The Constitutional Right Of The Second Amendment - 1714 Words

In recent years, there have been many stories of shootings taken place across various parts of the United States, all of which bring up the highly volatile topic of gun control. Unlike many other wealthy countries, such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Australia, where gun ownership is strictly regulated, by in large-the US has very little universal gun control laws throughout the nation. This great controversy is based on the Constitutional right of the Second Amendment, stating, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† Though this is a Constitutional right, unlike many other Amendments, understanding they were written in†¦show more content†¦A poll conducted by the Washington Post found that â€Å"One in five gun owners say they ve called, written or emailed a public official to express their views on the gun issue. Just one in 10 of those in households without a gun say the same†¦19 percent of gun owners say they ve given money while just 4 percent in non-gun households say the same.† This means that though there are fewer who support gun rights, they are more active and enthusiastic in showing and supporting their beliefs than those who support gun control, which equates into politicians having to appeal more to those who support gun rights, and so not passing stronger gun control laws, than appealing to those who support gun control. Mass media also comes into play affecting public interest, and support, by its reporting, or lack thereof, of the progress, or lack of progress, of the passing of gun control laws. After any major gun related tragedy takes place, media coverage of that tragedy and the lack of gun control laws that could have possibly prevented or lessened the extent of that tragedy, spikes, which in turn, spikes public concern and support for gun control. As the media begins to cover other topics and lessens its coverage of gun control related stories, public concern turns to whatever it is the media is covering. This lack

Case Analysis Free Essays

string(64) " F W Taylor is the founder of scientific management techniques\." Case Study on W L Gore limited Shahzad Mukhtiar 1. Introduction THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS CASE STUDY IS TO UNDERSTAND W L GORE ASSOCIATES. THE MAIN TASKS OF THE ASSIGNMENT ARE: FIRSTLY, IDENTIFY THE MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP STYLES OF COMPANY AND FIND THE IMPACT OF THESE STYLES ON COMPANY’S STRATEGIC DECISIONS. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now SECONDLY, FIND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SELECTED STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND DESCRIBE THE IMPACT OF THESE THEORIES ON ORGANISATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP STRATEGY. THIRDLY, USE PROPER TECHNIQUES TO RE- EXAMINE COMPANY’S LEADERSHIP REQUIREMENTS AND FINALLY THE AIM IS TO PRODUCE A LEADERSHIP SKILLS PLAN FOR W L GORE’S FUTURE REQUIREMENTS. W L GORE AND ASSOCIATES IS A LEADING MANUFACTURER OF THOUSANDS OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS FOR THE ELECTRONICS, FABRICS, INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICAL MARKETS. W L GORE ASSOCIATES FOUNDED IN 1958 BY WILBERT L GORE AND IT IS A PRIVATE COMPANY HEADQUARTER IN NEWARK, DELAWARE, USA. W L GORE  Ã‚  IS MULTI-NATIONAL COMPANY LOCATED IN 30 COUNTRIES ,MANUFACTURING FACILITIES  Ã‚  IN USA, GERMANY, SCOTLAND, JAPAN ,CHINA AND SALES OFFICES AROUND THE WORLD. THERE ARE 9,000 EMPLOYEES IN W L GORE KNOWN AS ASSOCIATES AND ITS ANNUAL SALES ARE $2. 5 BILLION. (GORE I, 2011) 2. Leadership and management â€Å"Leadership is more ability than job. Moreover, it is all about determination, ability to solve problems, set direction for followers, gather them for common purpose and motivating people to achieve tasks. Furthermore, it is a charisma and the ability to reacting at the right time for a particular competitive situation† (L. Mullins, 2010, P372). â€Å"Management is active, not theoretical. It is about changing behaviour and making things happen. It is about developing people, working with them, effort to achieve objective and goals. †(L. Mullins, 2010. P, 425) 3. Leadership and management styles is used by W L Gore The democratic style of the leadership where power is shared among sub ordinates. In this style everyone have right to share their views and opinions. Democratic organisation where the leadership fornications are shared with the member of groups and mostly the manger is the part of team. The group members have right of participation in decision-making, determination of policy, implementation of system and procedure. In such system power, influence and responsibilities are shared between members and leaders. (L,  Mullins, 2010. P, 381) Laissez-faire is the style of leadership and management where employees are free to do work. In laissez faire style employees have more power, authority and influence in organisation about their tasks. Moreover, leaders are totally trusts on their employees to perform their tasks themselves. This kind of style suits such organisations where employees are skilful, innovative and creative. Furthermore, this style is successful where employees show responsibility and loyalty with organisations. Managementstudyguide i. 2011) 3. 