Reviewing Company's Mission Statements Research Paper

Reviewing Company's Mission Statements - Research Paper Example It should also be the standard with which the company is willing to be evaluated. According to Bart and Tabone (1998), mission statements should be ‘enduring, passionate, and lacking in specific quantitative measurements’. However, there are circumstances when a company finds its mission statement outdated and is often misaligned with new business objectives. There are times when a company’s mission statement is no longer â€Å"relevant in addressing to new realities† (Radtke, 2009) and thus be a subject for review to â€Å"reflect changes in institutions, as well as in the environments within which the institutions are called on to function† (Bart & Tabone, 1998). This paper examines such instances when companies modify and alter their mission statements in accordance to the changes in corporate values and the business environment. The paper should further explain why corporations are spending time reviewing their mission statement and why this has become an increasing concern for the organization. Mission Statement and Its Impact The main benefit of crafting an effective mission statement is that it creates an impact to people who get exposed to it. According to Abrahams (2007), a well-crafted mission statement serves as a â€Å"practical focus for individuals within the corporation†. This means that company statements often inspire and influence certain needs and aspirations of the organization and its employees. When assimilated into the organization’s culture, mission statements become an integral part of the strategic planning process of the company (David & Pierce III, 1987). In other words, it helps company managers and employees to stay focused on the organization’s goals. However, a mission statement is not only be beneficial to people within the company but also to its target audience – customers, investors, and possibly donors. Birbaum (2004) emphasized the significant impact of a company ’s mission statement to its customers because it is what defines them. When people are presented with an organization’s statement of intent, it gives them a clear picture of what the organization is trying to do. Because of these reasons, mission statements are considered as â€Å"an actual blue print for a company’s future and ultimately, its success† (Abrahams, 2007). When the organization successfully integrates the goals and values expressed in its mission statement and acts according in accordance to its principles, then it secures its morale and strengthens its reputation as a company. On the other hand, when a company succumbs to weaknesses and failures inside and outside the organization, its morale crumbles and its reputation becomes shaky. Mission Statement and Its Limitations An organization’s mission statement is central to its business strategy. As such, it is important that company statements should be, according to Bart and Tabone (1 998), â€Å"enduring (i.e., they should not have a time frame); passionate (i.e., they should be emotionally charged); and lacking in specific quantitative measurements (i.e., financial goals)†. However, Grunig & Kuhn (2008) further extends these characteristics of mission statements into reasons why it should be flexible and dynamic. The authors argued that while a mission statement does not include a time frame for its validity, it should nevertheless remain under review

Business Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Analysis Report - Essay Example The result is that these people have to use three different systems to do their work. Another supplier of case recording system has approached the manager of the new YOS with a view to supplying a system. The manager is interested in getting more information in relation to the current system as well as the details relating to the new supplier’s system. The findings of the investigation should be reviewed and assessed in order to facilitate a comparison of both options; their long term operational impact as well as their financial impact. A comparison should be done of both options to determine the efficiency with which each system can be operated as well as their likely financial impact on the organisation. The system which is comparatively more operationally efficient and more cost effective should be chosen. If one is more cost effective but not more operationally efficient - a cost benefit analysis would be required to determine the long term impact on the organisation. This task requires a skilled and knowledgeable business analyst with proven experience in the area. Holmes (2007) indicates that skilled and knowledgeable business analysts play a key role in tasks such as these as they are able to do the necessary investigation to better understand end users and other important information. Holmes, B. (2007). Importance of Business Analysis in Development and Implementation of Court Systems. Technology Experience Bulletin, TEB: 2007-04. [Online] Available at www.citoc.org/docs/teb-analysis.pdf. [Accessed 9th march

