Project Management Essay Example for Free

Project Management Essay I am sending out bid documents to look for a contractor to analyze my organization’s IT help desk needs, standardize policies, procedures, hardware and software, and provide the necessary training and documentation. But before that takes place the â€Å"Scope† of what will be procured needs to be defined. The fore knowledge that my wants it’s IT help desk analyzed is a good start. The definition of the â€Å"What† as Fleming mentioned is the most important aspects of managing a project. I would develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) after the project has been defined. (Fleming, 2003, 116) The question of who will perform the work will come after a Request for Proposal has been prepared for released to prospective sellers. (Fleming, 2003, 122) This step in the contracting phase is normally called The Pre-award Phase, pre-award is the first phase of the contract management process and comprises all buyer and seller actions from procurement planning through submitting a bid or proposal. The pre-award stage is where my organizations IT help desk requirements will be clearly described in an unambiguously fashion and our objectives as well as risk will be considered. (Garrett, 2007, 80) The request for proposals (RFP) includes the following documents: Section I Letter of invitation Section II Information to consultants Appendix to Consultants information Section III Terms of Reference Section IV Technical proposals Section V Financial proposal Section VI Standard Contract Form In the subsection of the RFP Fleming’s example of â€Å"Model Contract† will addressed. (Fleming, 2003, 148) †¢Statement of Work (SOW) †¢Technical Specifications †¢Terms Conditions (TCs) †¢Data reporting †¢Status Reviews †¢Management Requirements The Statement of Work (SOW) describes the buyer’s requirements in sufficient detail to allow prospective sellers to determine whether they can provide the product, service, of solution. (Garrett, 2007, 87) The technical specifications will always be added by the IT department for this project. (Fleming, 2003, 148) The terms and conditions are generally used when the source selection decision will be price driven. (Garrett, 2007, 89) Terms conditions will come from purchasing. (Fleming, 2003, 148) The key component to (TCs) is the main duty of (TCs) and that is to cover the critical issues and how the seller can make changes to an existing procurement. The (TCs) will also cover any legal requirements. (Fleming, 2003, 152) Evaluation: Any effort to win my organization’s IT contract will be based on an objective analysis. Once the proposals are received by all participating sellers the final selection will be made using the following evaluation criteria: Note the criteria were determined before RFP’s were issued: (Fleming, 2003, 165) †¢Technical †¢Management †¢Quality †¢Warranty †¢Price The final source will be made on the listed criteria and must be submitted in a written and oral presentation method. In a side note that would be clearly stated in my RFP and in the Contract the areas of Confidentiality Ownership, will be addressed with the following: Confidentiality: The Consultant shall not, during the term of this Contract and within two years after its expiration, disclose any proprietary or confidential information relating to the Services, this Contract or the Client’s business or operations without the prior written consent of the Client. Ownership of Any studies, reports or other material, graphic, software Material or otherwise prepared by the Consultant for the Client under the Contract shall belong to and remain the property of the Client. The Consultant may retain a copy of such documents and software.

The Non Renewable Energy Sources Environmental Sciences Essay

The Non Renewable Energy Sources Environmental Sciences Essay Non-renewable energy sources is widely used for its relatively cheap price, it is readily available, its location, integration, and economic benefits. Nonrenewable energy sources are a lot cheaper to mine and utilize versus the alternative renewable energy resources. The United States Energy Information Administration states that power plants fueled by coal and other nonrenewable energy sources produce electricity at a cheaper cost than when generated by renewable energy source, wind for example. Biofuels, derived from plants, are more expensive to produce and yield a worse miles per gallon rating than non-renewable source petroleum. Many people have supported the use of renewable energy, but have not thought of the negative effects it can bring to society if it were to completely replace non-renewable energy sources. It can lead to an increase in unemployment if this were to happen. Fossil fuel industries employ millions of people and generate more than a trillion dollars in revenue . The transition of adopting an alternative energy will provide jobs but the magnitude of such action will only be hard to do. Renewable energy can only be sited in certain location and its distribution is no readily available to that of petroleum. Petroleum, a fossil fuel, can be easily distributed through pipelines to most areas at a relatively low cost. This provides a better alternative than that of alternative energy sources. Take wind turbines as an example, an electric-producing generator that requires areas that have significant amount of winds are not as effective as utilizing oil that is readily available. Global infrastructures are designed to use non-renewable energy and the integration of renewable sources is one that is hard to implement. Making this transition will require wholesale changes in energy production and its distribution. Biofuel, an alternative energy, requires its own pumps and well which require a huge investment of capital on part of the seller. Just li ke non-renewable energy, sources have its advantages it also has its disadvantages (http://www.ehow.com/list_7221490_benefits-nonrenewable-energy-sources.html). Non-renewable energy sources, fossil fuels, is highly sought for being the cheapest alternative other energy, but many disadvantages exists with its use. The issues entangled with such energy source are that it is a finite source, produces pollution, environmental issues, and human dependency. Non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels will eventually run out and humans must shift to other alternatives. It takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form and we are consuming them at a fast rate. Once this finite source runs out, humans will need to invest in alternative energies and if not done in time, it can stunt economic growth. Fossil fuels when utilized produce a byproduct known as carbon dioxide, which is the culprit to hurting the human health. Many industrial companies produce tons of carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide into the atmosphere causing a greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the main contributor to global warming, the process of earths increase in temper ature due to the destruction of the ozone layer. This contributes to the melting of ice caps, which in return will raise the ocean and destroy habitats. During mining for coal and drilling oil there are many dangers to the environment involved. It creates an imbalance to our ecosystem by destroying the