1  Ã‚  Democratic style of W L Gore W L Gore’s leadership style is democratic . In W L Gore leaders are not appointed from above and he/she emerges from team members. The associates who elect leaders and those leaders come on the bases of experience, knowledge and talents. Moreover, In W L Gore the leader’s job is not to make a n individual decision and associates also participate in decision making . In W L Gore the power, influence and responsibilities are shared between associates and leaders. In  Ã‚  W L Gore the organisation have many teams and every team have leader who always make plan with the help of associates and if associates are not agree with situation then leaders can not pass and implement a particular decision or project. According to CEO Terri Kelly, in W L Gore leaders have followers who give them support and power of decision making. In W L Gore leaders come from associates, who support them in decision making, give then authority of leading and sharing views which totally show the democratic style in company. W  Ã‚  L Gore is more democratic in term of leadership and less in management (management exchange i, 2011) 3. 2  laissez faire style of W L Gore W. L Gore and associates where no managers, no job titles, no hierarchy, and no reporting rules. Associates work in teams, they are free to do work individually and they are responsible to fulfil their tasks. Moreover, In W L Gore employees are innovative and leaders allow them to do their work freely. According to W. L Gore CEO Terri Kelly, associates are owners in the company; they are self-committed about their work. In W L gore each person has more power to decide what they want to work and where he/she can make contribution for company. Furthermore, associates have freedom to decide about their tasks and commitment to deliver  Ã‚  Ã‚  promises. Such powers in W L gore show, freedom and innovation about individual’s work. W L Gore associate adopted this style more in management than leadership in company. (Management exchange i, 2011) 3. 3  Impact of Leadership and management  Ã‚  styles had on W L Gore strategic decisions W L Gore associates follow democratic and laissez-faire styles of leadership and management. These styles have positive impact on company’s strategic decisions. Strategic decisions are long term decisions; it’s about company’s growth, vision, mission and future planning. In W L gore where top level management and leadership make decisions. Moreover, the support of associates makes decision simple and there are fewer chances of conflicts in company. The impacts of these styles are clearly positive when we examine company’s progress, its annual sale growth is continually increasing since 1958, and they are launching new systems, developing new products and expanding business worldwide. gore I,2011). Furthermore, these styles impact are more clear in their HR strategy when they select innovate people for work who gives them results in term of success. Thus W L Gore is successful with democratic and laissez-faire styles in term of strategic decisions because when strategic management and leadership make strategy about company’s vision, mission and future goals. 4. Strategic management and leadership theories Henri Fayol wrote five function of management. He believes that organisation should make planning, organising, commanding, co-ordaining and controlling to run organisation. Economist i, 2011) F W Taylor is the founder of scientific management techniques. You read "Case Analysis" in category "Papers" He believes that management can improve if we increase productivity, analysis of the task is best method to do work, he believes on scientific method to do work, motivation and employees training are important according to F W Taylor. (L, Mullins, 2010. P, 45) Peter Drucker believes on Management by Objective. He considers that management should set objectives, organising tasks, motivate employees to do work and train them to achieve success and organisation goals. 1000ventures i, 2011) 1. 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Link between selected strategic management and leadership theories 1. Link organising vs. organising t he work by Henri fayol and Peter drucker. According to Fayol, organisation should provide the resources for day to day running the business in organisation. Moreover, its organisation responsibility to organise capital, personnel and raw materials for daily work and build structure for employees. (Economist i, 2011)On the other hand, Peter Drucker in his five processes also about organising the work. According to Drucker, it is important that management should plan about work. There are many organisations which are organising tasks before starting the business i. e. construction companies is the best example for organising tasks. Link 2: Employees training F W Taylor in his four objectives of scientific management 1881 writes about employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  professional tainting and he suggests training methods for employees to achieve their organisational goals. While Peter Drucker in his five management process also suggest employees training and he refers coaching method for employees in organisations. Job rotation, coaching mentoring and formal training are the best method which different organisations are using to train their employees . i. e. banks, financial and business organisation etc. (L, Mullins, 2010. P, 45) Link 3: Motivation F W Taylor and Peter Drucker both are agree about motivation in organisation. Because they believe motivation can impact on progress. Leaders and mangers can motivate their sub ordinates to do work and achieve tasks successfully. Taylor believed in economic needs of motivation and he thinks that high wages can increase productivity in company. L, Mullins, 2010. P, 45) 1. 1. 