Nancy Pearcey Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nancy Pearcey - Coursework Example The structure of the text adds quite little to the effectiveness of the text. For one, the paper lacks coherence and full of philosophical jargons at the expense of information. This also interferes with the general flow of the paper. However, if the paper was intended for specific audience like philosopher, it has a positive standing, but it is not presentable for general exhibition based on grammar and lexical jargons. Personally, reference to a subject in the essays and use of proper amount of vocabulary may make the paper coherent therefore increasing the readability of the paper The summary for the fundamental premise of ethics by Percey is almost perfect as she also indicates point from different thinkers such as Johnson, Harris, and the rest to prove her point about ethics, epistemology and science. She proves that science disapproved ethics. She also explain how ethics is based on idealization such as free sentient, and uncaused behavior, while the scientific world has no uncaused event Do you believe that there is a culture clash? If so, who is winning? Why? Consider how entertainment and news media, education, religious organizations, the courts, and each individual’s gut feeling on the matter influence how they see this issue. 13. Put NOMA in your own words. You can draw a diagram or picture of this if you want. Give an example of NOMA. How many scientific disciplines would easily fit into this paradigm? Where wouldn’t it work? (If you use an example of ethics rather than religion, explain why ethics must coincide with religion.) The non-overlapping magisterial is a very practical concept as science and religion attempt to use deferment methods to realize a common goal or knowledge. It is therefore healthy to argue that the few scientific disciplines will find a home in NOMA. For example, biology, chemistry and physic all emphasize nature. However,

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting Essay Example for Free

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting Essay Principles for setting goals have been designed. One of the common and most effective principle is S. M. A. R. T. Goal Setting. S. M. A. R. T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. ? Specific – It must be clear in the mind of the athlete what exactly he must achieve. Vague or general goals will not help the athlete. According to Locke and Latham (1990), specific goals contribute to higher level of performance than general goals (as cited in Taylor Wilson, 2005). In setting specific goals, sex questions are asked: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How. †¢ Who are involved in achieving this goal? †¢ What do I want to accomplish? †¢ Where will I accomplish this goal? †¢ When do I have to achieve this goal? †¢ Why is it important to achieve this goal? †¢ How can I achieve the goal? (Loo, 2007) ? Measurable – Goals should be quantifiable. In this way, the athlete can gauge his level of success. An athlete who can perceive his progress will be motivated to continue and improve. ? Attainable – Setting impossible goals tend to create anxiety. This affects intrinsic motivation and confidence adversely. Conversely, An athlete should also be challenged to maintain the stimuli needed for him to play the sport. The goal should not be too easy to achieve neither to hard to attain. Determine the level of skill of the athlete then set a challenging yet attainable goal. ? Relevant – Different athletes will have different individual goals. Just because a successful player set a certain goal, it does not mean that all team members should set the same goals. Assess which goals would enhance the output of which athlete. ? Timely – Set deadlines for each objective. Timelines create a certain urgency to work on the goal. Without deadlines, there is a tendency to put off the accomplishment of the goal for another day. Eventually, they would not be met. Team Goals Athletes in team sports need to work with different individuals. Each of them would have their own idea of achievement and success. Each would have an opinion on what the team should do and how to do it. Setting a team goal is essential in unifying individual intentions. A team goal would help keep the players in sync. Giving them one direction strengthens the team. Individual Goals Setting individual goals take a back seat in team sports. What athletes and coaches fail to realize is individual goals can contribute to achieving the team goal. Since the team sets the primary goal, the secondary individual goals should be relevant to it. Have the team discuss as a group what they would want to achieve together. Have them formalize this by writing it down. Then ask each player to come up with their own goals which they believe would help bolster the team goal. (Taylor Wilson, 2005) CONCLUSION Motivation is crucial to an athlete’s productivity. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation play a role in maintaining the athlete’s drive to achieve. However, heavy emphasis on extrinsic motivation does not sustain an athlete’s urge to continue participating in a sport. Intrinsic motivation, being more of a state of mind, is harder to cultivate. Yet, tried and tested solutions are available to a coach to foster internal motivation. The coach is tasked with identifying the athlete’s needs and meeting them. Having fun and feeling worthy are identified as the essential needs of every athlete. Fun in sports can be achieved in various ways. It is left to the creativity of the coach to come up with activities that would be enjoyable to the student-athletes. Self-worth and competence depend highly on how others react to the athlete’s skill. Affirmation and positive feedback are essential in building a positive perception of one’s worth and competence. Flow is an ideal state. Athletes have achieved this state and would understandably desire to replicate the experience. There is no guaranteed way or step – by – step plan to achieve flow. However, working on an athlete’s mental skill has proven to increase the occurrence of flow. There are four ways to achieve flow: focusing in the moment, eliminating distractions, visualizing perfect performance and building unconscious confidence. Focusing in the moment requires the athlete to absorb himself entirely in the game or competition. This can only be achieved by eliminating distractions. Negative thoughts should be pushed aside and focus should be placed in the present. On the other hand, visualizing perfect performance through self – talk can automatically put an athlete in to a state of flow with practice and training. Building unconscious confidence is done consciously. There must be awareness and commitment to build the confidence needed to succeed. Goal setting is another tool in cultivating an athlete’s motivation. Certain types of goals must be set for other forms of goals to be achieved. It is important for the coach to know which type of goal should be utilized at which time. Essentially, it is the coach’s responsibility to guide the athlete in developing himself both physically and mentally. In fact, developing one without the other would adversely affect the performance of the athlete. In the end, it boils down to the coach’s creativity, perseverance and his own motivation. Bibliography Burton, D. Raedeke, T. (2008). Sports Psychology for Coaches. Illinois: Human Kinetics. Garnett, M. (2008). Preparing the Succesful Coach. Massachusetts: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Higgins, E. T. . (1986). Activity Engagement Theory: Implications of Multiple Identifiable Input for Intrinsic Motivation. In Sorrentino, R. Higgins, E. T. Handbook of motivation and cognition: Foundations of Social Behavior Volume 2. New York: Guilford Press. Jackson, S. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in Sports. Illinois: Human Kinetics. Jackson, S. Kimiecik, J. (2008). The Flow Perspective of Optimal Experience in Sport and Physical Activity. In Horn, T. (3rd Ed. ) Advances in Sports Psychology. Illinois: Human Kinetics. La Prath, D. (2008). Coaching Girls Soccer. Illinois: Human Kinetics. Loo, T. (2007). SMART Goal Setting 101: The Definitive Guide to Goal Achievement. Retrieved May 1, 2009 from http://www. synergyinstituteonline. com/detail_article. php? artid=374 Martens, R. (2004). Successful Coaching (3rd Ed. ). Illinois: Human Kinetics. Mauzy, J. Harriman, R. (2003). Creativity, Inc. Massachusetts: Harvard Business Press. Schenck, R. (1999). Athletic Training and Sports (3rd Ed. ) Massachusetts: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Schone, D. (2008). Motivating student-athletes: The who, what, why and how. JJ Huddle’s Ohio High. Retrieved April 30, 2009 from http://www. jjhuddle. com/news/articles/2008/12/19/motivating-student-athletes-the-who-what-why-and-how. Taylor, J. Wilson, G. S. (2005). Applying Sports Psychology. Illinois: Human Kinetics. United States Tennis Association. (2004). Coaching Tennis Successfully (2nd Ed. ) Illinois: Human Kinetics. Weinberg, R. S. Gould, D. (2007). Foundations of Sport and Exercise. Illinois: Human Kinetics.

