The stages of a business plan development

The stages of a business plan development This document is inclined to clearly stipulate and evaluate what I have contributed to the aim in taking place a realistically thought out business plan and what my intent and my involvement toward my fellow group members was. I am going to describe my own role in helping the team to achieve its goal in creation of the successful business plan. Also I will provide evidence of my contribution to the cohesiveness of the team and how I facilitated the completion of the team goals. My team includes Miss Stacey Coetzee, and Mr. Thokozani Nkambule. We three are good friends and we believe that running a business takes a lot of hard work and strong commitment. With that in mind, this is the individual reflective report of how the business plan for Coffi Bean came about, and how I have contributed toward it. Team Work A team is a group of people who work together on the same task. According to Dawson and Andriopoulos (2009), team formation and social dynamics go though five stages, called forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Forming This is the initial stage of putting the team together where individuals learn about each other and the team requirements as well as the challenges, expectations, and the overall structure of the team (Dawson Andriopoulos 2009 p:141).   This is also the information gathering and exploratory stage.   Anyone who has ever been put into a team or has been asked to form one will most definitely familiar with this phase and should be able to relate to it. Storming This is probably the noisier phase during which the members of the team all have their own ideas and directions that they want to go in (Dawson Andriopoulos 2009 p:141).   Oftentimes team members debate, critique, and confront each other to decide on the best course of action.   Im sure my group members can attest to the fact that we have definitely gone through our storming phase (or a few of them!).   This phase can be a bit uncomfortable and/or unpleasant but its still quite necessary for the growth and development of the team. Norming This is the phase where the team really starts to function and work together as a team.   Individuals start to understand each others work habits and ethic and everything seems much more natural.   Responsibility and roles are much more clearly defined, expectations are set, and collaboration is in full swing (Dawson Andriopoulos 2009 p:141).   Performing Not all teams reach this phase but those that do are the high-performing teams which have grown to become both knowledgeable and efficient at what they do.   Supervision goes down as individuals are now capable of making appropriate decisions.   This is essentially where the team really starts shining and delivering superior results (Dawson Andriopoulos 2009 p:141). Adjourning This phase refers to the team breaking up after the task has been completed (Dawson Andriopoulos 2009 p:141).   Most groups in all different types of settings will go through most of the stages over the course of a team forming process. When the lecturer first asked us to divide ourselves into groups in which we would have to develop a business plan, our group remained in the forming stage for quite a while.   It took us many days and many meetings to figure out what we were doing and make up a team.   We were four persons in the group but one of the members eliminated themselves for apparent reasons. In order to perform, I had to get persons which were somewhat more knowledgeable in certain aspects of business then I am, and unfortunately but gratefully everyone already had chosen people so the people that were left just decided to combine. Each member had or rather felt that they could specialize better in a field which they were more equipped in, and by this each member was automatically assigned to a specific part in the business plan. I was initially responsible for operations plan and the industry overview as I felt more fitted in this aspect of business, and as I always consider what people need and how t hings should be done. Stacey was assigned to concentrate on the marketing aspect, whilst Thokozani was granted doing the financial section and the position acquisition, because of his excellent capability in accounting field. We each typed out our own sections, as we felt we should all be present for explanation on the others disclosure and for approval reasons. Although the forming stage did take a while, we were able to cover most of the norming stage at the same time because we started knowing each other quite well.   Once we finally formed our team, the rest of the stages went much easier.   We were able to finish up the norming and began performing rather quickly.   Our group performed quite well together and spent very little time, if any, in the storming stage. We are currently finishing up the adjourning stage right now until the completion of our individual reflective reports. Process of the Initiation Firstly I came up with the idea of a coffee shop as my mother is always argumentative about how she likes her coffee and what she enjoys most about it. This was my sole inspiration, aside from the idea of a sports bar which I thought was a bit far-fetched as it required a lot of attention and reliable people. Each group member came up with an idea and we evaluated each, but our main focus was to concentrate on service, evidently we had to choose from an internet cafà ©, the sports bar, a mountain bike shop and the coffee shop, one member had suggested a casino and a clothing shop, we had brainstormed all these ideas and the next time we met we all gave our opinions on which would be more realistic and we