land and the surrounding habitats. Oil spills caused by drilling in the oceans damages the marine life and the natural balance of the underwater ecosystem (http://www.ehow.com/info_7823431_disadvantages-nonrenewable-sources-energy.html). Non-renewable energy source mainly consist of coal, oil, gas, and nuclear power. In the United States and many other countries the most well-known fossil fuel is coal. Coal has been used as a power source since the dawn of the industrial revolution. Coal was formed from plant life buried in the Earth millions of years ago and it is carbon based. (http://www.universetoday.com/73708/what-are-fossil-fuels/#ixzz2MtbMpSsF). It is the largest non-renewable energy sources consumed in the United States. During 1997, U.S. coal production reached a record high of 1,087 million tons, an increase of 2.3 percent, or 25 million tons, above 1996 production levels (PDF). Coal is commonly used to produce electricity in power plants, fuel for heating, and for making steel. Many chemicals derived from coal are used to produce and manufacture nylon, paints, plastics, and rubber among other products. Coal is ranked based on the amount of heat it produces. It is ranked, in increasing order, brown coal, subbituminous coal, bituminous coal, and anthracite. Bituminous is the most common type and is soft coal. Just as coal is sought for its properties and use, oil is also a strong non-renewable energy source. Crude oil comes in a variety of characteristics it ranges from a very fluid volatile liquid to a viscous like fluid, close to semisolid. Their density varies, according to how dense the crude oil is, it is described as heavy, average or light. The lighter it the density the more gasoline it contains, a preferred refined product. It can come in multiple colors in its crude state. Colors consist of black, green, yellow, or even transparent. Gasoline, also known in its raw form as petroleum is another fossil fuel. Everyone knows about gasoline because the important role it plays in our economy. Gasoline powers the majority of automobiles and vehicles on the planet today. The combustion engine made using gasoline a cheap and efficient source of energy for powering these vehicles (http://www.universetoday.com/73708/what-are-fossil-fuels/#ixzz2MtbCUaYE). Crude oil, a hydrocarbon, is composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen with some minor impurities of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. It has multiple applications, once refined, such as gasoline, kerosene, furnace oil, and many other types. Petroleum is a crude oil that can be distilled to make lubricating oils, asphalt, and other products. Along with coal, it is one of the major producers of energy. In combination, coal and petroleum produce 60 percent of U.S. energy consumed today and their use is expected to generate 20 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity by 2015, up from a 1995 level of 11.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (PDF). Another non-renewable source composed of hydrocarbons is Natural gas. Natural gas is a mixture of flammable gases, mainly the hydrocarbons methane and ethane that occurs beneath the surface of the Earth. Natural gas is commonly found in association with petroleum due to the same favorable condition they are found it. It can be manufactured directly from coal and petroleum as well. Natural gas is favorable as an energy source because it inexpensive to transport via pipelines from one place to anot her. It is estimated that about 100 million metric tons of natural gas are reserve, estimated to last about 100 years. Another non-renewable energy source was expected to a clean and cheap alternative but lacked support. Nuclear power does not produce pollution such as greenhouse gasses compared to fossil fuels. Many believed this energy, at one point, be cheaper and outlast many other non-renewable resources. Many electrical power plants take advantage of nuclear energy as an alternative for producing electricity. Nuclear reactors provide the energy to heat the water that is converted into steam, which then drives a turbine-generator to produce electricity. The fission of uranium atoms allows the production of heat in the reactors to also produce the steam. Uranium is the fuel for nuclear reactors. It is an abundant and naturally radioactive element found in most rocks and as it decays it produces heat inside the Earths crust. This process is similar in a nuclear reactor. Heat is produced in a nuclear reactor when neutrons strike uranium atoms, causing them to split in a continuous chain reaction. There are several commercial reactors distributed around the United States whose design consist mainly of heavy steel pressure vessels surrounding the reactor core. This reactor core contains the uranium. Nuclear power, a non-renewable energy source, deemed to be the best compared to others in terms of clean efficient energy but its lack of management stunt its growth. Construction costs and the numerous regulation imposed by the government led this project to more expensive than originally predicted making it a nonprofit source, something not acceptable. Along with its poor management there posed many dangers with handling nuclear power. Nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in Ukraine raised many concerns about its safety. The United States has not built a new nuclear facility in over twenty years, a relatively complex energy source (http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Does_Nuclear_Energy_Work). Non-renewable energy as a source has been controversial for many reasons but humans are highly dependent of it. There are not any alternative and more efficient energy sources that can provide the world with cheaper and more readily energy than fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are frowned upon for the pollution they create. Even strong supporters of fossil fuel use will agree. The pollution leads to climate change, health risks from overexposure, and the highly controversial global warming. Whether it is about the release of greenhouse gases being release or spills of petroleum in natural habitats, the dangers are very real. We can assume that increased coal production and consumption will lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from fossil fuel power plants. Thus, not only is coal consumption increasing but, more importantly, carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas emitted from burning coal, will also increase (PDF). Scientists are looking for better ways to harvest and use fossil fuel. Some include a hybrid mixture of a non-renewable source with a renewable source. The mixing of gasoline with biofuels have shown to provide a cleaner form of carbon fuels such as natural gas and bio matter from livestock (http://www.universetoday.com/73708/what-are-fossil-fuels/#ixzz2MtbWMHIE). Besides the negative environmental impact of fossil fuels, the economic impact also is very damaging. Non-renewable are becoming more scarce and this will increase the price to obtain such needed energy. Non-renewable sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power will eventually run out or harder to produce leading humans to find more efficient renewable sources (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/nonrenewableresource.asp#ixzz2Mtc6J7RE).

