Marketing Influences Essay

Introduction Generally marketing deals with buying and selling a products or services. And consumer behavior is a branch of marketing deals with the process that the consumer purchase or do not purchase the products and services (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). For the retailers and all other businesses consumer behavior is analyzed for identifying key successful marketing strategy. Marketing strategy is the combination of product, price, promotion, channel of distribution and market segmentation (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). There are various factors that affect the consumer behavior for buying a product or services. And for making good strategic marketing decisions any firms or organizations need to understand those factors like cultural, individual, organizational etc (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Analyzing consumer behavior become very important for this competitive world. For gaining competitive advantage it’s important to give more value to the customer than the competitors (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). According to Quester, Pettigrew and Hawkins (2006), customer value means the differences between the benefit they get from the products and the cost that they spend for acquiring those products. Quester, Pettigrew and Hawkins (2006) emphasize that giving best customer value mainly requires the firms to react immediate to consumer needs more quickly than rivals. This essay is based on a case study with three questions. And these three questions will be discussed simultaneously. First question is based on describing the situational influences that would affect the customer decisions for buying a products and services. Second question is based on the case that Kate wants to purchase a gift for her boyfriend’s birthday and identify the three situational influences that affect the Kate’s purchasing decisions. And the third question is describing the key marketing strategy by which a marketer might be able to utilize the situation to a market specific type of products or brands. Question 1: Answer As states before that this question is based on describing the situational influences that affects the customer decisions for purchasing products. Any  organizations or companies have to understand that which situations is affecting the customer buying decision of their products or services and how the marketers could serve the best when those situations arise (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Marketers activities should be designed in the context of the situation the consumer faces which influence the customers for purchasing the product when MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 2 ID: 11511633 they face such situation (Foxal & Yani-de-Soriano, 2005). A consumer’s choices are affected by various personal influences such as mood and if there is limitation of time for purchase etc. Now-a-days people are using electronic source for the initial information for purchasing the products (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Relating to consumer behavior a number of attempts have been made to classify the situations and the classification has been made by Russel Belk (Belk, 1975). According to Belk there are five types of situation that influence customers’ decisions. They are physical surroundings, social surroundings, temporal perspective, task definition and antecedent states (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Physical surroundings include the location of the store, interior decoration, smell, sound system, lighting, visible surroundings of the materials to the stimulus object (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Those surroundings can significantly influence consumption of the customer and can convince to coming the store repeatedly. (Solomon, Dann, & RusselBennett, 2007). Social environment also affects customer motives for purchasing products or usage of products. In a consumer environment if there are large number of people present then it could increase arousal levels. For example, in a store if there are huge number of people present then automatically arouses another consumer for buying products from that store (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Temporal factors is the time constraints for a customer. Sometimes consumer could situation for buying with limitation of time that also affects the consumer buying decision. Relative to past or future event for the situation time may also be measured (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Task definition includes the intention regarding purchase the products or requirements to  select the store or products. For example, consumer behaves differently when they buy products for gift compared to purchasing for themselves (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). For evaluating the purchase of products customer mood or physiological conditions at the time of purchase may have huge influence for making decisions (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Among those five influences let’s elaborate on two situational influences. They are temporal factors and task definition. Temporal factors are situational influences which deal with time that available for purchase. The availability of time for purchasing the product has a big impact to the customers (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). In that context, the information search will be short if the time is limited and the use of short information will be made some suboptimal purchase (Sim & Goh, 1998). As a situational influence time has a bug impact to the customer buying decision. MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 3 ID: 11511633 For example, the consumers are less like to visit any departmental store if they have limited time but if they are not time pressured they would like to visit more (Kenhove & Wulf, 2000). The number of product alternatives would be smaller for the time constraints. For this the brand loyalty might be increased for many customers. (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Some corners store and convenience store are the successful considering this time factors as a situational influences. Task definition means the reason for purchasing a product or influences the buying decision. The reason may vary to different buyers and user roles performed by the individual (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). For example, gift giving is general reason but gift giving in occasion is specific reason that influence the behavior of the purchasing a product (Ruth, Otnes, & Brunel, 1999). Generally people increase their purchase in specific occasions. Best marketers understand these patterns of situations in which people more tend to buy (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). For example, in promotional activities bookstores invest heavily for the lead up to Christmas because many people are tend to buy books as Christmas present and to stock for reading them during summer holidays (Solomon, Dann, & RusselBennett, 2007). Question 2: Answer Kate is struggling to make a decision and wants to buy her boyfriend a smart phone to his birthday and she was running out of time. The three situational influences that affect Kate’s purchasing decision are task definition, temporal factors and social surroundings. Task definition as told before is the reasons that influence the customer to buy a product or services (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). And the reason could be general and specific like gift giving in a occasion in which also influence the buying patterns (Ruth, Otnes, & Brunel, 1999). In this case the task is specific which the birthday of Kate’s boyfriend. However people feel their needs of products or services for reason whether it’s general or specific. In this case, Kate feel need for buying a product for giving gift to her boyfriend in his birthday. So according to Ruth, Otnes and Brunel (1999), the task was specific for Kate for purchasing the smart phone. Temporal factors as situational influences include the availability of time for purchasing any product (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Here Kate had very limited time for making decision though the birthday of her boyfriend was very near. She had two options that MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 4 ID: 11511633 whether to buy iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy SIII. As given before that less time gives less information for making decision (Belk, 1975). So Kate had to make a decision so she couldn’t consider the information very well and she had to choose smart phone randomly from the given two options. Last situational influences that affect the Kate’s decision is social surroundings which means the presence of other people who could have an influence on the individuals consumer’s behavior (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Considering behavior social influence is very significant since the individuals behavior is visible and they tend integrate with group expectations (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). In this case Kate has limited time for making decision that she had two options that iPhone 5 which is recommended by her boyfriends’ childhood friend who knew John’s personality very well as well his character and another option  is Samsung Galaxy SIII which is recommended by the salesmen who is expert in smart phone. Shopping and consuming goods in public is highly visible activity which has several social influences others (Shim & Eastlick, 1998). Though the buying patterns of Kate was not so highly visible activity like shopping and consuming goods in public rather it was individual buying decision. Though Kate had limited time to decide whether what to buy then she asked for recommendation in two people one was sales person and another was friend of John which they have influences for buying smart phone. Question 3: Answer In modern competition marketers need to give more value to the customer compare to the competitors (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Customer value is the difference between the advantage they get and the costs they spend for getting that advantage. So considering the situation marketers need to serve best to the consumer for purchasing product (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Marketing Strategy is the combination of product, price, distribution and promotion which emphasize a particular group of customers (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). So using these key marketing strategies a marketer can utilize the situation to market a specific brand and product type by understanding consumer behavior. Lets describe the three key marketing strategies that how a marketer might be able to utilize situation for a specific type of product. Product type and quality is very important for the marketer. However, thousands of new products are introduced in the marketplace annually. So marketer need to satisfied customer MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 5 ID: 11511633 by their products for successful business (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Also marketer needs to analyze and understand the needs and requirements of potential customer by which marketer can give the required product in such situation to the potential customer (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Price is another important marketing strategy and marketing mix as well. A marketer needs to understand consumer behavior in order to structure it properly (Quester, Pettigrew, &  Hawkins, 2006). For example a company desiring high quality brand and for this the price should be high. So, if the target customer believes that price-quality relationship. So considering the target market situation price might be structured (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Promotional activities are another important term for the product. By high quality campaign consumer might be convinced for buying that product. And also at any occasion or festival marketer could bring new promotions for the consumer that might influence the buying process (Foxal & Yani-de-Soriano, 2005). For example, any gift shops or bookshops spend more in promotional activities before Christmas that lead the people for purchasing products or books for gift as they intend to buy (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). So considering task definition as a situational influences marketer could use these promotional activities. Conclusion Understanding of consumer behavior could make the long term success for the products (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). And to be successful it’s very important to understand the customer behavior considering the various situational influences (Belk, 1975). In this essay the theories of situational influences that affect their buying decision is discussed and after three of the situational influences is described in case of Kate who was struggling to make the best buy. And in last question how marketer might be able to utilize situation in aspects of using key marketing strategy is described. It is easy to understand that how situation could influence the buying decision process by this essay. MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 6 ID: 11511633 Bibliography Belk, R. W. (1975). Situational Variables and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 158. Foxal, G. R., & Yani-de-Soriano, M. M. (2005). Situational Influences on Consumers’ Attitudes and Behavior. Journal of Business Research, 518-25. Kenhove, P. v., & Wulf, K. d. (2000). Income and Time Pressure: A Person Stuation Grocery Retail Typology. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Cionsumer Research, 149-66. Quester, P., Pettigrew, S., & Hawkins, D. I. (2006). Consumer Behavior: Implications for Marketing Strategy. North Ryde: McGraw-Hill Australia. Ruth, J., Otnes, C. C., & Brunel, F. (1999). Gift Reciepts and Reformulation of Interpersonal Relationships. Journal of Consumer Research, 385-402. Shim, S., & Eastlick, M. A. (1998). The Hierarchical Influence of Personal Values on Mall Shopping. Journal of Retailing, 139-60. Sim, L. L., & Goh, S. Y. (1998). Singapore’s Revised Concept Plan and Retailing: Impact of the Tampines Regional Centre on Shopping Patterns. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 33-43. Solomon, M., Dann, S., & Russel-Bennett, R. (2007). Situational Effects on Consumer Behavior. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education.