Issues with Strategic Marketing Management

Issues with Strategic Marketing Management Introduction This course is designed to help you understand and learn advanced principles of marketing and is aimed at marketing managers, or professionals who are working in business or commerce. Who have perhaps a qualification in marketing and several years experience of working in a marketing role, or managers who would like to increase their marketing knowledge. Part of the courses assessment of learning will involve you in undertaking an assignment based on a marketing strategy plan carried out in your own company/organisation. You will be given detailed guidance and advice about this element of assessment later in this workbook. Aims of the unit The aim of the unit is to identify and discuss key issues associated with marketing principles. The course is focused on strategic principles of marketing, which form an essential underpinning to an understanding of strategic marketing in action. The theoretical underpinning will be complemented by a series of short work-based activities. Objectives of the unit To equip you with the knowledge and skills to understand and interpret strategic marketing principles To provide you with practical experience of applying strategic marketing principles and preparing a strategic marketing plan within your own company/organisation. Learning outcomes On successful completion of this Unit you should be able to: Understand the strategic marketing process Recognise the importance of creating strategic advantage Produce a strategic marketing plan in your own company/organisation Understand the importance of developing a specific competitive position Strategic Marketing Management What does this workbook contain? This workbook contains a number of information and learning resources: Background and contextual information about strategic marketing management Key ideas, theories, concepts, structures, processes in relation to strategic marketing ‘Recall and review and ‘Activity points designed to engage you in reflection and action-focused thinking Case examples of strategic marketing in action Assessment You are required to write a 2,500-word assignment as follows: Prepare a strategic marketing plan for your own company/organisation, paying particular attention to creating and sustaining a competitive advantage over rival firms. Strategic Marketing Management How should this workbook be used? This workbook will direct your study throughout the learning experience. There are  six sections, designed to be studied sequentially. However, a good learning technique is to refresh your learning by re-reading, so you are recommend to read back and forth between sections whenever you feel the need. Each section deals with a different topic and, together with any associated activities, practical work or further reading, is designed to require approximately 20 hours of study. The workbook uses an interactive learning approach. This is achieved through the use of self-assessment questions and activities throughout the text. These will enable you to apply the concepts presented in the workbook and explore issues that extend your knowledge and skills. Preparing to use the workbook If you are new to the study of marketing and/or this study method, then we suggest it is worth you spending some time becoming familiar with its contents and approach to learning and development. This will enhance your own understanding of key ideas in strategic marketing management, and your ability to lead and facilitate the learning of others. Strategic Marketing Management Table of contents Title Page Unit 1 The strategic marketing process Objectives 5 Drivers of change 5 Corporate strategy/ Marketing interface 7 Strategic marketing plans 8 Summary 9 Unit 2 Marketing Information Systems Objectives 10 MIS and the use of strategic intelligence 10 Summary 14 Unit 3 Strategic intent Objectives 15 Strategic intent/vision and mission 15 Goals and objectives 17 Stakeholders 18 Summary 19 Unit 4 Creating strategic advantage Objectives 20 Approaches to developing strategic advantage 20 Alliances and networks 22 Declining and hostile markets 24 Strategic wear-out 25 Summary 26 Unit 5 Developing a specific competitive position Objectives 27 Strategic alignment process 27 Innovation and new product development 28 Strategic evaluation 31 Summary 32 Unit 6 Implementation and control Objectives 33 Implementation 33 Control 35 Summary 37 Strategic Marketing Management Unit 1 The core theme of this unit is the importance of market-led strategic change to ensure organisational success. Objectives By the end of this unit you will: Be able to discuss, and give examples of drivers of change Understand the relationship between corporate and marketing strategy Know the process and structure of marketing planning and be able to discuss the differences between strategic and tactical planning Drivers of change Change is inevitable and companies that wish to maintain a market-led approach must take into consideration both cyclical and evolutionary change when developing their marketing strategies. The rate at which the external environment changes varies according to the nature of the business but increasingly all organisations are facing escalating levels of change. Change is inevitable. To survive companies need to adapt and to convert the threats caused by the changing environment into opportunities in order to avoid strategic drift. Marks and Spencer is a prime example of a company that has not adapted to the changing customer demands and as a result has lost many of its loyal customer base. Case history Drivers of change Greenhalgh (2001) identifies the following drivers of change that have created challenges for companies over the last few years: Domestic businesses of any significance have become rare. They are now global, drawing on supply chains that transcend national boundaries and serving customers worldwide Customer expectations of quality have increased and are now applied to all goods and services, rather than just luxury goods Concern for the environment has become a major item on companies agenda. They now have to consider their environmental responsibility as well as their profits. Large institutional investors are exerting their influence on how organisations are managed Start-up companies play an important role in introducing innovative products and new ideas to the marketplace. Young, technologically-competent workers are drawn to these vibrant workplaces, making it harder for other companies to recruit and retain them Strategic Marketing Management Activity 1.1 Consider thedrivers of change outlined above. Identify the impact of these factors on your own company/organisation. What is strategy? The term strategy is probably one of the most used and often misunderstood terms in business. There is no universal definition of strategy and yet it is used extensively. Strategy has the same meaning whether we are discussing corporate, marketing, promotional or even advertising strategy: it is concerned with how we might achieve our objectives. The difference between each type of strategy relates to the level at which the strategy is being developed. Corporate strategy according to Johnson and Scholes (1999), is: â€Å"concerned with what types of business the company as a whole should be in and is therefore concerned with decisions of scope† whereas marketing strategy aims to transform corporate objectives into a competitive market position. The main role of marketing strategy is to differentiate products/services from those of competitors by meeting the needs of customers more effectively. Therefore, according to Drummond and Ensor (2001) marketing strategy can be characterised by: Analysing the business environment and defining customer needs Matching activities to customer needs Implementing programmes to achieve a competitive position relative to competitors Strategic management consists of three elements: Strategic analysis concerned with answering the question where are we now? This involves analysing the external environment, internal resources and capabilities and stakeholder expectations Strategic choice what are the options available and which is the most attractive? Strategic implementation often the most overlooked of strategy. It is concerned with allocating resources and turning the plans into action. This process can be as equally well applied to marketing strategy. Strategic Marketing Management The corporate strategy/marketing interface It is impossible to discuss marketing strategy without first putting it into the context of corporate planning. The relationship between corporate planning and marketing planning can best be explained by figure 1.1 below. It is helpful to think of these decisions sitting in a hierarchy with corporate planning at the top and marketing planning below it. The diagram also illustrates that, alongside marketing planning, plans should be developed for other functional areas of the business such as human resources management (HRM), logistics, and operations. The vision and mission will drive the overall direction of the company and the functional areas of business will all work towards achieving the corporate objectives. The vision and mission will be discussed in Unit 3 Strategic intent. Strategic Marketing Management Marketing strategy is concerned with three elements customers, competitors and internal  corporate issues as illustrated in Figure 1.2. Strategic marketing management has three major  phases: firstly, strategic analysis in order to answer the question where are we now? This will include external analysis of customers, competitors and the macro environment and internal analysis of corporate capabilities; secondly formulation of strategy in terms of creating and evaluating options and thirdly implementation where the strategies are translated into action. The three stages are not mutually exclusive and are not necessarily linear. In fact it is expected that there will be some feedback and amendments as the process progresses. Strategic marketing plans A strategic marketing plan is the means by which the strategy is communicated within the organisation. The structure and content of a strategic marketing plan will vary considerable between organisations. However, normally the following components are included: Current situation external and internal analysis Objective setting Strategy formulation Marketing programmes Implementation issues Control measures Strategic Marketing Management There is no one best format for a strategic marketing plan and organisations will develop their own frameworks that match the needs of their companies. Strategic marketing plans need to generate action and not just be filed away. They should also be sufficiently flexible to take into account the changing environment. Activity 1.2 Read a copy of your own organisations strategic marketing plan. Give your opinion on whether the strategies outlined in it have been actioned. Has the plan shown sufficient flexibility to take into account the changing environment. If the answer to 3. is no, how could the plan have been improved? Summary In this unit we have seen that: Organisations operate in a dynamic environment and therefore they have to take into consideration those external influences that will impact on their business. These influences are often referred to as drivers of change. In market-oriented organisations it is likely that marketing will be the largest contributor to corporate strategy. Corporate strategy is concerned with what types of business the company as a whole should be in, i.e. the scope of the business. Marketing strategy is concerned with transforming corporate objectives into a competitive market position. A strategic marketing plan is the vehicle by which the marketing strategy is communicated within the organisation. The structure and format of a strategic marketing plan will vary considerably between organisations. There is no one best structure. Strategic Marketing Management Unit 2 Marketing Information System (MIS) Introduction The focus of this unit is to understand how the use of marketing intelligence and key marketing information can assist marketing managers to produce an effective marketing information system which will assist marketing decision makers to return higher profits. Objectives Upon successful completion of this unit you will: Understand the strategic use of information Understand how a MIS can assist marketing managers to make key decisions Marketing information is a key requirement for any strategic marketing plan and therefore the development of effective management and marketing information systems is an important task for marketers. Senior marketing managers should not become too heavily involved in the details of the MIS and marketing research but should be concentrating on how to utilize the information in helping to understand the market and develop successful marketing programmes. Definition A Management Information System consists of people, equipment and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate and distribute timely and accurate information to marketing decision makers. The MIS begins and ends with marketing managers. First, it interacts with them to assess their information needs. Next, it develops the needed information from internal company records, marketing intelligence activities and the marketing research process. Information analysis processes the information to make it more useful. Finally, the MIS distributes information to managers in the right form at the right time to help them in marketing planning, implementation and control. Developing information The information needed by marketing managers comes from internal company records, marketing intelligence and marketing research. The information analysis system then processes this information to make it more useful for managers. Strategic Marketing Management Internal records Most marketing managers use internal records and reports regularly, especially for making day to day planning, implementation and control decisions. Internal records information consists of information gathered from sources within the company to evaluate marketing performance and to detect marketing problems and opportunities. The companys accounting department prepares financial statements and keeps detailed records of sales, orders, costs, and cash flows. The customer service department provides information on customer satisfaction or service problems. Research studies done for one department may provide useful information