Ben Lawson’s Custom Fabricators Research Essay

Question 1: How does Ben Lawson’s Custom Fabricators, Inc., create value for Orleans? Custom Fabricators, Inc. is able to create value to Orleans because Custom Fabricator’s manufacturing plant is right next to Orleans’ plant. Ben is able to minimize lead-time for Orleans. They are able to deliver parts to Orleans really fast. Quality is also something Custom Fabricators could ensure because they are able to fix something and deliver it to Orleans quicker because they are so close to each other. Custom Fabricators would also be more effective for Orleans because they’ve cooperated for so long, so Custom Fabricators know the needs and requirements of Orleans really well. They can offer Orleans better field support and problem solving. Question 2 In the past, what has been Ben Lawson’s competitive advantage in keeping the Orleans business? CFI can maintain its competitive advantage due to its propel location, it is near Orleans facility, and it also invest new machines to improve the processes of manufacture for Orleans; meanwhile, its employee loyalty is good because it pay its employees good. In this case, it make CFI have a competitive advantage. Question 3 Have Orleans’s priorities changed? From the case, it is clear to see the Orleans has changed priorities. There are trying to change base to the high quality products. Also they change products to cheaper price as a base strategy. They reduce the cost with elevators and the raw materials, also something else. Ben was concerned about some big issues, such as reducing labor costs and competing with the Mexican labor market. He also was concerned the security of his position relationship with the company.(Can Chen 9362) 4. Should Ben change his business model? Yes, Ben should change his business model because Orleans, its customers, is changing. Orleans outsourced the whole elevator. Orleans reduced its plant size from 400,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet. Recently, Orleans is reducing its material cost associated with its elevators by contracting many suppliers from Mexico. Meanwhile, Ben cannot compete with suppliers from Mexico in price. Therefore, Ben should work with some suppliers from Mexico to negotiate the material costor outsource totally. When dealing with suppliers from Mexico, Ben may face some difficulties, such as transportation and communication. Question 5: How should Ben position his company in the value chain? There are a few options for Ben to position his company in the value chain because of it’s close proximity to the Orleans plant. Inbound logistics would be one because delivery speed would be fast since they are so close. Orleans does not have to store too much inventory because of this. They can get materials from Ben in short time. Ben’s company could also easily provide service support to Orleans if any problems arise from parts manufactured by Custom Fabricators. Question 6 What should Ben do to ensure his company’s future success? I think CFI should improve their operation management to make their processes more efficient and effective, meanwhile they need to match their current marketing strategies to global market. the top management of CFI should also consider whether carry out more capital investment because these new technology could reduce cost, improve quality, therefore increase competitive advantage in the market. finally, CFI could partner with some other companies to improve overall competitiveness.

Petroleum Exploration

Petroleum Exploration and Production consists of four major processes of exploration, well-development, production and site abandonment. In this assignment, we had chosen the major process of exploration and production. Petroleum Exploration is conducted to find and detect the site which contains oil or natural gas. Visible surface features such as oil seeps, natural gas seeps, pockmarks provide basic evidence of hydrocarbon generation. However, most exploration depends on highly sophisticated technology to detect and determine the extent of these deposits using exploration geophysics.Areas thought to contain hydrocarbons are initially subjected to a gravity survey, magnetic survey, passive seismic or regional seismic reflection surveys to detect large-scale features of the sub-surface geology. Features of interest are subjected to more detailed seismic surveys which work on the principle of the time it takes for reflected sound waves to travel through matter of varying densities and using the process of depth conversion to create a profile of the substructure.Finally, when a prospect has been identified and evaluated and passes the oil company's selection criteria, an exploration well is drilled in an attempt to conclusively determine the presence or absence of oil or gas. On the other hand, after the process of exploration and well development, the thrid process will be the production of oil. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling.This comes after the studies of structural geology at the reservoir scale, sedimentary basin analysis, reservoir characterization mainly in terms of porosity and permeable structures. It is refined and separated, most easily by boiling point, into a large number of consumer products, from petrol or gasoline and kerosene to asphalt and chemical reagents used to make plastics and pharmaceuticals. Petroleum is used in manufacturing a wide variety of materials, and it is estimated that the world consumes about 88 million bar rels each day.

Financial Ratios and Division Managers Essay

The front desk receptionist routinely takes an extra 20 minutes of lunch to run personal errands. Agency Problem: she took an extra 20 minutes to do her personal errands instead of working, which she puts her own self interests before the best interests of the company. Occurred cost: the salary that the company pays to her. The solution would depend on the boss on her work performance in the past. If she has an important personal errand to do during that time, then boss might need to talk to her and explain the solution for her. This problem can be final dealt by clocking-in and clocking-out even time for lunch hours. B) Division managers are padding cost estimates so as to show short-term efficiency gains when the costs come in lower than the estimates. Agency Problem: Division managers use their authority to mislead information and a problem exists when management and stockholders have conflicting ideas on how the company should be run in short-term. It will mess up the management in order to plan costs. Also it might ruin the number balance sheets and which could affect future gains. This might mean that the division managers who wish to engage in capital expenditures can now secure a short-term benefit from lower estimates. Occurred cost: The solution is management should monitor division managers performance and might give managers the performance shares which result in meeting the stated performance goals. These goals must be more efficient and accurate in order for management to plan goal to generate profit. Agency cost: By reducing and by providing appropriate incentives to align the interests to division managers. C) The firm’s chief executive officer has secret talks with a competitor about the possibility of a merger in which he would become the CEO of the combined firms. Agency Problem: The chief executive officer risks negative behavior because of dealing with the competition and did not involve his company’s best interests. He is putting his needs of planning a secret merger with his competition, which most likely can result potential profit for him, and possibly his company, if the merger is a positive one. Since he knows that his merger will occur (due to the fact of his direct â€Å"under the table† dealings with his competition), he can then go forward openly with his own company to promote the merger. Occurred cost: The CEO should know himself and the risks of CEO overconfidence. His behavior results in exactly this type of good faith mismanagement of the business. It is very important that the company should continue improving both legal and non-legal mechanisms that remedy conflict-of-interest problems by guarding against looting, fraud, and other forms of corporate corruption and disloyalty and by incentivizing managers to maximize shareholder value. The added challenge for corporate governance is to move beyond managerial motives to account more for human psychology and how managers actually behave and make business decisions when they are well-intentioned. D) A branch manager lay off experienced fulltime employees and staffs customer service positions with part-time or temporary workers to lower employment costs and raise this year’s branch profit. The manager’s bonus is based on profitability. Agency Problem: the branch manager created the personal goal to get more bonuses which depends on profitability and did not look into the company’s performance. Occurred cost: the management should be able to see that profitability does not come from sales. The cross section analysis helps the analyst to find out as to how a particular firm has performed in relation to its competitors. Time-Series analysis evaluates performance overtime by comparing current to the past performance. To look at significant year-to-year changes may be symptomatic of a major problem. Time series analysis helps to the firm to assess whether the firm is approaching the long-term goals or not. The Time series analysis looks for (1) important trends in financial performance (2) shift in trend over the years (3) significant deviation if any from the other set of data. So, I will compare the actual year 2007, 2008 and 2009. Liquidity by look at the current ratio and quick ratio that evaluating the speed with which certain accounts are converted into cash and its look at the ability of a company to meet its short-term obligations. As actual year 2009 the current ratio (2. 48) and quick ratio (1. 35) higher than the industry average and the higher is the better for company. If we look at the balance sheet we will see that the current asset and the current liability is decreased which is the big decreased from accounts payable. This shows that Marin Manufacturing Company have enough quick assets to pay off all current liabilities. Activity It shows relationship between the sales & the assets. By evaluate inventory turnover, average collection period, and total asset turnover. As the inventory turnover of the Marin Manufacturing Company is less the industry average which I recommends that the company should manage inventory more efficiently. The average collection period is higher than both industry average and the past year which the manager should emphasis on the collection to decrease this number. It means that they have to change their policy of lending business for more efficiency of debt collection. The total asset turnover for the actual year is 1. 6 which more then the past year but it still less than the industry average. So, the company needs to increase sakes to meet the industry average. Debt can analyze by debt ratio and time interest earned ratio. The debt ratio of actual year 2009 is higher than the industry average it continue increasing since year 2007-2008. Its means that the company has high leveraged and might borrows more money in the year 2008. Also the higher debt ratio means higher risk for lenders and investors. For the time interest ratio which decrease from year 2008 at 1. 9 to be 1. 6 in year 2009 and lower than industry average it means the company might facing the risk that cash flows from operations will be insufficient to cover interest and principal payment. Profitability by evaluate gross profit margin, net profit margin, ROA and ROE. Gross Profit Margin is measuring how much amount is left to meet other expenses & earn net profit which actual 2009 is at 27% that higher than the industry average (26%). Its mean that the company has high ability to sell goods at intended selling price. At 0. 65 % of net profit margin that decrease from 1. 1 % in 2007 to 1. 0% in year 2008 and less than industry average (1. 2%) that create low safety to the company. The higher risk that a decline in sales will erase profits and might result in net loss. The ROA and ROE both in year 2009 are decreasing to be less than the industry average and decresing from the past year. This show that the managerment is not managing asset effeicincy or assets are not being utilized effectively and lower ROE might caused by high debt. It seem like when this company are not very attractive for invertor if they looking at return on stockholders investment which is decreasing to be lower than industry averange. Market can analyze from P/E ratio and M/B ratio. For P/E in year 2009 is 34. 4 compare with the industry average at 43. 4 which lower and if compare to the past year it lower than year 2008. It means that investors are not perceive good growth potential of Marin Manufacturing Company.