Cultural Change

Organization Culture And Change Organizational culture – a popular but also a very complex concept – has been identified as an influential factor affecting the successes and failures of organizational change efforts. Organizational culture could be looked at as the pattern of shared valued, beliefs and assumptions considered being the appropriate way to think and act within an organization (Schneider, 1985).In other words, culture: the pattern of shared values, beliefs and assumptions considered to be the appropriate way to think and act within an organization. – Culture is shared – Culture helps members solve problems – Culture is taught to newcomers – Culture strongly influences behavior Generally, this shared culture is invisible to the employees and their interpretations are viewed as something unique to the individual—their personal opinions.People tend to surround themselves with others of like opinions and values, thus reinforci ng their common beliefs and expectations. Where does organization culture come from? It comes from the Organization founder, vision and mission statement, past practices, Top management attitude and behavior and through socialization – the process that helps employees adapt to the organization’s culture more quickly and effectively.People/ Employees of the organization learn culture through stories, narratives of significant events or actions of people that convey the spirit of the organization, rituals, repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the values of the organization, material symbols, physical assets distinguishing the organization, language, acronyms and jargon of terms, phrases, and word meanings specific to an organization. Keeling (1981, p. 8), who offers that culture refers to an individual’s â€Å"theory of what his fellows know, believe and mean, his theory of the code being followed, the game being played, in the society in to which he was born†. In a similar framework, Geertz (1973) views culture as a symbolic system (i. e. , shared codes of meaning) that reflects understandings shared by social actors. These definitions all imply that culture affects ways members think, feel, and act. According to Henry Mintzberg, â€Å"Culture is the soul of the organization — the beliefs and values, and how they are manifested.I think of the structure as the skeleton, and as the flesh and blood. And culture is the soul that holds the thing together and gives it life force. † There fore, culture is the social glue that helps and holds an organization together by providing appropriate standards for what employees should say or do. People who have worked in different organizations agree that each organization is different from the other organization. Things are not done the same way in everywhere in the organization. Even businesses within the same industry can be quite different from each other.Th e difference is what management scholars call â€Å"organizational culture† or â€Å"corporate culture†. Therefore every organization has their own culture according to which they carry out their day-to-day activities and act and behave accordingly to it. Do Organizations have uniform culture? Schein (2009), Deal & Kennedy (2000), Kotter (1992) and many others state that organizations often have very differing cultures as well as subcultures. Dominant Culture: expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization’s members.Subcultures: mini cultures within an organization, typically defined by department designations and geographical separation. Core Values: the primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization. Strong Culture: a culture in which the core values are intensely held and widely shared. Organizational culture is therefore different from national culture or ethnic culture. The national culture in which the business is based can however have some influence on that business’s organizational culture. Smircich (1983) has analyzed different conceptions of organizational culture in relation to the anthropological schools.Organizational culture has been conceived either as a variable or as a root metaphor for conceptualizing organization. The studies can be divided into two areas; organizations have been regarded as cultures (‘is’ approach) or having a culture (‘has’ approach). It happens all too often. A company introduces changes with high expectations of improving performance. When the changes fail to take root and produce intended results, the unfulfilled hopes lead management to introduce other seemingly promising changes. These, too, ultimately fail.The sequence repeats—an unending cycle of high expectations followed by failure and, inevitably, frustration on the part of management and cynicism on the part of workers. There are several possible reasons for these failures. One key reason is that changes introduced fail to alter the fundamental psychology or ‘‘feel’’ of the organization to its members, it is this ‘‘feel’’ that directs and motivates employee efforts (Guzzo and Shea, 1992). Without changing this psychology, there can be no sustained change. The main point is: organizations have people in them; if the people do not change, there is no organizational change.Changes in hierarchy, technology, communication networks, and so forth are effective only to the degree that these structural changes are associated with changes in the psychology of employees. The primary mechanisms for both maintaining and changing an organization’s culture includes: 1. What managers pay attention to, measure and control? 2. The ways managers (particularly top management) react to critical incidents and organizational crises; 3. Managerial role modeling, teaching, and coaching; 4. T he criteria for allocating rewards and status; and . The criteria for recruitment, selection, promotion, and removal from the organization. Managers should expect to encounter difficulty in clearly understanding situations that involve change. Analyzing a change problem can become quite complex because of the large number of variables that must be considered since there’s no way to stop change from happening, there are several positive steps to make a change program successful, including opening channels of communication, developing a learning environment, and providing training.Even with open communication, careful planning, and extensive training, new program or idea may still meet with resistance. According to Schein, culture is the most difficult organizational attribute to change, outlasting organizational products, services, founders and leadership and all other physical attributes of the organization. His organizational model illuminates culture from the standpoint of the observer, described by three cognitive levels of organizational culture (Schein, 1992).Culture change may be necessary to reduce employee turnover, influence employee behavior, make improvements to the company, refocus the company objectives and/or rescale the organization, provide better customer service, and/or achieve specific company goals and results. Culture change is impacted by a number of elements, including the external environment and industry competitors, change in industry standards, technology changes, the size and nature of the workforce, and the organization’s history and management. 3-Step Model This is often cited as Lewin's key contribution to organizational change.However, it needs to be recognized that when he developed his 3-Step model Lewin was not thinking only of organizational issues. Nor did he intend it to be seen separately from the other three elements, which comprise his Planned approach to change (i. e. Field Theory, Group Dynamics and Acti on Research). Rather Lewin saw the four concepts as forming an integrated approach to analyzing, understanding and bringing about change at the group, organizational and societal levels. A successful change project, Lewin (1947a) argued, involved three steps: . Step 1: Unfreezing.Lewin believed that the stability of human behavior was based on a quasi-stationary equilibrium supported by a complex field of driving and restraining forces. He argued that the equilibrium need’s to be destabilized (unfrozen) before old behavior can be discarded (unlearnt) and new behavior successfully adopted. Given the type of issues that Lewin was addressing, as one would expect, he did not believe that change would be easy or that the same approach could be applied in all situations: The ‘unfreezing of the present level may involve quite different problems in different cases (Lewin, 1947a, p. 29). Enlarging on Lewin's ideas, (Schein (1996, p. 27) comments that the key to unfreezing Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ. .  . was to recognize that change, whether at the individual or group level, was a profound psychological dynamic process’. Schein (1996) identifies three processes necessary to achieve unfreezing: disconfirmation of the validity of the status quo, the induction of guilt or survival anxiety, and creating psychological safety. He argued that: ‘. .  . unless sufficient psychological safety is created, the disconfirming information will be denied or in other ways defended against, no survival anxiety will be felt. nd consequently, no change will take place’ (Schein, 1996, p. 61). In other words, those concerned have to feel safe from loss and humiliation before they can accept the new information and reject old behaviors. . Step 2: Moving. As Schein (1996, p. 62) notes, unfreezing is not an end in itself; it ‘. .  . creates motivation to learn but does not necessarily control or predict the direction’. This echoes Lewin's view that any attempt to predict or identify a specific outcome from Planned change is very difficult because of the complexity of the forces concerned.Instead, one should seek to take into account all the forces at work and identify and evaluate, on a trial and error basis, all the available options (Lewin, 1947a). However, as noted above, (Lewin (1947a) recognized that, without reinforcement, change could be short-lived. Step 3: Refreezing. This is the final step in the 3-Step model. Refreezing seeks to stabilize the group at a new quasi-stationary equilibrium in order to ensure that the new behaviors are relatively safe from regression.The main point about refreezing is that new behavior must be, to some degree, congruent with the rest of the behavior, personality and environment of the learner or it will simply lead to a new round of disconfirmation (Schein, 1996). This is why Lewin saw successful change as a group activity, because unless group norms and routines are also transformed, changes to ind ividual behavior will not be sustained. In organizational terms, refreezing often requires changes to organizational culture, norms, policies and practices (Cummings and Huse, 1989).It is more difficult to change the culture of an existing organization than to create a culture in a brand new organization. When an organizational culture is already established, people must unlearn the old values, assumptions, and behaviors before they can learn the new ones. The two most important elements for creating organizational cultural change are executive support and training. . Executive support: Executives in the organization must support the cultural change, and in ways beyond verbal support. They must show behavioral support for the cultural change. Executives must lead the change by changing their own behaviors.It is extremely important for executives to consistently support the change. Training: Culture change depends on behavior change. Members of the organization must clearly understan d what is expected of them, and must know how to actually do the new behaviors, once they have been defined. Training can be very useful in both communicating expectations and teaching new behaviors. Other components important in changing the culture of an organization are: Create value and belief statements: use employee focus groups, by department, to put the mission, vision, and values into words that state their impact on each employee's job.For one job, the employee stated: â€Å"I live the value of quality patient care by listening attentively whenever a patient speaks. † This exercise gives all employees a common understanding of the desired culture that actually reflects the actions they must commit to on their jobs. Practice effective communication: keeping all employees informed about the organizational culture change process ensures commitment and success. Telling employees what is expected of them is critical for effective organizational culture change.Review orga nizational structure: changing the physical structure of the company to align it with the desired organizational culture may be necessary. As an example, in a small company, four distinct business units competing for product, customers, and internal support resources, may not support the creation of an effective organizational culture. These units are unlikely to align to support the overall success of the business. Redesign organization approach to rewards and recognition: needs to change the reward system to encourage the behaviors vital to the desired organizational culture.Review all work systems such as employee promotions, pay practices, performance management, and employee selection to make sure they are aligned with the desired culture. Hofstede (1980) looked for global differences between over 100,000 of IBM's employees in 50 different countries and three regions of the world, in an attempt to find aspects of culture that might influence business behavior. He suggested abou t cultural differences existing in regions and nations, and the importance of international awareness and multiculturalism for the own cultural introspection.Cultural differences reflect differences in thinking and social action, and even in â€Å"mental programs†, a term Hofstede uses for predictable behavior. Hofstede relates culture to ethnic and regional groups, but also organizations, profession, family, to society and subcultural groups, national political systems and legislation, etc. Hofstede suggests of the need of changing â€Å"mental programs† with changing behavior first which will lead to value change and he suggests that however certain groups like Jews, Gypsies and Basques have maintained their identity through centuries without changing.Hofstede demonstrated that there are national and regional cultural groupings that affect the behavior of organizations and identified four dimensions of culture (later five in his study of national cultures: Power dist ance (Mauk Mulder, 1977) – Different societies find different solutions on social inequality. Although invisible, inside organizations power inequality of the â€Å"boss-subordinates relationships† is functional and according to Hofstede reflects the way inequality is addressed in the society. According to Mulder's Power Distance Reduction theory subordinates will try to reduce the power distance between themselves and their bosses and bosses will try to maintain or enlarge it†, but there is also a degree to which a society expects there to be differences in the levels of power. A high score suggests that there is an expectation that some individuals wield larger amounts of power than others. A low score reflects the view that all people should have equal rights. . Uncertainty avoidance is the coping with uncertainty about the future.Society copes with it with technology, law and religion (however different societies have different ways to addressing it), and acc ording to Hofstede organizations deal with it with technology, law and rituals or in two ways – rational and non-rational, where rituals being the non-rational. Hofstede listed as rituals the memos and reports, some parts of the accounting system, large part of the planning and control systems, and the nomination of experts. . Individualism vs. collectivism – disharmony of interests on personal and collective goals (Parsons and Shils, 1951).Hofstede brings that society's expectations of Individualism/ Collectivism will be reflected by the employee inside the organization. Collectivist societies will have more emotional dependence of members on their organizations, when in equilibrium – organization is expected to show responsibility on members. . Masculinity vs. femininity – reflect whether certain society is predominantly male or female in terms of cultural values, gender roles and power relations. . Long- Versus Short-Term Orientation which Hofstede des cribes as â€Å"The long-term orientation dimension can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue.Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute truth. They are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results. In societies with a long-term orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results. Conclusion: Employees form an overall subjective perception of the organization based on such factors as degree of risk tolerance, team emphasis, and support of people. This overall perception becomes, in effect, the organization’s culture or personality. These favorable or unfavorable perceptions then aff ect employee performance and satisfaction, with the impact being greater for stronger cultures. Just as people’s personalities tend to be stable over time, so too do strong cultures. This makes strong cultures difficult for managers to change.One of the more important managerial implications of organizational culture relates to selection decisions. Hiring individuals whose values don't align with those of the organization is not good. An employee's performance depends to a considerable degree on knowing what he should or should not do. Changing the organizational culture requires time, commitment, planning and proper execution – but it can be done. References: Henry Mintzberg Cultural and Environmental School of Thought culled www. mbaknol. com accessed Thursday11th April 2013. Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of culture. New York: Basic Books.Keeling, R. M. (1981). Theories of culture. In R. W. Casson (Ed. ), Language, culture and cognition (pp. 42- 66). New York : Macmillan. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE Creating a Climate and Culture for Sustainable Organizational Change Benjamin Schneider Arthur P. Brief Richard A. Guzzo (1996) Accessed on Thursday 11th April, 2013 http://media. johnwiley. com. au/product_ancillary/64/04702605/DOWNLOAD/chapter41. pdf B. Schneider, ‘‘Organizational Behavior,’’ Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 36, pp. 573–611, 1985. R. A. Guzzo and G. P. Shea, ‘‘Group Performance and Intergroup Relations in Organizations,’’ in M.D. Dunnette and L. M. Hough (eds. ), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed. , Vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992). Smircich, L. (1983): Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly: 28(3). Pp. 339-358. . . Cummings, T. G. and Huse, E. F. (1989). Organization Development and Change, 4th edition. St Paul, MN: West Publishing. Cummings, T. G. and Worley, C. G. (1997). Org anization Development and Change, 6th edition. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing. . Deal T. E. and Kennedy, A. A. 1982, 2000) Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1982; reissue Perseus Books, 2000 . . Hofstede, Geert (1980) Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work Related Values, Beverly Hills, CA, Sage Publications, reprinted 1984 . . Kotter, John and Heskett, James L. (1992) Corporate Culture and Performance, Free Press; ISBN 0-02-918467-3 . . Lewin, K. (1946). ‘Action research and minority problems’. In Lewin, G. W. (Ed. ), Resolving Social Conflict. London: Harper & Row. . . Lewin, K. (1947a). ‘Frontiers in group dynamics’.In Cartwright, D. (Ed. ), Field Theory in Social Science. London: Social Science Paperbacks. . Mulder, Mauk (1977) The daily power game, Martinus Nijhoff Social Sciences Division Parsons, Talcott, Shils, Edward (1951), Toward a General Theory of Acti on, reprinted as Parsons, Talcott, Shils, Tolman, Stouffer and Kluckhohn et al. , Toward a General Theory of Action: Theoretical foundations of the Social Sciencies, Transaction Publishers, 2001 Ravasi, D. , Schultz, M. (2006), â€Å"Responding to organizational identity threats: exploring the role of organizational culture†, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 433–458. Schein, E. H. (1996). ‘Kurt Lewin's change theory in the field and in the classroom: notes towards a model of management learning’. Systems Practice, 9, 1, 27–47. Shein, Edgar (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. p. 9. How to Change Your Culture: Organizational Culture  Change You Can Transform Your Culture With Conscious  Steps By Susan M. Heathfield, About. com Guide http://humanresources. about. com/od/organizationalculture/a/culture_change. htm