for several others. Managers can use information gathered from these and other sources within the company to evaluate performance and to detect problems and opportunities. Information from internal records is usually quicker and cheaper to get than information from other sources, but it also presents some problems. Because internal information was collected for other purposes, it may be incomplete or in the wrong form for making marketing decisions. For example, accounting department sales and cost data used for preparing financial statements need adapting for use in evaluating product, sales force, or channel performance. In addition, the many different areas of a large company produce great amounts of information, and keeping track of it all is difficult. The marketing information system must gather, organize, process and index this mass of information so that managers can find it easily and obtain it quickly. Marketing intelligence Marketing intelligenceis everyday information about developments in the marketing environment that helps managers prepare and adjust marketing plans. The marketing intelligence system determines the intelligence needed, collects it by searching the environment and delivers it to marketing managers who need it. Marketing intelligence comes from many sources. Much intelligence is derived from the companys personnel executives, engineers and scientists, purchasing agents and the sales force. However, company people are often busy and fail to pass on key information. It is important to realise that staff are intelligence gatherers, and they need to be trained to spot new developments and urged to report intelligence back to the company. The company must also persuade suppliers, resellers and customers to pass along important intelligence. Some information on competitors comes from what they say about themselves in annual reports, speeches, press releases and advertisements. The company can also learn about competitors from what others say about them in business publications and at trade shows. Or the company can watch what competitors do buying and analyzing competitors products, monitoring their sales and checking for new patents. Strategic Marketing Management Companies also buy intelligence information from outside suppliers. Dun and Bradstreet  is the worlds largest research company with branches in forty countries and a turnover of $1.26bn. Its largest subsidiary is Nielsen who sell details on brand shares, retail prices and percentages of stores stocking different brands. Marketing intelligence can work not only for, but also against a company. Kellogg used to allow the public to tour its plants but recently closed its newly upgraded plant to outsiders to prevent competitors from getting intelligence on its high tech equipment. Some companies set up an office to collect and circulate marketing intelligence. The staff scans relevant publications, summarizes important news and sends news bulletins to marketing managers. It develops a file of intelligence information and helps managers to evaluate new information. These services greatly improve the quality of information available to marketing managers. To summarise it is clear that a MIS has four main components: Internal records there is a wealth of information available within the organisation and it is essential that it is organised in such a way as to facilitate its usage. This may include sales data, customer orders, prices, stock levels, customer complaints, etc. Marketing research this is concerned with the systematic collection of information that is specific to a particular problem. For example, a piece of marketing research may be commissioned to investigate attitudes to a new advertising campaign. Marketing intelligence this may include any information that is collected on an ad hoc basis, such as competitor intelligence gleaned from the press, customer trends, registered patents etc. Marketing decision support systems the processes that convert the data into usable information. For example, statistical tools or modeling techniques. Activity 2.1 Write a short summary detailing how a MIS is used to support management decision making in your own company/organisation. Strategic Marketing Management Intelligence gathering: checking out competitors Competitive intelligence gathering has grown dramatically as more and more companies need to know what their competitors are doing. It is essential that managers are not myopic and spend time amassing information about their major competitors. Techniques that companies use to collect their own marketing intelligence fall into four major groups. Getting information from recruits and competitors employees Companies can obtain intelligence through job interviews or from conversations with competitors employees. According to Fortune magazine: ‘Companies send engineers to conferences and trade shows to question competitors technical people. Often conversations start innocently but engineers and scientists often brag about surmounting technical challenges, in the process divulging sensitive information. Getting information from people who do business with competitors Key customers can keep the company informed about competitors and their products. This information can be vital and can prevent a company from being left behind on product launches or price discounting strategies dreamed up by competing companies. Intelligence can also be gathered by infiltrating customers business operations. Companies can provide their engineers free of charge to customers. The close collaboration the engineers on loan enjoy with the customers design staff often enable them to learn what new products competitors are developing. Getting information from published materials and public documents Keeping track of seemingly meaningless published information can provide competitor intelligence. For example, the types of people sought in job adverts can indicate something about a competitors new strategies and products. Getting information by observing competitors or analyzing physical evidence Competitors can get to know competitors better by buying their products or examining other physical evidence. An increasingly important form of competitive intelligence is benchmarking, taking apart competitors products and imitating or improving on their best features. Companies should take advantage of publicly available information but they should avoid practices that might be considered illegal or unethical. Strategic Marketing Management With all the legitimate intelligence sources now available, a company does not have to break the law or accepted codes of ethics to get good intelligence. Activity 2.2 Write a short synopsis of how your own company/ organisation gathers intelligence on its competitors. Summary This unit has demonstrated that: Marketing intelligence is an essential component of an effective MIS Internal records are a vital source of information for marketing managers Senior marketing managers should be concerned with how to use the information generated from the MIS rather than with the details of the system Intelligence gathering can be carried out in various ways but it is important not to break the law or accepted codes of ethics Strategic Marketing Management Unit 3 Strategic intent Introduction The focus of this unit is to consider the aspirations and future plans of an organisation, and the components of a suitable mission statement and development of appropriate objectives. Objectives Upon successful completion of this unit you will: Be able to define the terms strategic intent / vision and mission statement Know the components of good mission statements Be able to discuss the development of appropriate objectives Strategic intent/vision and mission Strategic intent refers to the aspirations of an organisation rather than just its current activity. According to Aaker, strategic intent provides: â€Å"A long-term drive for advantage that can be essential to success. It provides a model that helps break the mould, moving a firm away from simply doing the same things a bit better and working a bit harder than the year before. It has the capability to elevate and extend an organisation, helping it reach levels it would not otherwise attain.† It is apparent that many organisations that have an appropriate and well-constructed vision are focused on the future and ways of continually attaining sustainable competitive advantage. A vision can help guide strategy, identify and maintain core competencies and provide inspiration and motivation to its managers and its employees by providing them with a sense of purpose. Hamel and Pralahad (1989) suggested that strategic intent combines: A dream that energizes the company (i.e. acts as a motivator) Implied stretch, (looks for new opportunities rather than relying on existing businesses) A sense of direction A sense of discovery Coherence to plans Definition Strategic intent/vision: The desired future state or aspiration of the organization. (Johnson and Scholes, 1999, p.243) Strategic Marketing Management Mission statements A mission statement is concerned with providing daily guidance rather than a vision of the future. According to Piercy (2000), in order for mission statements to contribute anything they must: Reflect an organisations core competencies and how it intends to apply and sustain them Be closely tied to the critical success factors in the marketplace Tell employees, managers, suppliers and partners what contribution is required from them to deliver the promise of value to the customer Definition Mission statement: A generalised statement of the overriding purpose of the organisation. (Johnson and Scholes, 1999,p241) Mission statements are influenced by a number of factors, such as the resource availability, the external environment, the core competencies of the organisation and the current preferences of its current chief executive and senior management. The extent to which the mission statement serves its purpose is influenced not only by the quality and relevance of the mission but also by how it is communicated to staff and other stakeholders. A successful mission statement is one that is wholly embraced and believed by staff. Just having a mission statement is insufficient, the staff must also buy into the idea. Drummond and Ensor (2001) suggest that successful mission statements should demonstrate the following characteristics: Credibility it must be realistic and believable Uniqueness not bland and generic Specific capabilities embrace core capabilities Aspirational needs to motivate individuals Activity 3.1 Write a brief critique of your own companys mission statement in the light of the above characteristics Strategic Marketing Management Goals and objectives The vision and mission provide guidance on the overall direction of an organisation. Objectives, whether corporate or marketing, are the expected outcomes of the strategy. Goals are often regarded as less specific than objectives and more difficult to measure. However, it is normally accepted that objectives should be SMART: Specific Measurable- expressed in quantifiable terms Acceptable to stakeholders Realistic- attainable Time bound- achievable within a certain time frame Definition Goals and objectives Goal general statement of aim or purpose Objective Quantification (if possible) or more precise statement of the goal (Johnson and Scholes, 1999,p14)) Activity 3.2 Critically review your companys key objectives using the SMART method There are many different types of objectives with which an organisation should be concerned. Drucker (1954) identified the following: Market standing e.g. market share objectives Innovation e.g. number of new products launched Productivity e.g. inputs compared with outputs such as increased sales whilst maintaining the same number of sales staff Physical and financial resources relating to the use of resources Profitability e.g. return on investment Manager performance and development performance criteria Employee performance and attitude loyalty Public responsibility e.g. reduce dependency on fossil fuels It is likely that many organisations will place greater weighting on some areas than others. For example, the Co-operative bank places great emphasis on their responsibility to the public in the form of their ethical banking policy. There may be a danger that some companies are preoccupied with productivity objectives and trying to improve the efficiency of existing activities without actually questioning whether they are doing the right things. Stakeholders A key consideration when developing strategic direction relates to an organisations various stakeholder groups. Stakeholders refer to all the different groups of individuals that are influenced and/or have influence on the activities of an organisation. Stakeholders have different expectations and can exert varying levels of influence over the organisation. It is important that organisations have a good understanding of the varying needs of their various stakeholder groups. There are three main groups of stakeholders: Internal stakeholders (employees, management) Connected stakeholders (suppliers, distributors, shareholders, customers) External stakeholders (community, government, pressure groups) Definition Stakeholders: Those individuals or groups who depend on the organisation to fulfil their own goals and on whom, in turn the organisation depends. (Johnson and Scholes, 1999, p213). The following figure illustrates an outline stakeholder map. Customers Banks/sources of finance Suppliers The local community Distributors Society at large Managers Employees Activity 3.3 Stakeholder map Draw a stakeholder map for your own organisation and consider the varying needs of each group and the implications on the organisations strategic direction. How does your organisation manage the differing expectations of each group? Strategic Marketing Management Summary This unit has shown that: Strategic intent relates to the aspirations of an organisation and is sometimes referred to as the organisations vision. An appropriate and well constructed vision can help guide strategy, identify and maintain core competencies and can act as a motivator for staff by providing them with a sense of purpose. Mission statements are more concerned with providing daily guidance rather than a vision of the future. They should reflect an organisations core competencies, relate to the critical success factors in the market and also inform employees and other stakeholders what contribution is required from them to deliver value to the customer. Issues