states versus the Supreme Court or, as in the case above, the Nine District Court. I have read articles from Massachusetts, California, Washington, and Nevada, to name a few. Most of the articles also are very one sided. Meaning that the author shows what the problem in question is and then turns the article to what they believe.

Lacan, Foucault, Sedgwick, Binary Essay Example for Free

Lacan, Foucault, Sedgwick, Binary Essay The world consists of a collection of dual concepts. Things either are or they are not, especially at the level of conception. One is either alive or dead; there are no in-betweens with this notion. In the essay, The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as revealed in Psychoanalytical Experience, Jacques Lacan describes a certain binary that takes place, and interacts, within a child as soon as they learn to recognize their own image. Lacans recognition of this initial dualism that takes place in an infant, leads to the recognition of several other dualisms. Michel Foucault speaks of a binary when speaking of sex and sexuality in chapter one of The History of Sexuality, Volume 1, an Introduction. In the second Axiom from Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick discusses the heterosexual and homosexual dichotomy. Lacan believes that after eighteen months, a child discovers its libidinal dynamism (1286). Libidinal means psychic and emotional energy associated with instinctual biological drives. Dynamism means active and interactive movement. Through action and interaction with its psychic and emotional energy, instinctual biological drives in a childs mind. It is through this dual and cooperative interaction between the physical and metaphysical, in the mirror, that a child begins to form identification with itself and its reflection. Via this reflection, the child will see its body as Gesalt, a collection of parts of the whole (Lacan 1286). The child views the sum of its biological, physical, and psychological bodies as an entire unit; being made up of several different parts, and at the same time just a singular object. The child recognizes and views its reflection in relation to its surroundings, i. e. urniture, itself, its mother, yet this realization that unites the childs parts to form a singular I. This mental permanence, meaning the child will permanently see itself as I, is what will alienate others due its large singular view of itself, and not a view as part of a whole. With the childs actualization of its image and that it can be seen and interpreted, it shall then recognize a binary of physical reality and dream reality. The dream realm is a reality of sorts, in the sense that it is real because it is experienced. That dream realm is then filled with not nly the childs own image, but the image of the physical world it inhabits while awake. This I image is thus residing in the spectrums of this binary where its realities exist both in the physical world and in the mental world. The mirror stage itself is an entire dualistic concept. On one hand, it marks the initial conception of self-actualization, while on the other, maps the libidinal normalization process. Foucault outlines the history of sex in terms of children, how they communicate it, who discusses it, and where it resides in the binary. Children have for many years had a freedom of language with their mentors in relation to sex (Foucault 1654). This is to say that there was less shame in the attitude towards sex. It was a very openly discussed topic outside the realm of perversion and deviance. It was not until the seventeenth century that the French bourgeoisie placed a censorship on all speech that was of sexual manner. Children, across all social classes, gradually became more silent in regards to their sexuality (Foucault 1654). This notion of silence is where duality comes into to play, or lack thereof. Foucault defines silence as the things one declines to say, or is forbidden to name, the discretion that is required between different speakers, (1654). Foucault views silence as a non-passive action, even if it may appear to be doing nothing. One can convey a message just as effectively, and arguably more, by remaining silent than actually speaking. Silence is something that functions alongside speech in such a way that it becomes difficult to differentiate the two in terms of the outcomes they produce. Foucault acknowledges this lack of binary by stating that there is no division to be made between what one says and what one does not say (1654). In terms of the government enforced censorship on sexuality and speech during the 1600s, this silence surrounding sexuality spoke volumes more than explicit dialogue about it. During this time another binary became prevalent, the public and the private. While the people remained relatively silent in public, they were conversing greatly privately. In the 1700s this silence multiplied the forms of discourse on the subject of sex (Foucault 1655). The topic of children sex exploded with many participants partaking in the discussion. There was a great market for this discourse on sex that included the realms of medicine and politics, often interweaving the two. The topic of sex was forced out of the private realm into the public. Foucault says that sex has become something society cannot speak enough about, that [society] convinced [itself] that [they] have never said enough on the subject, throwing society onto a perpetual search for answers (1657). The sexual realm does not reside in the binary of public and private, of being secret or outspoken, yet resides in both. It is because of this need for secrecy that sex has taken such a firm place outside of being a secret. Foucault says society teeters on the middle of the binary system of public and private, that society has consigned sex to a shadow existence, but that they dedicated themselves to speaking of it ad infinitum, while exploiting it as the secret (1658). The history of sex is a prime example of a concept being able to reside in the realms of the public and private binaries, and at the same time residing in neither. Sedgwick claims that sexuality lies in a realm separate than that of gender. She defines chromosomal sex as that of biology that follows the strict XX and XY chromosome pattern of distinction