The role of accounting information on business strategy formulation

The role of accounting information on business strategy formulation Abstract Although strategy development in large corporations has been well documented, the process of strategy deployment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has not been extensively investigated by academic researchers. This study tries to provide new empirical evidence and the practical realities on the nature and practice of strategic planning in Greek companies. Its primary target is to examine the formulation of strategic planning in Greek SMEs and also the role of accounting information on the business strategy of SMEs in Greece. The results of the research indicate a positive relationship between strategic planning implementation and accounting information received by accountants and used by SMEs and no relationship with other sources of advice such as government agencies or bank advisors. The importance that is given to sales, costs and profits signifies a business planning rather than a strategic planning orientation of Greek SMEs Keywords: strategic planning, strategic activities, external advisors, accounting information Introduction Academic literature in strategic management of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been very limited. Although the nature of strategic planning processes has been shown to have an important effect on the performance of firms [1], the field of strategic planning in SMEs is still in the early stages of its development. Its adolescence, relative to other more established areas of business and management theory, is evidenced by inconsistent and conflicting viewpoints [2] and only a few researchers have addressed the strategy-making processes of SMEs [3]. Limited research can also be observed on the usage of information from SMEs when strategically planning. Drury and Tayles [4] suggested that there is a need for more research that explores in much greater depth how managers use financial and non financial information. Recent research has shown that most SMEs are unable to utilize accounting and financial information. Owner-managers of SMEs may be expected to be fully aware of the product/service markets that their business are based in, but they may not be trained or proficient in accounting or financial management [5].The aim of this study is to add to the developing literature on strategic planning implementation in SMEs in Greece. Specifically the objectives of the study are to explore the extent of strategic planning of SMEs, to investigate the activities that owner/managers plan in advance and to identify internal and external advisors that help SMEs to strategically plan. Strategic Management and Strategic Planning Strategy is a term that is widely used by senior and middle managers. But the term seems to have multiple of meanings. There is no commonly accepted and universal meaning of strategy [6]. Due to this fact the definition of strategy has been the subject of extensive research since the 1960s. It has been described as the process of determining the long-term goals and objectives of an organization, by adopting a specific course of action and by allocating sufficient resources [7]. This traditional and rational definition was later challenged by Mintzberg contention that strategy was more a pattern of action resulting from intended or unintended strategies. Mintzberg claimed that strategy could be something more than an explicit plan of action. His five strategy dimensions that he recognized were: strategy as plan, strategy as pattern,strategy as ploy, strategy as perspective and strategy as position. These have been the basis for opening up the definition of strategy to a wider context of use [8]. Strategic planning concentrates on the setting of long-term organizational objectives, and the implementation of plans designed to achieve them. A suitable definition of strategic planning can be the devising and formulation of organizational level plans which set the broad and flexible objectives, strategies and policies of a business, driving the organization towards its vision of the future [2]. Porter [9] noted that further work was needed to enable business to understand strategic planning by arguing that while there has been considerable progress in developing frameworks that explain differing competitive success, at any given point in time, our understanding of the dynamic process by which firms perceive and ultimately attain superior market positions is far less developed. The SMEs literature Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial part for the economic growth of a country. SMEs contribute to outputs and employment and also affect the competitive ability of the large organizations [10]. SMEs can influence the competitiveness of large organizations by providing high quality inputs [11]. The importance of small and medium size businesses for future economic development has been reflected in a number of policy papers which have focused attention on the role of entrepreneurship, owner-managers and the small firm sector [12]. 3.1 The SMEs sector in Greece The contribution of the SMEs in the development, the employment and social coherence in Greece is substantial. In Greece, enterprises that have fewer than 50 employees form about 99.5 per cent of the total number of enterprises and employ the 74 per cent of the work force of the private sector. It should also be noted that Greek SMEs provide 70% of the new employment, reinforce the regional development and financial balance of the regions and make part of a cohesive financial and social link in Greek society. The role of SMEs in the national economy and employment is vital, since the main business model in Greece is and it will remain the micro enterprise which employs less than 10 persons. According to the criteria set by the European Commission, Greece has more than 733.000 qualified SMEs, from which more than half, 394.000 or the 53.7 per cent does not employ any salaried workers and they employ 11 people on average. [13] 3.2 Strategy in SMEs Academic research has been conducted on several broad fronts in order to define strategy in SMEs, from planning processes, to the individual personality of the owner-manager and the growth of a wide range of available advisory services providing information on strategic choice. Perry et al [14] argued that strategy should be examined in the everyday operating environment of the small firm. The formulation of strategy in SMEs has been the theme of