with Strategic Marketing Management Issues with Strategic Marketing Management Introduction This course is designed to help you understand and learn advanced principles of marketing and is aimed at marketing managers, or professionals who are working in business or commerce. Who have perhaps a qualification in marketing and several years experience of working in a marketing role, or managers who would like to increase their marketing knowledge. Part of the courses assessment of learning will involve you in undertaking an assignment based on a marketing strategy plan carried out in your own company/organisation. You will be given detailed guidance and advice about this element of assessment later in this workbook. Aims of the unit The aim of the unit is to identify and discuss key issues associated with marketing principles. The course is focused on strategic principles of marketing, which form an essential underpinning to an understanding of strategic marketing in action. The theoretical underpinning will be complemented by a series of short work-based activities. Objectives of the unit To equip you with the knowledge and skills to understand and interpret strategic marketing principles To provide you with practical experience of applying strategic marketing principles and preparing a strategic marketing plan within your own company/organisation. Learning outcomes On successful completion of this Unit you should be able to: Understand the strategic marketing process Recognise the importance of creating strategic advantage Produce a strategic marketing plan in your own company/organisation Understand the importance of developing a specific competitive position Strategic Marketing Management What does this workbook contain? This workbook contains a number of information and learning resources: Background and contextual information about strategic marketing management Key ideas, theories, concepts, structures, processes in relation to strategic marketing ‘Recall and review and ‘Activity points designed to engage you in reflection and action-focused thinking Case examples of strategic marketing in action Assessment You are required to write a 2,500-word assignment as follows: Prepare a strategic marketing plan for your own company/organisation, paying particular attention to creating and sustaining a competitive advantage over rival firms. Strategic Marketing Management How should this workbook be used? This workbook will direct your study throughout the learning experience. There are  six sections, designed to be studied sequentially. However, a good learning technique is to refresh your learning by re-reading, so you are recommend to read back and forth between sections whenever you feel the need. Each section deals with a different topic and, together with any associated activities, practical work or further reading, is designed to require approximately 20 hours of study. The workbook uses an interactive learning approach. This is achieved through the use of self-assessment questions and activities throughout the text. These will enable you to apply the concepts presented in the workbook and explore issues that extend your knowledge and skills. Preparing to use the workbook If you are new to the study of marketing and/or this study method, then we suggest it is worth you spending some time becoming familiar with its contents and approach to learning and development. This will enhance your own understanding of key ideas in strategic marketing management, and your ability to lead and facilitate the learning of others. Strategic Marketing Management Table of contents Title Page Unit 1 The strategic marketing process Objectives 5 Drivers of change 5 Corporate strategy/ Marketing interface 7 Strategic marketing plans 8 Summary 9 Unit 2 Marketing Information Systems Objectives 10 MIS and the use of strategic intelligence 10 Summary 14 Unit 3 Strategic intent Objectives 15 Strategic intent/vision and mission 15 Goals and objectives 17 Stakeholders 18 Summary 19 Unit 4 Creating strategic advantage Objectives 20 Approaches to developing strategic advantage 20 Alliances and networks 22 Declining and hostile markets 24 Strategic wear-out 25 Summary 26 Unit 5 Developing a specific competitive position Objectives 27 Strategic alignment process 27 Innovation and new product development 28 Strategic evaluation 31 Summary 32 Unit 6 Implementation and control Objectives 33 Implementation 33 Control 35 Summary 37 Strategic Marketing Management Unit 1 The core theme of this unit is the importance of market-led strategic change to ensure organisational success. Objectives By the end of this unit you will: Be able to discuss, and give examples of drivers of change Understand the relationship between corporate and marketing strategy Know the process and structure of marketing planning and be able to discuss the differences between strategic and tactical planning Drivers of change Change is inevitable and companies that wish to maintain a market-led approach must take into consideration both cyclical and evolutionary change when developing their marketing strategies. The rate at which the external environment changes varies according to the nature of the business but increasingly all organisations are facing escalating levels of change. Change is inevitable. To survive companies need to adapt and to convert the threats caused by the changing environment into opportunities in order to avoid strategic drift. Marks and Spencer is a prime example of a company that has not adapted to the changing customer demands and as a result has lost many of its loyal customer base. Case history Drivers of change Greenhalgh (2001) identifies the following drivers of change that have created challenges for companies over the last few years: Domestic businesses of any significance have become rare. They are now global, drawing on supply chains that transcend national boundaries and serving customers worldwide Customer expectations of quality have increased and are now applied to all goods and services, rather than just luxury goods Concern for the environment has become a major item on companies agenda. They now have to consider their environmental responsibility as well as their profits. Large institutional investors are exerting their influence on how organisations are managed Start-up companies play an important role in introducing innovative products and new ideas to the marketplace. Young, technologically-competent workers are drawn to these vibrant workplaces, making it harder for other companies to recruit and retain them Strategic Marketing Management Activity 1.1 Consider thedrivers of change outlined above. Identify the impact of these factors on your own company/organisation. What is strategy? The term strategy is probably one of the most used and often misunderstood terms in business. There is no universal definition of strategy and yet it is used extensively. Strategy has the same meaning whether we are discussing corporate, marketing, promotional or even advertising strategy: it is concerned with how we might achieve our objectives. The difference between each type of strategy relates to the level at which the strategy is being developed. Corporate strategy according to Johnson and Scholes (1999), is: â€Å"concerned with what types of business the company as a whole should be in and is therefore concerned with decisions of scope† whereas marketing strategy aims to transform corporate objectives into a competitive market position. The main role of marketing strategy is to differentiate products/services from those of competitors by meeting the needs of customers more effectively. Therefore, according to Drummond and Ensor (2001) marketing strategy can be characterised by: Analysing the business environment and defining customer needs Matching activities to customer needs Implementing programmes to achieve a competitive position relative to competitors Strategic management consists of three elements: Strategic analysis concerned with answering the question where are we now? This involves analysing the external environment, internal resources and capabilities and stakeholder expectations Strategic choice what are the options available and which is the most attractive? Strategic implementation often the most overlooked of strategy. It is concerned with allocating resources and turning the plans into action. This process can be as equally well applied to marketing strategy. Strategic Marketing Management The corporate strategy/marketing interface It is impossible to discuss marketing strategy without first putting it into the context of corporate planning. The relationship between corporate planning and marketing planning can best be explained by figure 1.1 below. It is helpful to think of these decisions sitting in a hierarchy with corporate planning at the top and marketing planning below it. The diagram also illustrates that, alongside marketing planning, plans should be developed for other functional areas of the business such as human resources management (HRM), logistics, and operations. The vision and mission will drive the overall direction of the company and the functional areas of business will all work towards achieving the corporate objectives. The vision and mission will be discussed in Unit 3 Strategic intent. Strategic Marketing Management Marketing strategy is concerned with three elements customers, competitors and internal  corporate issues as illustrated in Figure 1.2. Strategic marketing management has three major  phases: firstly, strategic analysis in order to answer the question where are we now? This will include external analysis of customers, competitors and the macro environment and internal analysis of corporate capabilities; secondly formulation of strategy in terms of creating and evaluating options and thirdly implementation where the strategies are translated into action. The three stages are not mutually exclusive and are not necessarily linear. In fact it is expected that there will be some feedback and amendments as the process progresses. Strategic marketing plans A strategic marketing plan is the means by which the strategy is communicated within the organisation. The structure and content of a strategic marketing plan will vary considerable between organisations. However, normally the following components are included: Current situation external and internal analysis Objective setting Strategy formulation Marketing programmes Implementation issues Control measures Strategic Marketing Management There is no one best format for a strategic marketing plan and organisations will develop their own frameworks that match the needs of their companies. Strategic marketing plans need to generate action and not just be filed away. They should also be sufficiently flexible to take into account the changing environment. Activity 1.2 Read a copy of your own organisations strategic marketing plan. Give your opinion on whether the strategies outlined in it have been actioned. Has the plan shown sufficient flexibility to take into account the changing environment. If the answer to 3. is no, how could the plan have been improved? Summary In this unit we have seen that: Organisations operate in a dynamic environment and therefore they have to take into consideration those external influences that will impact on their business. These influences are often referred to as drivers of change. In market-oriented organisations it is likely that marketing will be the largest contributor to corporate strategy. Corporate strategy is concerned with what types of business the company as a whole should be in, i.e. the scope of the business. Marketing strategy is concerned with transforming corporate objectives into a competitive market position. A strategic marketing plan is the vehicle by which the marketing strategy is communicated within the organisation. The structure and format of a strategic marketing plan will vary considerably between organisations. There is no one best structure. Strategic Marketing Management Unit 2 Marketing Information System (MIS) Introduction The focus of this unit is to understand how the use of marketing intelligence and key marketing information can assist marketing managers to produce an effective marketing information system which will assist marketing decision makers to return higher profits. Objectives Upon successful completion of this unit you will: Understand the strategic use of information Understand how a MIS can assist marketing managers to make key decisions Marketing information is a key requirement for any strategic marketing plan and therefore the development of effective management and marketing information systems is an important task for marketers. Senior marketing managers should not become too heavily involved in the details of the MIS and marketing research but should be concentrating on how to utilize the information in helping to understand the market and develop successful marketing programmes. Definition A Management Information System consists of people, equipment and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate and distribute timely and accurate information to marketing decision makers. The MIS begins and ends with marketing managers. First, it interacts with them to assess their information needs. Next, it develops the needed information from internal company records, marketing intelligence activities and the marketing research process. Information analysis processes the information to make it more useful. Finally, the MIS distributes information to managers in the right form at the right time to help them in marketing planning, implementation and control. Developing information The information needed by marketing managers comes from internal company records, marketing intelligence and marketing research. The information analysis system then processes this information to make it more useful for managers. Strategic Marketing Management Internal records Most marketing managers use internal records and reports regularly, especially for making day to day planning, implementation and control decisions. Internal records information consists of information gathered from sources within the company to evaluate marketing performance and to detect marketing problems and opportunities. The companys accounting department prepares financial statements and keeps detailed records of sales, orders, costs, and cash flows. The customer service department provides information on customer satisfaction or service problems. Research studies done for one department may provide useful information for