Asylum Seekers in Australia Essay Example for Free

Asylum Seekers in Australia Essay Australias mandatory detention of asylum seekers are of a serious concern. There has been aroused intense national and international debate. In the past few years we have been bombarded with images of detainees suffering from depression, mental anguish, trauma and psychological damage. Australia has a policy of mandatory detention for all refugees and asylum seekers who arrive by boat to Australian shores. Those who have reached Australias shores should not be placed in inhumane conditioned detentions, it is a breach of human rights. There have been proposed alternatives to detention of asylum seekers, many of which should be considered. The Human Rights Watch has established many reasons to why asylum seekers have come to Australia, many of which to seek safety and hope for a better life. Once reaching Australias shores, for the majority, hope for a better life is not the case. Instead, these aslyum seekers are imprisoned. Many, if not all, are innocent. Being punished for being innocent? People working in the field of migrant and refugee, claim that non-genuine applicants for refugee status are a very small minority, this is highly unfair to genuine applicants, the majority. (http//www. socialjustice. catholic. org. au). Like the saying, Keeping the whole class in because one child spoke. By Australian law, these refugees are eligible to stay on Australian soil. But, under Government policies (administrated by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA)), asylum seekers are prevented claim of asylum, they not permitted to work, are denied access to medicare and foremost are forced into detention. These asylum seekers should not be placed in detention, it is unethical. We are the only developed country to put into practice indiscriminate detention of asylum seekers. We have indeterminately jailed them all the elderly, the children, the sick and the preganant (A speech by The Hon Justice Marcus R. Einfeld http//www. westnet. com. au/jackhsmit/detention. htm). Unauthorised asylum seekers are detained in one of six on-shore or one of three off-shore detention facilities. Detention generates the most attention of any asylum issue. These detention facilities are in inhumane conditions, where there are riots, frequent beatings, psychotic breakdowns and suicide attempts. Is this really the sort of place to be living in? Detention facilities very much resemble jail-like cells behind razor wires. An investigation from the Federal Parliament Human Rights Committee found conditions in some of the centres appalling, reporting that conditions were often below Australian jail standards. Asylum seekers have been subjected to unneccessary use of force and have had their rooms trashed by guards for no apparent reason. The detention facilities in Woomera and Port Headland have attracted the most attention. Both these detention centres are in inhospitable remote locations with overcrowded conditions. Both have also generated violent riots and breakouts. Human rights have been violated due to the conditions of these detentions; restricted access to services; and restricted access to judicial review. These asylum seekers have come to Australia to sought refuge in a, what was thought to be a compassionate and humane country, not to be sentence to imprisonment. There have been proposed alternatives to detention of asylum seekers The Alternative detention model and The Detention Standards Document. Both wanting similar outcomes. The treatment of aslyum seekers is inhumane, the Australian government should provide a more flexible detention regime. They should only detain these people for only a limited period enough for a complete health and criminal check, a prediction of less than a month. After initial compulsory checks, asylum seekers awaiting for their status to be decided should be allowed to roam freely in communities, with access to facilities, support and help. They should only be detained if they pose a threat to communities/Australia. There should be closure to detention centres and for them to be replaced with reception centres with community support suggested by Pamela Curr Victorian Greens spokesperson on refugee (http//www. esistance. org. au/zine/news4. html). These receptions would be friendlier places, with leisure and educational facilities open spaces. The housing of asylum seekers in well-resourced, open receptions while their claims are to be decided offers the most logical and humane alternative Although, there may be some restrictions on what they are allowed to do and are not allowed to do, this is a much better alternative to the current mandatory detention system. Australia has turned a blind-eye to the fact that one of the reasons for asylum seekers leaving their country of origin is because of risk of persecution and have come to Australia to sought protection, their treatment here in Australia is unjust. The Australian government should provide a more felixble system. The asylum seekers have not come to Australia to be imprisoned, yet we are treating them as criminals. What really have they done wrong but to seek a better life for their family?