The politics of cultural stereotyping in Los Vendidos Research Paper

The politics of cultural stereotyping in Los Vendidos - Research Paper Example Los Vendidos talks of a time in California when policies regarding race regularly emphasized the differences between black and white, rather than talking of them as one unified whole. The governorship of Ronald Reagan was a prominent cause for this, as his policies regarding race relations have been widely condemned as racist and one where class plays an important role; with poor African Americans facing the brunt of his policies (Reagan). The reference to Reagan in Los Vendidos, is thus not a passing remark on the part of Valdez. It is an overt critique of Reagan, who was then the Californian governor. Miss Jimenez is a character who has moved beyond the lower class beginnings of the Mexican immigrants that Honest Sancho initially shows her, when she asks for a representative of the Mexican American community for the campaign that Reagan intends to carry out. The story thus points to the degeneration of democratic politics into a system where it becomes merely a system where people of different communities are trapped in the form of vote banks. Valdez pokes fun at this tendency by pointing out the utter lack of agency that such representatives possess within the democratic setup that is thus envisaged. He also highlights the bitter truth of the Mexican American himself/herself choosing to stereotype people of his/her own community. This is exactly what Miss Jimenez seems to be doing (Chabram-Dernersesian, 130-45). She moreover, desires to move out of the stereotype that is forced upon her by the mainstream American society, thereby showing that stereotypes are created both by the mainstream and the marginalized sections of the society. By the end of the play, the three Mexican American men, hitherto thought to be robots, by declaring themselves human, come out of the stereotypes that are created for them by the society. They choose also to remain outside the realm of the stereotypes that Mexican Americans choose to create for themselves by uniting for the caus e of the Mexican community and thereby breaking the boundaries that are created within the Mexican American community by people like Miss Jimenez. Miss Jimenez represents the bourgeoisie who chooses to dissociate herself from her own marginalized community so as to try and be a part of the mainstream society. Her need for disguising herself as a â€Å"white washed Mexican† is something that Valdez chooses to poke fun at (Valdez). The recognition of the need for a collective action on the part of marginalized ethnic groups across the world and the need for a nation to be wary of the bourgeoisie which seeks to stifle any such attempt at revolution is what stays with the reader at the end of the story. The play also seeks to undercut the idea of the United States of America as the melting pot of all cultures, and a place where every culture is accepted, an image that is summed up in the phrase, ‘the American Dream’, which seems to promise immigrants a free society t hat does not discriminate between its citizens on superficial grounds such as race. The idea of an egalitarian America has been undercut by many writers of non-white origin during the twentieth century. This idea, which dates back to the puritanical idea of America as a utopian land was one that was created by its white settlers. The need for creating such a society through revolution and unrest is articulated in this play by the three characters who turn out to be humans and not robots, at the end of the pla

New Perspective in Organisation Management Essay

New Perspective in Organisation Management - Essay Example Writers have disagreed to the ways in which organizational cultures can be changed. There are primarily two schools of thought based on the concepts of organizational culture. One of them is based on shared values while the other is based on working practices. According to Waterman and Peters, shared values form the basic component of organizational cultures. However, Hofstede has suggested that shared perceptions of the daily practices and not the shared values form the basic components or the core of organizational culture. Incorporating changes in the shared value is considered to be more difficult as compared to changes in working practices as people remain more deeply rooted with the values rather than the practices (Black, 2003, p.16). Business management consultants and organizational socialists have increasingly stressed upon the role of soft skills in organizations. This has been the case as organizational culture is the label for the shared mental software shared by the peo ple in the organization. Organizational culture can be deviated from the conventional national culture for creating a competitive advantage of the firm. This is supposed to be especially true when organizational culture reinforces the company strategies. Studies conducted at IRIC has revealed that there is a significant correlation between the cultural strength i.e. the homogeneity of the culture and the orientation of results in the organization (Black, 2003, p.16). ... Organizational culture can be deviated from the conventional national culture for creating a competitive advantage of the firm. This is supposed to be especially true when organizational culture reinforces the company strategies. Studies conducted at IRIC has revealed that there is a significant correlation between the cultural strength i.e. the homogeneity of the culture and the orientation of results in the organization (Black, 2003, p.16). The best organizations are those which have their cultures as customer driven and also performance oriented. One of the organizations with strong organizational cultures is Disneyland. The strong culture of the organizations is depicted through all its activities like the actions of employees, running of parks and the consistency and positivity with which visitors were treated in the organization (Schermerhorn, 2009). Because this study focuses on the constructs of organizational culture it is important to make reference to the iceberg model whi ch makes a strong depiction of the organizational culture. Literature has repeatedly focused on the terms organizational climate and organizational culture. Researchers have often made the two terms interchangeable. Martin (2002) has written a book on organizational culture providing a comprehensive review of the literature on organizational culture and interesting perspective on the various issues which are related with the subject (McLean, 2005, p.3). Looking at Schein’s iceberg model, this includes all the elements of the iceberg which are under the level of water and all that which are visible. This is demonstrated in the figure below. Figure 1: The iceberg model in organization culture (Source: Schermerhorn, 2009) On