decided on the coffee shop, we agreed upon the name Coffi-Bean which we felt is just a little bean about to erupt, solely because of its potential to grow extensively and because we had agreed on a slightly newly urbanized area Southdowns. Industry and Competitive Analysis I was responsible for the operations plan of the team and the analysis of Porters five forces. I was involved in decision making, providing ideas and opinions, running the sessions and the analyzing of Porters five forces. I motivated team members and myself to reach goals, and did planning before moving on to next parts of the business plan. Even though, this business plan was very hard and required a lot of work and was very time-consuming, our team worked very well together which made it easier. Incorrect decisions can waste investment funding and delay time to market, or worse, create corporate chaos that affects the very foundation of the firms financial stability (Drummond, Ensor Ashford 2008, p: 140). Thats why Stacey uncovered a market gap in the newly established location where the supply was smaller than demand. Relating to our business, gap analysis can be defined as an approach to identifying the unmet needs of consumers, in which respondents are asked to envisage the ideal coffee shop and then to rate various coffee shops on key attributes; if no existing coffee shop measures up to the ideal, a gap exists which could be filled by a coffee shop (Drummond, Ensor Ashford 2008, p: 146). Through detailed research of local and national market demand curves, we identified market gap opportunities that aligned with our strategic and tactical business growth objectives. The gap in the market was identified after Stacey brought to our attention that the coffee and restaura nt industry was booming at that present time, and that there was a demand for small cozy places that were not forming a part of the large generic chains. She also convinced us that the coffee business in general does not show signs of slowing down. And because of the new innovations such as flavorings and additives, the business would be viable and it should continue for some time. Looking back at our business plan, I still believe that we have chosen the right industry to be in because; at present, time is right for opening a coffee house. I did some research and found out that Coffee houses were having a great deal of success, which was and still is evidenced by the full houses every day of the week. And because Southdowns is a new area in Centurion it had no such places yet. A competitive analysis is a critical part of any business plans marketing plan. With this evaluation, we can establish what makes a product or service unique, and therefore what characteristic your business plays up in order to attract the target market (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson 2009, p:58). Competitive analysis can be defined as identifying the competitors and evaluating their strategies to determine their strengths and weaknesses relative to those of your own coffee shop (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson 2009, p:58). Looking back at the business plan, I have pin-pointed accurate key competitors. The biggest competition there was, was MuggBean located all the way in Centurion Mall. And a customer from our area had to drive 10 to 20 minutes, in order to reach that coffee house. The majorities of these establishments were and are located on the central side of town. And only a few were beginning to open in the newly established area. Presentation Experience A professional and well-written business plan is the foundation towards the growth and success of a business. However a good and high quality business plan presentation is an essential for companies seeking for funds. A business plan presentation is usually a type of lecture, given by an individual or group, on a specific work-related topic (Scarborough, Douglas Zimmerer 2009, p:217). The ideas presented should include industry research and plan outcomes, such as a new advertisement for a product designed to increase profits (Scarborough, Douglas Zimmerer 2009, p:217). The success of a business plan often depends not only on its contents, but also the quality of the presentation itself (Scarborough, Douglas Zimmerer 2009, p:217). Presenting the business plan was a frightening task. While I have no problem speaking in front of large group of people on just about any topic, opening our business plan and individual thoughts for criticism was very nerve wracking. I felt like the panel was looking at me like a deer caught in headlights. Straight after the presentation I felt uneasy and uncomfortable that maybe the panel hated the presentation and that they would say, oh, dont get him to speak again- he was boring! But after I have received the groups feedback, I realized where our problems were. I as well as my team members were reading too much from the slides and at the same time failed to include many of the important aspects of the business plan into our presentation. That said, I have learned that for all my future presentations I will be more clear about my objective, I will understand my audience, I will focus on the content and not the add-ons, I will get the audience to relate to the content and to always try and convey my point without reading from the slides. Alternative Scenario Looking back, I think our predictions for return on our investment and for future growth were just about right. We did take into account the losses that might occur despite this we kept in mind what we had learned that risk taking is all about business and thats what makes a success. Our chosen business was designed so that it could evolve with changing