Understand the background to organizational strategic change

Understand the background to organizational strategic change LO 1 Understand the background to organisational strategic change I. John P Kotters eight steps to successful change; Harvard-Professor Kotter, studying the process of organizational change for over three decades. While any change can be successfully implemented or otherwise be a failure. Kotter worked out an 8-step model. The first four steps here focus on de-freezing the organization; the next three make the change happen; and the last step re-freezes the organization with a new culture (Leading Change by John P. Kotter). The change management guru also mentions that when someone people need to make big changes significantly and effectively, he says that this goes best if the 8 steps happen in order. They have been summarised as below: Create Urgency One needs to create and imbibe an increased sense of urgency. This motivates people to make a move, make real and relevant objectives. Form Team A strong and able guiding team needs to be built. Remembering to get the right people in place for the right job as commitment, and various levels of skill sets need to be matched. Create Vision The team establishes a vision and strategy required to deliver quality service and efficiency. Communicate Vision Involve as many people as possible, communicate the essentials, simply, and to appeal and respond to peoples needs. As the vision competes with various day to day organizational tasks one needs to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and embed it within everything. One should also lead by example. Remove Obstacles At this stage one has to put in place a structure for imminent change. Empower leaders removing any hierarchical obstacles, enabling healthy feedback and enough support from all stakeholders. Create short-term wins Create and set short-term targets that are easy to achieve. Manage the number of initiatives and finish running stages before starting new ones. Consolidate Improvements Consolidate and encourage determination and persistence for ongoing change. Highlight achievements; reward progress; and set future goals. Instil new projects and themes. Make it Culture One has to weave change into the corporate culture. Reinforce and institutionalise the value of successful change via recruitment, promotion. At this step one has to create plans to replace key leaders of change as they move on. This will help ensure that their legacy is not lost or forgotten. It has been accepted the world over that change is inevitable. A change can be small restricted to a single or more processes, or even for that matter a system-wide change. Under Kotters theory create a sense of urgency, recruit powerful change leaders, build a vision and effectively communicate it, remove obstacles, create quick wins, and build on your momentum. Such a documented and methodical process can help make the change part of ones organizational culture. II. McKinseys 7S (strategy) framework; Two consultants working at consulting firm McKinsey, in the early 1980s, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman developed this model. It says that, in order to ensure that all parts of the organization work as a single unit, there are seven internal aspects. (Ethan M. Rasiel, Paul N. Friga The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem-Solving Tools and Management Techniques.) The seven independent factors could be categorized as Hard Elements: Strategy, Structure and Systems; these are relatively easy to identify. Soft Elements are Shared Values, Style, Staff and Skills, which are more difficult to identify and influence. These are less tangible and more of the cultural aspect.(In Search of Excellence) Shared values: This interconnecting centre of the model mentions the central beliefs and attitudes of the organization. Strategy: Plans for resource allocation to attain identified goals. Need to look at factors like environment, competition and customers. Structure: The way the firms units relate to each other: centralized or decentralized, matrix, network, holding, etc. System: The procedures, processes and routines that say how to perform day to day work: financial systems, hiring performance appraisal; information systems. Staff: Numbers and the type of personnel required for the organization. Style: Cultural style of the business leaders. Skill: Skill sets and capabilities of the firms personnel as a whole. These can be applied to a team or a project. It should be noted that alignment issues do apply, regardless of how the scope is defined. For example this strategy helps to: align processes and departments amidst mergers or acquisitions. improve company performance. determine the best possible way to implement the proposed strategy. scrutinize the likely effects of imminent changes internally. Whatever be the type of change, this model can be used to understand how the organizational machinery is inter-related, ensuring that the broader effect of changes made in one area are considered. The 7S model helps analyze the current situation (Point A), a proposed future situation (Point B) and to identify gaps and inconsistencies between them. Its then a question of adjusting and tuning the elements of the 7S model to ensure that your organization works effectively and well once you reach the desired endpoint. III. Burke-Litwins causal change model; Burke Litwins Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change, enumerates how performance is affected by internal and external factors. Its framework gauges organizational and environmental factors key to bring in a successful change. It also reveals how these factors can be linked causally to achieve a change in performance. Interestingly it incorporates all the variables in the 7S model adding 5 of its own, describing organisational variables and the relationship between them. Each of the variables interact and a change in any one of them can eventually impact others. This helps in understanding how organisations perform, and how they can be changed. The causal model links what could be understood from practice to what is known from research and theory. The model not only discusses how different dimensions link with each other but also discusses how external environment affects the different dimensions in organization. The model focuses on providing a guide for both organizational diagnosis and planned, managed organization change, one that clearly shows cause-and-effect relationships. Understanding assessing the complexity of organizational change Most organizational change is driven by environmental impact Boxes indicate primary variables affecting organizational performance Arrows indicate critical linkages A change in any variable will affect every other variable Higher level variables have greater weight in effecting organizational change (A causal model of organizational performance and change, W. Warner Burke George H. Litwin, Journal of Management, 1992, vol. 18.) The model outlines that, important elements of organisational success, such as mission strategy, leadership organisational culture, are often forced by changes that finds its source outside of the firm. The change manager has to identify these external changes and understand the implications for him/her and the entire team. The model also distinguishes between transformational and transactional organizational dynamics. IV. David Gleichers change formulae Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher created the Formula for Change. It was later refined by Kathie Dannemiller. This formula, like other theories devised to manage change, provides a model to assess the relative strengths affecting the likely success or otherwise of the programs implemented to bring in change. Change = (Dissatisfaction)(Vision)(First Steps) > Resistance C= D x V x F > R Three factors must be present for meaningful organizational change to take place. These factors are: D = Dissatisfaction with how things are now; V = Vision of what is possible (tangible and concrete); F = First, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision; If