Ebonics & Education Essay

The Ebonics controversy in America has developed into a major conflict over the years. It has become a more serious concern within the public school system. The complex where the nation’s school systems lower their expectations of black youth to coincide with the patterns of Ebonics, the word used to refer to African American Vernacular English, has resulted in an epidemic where blacks graduate from High School reading three grade levels below their white counterparts. For the multiple number of theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon, very few have been able to counter the adverse culture that has developed in America as a product of Ebonics being considered a valid dialect. A wide range of theorists and politicians have used the American educational system as a platform on which to gain civil approval. There is a popular consensus that income designates the quality of one’s education in America. This state of socioeconomic prejudice has a detrimental effect on the face of our society. It can be argued that a single standard curriculum should be equally implemented and taught throughout the nation, and that this curriculum should be similar to the elite executive curriculum, which Jean Anyon identifies as the best education our country has to offer in her article Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. She identifies how many believe that private and public sector schools should be merged together, along with their curriculums (2006). She breaks down education into two curriculums, upper class and lower class, or working and executive class. Equalizing the differences between these two forms of education has always been the job of standardized testing. Initially standardized testing in America was used to asses one’s calculative ability. It is now being replaced, starting at the middle school level, with a format that revolves around authentic assessment (Wiggins, 1990). Authentic assessment is the direct evaluation of student performance through tasks that exercise their intellect. The tests are also known to evaluate creativity, listening and comprehension skills, experimental research in science, speaking and discussion skills and historical inquiry. It has been designed to replace traditional standardized testing, which means it eventually will be used in all schools across the nation to identify the intellectual elite. This is considered to be a major advent in education that will counter act the nation’s stigma of low expectations ushered in by the validation of Ebonics. A major cause of the low expectations placed on black youth in schools can partly be credited to those doing the research, as Kimberly Griffin points out in her article Striving for Success: A Qualitative Exploration of Competing Theories of High-Achieving Black College Students’ Academic Motivation, when she says, research on the academic performance of Black students has focused on low-achievers, framing their academic motivation as maladaptive and driven by externally (e. g. , competition or compliance) rather than internally (e. g. love of learning) generated forces (Griffin, 2006). This heavy focus on those blacks who have low quality achievement, has led to a neglect in the understanding of what drives the higher achieving students to be successful. Findings show that self-determination theory, socio-cognitive theory, and attribution theory cannot individually explain the motivation of these Black high-achievers. Instead, a multidimensional framework that incorporates all three models and that highlights internal and external sources of motivation best accounts for these students’ experiences (Griffin, 2006). Griffin goes on to cite an interview with a young black student that was less affluent than others. The dialogue reveals that the pressure of stereotypes and low expectations has a weighing effect on the level of effort and achievement that black students have in the class room. This is a stigma that is present whether the student is of a lower or higher class, but the lower the class of the student the even heavier the stereotypes are that weigh on them. I think probably intrinsically I might have felt at one point that I needed to try harder, because I was Black, to not be a stereotype . . . not just chill, you know, talk with Ebonics or stuff like—the stereotype that people have of Black people. I purposely try to steer away from that. I think that’s certainly definitely, in a certain respect, that’s true (Griffin, 2006). This pressure that stems from the inherent stereotypes perpetuated through the use of Ebonics is even further enhanced by a misunderstanding of this complex between the students and their teachers. Griffin points this out as well when she says, the fact that many [teacher education] students do not share the same ethnic, social, racial and linguistic backgrounds as their students may lead to cultural incongruencies in the classroom which can mediate against educational effectiveness( Griffin, 2006). It is Griffin’s belief that these incompatibilities between the black students and their predominantly white teachers results in a complex to be maladaptive, in a way that is very evident. These incompatibilities are evident in value orientation, behavioral norms and expectations and styles, social interactions, self presentation, communication and cognitive processing (Griffin, 2006). Griffin’s article proves that even the system through which these students are studied for the purpose of better improving their achievement is a vicious cycle itself filled with misunderstandings and blatant neglect of the methods that may actually be successful, specifically teaching methods like andragogy and reflective learning. Androgogy and reflective learning are two educational forms that have become very prevalent at the collegiate level. They are considered to be the two best teaching methods in educating adults. This has been found to be specifically true for pre-med and science majors in college, due to andragogy’s focus on authentic assessment (Kolb 2001, p. 1975). Authentic assessment is the direct evaluation of student performance through tasks that exercise their intellect. These evaluations tend to exercise their: creativity, listening and comprehension skills, experimental research in science, speaking and discussion skills and historical inquiry. It largely corresponds with standardized testing (Kolb 2001, p. 1975). Authentic assessment asks that students acquire knowledge and be able to practice logic as apposed to just being able to regurgitate pre-fed facts. The main characteristics of these evaluations, is that they apply standardized test curriculum to real life circumstances. Authentic assessment is the product of a reform in education. This shift is to make standardized testing less drill oriented and applicable to what is expected will be necessary in the students’ adult life. These tests hold students to higher standards as well as create a growing body of accurate awareness pertaining to student learning. This way the teacher learns from the student as well. The key argument these test pose is that for the traditional testing method, the right answers are not rationales. This basically acknowledges that the level of logic required for traditional standardized tests is lacking. This is due to a relationship that involves test takers who simply cram for their tests, and instructors who feel the tests have no relevance to their teaching ability. This is a common occurrence that has resulted in resentment for traditional standardized testing on the behalf of both parties involved. Authentic assessment is a genuine push towards the implementation of more authentic tasks. Instructors find it easier to apply these tasks to their curriculum and students find it easier to assess what is expected of them. It is considered a form of improving overall performance, in a testing system traditionally structured solely to monitor it. This fault in western education is the main catalyst for shifts in standardized testing that focus more on authentic assessment and experiential learning. Medical students and students pursuing the sciences, like psychology or sociology, are expected to have certain skills appropriate for the practice of their profession. This requires a form of learning that can assesses curriculum and then apply it to real life situations. As well as the medical and science field, andragogy and reflective learning is being used to enhance the productivity of multimillion dollar corporations. Experiential learning thus involves a, ‘direct encounter with the phenomena being studied rather than merely thinking about the encounter, or only considering the possibility of doing something about it. (Borzak 1981: 9 quoted in Brookfield 1983). This sort of learning is sponsored by an institution and might be used on training programmes for professions such as social work and teaching or in field study programmes such as those for social administration or geography courses. Kolb, David A. , ‘david a. kolb on experiential learning’ Kolb breaks down understanding of experiential learning into an understanding of the American educational systems use of the field trip and project based learning (Kolb 2001, p. 1975). While project based learning is considered to be one of the best methods of learning for all individuals because it promotes authentic assessment, and thus provides young black students especially to expand their understanding of the Western culture from which they have been systematically alienated, it is also very expensive to organize. Anyon discovers that the majority of contemporary textbook instruction is designed for the working class. PBL programs are usually not supported in public schools because of the amount of funding they require. This discrepancy is usually applicable to public schools and whether one is located near high income housing or low income housing. Jonathan Kozol describes the discrepancies between these two types of schooling in his interview with Marge Scherer. In the interview titled, On Savage Inequalities: A Conversation with Jonathan Kozol, he talks about his experience in St. Louis and how the schools in low income areas, which are predominantly black, barely have money for water, while the schools near by in the wealthier districts could buy advanced school supplies as well as carryout project based learning, such as field trips. Kozol credits this problem to the use of property tax to fund schools in low income areas. He states: we ought to finance the education of every child in America equitably, with adjustments made only for the greater or lesser needs of certain children. And that funding should all come from the collective wealth of our society, mainly from a steeply graduated progressive income tax. (Kozol) This particular tax could make project based learning more affordable, which would be the most influential step to improving classroom education. The most common contemporary example of PBL is dissecting insects and animals. It has become an American tradition and almost a right of passage in high school. Project Based Management has a very beneficial influence on the education of our country. One might wonder why it’s not the only curriculum used. The use of chaperones, instructional