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Link between leadership theories Link 1: Continuum Authoritarian/Democratic Task/Relationship (TS 1973) VROOM and YETTON contingency model The common things are quality of decisions, range of decisions in term of authoritarian, democratic styles. VROOM and YETTON contingency model also tell almost same. In authoritarian style leaders make decision themse lves or just get some information but they do not give right of decision to others. In democratic or consultative style leaders offer sub-ordinates in decision making but make decision themselves. L, Mullins, 2010. P, 381) According to VROOM and YETTON, there are five main management leadership styles. In A. I leaders try to solve problems and make decision according to their knowledge and information. In A. II leaders obtain information to their sub-ordinates but make decision themselves. In consultative decision style leaders shares problems with  Ã‚  Ã‚  individuals and sometimes groups. However, leaders make decision that may or may not reflect the influence of subordinates. Moreover, in group decision making the problem is shard with subordinates as group. L, Mullins, 2010. P, 386 Link 2: Traits Vs Style The traits theories suggest that the organisations attention should be focus on the selection of leaders rather than to train leaders. While according to Blake Mouton 1991). Organisation concerns should be select right people for work. In leadership theories the first approach of traits concern about the characteristics of leadership. Leaders are born not made so organisation focus should be on the selection of leaders rather than train leaders. Leadership consists of certain inherited characteristics or personality traits. Style of the leadership is the way in which the function of leadership carried out and the behaviour adopted by managers towards subordinates staff. (L, Mullins, 2010. P, 376). These style also concern right people for specific tasks. Once traits approaches are favour by born leaders on the other hand. Styles theories also favour about people who have ability to complete management task with out training. According to styles theories, organisation should select those people who deliver job and lead people. 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Impact of strategic management and leadership theories have on organisation strategy Different management theories show some common point which should show some positive impacts for organisations in term of strategies. When organisation organise tasks for people, motivate them for tasks in term of increase wages and decisions. Moreover, organisation trains employees to achieve goals for the success of organisations. Leadership and manageme nt theories impact positively on organisational strategies and these style and theories are related to organisation’s development, performance and motivation. Leadership style and theories directly affect organisational strategies and activities. Different organisations adopt different leadership style and theories according to the nature of organisation. Organisations use these style and theories on different leadership stages i. e. Strategic leadership, operational leadership and team leadership. Theories guide organisation to use different techniques in different situation. Leadership and management theories give direction to organisation to use them in strategic, organisational, operational decision making process. Moreover, strategic leadership can use these style and theories in organisations for different tasks, it does not matter that the tasks are simple, complex or top level in organisation. 5. Utilise appropriate techniques to review leadership requirement of W L Gore †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Investigate the internal environment Business cycle There are seven stages of business cycles namely; seed stage, start-up stage, growth stages, established stage, expansion stage, mature stage and exit stage. These stages show where the organisation is in term of its business life, opportunities, sale growth, market share, and revenue. W L Gore has completed its 50 years. Now this company is on expansion stage because it is a multinational company which setup its business in 30 countries of the world. In term of sale growth and revenue W L Gore sales were $2 billion and $ 2. 5bilion in 2008 and 2010 respectively. (Gore i, 2011). Moreover, W L gore’s sales and revenues are rising and its products and services are becoming demandable in market. As W L gore expanding its business worldwide and lunching new product because they are fully established and now looking to expand their products. Stage of organisation development There are six stages of organisational development namely; continuum, incremental, step-change, flux, liquidation and transformational. W L Gore as company on incremental stage of development because company is expanding world wide and its last year sales is 2. 5 billion which was $2 Billion in 2007(Gore i. 2011). When we talk about its associates they are 900 and company is not reducing associates in company. When we talk about new technologies in W L Gore they are lunching new system of information and technology in their organisation world wide . i. e. in last decade W L gore introduce. Neural Intervention technologies and the clot-clearing technology of Selva Medical, Inc, medical components and devices, Bio absorbable Staple Line Reinforcement Material, Gore snapshot shield, antistatic Fabric Technology and many products and systems. In organisation development the role of HR is very important and W L Gore use best recourses for hire new talents and after hiring they provide best resources of training. W  Ã‚  L Gore as a best technological company use Associate networks, recruiting strategy, diversity awareness training and diversity and work/life benefits. Furthermore L Gore still wants to improve its growth, to expand business, use technology, RH resources to achieve organizational goals. (Gore i, 2011) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Investigate the external environment STEEPLE STEEPLE stands for social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legal and ethical. These are factors which companies consider to start new business. Organisational performance and effectiveness can also depend on the