Heroes and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Heroes and Culture - Essay Example But the way these heroes have affected the present cultures is different. They have ignited in people the will and power to be like them and fight for their rights. Today, people imitate them and follow their ideals. Obviously, no one will go to war but people do indulge in a silent war waged through the ideals of their heroes and proper channeling of plans. Today, heroes inspire people to bring about a desired change and fight against terrorism to save mankind. The name of the hero, Beowulf, is accepted as the title of a poem, originally untitled. The greatest surviving old English poem, in a volume of the Cottonian collection now placed in the British museum, London, known as Vitellius A XV. Beowulf a warrior at heart was a young nobleman of Geatas. (a people who lived in southern Sweden}.The main deeds of his bravery depict court life, social and moral problems of the layman. The legendary Geatish Hero killed two super natural demons, Grendel and Grendel's mother, who in human form, were terrorizing the court of Hrothgar, a Danish monarch. The other event depicts the killing of a dragon that was guarding a treasure since three hundred years. He died himself while pursuing this noble deed since Beowulf belonged to the inherited Germanic heroic traditions. ... The ethical values he transpired are manifest by the Germanic code of loyalty to the chief and tribe and vengeance to enemies. The critics see Beowulf as the champion of goodness and light against the forces of evil darkness. His sacrificial death is not seen as tragic but as a fitting end of a great hero's life. Role he played in inspiring others to imitate him Beowulf has inspired heroes in laymen to sacrifice for their people and to gain earthly joy. He has inspired goodness in many and also the common man to wake up from their deep slumber and take a stand. He has inspired heroes in a nation of the then cowardly people. Today, in the 21st century the age old tale has once again brought into light since Beowulf is now an epic movie about to be released soon. The legend has come alive and will inspire many yet again. Wolverine Wolverine is a fictional character and a superhero created by writer Len Wein, artist John Romita and illustrator Herb Trimpe. Recently, the character of Wolverine was refreshed by the movie X-men's writer Chris Claremont. Wolverine's catch phrase describes his character best; "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice." Wloverine is a mutant with animal keen senses and incrdible physical capabilities. He has the power to recover from his wounds supernaturally. Using the Weapon X with the indestructible metal alloy adamantium, Wolverine has long razor sharp nails. He is a master at martial arts as well. Deeds Wolverine has a long confusing history but the character gained limelight when it was included in the popular X-men series. He is a super hero who kills evil and especially goes against authoirty of all kinds. His deeds basically depict cunningness, sharpness, quickness and fearlessnes. These qualities

Analysis of the Political Propaganda Image Essay

Analysis of the Political Propaganda Image - Essay Example The image is a type of political propaganda; this is because the words used on it are of hatred and targeting certain nations. The words used are a clear indication that they are not humble, instead, they portray both blackmail and threats. The reason why the words used are in form of threats is due to the term â€Å"Shut Your Mouth!† In my opinion, this is an order, whereby the image is declaring that the US is the only nation in control and nobody can oppose its decisions (â€Å"Political Propaganda†). The warplanes are many on the image and this shows the nation’s dominance in matters of war. This image is a direct target to the Middle East nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq that the US has been at war with for many years. Although the US is ever attacking nations from the Middle East in the name of curbing terrorism, the truth of the matter is that the US wants to be in control of these nations due to their vast richness especially in terms of petroleum production. Apart from threatening, the image also portrays blackmail, this is due to the saying, â€Å"†¦you are either with us or you are with the terrorists†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The reason why the message is blackmail is that it is indirectly stating that it is either nation back the US attacks to Arabic nations or they too be treated as terrorism supporters. The words at the top are in an uppercase form and bold, this is in a move to catch the attention of anybody that will have a glimpse of it. The first word at the top, â€Å"YOU†, apart from its exclusion from the others, it appears in a much bigger font than the rest (â€Å"Political Propaganda†). The main colors used on the image are red, blue and white.

Measuring Marketing Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Measuring Marketing Performance - Assignment Example There is not a single measure that is best for measuring marketing performance but three very famous measures of marketing performance are return on investment, comparison of marketing cost with result, and brand knowledge.Marketing Return on Sale:Marketing return on sale is an important measure of marketing performance and determines that how efficient the firm is. It provides the deeper understanding of impact that organization has on its profits due to marketing strategies. It is a percent of net sale attributable to the net marketing contribution. The higher marketing return on sale of current year as compare to prior year describe the positive performance of marketing (Ambler, Kokkinaki, &Puntoni, 2004).Compare the Cost of Marketing Activities with Results:Marketers use the revenues - that are the result of marketing program - as a measure of marketing performance. For example marketing programs like direct mailing and advertising develop contacts and some contacts has higher va lue as compare to others that depends on the number of responses. Marketing department compare the cost spent on each contact with the value of the result. If the marketing program results in increasing numbers of orders and generates greater revenue on per order then the marketing performance will be considered good (Srinivasan &Hanssens, 2009).Marketing department is liable to make people understand that why the brand exists in market, how it is different from others, and what values it can deliver.

Affirmative Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Affirmative Action - Essay Example With this decision, the Supreme Court overturned its previous rulings in the precedents by transferring the full burden of proof to the worker. In other words, the employee should prove that he was dismissed primarily and solely because of his age (the protection of the law applies to employees above 40 years old). In this case, the Court has made it more difficult for employees to pursue age discrimination cases successfully. Employers possess all the records and information on the employee’s history, with the capability of concealing them entirely, since employers would not need to lift a finger to prove their case. The employee, on the other hand, would rarely be in possession of the documentary data needed to prove an allegation of discrimination. After all, discrimination exists in the mind of the decision-maker, and with only testamentary accounts to back up his claim, the employee is put at a distinct disadvantage to the employer. Furthermore, the employer possesses much greater resources than the worker, and risks very little in accommodating the employee back into his payroll should he lose the case, while the worker’s entire livelihood and subsistence is at stake. The tenets of social justice thus imposes upon the court to even the odds by imposing the burden of evidence on the employer when the minimum requirement is proven by the worker. The economic recession is increasingly taking a toll on the nation’s workforce as more and more business find it necessary to resort to layoffs in an effort to downsize. It has been observed, however, that employers have resorted to a â€Å"last one in, first one out† policy when it comes to selecting those workers who have to go. Instead of letting the older employees – who receive higher salaries because of their seniority in the company – go, companies elect instead to separate those who are in

Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scenario - Essay Example Nowadays, the sight of different non-governmental organizations actively participating in the community is a normal scenario. They become active members of the community as a means of generating change. The government, on the other hand, has its own plans on eliminating the different quandaries faced by the community. This is a way of fostering social responsibility. However, with the rise of individualism, man, who is a social being, diverts from the calling of his fellowmen. Thus, social responsibility is now in question. The clich statement, "no man is an island", greatly describes the need of man for others. Man is significantly affected by others' thoughts, feelings and behaviors whether or not others are present. It simply indicates that man is prone to social influence and can be manipulated by social situations. Therefore, man cannot separate himself from others since every thought, feeling, and action elicited by others, has a large impact on his very existence. The community is dealing with different predicaments, from poverty, political issues, diminishing values etc. The government acts as its chief protector against these problems. Poverty, which is said to be mostly the root cause of other problems, is dealt by the government by aiding the poor children in public schools with free breakfast.

Review of Capital State Arena Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review of Capital State Arena - Coursework Example The theatrical lighting system needed for the arena was important because it would be installed in a way that it would light different events; hence, displaying different moods. The committee involved in the lighting of the arena understood that there was a need for the lighting console of the new facility. Therefore, they had to come up with a plan that would make the arena sell during the off-season where no sports were being held (Moser, 2006). However, a lighting console that can change moods, and accommodate different event was computer controlled and the lease rate was at $2,000per day in addition to the operator expenses. The products that were available for the committee were from three different companies. They included the CAE who manufactures Leprecon LP-3000, ETC manufactures of ETC Obsession II and Strand who manufactures Strand 520. The service providers provided a dealer network information, specific information about each console and a warranty repair station list. Therefore, with this information the committee had the expertise of choosing the correct lighting console for the arena. Various features were identified in the three consoles that seemed similar. However, to help in the decision-making process a list was provided to indicate how the committee should select the console. Where the console should be user friendly in the sense that, the programming of the console should only have few keystrokes; hence, eliminating the need to have a technician employed on retainer to keep the system on. It should be accessible to the theatre department where it can be used a teaching aide, especially when it is not in use. The console should be inflatable and the software should be upgradable. This is because today the consoles are computer driven and for that reason, they should be flexible to ensure that they accommodate upgradability. The console should be manufactured in the United

Sports Promotion and Sales Management Assignment

Sports Promotion and Sales Management - Assignment Example Conversely, one ding on separate sales and service departments is that there may be problems with satisfying customers, when sales and service messages are not in congruence. For instance, service staff may deny something that a salesperson may have already given as a promise to a potential customer. Such headaches can mean loss of business. Some management and business gurus even recommend that the integration of sales and service departments go to the extreme, by positing that the best practice is one where the sales person and the service person are one and the same individual. This guarantees maximum customer satisfaction and optimal sales. On the other hand, there are many benefits to separate sales and service departments as well. By focusing on one or the other, the two departments are able to satisfy the specific needs of the customer. The specialization between sales and service also guarantees that the staff are in the best position to field either sales concerns or service concerns. When a customer contacts customer service, the focus is on satisfying customer needs, rather than selling. Vice-versa, during the sales process, the sales department staff have the best skills to close the sale, and the focus is not on customer service per se. This yields the best results for different organizations.There are also arguments relating to the contrary aims of sales and service staff, where the former is intent on closing the sale, and the service staff is intent on making sure that the customer is satisfied.