tools, and methods of transportation are often required and considered expensive. The benefit is that people tend to remember more from their field trips than textbook lessons and many of these labs require authentic assessment, which is good considering the new shift in standardized testing. The downfall is in the fact that authentic assessment is dependent on the student’s past experiences. This allows for some projects to result in the isolation of certain students. The inner city children are deprived because their school systems can’t afford implementing PBL curriculums. Chairperson of the Department of Education at Rutgers University, in her essay From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work Jean Anyon analyzes the nature of underprivileged education. Anyon argues that depending on their social class, different levels of educations are available to young people. This mostly applies to schools in different districts and social communities and it can particularly be seen in the difference between private and public schooling. To make the concept clear, she further applies this to a description of a kind of mental segregation happening within the classroom; in which, students sitting next to one another are rewarded differently solely based on their socioeconomic standing in the community. She does this by pointing out that, students in different social-class backgrounds are rewarded for classroom behaviors that correspond to personality traits allegedly rewarded in the different occupational strata – the working classes for docility and obedience, the managerial classes for initiative and personal assertiveness. (Anyon) This is the key ideal of Anyon’s theory. An example of the theory at work can be seen in research that finds project based learning prepares students for more abstract assessment, and prepares them to handle real world situations, as opposed to those in the textbook. PBL is most prevalent in private and high income community public schools. This creates a system where the students taught in the private schools are taught to think independently in a rational but unconfined way, while the lower income children are only taught to follow instructions. These differing perspectives on education have had a controversial and conflicting history in America. Gary Colombo based much of his research on this conflict. Gary Colombo argues that the majority of the Founding Fathers were wealthy conservatives who were honestly opposed to democracy. This signifies them as an elitist class constructing laws that will better maintain their control of the government. Their initial goal was to keep power in the hands of the wealthy, and prevent the majority from realizing their strength. One major modern day justifications for this elitist view is that, these framers were the same men who risked their lives for the good of others by signing the declaration of independence, and they are getting what is owed to them. It is Garry Colombo’s view that these patriots did not intend to revolutionize democracy, but that their sole intention was to gain independence from Britain in order to get the country out of their pockets. Aware that the Constitution would be opposed by the working class, who made up the majority of the people, the construction of the deceleration and its signing were held in private. The media was used conceal the constitution’s actual goal, while at the same time to persuade people in its favor. Along with a literate media Colombo points out that the American government found it necessary, particularly during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, to promote and finance a literate working class. It is Colombo’s view that the sole purpose of their education was to develop individuals who would maintain the nation. These educated individuals were viewed as secondary to their task. This is the first sign in American history of education being used to exploit people for the benefit of the government. By identifying the failure of Thomas Jefferson to educate the Native American people, Colombo shows that American education was initially designed with absolutely no regard for the people. He best displays this conflict when he cites a letter written by a Native American to the President. our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same with yours†¦several of our young people were formerly brought up at the college of the northern provinces they were instructed in all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad runners; ignorant of every means of living in the woods; unable to bear either cold or hunger; knew neither how to build a cabin, take a deer, or kill an enemy†¦they were totally good for nothing. (Colombo) Here Colombo identifies that, quality in education is deemed only as good as its ability to assimilate one into the culture in which they live. This assimilation is not one that produces equal opportunity for its participants. As previously proven by Anyon, socioeconomic conditions impede this dream dramatically from coming into fruition. In sum, Anyon argues that today’s working class curriculums center more on teaching black students to follow instructions rather than teaching them how to authentically assess problems. She undeniably proves that the children of higher income families are not taught in this fashion, and they are steered more towards developing skills in problem solving and decision making. Ebonics only further expands this gap between classes, considering the level of stereotypes that come along with its practice and the powerfully influential stigma that blacks are subject to as a result. If students are subject to the exact same nationwide testing, it would only be just that they receive the same educational curriculums. By using Ebonics in the school system, the nation is alienating blacks from the main stream through both class and race. Lower income students are being herded into remedial work, while the upper class students are being prepared for executive positions. This is an immoral practice, but there are risks that can occur if Anyon’s elitist curriculum is equally distributed throughout the country. Everyone can not manage the corporation some have to toil for the sake of the company. The working class may potentially have a better understanding of executive duties, if Anyon’s curriculum is implemented. With a greater appreciation for the business structure, working class employees may be educated enough to demand more benefits from their companies. The end result of implementing Anyon’s theory is that there will be a more diverse group of qualified candidates from which corporations select. This makes the face of corporate America as cultured as the nation it’s in, and it eliminates much of the disadvantaging prejudice that comes with elitism. This is proof that it is wise to utilize Anyon’s elite curriculum throughout all school systems. Every income scale should be accessible among all races and nationalities, but to assume that the children of high income families will work remedial jobs so the poor can be executives is irrational. Anyon’s curriculum must be set into action with the hope that it levels the playing field, and Ebonics needs to be abolished as a credible English vernacular.

Engineering and Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Engineering and Construction - Essay Example Engineering has brought about advancements in communication and also changed how companies work. Exponential advance in technology has created mind-boggling opportunities for the future generation. Many universities especially in Asia are becoming increasingly utilitarian and mainly focusing on advancing cutting-edge research and the economy. This focus will bring about the creation of new and better technology that will not only help the human race but better it. Robotic machines as the future and new sources of unlimited energy like nuclear power are soon to be discovered. Engineering has affected human beings in both positive and negative views. The invention of the cell phone 1973 changed global communication in the world. It created a new way of communicating with its inventors, Dr. Martin Cooper of Motorola and John F. Mitchell first demonstrated using a handset weighing 2kgs. In 1983, cell phones became commercial through the DynaTAC 8000X (first cellphone to go viral). This advanced in technology brought the world to a global village. Recently, one can make a call to anywhere in the world, therefore, connecting people from all depths and corners of the continent. This has brought people closer, businessmen conducting seminars and meetings via Skype, new people interacting via Facebook. All this made possible by advanced technology in computer and the mobile network. A new technology that will hit the market in a global way is the electric vehicle. Productions have already commenced in Japan but in small productions. Once it goes world, which is major superpower countries it has it will help saves fuel consumption, reduce global warming by a notch and be economically accessible. The computer technology is an important asset in the modern day world. Most advancements in technologies are made possible by use of computers.  Ã‚  

Compare Scientific Models and Religious Myths Essay

Compare Scientific Models and Religious Myths - Essay Example The ideas in defense of religion, on the other hand, are argument from causation and argument from values. A myriad of scientific models have been invented and adopted in the realm of pure science and applied sciences, which gave a strong attachment of science to scientific observation and scientific methods. Objectivity, accuracy, and verifiability are of prime importance of scientific inquiry, and are the characteristics of science. These dimensions are said not to be possessed by religion, whose central configuration is faith. The locus of science being based on material objectivity through scientific methods is said to be a far cry from that of religion, which to some people, is perceived to be a locus of mythology, false and science-unaided beliefs, and fanaticism. Thus, the debate about science and religion has a history that dates back to the beginning of modern science. Naturalism, a scientific model that defends science with its stance of reality being material, and is therefore subject to scientific scrutiny, poses that any considerations that ideas not relying in scientific investigations are foolish (Baker, 2006). The search for truth is found in the material reality - in the natural world - which can be measured and analyzed according to scientific investigations. Religion, having no scientific tools to aid such investigation, is taken as a myth. Science was able to maintain such confinement to the natural world on the basis of its ability to use testable and reproducible material data that passed through scientific methods, in which explanations lie in the domains of the natural world. It goes on to say that non-natural explanations, like the realm of religion, are non-testable and non-reproducible and are therefore non-scientific. Anything non-scientific is considered a myth or an erroneous belief by some science geeks. However, the exclusio n of non-scientific explanations from understanding the natural world does not