many academic researchers. Some studies [15] examined the link between planning and performance in SMEs, while others [16] explored the difficulty of defining planning and strategic planning, and its dimensions, such as planning formality and performance in the small firm context. The definition of strategy in SMEs is often perceived as person centred rather than process driven. The performance of small firms is linked with the leadership style of the owner. Nahavandi and Malekzedah [17] in 1993 argued that the style and personality of the manager is central to the strategy definition process. Noble [18] after a series of exploratory interviews with the managing directors of SMEs, suggests that strategic deployment often fails as a result of SMEs inability to forecast and overcome implementation barriers. ORegan and Ghobadian [3] indicated a number of general barriers relating to the constraint of strategic planning implementation such as communication was inadequate, implementation took longer than expected, a shortfall in employee skills, objectives of strategy were not clearly understood by the staff, ineffective co-ordination of implementation, crises distracted attention from implementation, unexpected external problems arose and external factors impacted on implementation. Research Design This research applies the quantitative method to examine the implementation of strategic planning in SMEs in Greece. The central aim of the research is to provide empirical evidence on how SMEs use strategic planning and what kind of advice they use to aid them. Data were gathered by means of a survey questionnaire, all questions used a five-point Likert type scale; with a response of 1 indicating that an item received not agree and 5 indicating an item received agree. The sample consists of small and medium enterprises that are located in the Greek capital Athens and belong to the service and manufacturing sector. Questionnaires were distributed to a whole sample of 546 owner managers of small and medium sized enterprises. A postal questionnaire was used instead of sending e-mails, in order and to protect the participants anonymity and because some owner-managers were not familiar with the use of e-mails. From a total of 546 questionnaires mailed, 178 were returned, representing a 32 per cent response rate. Out of these 19 were found to have missing data and were deemed void. Therefore, data was collected from a total of 159 sets, representing a satisfactory response rate of approximately 29 per cent. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections, covering the following aspects: Strategic planning implementation in SMEs Strategic planning activities Advisors that affect strategic planning Accounting information used for strategic planning Prior to distributing the questionnaire to the sample, a pilot study was conducted to discover any errors, ambiguities, inadequate answers, or highlight any confusing questions. Enterprises that participated in the pilot study were excluded from the main study. Research Questions of the study Question 1: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the Total Strategic Planning Activities? Question 2: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of internal advisors? Question 3: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of external advisors? Question 4: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of accounting information? Findings and Discussion The findings of the present research are contradictory in certain respects. Despite a sizeable majority of respondents indicating that their companies undertake strategic planning, there is limited evidence of practical strategic planning in the sense of setting long-term business objectives. Research by Stonehouse and Pemberton [2] that was conducted for British SMEs had the similar results. In their research the 92 per cent of the companies indicated that they undertake strategic planning, either highly structured or of a general nature. They have found that most of these organizations were concentrated on short-term sales, cost and profit targets rather than longer-term goals. 6.1 Strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities Question 1 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities In order to answer the above question relating with the strategic planning implementation and the strategic planning objectives, correlation tests and T-tests were employed. First the researchers with the use of factor analysis divided the strategic planning activities (objectives) into three categories. In the first category were sales, costs, profits, production/service procedure and customer service. In the second category were staff training, staff appraisal, staff recruitment and advertising and in the third category were the market share, the expansion of the size of the enterprise and the mission of the company. With the use of Pearsons and Spearmans correlation it was found that strong relationship between strategic planning implementation and strategic activities exists only for sale targets, cost targets, profit targets, production outcome targets and for the improvement of quality service. Greek owner managers of SMEs in their great majority when strategically planning, neglect activities such as staff appraisal, training and recruitment, advertising, mission fulfillment and market share targets. The above results are in line with the findings reported by Stonehouse and Pemberton [2]. They found that contradictions between strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities could be explained in terms of a difference in perception between managers and academics on the nature of strategic planning. Furthermore, most Greek companies refer to strategic planning, but in practice they are more concerned with short-term objectives and what would be regarded by academic researchers as business planning. 6.2 Strategic planning and internal advice and assistance Question 2 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and human resources capital and internal advisors employed for strategic planning in Greek SMEs. Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation tests were used in order the research question to be answered. The study on Greek SMEs has not found a significant relationship between strategic planning and human resources capital employed. Most owner managers surveyed did not share the belief that the personnel have the skills or the experience to assist in the deployment of strategic plans. This result can be confirmed by the findings of research question 1, that owner managers do not have long-term plans for their staff recruitment, training and appraisal The above results are in contradiction with a research on Spanish SMEs by Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin [19] who revealed that owner managers focus their attention on human resources as a key element that allows them to achieve a sustainable advantage. They noted that the competitiveness of SMEs is based on internal elements supported by resources such as personnel and their skills. But other studies had similar results with what was found about the Greek SMEs. ORegan and Ghobadian [3] identified a number of general barriers relating to the constraint of strategic planning implementation. Their pilot study confirmed eight main barriers with the shortfall in employee skills being one of them. The research by Hall and Young [20] on 182 failed small enterprises indicated that the most important cause for the failure of these companies were shortages in working capital (51.4 per cent). 6.3 The necessity of external advice Question 3 examines the relationship between strategic planning implementation and the use of external advice by the owner managers. Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation tests were used for the analysis of this question. The results of this research suggest that SMEs in Greece receive valuable external advise in order to plan strategically mainly from accountants. Government agencies and bank advisors are not contributing as beneficial advisors for the owner managers and only a minority of the respondents state that they receive useful advices for strategic planning. Pearsons correlation test has shown that there is a significant relationship between strategic planning implementation and the use of accountants, while there is not a significant relationship between other external advisors (government agencies and bank advisors) and strategic planning implementation. These results are in line with previous studies which have investigated the association of strategy formulation and external advice. Berry, Sweeting and Goto [21] conducted a research on SMEs located in Manchester and found that most of the business advisers had limited use by the owner managers. Only accountants had a key role in the processes of the SMEs but mostly on statutory work. They have also identified that accountants made a significant effort to shift into the value-adding areas of the SMEs; at it was perceived by the owner managers in the sample. Alattar [22] found that the use of an accountant to be responsible for the accounting function in the enterprise resulted in a provision of more information which was useful for maintaining better planning and control. Deakins et al [12] study indicates that an important task for accountants is to act as a consultant to the owner managers and that this involves supplying advice on internal planning, decision-making and control. Gooderham et al [23] stated that in many countries, smaller business accountants play an important role as business advisers in addition to providing accounting services. 6.4 Accounting Information used as tools for strategic planning implementation Question 4 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and accounting information used as a tool by owner managers for strategic planning in SMEs using Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation. This research has shown that owner managers of Greek SMEs take under serious consideration the accounting information they receive from external advice and they apply them as tools when they implement their strategic plans. This finding was consistent with what should have been expected as accounting information have been identified as crucial elements of strategic planning Stonehouse and Pemberton [2] noted that there is little evidence of usage of the tools of strategic analysis with the most common tool relating to internal financial analysis. Collis and Jarvis [5] identified the three main resources of information used in the management of small companies; management accounts; cash flow information and bank statements. They have found that most SMEs use accounting information such as profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement and forecast and ratio analysis in order to monitor the profitability and for planning and controlling. Hall and Youngs research [20] showed that poor use of accounting information was one of the main reasons that led into failure the 38 per cent of the 21 small enterprises surveyed. Randal and Horsman [24] found that the lack and misuse of accounting information contributed to small enterprise failure. Holmes and Nicholls [25] suggested that the quality of accounting information utilised within small enterpris es had a positive relationship with their performance. Conclusion This study has tried to examine from the respondents perspective the extent to which Greek SMEs use strategic planning and the influence of accounting information in the design and deployment of these plans. This paper has tried to identify relationships and differences, among the SMEs surveyed, between strategic planning implementation and (1) strategic planning activities of the firm; (2) the human resource capital; (3) external advice from, government agencies, banks and accountants; (4) accounting information such as profit and loss accounts, cost accounts, sales accounts, accounting ratios from the balance sheet and sales forecasts. The results of the analysis have shown that owner managers when strategically plan emphasise on activities such as profits, sales, costs, production outcomes and costumer service. The importance that is given to short-term financial objectives (sales, costs, profits) confirms a predisposition towards business planning rather than strategic planning. Other business objectives, that are closer related to strategic planning such as the companys mission, human resource training, market share targets and enterprise size targets are completely left out from strategic planning by the majority of the owner managers. The use of accounting information and advice received from accountants were, according to the owner managers, the most significant factors that facilitated them during the design and implementation of their strategic plans. In the contrary, it was found that the human resources of the SMEs and external advice from government agencies and banks did not have an important role in strategic planning implementation.