external environment. W L Gore is a multinational technological company . It has offices in 30 countries of the world. As multinational company W L gore review STEEPLE in organisation. W L Gore is a well reputed multinational company which follow all legal and international trade regulation. Technology has huge impact on W L gore because company’s focus to develop technology, speed to transfer and use IT, internet to communicate others and do research in IT field. Moreover, W L Gore review economic policy and business stage of company. Furthermore, STEEPLE Analysis which W L gore use to develop it business worldwide helpful in term of expending business in new place. (Gore i. 2011) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gap Analysis â€Å"Gap analysis involves an investigation of the gap between the vision, objectives and goals of the organisation and actual level of performance, and establishing the actions necessary to bring activities in line with that which is planned. † (Mullins, L, 2010. P, 795). Gap analysis is a technique which is use for the measurement of the organisation current performance, strategies and what organisation required in future. Currently, W L gore is establish company, its sales are $2. 5billion, they are manufacturing products in 12 different areas and Industry of different product are also expanding. Moreover , W L gore  Ã‚  manufacturing product in  aerospace,  automotive, chemical,computing, telecom, and test measurement energy,  environment industrial manufacturing,medical,  military,  pharmaceutical biotechnology, semiconductor sectors. (Gore I,2011) W L Gore is seeking innovative professional for future development. 5.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  leadership competencies and skills are most suitable for W L Gore following your investigation Leadership competencies and skills are most suitable for W L Gore * Leadership teamwork abilities: this is most suitable competence for W L gore and associates because in innovative and democratic style where teams work under leaders. Leader should have ability to sets direction and initiates action for teams. They know how to plans and organise things. Moreover, they know how to delegates responsibilities. In W L gore leadership and teamwork abilities are essential in term of organisational success and to achieve goals. Decision making abilities: W L Gore where everyone have right to share their ideas and associates participate in decision, but the leader is person who have authority to make decision. Because in W L gore culture follower give leaders power to make decisions so leader should have abilities to analyses problems, think critically and have ability to generate solution of problems. W  Ã‚  L Gore leadership have strong abilities of decision making. * Communication abilities: In W L gore there is direct communication between leaders and associates. This is good because lack of communication can create problems for company’s success . W L Gore is big organisation and company can not afford communication barrier. Communication abilities of leaders such as leading associates, group communication, upward and downward is always suitable W L gore for its business growth. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the core competences you are looking for? W L gore is established company and their leaders and associates are skilful innovative professional fields. There are core competences which I am looking for W L gore. These are communication abilities, leadership and teamwork abilities, Decision making abilities  knowledge, initiative and will power. These are core competence  Ã‚  which are  Ã‚  important for  Ã‚  W L gore organisation because leaders are the main part in W L gore who lead teams, make plans, set goals and objectives for company. Utilise Adair leadership competencies Adair’s five leadership competencies about leadership. * Leadership teamwork abilities * Decision making abilities * Communication abilities * Self management abilities * Personal qualities According to Adair, â€Å"leadership should have following professional competencies to lead organisation. These are competencies which good leaders should adopt in term to control teams, to make decisions and communicate with associates and employees. Furthermore, leaders self management abilities and personal qualities of leader are essential for leadership in organisation†. (Adair, J, 2005. P, 97) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What personal competencies are you looking for? * Personality character: leaders are role model for their employees in organizations. Their personalities and impression can create influence on employees. *   Courage: Good leader always courage their employees. In W L gore leaders encouragement for employees is one of the major aspect of company success which remain essential in future. * Will power. Will power is a personal competence of the leader. It is an inner strength of person which capable his/her make decision and control the situation. In W L Gore where teams work under leaders, sometimes in complex situation leaders need to make some decisions themselves. * Knowledge: the leadership knowledge about different techniques is very important in organization. Moreover, leadership knowledge about internal, external environment for company is important. Leaders should be knowledge about company’s future planning for company and also knowledge how to deal with other companies. Furthermore, Future leader need different knowledge in W L gore. * Leadership development strategy Adair identify seven principles of leadership development strategy. 1. Development strategy for leadership for three levels of leadership; operational, strategy and team. 2. Selection of those professionals who have abilities to lead organisation in future. 