How and Why did The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Essay

How and Why did The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union Escalate from 1945 to 1962 - Essay Example There were deep rooted ideological, economic and political differences between the two countries before World War 2 and these intensified after the war ended. Ideological differences arose from the fact that the 2 countries had apposing systems of government. Power rivalry ensued after the decline of Europe, with power split between the USSR and USA, both seeking to dominate each other. The Yalta-Potsdam Conference, George Kennan’s Telegram, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Berlin Wall and U2 Crises were events that were largely responsible for increasing the tension between the two super powers and escalating the Cold War. Finally the Cuban Missile Crises, the event at which the world almost witnessed World War III, was the worst event of the War (Cold War 1945-1960). There is no clear indication as to when the Cold War started. The only reason that kept Soviet and the West together as allies was Hitler. They both wanted to eliminate Hitler’s Nazis but for different reason s. Stalin wanted Germany to fall because he did not want events like the Nazi’s invasion of 1941 to repeat whereas the America and Britain wanted Germany to be Capitalist trading partner and a state that could prevent the spread of Communism in Europe. After 1945, conflicts and misunderstandings arose aggravating the situation between the two super powers of the world. Signs of conflicts were seen in the Yalta Conference of February 1945; when the allies sat down to decide how they would Divide Germany after the war. Germany was supposed to be divided into four zones between USA, Britain, France and USSR. Problem arose as to what type of government will be established in Eastern Europe. At the end of the conference, the allies agreed to set up Democratic governments in the countries by holding free elections, but the way the two sides interpreted ‘democracy’ and ‘free elections’ sow the seeds for a future conflict. Five months later the allies met ag ain at Potsdam. The situation in these few months had changed due to a number of factors; Roosevelt (who was pro Stalin) had died and was replaced by an aggressive anti-communist, President Truman, on the other hand Stalin ordered to arrest Poland’s non-communist leader. So the tension about Eastern Europe at Yalta now surfaced as an open disagreement and the outcomes of the conference remained merely the same (Cold War 1945-63). In 1946, George Kennan, a US diplomat stationed at Moscow sent a ‘long telegram’ to America that the Soviets needed to be stopped. The Telegram informed the Americans about the Soviet ideology. This became the basis for America’s Cold War policy against USSR. Truman Doctrine, was introduced as a result of the telegram which meant that the US should stop the further Communist expansion by any means possible. In March of 1946, Winston Churchill gave a speech in which he said that Eastern Europe was dominated by the Soviet’s t otalitarian control and so was cut off from the rest of the world by an ‘iron curtain’. This aggravated the tension so much that Stalin took Churchill’s Speech as a declaration of Cold War. George Marshall, American General after returning from Europe convinced the Congress that the only way to stop the spread of Communism in Europe was to provide economic support to the countries which were very poor and about to turn into Communist States. The Congress

Phenomenon Assignment 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phenomenon Assignment 2 - Research Paper Example Managing pain presents itself as a very important challenge to the critical care nurse. Statement of the Phenomenon Pain brings much discomfort to critical care patients and its alleviation is a critical element of critical care nursing. It is, therefore, important that pain is managed effectively. Effective pain management starts with pain assessment (Gelinas, Fillion, Puntillo, Viens & Fortier, 2006). Gelinas (2007) maintained that a patient’s self report is the most reliable and valid measure for identifying pain. Critical care health professionals, however, face the greatest challenge when a patient in the critical care unit is unconscious because of trauma or is unable to talk or move because of the severity of the illness. The phenomenon, therefore, is pain assessment for critically ill patients who are unable to orally communicate, provide a self-report of the pain they are experiencing, or are unable to move and interact with the hospital staff even with just gestures or nods. Pain and Unconsciousness Personally, this author has always wondered if unconscious patients experience physical pain.