Sir Donald Bradman Essay -- Sports Baseball Bradmand Essays

Sir Donald Bradman Sir Donald Bradman, who died at the age of 92, was the greatest cricketer of the 20th century and the greatest batsman ever lived. He was arguably the most famous athlete in the eyes of most Australians, as sports has played the major role in giving the young nation of Australia global standing, self-belief and a sense of identity. Sir Donald Bradman is an Australian sporting hero. His achievements on the cricket field from 1928 to 1948 are still among the world's best. The tragic boxer of Les Darcy and champion galloper Phar Lap played a part, making up a trinity of Australian sporting legends, but nothing could match the phenomenon of Bradman. His battling statistics are incredible, incomparably ahead of everyone else playing the game. He creases in major cricket for 338 times, but in 117 of those innings returned with a century. He was better than twice the ratios achieved by such greats such as Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Denis Compton. His first class average was 95.4, where his nearest rival is 71. Most famously, he went out at the Oval in his last ten innings needing only four to finish with an average of 100, and was bowled second by Eric Hollies, of Warkwickshire, for a duck. It was as though the cricket god had reclaimed the invulnerability they had given him. His final average is 99.94 remains so resonant in cricket history, that the Australian Broadcasting Commission uses it as its post office box number. Donald Bradman had embodied the Australian dream. He was a country boy, born in Cootamundra in rual New South Wales. Donald bradman was the blond, blue-eyed baby of the family, with other three older sisters and a brother. His father was a carpenter and farmer whose earnings was average. None of bradman’s school friends lived there him, so in those solitary moments, he had invented a game that involved throwing a golf ball at the base of the family water tank and whacking it with a cricket stump. The ball fizzes off the tank at high speed at unpredictable angles. Donald left school at fourteen and didn’t started to play cricket seriously until he was eighteen. His headmaster had commented that he was a truthful, honest, industrious and unusually bright. He began work at a real estate agent in Bowral. In 1923-1924, he played no cricket at all and little in the following summer. Most of his free time was given to ten... ...cted and admired through out the world for not only her personal qualities and family values, died in September 1997, after 65 years of loving marriage. This had simplify for Sir Donald Bradman that the 'best partnership of his life' was over. Donald Bradman was knighted in Melbourne at 1949, and went into the role cricketing elder statesman. He's the only Australian ever knighted for services to the game of cricket. He gave up his stockbroking career and became a selector and administer, dealing firmly with the throwing crisis that convulsed the game at the end of 1950s. After being knighted in 1949, Sir Donald Bradman wanted a very private life. The Wisden panel in 2000 voted Sir Donald Bradman as the cricketer of the century, with unanimous hundred percent votes. He'll be long remembered for his sporting skill, gentle manner and good humour. His reputation as a cricketer has never been questioned. The memory of Don Bradman is revered like no other wherever the great game of cricket is played. He is no doubt a legendary sportsman, which will remains enigmatic in our heart forever. Cricket has known great man and fine players, but there has been and can be, only one Bradman.

The Hollow Men Essay -- Literary Analysis

At a point in all mortal’s existence, there will be a moment when their soul is between two states of being, waiting to be judged. Without the fearlessness and faith to move on to the afterlife, they will spend eternity stuck in purgatory. When T. S. Eliot wrote â€Å"The Hollow Men,† he used symbolism, imagery, and repetition to share his insight to address the lack of courage and faith that plagues every human being. T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Hollow Men† is a dramatic monologue, free verse poem that consists of five parts that could be considered five separate poems. His use of â€Å"allegorically abstract text nevertheless achieves a remarkable unity of effect in terms of voice, mood and imagery† (Morace 948). Before the poem starts, there are two epigraphs; â€Å"Mistah Kurtz – he dead. / A penny for the Old Guy† (lines 1-2). Eliot alludes to these two epigraphs because their themes are developed throughout his poem. â€Å"The first epigraph is from Joseph Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness,† a story †¦that examines the hollowness and horror of lack of faith, spiritual paralysis, and despair† (Bloom 61), just like the â€Å"hollow men† in his poem. The second epigraph â€Å"refers to the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day in Britain† (Bloom 61). This is a day that celebrates Fawkes’ unsuccessful rebellion against Kin g James I with his capture in the cellar of the Parliament building, where stored gun powder was supposed to blow up and kill King James I and his family. Once captured, he cowardly turned over his co-conspirators and they all were killed. It is â€Å"celebrated with bonfires, fireworks, the burning of scarecrows, and solicitation of ‘pennies for the Old Guy’. Eliot’s images of scarecrows, a cellar, and violent souls recall this tale of a violent plot tha... ...nsight to address the lack of courage and faith that plagues every human being. â€Å"The poem succeeds admirably in registering a mood not merely of disillusionment, but of personal weakness† (Morace 950). Without the faith and courage to face the final judgment, and move on to the afterlife, one will be left to linger in purgatory. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. "Thematic Analysis Of ‘The Hollow Men’." Bloom's Major Poets: T.S. Eliot (1999): 60-63. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. Eliot, T.S. "The Hollow Men." Famous Poets and Poems - Read and Enjoy Poetry. 6 Aug. 2006. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. Morace, Robert A. "The Hollow Men." Masterplots II. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press, 1992. Vol. 3. 948-50. Print. Urquhart, Troy. "Eliot's THE HOLLOW MEN." Explicator 59.4 (2001): 199. Literary Reference Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.