3. Design course and training: define course and method of training  Ã‚  according to the business  Ã‚  requirements 4. Plan career: Plan career for professional through giving them right job at the right time because professional or leaders can only emerge through leading practice. 5. Use line managers as mentors for new individuals, because their knowledge will be a helpful for leadership. 6. Create cooperate culture because such environment helpful for self development in leadership for new leaders. 7. Top leadership interaction with growing leaders.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Required leadership skills or competencies: W L Gore required following leadership skills and competencies in future. However, some leadership skills or competencies are same but in future new leaders need to improve and manage some skills for success of business and to achieve goals. In W L gore new leadership required following skills and competencies * Leadership teamwork abilities * Decision making abilities * Communication abilities * Self management abilities * Personal qualities * Command and control ability  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal skills * Will power *   knowledge *   Initiative * Trust The suitable Leadership Training and Development Methods: * Formal education * Formal training * Mentoring A formal education program is the process of training and developing people in knowledge, skills, mind, and character in a structured and certified program. (Sil i. 2011)Formal education is classroom-based, provided by trained teachers in schools, colleges and universities. There are different types of courses in formal education. Moreover degree level course and also specific specialize courses also offer by institutions for professionals. Leaders do not need education and training but every leader is not born leader so, I think formal education is important for everyone. Advantages Firstly, Formal education is best source of gaining knowledge through lectures, tasks and exams. Secondly, most effective way of learning. Thirdly, it can develop self confidence in term of communication. Disadvantages Formal education is expensive in term of cost and also time consuming because the length of professional courses are six months to one year. Moreover there is a big risk for job oriented people. They can lose their jobs if they start formal education in institutions. Formal training: formal training is the best method for new professionals who just completed their professional education and enter in professional fields. Formal training is goal orientated. It is based on specific programs according to professional needs and requirements. Formal training is useful for leaders to learn new methods practically and apply them on work. Advantages * Self confidence on job * Improve job performance * Valuable for employees * Professional development * Result oriented Disadvantages * Time consuming * High Cost * Job lose risk * Mentoring A Mentoring is method which one expert, knowledge and skilful person use to guide  Ã‚  Ã‚  and train professionals. It is a supportive and challenging relational ship in which the mentor offers advice, guidance and support to professionals. The mentors are expert in area of leadership or in management within organisation. (Admin i, 2011) Mentoring is a very essential for professional because they can learn and develop different techniques which can help them in their professional fields. Moreover, mentoring is about motivating and encouraging professionals to identify their problems, goals and help them to find the solution of their problems. Furthermore, the aim of mentor to focus on individual’s to build his/her capabilities, help his/her to discover wisdom and work with learner’s own goals. Advantages Firstly, Professional can improve their weakness and develop career. Secondly, mentors experience and techniques can influence on professional which can change professional’s outlook positively. Thirdly, professional can improve self-confidence and use his/her skills in organisation. Finally, mentoring can produce productivity and positive results in organisation. Disadvantages: The main disadvantage is time to complete the mentoring process and such training required planning, communication and feedback. Secondly, it is not formal training than formal education and formal training moreover mentor just delivers his/her knowledge and experience to professionals. Thirdly, mentor’s techniques may be not useful in future for professionals in organisation Monitoring Leadership Strategy The most appropriate methods of monitoring leadership strategy are: Organisation should make a committee about training courses which can monitor both trainee and trainer whether they are doing their job honestly or not. Moreover, committee should monitor those resources which organisation provide for training courses. Attendance: Attendance is the best method to monitor learner weather he/she is coming to attend course or not. Exams: exam is procedure to check performance of candidate’s . xam can be in written form or it can be a presentation Interview: it is technique which can be use to check learner creditability. Questionnaires: different questions can be asked to candidates about  Ã‚  their course. 6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion In conclusion W L Gore Adopt democratic and laissez-faire styles in leadership and management. These styles have positive effect on company’s strategic decisions. Moreover, different management and leadership theories are also use in W L Gore. Company’s leadership have different professional and personal which is essential for company to achieve its organisational goals. How to cite Case Analysis, Papers Case Analysis Free Essays Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC. In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. There is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, accord ing to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its market share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment. Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell’s strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group’s strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell’s, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments. HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather than setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple’s market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user. Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell’s loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim’s personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer. Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market segments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies. I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose. On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments. The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. How to cite Case Analysis, Papers

Heavy Rain free essay sample

Trying to rescue your own son from a serial killer by completing a set of painful, heart-wrenching trials, Heavy Rain was one of the most touching and depressing (and one of the greatest) video games I have ever played showing the true nature and consequences of people’s morality when their human reasoning is put to the test. Human reason generally refers to the human beings capacity to use logic and make judgments related to knowledge and, depending on who you read, ethics. (Yahooansweres). In Heavy Rain, you play as Ethan Mars, a man suffering depression when one of his sons is hit and killed by a car. This leads him to try to win the affection of his now only son Shaun who is slowly growing distant from him. When his son is kidnapped by the famous Origami Killer, he is forced to go through five trials if he wants to obtain clues to where the killer and his son might be; he needs to drive at high speeds for 5 miles in a busy city without stopping, crawl through a small tunnel of broken glass, cut off one of his fingers, drink poison†¦ and to kill a drug dealer. I want to address three points in this essay, one what Ethan’s reasoning were when attempting these trials, two, the justifications and consequences of his actions and three, how human reasoning inform the ideas of this game and why that makes this game so great. Self-mutilation, putting people in danger and murdering is all viewed on as something wrong in society; Ethan obviously is aware of it too but his devote love to his son causes his determination. When completely the tasks self mutilation, mentally and morally these tasks were the â€Å"easiest†. Ethan thinks â€Å"I would never do anything to harm or hurt myself, but I can lose a finger for my son†. He has two choices, don’t harm himself and let his son die or harm himself and save his son. Then comes driving at high speeds through a busy city without obeying the laws of traffic; not only does Ethan put himself in danger, but many others as well. Does he choose to rely on his driving skills and eventually drive the five miles or can he choose to back out? Choosing whether or not to kill the drug dealer must have been the hardest for Ethan; when the drug dealer begs for his life and shows him a picture of his two daughters Ethan must contemplate whether he really should kill this man. â€Å"Maybe there are other options. Maybe he’s lying. The man’s a scumbag who sells dope to kids does he really deserve to live? How can I play God and take away the life of another? So again he’s left with the two choices of letting his son die or live? are just some of the many thoughts that rush into Ethan’s head as he contemplates the choice he is about to make. Then we come to the final trial where Ethan needs to drink poison. By drinking it Ethan will only have an hour to live and attempt to save his son with the clues he has. Morally, Ethan already knows that the right thing to do is to drink the poison†¦ but he contemplates whether he’ll have enough time and again contemplating that maybe there might be ot her options? So are Ethan’s action justified? By completing these trials Ethan saves his son and brings a serial killer to justice. At the same time he harms himself, other people and kills man. Harming himself for his son, we can see that the human reasoning of Ethan is logical here and shouldn’t be disputable. Then comes the driving, he’s putting many people’s live in danger, so now Ethan’s reasoning and morality is challenged. Is it really worth it? It’s his son, he shouldn’t’ back out and leave his son to die and a killer to go free†¦ right? But what about the innocent lives he might be taking? Then again†¦ cops get in high speed chases to catch the bad guys all the time right? If he decides to complete his task†¦ is his reasoning overall logical? Legally, no. Morally, most likely not, but in the ends justify the means and what needs to be is done. Now, what about choosing whether or not to kill the drug dealer; he’s a father just like him dealing with problems. Legally, we can already see that if Ethan chooses to kill him he has broken the law and morally this is wrong too. But then again the ends justify the means and just like Hiroshima, it may not have been the moral thing to do†¦ but it needed to be done. Heavy Rain isn’t just another videogame; it’s a videogame with a story to tell, a message to send. Influenced by the power of human reasoning, Quantic Dream (the developers of Heavy Rain) wanted to emphasize the importance of reasoning and how it comes to play when your morals are challenged, and Heavy Rain does a good job at sending their message; making decisions in the game