among Homo Sapiens (Sedgwick 2439). She defines gender as an elaborate and rigid social production that strictly serves the binary of only male and female (Sedgwick 2439). She then defines sexuality as an array of acts, expectations, narratives, pleasures, identity-formations, and knowledge, in both women and men that focus on genital sensations, but not adequately defined by them (Sedgwick 2440). She states that gender is only one dimension of sexual choice and that sexuality strictly deals with how the individual feels and has no relation to, or effect on, procreation. Whereas chromosomal sex is strictly based on procreative purposes since it lies in the realm of biology, where a sexed male and a sexed female are the only sexes that can reproduce with each other. This notion thus makes sexuality the polar opposite of chromosomal sex, rather than gender being its opposite, in the binaries. She states that both gender and sexuality are concepts to be chosen. The differences between them are that gender serves the binary of male and female, while sexuality, contingent on the individual, are not limited by such a simple binary. This binaries construction was only to serve the male identity. Sedgwick says that any system with gender at its focus will have an inherent heterosexist bias, meaning that the female gender is constructed as a supplement to the male identity (2442). That the binary by which gender is trapped only exists because it required being a binary, the female gender only exists because the male gender required a counterpart. The binary of heterosexual and homosexual fits a deconstructive template more so than the binary of male and female, thus rendering sexual orientation and gender different. All people at birth are publicly assigned to one of two genders and because of this are forever unalterable. Sexual orientation, on the other hand, is often times rearrangeable, ambiguous, and has a doubleness quality to it that allows for easy alterations (Sedgwick 2444). Sedgwick does not find the gender binary to be one of complexity, but of a rather simple and unchallengeable one. She states the essentialism of sexual orientation is less easy to maintain, incoherent, stressed and challenged (Sedgwick 2444). There is a contradictoriness to Sedgwicks claim that sexual orientation is easy to alter and rearrangeable, yet at the same time less easy to maintain. It is, however, this seemingly contradictoriness that makes sexual orientation different from the gender binary. It is this complexity and fluidity that gives sexual orientation its ability to make leaps and bounds across its multinary systems. The most important aspect of the difference between gender and sexual orientation is the fact that one can choose their sexuality, but not their gender. Lacan, Foucault, and Sedgwick all deal with historical values. That is to say, they deal with issues and topics that occur at the early stages of young life, thus making these dealings at the conception level of thought. Lacans mirror stage describes a childs actualization of self. Foucault deals with the history of sex and the history of childrens conception of sex. Sedgwick discusses the differences of sex, sexuality, and gender. The uniqueness of Sedgwicks notion is that gender is assigned at birth and can never be altered. This ties into Lacans mirror stage where once a child realizes its image, and the placement of that image in the world it lives in, it can never un-see that image, and moreover, can never remove that image from its surroundings. Foucault greatly discusses children in his chapter, however he does not delve deeper as to what about children relate to their sex. Sedgwick supplies contextual substance to Foucaults article that deals mainly with the history of sex and not the sex itself. Lacans concept of self-actualization of the I, can be coupled with Sedgwicks gender assignment at birth, that the I is gendered, and will effect, and often dictate, the childs asymptomatic journey to reach it. Lacans concept of the binary of physical and metaphysical realization of self-image, is the basis for a binary discussion, something either is or is not physically here. Foucault discusses the history of sex and how a binary of speaking about sex or remaining silent does not exist. Sedgwick deals with the gender binary. This theory of dualism, binaries, dichotomy, lays foundation for these authors, and philosophers, and their works.

Case Study Of Levi Strauss

Case Study Of Levi Strauss Levi Strauss Co, is one of the worlds best leading branded apparel companies. The company designs and markets jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear and related accessories, for man, women and children under the Levis, Dockers, Levi Strauss Co and Denizen brands. Mr. Levi Strauss (the founder of the company), has commenced the business in 1853 San Francisco and enter into the innovative jeans market in 1873. The company markets its products in three different geographic regions such as, America, Europe and Asia Pacific. (Source: www.levistrauss.com ) This assignment is emphasis to understand the organisational strategic plans while assessing process of developing strategic elements of the plan and evaluate the plan for the future directions. Further it has assessed the strategic effects on an organisational plan by focusing the implementation and effect of the impact on stakeholders. In addition that it was trying to develop a strategy to communicate the organisational plan while concerning the stakeholders. Finally it has emphasised to evaluate the implications of the organisational plan for operational areas while concerning the creation of action plan and evaluating the effect of changes on an operational area. Part 01 Outline According to this chapter, it is trying to understand the organisational strategic plans while concerning the processes of developing strategic elements of an organisational plan along with the assessment of the strategic elements and evaluation of organisation plan for future direction. 