several others. Managers can use information gathered from these and other sources within the company to evaluate performance and to detect problems and opportunities. Information from internal records is usually quicker and cheaper to get than information from other sources, but it also presents some problems. Because internal information was collected for other purposes, it may be incomplete or in the wrong form for making marketing decisions. For example, accounting department sales and cost data used for preparing financial statements need adapting for use in evaluating product, sales force, or channel performance. In addition, the many different areas of a large company produce great amounts of information, and keeping track of it all is difficult. The marketing information system must gather, organize, process and index this mass of information so that managers can find it easily and obtain it quickly. Marketing intelligence Marketing intelligenceis everyday information about developments in the marketing environment that helps managers prepare and adjust marketing plans. The marketing intelligence system determines the intelligence needed, collects it by searching the environment and delivers it to marketing managers who need it. Marketing intelligence comes from many sources. Much intelligence is derived from the companys personnel executives, engineers and scientists, purchasing agents and the sales force. However, company people are often busy and fail to pass on key information. It is important to realise that staff are intelligence gatherers, and they need to be trained to spot new developments and urged to report intelligence back to the company. The company must also persuade suppliers, resellers and customers to pass along important intelligence. Some information on competitors comes from what they say about themselves in annual reports, speeches, press releases and advertisements. The company can also learn about competitors from what others say about them in business publications and at trade shows. Or the company can watch what competitors do buying and analyzing competitors products, monitoring their sales and checking for new patents. Strategic Marketing Management Companies also buy intelligence information from outside suppliers. Dun and Bradstreet  is the worlds largest research company with branches in forty countries and a turnover of $1.26bn. Its largest subsidiary is Nielsen who sell details on brand shares, retail prices and percentages of stores stocking different brands. Marketing intelligence can work not only for, but also against a company. Kellogg used to allow the public to tour its plants but recently closed its newly upgraded plant to outsiders to prevent competitors from getting intelligence on its high tech equipment. Some companies set up an office to collect and circulate marketing intelligence. The staff scans relevant publications, summarizes important news and sends news bulletins to marketing managers. It develops a file of intelligence information and helps managers to evaluate new information. These services greatly improve the quality of information available to marketing managers. To summarise it is clear that a MIS has four main components: Internal records there is a wealth of information available within the organisation and it is essential that it is organised in such a way as to facilitate its usage. This may include sales data, customer orders, prices, stock levels, customer complaints, etc. Marketing research this is concerned with the systematic collection of information that is specific to a particular problem. For example, a piece of marketing research may be commissioned to investigate attitudes to a new advertising campaign. Marketing intelligence this may include any information that is collected on an ad hoc basis, such as competitor intelligence gleaned from the press, customer trends, registered patents etc. Marketing decision support systems the processes that convert the data into usable information. For example, statistical tools or modeling techniques. Activity 2.1 Write a short summary detailing how a MIS is used to support management decision making in your own company/organisation. Strategic Marketing Management Intelligence gathering: checking out competitors Competitive intelligence gathering has grown dramatically as more and more companies need to know what their competitors are doing. It is essential that managers are not myopic and spend time amassing information about their major competitors. Techniques that companies use to collect their own marketing intelligence fall into four major groups. Getting information from recruits and competitors employees Companies can obtain intelligence through job interviews or from conversations with competitors employees. According to Fortune magazine: ‘Companies send engineers to conferences and trade shows to question competitors technical people. Often conversations start innocently but engineers and scientists often brag about surmounting technical challenges, in the process divulging sensitive information. Getting information from people who do business with competitors Key customers can keep the company informed about competitors and their products. This information can be vital and can prevent a company from being left behind on product launches or price discounting strategies dreamed up by competing companies. Intelligence can also be gathered by infiltrating customers business operations. Companies can provide their engineers free of charge to customers. The close collaboration the engineers on loan enjoy with the customers design staff often enable them to learn what new products competitors are developing. Getting information from published materials and public documents Keeping track of seemingly meaningless published information can provide competitor intelligence. For example, the types of people sought in job adverts can indicate something about a competitors new strategies and products. Getting information by observing competitors or analyzing physical evidence Competitors can get to know competitors better by buying their products or examining other physical evidence. An increasingly important form of competitive intelligence is benchmarking, taking apart competitors products and imitating or improving on their best features. Companies should take advantage of publicly available information but they should avoid practices that might be considered illegal or unethical. Strategic Marketing Management With all the legitimate intelligence sources now available, a company does not have to break the law or accepted codes of ethics to get good intelligence. Activity 2.2 Write a short synopsis of how your own company/ organisation gathers intelligence on its competitors. Summary This unit has demonstrated that: Marketing intelligence is an essential component of an effective MIS Internal records are a vital source of information for marketing managers Senior marketing managers should be concerned with how to use the information generated from the MIS rather than with the details of the system Intelligence gathering can be carried out in various ways but it is important not to break the law or accepted codes of ethics Strategic Marketing Management Unit 3 Strategic intent Introduction The focus of this unit is to consider the aspirations and future plans of an organisation, and the components of a suitable mission statement and development of appropriate objectives. Objectives Upon successful completion of this unit you will: Be able to define the terms strategic intent / vision and mission statement Know the components of good mission statements Be able to discuss the development of appropriate objectives Strategic intent/vision and mission Strategic intent refers to the aspirations of an organisation rather than just its current activity. According to Aaker, strategic intent provides: â€Å"A long-term drive for advantage that can be essential to success. It provides a model that helps break the mould, moving a firm away from simply doing the same things a bit better and working a bit harder than the year before. It has the capability to elevate and extend an organisation, helping it reach levels it would not otherwise attain.† It is apparent that many organisations that have an appropriate and well-constructed vision are focused on the future and ways of continually attaining sustainable competitive advantage. A vision can help guide strategy, identify and maintain core competencies and provide inspiration and motivation to its managers and its employees by providing them with a sense of purpose. Hamel and Pralahad (1989) suggested that strategic intent combines: A dream that energizes the company (i.e. acts as a motivator) Implied stretch, (looks for new opportunities rather than relying on existing businesses) A sense of direction A sense of discovery Coherence to plans Definition Strategic intent/vision: The desired future state or aspiration of the organization. (Johnson and Scholes, 1999, p.243) Strategic Marketing Management Mission statements A mission statement is concerned with providing daily guidance rather than a vision of the future. According to Piercy (2000), in order for mission statements to contribute anything they must: Reflect an organisations core competencies and how it intends to apply and sustain them Be closely tied to the critical success factors in the marketplace Tell employees, managers, suppliers and partners what contribution is required from them to deliver the promise of value to the customer Definition Mission statement: A generalised statement of the overriding purpose of the organisation. (Johnson and Scholes, 1999,p241) Mission statements are influenced by a number of factors, such as the resource availability, the external environment, the core competencies of the organisation and the current preferences of its current chief executive and senior management. The extent to which the mission statement serves its purpose is influenced not only by the quality and relevance of the mission but also by how it is communicated to staff and other stakeholders. A successful mission statement is one that is wholly embraced and believed by staff. Just having a mission statement is insufficient, the staff must also buy into the idea. Drummond and Ensor (2001) suggest that successful mission statements should demonstrate the following characteristics: Credibility it must be realistic and believable Uniqueness not bland and generic Specific capabilities embrace core capabilities Aspirational needs to motivate individuals Activity 3.1 Write a brief critique of your own companys mission statement in the light of the above characteristics Strategic Marketing Management Goals and objectives The vision and mission provide guidance on the overall direction of an organisation. Objectives, whether corporate or marketing, are the expected outcomes of the strategy. Goals are often regarded as less specific than objectives and more difficult to measure. However, it is normally accepted that objectives should be SMART: Specific Measurable- expressed in quantifiable terms Acceptable to stakeholders Realistic- attainable Time bound- achievable within a certain time frame Definition Goals and objectives Goal general statement of aim or purpose Objective Quantification (if possible) or more precise statement of the goal (Johnson and Scholes, 1999,p14)) Activity 3.2 Critically review your companys key objectives using the SMART method There are many different types of objectives with which an organisation should be concerned. Drucker (1954) identified the following: Market standing e.g. market share objectives Innovation e.g. number of new products launched Productivity e.g. inputs compared with outputs such as increased sales whilst maintaining the same number of sales staff Physical and financial resources relating to the use of resources Profitability e.g. return on investment Manager performance and development performance criteria Employee performance and attitude loyalty Public responsibility e.g. reduce dependency on fossil fuels It is likely that many organisations will place greater weighting on some areas than others. For example, the Co-operative bank places great emphasis on their responsibility to the public in the form of their ethical banking policy. There may be a danger that some companies are preoccupied with productivity objectives and trying to improve the efficiency of existing activities without actually questioning whether they are doing the right things. Stakeholders A key consideration when developing strategic direction relates to an organisations various stakeholder groups. Stakeholders refer to all the different groups of individuals that are influenced and/or have influence on the activities of an organisation. Stakeholders have different expectations and can exert varying levels of influence over the organisation. It is important that organisations have a good understanding of the varying needs of their various stakeholder groups. There are three main groups of stakeholders: Internal stakeholders (employees, management) Connected stakeholders (suppliers, distributors, shareholders, customers) External stakeholders (community, government, pressure groups) Definition Stakeholders: Those individuals or groups who depend on the organisation to fulfil their own goals and on whom, in turn the organisation depends. (Johnson and Scholes, 1999, p213). The following figure illustrates an outline stakeholder map. Customers Banks/sources of finance Suppliers The local community Distributors Society at large Managers Employees Activity 3.3 Stakeholder map Draw a stakeholder map for your own organisation and consider the varying needs of each group and the implications on the organisations strategic direction. How does your organisation manage the differing expectations of each group? Strategic Marketing Management Summary This unit has shown that: Strategic intent relates to the aspirations of an organisation and is sometimes referred to as the organisations vision. An appropriate and well constructed vision can help guide strategy, identify and maintain core competencies and can act as a motivator for staff by providing them with a sense of purpose. Mission statements are more concerned with providing daily guidance rather than a vision of the future. They should reflect an organisations core competencies, relate to the critical success factors in the market and also inform employees and other stakeholders what contribution is required from them to deliver value to the customer.