that determine the final outcome aren’t easy. Unlike games like Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption where you’re killing enemies off left and right without a second thought, in Heavy Rain, the aesthetics and feel of the game are made to try to be realistic and mirror the realities of life. Because of that, making some decisions in the game really got me sitting on the couch with a Play Station controller in my hands asking myself â€Å"What would I do? I completed all 5 trials excepting murdering the drug dealer (haha, it was just too hard for me) and instead had to fit my clues together and try to guess where the killer was (and yeah, eventually I beat it without having to do anything in the game against my morals; and yes the happy ending made up for all the depressing events I had to go through). Yeah, I tried to tell myself that â€Å"it’s just a video game and now of this is true† but after really getting into the game’s story, it didn’t really help, my own morals were tested against me; just how this game intended it to be. In a world where life can be brutal and your morals are constantly being tested, Heavy Rain isn’t just another videogame, it’s a beautifully told story putting you in the shoes of Ethan, forcing you to make the decisions that eventually determine the outcome in the end. After finishing the game you’ll wonder â€Å"how far will I go to achieve something I desperately want? † And when your back in reality, when your morals really are tested†¦ how will you reason and contemplate the situation?

The Impact of Music free essay sample

The act of participating in music has almost completely dissolved. Although some people listen to music while sitting behind the steering wheel of their vehicle, they are hardly interacting with music as it was originally intended. Martin Luther wrote some of the first Protestant hymn books so congregations would not simply plop into a pew and listen to monks sing ancient spiritual chants. He felt that the individual would have a deeper experience, physically and spiritually, if they participated in the singing themselves. Although this belief was viewed as sacrilegious during that time, t is a practice that almost every modern American church currently follows. Outside of a church however, many Americans have strayed away from this interactive musical experience. Although many Americans participated in a chorus or band while in school, the majority of society has slowly become removed from these musical participation groups as they exit school and grow older. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As we grow older and music is no longer a part of an everyday class, it is often only accessible by taking specific lessons at specific times with a specialist.We do not want to give our children the impression that only a ewe can participate in music (Jones, 44). Before the invention of the telephone, many families would gather together and create music as their main form of entertainment. Grandparents can tell stories of the entire family gathering around to listen to each other practice the piano or to listen to large groups singing songs together at parties. Although our society has changed how it values music, it is certainly worth evaluating the role music should play in the raising of children and the benefits it has when used in an educational setting.Music used to be a main focus of families and schools, and it would e ignorant to change such a trend that had such a positive effect. The Mozart effect, according to Roberta Horseshoes in her article titled Debating the Mozart Theory, is the theory that classical music makes the brain work better (1 Neuroscience continue to search for reasons why the mental and physical components required for the arts are so fundamental to brain function (Souse, 1). It is only logical that the earlier we implement the ideas of music and art into children, the more developed they will become.Warren Puffer Jones, in his article Music, The Brain, and Education, put it this way: Just as a child can become bilingual, children can become fluent in many styles of music if they hear enough different styles e arly on (4). The physiological growth of the early years of the brain is much stronger, so artsy activities that children naturally do such as singing, drawing, and dancing have a more dramatic effect on the childs brain development than in an adults brain. These activities engage all the senses and wire the brain for successful learning (Souse, 2). When children start school, these activities need to continue so as to continue the development their brain is undergoing. As children partake in such activities, the brain areas are developed. Souse also stated that, The arts are not just expressive and affective, they are deeply cognitive (2). However, we cannot simply play music to children without wanting to see the results. A very clear display of this enhanced brain development can be seen with piano lessons. The link between piano lessons and spatial-temporal skills has been researched for years.Frances Attaches, of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, showed that preschoolers who were given piano lessons once a week scored 34 recent higher on tests designed to measure such skills than classmates who received no music lessons (Barack, 1). Souse, in his research, found similar results when studying low socioeconomic students in California who took music lessons from eighth grade through twelfth grade. These students test scores more than doubled in mathematics, while their history and geography scores increased by forty percent (Souse, 5).The statistical link between music trainings and its effects on students performance should be mirrored in our education system. Why could it be that piano lessons have such a positive effect on other academic