Why do we need medical interpreters Research Paper

Why do we need medical interpreters - Research Paper Example Of all the articles that were selected and analyzed by the comparative use of ad hoc interpreters, there was a unanimous outcome which showed that using medical interpreters yield improved outcomes with utilization, clinical outcomes, communication, and patient satisfaction than when ad hoc interpreters are used. Writing on utilization, Fiscella et al (2012) noted that medical interpreters guarantee a high sense of utilization of the medical process. Evidence was given from various works of literature and the outcomes of various studies have should that medical interpreter are indeed needed in the healthcare delivery program. This is because when the roles of medical interpreters have assessed from the perspective of the four evaluation areas namely utilization, clinical outcomes, communication (errors and comprehension), and patient satisfaction, it was seen that having professional medical interpreters as against ad hoc interpreters ensured that there was improved performance. It would, therefore, be concluded that having and using medical interpreters is very important for ensuring improved outcomes for all individuals. By the use of medical interpreters, all people, regardless of the level of their English proficiency can be assured that they will receive health care outcomes that are well tailored to meet their needs. It will be appreciated that where there is inadequate training, the work of medical interpreters could be co nsequential. The need to continue emphasizing on the training of medical interpreters is therefore strongly recommended.

Critics Andrea Stuart and Mary O Connor Essay Example for Free

Critics Andrea Stuart and Mary O Connor Essay Many would argue that men hold the power in The Colour Purple. Explore the opinions of critics Andrea Stuart and Mary O Connor and explain your own view of what Alice Walker has to say about the power in The Colour Purple. In the novel The Colour Purple power is represented differently throughout. One way in which this power is shown is through men in the novel. At the beginning men dominate and are depicted as a higher authority figure to women, it seems the men rule the womens lives. However we can also argue that women are equally strong whilst others evolve into more powerful figures. Power through sisterhood is demonstrated through the fact that Shug gives Celie companionship, something Celie may not have felt since she was separated from her sister Nettie. Through Celie and Shugs relationship Celie has gained strength in herself and has been shown to stick up for herself. We see this when Shug announces she is taking Celie and Mary Agnes with her as Celie stands up to Albert. This shows us Celie is learning to become independent. This represents one aspect of female power in the novel and it also shows that by having friends to support them these women are able to leave their lowdown dogs behind and with the belief in themselves they can build their own future. Female solidarity is shown where we see Celies protection for her mother and sister Nettie. Although she has no real proof on whether Nettie is alive and well, she never stops believing she will one day be reunited with her sister. From this we can see that if men had the will power and strength the women do in the novel, they would be able to make their hard and miserable life easier and more bearable. Celie after everything she has been through and all the misery she has been put through by various characters mainly males, she still has hope and can see a brighter future for herself and to be reunited with her sister and become a family. The love shared between Shug and Celie was getting closer and more passionate. Shugs feelings for Celie to us seemed true even though she had male sexual partners Celie still seemed more important to Shug than any other of her male partners. Andrea Stuart expresses that Celie doesnt mind that her lover Shug comes home with a husband. She only cares that Shug is back with her, the existence of a husband is irrelevant to what is important, the relationship between the two women. Albert did not have a clue to what was going on between the two of them. He could understand they had become good friends in the time they had spent together and therefore wanted to sleep in the same bed but not once did he suspect them to have a sexual relationship. He put too much trust into Celie and Shug letting them be together alone for such a long time that Shug turned Celie into a more confident character, someone that has her own voice and can speak up for herself. Celie shows her strength again in the novel when she sacrifices herself to a traumatizing experience in order to protect and prevent her sister being raped. Alphonso abused Celie and she didnt want the same to happen to Nettie, I ast him to take me instead of Nettie. Thinking Alphonso may not want her instead of Nettie she trys to seduce him, I tell him I can fix myself up for him. I duck into my room and come out wearing horsehair, feathers, and a pair of our new mammy high heel shoes. He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway. Celie here shows her willingness to protect her little sister from the pain and suffering she had previously encountered, in order to save Nettie being sexually abused she puts herself through it again. Walker highlights the lack of power experienced by many poor black females living in the southern states through the character of Celie. She comes from a black background which therefore disadvantages her because in the time the novel was set being a black female was quite low down, they were still being treated like slaves due to her being black but also female as in those times the male role dominated. Celie was therefore used to accepting some racism from the whites. This is shown when she goes into town and bumps into her baby and her step mother in a store where the clerk was rude and showed no good manners to them. He speaks in an imperative tone, girl you want that cloth or not? We got other customers sides you. Celie also wrote about black on black racial insults. One example is when Alberts sisters came round to visit and they described Alberts first wife as too black. Lighter skin was seen as more beautiful then darker skin. Squeak after being raped by her uncle Bubber Hodges, asked Harpo do you really love me, or just my colour Squeak thought it was because of her light coloured skin due to the fact she is mixed race that Harpo was attracted to her and not because he truly loved her. Here power was shown through skin colour and Walker highlights how deeply racism is embedded for example when the critics say she is writing against black people showing their racism. Andrea Stuart and Mary OConner both think Celie is only a victim of men in the physical world. Stuart states that men are relegated to the periphery of female consciousness Celie being a black women she was not only a slave to slavery but she was also a slave to the male authority, when slavery was abolished Celie saw the opportunity to free herself from the traditions that men come first.