1.1 The process of developing strategic element of an organisational plan. According to the Abraham (2006, pp. 11-12) Strategic planning is the process of developing a strategy to achieve certain purposes. As per the views of the Sadler (2003, pp. 9-13) followings can be identified as strategic elements of an organisational plan. Purpose / Mission Policies Defining what business the company is in Defines what kind of company is it Objectives / Goals Strength Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Key Success Factors Key decisions Capabilities / Competencies Planning Scheduling Implementation Sustainable Competitive Advantages Therefore it is important to identify the process of developing strategic elements of an organisational plan to serve their purposes. In that case, it should be clearly stated the purpose of the organisation under the mission statement. In other hand it should address the business which is performing now. Then it is necessary to set their goals and objectives specifically. Further it is required to analyse external and internal environment in order to identify the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. After that it is important to address the key success factors. Then it encourages to analyse the key decisions which going to be adopted in the organisational plan. Assessment of core competencies also important to face the competition in a dynamic environment. Then the planning should take place. Finally the implementation process should be performed in order to gain sustainable competitive advantage from the market. According to the Levi Strauss case is concerned, it has applied the objectives and strategies based on the market surveys. But which wasnt following the proper process of developing the strategic elements of its plan. 1.2 Assessment of Strategic elements which effect organisational plan. According to the strategic elements is concerned, followings should be noted for those will be effected on organisational plan. Purpose / Mission According to the Morden (2007, pp. 20-23) mission statement specify what the organisation is about, what its value and what its purpose is to be. Therefore it is required to set optimum mission from the beginning of the strategic planning process. As per the given case its clear that Levis in the jeans market and they look into exploring diversification to expand into the other areas. Objectives / Goals As per the Hill Jones (2008, pp. 16-19) states that the objective is the precise and measurable desired future states that a company attempts to realise. According to the Levis objective is concerned we can identify that it emphasised to move into the higher priced clothing market to attract new customers to the Levi brand. Strength / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats ( SWOT) According to the Masson et al (2010, pp. 33-36) SWOT analysis is concerned it is really important to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organisation in order to match with its strategic objectives goals. This will essentially gain competitive advantages from the market. Since giving case this has not addressed before setting their strategic plans. But it is required to assess by evaluating internal and external environment. Key Success Factors As per the comments of Sadler (2003, pp. 11-13) the key success factors are the things that a business must be able to do exceptionally well to achieve a leading position in a particular market. In the given case Levis should concern the following key success factors in order to achieve its objective, Accurate and rapid feedback from consumer research. Correct selection of target market. Innovations new products. Accurate selection of distribution channels. Quality of the products. Key decisions / Strategies According to the view of Pearce et al (2008, pp. 41-43) strategic decisions are ones that are of fundamental importance to the organisation. As per the Levis case we can see that they have taken steps to diversify by moving from the jeans market for shoes, shirts and shocks market. Further it has taken steps to introduce Tailored Calassics a range of high quality wool suits, trousers and jackets. Further, Levi have been set their prices by 10 % above for those products and select quality department store chains to distribute such products to the customers. 1.3 Evaluation of an organisation plan for future directions. According to the Morden (2007, pp. 23-26) strategic planning is concerned with how the organisation proposes to map out and mange its involvement in the future time periods to which it is committed. As per the Abraham (2006, pp. 11-12) strategic planning is the process by which one develops a strategy to achieve certain purposes. According to the Alkhafaji (2003, pp. 11-13) strategic planning has four main purposes. Such as, Find, attract and retain the customers. Ensure that company is providing the requirements of its customers what they really need. Sustain the competitive position. Utilisation of companys full strength to achieve competitive advantages. As per the Levis case is concerned , we can see that they have made plans on selecting target market , distribution channel, price level, the quality of the products and changes made to the marketing plan by gathering psychologist informations as well. In Levis case, we can see that some circumstances of the companys strategy have not matched with the customers need. The selected target group of men falling with two main misgivings such as, they think that the garments would be standardised only not provide the individual tailoring they wanted and even though some believes Levis produce quality suits, but they were uncomfortable with the Levis name for suits. In this case , it is revealed that even though the marketing team responded to that issue, expected sale were not achieved. This incurred due to the mismatch with organisation plan the requirement of target market segment. Because selecting group has more keen to shop at independent stores 46% people keen on wool blend suits. In such case company is unable to address those important aspects of the customers instead of providing uncomfortable suits and used the departmental store chain to distribute the products. That has resulted to drop out of selling price sales volume. In the case of the future direction of the organisation is concerned, the Levis has to be more sensitive to the customers requirements, changes of customer choices, distribution channels, range products. In other hand, it has to concern with the shopping behaviours of the customers. Because some customers are shopping with their girlfriend or wife. So that, it should identify the potential market opportunity of there. Based on the environmental changes behavioural change organisational plan should be adjusted to match with the organisational objectives and customers needs. Part 02 Outline As per this chapter, it has emphasised to understand the strategic effects on an organisational plan by concerning the implementation of an organisational plan and the effect of the impact of an organisational plan on stakeholders. 