Immigration policy in the USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Immigration policy in the USA - Term Paper Example Such tactics often result in increased competition for employment by the locals with their immigrant counterparts which will create dissatisfaction among the locals. Earlier, America welcomed all the people from the world irrespective of their ethnic or educational backgrounds. In 1980’s and 1990’s, America experienced enormous growth of small-scale industries, mainly because of the contributions of the immigrants. However, at present America implemented many restrictions upon immigration because of the increased threats of terrorism and violence from both legal and illegal immigrants. 9/11 incident resulted in the strengthening of the immigration policies in America. This paper discusses how immigration policy about whom and how many to let in has changed over time and what this change reveals about a society’s quest for national identity Changes in American immigration policies The immediate reasons for drastic changes in immigration policies are the threats fr om terrorists. 9/11 incident was a lesson for America’s immigration and naturalization department. Terrorists can enter America through legal and illegal channels. The war on terror and the disputes with the Islamic world made America vulnerable to terrorist attacks at any time. It should be noted that many of the Americans watching the Muslims in America with suspicious eyes after the 9/11 incident. It is difficult for the Muslim people to get American visa at present unless they have enough reasons to convince the authorities about their purpose of visit. Moreover, in many of the American airports, body screening is implemented especially for the Muslim people. All these policies reveal that America is not much interested in allowing Muslim immigration after the 9/11 incident. Another important issue which forced America to strengthen their immigration policies is the social problems associated with immigration. Uncontrolled Immigration can result in the identity crisis. Th e Middle East is facing such problems at present. In most of the Middle Eastern countries or the Gulf countries, the number of immigrants is more than the number of locals which created a lot of identity problems. No country would like to see more immigrants in its territory than the number of locals. The excessive number of immigrant people seen in the streets, workplaces and other public gathering places may create the sense of unhappiness among the locals. Moreover, Americans cannot keep a friendly attitude towards immigrants especially when they are struggling to get out of the recession problems. Many of the Americans lost their employment because of the recession problems and the subsequent collapse of big organizations. At the same time, they are witnessing the survival of the immigrant community in America. Immigrant community mostly has their own small-scale businesses and the recession has not affected their businesses very much. All ethnicities are not equal; all are not symbolic, costless and voluntary. When white Americans equate their own symbolic ethnicities with the socially enforced identities of non white Americans, they obscure the fact the experiences of the whites and non whites have been qualitatively different in the United States and that the current identities of individuals partly reflect that unequal history (Waters, n. d., p.201-202) Even though racism is prohibited by law in America, it can be observed in many other forms in American social life.  

Engineering Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Engineering Ethics - Essay Example ether to tell the vice president about the revolving condition he feel blame worth for not seeing the problem at much earlier date which could have helped to counter the problem at an earlier date. Though it shall be a sign of incapability Tim should take the obligation and take the issue to the vice president of the company for more help. Tim should wait for the right material to be availed to the company so that he can start the manufacturing here he should assume no deadline exist within the order. Through diverting other resources to the said venture it becomes possible to have the supply in shortest time possible (Graham, 2008). In the case where Tim calls Arnold and he says that it’s his duty to take care of things Tim should weigh option he has at hand, Tim should use the old components instead of new ones. He shall have something to deliver though it’s not fair to the customers its just having in mind on the urgency of the situation Tim should be bold enough to call the customers end explain to them that due to unforeseen machine supply shortage, they should expect a slight delay. After the agreement is reached between him and the customers, to avoid the impurities that would have been there if the work was done on much higher speed, Tim should instruct the process to be done with the appropriate speed to eliminate impurities (Wallace, 1998). In the case where Arnold learns that Tim substituted the old components he should explain that it was an unintentional negligence which did arise due to shortage in machine supply, additionally the customer was very clear on the time factor which was a must to be meet. Tim should say that he has taken matters to have periodic inspections to avoid such future happenings. Tim should be ready to take the blame of giving the wrong materials without consulting others; he should argue that he is not morally responsible for it was not his fault that the machine failed to work since if it would have worked he would

How do stock price volatility affect monetary policy Essay - 1

How do stock price volatility affect monetary policy - Essay Example Therefore they have an effect on interest rates, inflation rates and money supply. These variables are controlled by monetary policy made by the central banks of countries or federal reserves and the policy determination is therefore depended on the stock prices. This paper discusses how the movements in stock prices affect determination of monetary policy. Monetary policy is the process by which the central bank or a federal reserve regulates the money supply and interest rates in order to achieve a major economic goal. On the other hand the stock market is considered as the country’s economic strength and development since it’s a non-physical facility of economic transactions. In any particular country, the economy strongly reacts to stock prices movement and in most cases economic recession is preceded by crash in stock markets. There is a very important relationship between the central banks of countries and stock markets. This makes the monetary authorities to make monetary decisions and policies by closely monitoring the stock market volatility. This ensures the authorities maintain a macroeconomic balance. According to Rigobon and sack 2001, volatility of stock prices significantly impact macroeconomics hence an important factor in determining the monetary policy. As mentioned earlier, this paper discusses the how stock price volatility affects monetary policy. This is addressed by using simple models of data from the international monetary fund in the quarterly series as at December 2010. The data used in the research is UK data ranging from 1990 first quarter to 2010 fourth quarter. The variables contained in this data set are the real UK GDP (RGDP), the consumer price index (CPI) and the interest rates set by the Bank of England The international monetary fund has 188 member countries. These countries work to foster global monetary cooperation, financial stability security, reduce poverty around the world, and promote sustainable

Alcoholics Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcoholics - Dissertation Example They might smash a bar stool on your head, for example, which could cause a serious head injury. If you are a student, drinking alcohol can lead to serious academic problems. It is harder to study well when you are a hungover. Your grades are likely to decline and your classmates are likely to lose respect for you. You may even engage in risky sexual behaviour that might have long term consequences for you. The problem for students is that the temptations are everywhere. Campuses are full of bars and there is a real culture of binge drinking. It is important to be true to yourself and avoid situations that call for excessive drinking—for example, a keg stand party. We need to find out why people become alcoholics. If we can find a reason for this we can begin to solve the problem and treat people who have this serious problem. 3. Literature Review There are numerous books on this subject which can be of use. Among these books are Hedblom (2007) which provides a good overview o f the subject and how alcoholics recovery from the problem. Another useful book is O'Farrell (2006) which looks at how couples deal with alcoholism. These books, among others, can help put the issue in perspective and provide some real insight. A number of other useful sources on addictive personality are as follows: Engs, Ruth C. "The Addictive Process and Addictive Behaviors." Addictive Behaviors. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 March 2010 Mason, Stephen, Ph.D. Rev. of The Addictive Personality. Psychology Today. N.p., 14 March 2009. 4. Hypothesis My hypothesis is that alcoholism is a product of an addictive personality. Different types of personalities react differently to stimuli. We need to find out why people become alcoholics. We need to see if there is something about their personality that leads to them becoming alcoholic. This research will enlighten us. An operational definition that will asssist us in this matter is a definition of alcoholic. The definition we will be using is someon e who drinks five or more units of alcohol per day. 5. Research method I will begin with an examination of both primary and secondary research. Statistical information will be compiled by using libraries and the internet. The main source of findings will be participant observation. I will visit with alcoholics and observe their activities to determine if the hypothesis is correct. I will try not to be intrusive as I live side by side with the alcoholics and examine their behaviour and activities. I will also use some surveying and sampling. Sampling will be conducted through the collection of e-mail addresses from a rehabilitation centre and empirical surveys conducted via email. This will be an important tool of data collection. In conducting this research, the e-mail addresses will come from sources that are alcoholic. In addition, e-mail addresses will be obtained through a web page designed to attract people who have addictive personalities. These web addresses will be linked fr om various resources that will allow a link to the address. An ideal sample size of 100 respondents will be expected in order to conduct the research. This type of sampling is know as non-probability sampling. According to Trochim (2006), non-probability sampling describes the unlikely event that will occur when a sample is taken when there is not an equal possibility for all who are concerned to be chosen. Because of

Shale gas Essay Example for Free

Shale gas Essay Would you make if you were Jane Barrow? Why that one? If I were Jane Barrow, I would suggest shale gas as the best. Since the industrial, electric power and residential make a large contribution for the use of natural gas, the stakeholder in these parts are very important. After multiattribute risk analysis, the chart from Exhibit 10 shows they are care about using energy produced in their own jurisdiction. From the Exhibit 3, with the increasing need of natural gas to satisfy consumption, more and more net imports have been done. Shale gas has the largest production capacity per day which is suitable for these stakeholders’ objective. This feature will satisfy most of the stakeholders. Although the project is the most expensive one, its huge production makes the profit the largest among these three. So after comparing these projects, I would make the recommendation for shale gas project. Which one of the three options is the most practical and economical? In my view, coal bed methane is the most practical and economical option. Among these three projects, tight sands gas has the best geological condition as in a remote area in West Taxes where fewer people live and it is least costly and has most profit per thousand cubic feet. However, since it has the lowest production capacity per day, the total profit is the lowest. The project of Shale gas, which locates in Pennsylvania, is the most expensive one, but the total profit is the highest. However, this project needs a lot of water from Delaware River that may affect the live of resident near the river. Since the affect of hydraulic fracturing is still unknown, the relative apartment and the residents nearby may against the action. The project of the coal bed methane is the best because it requires less fluid during hydraulic fracturing and is easily drillable which means it is relatively safe and has moderate cost. Rocky Mountain region, the project locates, has a population of 2000, which is suitable. The production capacity per day is well too. So after comparing these projects, the coal bed methane project is the best. What are you most worried about in this decision? The affect of hydraulic fracturing is still unsure. Once there’s an accident happens, it will be terrible as the press may aggressively propagate the fact and the relative apartment such as EPS may suggest prohibit the hydraulic fracturing method, which may bring a huge loss to the company not only the profit but also the reputation. Besides, the project may be resisted by the residents nearby since the shale gas project needs a lot of water from Delaware River. The lack data and analysis of the project may bring unpredictable risk to the company.