The Fall And Rise Of Strategic Planning Business Essay

The Fall And Rise Of Strategic Planning Business Essay Henry Mintzberg is Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies, at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University in Montreal. His work has focused on the work of the manager, and how managers are trained and developed. The author or co-author of 15 books, Mintzberg is, perhaps, best known for his work on organizational forms identifying five types of organization: simple structure; machine bureaucracy; professional bureaucracy; the divisionalized form; and the adhocracy. He is also credited with advancing the idea of emergent strategy the idea that effective strategy emerges from conversations within an organization rather than being imposed from on high. Mintzberg is a long time critic of traditional MBA programs. His first book,  The Nature of Managerial Work  (1973) challenged the established thinking about the role of the manager, and is one of the few books that actually examine what managers do, rather than discussing what they should do. Other highlights include  The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning (1994); Managers Not MBAs  (2004), and  Managing  (2009).This report presents overview of his major works. Introduction An engineer by training, he received a PhD from MIT before joining McGills faculty of management in 1968. He was the first Fellow to be elected to the Royal Society of Canada from the field of Management. He designed and developed the IMPM, the International Masters Program in Practicing Management, and a degree-level program delivered in six countries Canada, England, France, India, Japan and Korea. It is a degree program that focuses directly on the development of managers in their jobs and organizations. Henry Mintzberg equates the process of strategy making to the process of making pottery. The strategist is similar to  a craftsman, or potter in this case. Mintzberg says, The crafting image better captures the process by which effective strategies come to be. First, the potter may create a product that follows in the tradition of her past work, but she may also create a work that breaks away from tradition in a new direction. Similarly, strategies are patterns that are put into action over time; but strategies may emerge in a different direction than tradition has previously held. Second, strategy making must be a deliberate process-thought must precede action. But strategies can form as well as be formulated. Third, strategists do not necessarily have to be top management running an organization but removed from the inner-workings of that organization. Instead, like the potter is intimately connected with her work, strategists may be those most intimately connected with the compa ny and those products/services it sells. Strategists may be those on the front lines, so to speak. Fourth, the potter may fail to make one piece, but the lump that remains may be formed into something completely different. In the same way, strategies can emerge any time and at any place; errors themselves may become chances for opportunity. The image of a craftsman is someone who is dedicated, passionate, intimately involved with the materials, has a personal touch, has mastered the detail of their art, and is experienced. The strategist must also be someone who is involved and connected with their industry and who is personally involved with the industrial processes. Finally, just as a craftsman may see things that other people miss, the strategist must be able to see emerging patterns and guide them into place as strategies. Mintzbergs major impact on the management world began with his book,  The nature of managerial work which was published in 1973 and also a seminal article in Harvard Business Review,  The managers job: folklore and fact  which was written two years after the book. These two works established Mintzbergs reputation which showed research work done on what managers did, to successfully carrying out their responsibilities, which were substantially different from the most of the theories learnt in MBA classrooms. Mintzbergs management thinking is against the concept of having one or two clever theories within some narrow discipline. His approach is merely broad enough to involve virtually the study of everything that managers do and how they do it. His appeal was further enhanced by a belief that management is about applying human skills to systems and not applying systems to people. In all the articles of Mintzberg this belief is explained. In his article  The managers job: folklore and fact,  Mintzberg has set out the reality of what managers do. A single theme runs through the article and that is the pressures of the job drive that the manager carry to take on too much work, respond quickly to each and every stimulus encourage interruption, seek the tangible, decisions in small increments, avoid the abstract, make, and do everything abruptly. Mintzberg, in this article has stressed the importance of the managers role and the need to understand it thoroughly before attempting to train and develop those engaged in carrying it out. No job is more vital to our society than that of the manager. It is the manager who determines whether our social institutions serve us well or whether they squander our talents and resources. It is time to strip away the folklore about managerial work, and time to study it realistically so that we can begin the difficult task of making significant improvements in its performance. In  The nature of managerial work, Mintzberg proposes six characteristics of management work and ten basic management roles. As per him, these characteristics and roles apply to all management jobs, from supervisor to chief executive. The six characteristics are: 1. The managers job is a mixture of regular, programmed jobs and unprogrammed tasks. 2. A manager is both a generalist and a specialist. 3. Managers rely on information from all sources but show a preference for that which is orally transmitted. 4. Managerial work is made up of activities that are characterized by brevity, variety and fragmentation. 5. Management work is more an art than a science and is reliant on intuitive processes and a feel for what is right. 6. Management work is becoming more complex. The ten roles that he believes make up the content of the managers job are divided into three categories: 1. Interpersonal a)  Figurehead   performing symbolic duties as a representative of the organization. b)  Leader   establishing the atmosphere and motivating the subordinates. c)  Liaiser   developing and maintaining webs of contacts outside the organization. 2. Information a)  Monitor   collecting all types of information that are relevant and useful to the organization. b)  Disseminator   transmitting information from outside the organization to those inside. c)  Spokesman   transmitting information from inside the organization to outsiders. 3. Decision-making a)  Entrepreneur   initiating change and adapting to the environment. b)  Disturbance Handler   dealing with unexpected events. c)  Resource Allocator   deciding on the use of organizational resources. d)  Negotiator   negotiating with individuals and dealing with other organizations. The Structure of Organizations In his book,  The structuring of organizations, Mintzberg has identified five types of `ideal organization structures. Following are the more detailed view of organization types drawn up: The entrepreneurial organization: Having small staff, loose division of labor, have small management hierarchy, being informal with power focused on the chief executive. The machine organization  : highly specialized, large operating units, routine operating tasks, formal communication, elaborate administrative systems, tasks grouped under functions, central decision making and a sharp distinction between line and staff. The diversified organization: a set of semi-autonomous units under a central administrative structure. These units are called divisions and are centrally administered called as headquarter. The professional organization: found in hospitals, universities, public agencies and firms producing standardized products or services and doing routine work, this structure relies on the skills and knowledge of professional staff in order to function. The innovative organization: Mintzbergs definition of modern organization, flexible, rejecting any form of bureaucracy and avoiding emphasis on planning and control systems. Innovation achieved by hiring experts, giving them power, training and developing them and employing them in multi-discipline teams that work in an atmosphere unbounded by conventional specialism and differentiation. The missionary organization: Here, mission is counted above everything else. The mission is clear, focused, distinctive and inspiring. Staff readily identifies with it and shares common values. They are motivated by their own zeal and enthusiasm. Mintzberg defines, the following mechanisms, regarding the coordination between different tasks: 1. Mutual adjustment, to achieve coordination by the simple process of informal communication. 2. Direct supervision, achieved by having one person issue orders or instructions to several others whose work interrelates (as when a boss tells others what is to be done) 3. Standardization of work processes, achieves coordination by specifying the work processes of people carrying out interrelated tasks (standards developed in the techno-structure to be carried out in the operating core, as in the case of the work instructions that come out of time and motion studies) 4. Standardization of outputs, which achieves coordination by specifying the results of different work (developed in the techno-structure, as in a financial plan that specifies subunit performance targets or specifications that outline the dimensions of a product to be produced) 5. Standardization of skills and knowledge, in which different work is coordinated by virtue of the related training given to the workers (as in medical specialists, a surgeon and an anesthetist in an operating room, responding almost automatically to each others standardized procedures) 6. Standardization of norms, in which the norms infusing the work that are controlled, usually for the entire organization, so that everyone functions according to the same set of beliefs. According to the organizational configurations model of Mintzberg each organization can consist of a maximum of six basic parts: 1. Strategic Apex (top management) 2. Middle Line (middle management) 3. Operating Core (operations, operational processes) 4. Techno-structure (analysts that design systems, processes, etc.) 5. Support Staff (support outside of operating workflow) 6. Ideology (halo of beliefs and traditions; norms, values, culture) Strategy and planning The relationship between strategy and planning is a constant theme in Mintzbergs writing and his views on the subject are considered to be of contributed significantly to the current management thinking. In his 1994 book, The rise and fall of Strategic Planning, Mintzberg produces a criticism on conventional theory. He believes that there are some failures in traditional understanding of planning procedure. Processes the elaborate processes use to create bureaucracy and suppress innovation and originality. Data `hard data (the raw material of all strategists) provides information, but `soft data, provides wisdom: Hard information can be no better and is often at times far worse than soft information. Detachment Mintzberg dismisses the process of producing strategies in ivory towers i.e. he believes that effective strategists cant be made by people who are at a distance from the detail of a business. They should be the ones who have immersed themselves in it, while being able to abstract the strategic messages from it. He sees strategy not as the consequence of planning but the opposite: Strategies  illustrate the concept of the delicate, painstaking process of developing strategy a process of emergence that is far away from the classical picture of strategists grouped around a table predicting the future. He argues that while an organization needs a strategy, strategic plans are generally useless as one cannot predict two to three years ahead. 5 Ps of Strategy To develop understanding of strategy Mintzberg developed what is known as the 5 Ps of Strategy. These are: Strategy as  Plan Strategy as Intended Pattern Strategy as Emergent/Unintended Pattern Strategy as Position Strategy as Perspective Strategy as  Plan: Mintzberg defined it as some  sort of consciously intended course of action, a guideline (or set of guidelines) to deal with a situation.  The  example of Game Theory, where  Strategy is nothing but a complete plan: a plan that specifies what choices [the player] will make in every possible situation. Rebuilding Companies as Communities Community means caring about our work, our colleagues, and our place in the world, geographic and otherwise, and in turn being inspired by this caring. Tellingly, some of the companies we admire most-Toyota, Semco (Brazil), Mondragon (a Basque federation of cooperatives), Pixar, and so on-typically have this strong sense of community. Young, successful companies usually have this sense of community. They are growing, energized, committed to their people, almost a family. But sustaining it with the onset of maturity can be another matter: Things slow down, politics builds up, and the world is no longer their oyster. Community is sometimes easier to preserve in the social sector-with NGOs, not-for-profits, and cooperatives. The mission may be more engaging, and the people more engaged. But somehow, in our hectic, individualist world, the sense of community has been lost in too many companies and other organizations. In the United States in particular, many great enterprises, along with the countrys legendary sense of enterprise, have been collapsing as a consequence. The Fall and Rise of Strategic Planning When strategic planning was defined the mid-1960s, corporate leaders embraced it as the one best way to devise and implement strategies that would enhance the competitiveness of each business unit. For the scientific management pioneered by Frederick Taylor, this involved separating thinking from doing and creating a new function by having specialists like strategic planners. Planning systems were expected to produce the best strategies as well as step-by-step instructions for carrying out these strategies so that the managers could not get them wrong. Strategic planning has long since fallen from its pedestal. But even now followed by people as very few understand that strategic planning  is not  strategic thinking. Strategic planning often spoils strategic thinking, by causing managers to confuse real vision with the manipulation of numbers. This confusion lies at the heart of the issue i.e. the most successful strategies are visions and not plans. Strategic planning has actually been  strategic programming,  the articulation and elaboration of strategies, or visions, that already exist. Mintzberg says after understanding the difference between planning and strategic thinking, companies can get back to what the strategy-making process should be i.e. capturing what the manager learns from all sources (both the soft