time, we focused on flexibility and constancy as our mere attraction was to seek loyalty in our market. We had researched coffee houses and concluded that they are viable; as people are becoming more demanding in our time on relaxation and a comfortable atmosphere, by identifying this we perceived that it is an ideal business opportunity. Although competition might be tight, we concentrated more on the fact that their arent any coffee houses in that specific shopping centre which also attracted us to that location and because Stacey is so keen on entertaining there arent any entertainment shops which we felt was a competitive edge the coffee house would have and although there is no cover charge for all entertainment events, Thokozani felt this was a good way to obtain funds on adding these extras. We might have disregarded our advertising costs a little, as we initially didnt want to spend a lot on our first opening as we were uncertain of the outcome, but most certainly the potential of the coffee shop is considerably a good opportunity. Even though I think that our business plan was just about right in order to achieve our growth objectives, there are still few points or alternative additions that I would have preferred to be included in it. No two business plans are alike, a business plan for one coffee shop say a casual, fast-food establishment will be much different than that for another coffee shop such as a formal sit-down place. Therefore it is the unique aspects of a restaurant that help to give it a competitive advantage. First, the business plan should have had the section that carefully explained food and beverage production. Where will food be prepared? What safety procedures would be implemented to protect employees and customers from the dangers of food poisoning? In preparing certain menu items (dishes), how will consistency be maintained (i.e. computerized recipe file, use of requisition forms, etc.)? Secondly, when Thokozani prepared the sales projections for our business plan, he should have take n into consideration the estimated number of meals and/or drinks that would be served daily/weekly/monthly, as well the average daily seat turnover and the average check. Usefulness of the Business Plan The business plans usefulness is not limited to helping the entrepreneurs raise funds to support the opening of the business (Madura 2009, p:208). The business plan will be used as a guide for making business decisions throughout the life of the business. It provides a sense of direction for businesses future development (Madura 2009, p:208). The success or failure of any firm is partially dependent on its business plan. A complete business plan normally includes an assessment of the business environment, a management plan, a marketing plan and a financial plan (Madura 2009, p:208). The restaurant business is a very challenging business field to enter. When starting a new business, we as owners will have a lot of decisions to make. Creating a high-quality business plan will allow an owner to have a guide to reference as challenges arise (Fullen 2005, p:184). A restaurant without a written and well-thought-out business plan runs an extremely high risk of failure in its first year of operation (Fullen 2005, p:184). In my opinion the part of the business plan which we didnt really look into were our actions to take when and if the unforeseen competition has to enter the market, unexpected expenses has arise or if our financing opportunities has to change based on the current economic situation. If by some chance these hardships do not occur, it is easier to adjust a restaurant business plan for that than it is for dealing with situations we did not anticipate and plan for. Conclusion Overall, I really enjoyed going through all the stages of the business plan development, because I was able to apply what I learned in class to a real-world situation.   Many classes teach you a bunch of stuff but never give you the opportunity to see it for yourself.   For instance, Ive learned so much about formulation of marketing, management and financial strategies, but have never had to go through that in real life.   Other classes teach you things, but you never use it until years later, at which time you have forgotten some, if not all of it.   I was able to take what I learned each week in class and use it to help me with the business plan.   I think this quick application of the principles allows for greater development as a leader will be able to use what I have learned now and years in the future.   I can also use our group formulation and development as an example when Im in future groups and build upon the successes and learn from the failures.   This busi ness plan made a big impact on me and the rest of my group. Sources Consulted Dawson, P Andriopoulos, C 2009, Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation, Sage Publications, London, UK Drummond, G Ensor, J Ashford, R 2008, Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control, Butterworth-Heinemann Publications, Oxford Fullen, S 2005, Opening a restaurant or other food business starter kit, Atlantic Publishing, Florida Hitt, M Ireland, D Hoskisson, R 2009, Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization: concepts cases, Cengage Leraning Publications, Ohio Madura, J 2007, Introduction to Business, Cengage Learning Publications, Ohio Scarborough, N Wilson, D Zimmerer, T 2009, Effective Small Business Management, Prentice Hall, London

Development Of Iago In Othello English Literature Essay