2.1 How an organisational plan will be implemented. According to the Kazmi (2008, pp. 309-312) strategic plan implementation concern the managerial exercise of putting freshly chosen strategy in place. Further, as per the Semerson ( 2011, pp. 234-240) strategic plan implementation can be identified as the process through which a chosen strategy is put into the action. Therefore the following process can be applied to implement the strategic plan for an organisation. Activating Strategy According to the Kazmi (2008, pp. 309-312) Activation is the process of stimulating an activity. This required to follow the following set of activities. Such as, Institutionalisation of strategy. In this case, it is required for communication of strategy among the organisational members and getting the acceptance of strategy by the members. Formation of derivative plans and programmes In that case it is important to evaluate the action plan, programmes, budgets and procedures Translate of general objectives into specific objectives Here it is required for transformation of the general objectives into very specific and selective objective. Eg: As per the given Levis case it can be identified as translating from moving into the higher priced market for mens clothes to introduce Tailored Classics a range of high quality wool suits , trousers and jackets. Resource mobilisation and allocation. In this case, it is required to allocate the tangible resources such as financial, physical and human resources as well as intangible resources such as technology, innovation and reputation in a systematic manner. Achieving Synergy One of the goals to be achieved in strategy implementation is synergy between and among functions and business units. According to the Ritson (2011, pp. 179-183) synergies can take place in following forms. Such as, Share know how That means, sharing the knowledge within the organisation Coordinated strategies Shared tangible resources. Economies of scale. Pooled negotiating power. New business creation. Eg: Levis can enter into the high priced clothes market by targeting women segment also to cater the wives girlfriend those who shopped with their husband or boyfriend in the earlier selected target market. An implementation based on the Organisational Structure In designing a structure to support the efficient and effective accomplishment of organisational goals. As per the Ritson (2011, pp. 183-188) this can be identified under the following structures. Simple Structure Such as small entity structure Functional Structure Such as strategic level, managerial level and operational level structures Divisional Structure Such as separate business units or divisions. International Structure In the case of Levis is concerned it is ideal to apply this structure since it is a multinational level organisation. 2.2 Effects of the impact of an organisational plan on stakeholders. According to the Freeman ( 2010, pp. 24-38) stakeholders of an organisation can be identified as any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firms objectives. These stakeholders can be summarised as follows, Owners ( Shareholders) Customers Employees Government Competitors Suppliers Local Community Organisations Consumer Advocates Environmentalists Media Policy makers Researches / Students In the case of effect of the impact of an organisational plan on stakeholders are concerned, as per the John et al ( 2002, pp. 45-49) it can be identified in different ways. Such as Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate planning, organisation theory and the system theory. According to the given case study of Levis is concerned , we can identify the effects of the organisational plan on stakeholders under the following way. In this case, Levis trying to expand and diversify the business to generate the higher profitability and acquiring the higher market segmentation by their innovation to the market. So that we can assess the effect of such plan on their stakeholders in different ways. Owners ( Shareholders) According to the owners perspective is concerned, they are willing to obtain higher dividend , higher return for their investment and security of the investment. So that Levis new strategic plan will be resulted to improve their expectations. Customers As per the customers perspective is concerned they are more keen on to get new clothes under different fashions with innovation and comfortable with what they need. But if Levs failed to supply said products to the customers , they will lose their expectation. Employees Due to the expansion of the business operation will show good sign to the employees that their jobs will be secured. But if the company does not perform well it has a risk of loosing their jobs as well. Government If the company performs well under this new plan it will result to increase their tax liability as well. Since it will be an income the government. In other hand they are monitoring about the companys operation to ensure whether they are following common rules regulations imposed by the government or not. Competitors Competitorss are in more alert with the new innovations, strategies done by the Levis since it will affect their market share and competition will result in a reduction of their profitability as well. Suppliers Suppliers are receiving new opportunity to increase their material supply to the Levis to gain higher income. Since they may have assurance that payments will receive on time due to this new plan of the Levis. Researches / Students Research organisations are willing to study the market consumer behaviours due the new plan of the Levis. In addition that they also can take part in Levis research programmes to gain income as well. Environmentalists To check whether Levis following an environmental protecting procedures during their manufacturing process. Media To provide media coverage and advertisement for the company in order to promote the companys brand while collecting income. Policy makers To implement new policies on the economy and market based on the activities of the company and study the decision patterns of the company. Consumer Advocates To check whether Levis following rules and regulations imposed by the consumer authorities in due manner or not. Part 03 Outline According to this chapter, it has emphasised to develop a strategy to communicate an organisational plan to its key stakeholders. 