insights from his or her personal experiences and the experiences of others throughout the organization and the hard data from market research and the like) and then synthesizing that learning into a vision of the direction that the business should pursue. This doesnt imply that organizations, which have disenchanted with strategic planning, are needed to get rid of their planners or conclude that there is no need for programming. In fact, organizations should transform the conventional planning jobs. Planners should perform the role of providing the formal analyses or hard data required by the strategic thinkers and hence should make their contribution in strategy making process. Hence, planners should act as catalysts supporting strategy making by aiding and encouraging managers to think strategically. Thus, they can be programmers of a strategy, helping to specify concrete steps needed to carry out the vision. By redefining the planners job, companies will acknowledge the difference between planning and strategic thinking. Planning has always been about  analysis about breaking down a goal or set of intentions into steps, formalizing those steps so that they can be implemented almost automatically, and articulating the anticipated consequences or results of each step. This has been accepted by Michael Porter, who is known as the most widely read writer on strategy. Strategic thinking, is about  synthesis. It involves intuition and creativity. The outcome of strategic thinking is an integrated perspective of the enterprise, a not-too-precisely articulated vision of direction, such as the vision of Jim Clark, the founder of Silicon Graphics, that three-dimensional visual computing is the way to make computers easier to use. Such strategies cant be developed on schedule basis and cant be immaculately conceived. They should be free to appear at any time and at any place in the organization through the processes of informal learning that must necessarily be carried out by people at various levels who are deeply involved with the specific issues at hand. Crafting Strategy Imagine someone planning strategy. What likely springs to mind is an image of orderly thinking: a senior manager, or a group of them, sitting in an office formulating courses of action that everyone else will implement on schedule. The keynote is reason-rational control, the systematic analysis of competitors and markets, of company strengths and weaknesses, the combination of these analyses producing clear, explicit, full-blown strategies. Now imagine someone  crafting  strategy. A wholly different image likely results, as different from planning as craft is from mechanization. Craft evokes traditional skill, dedication, perfection through the mastery of detail. What springs to mind is not so much thinking and reason as involvement, a feeling of intimacy and harmony with the materials at hand, developed through long experience and commitment. Formulation and implementation merge into a fluid process of learning through which creative strategies evolve. My thesis is simple: the crafting image better captures the process by which effective strategies come to be. The planning image, long popular in the literature, distorts these processes and thereby misguides organizations that embrace it unreservedly. In developing this thesis, I shall draw on the experiences of a single craftsman, a potter, and compare them with the results of a research project that tracked the strategies of a number of corporations across several decades. Because the two contexts are so obviously different, my metaphor, like my assertion, may seem farfetched at first. Yet if we think of a craftsman as an organization of one, we can see that he or she must also resolve one of the great challenges the corporate strategist faces: knowing the organizations capabilities well enough to think deeply enough about its strategic direction. By considering strategy making from the perspective of one person, free of all the paraphernalia of what has been called the strategy industry, we can learn something about the formation of strategy in the corporation. For much as our potter has to manage her craft, so too managers have to craft their strategy. At work, the potter sits before a lump of clay on the wheel. Her mind is on the clay, but she is also aware of sitting between her past experiences and her future prospects. She knows exactly what has and has not worked for her in the past. She has an intimate knowledge of her work, her capabilities, and her markets. As a craftsman, she senses rather than analyzes these things; her knowledge is tacit. All these things are working in her mind as her hands are working the clay. The product that emerges on the wheel is likely to be in the tradition of her past work, but she may break away and embark on a new direction. Even so, the past is no less present, projecting itself into the future. In my metaphor, managers are craftsmen and strategy is their clay. Like the potter, they sit between a past of corporate capabilities and a future of market opportunities. And if they are truly craftsmen, they bring to their work an equally intimate knowledge of the materials at hand. That is the essence of crafting strategy. In this article, we will explore this metaphor by looking at how strategies get made as opposed to how they are supposed to get made. Throughout, I will be drawing on the two sets of experiences Ive mentioned. One, described in the sidebar, is a research project on patterns in strategy formation that has been going on at McGill University under my direction since 1971. The second is the stream of work of a successful potter, my wife, who began her craft in 1967. The Five Minds of a Manager The CEO of a Canadian company has recently complained that he was not able to get his engineers to think like managers. Such a complaint is common in nature, but behind it lays an uncommon important question: What does it mean to think like a manager? We dont see much attention paid to answer that question in later years. Many of us have become enamored of leadership so much that management has been pushed into the background. Now days, we dont see anybody aspiring to become a good manager; in fact everybody, wants to be known as a great leader. But we ignore that the separation of management from leadership is harmful. As we know that management without leadership encourages an uninspired style, which deadens activities. In contrast, Leadership without management encourages a disconnected style, which promotes hubris. Knowing the destructive power of hubris in organizations we should get back to old management. The only problem is that the plain old management is comparatively more complicated and hence, confusing. Managers are asked to be global and also to be local to collaborate and to compete in the market. Show change, perpetually to maintain order. Make the numbers even while nurturing your people. Now the question is how anyone is supposed to reconcile all this? The reality is that no one can actually do it. For becoming effective, managers have to face the juxtapositions so that they can arrive at a deep integration of these seemingly contradictory concerns. This means that managers must focus not only on what exactly they have to accomplish but also on how they have to think. Basically, managers need to have different mind-sets. Helping managers to appreciate this was the challenge they had set for themselves in the mid-1990s the time, when they had began to develop a new masters program for the managers for practicing. They had guessed that they cant rely on the usual format of the MBA education, which actually divides the management world into field like function of marketing, accounting, finance, and so on. Their intention was basically to educate managers who were coming out of such narrow mindsets. They wanted to have a new structure which would encourage synthesis than separation. They came up with a framework based on the five aspects of the managerial mindset, which has proved not only powerful in the classroom but also of utter importance in practice. Below, they have explained how they came up with the five managerial mind-sets. The Managers Job:  Folklore and Fact If you ask managers what they do, they will most likely tell you that they plan, organize, coordinate, and control. Then watch what they do. Dont be surprised if you cant relate what you see to these words. When a manager is told that a factory has just burned down and then advises the caller to see whether temporary arrangements can be made to supply customers through a foreign subsidiary, is that manager planning, organizing, coordinating, or controlling? How about when he or she presents a gold watch to a retiring employee? Or attends a conference to meet people in the trade and returns with an interesting new product idea for employees to consider? These four words, which have dominated management vocabulary since the French industrialist Henri Fayol first introduced them in 1916, tell us little about what managers actually do. At best, they indicate some vague objectives managers have when they work. The field of management, so devoted to progress and change, has for more than half a century not seriously addressed  the  basic question: What do managers do? Without a proper answer, how can we teach management? How can we design planning or information systems for managers? How can we improve the practice of management at all? Our ignorance of the nature of managerial work shows up in various ways in the modern organization-in boasts by successful managers who never spent a single day in a management training program; in the turnover of corporate planners who never quite understood what it was the manager wanted; in the computer consoles gathering dust in the back room because the managers never used the fancy on-line MIS some analyst thought they needed. Perhaps most important, our ignorance shows up in the inability of our large public organizations to come to grips with some of their most serious policy problems. Somehow, in the rush to automate production, to use management science in the functional areas of marketing and finance, and to apply the skills of the behavioral scientist to the problem of worker motivation, the manager-the person in charge of the organization or one of its subunits-has been forgotten. I intend to break the reader away from Fayols words and introduce a more supportable and useful description of managerial work. This description derives from my review and synthesis of research on how various managers have spent their time. In some studies, managers were observed intensively; in a number of others, they kept detailed diaries; in a few studies, their records were analyzed. All kinds of managers were studied-foremen, factory supervisors, staff managers, field sales managers, hospital administrators, presidents of companies and nations, and even street gang leaders. These managers worked in the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Great Britain. Strategy as Pattern Mintzberg defines strategy as  consistency in behavior, whether or not intended.  Strategy can emerge as patterns, which may be seen as the resulting actions. To prove this point, he gives example of Henry Ford who originally developed the Model T, which was the strategy to offer the car in the  black color, but by strategy as a pattern, this was an intended strategy. An unintended strategy, as a pattern can be seen with an example of IKEA who began to flat pack their furniture, where as the original idea for this was to borne of one of the companies designers which are trying to load a table into their car and when they realized that it wouldnt fit and hence, they would have to detach the legs of the table. At that time, they realized that customers would be facing the similar issue while purchasing their product, and as such a vital aspect of Ileas strategy it emerged unintentionally.http://louisdietvorst.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/emergent-strategy.jpg?w=481h=372 Strategy as Position Strategy as a position refers to the environment in which the organization operates in and the mediating force between the internal and external context. An example to justify this concept can be of organizations strategy towards dealing with critical environmental factors such as extreme heat, disposal of waste, use of green IT. Strategy as Perspective This aspect of strategy is concerned with how the organization itself sees the business  environment. For example, an organization will have an option of being the pacesetters, who is always seen at the bleeding edge of technology and who, sell their products based on advances of technology. Whereas another option would be to be followers, where organizations learn from the mistakes of the pace setter and hence, they adopt only proven technologies and are more  concerned  with the quality and reliability of products rather than bleeding technological edge. Examples to prove this is of the automotive industry, where it can be seen, how Ford has began the new Ford Focus market to be the technological leader in this product category. With the use of economies of scale Ford has managed to cheaply introduce technologies like Self-Parking, it is a technology associated with premium brands rather than Ford who is traditionally known for targeting blue-collar workers. Key works by Henry Mintzberg Books Managing.  FT Prentice-Hall, 2009 Management: its not what you think.  (With Bruce Ahlstrand and Josepeh Lampel). FT Prentice-Hall, 2010 Strategy bites back.  (With Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lampel). Pearson, 2005 Managers not MBAs.  Berrett-Koehler, 2004 Strategy safari.  (With Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lample) London: Prentice-Hall, 1998 The strategy process: concepts, contexts, cases (3rd ed).London: Prentice-Hall International, 1996 The rise and fall of strategic planning.  Hemel Hempstead: Prentice-Hall International, 1994 Mintzberg on management: inside our strange world of organizations.  New York: Free Press, 1989 Power in and around organizations.  Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983 Structures in fives: designing effective organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983 The structuring of organizations: a synthesis of the research. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979 The nature of managerial work.  New York: Harper and Row, 1973 Journal articles Key articles are given below, for a complete list from 1967 to date, with some links through to full text, please seehttp://www.mintzberg.org/articles The managers job: folklore and fact.  Harvard Business Review, 68 (2) Mar-Apr 1990, pp. 163-176. Originally published in 1975, the article includes a retrospective commentary by the author. Crafting strategy.  Harvard Business Review, 65 (4) Jul-Aug 1987, pp. 66-75 The fall and rise of strategic planning.  Harvard Business Review, 72 (1) Jan-Feb 1994, pp. 107-114 Rounding out the managers job.  Sloan Management Review, 36 (1) Autumn 1994, pp. 11-26 Musings on management.  Harvard Business Review, 74 (4) Jul-Aug 1996, pp. 61-67 Managing on the edge.  International Journal of Public Sector Management, 10 (3) 1997, pp. 131-153 The yin and yang of managing.  Organizational Dynamics, 29 (4) 2001, pp. 306-312