Development Of Iago In Othello English Literature Essay Iago is one of the most interesting and deeply developed characters in the tragedy Othello by William Shakespeare. Using carefully thought-out actions and words, Iago manipulates others to do things in a way that helps him and gets him to reach his aspirations. He is the driving force in this play, pushing Othello and every other character towards the tragic ending. Its first apparent that Iago is just your normal run of the mill villain but he is far more than that. Shakespeare has decided to make Iago amoral which adds a new depth to character and makes his actions even more villainous then they already were. Iago is a very smart character and this only aids him in his villainous ploy. Iago now starts revealing his plot to take down Othello. Being the intelligent character he is, Iago plays on Roderigos feelings for Desdemona and steals money from him. Thus do I ever make my fool my purse. For I mine own gained knowledge should profane if I would time expend with such a snipe but for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor, and it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets hes done my office. I know not if t be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety. He holds me wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Iago sees it as wasted time and knowledge if he didnt play on Roderigo and get money from him or even use him against Othello. Iago simply sees Roderigo as just being desposable and easy to toy with; just a stepping stone down his path of greed. In this quote he also explains explains one of the major reasons why he wants the ultimate fall of Othello and how he will manipulate Othello into believing that Cassio has had an affair with Desdemona. Along with being intelligent Iago is also a quick thinker and is able to tackle just about any situation that you may throw at him. We first see this when Roderigo is livid once he finds out Iagos scheme but Iago is able to make it seem a better and calm Roderigo down. He took Roderigos anger and twisted it into a way to better along his plan. If Roderigo is blinded by anger then it wont be hard for Iago to make him believe anything. Iagos long term goal is to make Othello look bad and what better way to do that then to make him think his wife is cheating on him? He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper! With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do, I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true, tis so, indeed. If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By simply twisting around normal friendly actions he can make anything seem worse and that is just what he does with Cassio and Desdemonas relationship. Cassio and Desdemona are nothing more then simple friends but when Iago sees them interacting in a little more then a friendly way he thinks of a plan to make Othello believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. None of this would be possible if Iago didnt talk in such natural and vindictive speech. Iago talks in a lot of prose instead verse and that makes him a little easier to understand and get his point across. He also interacts as if he is genuinely trying to help Othello but in all reality he is only helping himself and praying that everyone else will fail. These interactions with other characters have led him to be known as Honest Iago even though he has already planted the seed of tragedy in Othellos mind. Iago is a master of abusing peoples trust to gain more power and further the completion of his goals, and he does this with Othello. He keeps the characters trusting him and believing that he is there for them and helping them until it all comes back on him. Iago is able to keep Cassios trust for as long as he needs it just by doing little favors like this; guaranteeing time with Desdemona. Ill send her to you presently, and Ill devise a mean to draw the Moor out of the way, that your converse and business may be more free. In order to keep their trust he must keep doing things throughout the play for them but keep his ending goal. What appears as a friendly gesture turns into a way to bring Cassio, Desdemona, and Othello down from their high graces. Iago sets up the situation then turns around and uses Cassios good looks, and flirtatious manner with women to play on what he already installed in Othellos mind about Desdemonas fidelity. In the end of the play he completely betrays Cassio and tells Roderigo to kill him. Neither of them are useful anymore to Iago so he sees no reason to keep them around any longer. I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense, and he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo, he calls me to a restitution large of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him as gifts to Desdemona. It must not be. If Cassio do remain he hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me uglyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Roderigo was nothing more then a vehicle in Iagos plot and now that he is done with Roderigo there is no need to keep him around and Cassio is the likely man to kill him. Iago has already made Cassio look bad in Othellos eyes and thats all he wanted to do but to Iago he doesnt care whether Roderigo kills Cassio or Cassio kills Roderigo because either way it is good for him. In the end of it Iago has to do it himself all while keeping up his perfect image. While Iago and Bianca are helping Cassio, Iago sends off Emilia to tell Othello but in turn Emilia reveals to Othello all about how evil and vindictive Iago is. Iago kills Emilia because she is nothing more than a nuisance and is the only person that can stop him from getting what he wants, but in the end it was Iago who really stopped himself. Iagos selfishness, scheming, lying and petty revenge are what lead to the death of everything Iago once knew; even himself.