3.1 Strategy to communicate an organisational plan to key stakeholders. As per the Freeman (2010, pp. 24-38) developing a strategy to communicate the organisational plan to the stakeholders are concerned, it will result to achieve organisational goals objectives and help to improve operational effectiveness as well. According to the Ritson (2011, pp. 26-29) following stakeholder communication plan can be implemented to communicate the organisational plan to the stakeholders. Define the communication objectives. That means, what the company is needed to be achieved in the future. Such objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. Eg: As per the Levis case, communication objective can be stated as, To become most exceptional and most establish clothing firm by providing innovative products to ensure our customer satisfaction. States key message regarding the company. Here it is required to understand what the key information which need to communicate to the stakeholders Eg: As per the Levis case, key message can be stated as , To introduce Tailored Classics , a range of high quality wool suits , trousers and jackets. Select the key stakeholders. Here it is required to select the key stakeholders and should be prioritised based on the importance to the organisation. Eg: As per the Levis case, key stakeholders can be stated as , 01- Customers / 02 Suppliers / 03- Media / 04- Environmentalists / 05- Local Community Organisations States additional key messages which relate to each stakeholder group. It is essential to mention the additional key messages apart from the key message which addressing to the stakeholders. Eg: As per the Levis case, additional key messages can be stated as , We are providing most comfortable clothing to the customers. Levis ensure the environment friendly washing methodology. We are providing top quality materials for our clothes. Use effective communication tactics for stakeholders. In this case it is required to identify most suitable communication methods to address the stakeholders. Eg: As per the Levis case, communication method can be stated as, Newspapers / TV commercials / Posters / Cut outs / E mail marketing / Facebook advertising / Web advertising / Brochers / Handbills Allocation of budget and responsibilities. Here it is necessary to allocate funds for the communication plan for selected stakeholder groups. Eg: As per the Levis case, budgets can be stated as, Media $ 5 Million Customers $ 2 Million Suppliers $ 0.5 Million Adapting the plan and assessing the results. In this case it is required to implement the communication plan by selecting relevant stakeholder groups and required to evaluate the results of the plan at the end. Part 04 Outline As per this chapter, it is trying to evaluate the implications of the organisational plan for operational areas while concerning to create an action plan for implementing planned changes in an operational area with evaluation of the effect of changes on an operational area. 4.1 Action plan for implementing planned changes in an operational area. According to the Stead, (2004, pp. 105-110) functional level strategies are designed to accomplish short run objectives that in turn lead to the achievement of organisational goals. Further Daft (2009, pp. 245-247) emphasis that functional level strategies involves all of the major functions including finance , research development, marketing and manufacturing. Therefore it is required to identify the action plan to implement the planned changes in the operational areas. According to the King (2004, pp 23-25) action plans are marching orders and provide very specific directions. Further Bryson (2005, pp. 297) emphasise that an action plan is the plan for the day to day operations of a business over the one year period. It includes a prioritised list of projects as well as plans for the project that have been funded. It should be reviewed and updated on weekly. As per the Bryson (2005, pp. 302-305) action plan should consist following areas. Therefore, we can be suggested the following action plan, in order to implement planned changes in an operational area. Which are as follows. Specific expected results, objectives and milestones. Moving into the higher priced market for mens clothes. Focused on Tailored Classics , a range of high quality trousers and jackets. Roles and responsibilities of implementation bodies, teams and individuals. Functional Level Managers. Evaluate the target market identify the possible opportunities. (Marketing) Ensure the comfortableness of wool suits other clothes. (Manufacturing) Allocate the funds on manufacturing and marketing (Finance ) Sales Persons Improve the marketing and sales promotional work. Specific action steps. Functional Level Managers. Evaluate the target market identify the possible opportunities. (Marketing) Ensure the comfortableness of wool suits other clothes. (Manufacturing) Allocate the funds on manufacturing and marketing (Finance ) Sales Persons Improve the marketing and sales promotional work Schedules. -Weekly basis reports should be prepared to assess the progress in all the areas. (Marketing / Manufacturing / Finance ) -Monthly / quarterly evaluations should carry out each and every month end quarter end. Resource requirement and sources. -Manufacturing , Sales marketing , cash and master budget should be prepared in order to identify the resource requirements. -Retained profit can be re- invested in this plan. If it requires further funds, a bank loan is recommended. A communication process, -The Stakeholder Communication Plan should be used to address the potential and Existing