areas? Elementary music teacher Alison Marker Garner wrote the article Music For the Very Young to describe her unique teaching method known as the Suzuki Method. Her process of teaching her classroom involves the students participating in different activities where the child listens, repeats, and memorizes motions and sounds based on his or her surroundings (1). This method reflects how we as humans at a young age learn new activities. The example she used was a baby girl who hears her mother speak and attempts to imitate the sounds she hears (Marker, 2). Students relate quickly to this process when learning their musical instruments and carry this principle into their other classrooms. It can be rather simple for teachers to use the Suzuki Method within their classrooms. Teachers can use small inserts of singing within their different lessons to help students to learn different styles and concepts.A man in his thirties might still be able to list all fifty American states because of the catchy jingle his teacher taught him when he was young. When breaking out in song, teachers should not worry about the quality of his or her voice, but rather realize and monster that music is available to everyone (Jones, 45). Along with young age development of the brain, music within the education process of our high school students also has been shown to advance students academically. Although most students Stop playing a musical instrument when they reach high school, the memory benefits of musical training were long lasting. Students who dropped out of the music training groups, tested a year later, found to retain the verbal memory advantage they had gained earlier (Souse, 4). Scenically. Com found the same to be true, Music is positively associated with academic achievement, especially during the high school years (Souse, 4). At an age where focus and direction become increasingly important, music can be a tool to help better prepare teenagers for their next stage in life. Perhaps our society should become a stronger advocate of the different arts programs. Music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory (Music moves Brain to Pay Attention, Anonymous). Students are not the only ones who can benefit from music. A program at a Bloomington, Indiana urging home called Sundering uses a combination of music and babies to stimulate seniors (Swishes, 2). The idea is for local parents to bring their toddlers into the nursing home to sing, dance and engage in different activities with the residents.Some of the benefits to the seniors who participate are as follows: memory stimulation, increased physical activity, social connection, improved mood and improved health (Swishes, 3-4). The idea that music could not only improve the lifestyles of the elderly but also stimulate their brain could drastically change the way many senior-living moms design their activities. With so much work to do, making music is one of the best workouts a brain can get (Puffer, 42). One can clearly see the powerful affects music can have on every age.Why is it then that music programs continue to be cut due to budget limitations? As our government further deepens the debt deficit for the country, education systems are forc ed to reevaluate where they spend their money. A school district in Tallahassee, Florida is faced with theses issues year after year. Discouraged at the thought of their children losing elective options, seventeen parents ended together to address the concerns with the budget. The district is facing a six percent cut on top of the four percent cut they already endured the prior year (Bushes, 1).Though high schools seem to receive positive feedback and high financial support in programs such as band, choir and dance, elementary schools tend to not receive the same financial support. When school budgets get tight, elementary-level art and music programs are among the first to be reduced or eliminated (Souse, 1). New studies are emerging everyday on the positive effects that music has on children; this loud help to factually promote why elementary schools should keep their arts programs. If musses beauty and mystery fail to impress cost-conscious school boards, the thinking goes, then proving Its ancillary benefits might save musi c programs from the budgetary ax (Horseshoes, 1). Music is shown to be beneficial to students in four major categories: success in society, success in school, success in developing intelligence and success in life (Petrels, 1). Why is it then that music is always the first to go? Petrels makes the very clear statement that music programs are always hit the ardent; therefore we must promote, explain and act to get music to all our students. Different programs and social promotions on social networking sites such as Backbone have helped to raise awareness for this cause. The Power Chord Academy, The National Association for Music Education, Project Zero and Music Intelligence Neural Development are just a few specific programs that strive to expose every individual to the benefits of music. If music is a window to a higher brain function (Barack, 1), then this societys focus should consist of exposing children to music at a very young age.The exposure should not stop at grade-school level, but should continue for each individual on some level that suits their talents and abilities up through their elderly age (Barack, 1). Even lower sociological families can afford to sing around the house with their children. Families who find practical ways to challenge each other creatively will enjoy a personal experience and will benefit developmentally as well. It is clear that there are many ways one can interact with music personally and socially. Musical exposure not only increases brain development, but also correlates with higher grades and deter social interactions with students.