Indias Relation with ASEAN

Indias Relation with ASEAN IMPLICATIONS ON INDIA 1.  General.  India and ASEAN share age old historical, cultural and economic ties. These relations stood the test of time till 1962 after which India somehow disengaged from South East Asia. India reinstituted its ‘Look East’ policy in 1992. This was necessitated due to the growing economic status of ASEAN nations as also security concerns of India in ASEAN region, which could be handled better with rejuvenated relations with the countries of the region and for this ASEAN’s coherence is in India’s vital national interest. Both traditional and non-traditional security concerns of ASEAN have direct or indirect bearing on the overall security of the region in general and India in particular. Traditional security concerns like nuclear proliferation, regional cooperation, balance of power and defense capabilities and non- traditional security concerns like financial collapse and domestic governance problems, both influence India’s, strategic position in the region as non traditional security concerns can lead to traditional security concerns. 2.  Chinas Influence. Increasing efforts of China to increase and expand its influence in the ASEAN region is a matter of grave concern to India, both economically and in the field of security. With ASEAN expanding to form ASEAN plus three coalitions ASEAN now includes China, South Korea and Japan has far reaching effects on Indian â€Å"Look East Policy†. The various effects of growing Chinese influence are: (a) Security regionalism in Asia, led by the ASEAN, is being severely tested by the growing intensity of the China’s territorial disputes with its maritime neighbors in the East and South China Seas. (b) China’s refusal to collectively engage ASEAN on South China Sea issue and its growing ability to wean away individual members of the organization underlines the dangers of the new dynamics in ASEAN. One outcome of this was annual meetings of ASEAN foreign ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in July 2012, ended in political disarray over the question of territorial disputes in the South China Sea. For the first time in the history of the organization, ministers  failed to issue a joint statement, and many analysts have attributed this outcome to Beijing’s new ability to influence the internal dynamic in the ASEAN. These efforts of China to engage all ASEAN nations bilaterally may undermine the  strength of ASEAN which is contrary to Indian desires of strong ASEAN that can insulate SE Asia from any external interventions. (c)  Military Expansion. China has also increased its military influence in the South China Sea. The recent incursions of China into the Spartley islands and the Mischief Reef will affect India militarily. China will have far reaching influence in the area especially with Hong Kong and Macao already amalgamated into the peoples Republic of China. In the event of a confrontation between India and China, the latter would have greater influence in ASEAN region inversely affecting India’s security as well as regional and international standing. (d)  Economic Expansion. In todays globalised world economy and military capabilities of a nation are closely linked. China is fast emerging as an international economic force. Its influence on the ASEAN economies is considerable and growing. With the military expansion into ASEAN, China could harm India’s economic security. If relations between India and China deteriorate, a strong military presence of China in the South China Sea could severe Indian sea lines of communications in the region affecting trade with the countries of the region. China at the moment is concentrating on building its economic power and does not appear to have a military bearing in the region. It is trying to settle its disputes i.e. Spartley islands according to the laws of the sea, has withdrawn its naval forces from Senkaku islands and Mischief Reef, but the future could be very different which India needs to plan for and guard against. The straits of Malacca in South East Asia form a bottleneck on the maritime route to East Asia and Asia-Pacific region. (e)  The Burmese Connection. Burma or Myanmar, a member of ASEAN has important security implications for India. Myanmar is traditionally China’s close aide and is dependent on China for many of its economic and military needs. Chinas influence in Burma poses a security concern to India, more so because Myanmar and India share common land and sea borders. In the event of a China -India confrontation, China could use Myanmar land and sea areas for military action against India. China already, has established its bases in Myanmar to monitor India’s missile tests at Chandipur. Through Myanmar China could not only threaten India’s security from land but also from sea. With a pro-communist military government in Myanmar and its over-dependence on China India’s security interests are threatened. With Myanmar joining ASEAN and ARF, there is increased pressure to restore democracy and this would draw Myanmar away form its dependence on a communist China. 3.  Insurgency.  ASEAN is a region fraught with ethnic and communal insurgency problems. India faces similar problems in various parts of the country. Myanmar an ASEAN state has a sizeable border with Indian Eastern States. The near porous border is used by insurgents to move to and fro. The thick jungles in Myanmar form ideal bases for insurgents to hide and use these areas as launch pads for insurgent activity into India. After striking into India these insurgents slip into Myanmar making India’s tackling of this problem increasingly difficult. The linguistic and ethnic similarity of the people on both sides makes identification of insurgents extremely difficult. 4.  Terrorism. The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and subsequent attacks in India are a tragic reminder that international terrorism does not respect national borders-and requires global[1] and regional solutions. The ASEAN region has more than 300 million Muslims, many of them supporting Muslim terrorist organizations like the Al-Qaeda. India is one of the most badly affected countries by terrorism. With close cultural and religious links between India and many ASEAN countries there is a danger of terrorism spreading to India from ASEAN nations, if it already has not happened. Since extradition treaties do not exist between India and these nations criminals committing crimes in India go unpunished after escaping to these nations. The internal security of India has already been affected on many occasions. Many Muslim terrorist organizations operating from ASEAN countries are spreading terrorism in India. These organizations having an international infrastructure with a common agenda could threaten India’s security if not controlled. 5.  Increasing Military Capability. In the present scenario the ASEAN nations do not have any military conflict areas with India . However, most of them have reasonably strong armed forces which are being further strengthened. Indonesia has recently acquired an aircraft carrier and Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar have strong military capabilities. In future should a conflict arise between any ASEAN nations with India and considering the proximity to India’s Eastern waters as also the maritime trade routes, which India uses, it could be a security threat to India. 6. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Many strategic analysts consider Asia as a possible hot spot for nuclear confrontation. The only nuclear attack in Japan took place in the vicinity of ASEAN nations. Ever since, many Asian powers have developed overtly or covertly nuclear capabilities which could trigger a nuclear war in the region. China has the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world. With China’s common communist ideology with many ASEAN states nuclear proliferation of the region cannot be ruled out. A similar proliferation is possible to certain ASEAN Muslim nations through Pakistan. Another potential nuclear challenge resides in the Korean Peninsula, where North Korea now faces the need to either fish or cut bait with respect to its nuclear program. A North Korean nuclear capability would raise the stakes of war on the peninsula, and increase the pressure on Japan and South Korea to mount nuclear weapon programs of their own. All these above events, occurring in the Indi an backyard would threaten Indian security interest in the region. The latest nuclear and biological threat exists from terrorists. Since religious fundamentalism is predominant in various ASEAN states, the availability of such weapons of mass destruction with terrorists could become a serious issue of concern to India. 7.  Safety of SLOC’S.  Region of Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait is very important to India as India’s strategic strength lies in this region, which has the potential to create vulnerability to China. Security of SLOCs and island territory is a concern but India is well poised to take care of this aspect. This is also an area of cooperation with ASEAN and Asia Pacific countries. The increasing importance of maritime trade and energy security for India has made it imperative to ensure the safety of Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC’s) in Southeast Asia. Maritime piracy has large implications for security in the economic sphere and in the Malacca Straits, is a common threat to India and the ASEAN region. With India being dependent on sea ways for over 97 per cent of its global trade, the safety of sea lanes around the ASEAN region is of vital importance to India. India understands that a prosperous and stable ASEAN that safeguards vital sea lanes between the Indian and Pacific Oceans will serve its best interests. Coordination between India and ASEAN in safeguarding their shared marine environment and its resources, promoting the safety and security of navigation in their common ocean areas, and ensuring legitimate, peaceful and sustainable uses of the oceans, can contribute to both maritime development and maritime security in the region. 8.  US Withdrawal. With the withdrawal of US troops from strategic locations in the region following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South East Asian countries deemed it appropriate to guard against Chinese influence by setting up vital sea-lanes of communications such as the Taiwan, Malacca, Sunda and Lombhok Straits. Accordingly, ASEAN countries justifiably perceive India, with the largest Naval forces in the Indian Ocean and nuclear capabilities, a strategic partner to balance China’s growing power in the region[2]. This should be looked by India as an opportunity to go closer to the ASEAN nations thereby assisting indirectly in regional stability. Indian economy is deeply intertwined with the economic future of ASEAN region and should regional stability be disturbed it would have a cascading effect on Indian economy in general and security in particular. 9.  US-ASEAN Re-engagement.  Three important developments that took place in South East Asia in 2010 have come to redefine the nature and dynamics of the region’s engagement with the United States the most powerful player in today’s international politics. First, in response to the Chinese designation of South China Sea as an area of ‘core national interest,’ the American Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton claimed free passage in the disputed area as America’s ‘national interest.’ Second, the US, in order to influence the trajectories of ASEAN-driven cooperative processes, became a member of the East Asia Summit in October 2010 and also participated in the ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meetings) Plus. Finally, the US  President visited Indonesia along with three other important Asian players – India, Japan and South Korea in November 2010, integrating Southeast Asia into its larger strategic discourse on Asia. In fact, Southeast Asia seems to have regained its Cold War position of being one of the pivots for the US in the latter’s grand strategy towards  the Asia-Pacific[3]. Since most important driving force for the re-engagement has come in the form of an uncertain nature of China’s growing diplomatic and strategic influence and the latter’s perceived aggression in the region it will definitely assist India in checking China’s future aspirations in the region, more so in the light of improving Indo US relations. 10. Certain non-traditional security concerns [4]of India in the ASEAN region could have wide-ranging effects on the economy, society and security of India. The non-traditional security concerns includes: (a)  Globalisation. With Indian economy heading towards liberalisation and globalisation there is an increasing amount of capital flowing to and from ASEAN countries. This phenomenon could be a major threat to state security if globalisation is not managed properly by India. In spite of the financial crisis the vibrant ASEAN economics could still shift the trade balance so greatly in their favor that Indian economic interests could be badly damaged. This would not only effect economic security but also have concurrent effects on India’s national security. Hence, it is essential for India to control and manage the pace of globalization to suit its own interests. (b)  Narcotics Trafficking and Associated Criminal Activities. India lies in between the two most significant drug trafficking areas of the world. With the â€Å"Golden Triangle† to its West, which includes Afghanistan and Pakistan, and  the â€Å"Golden Crescent† to its East to include Thailand and Myanmar India’s concerns about narcotic trafficking are legitimate. There is considerable flow of drugs through India which remains a concern for social security of the country. Myanmar produces a considerable share of the world narcotics. The money from the sale of drugs is often utilised by insurgents to buy weapons and explosives which is smuggled into India for insurgent activities causing internal security  problems in the country. The narcotic infrastructure is very well organized in Myanmar and Thailand. These drug cartels also have close links with India. This results in associated criminal activities like extortion, child labour and human trafficking, e ventually leading to general deterioration of social security in India. (c)  Competition for Fishing and Other Sea/Ocean- based Resources. India shares sea-based borders with many ASEAN countries. Since sea-based borders are less defined than land-based borders there are regular instances of intrusion into Indian waters by either fishing boats/trawlers or military vessels of counties from the ASEAN region. With increase in population of nations and consequent economic problems the importance of sea-based resources would increase. This could result in confrontation between various ASEAN states and India, as was the case between China and Philippines over Mischief Reef. There are certain maritime areas where exact demarcation and delineation is not done. These areas could also be future areas of concern to India’s security. (d)  Environmental Security Concerns. India and ASEAN, as also the entire world are closely linked to environmental changes and disasters. Environmental polices followed by one nation have an effect on the environment of all other nations. Global warming, droughts, floods resulting from industrialization and deforestation effect all nations. Environmental disasters  also affect the economy of nations. A case in point is the forest fires [5]and the subsequent haze problem in Indonesia. The deteriorated environment affected  tourism and hence economy of Indonesia as well as India as the tourist influx from India reduced drastically. (e)  Religious Extremism.There exists wide social and economic disparity between member nations of ASEAN. Countries like Laos and Cambodia cannot keep pace with the social development of certain other ASEAN countries, which are well developed. This leads to a sense of frustration and deprivation in certain sections of their society. This feeling coupled with religious fanaticism in certain society’s breeds’ religious extremism and sectarianism. This is the case in certain Muslim societies of ASEAN nations. Since religious extremism now cuts across national barriers, many of these disillusioned youth are finding their way to India, inciting religious tensions and indulging in insurgent activities. [1] David James, `The ASEAN Summit`, asia-inc, December 2001. [2] India ASEAN relations: Analysing regional implications. IPCS special report by Mohit Anand, May 2009 [3] View point by Dr Vibhanshu Shankar, Research fellow at Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi on emerging contours of US ASEAN re engagement; 25 Mar 2011. [4] `Regional International Affairs Program in Asia`, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, http://www.rcss.org/projects/riapa/riapa.htm > [5] The ASEAN Summit, `asia-inc`, December 2001.