stakeholders. -Advertising campaign also to be carried out. A review and monitoring process, -Functional level managers should report to the business level strategic level managers to evaluate the outcomes in weekly basis. -Corrective action should be taken immediately, if it requires. Accountability processes procedures, Accurate financial statement should be prepared to comply with IFRS. 4.2 Effect of changes on an operational area. According to the given case of Levis is concerned, its operational areas and responsibilities have been changed after implementing the action plan. Therefore it is required to evaluate the effect of changes in operational areas of the Levis. Which can be summerised are as follows, Manufacturing Due to the new changes of strategic planing, manufacturing schedules budget has been changed. Production volume has to be increased while economies of scales should be measured. The manufacturing budget also to be increased to comply with the new demand innovations. Marketing Sales Marketing plan sales plan should be changed and it has to be focused on selected target to increase the sales volume profitability of the Levis. New marketing strategies and advertising campaigns should be tested to achieve the targets. Finance Accounting As a result of expansion of the operations, accountability work has to be done in a proper way. Required reports, financial statements should be up to date, in order to take accurate decisions to the top level management. Resource allocation should be done in a systematic way, by analysing the fund requirements. Sources of finance should be selected based on the minimum cost outflow by the company to cater to the new expansion of operations. Human Resource Management New recruitments to be done to strengthen the workforce of the Levis with the new expansion process. Proper training programmes to be arranged in time to get the efficient effective works from the staff. Research Development Time to time, researches should be conducted to identify the market trends and changes in customer behaviours. Conclusion According to the detailed analysis of the Levi Strauss Case study is concerned, we have been assessed it in a systematic manner. Further, it has evaluated the strategic elements of an operational plan, stakeholder analysis, setting communication strategy. Finally it has analysed the action plan to achieve the desired objectives and goals of the Levi Struss Co. Therefore it has clear that, company needs to follow proper systematic strategic plan to achieve its objectives in the short term as well as in the long term. References Book References Abraham, S. C. (2006), Strategic Planning: a practical guide for competitive success, 1 st ed., Emerald Group Publishers, pp. 11-12. Alkhafaji, A. F. (2003), Strategic Management: formation, implementation, and control in a dynamic environment, The Haworth Press Inc., pp. 11-13. Bamford, C. E. West, G. P. (2008), Strategic Management : value creation, sustainability and performance, Cengage Learnings, pp. 120-128 Bryson, J. M. Alston, F. K. (2005), Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan, 2 nd ed., John Wiley Sons Inc., pp. 297-305. Costanzo, L. A. Mackay, R. B. (2009), Handbook of Research on Strategy and Foresight, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 301-323. Daft, R. L. (2009), The New Era of Management, 2 nd ed., Thompson Learnings, pp. 245-247. Freeman, R. E. (2010), Strategic Management: a stakeholder approach, 2 nd ed., Cambridge University Press, pp. 24-38. Harrison, J. S. John, C. H. S. (2008), Foundations in Strategic Management, 4 th ed., Thompson Learnings, pp. 76-87 Hill, C. W. L. Jones, G. R. (2008), Strategic Management: an integrated approach, 10 th ed., Cengage Learnings, pp. 16-19. Hussey, D. (1998), Strategic Management: from theory to implementation, Butterworth Heinemann, pp. 49-74 John, R., Cox, H., Gilles, G. L., Grimwade, N., Allen, M. Finn, E. (2002), Global Business Strategy, Thompson Learnings, pp. 45-49. Kazmi, A, (2008), Strategic Management Business Policy, 3 rd ed., Tata Mc-Grow Hill, pp. 309-312. King, J. B. (2004), Business Plans to Game Plan: a practical system for turning strategies into action, John Wiley Sons Inc., pp. 23-25 Masson, P. L., Weil, B. Hatchuel, A. (2010), Strategic Management of Innovation and Design, Cambridge University Press, pp. 33-36 Morden, T. (2007), Principles of Strategic Management, 3 rd ed., Ashgate Publishing Ltd, pp. 20- Pearce, J. A., Robinson, R. B. Mital, A. (2008), Strategic Management: formation, implementation, and control, 10 th ed., Tata Mc-Grow Hill, pp. 41-43. Ritson, N. (2011), Strategic Management, Ventus Publishing, pp. 179-188. Sadler, P. (2003), Strategic Management, 2 nd ed., Kogan Page Ltd, pp. 9-13. Simerson, B. K. (2011), Strategic Planning: a practical guide to strategy formulation and execution, ABC-Clio LLC., pp. 234-240. Stead, W. E., Stead, J. G. Starik, M. (2004), Sustainable: Strategic Management, M. E. Sharpe Inc., pp. 105-110. Web References Study the company details, [online], Available from : http://www.levistrauss.com/about/heritage, Accessed on 01 st December 2012.

Merchant of Venice Essay: The Role of Jessica -- Merchant Venice Essay

The Role of Jessica in Merchant of Venice The character of Jessica, in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice serves an important function in respect to her father, Shylock. By deserting him for a Christian husband, Shylock loses the last person with whom he has any kind of tie. Shylock’s isolation becomes a vital part of his character, and drives his merciless actions against Antonio. Throughout the play, everyone who could claim any type of social or familial tie to Shylock leaves him. Launcelot the Clown, moves to a Christian master, who has the,"grace of God..." (II,ii L.139) His own daughter Jessica forsakes him, and his entire Jewish culture, to marry Lorenzo, and become a Christian. Thus Shylock has no one from whom he can receive solace. Shylock, therefore, becomes a character motived by isolation, and a feeling of desertion. His emphasis on the binding values of money and law are the only thing he can claim as his own. When Shylock finds out about his daughter’s trickery, he begins to forsake the bonds of family, in sake of temporal laws defining right ...