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol :: Charles Dickens Christmas Carol Essays

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol The editor of one edition of ‘A Christmas Carol’ wrote â€Å"A story so admirably told, the details of place, of time, of person so dexterously made real for us† How does Dickens achieve this? How does he ‘A Christmas Carol’ a story which â€Å"No one could help but enjoy† In this essay I am going to be writing about the different techniques in which Dickens uses, and by using these bring people, place and time to life. Dickens cleaver use of techniques throughout this book really makes us feel as if we are actually there are selves. I think that the reason why dickens is so good at making this all seem so real to us is because when he was younger he grew up as a child in London himself, which I think would explain why this book has so much detail in it. A lot of what happens in this book most probably happened to Dickens as a boy as he used to be quite poor himself, an example of this is the cratchits Christmas dinner which I think was based on what Christmas used to be like for Dickens. Dickens motive for writing this book was so that he could make people aware of how awful it was to be poor, so he therefore wrote this in a story to try and get his point across. This is why Dickens is so good at using a range of different techniques which really create an image in are heads of what is really going on. I am mainly going to be focusing on the different techniques used in three certain passages from the book; these are going to be the description of Scrooge, the description of the shops in London and Fezziwigs ball. I have chosen these three passages as I think that they have been written in great detail and show us exactly how Dickens brings things to life and how well he does it. Even though I am focusing particularly on these passages Dickens use of techniques is constantly used throughout this book. His constant uses of adjectives throughout really create an image in are head of what something looks like or what is going on. He uses adjectives in a number of different ways but contently uses these same ways all through the book. Dickens will use listing such as â€Å"Great joints of meat, sucking pig, long wreaths of sausages, plum puddings.† He will also list three adjectives and then a noun for example â€Å"Cold, bleak, biting weather† and â€Å"Long, bare, melancholy room.† This really helps us to create an

Tim O’Brien

This paper examines the life of the American born, Tim O'Brien and affirms how his life influenced his writing techniques. William Timothy, the first of three children, well known as Tim O'Brien is an American Veteran writer, born on October 1, 1946, in Austin, Minnesota, United States of America (Herzog 14). He grew up in Worthington, a small shielded community near the borders of Iowa and South Dakota. He described himself as a vivid reader when he was young and had a thrilling interest in books and magic trick were evident realities on his storytelling power. This can also be linked to his parents who were enthusiastic readers. In other words, O'Brien must have learned some reading secrets from his parents when he was young. Some of his short and electrifying stories include, â€Å"The things they carried† as well as other classic novels like the war novel, going after Cacciato produced in1978, which indeed made him known best for his writing experience about Vietnam War (Raymond 102). Worthington town similarly played a significant role in nurturing his thoughts while developing the artistic sensibility of his life as an author. He attended Macalester College in 1968 and awarded bachelor's degree in Political Science. During his time in the institution, he was elected and served as the president of the student's union in college. Contrary to his criticisms against war, Tim O'Brien was recruited into United States Army and then sent to Vietnam where he served for two years. Following his return from the military service, he resumed his studies and graduated from Harvard University. He then worked shortly as an intern, national affairs reporter at Washington Post up to May 1974. The war experience he gained from his two-year combat inspired his chief publication, titled If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me up and Ship Me Home. O'Brien's history clearly reveals the depression and misery wrecked on soldiers by the Vietnam War. His mythical work, the things they curried of 1990, (O'Brien 816) is a combination of memoirs and fictitious stories in which he used the philosophical concepts of Verisimilitude to blurs the distinctions between two realms of the facts and the fictions in a unique way (Conan 2010). He incorporated the metaphysical approach attribute in his writing that flavored the quality of his stories. In his story, he discusses the distinction between ‘story-truth', the truth of fiction and ‘happening-truth', the truth of facts. From his works, Timothy suggests story truth is emotional truth thus the feelings generated by a fictional story is at times truer that what results from reading the facts thus making the literature more meaningful. Additionally, O'Brien wrote numerous novels based on the war experience he obtained in the US Army. He earned the 1979 National Book Award for his works on Northern Lights published in1975 and Going after Cacciato of 1978. The Northern Lights novel discusses two brothers against each other as foils in which one brother went to Vietnam and the other failed to. (Raymond 99) Through this, the brothers learned to struggle and comprehend each one's values and motives. Following his extraordinary influence of Joseph Conrad's works, he modified Conrad's concepts of human aptitude for good and evil in his literary works. In his works, O'Brien propounded timeless matter of the subject and its thematic range. He believed in his introversive idea, that literary works not only focus on the current affairs but also anticipates what the future holds for humankind, (Smith 34). Nuclear Age, which was published in 1985 was the third O'Brien's novel of his literary works and describes much from his personal experience. His expertise in creating an amusing look at the serious subject protagonist, a middle-aged man who grew under an atomic umbrella, and suffered severely from paranoia over the prospect of nuclear war and finds comfort in digging a hole in his backyard attempting to burry and quiet all the imaginations that antagonized him. O'Brien demonstrated this being the real fear and threat of the bomb.His creativity in writing approach of war blending fact and fiction is comparable to other technical war writers like Michael Herr and inspired eminent figures such as Truman Capote, Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe. However, key elements of his works encompass the categorization and fascination of emotional subject matters. Owing to this traits, his fictional works are therefore considered to have made an immense impact on the readers of his novels. Other O'Brien's electrifying works are The Nuclear Age, published in 1985, In the Lakes of The Woods of 1994, Tomcat in Love of 1998 and July, July that was published in 2000, which took the world of literature with a storm. In a span of two years, O'Brien's short stories The things they curried, was first published in Esquire and in return, it received the 1987 National Magazine Award Fiction. The short story was again selected for 1987, best American Short story. The lake of Woods forms another interesting novel written by O'Brien and published in 1994. It took O'Brien's works into greater heights by agitating much on guilt, culpability, complicity and the moral courage, (Bates 265). He invents his protagonist John Wade, who is also a Vietnam veteran, aspiring to win a senatorial election seat. He later lost slightly as charges on his complicity in the Lai massacre became known during his campaign trail. O'Brien raises larger inquiries about the fallouts of war and its consequences after the fighting has ceased and the participants returned home. He wore James Fenimire Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was selected as the best novel of 1994 by Times Magazine. His most recent Novel, Tomcat in Love, O'Brien generated a Veteran Vietnam protagonist, Tom chippering through a love subject contrary to war. O'Brien describes this as a comic novel about a politically incorrect hero, who was sexy. He strongly believed that his lovers will love the book, and his fans, the so-called junkies, the people who appreciate his writings liked it. He alludes that this was his best book ever and it stole the hearts of many who could not do without reading the novel. In conclusion, O'Brien has won several prestigious awards in his many fictional works and worth being called a veteran in the writing field. His experience in writing the short story novels are highly acknowledged. He is a master of creative storytelling, a manipulator of literary form and one of the most challenging authors in his time with an ample content. His major contributions include the Nuclear Age, In the Lake of Woods, Tomcat in Love and July, July of 20000 More recently, he received $100,000 with the Pritxker Military Library Literature Award. Currently, he teaches at the Texas State University-San Marcos.