Fundamentals of Geography Essay Example for Free

Fundamentals of Geography Essay In geology, a rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids. For example, the common rock, granite, is a combination of the quartz, feldspar and biotite minerals. The Earths outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. Rocks have been used by mankind throughout history. From the Stone Age rocks have been used for tools. The minerals and metals we find in rocks have been essential to human civilization. [1] Three major groups of rocks are defined: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The scientific study of rocks is called petrology, which is an essential component of geology. At a granular level, rocks are composed of grains of minerals, which, in turn, are homogeneous solids formed from a chemical compound that is arranged in an orderly manner. The aggregate minerals forming the rock are held together by chemical bonds. The types and abundance of minerals in a rock are determined by the manner in which the rock was formed. Many rocks contain silica (SiO2); a compound of silicon and oxygen that forms 74. 3% of the Earths crust. This material forms crystals with other compounds in the rock. The proportion of silica in rocks and minerals is a major factor in determining their name and properties. [2] Rocks are geologically classified according to characteristics such as mineral and chemical composition, permeability, the texture of the constituent particles, and particle size. These physical properties are the end result of the processes that formed the rocks. [3] Over the course of time, rocks can transform from one type into another, as described by the geological model called the rock cycle. These events produce three general classes of rock:igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The three classes of rocks are subdivided into many groups. However, there are no hard and fast boundaries between allied rocks. By increase or decrease in the proportions of their constituent minerals they pass by every gradation into one another, the distinctive structures also of one kind of rock may often be traced gradually merging into those of another. Hence the definitions adopted in establishing rock nomenclature merely correspond to more or less arbitrary selected points in a continuously graduated series. 4] Igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word igneus meaning of fire, from ignis meaning fire) forms through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. This magma can be derived from partial melts of pre-existing rocks in either a planets mantle or crust. Typically, the melting of rocks is caused by one or more of three processes: an increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition. Igneous rocks are divided into two main categories: plutonic rock and volcanic. Plutonic or intrusive rocks result when magma cools and crystallizesslowly within the Earths crust. A common example of this type is granite. Volcanic or extrusive rocks result from magma reaching the surface either aslava or fragmental ejecta, forming minerals such as pumice or basalt. [3] The chemical abundance and the rate of cooling of magma typically forms a sequence known as Bowens reaction series, after the Canadian petrologist Norman L. Bowen. Most major igneous rocks are found along this scale. [2] About 64. 7% of the Earths crust by volume consists of igneous rocks; making it the most plentiful category. Of these, 66% are basalts and gabbros, 16% are granite, and 17% granodiorites and diorites. Only 0. 6% are syenites and 0. 3% peridotites and dunites. The oceanic crust is 99% basalt, which is an igneous rock of mafic composition. Granites and similar rocks, known as meta-granitoids, form much of the continental crust. [5] Over 700 types of igneous rocks have been described, most of them having formed beneath the surface of Earths crust. These have diverse properties, depending on their composition and how they were formed. Sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are formed by sedimentation of particles at or near the Earths surface and within bodies of water. This process causes clasticsediments or organic particles (detritus) to settle and accumulate, or for minerals to chemically precipitate (evaporite) from a solution. The particulate matter then undergoes compaction and cementation during diagenesis. Before being deposited, sediment was formed by weathering and erosion in a source area, and then transported to the place of deposition by water,wind, ice, mass movement or glaciers which are called agents of denudation. Mud rocks comprise 65% (mudstone, shale and siltstone); sandstones 20 to 25% and carbonate rocks 10 o 15% (limestone and dolostone). [3] About 7. 