Marketing and Full-service Pet Salon

Chapters 1-3 1)The public is becoming more aware of how marketers’ activities affect the welfare of consumers and society. As a result, more firms are working to -create a responsible approach to developing long-term relationships with customers and society 2)A Junior marketing executive at MegaGrain Cereals suggests increasing the package size and price of its best-selling brand without increasing the amount of cereal inside the box. Her superior warns that this might be a bad idea because MegaGrains long-term survival, like most companies, depends on creating and maintaining satisfying exchange relationships 3)Which of the following statements about marketing environment forces is not correct? -They fluctuate slowly and thereby create threats to a firm’s marketing mix 4)Which of the following is not an example of the implementation of the marketing concept? -Burger King reduces the labor costs to produce its sausage-egg biscuits 5)Which one of the following statements by a company president best reflects the marketing concept? -We have organized out business to make certain that customers get what they want )Three basic forms that a product can take are -services, ideas, and goods 7)SunnyD is aimed at mothers with children under age 12. The mothers represent SunnyD’s -target market 8)Which of the following best describes the acceptance of the marketing concept by American organizations? -The marketing concept has yet to be fully accepted by all organizations 9)Greensprings Cemtery in upstate New York, Offers a full service funeral and burial that is non-toxic to the environment. All materials used in the burial are natural and will decompose with no negative impact†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The owners of the Greensprings Cemeteries are apparently operating under which of the following orientations? -Marketing Orientation 10) Marketing knowledge and skills -enhance consumer awareness and help provide people with satisfying goods and services A change in the minimum drinking age in any given state illustrates a change in the _____________ for Miler Brewing. -Marketing environment 12)Paws and Claws Hotel is a full-service pet salon and boarding kennel. Paws and Claws has an interactive website where customers can directly booka grooming appointment, obedience class, or overnight accomodation for their dog and cat†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Previously, Paws and Claws was most likely using which type of orientation? ?-sales 13)Which of the following is most likely to be an idea marketer? -abuse counselor 14)A physical product you can touch is a -good 15)Long-term relationships with profitable customers is the key objective of -customer relationship management 16)P aws and Claws Hotel is a full-service pet salon and boarding kennel. Paws and Claws has an interactive website where customers can directly booka grooming appointment, obedience class, or overnight accomodation for their dog and cat†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. The fact that Paws and Claws is open 24 hours each day is part of which marketing mix variable? -distribution 17)Resource deployment and coordination of functional areas of business are determined by -corporate strategy 18)A firm’s unique symbols, personalities, and philosophies compromise its -corporate strategy 19)The Acme Corporation is expanding operations into countries outside the U. S. To improve local managers’ responsiveness to local conditions, Acme’s senior management has decided to delegate decision-making authority further down the chain of command. Acme is decentralizing 20)Electronic marketing has greatly improved the ability of marketers to target individual customers. As a result, ma ny fell that marketing’s emphasis is shifting from share of market to share of -? customer 21)A ________ is created when a company matches its core competency to opportunities it has discovered in the marketplace. -competitive advantage 22)Starbucks is presently involved in a process of assessing marketing opportunites and resources, determining marketing objectives, re-defining marketing strategies, and developing guidelines for implementation and control. Thus, Starbucks is involved in -marketing planning 23)According to the text, a market is defined as -a group of individuals and/or organizations that have needs for products in a product class and have the ability, willingness, and authority to purchase these products. 24)Borders Books uses technology to help them identify specific customers, establish interactive dialogues with them to learn about their needs, and combine this information with their purchase histories to customize products to meet those needs. Borders Books is using the ________ approach. customer relationship management ? 25)A competitive advantage exists when a -firm matches a core competence to opportunities it has discovered in the marketplace. 26)The marketing plan is -a written document detailing activities to be performed to implement and control marketing actions 27)EXperience Limited is a company which offers tours and vacations that include participation in an extreme sport, such as hang-gliding, bungee ju mping, skydiving, and motorcross. Adrian Moss†¦ The information in EXperience Limited’s database could be best used to develop a CRM program 28)Harley-Davidson’s Harley Owner’s Group (HOG) helps to foster strong relationships between riders and their motorcycles, giving it a ________ over other motorcycle manufacturers. -sustainable competitive edge 29)Which of the following is false with regard to customer lifetime value? -All customers have equal value to a firm 30)The Boston Consulting Group classifies products that have a dominant market share but low prospects for growth and that generate more cash than is required to maintain market share as -cash cows 31)A market opportunity results from the right combination of circumstances and timing that permit and organization to take action to reach a particular target market. EXperience Limited is a company which offers tours and vacations that include participation in an extreme sport, such as hang-gliding, b ungee jumping, skydiving, and motorcross. Adrian Moss†¦ According to the BCG matrix, the hang-gliding and bungee jumping tours have been a _________ for EXperience Limited, while the skydiving and motorcross tours represent a ________. -cash cow; questionmark†¦ ? or star 33)A new U. S. utomobile company, Specialty Motors, was established in 2004. In 2008, a recession caused disposable income to decline, and the annual amount of dollars spent by consumers dropped drastically. Specialty Motors faced a problem of trying to determine whether the economy would turn toward prosperity or toward depression. No matter what happend, Specialty Motors was also worried†¦.. The income a consumer would use to purchase a Specialty Motors automobile is considered _______ income. -discretionary ? 