Assessing The Strategy Of Blue Ocean Commerce Essay

Assessing The Strategy Of Blue Ocean Commerce Essay The market set is divided into two categories which are called oceans: Blue Oceans and red oceans. Red oceans are the known market space as it exists today, with all the various industries. Competitive rules are defined and barriers are clear and accepted. Competition exists among players to gain a bigger share; the more players are on the market, the fewer prospects for profit and growth is existent. Cutthroat competition turns the red ocean bloody. Blue Oceans on the other hand represent the opposite they are the unknown market space with industries that are not existent today. Demand is not created by competitive rivalry, because the rules of the game are yet to be set. There is substantial opportunity for profitable growth because of the deep potential of market space that is not yet explored.  [2]   To be successful in economic performance most companies are laying the focus on competitive strategies, plenty of enthusiasm is spend on analyzing and outperforming rivals. Using the vocabulary of the authors their focus is on red ocean strategies. In the future this will not be enough to survive; in addition to swim in a red ocean companies need to create Blue Oceans.  [3]  The following image illustrates the major differences between red and Blue Oceans. Image 1: Comparison of Red Ocean with Blue Ocean strategy  [4]   Value Innovation The basis of the Blue Ocean Strategy is called Value Innovation. Competition is made irrelevant by creating value for both buyers and the company. Buyer value is created by the benefit and price that the company offers to the consumer; value to the company is created from the price and its cost structure therefore only if those two variables are aligned the strategy works. The innovation of a product/ service must create value for the market and eliminate features that are not valued by the current market. New and uncontested market space is made accessible by simultaneously differentiate and reducing costs. This strategy is contrary to common management strategies which propose that companies can either create value to customers at higher costs or create reasonable value at lower costs.  [5]  According to the authors Value Innovation is a strategy that embraces the entire system of a companys activities.  [6]  Image 2 illustrates Value Innovation. Image 2: Value Innovation  [7]   Analytical tools and framework There are three basic tools that will help companies to build a Blue Ocean Strategy. The strategy canvas The strategy canvas is a tool that helps to build a Blue Ocean Strategy. It highlights the current situation in the known market space and shows the offering level that buyers receive across several key competing factors. By illustrating these factors in a simple matrix a graphic description in form of a value curve is visible. This value curve shows a companys relative performance within its industrys factors of competition.  [8]  By illustrating the current situation of an industry the strategic focus can be shifted away from current competition to alternatives and noncustomers, a redefinition of the industry can be constructed.  [9]  Image 3 illustrates a strategy canvas with an example of an Airline. Image 3: Strategy Canvas  [10]   The four actions framework This tool uses four key questions to lead to a new value curve: Which of the factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated? Which factors should be reduced well below the industrys standard? Which factors should be raised well above the industrys standard? Which factors should be created that the industry has never offered?  [11]   The first two questions give an insight in how to reduce the cost structure in comparison to other players in the industry. Question 3 and 4 give insight into how to lift buyer value and create new demand.  [12]   The eliminate-reduce-raise-create-grid This tool is supplementary to the four actions framework. It gives companies the possibility to act on all four questions answered before to create new value. The four factors of what to eliminate, reduce, raise and create are put in a matrix and by that scrutinize every factor the industry competes on.  [13]   Formulating Blue Oceans strategies Reconstruct market boundaries In order to break away from the competition the first principle is to reconstruct market boundaries. The challenge is to find possibilities of Blue Ocean opportunities. During performing research across various industry sectors the authors found a basic approach to remaking market boundaries, the six path framework.  [14]  This framework is applicable in all kinds of industries and all are based on looking at data from a new perspective. These are the six paths: Path 1: Look across alternative industries Path 2: Look across strategic groups within industries Path 3: Look across the chain of buyers Path 4: Look across complimentary product and service offerings Path 5: Look across functional or emotional appeal to buyers Path 6: Look across time  [15]   By analyzing each of the single paths companies will be able to get an insight into how to open up Blue Oceans by rebuilding market realities and leave behind conventional boundaries of competition.  [16]   Focus on the big pictures, not the numbers The approach to the strategic planning process is based on drawing a strategy canvas, as it is explained in the section of analytical tools and framework of this document. A structured process for developing a strategy canvas has been developed, which is called the Visualizing Strategy.  [17]  As the name implies, this process uses visual stimulation with the purpose to unlock peoples creativity. The main focus here is laid on the big picture rather than on defined numbers and operational details.  [18]   Reach beyond existing demand To achieve a maximization of the size of the Blue Ocean you are creating the focus should be laid on two things: The analysis of non-customers and finding out strong similarities of what buyers value.  [19]  This is a reversed approach to common strategies, where the focus is on customers and customer differences. The three tiers of non customers The challenge is to find out who the non-customers are and get a deep understanding of them. The authors describe three tiers of non-customers that eventually can be transformed into customers. The first tier of non-customers is closest to your market and would stay and increase their frequency of purchases if a leap in value would be offered to them. These non-customers also referred to as soon-to-be.  [20]  The second tier of non-customers is further away from your market and aware of offerings in it but has consciously voted against them. These non-customers are also referred to as refusing.  [21]  The third tier of non-customers is farthest from your market and has never considered its offerings as an option. These non customers are also referred to as unexplored.  [22]   By analyzing each of the three tiers an understanding of the non-customers can be developed to attract them into your market and expand your Blue Ocean.  [23]   Get the strategic sequence right The fourth principle of Blue Ocean Strategy focuses on the challenge to build a sustainable business model that will make profit on your Blue Ocean idea. The idea here is to use sequences and key criteria within a sequence to reduce business model risk.  [24]  Each sequence has a key question that has to be asked. If answered with no the sequence has to be reshaped. If answered with yes one can move on to the next sequence. The four sequences are: Buyer utility: Is there exceptional buyer utility in your business idea? Price: Is your price easy accessible to the mass of buyers? Cost: Can you attain your cost target to profit at your strategic price? Adoption: What are the adoption hurdles in actualizing your business idea? Are you addressing them up front?  [25]   With this sequencing as a starting point further analyzing of strategic pricing, target costing and finally the profit model is developed.  [26]   Executing Blue Ocean Strategy Overcome key organizational hurdles The challenge to execute the strategy of Blue Oceans is significant, since there are changes made from the conventional way of doing things. The authors present four common hurdles in the execution: The cognitive-, political-, motivational- and resource hurdle. Dealing with those challenges in form of hurdles with tipping point leadership is the key to make Blue Ocean Strategy happen in action.  [27]   Build execution into strategy The sixth principle of the Blue Ocean Strategy is about building commitment and trust into the strategy from the start. The focus is laid on a fair process as a key variable that distinguishes successful Blue Ocean Strategy moves from those that failed.  [28]   Case analysis In this section, we intend to describe and analize two cases of innovative companies (Virgin Galactic and Petrobras) based on the Blue Ocean theory. Virgin Galactic Description of Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a company which belongs to the Virgin Group. This group was founded 1970 by Sir Richard Branson and is one of the leading brand venture capital organizations of the world. The group has created more than 300 branded companies in a variety of different industries, employs around 50,000 people and generated revenue of approx. US$ 18 billion in the year 2009.  [29]  Based on them the success of this group derives from the power of the Virgin name, Richard Bransons personal reputation; our unrivalled network of friends, contacts and partners; the Virgin management style; the way talent is empowered to flourish within the group.  [30]   The Virgin Galactic company has the aim of making private space travel available to everyone by creating the worlds first commercial spaceline.  [31]  Virgin Galactic will create, own and operate spaceships, the SpaceShipTwo. To achieve this goal the Virgin Group uses it experiences in aviation, adventure and luxury travel combining with the technology developed by Burt Rutan. The company was founded in the year 2004 and is located in New Mexico. The SpaceShipOne became the first private spaceship with high altitude-flights in the year 2004. The successor of this technology, the SpaceShipTwo, has seats for two pilots and six passengers. Every passenger has to pay US$200.000 with a deposit ofUS$20,000. At the moment 340 passengers have registered for this service.  [32]  So far 450 people have ever been to space, the goal of Virgin Galactic is to take 1,000 people to space within the first year of commercial operation.  [33]  The first commercial flight shall start in the year 2012.  [34]   The mothership of the SpaceShipTwo, the WhiteKnightTwo, will take the SpaceShipTwo to a height of about 16km and then release it. At that point the rockets of the SpaceShipTwo will boost and bring it to a height of about 100km.  [35]  There it will fly for about five minutes in which the passengers have a magnificent view at the earth and can enjoy weightlessness. Afterwards the space ship will decrease the altitude and land at its base in New Texas. The first flying tests of the WhiteKnightTwo were executed successfully and the SpaceShipTwo completed the first manned glide flight in October 2010.  [36]   At current stage the company Blue Origin which is based close to Seattle is also working on a private space ship.  [37]   Analysis of Virgin Galactic The analysis will start by discussing the Value Innovation of Virgin Galactic. So far tourism in space was available for seven specific persons who paid in average US$ 25 million for staying about 14 days at the ISS.  [38]  The clear buyer benefit of Virgin Galactic is to make this tourism available for nearly everybody who can afford paying the US$200,000 which is less than 1% of the price so far. Moreover, these space trips also add value to Virgin Galactic as it will earn US$200,000 for every passenger having already 340 on the waiting list. Virgin Galactic clearly succeeded in creating a Value Innovation. In the following the strategy canvas for Virgin Galactic will be developed to see the value curve in comparison to its competitor the stay at the ISS.  [39]   As principal factors the following was defined: price, safety, request for personal attributes and easy preparation for the trip.  [40]  As seen in image one the Virgin Galactic company enables a much more comfortable and convenient stay as the previous tourism on the ISS. This is also based on the lower requirements a person has to fulfill to be able to execute this tourism and the lower time-investment. Image 4: Strategy Canvas of Virgin Galactic  [41]   Considering the four action framework Virgin Galactic reduced the costs by eliminated the factors that a stay in space has to be combined with a long duration and cost-intensive stay at the ISS and with cost-intensive rocket starts. Furthermore, they created the factor that nearly everybody would be able (from physical requirements  [42]  ) to go to space with a low time-investment and a comparably low amount of money. They increased the convenience of space-tourisms to a very high extent. In conclusion, they managed to dramatically reduce the costs while increasing the perceived value of the passengers which are interested in some minutes of weightlessness and seeing the earth from the space. Virgin Galactic also concentrated on the so called non-customers as the total number of customers was seven so far. They identified the implicit wish of most people to go to space once. Organizational hurdles The cognitive hurdle cannot be applied as Virgin Galactic did not start in a red ocean but directly entered the Blue Ocean with the start of the company. The hurdle resources will probably be not a big burden as the first flying tests went successful, customers on the waiting list already paid close to US$7 million as deposit and Sheikh Mansour invested US$280 million in this business.  [43]  Furthermore, the Virgin Group and the state of New Mexico are supporting this business. The motivation of the employees and managers is high which is also pushed by Richard Branson personal interest in the success of this company.  [44]  The political hurdle could be implemented by making new laws for required safety standards. But already in 2004 the US congress passed a law which allows passengers to fly into space with the understanding that these vehicles might not be as safe as regular airplanes. Furthermore, the governor of New Mexico supports this company  [45]  and the Virgin group has a high political power. In conclusion all the hurdles were passed successfully by Virgin Gallactic. Build execution into strategy From the beginning Richard Branson declared the vision of this company to make private space travel year 2004. Conclusion In final conclusion, Virgin Galactic entered a Blue Ocean from the beginning. It decreased the costs and made space travel available to everyone by creating the worlds first commercial spaceline. Virgin Galactic works towards this clear vision with having the first commercial flights very likely eight years after its foundation in the previous tourism in space and increased the value of it by leveraging especially the convenience for the customers. Moreover, it went beyond known customer space by offering this service for less than 1% of the costs so far. It managed the organizational hurdles and created a strong vision from the start. Although other companies as e.g. Blue Origin try to create space tourisms this ocean is deep blue so far for Virgin Galactic. Petrobras Description of Petrobras Petrobras was established on October 3, 1953 by the president of Brazil, Getà ºlio Vargas, to undertake oil sector activities in the country. In the early 1970s, the members of the Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose the international prices substantially, triggering the so-called Oil Shock. As a result, the market was troubled and marked by uncertainty. In order to overcome the difficulties, the Brazilian government adopted economic measures in order to overcome the supply of oil. Some examples of these measures were the encouragement for use of ethanol as automotive fuel and prioritizing offshore exploration and production. With the measures, the government intended to reduce the dependency on importing a very expensive product and to create an industry to create jobs and exports. These tasks where given to Petrà ³leo Brasileiro (Petrobras) for being executed.  [46]   Producing ethanol for powering the nation 1975 marks the beginning of the production of Ethanol by Petrobras in Brazil aiming to drive the large-scale substitution of oil based vehicular fuels for biofuels. Substituting gasoline for ethanol (produced from sugarcane and manioc) led to 10 million fewer gasoline fuel cars running in Brazil, reducing the countrys dependence on imported oil.  [47]   Today Brazil is recognized as the world leader in the production of ethanol for industrial purposes, based on the most advanced agricultural technology for sugarcane cultivation in the world and to the amount of arable land available in the country. In 2010, the Brazilian ethanol produced by Petrobras was designated as one of the most advanced biofuels due to the 61% reduction of green house gas emissions.  [48]   Pioneering in deep waters In 1984 the company discovered one of the biggest reserve in deep water ever registered in the world. The Albacora field was discovered; proving the existence of giant fields nestled at great depth in Brazil. This marked the beginning in deepwater exploration for the company. By 1986 the company, which until then purchased technology, was faced with the challenge of producing oil at a depth of 400 meters. After surveying the market and finding out there was no technology available for this depth, the company decided to invest in developing new technologies. This was an extremely ambitious project, since, at the time, Petrobras had been exploring at depths of 150 meters and had plans for 1000 meters by 1990. This project turned out to be a great success and the company is currently the global leader in this area. By 2005, Petrobras sets the record of drilling depth with a sloped that reached 6915 meters beyond the bottom of the sea.  [49]   Petrobras achieves self sufficiency In 2006 Brazil became a self-sufficient country in oil and gas production. With an average of 1.9 million barrels per day, Brazil went on to exporting more oil and oil products than it imported. It was like a dream came true, only possible because of the technological efforts and dedication of the employees. Since this point, Petrobras is the most profitable company in the Brazilian economy, being recognized as the eighth biggest oil exploring company in the world.  [50]   In the upcoming years, Petrobras intends to invest in using and developing new renewable energy sources. The portfolio of new projects includes wind, solar and water energy sources and fuel hydrogen. The intention is to reduce even more the dependency on oil, delivering the necessary energy sources to Brazil in order to sustain the intended growth of the upcoming years. Analysis of Petrobas Petrobras success can be summed up in one word and that word is innovation. This company faced the challenge of turning one of the biggest countries in the Americas from a big consumer of imported oil to self sufficient in oil and gas production. This strategy was based on focusing on the big picture (producing its own oil and become an exporter of petroleum) rather than finding a temporary solution for importing oil in the 70s, when the biggest crisis of oil prices occurred. Value Innovation They broke away from the competition by reconstructing market boundaries. For each challenge they faced, they were able to create and develop the necessary technology that didnt exist in the market, becoming a leader in deepwater oil drilling. They reached beyond their existing demand by having more oil available than they need for their own consumption. They also created value to the country by reducing the amount of CO2 in 61% emitted by cars and public transportation thanks to the introduction to ethanol and biodiesel. Brazil became a more efficient country thanks to the use of their natural resources for powering the nation. By mixing ethanol with oil, Petrobras has managed to increase the value for customers by creating a reduction of oil prices  [51]  and by guaranteeing the oil supply they reduced the dependency on foreign companies. Strategy canvas We have decided to explain the differences between the two largest producers of Ethanol in the world, Brazil and U.S.A. As we have mentioned before, Petrobras is the only company responsible for the production and distribution of ethanol in Brazil. Image 5: Stragegy Canvas Petrobas  [52]   As we can see in the figure xx, Brazil is the second largest producer of Ethanol in the world (6,500 million gallons in 2009  [53]  ) behind the United States (10,900 million gallons in 2009  [54]  ). But, the total area used by Brazil for cultivating their sugar cane (3.6 million hectares  [55]  by 2006) is far less than the land used by the United States (10 million hectares  [56]  in 2006). This means that the productivity per hectare is superior in Brazil than in the United States. Another important thing to mention is that thanks to the mixture of Ethanol and oil in Brazil, green house gas reduction has been reduced considerably (89%  [57]  ), increasing the value the company gives to their customers. Organizational hurdles The hurdles are based on the theory mentioned in the first section of this project. During the oil crisis of the 70s, the company faced the challenge of completely changing the paradigm of production. In the cognitive hurdle, we can say that the employees understood completely the need of the company and were able to transform the company. In the second hurdle resources, we can say that the company successfully understood that they needed to invest a great amount of resources in RD in order to increase the efficiency of the production of ethanol and also to raise the drilling depth for oil extraction. Motivating employees on a thirty-year-old project has been an enormous challenge for the company. They have managed to succeed by achieving small goals each year, increasing the level of satisfaction and trust towards the leadership of the company. Finally, the political hurdle was managed correctly due to the implications of the transformation project, involving the government, the management and employees of the company. Build execution into strategy As we mentioned before, the strategy was clear from the beginning: Reduce the dependency of oil and turn the country into a self-sufficient country. The facts speak for themselves, the whole company aligned in order to achieve the goal and it is an example on how to implement the Blue Ocean strategy. Conclusion So, why can the strategy of Petrobras be considered a Blue Ocean strategy? First of all they focused on creating value for the country by reducing the amount of oil imported and gaining self-sufficiency. As a consequence, they were able to reduce considerably the prices of gasoline in Brazil and the dependency of external factors to develop the country. They achieved this goal by innovating in ways to reduce consumption of oil (alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel) and exploit the potential the country had in its coasts, regardless the technology available at the times. In the last twenty years, Petrobras has become a key player in the success of Brazil to achieve development. The upcoming years for this company look really bright, thanks to the investment they are doing on other alternative means to produce electricity (water, solar and wind), improve the efficiency of alternative fuels and by creating the necessary technology for increasing the depth for deepwater drilling for oil. Discussion In the following the degree of novelty of the Blue Ocean strategy and the general criticism about this theory will be discussed. Analyzing the degree of novelty in the Blue Ocean Strategy The book The Blue Ocean Strategy was first published in 2005 and according to the two authors based on more than 15 years of research in various dimensions of this business topic and 150 successful strategic moves spanning.  [58]   As we read above the Blue Ocean Strategy aims at creating new demand in an uncontested market space. This is done by reducing the factors of competition and offering new value to t