Edvard Munch :: essays research papers fc

Robertson 1 It is a cold and damp day as I head to the news station. The wind outside has gusto and with each passing step I keep thinking to myself that any second I could scream because the wind is so fierce. The rain is pouring down and my umbrella seems to be malfunctioning due to a lack of strength in my wrist to hold it up. I am late, and afraid of what the boss will say. Today is a day that everyone in the studio has been talking about, today is the day that I meet the Norwegian artist we know as Edvard Munch. I step inside the building and am approached by my boss refusing to know, "Why did you insist to be late today, out of all days, do you know how many art critiques are watching?" I feel ashamed, but it is only a second before my moral is lifted and I am met by a man of great size. A man that is most known for his work on "The Scream" and here standing before me is Edvard Much. I approach Mr. Munch and shake his hand, it is a bit clammy and very cold and hard. I guess it will take technology longer than we think to get this reincarnation thing down right. He smiles, although I am not so sure that I wanted him to, I have never seen someone whose teeth were as awfully stained as his, but then again, death will do that to you. Kelly: Hello sir, I am glad to meet you, so glad that you could grace us with you presence. Please have a seat, they will be doing a countdown any minute before we go on, your not nervous are you? Edvard: Grace? Your scientists were the ones that thought it would appease society to see someone reincarnated, I was having a joyous time up in Heaven with all the oils, and the canvases, and the lights and darks. Nervous, not at all. I don't get nervous anymore, not ever since the time that I put out my first piece of artwork. Robertson 2 Camera man: And three, two, one. Alright, your on. Kelly: Good morning art critiques all across America. I am Kelly Robertson doing a special report today with Edvard Munch. Yes, that is right, we are the first to try reincarnation for the first time at the station and successfully manage to succeed.

Environmental Management Essay -- Environment, Forest Officials, Poli

The role of the State is still crucial to twenty-first century environmental policy making. The State through its various different organizations is involved in implementing policies related to the direct and active manipulation of the environment (Wilson, 1997). The State devises a set of rules governing the access and withdrawals of the resource stock (Grafton, 2000). For example, forest officials, such as the Forestry Commission in the United Kingdom directly manages and exploits state owned forests. The State’s indirect environmental management policy role is often considered the most important. The distinctive feature of the State is that it has control through coercion in a given territory. Through the perspective of environmental management policies, this is important as the State is lawfully in a -position to force non-State environmental managers in the pursuit of its own policy and environmental outlook (Wilson, 1997). State policies designed to regulate logging on p rivate and publicly owned land are enforced through legal acts and contravention of these regulations could lead to prosecution. These official policies require non-State environmental managers to alter their practices in line with rules set by the state (Wilson, 1997; UK Forestry Standard, 2011). Therefore, State environmental management policies are designed to control the environmental management practices of other groups associated with taking from and adding to the environment. The uniqueness of the State’s policy making role is that it holds great responsibility for the promotion of the common good for all within the national territory and has the authority to fulfil this. Consequently the State plays an enormous role in environmental policy making. Alt... ...nge. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity are both environmental regimes established under the auspices of the United Nations. Agreements such as these provide a criterion for positive environmental action whereas their related protocols outline specific ways to address particular features of the overall environmental problem. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol assigns emission reduction targets to States, aiming to reduce global warming. The internationalism of environmental management is predominantly constructed upon the commitment, negotiations and agreements between individual States. This new structure of environmental management reflects the growth of a global civil society and has mobilised States at the international level. Environmental Management Essay -- Environment, Forest Officials, Poli The role of the State is still crucial to twenty-first century environmental policy making. The State through its various different organizations is involved in implementing policies related to the direct and active manipulation of the environment (Wilson, 1997). The State devises a set of rules governing the access and withdrawals of the resource stock (Grafton, 2000). For example, forest officials, such as the Forestry Commission in the United Kingdom directly manages and exploits state owned forests. The State’s indirect environmental management policy role is often considered the most important. The distinctive feature of the State is that it has control through coercion in a given territory. Through the perspective of environmental management policies, this is important as the State is lawfully in a -position to force non-State environmental managers in the pursuit of its own policy and environmental outlook (Wilson, 1997). State policies designed to regulate logging on p rivate and publicly owned land are enforced through legal acts and contravention of these regulations could lead to prosecution. These official policies require non-State environmental managers to alter their practices in line with rules set by the state (Wilson, 1997; UK Forestry Standard, 2011). Therefore, State environmental management policies are designed to control the environmental management practices of other groups associated with taking from and adding to the environment. The uniqueness of the State’s policy making role is that it holds great responsibility for the promotion of the common good for all within the national territory and has the authority to fulfil this. Consequently the State plays an enormous role in environmental policy making. Alt... ...nge. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity are both environmental regimes established under the auspices of the United Nations. Agreements such as these provide a criterion for positive environmental action whereas their related protocols outline specific ways to address particular features of the overall environmental problem. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol assigns emission reduction targets to States, aiming to reduce global warming. The internationalism of environmental management is predominantly constructed upon the commitment, negotiations and agreements between individual States. This new structure of environmental management reflects the growth of a global civil society and has mobilised States at the international level.

Art and Humanities Essay

The Music I associate with from my early childhood would be so many different songs from like the alphabet songs. When I grew up we were not allowed watching TV so much in the 70’s. But we watched some cartoons like the Surf’s on Saturday mornings; I still remember the song Fa-la-la-la. I grew up listing to reggae and oldies but goodies music on my parents little radio in the living room. When I hear these songs I have a smile on my face. It always reminded me when my children was listening to some of the same kind of music either on Television or radio or when they watched cartoons like Old MacDonald or Bitsy Spider with the same good old folk rhymes. As I got older I remember listening to bands like the S. O. S. , Dazz band. My mom always made me play her cassette deck with her oldies or reggae music while she cleaned the house top to bottom. She always danced around while she was cleaning and it made cleaning looked like so much fun. And to this day if I help my wife with house chores I listen to the same kind of music then my mother was listening to. My daughter is the exact same way; she plays music all the times. The Music I associate with my adolescence is R&B disco music from the 1980’s and 90’s. I loved mostly all of them and I would listen to any songs â€Å"I want to be your man† by Rogers or Keith Sweat â€Å"Make it last forever†, â€Å"Between the sheets† by The Isley Brothers, I could just go on and on. I went through many phases where I start listening to Madonna or country music and different artists like them, but I believe it had something do to with being a young boy growing up. Up to this day I could listen to all the same artists, bands or songs and think about the carefree days I had and being a high school boy being crazy with all my friends. But there was a time in my life where I was real crazy and just listening to rap music and started using the bad words and believe me that was not for long because my mother got rid of all my rap music quickly. And now if my children would listen to some rap music I tell them please not in my home. When it comes to comfort in music I always find myself going back and listen to oldies or reggae that was always  playing when my mother was cleaning the house. It was an everyday thing for my mom because it seemed that our home was never clean enough for her because we were six children coming in from football fields dirty or the backyard. But anytime I came into the house the same oldies or reggae music was playing, it was either Bob Marley† Buffalo Soldiers† or the oldies song† Let’s stay together† by Al Green When I have a bad day or just want to relax I find myself sitting down and turn on music and listen to the 70’s or 80’s songs, because that is what gets my head clear and then I can focus again. Happiness is a mood I would associate with songs or music that has a good rhythm and has a positive message. The song that makes me happy is â€Å"Buffalo Soldiers† by Bob Marley just like my mother, she would play that song over and over again. I would say that every genre and style of music has it songs that are happy, sad, comforting, depressing, fun and any other mood or feeling one could have. This is not because of how the song really sounds or the way it’s played, it’s the meaning from the lyrics. But the listener interprets the song in a way that only you can relate to. That is why music is so important to me because it can be a musical time line of our memories. I will always remember the music I grew up with and all the god times I had as a child and this is what I took into my Adulthood. In my life, music has been a constant, ever changing magical and amazing adventure. Music has always been a part of an everyday life for so many years and so many more years to come, because no matter if we understand the music that the one likes or not it does not matter to us. All we need to know is what we like and what impact music has on us. Music may make a person happy or sad because of the memories they re-live. No matter what it might be you must know that music is needed and wanted. References: Altschuler, R. J. (2009). The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Retrieved from: www. youtube. com/watch? v=S5FCdx7Dn0o Retrieved from: www. youtube. com/watch? v=RCcg7ctrC4w.