34)____________ competitors provide very different products that satisfy the same basic customer need. Generic 35)Marketers who attempt to influence and change the various environmental forces have a _________ response to these forces. -proactive 36)Which of the following is not a reason that marketers try to maintain good relations with political officials? -Political officials can accept direct corporate compaign contributions. 37)More than half of the research of technology created is paid for by -the federal government 38)Meyer’s Sporting Goods, a national chain, has been doing business with Soljur Sports†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦. Where should he file a complaint? -Better Business Bureau? g 79 39)The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America sets guidelines for its member firms to follow regarding the use of unethical practices. Thus, it is engaging in -self-regulation 40))Meyer’s Sporting Goods, a national chain, has been doing business with Soljur Sports†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ What action should the BBB take against Meyers if the complaint was substained and Meyers did not change the offending practice? -Issue a warning to consumers t hrough the local newspaper 41)Which of the following industries is most commonly regulated by state regulatory agencies? Utility companies 42)Why are marketers interested in consumers’ levels of disposable income? -It is a ready source of buying power 43)Consumers begin to become more price and calue conscious during periods of -recession 44)One way for corporations to attempt to influence the political environment is through -contributions to poilitical action committees 45)Marketers primarily focus their environmental analysis on ____ competitors. -brand 46)Which of the following are the most frequently sentenced organizational crimes? -fraud and antitrust violations 7)Companies that compete for the same limited financial resources of the same customers are known as _________ competitors. -total budget 48)When a firm has many potential competitors and tries to develop a marketing strategy to differentiate its porducts from the competitors’ products, a ___________ str ucture exists in the competitive environment. -monopolistic competition 49)The best approach for a company to take when monitoring its competitors is -developing a system for gathering ongoing information about competitors. 50)The amount of money received through wages, rents, investments, pensions, and subsidies is called -income

Key Functions of Education from a Functionalist Perspective

What are the key functions of education from a Functionalist Perspective? Ever since the education system was invented, there have been a lot of ideas and criticisms of how it should work. The most famous sociological groups, functionalists and Marxists, were part of this and still are today. They both think that their views are best for society. Talcott Parsons believes that the education system has three main functions. Firstly it socializes young people into key cultural values such as equality of opportunity, competition and religious morality.Education is said by functionalists (especially Durkheim) to emphasize moral responsibilities in society that people should have towards each other. If these norms were not passed down through generations then there would be a tendency for individualism (where people believe that they are more important than social groups). Citizenship and religious education were introduced as compulsory subjects in schools to see that young people did thi ngs with thought for the society. The second function is to do with the skills that education teaches children, from literacy and numeracy to more job-specific skills.Occupational jobs are becoming more specialized and this in turn will lead to more years in education. The final function of education, according to functionalists is the allocating of roles of young people in society. Examinations and qualifications are said to allocate people for their most suited job. The equality of opportunity took place and so higher talented people are given the most functionally important jobs for the society. Parsons was criticized as he failed to consider that the values transmitted by the educational system may be those of a ruling minority rather than society as a whole.Like parsons, functionalists Davis and Moore saw education as a means of selecting or shifting people for different levels of the jobs market and ensuring that the most talented and qualified individuals are allocated to the most important jobs with high rewards. Society is therefore meritocracy in which people are rewarded for intelligence, ability and effort. They where criticized because the relationship between academic credentials and occupational reward is not close. Income is only weakly linked to educational attainment. There is doubt about the proposition that the educational system grades people in terms of ability.It has been argued that intelligence is so difficult to pin down that school achievement can never equal ‘intelligence’. While Marxists do share many ideas of functionalists e. g. the fact that education prepares us for out acceptance of the values of society they also see how the education system is alienating children. Functionalists, on the other hand, seem unable to see this and believe that the education system can only do well to children by teaching them norms and values. Functionalists where criticized because as Marxists say, education system is not meritocrat ic as there are the influence of class, ethnicity and gender.