Social Class: Maintaining Divisions Within Society

Social Class: Maintaining Divisions Within Society As social beings we naturally form groups for survival and support, as the popular saying goes No man is an island, and indeed, we are not. We form social groups that unite us with one another and give us a sense of security. These groups can be created from the tiniest of excuses, for example; a group of people that meet at the bus stop every Tuesday at 5am, after seeing each other regularly they easily form alliance and share mutual goals and norms i.e. getting the bus on time. It is within these groups that we receive our social identities. These social identities can be awarded within a small intimate group like a family or in a large scale group like a class in society. Their common goals create an us and a them response governed by a group conscience (Tajfel, 1971). This response can be a strength, for example, a great championship team attempting to win 4x400meter relay race, find that distinguishing themselves from others could be positive experience that builds self-esteem, making them work harder than others and mesh better. However, even though these social groups provide us with positive identities, securities etc., they can at the same time have a negative effect and create bias towards other groups whether they realise it or not. In this essay, I will discuss how specific social groups based on class and status, come to exist and explore their importance in society. The disadvantages or advantages experienced by a social group within a stratum reflect the amount of power they have in society. The power comes directed from the resources one is advantaged enough to have, for example, ranging from being able to afford an education, from which, one can gain employment, from which, one can move up to a moderate position within a company, from which, they have the income to buy a house, car and pay for healthcare; to owning an international chain of restaurants, from which, one can afford a luxury yacht that offers luxury cruises, generating enough income to buy a third house and another yacht or two. This is why sociologists believed that social stratification was the core factor that influences the sharing of power in society. There have been many attempts to determine a deciding factor for social power. Some feminists like Firestone (1971) believed that all societies were divided into opposed sex classes that were the basis of gender inequalities. She argued that all men in society oppressed women because of the biological, psychological and physical shortcomings they experienced due to pregnancy, child-birth and child rearing. Her ideas stemmed from the womens liberation movements in Europe and America in the 1960s and represented emancipation. Meanwhile, other systems presented a supressed, racially influenced explanation of social stratification. In the 19th century, the idea that race determined specifically by inherited biological distinctions was the deciding factor in social strata becoming prominent in society. Gumplowicz (1885) viewed ethnic and racial conflict as the fundamental mechanism of social development. Gumplowicz believed that it inevitable and natural for one ethnic group to surpass an other, giving chance for the strongest to emerge. Gobineau (1853-5) and Chamberlain (1899) promoted racial stratification and warranted the oppression of inferior ethnicities. Ideas like these were detrimental to the seemingly inferior ethnicity and fuelled thinkers like Adolf Hilter (1925) who sought to eliminate inferior races in favour of the Aryan race. Sexual and racial inequalities are undeniably influential, however, they cannot be individually crowned as the primary causes of social stratification. Race itself does not exist, it is a social construct, and there is only one human race (Gordon, 1964). Ethnicity instead of race, on the other hand, does exist, based on cultural differences springing from history, origin, religion language and the like, however, it is an inequality that contributes to social stratification but does not solely determine the outcome. Similarly, sexual stratification struggles to define all social division because men and women thrive in complete isolation. Men and womens sexual differences are the building blocks of society and essential for existence so they cannot be the core reason for stratification because stratification is division of society, they are requirements. Neither sexual nor racial inequalities can define a single source of stratification because people are so complicated and diverse, t hey cannot individually account for the complexities within society. Other sources of stratification are political status, religion or class. Max Weber (1948) suggested that a wider perspective that incorporates sex and ethnicity should be considered. He believed that there were three unique aspects that spread across humanity and influenced the distribution of power in society and life chances in their own way. The three aspects were class (economic power), status (communal power) and authority (authoritative power). Weber was initially influenced Karl Marx and further developed his own ideas specifically about class and status. Social class refers to a conscious group of people that share the same socio-economic background, whose life chances are decided by the class they belong to. The class system in Britain is a prime example, society is divided into the upper class (mostly aristocrat families, headed by the Queen); middle class (upper-middle class e.g. architects, barristers, high level doctors etc.; middle-middle class e.g. management, teachers, accountancy, social work etc.; and the lower-middle class e.g. clerical , administrative etc.); working class (skilled e.g. a white van man or self-employed contractor and unskilled e.g. customer service or telesales); and the underclass (long term unemployed living off welfare). Marx (1867) believed that almost every society was a class society with exception of the most primitive societies because they were smaller and undeveloped. He viewed possessing means of production, especially property, was the deciding influence in social division. He suggested society was of capitalist nature, distinguishing two conspicuous classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie owned the means of production and derived majority, if not, all of their income from capital. They were known as the capitalist class. On the reverse were the proletariat, who did not own any means of production and instead work for the bourgeoisie. They were known as the working class. The bourgeoisie, owning the means of production, kept majority of the wealth generated by the proletariat; the bourgeoisie received surplus value from their resources, meanwhile, the proletariat only received a small percentage of their economic worth. He believed that skilled labour in particular had greater value and deserved higher wages. Marx strongly believed that the proletariat were oppressed to the extent that the existed in a state of false consciousness, where they were content with their hardship. He believed that over time the classes would collapse due to internal conflict and a revolution would ensue. He believed the solution to the class system was effective communism. Weber, influenced by Marx, overruled the idea of effective communism, thinking that the proletariat revolution was highly unlikely because the power of false consciousness was too strong. He understood the bourgeoisie/proletariat class relationship was not so black and white. There were grey areas such as the manager that does not own the means of production and governs the proletariat but does not receive surplus let alone receiving their fair wages. He suggested the distribution of power was not rooted purely in economic power. Both the possession and non-possession of economic assets disperse power in society because from both avenues income is secured, for example, working for an company is labour which has to be bought by the employer, thus, providing income/capital via the non-possession of economic assets. Weber viewed class divisions as having economic basis only and that individually class alone could not condition people into stratum. He believed that the increase in wages that Marx sought after would, if granted, would produce cause and effect experience from significant changes in lifestyles, subsequently creating antagonism in the disadvantaged groups. This revolution would be spurred by rational motives instead of stir from false consciousness. Instead of just class, there were two more aspects determining distribution of power and life chances in society: status (communal power) and authority (authoritative power). Status, for example, held ground when it came to prominent religious figures/poets that were highly significant in society with little economic power. Authoritative power could be executed by a senior police officer that has a lot of authority but not a lot of property. Other criticisms were that the boundaries between various groups are almost impossible to specify. Also, a moral stance was not identified, whether the motives for the division where good or bad. Dahrendorf (1959) also mentioned that in many western societies there are fairly large middle classes because education was more prevalent and available, creating the opportunity to progress. Weber understood that unlike Marx, explaining stratification in only terms of economic factors was unreasonable and stressing the importance of non-economic factors. He further developed his ideas on the non-economic factor of status. Social status refers to the ranking of an individual in a society as superior or inferior according to the values that they have in common. It is the reputation of the individual granted by lifestyle and duties, dictating their life chances, those that successfully conform to the required standard receive great honour and prestige (high status); and vice versa. In minute societies, status is determined by intimate details gathered from regular face to face interaction. However, in larger, complicated societies, ranking is generated by generalisations based on age, sex, family relationships, ethnicity, sexuality etc., putting one into a specific social group regardless of ability or accomplishments. It is the potentially boosting or diminishing assessmen t of lifestyle choices without any real information about the individual preferences. Diminishing status can be very dangerous because it can create a sense of negativity around those of said status, if not worse. For example, in the Indian Caste system, status is assigned according to ethnicity. They range from the religious scholars and leaders at the highest status group known as the Brahim, and the lowest status group known as the Dalits or the untouchables. This is a closed/ascribed status system where despite challenges one cannot change their status because they are born into it. An open/achieved status system is one where status groups are based on merit and achievement so there is social mobility. According to Parsons (1940) status is assigned depending on the most significant social position in a society, for example, lineage, gender, age etc. An example of status assignment are in a tribal society where older men have the highest ranking and young women have the lowest ranking until married off, then a young woman can increase her ranking via her associatio n with her husband. Modern societies alternatively, determine membership by specific public positions. Despite the large variety of occupations, those with the most prestigious receive higher status and vice versa. Strangers are usually judged based on the assumed status gathered from clothing to accents to cars. In contemporary societies status is assumed via income and consumption, and aspirations are geared towards earning higher incomes. Parsons was criticised by an array of sociologists, some argued that not everyone in contemporary societies share the same significant social positions. Therefore, a unified set of views cannot be assumed. Modern societies also have multiple value systems that dictate status. Others stated that in some value systems a person that is, for example, a black doctor despite the high status of being a doctor would be assigned a low status because of his ethnicity. Weber (1924) believed that when it came to life chances, status was a more important factor instead of class because majority of the population would be more likely to make sacrifices based on social status as it affected their day to day life more. From a Functionalist perspective, stratification is essential for society to operate smoothly; especially in industrial societies with complicated division of labour. They believe that the inadequate wages served to motivate people to aim higher, creating competition for important roles in society. Critics contended that the definition of important roles were inadequate and stated that the importance of roles does not directly reflect in wages. Society is not a meritocracy because many are born into their class and status. Also, how is inequality essential for society? Another perspective was the conflict theory stating that stratification is universal but inevitable, unnecessary and not vital for society. Stratification was fashioned and maintained by the elite to guard and enhance their interests. Inequality is not inevitable