Applying Resource Based View to Strategic Human Resource Essay

What is Resource Based View in Strategic Management? Almost all business management courses have a module that includes study of  strategic management. Our homework helps experts have expertise in the field of strategic management. There are different perspectives and approaches to field of strategic management. This blog post would discuss in detail what resource based view of strategic management is. This perspective stresses and based on the perspective that resources of the company whether tangible or intangible like brand name, assets, cash, customer loyalty, research and development capabilities are an important and main aspect while forming or pursuing a unique strategic position for a company. This concept of strategic management rather than being driven by the environment is internally resource driven and in this perspective of strategic management the organization is viewed as a collection of capabilities and competences. Organizations leverage new actives from its existing core competencies. According to Barney (1991) analysis of the impact of a firm’s environment on its competitive position is based on two assumptions. First, firms within an industry or a strategic group are identical in terms of strategic relevant sources they control and the strategies they pursue and second, these models assume that should resources heterogeneity develop in an industry or group will be very short lived because the resources that firms use to implement their strategies are highly mobile i. e. they can be bought or sold in factor markets (Barney, 1991). Resource based view assumes that companies within an industry or group may be heterogeneous with respect to the strategic resources they control and these are not perfectly mobile, thus heterogeneity can be long lasting (Barney, 1991). Simply, it is suggested that firm resources may be heterogeneous and immobile. According to Daft (1983), â€Å"firm resources include all assets, capabilities, organisational processes, firm attributes, information, knowledge, etc. controlled by a firm that enable the firm to conceive of and implement strategies that improve its efficiency and effectiveness†. According to Barney (1991), firm resources that hold the potential for sustained competitive advantage must have four attributes which are valuable, rare, In-imitable, and non-substitutable. So in resource based view of the firm, strategy of the firm is basically dependent on firms’ resources. This view again as the market based view is focus on some important aspects but at the same time ignores some other basic aspects of strategy formulation for a company. So resource based view of the firm is also not a balanced view. We hope that this blog post is useful for the students and practitioners of the field ofstrategic management. Please email us toinfo@assignmenthelpexperts. com  if you need any  strategic management  helpregarding the module of strategic management. The Resource Based View (RBV), argued by some to be at the foundation of modern HRM,[13]  focusses on the internal resources of the organisation and how they contribute to competitive advantage. The uniqueness of these resources is preferred to homogeneity and HRM has a central role in developing human resources that are valuable, rare, difficult to copy or substitute and that are effectively organized. Overall, the theory of HRM argues that the goal of human resource management is to help an organization to meet strategic goals by attracting, and maintaining employees and also to manage them effectively. The key word here perhaps is â€Å"fit†, i. e. a HRM approach seeks to ensure a fit between the management of an organization’s employees, and the overall strategic direction of the company (Miller, 1989). The resource-based view to strategic human resource management (SHRM) focuses on the costly to copy attributes of the firm as the fundamental drivers of performance and competitive advantage (Cooner 1991). Linking to the understanding of the resource based view of the firm; Barney (1991) described competitive advantage as â€Å"when a firm is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors†. The task is to maintain this competitive advantage in such a way that competitors’ efforts to replicate that advantage are frustrated and eventually cease. The resource-based view focuses on the promotion of sustained competitive advantage through the development of the human capital rather than merely aligning human resources to current strategic goals (Torrington et al 2002). This essay will show various ways on how the resource-based view of SHRM in organisations can contribute to enhanced organisational performance. Human resources can provide competitive advantage for the business, as long as they are unique and can not be copied or substituted for by competing organisations, competitive success not coming from simply making choices in the present, but from building up distinctive capabilities over significant periods of time (Boxall 1996).