9% of the crust by volume is composed of sedimentary rocks, with 82% of those being shales, while the remainder consist of limestone (6%), sandstone and arkoses (12%). [5] Metamorphic Metamorphic rocks are formed by subjecting any rock type—sedimentary rock, igneous rock or another older metamorphic rock—to differenttemperature and pressure conditions than those in which the original rock was formed. This process is called metamorphism; meaning to change in form. The result is a profound change in physical properties and chemistry of the stone. The original rock, known as the protolith, transforms into other mineral types or else into other forms of the same minerals, such as by recrystallization. [3] The temperatures and pressures required for this process are always higher than those found at the Earths surface: temperatures greater than 150 to 200  °C and pressures of 1500 bars. [6] Metamorphic rocks compose 27. 4% of the crust by volume. [5] The three major classes of metamorphic rock are based upon the formation mechanism. An intrusion of magma that heats the surrounding rock causes contact metamorphism—a temperature-dominated transformation. Pressure metamorphism occurs when sediments are buried deep under the ground; pressure is dominant and temperature plays a smaller role. This is termed burial metamorphism, and it can result in rocks such as jade. Where both heat and pressure play a role, the mechanism is termed regional metamorphism. This is typically found in mountain-building regions. [2] Depending on the structure, metamorphic rocks are divided into two general categories. Those that possess a texture are referred to as foliated; the remainder are termed non-foliated. The name of the rock is then determined based on the types of minerals present. Schists are foliated rocks that are primarily composed of lamellar minerals such as micas. A gneiss has visible bands of differing lightness, with a common example being the granite gneiss. Other varieties of foliated rock include slates, phyllites, and mylonite. Familiar examples of non-foliated metamorphic rocks include marble,soapstone, and serpentine. This branch contains quartzite—a metamorphosed form of sandstone—and hornfels. [2] In geography maps are one of the most important tools researchers, cartographers, students and others can use to examine the entire Earth or a specific part of it. Simply defined maps are pictures of the Earths surface. They can be general reference and show landforms, political boundaries, water, the locations of cities, or in the case of thematic maps, show different but very specific topics such as the average rainfall distribution for an area or the distribution of a certain disease throughout a county. Today with the increased use of GIS, also known as Geographic Information Systems, thematic maps are growing in importance. There are however applications for different types of general reference maps when the different types are understood correctly. These maps do not just show a citys location for example; instead the different map types can show a plethora of information about places around the world. The following is a list of each major map type used by geographers and a description of what they are and an example of each kind. †¢ Political Map: A political map does not show any topographic features. It instead focuses solely on the state and national boundaries of a place. They also include the locations of cities both large and small, depending on the detail of the map. A common type of political map would be one showing the 50 U.  S. states and their borders along with the United States north and south international borders (map of the United States). †¢ Physical Map: A physical map is one that shows the physical landscape features of a place. They generally show things like mountains, rivers and lakes and water is always shown with blue. Mountains and elevation changes are usually shown with different colors and shades to show relief. Normally on physical maps green shows lower elevations while browns show high elevations. An example of a physical map is one showing the state of Hawaii (map of Hawaii). Low elevation coastal regions are shown in dark green, while the higher elevations transition from orange to dark brown. Rivers are shown in blue. †¢ Topographic Map: A topographic map is similar to a physical map in that it shows different physical landscape features. They are different however because they use contour lines instead of colors to show changes in the landscape. Contour lines on topographic maps are normally spaced at regular intervals to show elevation changes (e. g. each line represents a 100 foot (30 m) elevation change) and when lines are close together the terrain is steep. For example a topographic map showing the Big Island of Hawaii would have contour lines that are close together near the steep, high elevation mountains of Mauna Loa and Kilauea (map of the Big Island). By contrast, the low elevation, flat coastal areas show contour lines that are spread apart. †¢ Climate Map: A climate map shows information about the climate of an area. They can show things like the specific climatic zones of an area based on the temperature, the amount of snow an area receives or average number of cloudy days. These maps normally use colors to show different climatic areas. A climate map for Australia for example uses colors to show differences between the temperate