and it does not promote the ideal functioning of society. They continue to sustain disparity by controlling ideas and information of the masses to keep them in their boxes spreading ideologies such as scientific racism, the divine right of kings and a fair days pay for a fair days work etc. Information released to the public is often manipulated or filtered e.g. Paris Hilton being mentioned on BBCs 10 oclock News etc. Technology is used to monitor our habits e.g. mobile phones, surveillance cameras, oyster cards, credit cards, Facebook etc. The elite sustain by keeping close-knit social networks that pass their privileges from generation to generation. Having looked at the in-depth definition of stratification, I think society is divided for worse. Established class and status play an important role in keeping the rich rich and the poor poor. I support the Marxist view when it comes to the bourgeoisie oppressing the proletariat recklessly. However, as Weber stated it is more complicated that two distinct classes but the presence of the elite is still felt. However, communism is not necessarily the answer to societys woes. Stratification is naturally inevitable to a degree because the variety of innate differences in peoples abilities. It also provides necessary structure to govern large populations. Evolution states that after distribution of essential resources, the surplus will eventually rank some as more affluent. Symbolic interactionists mention that predominant symbols i.e. wealth, define all social interactions, which in turn develops a persons sense of self and placing in society. Wealth is not necessarily a bad thing, part icularly when it is earned through hard work; it is just harmful when its distribution is extremely lop-sided due to exploitation. The proletariat are the building blocks of society and they deserve a share of the capital. We all have same basic needs and it is selfish for people to have ridiculous amounts of excess i.e. four twenty bedroom mansions and a private jet while the majority of people elsewhere cannot guarantee where their next meal is coming from. This is inequality and an exhibition of the us and them mentality to highest order. It is not necessary for the groups to fuse into one group and develop intimate social ties; however the groups should have mutual respect towards one another as fellow human beings regardless of personal differences. The resources in the world are not infinite and they do not belong to a single social group. Diversity should not be punishment; it is what makes humans great, ideally the gap between rich and poor would be moderate. Other than that, stratification is natural and the wealth should be distributed more freely throughout to ease irresponsible division and unnecessary antagonism in society. Protein Denaturation of Egg White and Milk: Experiment Protein Denaturation of Egg White and Milk: Experiment Introduction: Proteins are the secondary crucial food components while carbohydrates are primary ones. However, proteins must be denatured their natural structure to be unfolded before the digestion. [ 1 ]In the practical, the denaturation of egg white and milk were examined. The white of an egg is a solution of protein in water which depends upon stable interactions with the protein active groups. Factors which influence the stability of the protein may thus be expected to influence the stability of the solution. Objectives: The purpose of the experiment is to: Examine and explain the changes in appearance of egg white that occur in different conditions in denaturation of egg white Examine the phase transitions that occur in denaturation of egg and milk affected by temperature change by making egg custard Examine and explain the changes in appearance of milk that occur in different conditions in denaturation of milk Examine and explain the changes and differences in properties between the original sample of yoghurt and two sample with respective addition of fresh milk and boiled milk Method: All of the practical were followed by the procedures listed on page 11 and 12 of Laboratory Manuals Guide 2014. Result: The observations are shown in the following: The changes in appearance of egg white that occur in different conditions in denaturation of egg white Before the treatment of different conditions, the egg white was clear yellow liquid in each of five boiling tubes. After the treatment of different conditions, the egg white in tubes made changes in appearance at certain time in water bath or at certain number of additions shown in the table. Visual appearance Time duration until the change to occur Number of additions for change to occur Tube 1(egg white in the water bath at 60à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™) Milky gel 1hour and 12 minutes / Tube 2(egg white in the water bath at 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™) Milky gel 1minute and 32seconds / Tube 3(egg white with additions of 1M Acetic acid) Three layers: water, silk-like white sediment and yellow egg white / 22 drops Tube 4(egg white with additions of 5M NaCl (aq) ) Two layers: silk-like white sediment i yellow egg white and water / 110 drops Tube 5(egg white with additions of equal of volume of distilled water) No observable change / / The phase transitions that occur in denaturation of egg and milk affected by temperature change by making egg custard The time duration for baking at around 130à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ in the oven was 30 minutes in order to make egg custard. Before the baking in the oven, the mixture was milky yellow liquid. After the baking for 30 minutes, the mixture became thickened and semi-solid phase. Moreover, a gel-like structure was formed. The changes in appearance of milk that occur in different conditions in denaturation of milk Before the treatment of different conditions, the milk was white liquid in each of three tubes and the conical flask. The measurement of milk in pHjwas 6.39 When 52 drops of 1M Acetic acid added into milk in conical flask, the formation of ppt occurred and the measurement in pHkwas 4.49. Since then, the three tubes that were treated to add 26 drops of 1M Acetic acid, add 1ml 5M NaCl (aq) and have no further addition were placed in the 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ waterbath. The time durations for changes in the three tubes were 1 minutes 22 seconds, 19 minutes and 20 minutes respectively. After the 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ waterbath, the mixture in tube with addition of 26 drops of 1M Acetic acid formed large white curd. Besides, the mixture in tube with addition of 1ml 5M NaCl (aq) was observed to have white ppt. Moreover, the control tube (no further addition) remained white liquid but had very little silk-like sediment on inner wall of the tube. Finally, the conical flask sample was taken for centrifugation for 5 minutes at 2,000rpm. After the centrifugation, the sample formed two layers: pale yellow liquid and milky sediment. The changes and differences in properties between the original sample of yoghurt and two samples of yoghurt with respective addition of fresh milk and boiled milk The original sample of yoghurt was light, fluffy, smooth and creamy and tasted a bit sour and the smell of milk was detected. Two samples of yoghurt with respective addition of fresh milk and boiled milk cultured in 38à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ incubator formed two layers: firm and thickened milky gel and yellow watery surface. They are not similar to the smooth and creamy original sample of yoghurt. Sourness was enhanced in the sample of yoghurt with fresh milk. However, sourness in the sample of yoghurt with boiled milk was similar to the original sample. Furthermore, the sample of yoghurt with fresh milk was detected a tangier taste in comparison with the sample with boiled milk and the original sample. Discussion: The changes in appearance of egg white that occur in different conditions in denaturation of egg white When egg white solution was placed in waterbath at 60à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ and 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™, heat damaged hydrogen bonds from the connections of unfolding of tertiary conformation of proteins. Since then, there was a chance for long chain of polypeptides to interact with other polypeptides and the polypeptides were reformed to large molecular structure to form coagulum. Therefore, egg white solution in waterbath at 60à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ and 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ became milky gel. Besides, the time duration for change to occur at 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ was much shorter than that at 60à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. That meant the rate of denaturation of egg white at 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ was faster than that at 60à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. The reason was that the higher the temperature of the water bath, the more the heat energy was supplied to protein molecules per unit time. The higher kinetic energy of protein molecules vibrated more rapidly and violently. Therefore, the bonding disrupts faster and the rate of denaturation increased. When egg white solution was added with 22 drops of 1M Acetic acid, acid reacted with egg white to alter the electrostatic interactions and resulted in unfolding the tertiary conformation of peptide chain. It decreased the solubility of the egg white, and thus, formed silk-like sediment in the middle of three layers. When egg white solution was added with 110 drops of 5M NaCl (aq), excessive amount of NaCl (aq) easily attracted water from protein surface and removed it from the surface. The unfavourable interactions produced between protein molecules leaded to the connection of protein molecules. Hence, egg white solution with 110 drops of 5M NaCl (aq) became silk-like white sediment in yellow egg white. However, there was no observable change in egg white solution with additions of equal of volume of distilled water. As water didn’t react with the egg white solution, the solution remained clear yellow liquid. The phase transitions that occur in denaturation of egg and milk affected by temperature change by making egg custard Ovalbumin, from egg white protein, casein micelle and whey protein, from milk proteins, were involved. The mixture was thickened by the condensation of these three proteins during baking. They denatured by heat and became unfolded polypeptides with the chance to interact with other polypeptides and the polypeptides were reformed to large molecular structure. Meanwhile, the water was trapped into the network of polypeptides. Thus, the mixture became semi-solid phase or a gel-like structure. The changes in appearance of milk that occur in different conditions in denaturation of milk In the centrifuge tube, the top layer was pale yellow liquid and the bottom layer was milky gel. Pale yellow liquid contained water and water soluble substances such as water-soluble vitamins, minerals, lactose from milk. On the other hand, milky gel contained milk protein mainly. There was a difference between the milk conditions because of different mass of substances. Milk protein had large molecular structure and heavier mass. It formed in the bottom layer of the tube. By contrast, water and water soluble substances had smaller molecular structure and lighter mass. It formed in the top layer of the tube. The changes and differences in properties between the original sample of yoghurt and two samples of yoghurt with respective addition of fresh milk and boiled milk During the formation of yoghurt, the lactose-consuming bacteria and micro-organisms from air trapped inside the culture at favourable temperature and moisture condition grew and released enzyme to lactose fermentation to produce lactic acid that disrupted the milk protein such as casein micelles.[2] When casein micelles were destabilized by acidic environment, due to denaturation, micelles stuck together. Therefore, coagulation happened in acidic environment. Two sample of yoghurt formed firm and thickened milky curd. The sample of yoghurt with fresh milk was detected a tangier taste and more sourness in comparison with the sample with boiled milk. The amount of lactose-consuming bacteria in sample of yoghurt with fresh milk was much higher than that with boiled milk. It was because the fresh milk did not involve a process of boiling that killed bacteria at boiling temperature. High amount of bacteria produced excessive lactic acid. Thus, the sample of yoghurt with fresh milk tasted tangy sourness. To make commercial yoghurt, the first step is to denature boiled milk protein molecules by acidic environment was required and the coagulation was resulted in to form coagulum. Since then, a proportion of milk is taken to fluid called whey. Stabilizer such as starch has to be added to prevent whey separation so that whey is immobilized and retained within the yoghurt. This increases the smoothness and creaminess. References: Protein, wikipedia 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein Production of yoghurt, The Dairy Council http://www.milk.co.uk/page.aspx?intPageID=81 http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_white http://www.ukessays.com/essays/biology/denaturation-of-egg-white-data-biology-essay.php