Evolution of Medicare Essay

Abstract The article briefly describes about the Medicare and its benefits. The article also explains the loopholes in the Medicare policy and why it lacks certain vital aspects. Finally in the concluding remarks I have explained the gray areas where the Medicare needs some rectification and improvement to help serve its purpose. Evolution of Medicare According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare is stated as a health insurance program for people aged 65 years and above or people with disabilities but under 65 years of age and/or people suffering from end-stage renal disease such as permanent kidney failure. Diane Rowland stated that Medicaid originated based on companion legislation enacted in 1965 providing â€Å"federal matching grants to states to finance care.† According to Tricia Neuman, Medicare covers about 41 million people with 35 million elderly and 6 million disabled below 65 years of age. Medicare can be classified into following parts: Part A – Inpatient hospital care and limited skilled nursing care Part B – Physician services and other outpatient hospital services Part C – HMO’s and other private care (Combination of Part A and Part B) Part D – Outpatient prescription drug coverage.   The US Department of Health and Human Services stated that an individual is eligible for Medicare if S/he or spouse has been employed for a minimum of â€Å"10 years in a Medicare covered government employment† and is 65 years or above and a permanent resident cum citizen of the US. An individual below 65 years of age but suffering from a disability or end-stage renal disease would also qualify to avail of Medicare services. According to the National Medicare Commission some of the important points to be noted are as follows: Without reform Part A of trust fund is bound to become bankrupt in the year 2008. Medicare beneficiaries are already paying 30% of their health care costs from their pockets for items such as premiums, services and products not covered under Medicare. The Annual Medicare expenditure is expected to rise in the range of $2.2 trillion to $3 trillion by 2030. Consequently the Medicare spending would occupy a â€Å"larger part of the federal budget† and funding for other important programs like national defense, justice, health and safety and environmental protection will potentially get affected. According to Holly Sklar, besides being costly the US ranks 29th in World Health Organization healthy life expectancy rankings and sad to note that US is behind 36 other countries in child mortality of age less than five years. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) the United States topped with a 15% spending of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health in 2003 in comparison to an average of 8.6% spending in 30 other OECD countries. Despite the fact that US tops among the OECD countries in spending from its GDP, some of the startling facts are that it has lesser number of physicians, nurses and hospital beds per person and fewer MRI and CT scanners than an average OECD nation. â€Å"Lack of health insurance is killing many more Americans than terrorism.† After a brief discussion about Medicare, it is clear that reforms need to take place on an immediate basis to avoid bankruptcy of Part A of trust fund and the steps seem to be moving in a right direction with regard to charging higher premiums to those with higher incomes, thus bringing in equality in treatments. A flaw rectified recently was in respect of outpatient drug benefit, but there needs to be some more improvement so as to provide long term care and also provide hearing aids, eyeglasses and dental care. References Medicare Eligibility Tool. The US Department of Health and Human Services. Page retrieved from: http://www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/home.asp?dest=NAV%7CHome%7CGeneralEnrollment&version=default&browser=IE%7C7%7CWinXP&language=English Diane Rowland. Medicaid: The Basics (2005). Kaiser Commission on Medicaid. Powerpoint presentation available on: http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/medicaidbasics/medicaid.html Tricia Neuman. Medicare 101 (2005). The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Powerpoint presentation available on: http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/Medicare%20101/Medicare101.html National Medicare Commission. The Facts About Medicare. National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. Page retrieved from: http://medicare.commission.gov/medicare/factpage4.html Holly Sklar. Time for Health Care for All on Medicare’s 40th Anniversary (2005). Politics of Health. page retrieved from: http://politicsofhealth.org/main/time_for_health_care_for_all_on_medicare_s_40th_anniversary