Capital Punishment Research essays

Capital Punishment Research essays Whenever the word "death penalty" comes up, extremists from both sides of the spectrum begin to wildly express their opinions. One side says deterrence, the other side says there's a potential of executing an innocent man. One says justice, retribution, and punishment, the other side says execution is murder. However, all arguments aside, the best way and the only way to truly make a rational decision about capital punishment is to examine the purpose of our criminal justice system. Once the purpose of the criminal justice system is established, one must find out the purpose of capital punishment. This paper will show that the purpose of capital punishment is consistent with and embodies the purpose of the criminal justice system. Then, this paper will determine whether or not the present form of the death penalty is fulfilling its purpose, and what could be changed to make the death penalty more efficient and effective. The first question that must be faced is, "What is the purpose of the criminal justice system and does the death penalty help to fulfill that purpose?" In The Law, Frederic Bastiat says that humans have inalienable rights that existed outside of and before government. These rights are life, liberty, and property. He contends that the only legitimate purpose of government is to protect these rights. When one person inflicts on another's rights or takes advantage of another person, he is plundering. Bastiat asks, "When, then, does plunder stop? It stops when it becomes more painful and more dangerous than labor. It is evident, then that the proper purpose of law is to use the power of its collective force to stop this fatal tendency to plunder instead of work. All the measures of the law should protect property and punish plunder," (Bastiat 24-26). People will plunder, take advantage of others, and commit crimes as long as it is in their best interest to do so. The purpose our entire criminal justice system is to...

Common Assessment Framework Introduced In Childrens Services Social Work Essays

Common Assessment Framework Introduced In Childrens Services Social Work Essays Common Assessment Framework Introduced In Childrens Services Social Work Essay Common Assessment Framework Introduced In Childrens Services Social Work Essay Why was the Common Assessment Framework introduced in Childrens Services, what does it try to accomplish and how successful is it in making this? This essay will discourse why Common Assessment Framework was introduced to Children s Services, what it attempts to accomplish and whether or non it has been successful, the construct behind it and briefly, the troubles in working with other wellness professionals to acquire the Common Assessment Framework to make what it was set out to make. The Every Child Matters Green Paper proposed the debut of a Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) as a cardinal component of the scheme for assisting kids, immature people and their households. ( DfES 2004 ) Common Assessment Framework is a standard appraisal tool to be used by all professionals working with kids for appraisals and referral ( British Journal of Social Work ( 2009 ) . The reform docket in Children s Service was catalysed by the public enquiry into the decease of Victoria Climbie ( Crippling 2003 ) , an eight twelvemonth old West African miss who was abused and murdered in the UK in 2000 as a consequence of extreme inhuman treatment and disregard by her grandaunt and the her spouse, who were her defenders. An enquiry into the decease of Victoria Climbie ( Crippling 2003 ) exposed a failure to set in topographic point the necessary basic processs to protect her. Factors identified included deficiency of early intercession, hapless co-ordination, failure to portion information and the absence of anyone with a strong sense of answerability. As a consequence, the Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) was one of the steps introduced under the alterations in kid protection policies and the green paper, Every Child Matters ( 2003 ) therefore was introduced to put out proposals for major alterations in kids s programmes to let every kid, whatever their background or their fortunes, to hold the needed support towards the accomplishment of a better result in the undermentioned cardinal countries: being healthy, remaining safe, basking and accomplishing doing a positive part and accomplishing economic wellbeing ( DoH 2003 ) The design, in concurrence with the lead professional and better information sharing policies and processs ; to alter the method by which services are delivered, traveling the focal point from covering with the effect of troubles in kids s lives, towards a more proactive preventive and precautional step. CAF is intended to be used for kids who have extra demands which may non be complex or terrible plenty to necessitate statutory intercession. It is for usage in state of affairss where there are concerns with how a kid is come oning in any manner ( raised by the kid, a parent or a professional ) , the kid s demands are ill-defined, the kid s demands are broader than a professional s ain service can turn to or where it is thought that CAF would assist to place the kid s demands. The bill of exchange Common Assessment Framework was developed in late 2004 with its revised version published in 2005. CAF is a new, more standardized attack for measuring the demands of kids for service and make up ones minding howA those demands should be addressed and met. It is meant for kids with extra demands ; that is, kids at hazard of hapless results ( DfES, 2005b, p1 ) . CAF is designed to be evidence-based, concentrating on demands and strengths, instead than concerns as seen in the British Journal of societal work ( 2009 ) 39, 1197-1217. The three stated purposes of CAF are to back up earlier intercession, better multi-agency working by, for illustration embedding a common linguistic communication of appraisal ; cut down bureaucracy for households ( DfES, 2005b, p1. ) CAF is non meant to replace many other appraisal agendas used in the assorted bureaus, such as the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families certification, but the authorities would wish the CAF to stand for the chief appraisal tool to back up inter-agency referral and multi-agency working ( DfES, 2005b, p 2 ) . Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) is one of the lending elements to the following both of which are outlined in the Children s Act 2004, the bringing of incorporate services the support inter-agency co-operation ; and the safeguarding and advancing the public assistance of kids and immature people . caf @ bury.gov.uk How are kids services organised? What is the cardinal statute law that governs kids and kids s services, The purpose of Every Child Matters is to hold a few bureaus working together bearing in head their professional boundaries to intercede and back up kids from 0 to 19, utilizing a simple linguistic communication to run into the demands of these kids. It came up with the Integrated Children s System ( ICS ) , the Contact Point and the Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) , they all have different systems and manner of working but have one common end which is to better the well being and to safeguard and advance the public assistance of kids and immature people. When a kid is seen as suffered disregard, maltreatment or has any waiter trouble or being looked after under the Children s Act 1989, their demands are assessed utilizing the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their households. The Integrated Child System ( ICS ) is used at this phase, this is done by seting information together measure by measure and entering information about both the kid and household, where a thorough appraisal is required an in deepness information is needed at this phase and must be gathered in a manner that can put as the footing for determination devising and can be used for different intents. ICS is supported by information engineering and it s the footing of the electronic societal attention record for kids. The IT system is besides known as ISC. Contact Point is a fast method to happen out who else is working with a peculiar service user, doing it a lighter manner to intercede and back up, it is a major tool Every Child Matters uses to presen t a better service to Children and immature people, holding said that Contact Point merely holds a small information about a kid, parent, practicians supplying services to the kid and carers until their 18th birthday, except for exceeding instances for illustration kids with mental wellness and sexual wellness jobs where their inside informations are still held under sever security. Common Assessment Framework on the other manus comes in every bit shortly as appraisal is needed at the really early phase and make up ones minding what action to take. It gives practicians the opportunity to set together and enter information about a kid or immature individual with extra demands in an orderly, consecutive frontward and simple. Work start from so and practicians begin to look out for the demands and what should be done and it s dealt with. CAF makes practicians across all bureaus, after the needed preparation to travel harmonizing to the processs to accomplish a reliable appraisal that c an be used by everyone covering with the instance. The national IT system to back up CAF will be developed. ( eCAF ) . This will assist authorized practicians to electronically make, portion and shop CAF within the bureaus. Unlike Contact Point CAF merely holds the information about some immature people and kids, with consent, and for a limited period of clip. Both Contact Point and CAF were created to for usage within kids s services, their end is to assist kids with extra demands get the aid and support they need, it s a tool to do easy early intercession and assist cover with extra demands before they get out of control and go more hard to decide. CAF and ICS has a common method to assessment, they both have a common manner of roll uping informations about a kid or immature individual around the spheres of developmental demands of a kid ; parent capacity ; and household and environmental factors. CAF and ICS are supported by engineering where as Contact Point is a fundamentally e ngineering solution www.evertchildmatters.gov.uk Why was CAF introduced and what s it s purpose The green paper, Every Child Matters, proposed the debut of a national Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) as an of import portion of a scheme for assisting kids and immature people to accomplish the five precedence results of: being healthy: basking good physical and mental wellness and populating a healthy life style ; remaining safe: being protected from injury and disregard ; basking and accomplishing: acquiring the most out of life and developing the accomplishments for maturity ; doing a positive part: being involved with the community and society and non prosecuting in anti-social or piquing behavior ; economic wellbeing: non being prevented by economic disadvantage from accomplishing their full potency in life. The Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) was decided upon based on the five basic keys. By the aid of a lead professional and better information shearing process CAF was designed from the concerns that the bing processs for placing and reacting to the demands of kids who are non accomplishing the five results identified in Every Child Matters do non work every bit efficaciously as they were meant to, to convey a better manner of how services could be delivered, due to the fact that services have in the past been delivered based on covering with the effects of troubles in kids s lives to forestalling things from taking the incorrect path from the start. It s chief focal point is to achieve to the fact that every kid gets the five keys. It is besides created to assist measuring kids with extra demands which are non excessively complex