area of Victoria and desert region in the center of the continent. †¢ Economic or Resource Map: An economic or resource map shows the specific type of economic activity or natural resources present in an area through the use of different symbols or colors depending on what is being shown on the map. For example an economic activity map for Brazil can use colors to show different agricultural products of given areas, letters for natural resources and symbols for different industries (image showing a map of Brazil). Road Map: A road map is one of the most widely used map types. These maps show major and minor highways and roads (depending on detail) as well as things like airports, city locations and points of interest like parks, campgrounds and monuments. Major highways on a road map are generally red and larger than other roads, while minor roads are a lighter color and a narrower line. A road map of San Francisco, California for example would show the major highways as a wide red line and other large roads as a lighter red with minor streets as gray (map of San Francisco). Thematic Map: A thematic map is a map that focuses on a particular theme or special topic and they are different from the six aforementioned general reference maps because they do not just show natural features like rivers, cities, political subdivisions, elevation and highways. If these items are on a thematic map, they are background information and are used as reference points to enhance the maps theme. An example of a thematic map would be one showing the population change of Cana da in specific locations from 1996 to 2001. The map shows the theme it is attempting to get across to its audience and uses a political map (e. g. one showing the provincial and territorial borders of Canada) to give it more of a reference. What Is the Difference Between Weather and Climate? It’s a sweltering midsummer day. â€Å"It must be global warming,† mutters someone. But is it the Earth’s changing climate that has made the day so warm? Or, is it just the weather that is so unbearable? Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere including temperature, rainfall and humidity. Weather is not the same everywhere. Perhaps it is hot, dry and sunny today where you live, but in other parts of the world it is cloudy, raining or even snowing. Everyday, weather events are recorded and predicted by meteorologists worldwide. Climate in your place on the globe controls the weather where you live. Climate is the average weather pattern in a place over many years. So, the climate of Antarctica is quite different than the climate of a tropical island. Hot summer days are quite typical of climates in many regions of the world, even without the effects of global warming. Climates are changing because our Earth is warming, according to the research of scientists. Does this contribute to a warm summer day? It may, however global climate change is actually much more complicated than that because a change in the temperature can cause changes in other weather elements such as clouds or precipitation. Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means (together with the smaller ocean circulation) by whichthermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth. The large-scale structure of the atmospheric circulation varies from year to year, but the basic climatological structure remains fairly constant. Individual weather systems – mid-latitude depressions, or tropical convective cells – occur randomly, and it is accepted that weather cannot be predicted beyond a fairly short limit: perhaps a month in theory, or (currently) about ten days in practice (see Chaos theory and Butterfly effect). Nonetheless, as the climate is the average of these systems and patterns – where and when they tend to occur again and again – it is stable over longer periods of time. As a rule, the cells of Earths atmosphere shift polewards in warmer climates (e. g. nterglacials compared to glacials), but remain largely constant even due to continental drift; they are, fundamentally, a property of the Earths size, rotation rate, heating and atmospheric depth, all of which change little. Tectonic uplift can significantly alter major elements of it, however – for example the jet stream -, and plate tectonics shift ocean currents. In the extremely hot climates of the Mesozoic, i ndications of a third desert belt at the Equator has been found; it was perhaps caused by convection. But even then, the overall latitudinal pattern of Earths climate was not much different from the one today. The wind belts girdling the planet are organised into three cells: the Hadley cell, the Ferrel cell, and the Polar cell. Contrary to the impression given in the simplified diagram, the vast bulk of the vertical motion occurs in the Hadley cell; the explanations of the other two cells are complex. Note that there is one discrete Hadley cell that may split, shift and merge in a complicated process over time[citation needed]. Low and high pressures on earths surface are balanced by opposite relative pressures in the upper troposphere.