Integrity and Supererogation in Ethical Communities Essay -- Sociology

Integrity and Supererogation in Ethical Communities ABSTRACT: This paper explores the connection between supererogation and the integrity of ethical agents. It argues two theses: (1) there is a generally unrecognized but crucial social dimension to the moral integrity of individuals which challenges individual ideals and encourages supererogation; (2) the social dimension of integrity, however, must have limits that preserve the individuals's integrity. The concept of integrity is explored through recent works by Christine Korsgaard, Charles Taylor, and Susan Babbitt. A life of integrity is in part a life whereby one 'lives up to' one's own deeply held values. Yet, as one seeks to transcend the realm of the morally customary or the dutiful, one must check one's progress not only against one's own ideals but against the ideals and behavior of the ethical community. To answer affirmatively to one's own ideals is to hear the call of integrity both from within oneself and from without. However, by being free to hear, the freedom to close one's ears inevitably will arise. Only actions displaying such freedom can be actions of moral integrity. Since supererogatory actions are always left to an agent's discretion-that is, are fully optional-they show in paradigmatic fashion the integrity of moral agents. While an ethic of integrity and supererogation provides challenges to members of an ethical community by encouraging them continually to reevaluate their actions and character in reference to postulated ideals, it also leads us to be quite wary of judging individual's moral motives from the outside. A passage by Jonathan Kozol is cited that suggests our society routinely demands supererogatory action from its poorest members. This i... ...lly published 1958. Murphy, Liam B. 1993. The Demands of Beneficence. Philosophy and Public Affairs 22 (4): 269-292. Nagel, Thomas. 1986. The View from Nowhere. New York: Oxford University Press. Putnam, Robert. 1993a. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Putnam, Robert D. 1993b. The Prosperous Community: Social Capital and Public Life. American Prospect 13: 35-42. Putnam, Robert D. 1995. Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital. Journal of Democracy 6 (1): 65-78. Singer, Peter. 1986. Famine, Affluence, and Morality. In Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, ed. John Perry and Michael Bratman: 573-580. New York: Oxford University Press. Originally published 1972. Taylor, Charles. 1992. The Ethics of Authenticity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Behaviorial Based Interviewing :: Human Resources

Behavioral interviewing is a technique employers use to determine if you are a good fit for the job. This is accomplished by asking questions that pertain to your past behavior. The information gained through this technique is used as an indicator of your future success. In other words, the answers you give about your past experiences will be used to predict your future performance (Quintessential) Employers use often use behavioral interviews to evaluate the candidates past behavior and experiences to determine their potential for success within the company. Organizations need to be prepared in searching for the right employee. There may be a wealth of talent looking for a job, but it's important to find right person who "fits" the company. Dr. Paul Green of Behavioral Technology, Inc. developed and trademarked the behavioral interviewing system. In behavioral interviewing, employers expect candidates to succinctly reveal specific stories about relevant work situations they encountered. If the interviewer does not receive an sufficient answer, the interviewer usually probes the candidate to receive more concrete examples. Although some consider this task time consuming, it is a valuable method in narrowing a large pool of applicants. In this technique, employers learn how people actually behaved in certain situations in prior jobs. Many human resources professionals believe this is a very effective predictor of behavior in future positions (Green). The employer identifies job-related experiences, knowledge, behaviors, skills, and abilities that the company desires for the particular position. Behaviorial Based Interviewing :: Human Resources Behavioral interviewing is a technique employers use to determine if you are a good fit for the job. This is accomplished by asking questions that pertain to your past behavior. The information gained through this technique is used as an indicator of your future success. In other words, the answers you give about your past experiences will be used to predict your future performance (Quintessential) Employers use often use behavioral interviews to evaluate the candidates past behavior and experiences to determine their potential for success within the company. Organizations need to be prepared in searching for the right employee. There may be a wealth of talent looking for a job, but it's important to find right person who "fits" the company. Dr. Paul Green of Behavioral Technology, Inc. developed and trademarked the behavioral interviewing system. In behavioral interviewing, employers expect candidates to succinctly reveal specific stories about relevant work situations they encountered. If the interviewer does not receive an sufficient answer, the interviewer usually probes the candidate to receive more concrete examples. Although some consider this task time consuming, it is a valuable method in narrowing a large pool of applicants. In this technique, employers learn how people actually behaved in certain situations in prior jobs. Many human resources professionals believe this is a very effective predictor of behavior in future positions (Green). The employer identifies job-related experiences, knowledge, behaviors, skills, and abilities that the company desires for the particular position.