or sever as to demand external intercession such as statutory intercession. CAF s purpose is to give a method of appraisal to give support to early interc ession, to assist make up ones mind what needs to be done at an early phase instead than subsequently, it s to supply good and a batch more grounds based referral to targeted and specialist services. CAF is created to heighten on joint working and communicating between practicians in a common linguistic communication of appraisal and positions and as to how it could be resolved, it was besides designed to better the coordination and consistence around appraisals taking to fewer and shorter specializer appraisals. CAF was designed to assist to make up ones mind whether other specialist appraisals are needed and if so provide information to assist acquire it done. It was to give a clear image of a kid or immature individual s demands to be built up over clip and with the right consent shared among professionals. Has CAF achieved its purpose? ( positives and negatives ) Through CAF some practician began to accept shorn duty for kids and immature people with extra demands. Apart from holding to acquire parents accept to be portion of the appraisal process some practicians and directors are in position that in concurrence with other services CAF has a batch more chances in support to early intercession largely cosmopolitan services. Some besides had uncertainty as to whether there was adequate financess to run into the jobs raised and the demand of CAF. It is evident that CAF has had mixed responses. One appraisal of path-finding governments revealed that practicians and directors believed it has enabled a more strict follow-through of service bringing, publicity of better multi-agency working and were optimistic that it would finally draw down thresholds for service reception ( Brandon et al. , 2006 ) . The debut of CAF like everything has its strengths which in general gives a positive position seen by all, nevertheless, others have expressed their concerns about its been excessively formal to some organisations as descriptive dictatorship , curtailing the narrative devising sense of the state of affairs ; the troubles of assorted professionals and practicians with other accomplishments and outlooks finishing CAF otherwise or partly in the appraisal procedure ( Garrett, 2008 ; Gilligan and Manby, 2008 ; White et Al, 2008 ) . CAF in the East Riding for illustration is entirely aimed as a minimum degree engagement which will assist utilize cosmopolitan services to pull off early jobs and depress incorrect referrals to Social Care. The major knowing degree for engagement bureaus with the CAF has broader duty than CAF entirely, covering all included services proviso. The different bureaus involved is wide, but some bureaus are less active in go toing meetings and purchase in, in footings of resource input is limited. However, there some jobs which lessen the positive engagement, and makes CAF less effectual, these include less engagement of some bureaus in footings of resources input. Practitioners were of position that CAF was non cut downing the demand foe reappraisal, giving illustrations of some parents forced to reiterate their narratives during reappraisals, I can understand sometimes practicians would merely desire to be certain that things have non changed since the last appraisal, but the populace is of the position that CAF ever has the updated information at any clip needed, but for fortune of prepar ation and human mistake we find out that CAF still is non making what it was set out. Equally good as deflecting story-telling manner of composing studies, the CAF authors frequently found that the boxes did non assist them adequately to qualify the kid and parents. The format of the CAF was opposed by some professionals and practicians working with it.. Merely some professionals used the linguistic communication of demand, whereas over 80 per cent talked about challenges. In add-on to the descriptive demands, CAF forms besides do CAF does nt state a narrative it feels like school tests, multiple pick, you can click the boxes with the right reply, but it truly does nt give you er the Er aˆÂ ¦.The narrative. It is about narrative is nt it. It s about people s lives. It is nt approximately um spliting a life up into a batch of little boxes. And when you put all those boxes together it will be EQUAL to the narrative As seen in ( BJofSW 2009 39, 1197-1217 ) Certain start worker said I prefer a clean sheet of paper to show by ideas ibid.. Upon a period of over a decennary s work in human services organisations, Gubrium et al depict what they call the descriptive dictatorships of people signifiers , signifiers used in one manner or the other to depict and categorise people coming to the attending of human service professionals, hence, for Gubrium et Al, the dealingss of signifier completion to human activity is double. They are concerned with what kinds of descriptions the signifiers invite or the reportorial outlooks assumed to underlie credence organisational description ( Gubirum et al, 1989, p 197 ) . What may be the rational, moral and disingenuous capacities of form-completers? That is, what wiggle room ( Erickson, 2004, P, 20 ) do they have with these descriptive demands? ( Oxford University imperativeness 2008 ) . Gubrium et al argue that, completed signifiers like any manner of description, have transformative effects. They do non merely describe events as they occurred in existent clip. For illustration th ey may incorporate reciprocally sole classifications, which demands that the form-computer suspend incredulity that merely one class can use at any one clip, bearing in head that CAF is designed to hold evidence-based, focused on demands and strengths, instead than concerns . Professionals are encouraged to measure strengths, demands, actions and solutions for kids across three spheres derived from the model for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families ( DoH 2000 ) . Please disregard the recommendation below still have that to make I hold it written down will type it out tomorrow, I m working in the dark because my landlady forgot to acquire some electricity and my eyes are aching now. My talk ends at 11 so will complete it all with the Ref.. Recommendation and decision It is clear to me that the intent of the CAF and its work burden is to guarantee that professionals attend to, and record information deemed most relevant to their primary activities as distinct at this historical minute. The CAF is besides an over position presented as a complete professional opinion. However, I have shown above that the demands of the signifier cause information to be ordered in preferable ways, which can be unintelligible. I have talked about the fact that CAF constrains professional pattern in peculiar ways, it is so designed to exercise its ain stiff demands, which can experience rough to the one individual finishing the signifier. CAF in peculiar relies on the premise that it can further unvarying professional application and an ordinary ( White, Hall and Peckover, 2009 ) . Crippling ( 2009 ) still recommended that we need to affect more bureaus to do the work load easier and effectual and said the usage of Common Assessment Framework CAF needs to be farther promoted with Agencies . To accomplish the ground it was introduced practicians and everyone involved in utilizing CAF must be to the full cognizant of what it s all about and must be to the full trained to cognize the pros and cons of what CAF wants to accomplish, other Agencies working in line with CAF must besides maintain their systems and information updated to accommodate the demands of the kids and immature people who might necessitate this service to besides populate the lives they deserve. Parents and the general populace must be to the full cognizant of what CAF is trusting to accomplish in that manner they do nt experience pressured if they are called upon to give their blessing before an appraisal is carried out for their kids.

Free Essays on The Rise And Fall Of The Bauhaus

â€Å"Mechanized work is lifeless, proper only to the lifeless machine†¦ The solution depends on a change in the individual’s attitude toward his work, not on the betterment of his outward circumstances.† (Gropius) Walter Gropius changed art and architecture forever the first day in April of the year 1919. (01) This was the time in which he felt an obligation to converge both the arts and crafts with the new industrial methods. He accomplished this when he took over the Art Academy in Weimer Germany established by the Grand Duke of Sachsen-Weimar. (02) During the next fourteen years, the school saw two more directors that may have had different ideals, but still maintained the original goals of the Bauhaus. (04) Its foundation was the first to achieve man’s effort to come to terms with technology and art. Though it may have been short lived, the Bauhaus did more than any other organization in the 19th and 20th centuries to reconcile man and his man-made environment. In Germany during post World War I there were many disputes as to what was to be done in art and architecture. The theories were on the extreme sides of the spectrum, where on the one side were people who could not understand that the pre-war world was dead; on the other side they were determined to learn from the catastrophe. For these people the Bauhaus was a means to greatness, while the traditionalists were disgusted at its very existence. In Germany, and the rest of Europe for that matter, they were confident in their pursuit of the Exprssionism style during the early 20th century. Essentially, this was Romanticism, which is the experimentation of the artists expressing their individual views. At the beginning of October 1907 a hundred architects, designers, factory owners, and friends of art met in Munich. Together they founded the 'Deutscher Werkbund'. Its aim was to improve the form and quality of utility wares. Werkbund had partly got its influences from ... Free Essays on The Rise And Fall Of The Bauhaus Free Essays on The Rise And Fall Of The Bauhaus â€Å"Mechanized work is lifeless, proper only to the lifeless machine†¦ The solution depends on a change in the individual’s attitude toward his work, not on the betterment of his outward circumstances.† (Gropius) Walter Gropius changed art and architecture forever the first day in April of the year 1919. (01) This was the time in which he felt an obligation to converge both the arts and crafts with the new industrial methods. He accomplished this when he took over the Art Academy in Weimer Germany established by the Grand Duke of Sachsen-Weimar. (02) During the next fourteen years, the school saw two more directors that may have had different ideals, but still maintained the original goals of the Bauhaus. (04) Its foundation was the first to achieve man’s effort to come to terms with technology and art. Though it may have been short lived, the Bauhaus did more than any other organization in the 19th and 20th centuries to reconcile man and his man-made environment. In Germany during post World War I there were many disputes as to what was to be done in art and architecture. The theories were on the extreme sides of the spectrum, where on the one side were people who could not understand that the pre-war world was dead; on the other side they were determined to learn from the catastrophe. For these people the Bauhaus was a means to greatness, while the traditionalists were disgusted at its very existence. In Germany, and the rest of Europe for that matter, they were confident in their pursuit of the Exprssionism style during the early 20th century. Essentially, this was Romanticism, which is the experimentation of the artists expressing their individual views. At the beginning of October 1907 a hundred architects, designers, factory owners, and friends of art met in Munich. Together they founded the 'Deutscher Werkbund'. Its aim was to improve the form and quality of utility wares. Werkbund had partly got its influences from ...