Enslaving Nature of Love Exposed in Lucretius Essay -- Lucretius Essay

Enslaving Nature of Love Exposed in Lucretius In Dryden's Lucretius, the speaker argues that (1) Love is a sickness, (2) Love's sickness enslaves, and (3) all attempts to remedy Love's sickness are vain and will only frustrate the lover. Just as Milton's Adam and Eve become enslaved to sin by disobeying God, so mankind becomes enslaved to Love when pierced with Cupid's "winged arrow". In Milton, there is redemption and freedom through Christ, but in Dryden, no salvation from love is possible. This poem leaves mankind in a hopeless, frustrated state, unable to break free from love's yoke. This essay will center on the last heroic couplet: "All wayes they try, successeless all they prove,/To cure the secret sore of lingering love". In order to prove the first premise, this essay will begin by examining the last line of the couplet which argues that the lovers are trying to "cure the secret sore". This line prompts the idea that love is a sore that needs a cure, but it also raises two questions: (1) why does the speaker call love a secret sore? And (2) how does the speaker use this imagery in the rest of the poem? In the poem's mythology, love is a sore left by Love's arrow (which probably alludes to Cupid's handy-work) as described in the first line of the poem: "he who feels the Fiery dart/ Of strong desire transfix his amorous heart". The "secret sore" can also refer to the idea that Love's wound is concealed (as an internal injury), and thus cannot be helped by external/physical remedies. The speaker argues that even sex proves unprofitable in trying to cure love: "Our hands pull nothing from the parts they strain,/But wande... ...ess appetite". It seems as though the speaker is trying to frustrate the lover by offering impossible remedies. The speaker amplifies frustration by using an eye rhyme to finish the poem. This doesn't show Dryden's lack of skill, but rather a way to frustrate a reader's rhyme. The last heroic couplet provides no hope and leaves only frustrating thoughts for the lover: "All wayes they try, successeless all they prove,/To cure the secret sore of lingering love". The speaker even argues that though Nature provides satisfaction for physical urges (e.g. hunger and thirst), Nature does not give Love the same satisfaction. The speaker describes a lover as a type of Sisyphus, enslaved in a vicious cycle of trying to accomplish the task (of fulfilling love's desires), only to have the problem roll back down and having to start over again.

Migraines: A Complex Disorder Essay -- Headaches Medical Neurology Pap

Migraines: A Complex Disorder If I can only make it to my bed, I'll be fine. My head hurts terribly. I would do anything to stop the pain. I've taken three extra strength Tylenols and the pain hasn't diminished at all. My head is spinning. Ever so often, the world around me turns dim and then bright. I close my eyes. I need to lie down, but I am driving. I feel nauseous. The pain that started on one side of my head is spreading as it pulsates. I squeeze my head and rub my temples, but the pain remains. I wish for a lobotomy. I wish somebody could stop the pain. I'm home. I run to my room. I tie a rag tightly around my head. It doesn't help. I press my head against a wall. I feel like vomiting again. I know relief is coming soon. I pass out. I am a Migraineur, and have been ever since I can remember. Migraine headaches are a type of vascular headache that affects 28 million Americans, 75 percent of whom are women 1) "http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/migraineupdate.htm">National Institute of Health, a good source of general information on migraine headaches. Annually, migraines cost the American taxpayers $13 billion in missed work and reduced productivity 1) "http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/migraineupdate.htm">National Institute of Health, a good source of general information on migraine headaches. Migraines are not a disorder unique to overworked Americans. In fact, the World Health Organization identified migraine among the world's top 20 leading causes of disability name="2">2) "http://www.w-h-a.org/wha/info.asp">World Health Alliance, a source of current articles about migraine headaches. According to the World Health Organization, aside from the physiological exp... ...lth Alliance, a source of current articles about migraine headaches 3) "http://archneur.ama-assn.org/issues/v57n8/ffull/nhn8476.html">Archives of Neurology, provides a historical perspective on topics related to neurology (3) 4) "http://www.achnet.org/understanding/">American Council for Headache Education, provides information on all types of headaches 5) "http://www.wfubmc.edu/neurology/migweb2/introduc.htm#INTRODUCTION">Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, lecture notes of a professor at the medical school 6) "http://www.migraines.org/myth/">MAGNUM, a good site for individuals who suffer from migraine headaches 7) "http://www.intelihealth.com/">Intelihealth, a site sponsored by Harvard Medical School 8) "http://www.neurologychannel.com/migraine/">Neurology Channel, provides a comprehensive look at migraine headaches

Mommy why u so young? :: Social Issues, Adolescent Mothers

Adolescent mothers have unique heaths needs compared to older mothers and other female adolescents (Aujoulat et al, 2010; Chablani & Spinney, 2011; Crittenden et al.2009,). Therefore,it is important for community development nurses to consider their specific needs when designing programs. This paper will identify the prevalence of adolescent motherhood in Saint John, New Brunswick and Canada. The challenges and problems that adolescent mothers face, along with the relevant health determinants, will be examined. Finally, local interventions and strategies the literature has identified as successful in improving the health status of adolescent mothers will be examined and critiqued. Target population and epidemiology The target population for this assessment is adolescent mothers aged 15 to 19. For this essay, adolescent mothers are considered to be between the ages of 15 to 19, unless otherwise stated. There were 15,570 live births to adolescent mothers in Canada in 2008. In New Brunswick, there were 488 live births in 2008 (Statistics Canada, 2008). Less than 5% of adolescents who become pregnant opt for adoption in New Brunswick (L.Smith, personal communication, September 21, 2011). The Health Indicators report showed that 28% of New Brunswick teenage pregnancies occurred in the Saint John area in 2009 (Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health{OCMOH}, 2011). The report also identified the teenage fertility rate in New Brunswick. This rate refers to the number of live births that occur to females aged 15 to 19 per 1,000. In Saint John, the fertility rate for adolescents is 43.7. This number is significantly higher than the national teenage fertility rate of 14 and the provincial fertility rate of 20 (OCMOH). Although Canada’s national fertility rate is less than half of the United States of America’s rate of 41, it is still higher than most European countries including France, which has a rate of eight, and the Netherlands’s rate of four (OCMOH). These statistics show a significant number of adolescent mothers in Saint John, New Brunswick and Canada, proving the need for health care interventions for this target population. Determinants of health To conduct a throughout assessment on the needs of adolescent mothers, it is essential to consider the determinants of health. Common problems this population faces include high drop out rates, depression, social isolation, repeat pregnancies, and less effective parenting skills(source). The determinants of health most likely to impact adolescent mothers include income and education, social support, personal health practices, healthy childhood development, and gender.Unfortunately, the literature mainly focuses on the negative health determinants for this group and neglects to concentrate on positive health determinants or assets.

How to Write Case Analysis

Read a case at your normal speed without stopping to take notes. Read the assignment at the end of the case (if there is an assignment), and then carefully read the entire case again, taking notes in the margins as you read. Your task is to identify problems in the case, formulate recommendations to solve these problems, and then write your analysis with the following four headings: 1. Summary of the facts presented. 2. Analysis of the problems. 3. Recommendations for solutions to the problems. 4. Implications your recommendations will have on the operation of the organization.Follow the above format even if there are Assignment questions at the end of the case. Important: Weave the answers to the Assignment questions into your â€Å"Recommendations† section. As you write your case analysis, you must include appropriate references to the assigned reading. Your references should be in the following formats: For books and articles, (Brandenburger & Nalebuff, 1996. p. 126) and fo r Web articles and material, (www. charleswarner. us/articles/BUDGETS. html. September, 2004). The date in the Web reference is the month you accessed a Web site.Do not include a bibliography or references section at the end of your case analysis unless you refer to books or articles that are not Required or Recommended Reading. Summary Begin your write-up with a concise synthesis of the facts in the case, under the heading â€Å"Summary. † Stick to one or two sentences and do not put any discussion of problems or recommendations for solutions in this section. Analysis The most important section of your case analysis comes next, under the heading â€Å"Analysis. † This section should be the longest, most thorough section of your write-up.Managers cannot solve problems unless they can first identify them. Recognizing problems and then understanding the nature of the problems is the proper beginning of all managerial action. Solutions generally fall in place relatively e asily once problems are recognized and understood. There are often several viable solutions to problems in a case, but you cannot implement any of them if you cannot identify the problems. It is important that there are references to the assigned reading in the Analysis section.Your grade will depend, to a large degree, on how many appropriate, relevant, references you include in your write-up. Recommendations Next, write your recommendations on to how to solve the problems in a section titled â€Å"Recommendations. † Put the solutions in order of priority. It is vitally important that you include references to the assigned reading in the Recommendations section, too. If there are questions or assignments at the end of the case, weave your answers into the Recommendations section of the case.Implications. Finally, in your â€Å"Implications† section you should elaborate what implications your recommendations will have on the operation of the organization in the short a nd long term and what broader policy implications your recommendations might have not only on your organization but also on the business community, if there are any. In other words, if your recommendations are implemented, what changes will the organization and the business community in general have to make in the way they do things now and in the future? Include appropriate references in this section, too.