Healthy Eating Habits of African Americans Essay

America is an overweight nation with many being considered obese; African Americans in particular, make up a considerable fraction of the population due mainly to culturally poor eating habits and inactive lifestyles. The latest Gallup-Healthways well-being Index survey shows that up to 63. 1% of the US population was overweight or obese in 2009. That means two out of every three adults and 17% of children in this country are overweight. Out of that number, approximately 60% are African American men and 78% African American women. The survey also says that African Americans were the most likely to be obese at 36. 2% compared to a national average of 26. 5%. Disturbingly, African Americans rank at the top of many similar health studies. This group is at a higher risk for chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are normally lifetime diseases that have no cure, but can be treated and maintained. African Americans lead all other ethnic groups in the nation in most statistics on obesity. Even though the numbers are alarming and a bit sobering, there are a variety of unhealthy habits that help contribute. The top reasons for many of these social and health issues lifestyle choices that can be prevented by proper education on health and fitness. For many Americans, poor lifestyle choices make for vulnerability to an assortment of health issues. One of the challenges for African Americans to overcome is healthy food choices. The cultural diet that many African Americans share makes this even more of a hurdle so to speak. African Americans have a rich family tradition of soul food that can present problems for today’s less active lifestyles. Many African Americans accept the notion that soul food is African-American recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. â€Å"Soul food† meals traditionally depend on high levels of sugar, fat and salt for flavoring. Even though this may have some degree of truth to it, decreasing portion sizes and modifying recipes, can insure that blacks continue their cultural heritage of family eating traditions without expanding their waistlines. Decreasing the holesterol, fat and sodium content in their diets; African Americans can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes complications. Often these instructions by doctors and fitness experts result in dishes that can seem unfamiliar. According to the Department of Agriculture, (2002)11% of American households did not have access, at all times for to enough food for their family to support an active and healthy lifestyle. There is a direct relationship in the diets and eating habits of African Americans based on their socioeconomic status and education. African Americans have this and other cultural challenges to overcome. For example frying food is common method of cooking for African Americans due to the fast cooking time and versatility of meals that can be arranged quickly. The lack of affordability of higher quality meats, vegetables and fruits can also impact the opportunity leaner diets. A large amount of African Americans are on the poorer end of the poverty scale. Families scrambling to barely feed their households often select the cost conscious foods versus nutrition. The average African American family household income according to the Economic Census Bureau report (2007) was $33,916 compared to $54,920 for non-Hispanic White families. These issues are by no means excuses and in fact, change easily by a focus on health education and better diets alternatives. Meals can be modified by purchasing meats with less fat, fresh, green vegetables and fruit. African Americans can choose also choose better cooking methods such as baked, grilled or broiled. These methods can reduce saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium while keeping the original, intended flavor of the food. Many cookbooks and recipes have been created to offer options and alternative to traditional soul food and unhealthy â€Å"quick† meals. African Americans of all ethnic groups in the United States have shown the most difficulty choosing diets that are low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This would require a huge change in diet quality and working against this is the greater marketability of packaged and processed foods. The packagings of processed foods seem strategically designed to attract certain demographics and African Americans do not seem to be exempt. African Americans have the highest risk of almost all diet-related disease when compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are all leading causes of death in blacks. It’s a well know fact that being overweight can be dangerous to our health, however African Americans have to worry more about life-threatening disease like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and certain forms of cancer. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Latin white adults. Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in African Americans because fat interferes with body’s ability to use insulin. Death from heart disease was 30% more likely among African Americans compared to their white counterparts. (2005, CDC) The most serious forms of cancer like lung, prostate, breast, and stomach also are more likely to be a cause of death in blacks than whites. These often fatal diseases can be traced back to poor eating habits. Heart attacks are often discovered to start from blockage of arteries from high cholesterol and saturated fat. Proper screening and regular checkups is a proactive way to early detection. Many African Americans do not get blood screenings or physicals regular, let alone have a primary-care physician. Changing to more active lifestyles and a regular exercise routine are critical ingredients needed to reduce the chances African Americans have for stroke and heart attack. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans were 50% less likely to participate in active physical activity as non-Hispanic whites. Considering this, it’s of no surprise that they die from heart disease and stroke almost twice the rate of Whites also. A professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, Robert Newton Jr. , PhD, said in his Exercise for African Americans article that one of the perceptions of African Americans have is the belief that work provides sufficient exercise. Many African Americans are blue collar workers and often do strenuous jobs. He goes on to say other so-called barriers African Africans declare prevents them from regular exercise are myths like messing up their hair styles or dislike of public showers. Whether there is any validity to these claims or not, African Americans must educate themselves on the benefits of regular exercise and the affects of an in-active lifestyle. There are many books, programs, clubs and social activities that offer the specific, specialized support African Americans need in order to improve their overall health as a group. Many unhealthy habits of African Americans can be changed by simply adding in a regular exercise routine. Regular exercise brings along with it the desire to eat healthier. African Americans will first need to make some tough and ometimes unfamiliar choices. Choosing a family doctor or primary care physician is a positive step in the right direction. This is especially important when there are current health issues or one hasn’t been active lately. Educating themselves around the specific trends and downfalls they have as an ethnic group, can be a motivating factor in a lifestyle change. Also, developing a regular exercise routine will take firm commitment and discipline. One of the easiest ways African Americans can incorporate this into their current lifestyles is to start sneaking it into their daily activities. For example, they could take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or go for walks during breaks or lunches. Even doing housework at a fast past can get the heart rate up and pumping. Yard work like raking leaves can provide extra-curricular activity too. Gym memberships and personals trainers can be a barrier to some African Americans due to the costs and fees associated with them. African Americans don’t have to look very far to find alternatives. Various local churches sponsor health programs or have created fitness committees to help improve their congregations health. A lot of companies sponsor mini-marathons or charity races to help a local cause and keep its staff in better physical shape. African Americans are still at the highest risk for a shorter life expectancy due to generations of poor eating habits and a lack of general health knowledge. These trends are evident in many Americans, but disproportionately still more in African Americans. With continued focus, attention and education by experts, schools, churches, even media and society as a whole, there can be a cultural shift. African Americans can close the gap between them and other ethnic groups in health statistics like obesity and body mass indexes (BMI). This is especially essential between blacks and non-Hispanic whites where the biggest gaps are evident. Chronic and diet related diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer can all partly be attributed to lifestyle choices. Healthful living, proper diets, and active lifestyles can greatly improve the health of all Americans, but essentially the African American people.