the product of these three factors is greater than R = Resistance, then only is change possible. If not, the system would be not capable of overcoming the resistance. It is essential to include planned tactical thinking, and authority to create vision and identify those crucial, early steps towards ensuring a successful change. The models applications could be before change or during the process of change. When planning a major change, planning teams see to it that all the three elements are built in. During the change, the formula is used to trouble-shoot people resisting change finding out the reasons to any resistance. Being different from earlier management theories, such as F.W. Taylors scientific management approach, this approach advocates employee involvement in change, and the use of the internal or external consultants to manage reactions to change. In modern organizations, employees are taking cognizance of the bigger role of the management and realizing their own role and involvement in the organizational success. Employers are now showing more trust in them. The two roles are, now, not mutually exclusive. M1. Since the General Election in May 2010, the UK Prime Minister has announced a handful of changes to a number of government tools and systems. One of the most urgent task facing the country is to wriggle out of the record debt situation and attain better financial position. This requires reforms to the structure of government, including ensuring that the government has the best machinery possible to deliver efficiencies. Restructuring the Civil Services departments was one such thing. Context and rationale The Governments rationale was to ensure that its public machinerys running costs are tightly managed, benefits are delivered and that any changes represent value for money. The change has been made in order to support him in carrying out his Ministerial responsibilities. David Gleichers change formulae could be used to push further the need for change. It has been generally accepted that the British public has various levels of (D) dissatisfaction with how things are now and they would like change. The top priority and need for them is change from the present situation. This brought in a change of guard at the highest level of governance. Overview The people in-charge envisioned a plan to usher in the required objectives. Possible (V) vision both tangible and concrete are drawn and the (F) first, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision were implemented. As, in the formula, the product of the above factors is greater than (R) resistance, change was possible. Signs of the new government and the changes brought in are highly visible: departments renamed; websites reset to year zero; and advisers appointed at the order of the coalitions new ministers. The appointment of special advisers to the new cabinet ministers also revealed a subtle shift in the spin operation Camerons government will run. The majority have been taken from the ranks of policy advisors, as opposed to press officers, and some ministers have been told they can only have one special advisor instead of the usual two. Ministers also have a team of civil servant press officers within their departments. Q1.3 Briefly explain any four out of the following strategic intervention techniques in organization change management; I. Autocratic versus participative style In an autocratic style of leadership is one where a single person holds unlimited power or authority. In such a system the team members are not encouraged and cannot put forward their views. They cannot criticize or question the leaders way of getting things done. Owing to a single decision maker, the biggest advantage this style offers is that it leads to speedy decision-making and greater productivity. On the other hand, this form of leadership leads to greater employee absenteeism and turnover. In a participative leadership style, also referred as the democratic style, leaders invite and encourage the team members to play an important role in decision-making process. However, one should note that the ultimate decision-making power is held by the leader. Here employees communicate to the leader their experience and suggestions. Its advantages are that it leads to satisfied and motivated employees. Such a system fosters employee skill development, encouraging creativity. However, in this style a lot of time is consumed and it is most often slow. II. Proactive and reactive, Proactive Strategies are interventions techniques used on an ongoing basis. Such steps on an ongoing basis attempts to reduce the probability of occurrence of a challenging behaviour. They are preventative in nature. Reactive Strategies are interventions which are used only once a problem occurs. They are consequences to the behaviour. It is a damage minimization technique. In positive approaches to change management the emphasis of proactive strategies is encouraged. If one does a good job with the proactive strategies, then reactive steps and policies need not be necessary. Sometimes it fully eliminates the challenges. Techno-structural interventions; Techno-structural interventions purpose is to form appropriate work designs and organizational structures providing strategic support of organizational development (E lawler III, 1974). In this form of intervention, the restructuring of the organization is very important. Here, workload is divided in the overall organization via sub-units for effective task completion (M Tushman, E Romanelli, 1986). Restructuring can be performed on at least five major factors environment, organization size, technology, organization strategy and worldwide operation (Thomas G Cummings; Christopher G Whorley, 2002). Employee involvement and work design are other major components. IV. Human process interventions; In todays corporate world, strong emphasis is being laid on humanistic values. Focus is now turning on helping members to enhance themselves, each other and the ways in which they work together in order to enhance their overall organization. The following human process interventions might be particularly helpful during change projects: many new employees, different cultures working together, many complaints among organizational members, many conflicts, low morale, high turnover, ineffective teams, etc. D1 Managing change is as important as ushering in change itself. Proper diagnosis of desired organizational changes, allows application of such strategic intervention as role playing, team development, survey feedback, process consulting, etc. Adopting strategic intervention methods, modern organizations can build success and advancement within and outside their organization. LO 2 Understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation Q2.1 examine and briefly comment on the need for strategic change in an organisation (P4) Change has become the essence of organizational growth and development. Most change programmes arise from management whims such as culture change, business process re-engineering, and empowerment among others. Another reason for initiating change is competition and the organisations need to reposition it. The following are the some key reasons that initiate the need for change in an organization. They are forced, telling, participatory, or transformational changes. By identifying the root cause, you can determine which mode of change you are actually dealing with in your business. Situations that require a mode of change can be financial, technological, economic, environmental or human focused. The time between the change and the realization of the results of that change is what William Bridges termed as the â€Å"neutral-zone† (Managing Transitions, W. Bridges). Most initiatives are given up because organizations do not see the gap for what it is; the transition between the old world and the new Q2.2 Outline the forces that are impacting on an organisation and driving the need for change (P5). And critically analyse the current position of an organization of your choice and assess the factors in the organisation that are driving the need for change. (M2) As discussed in the question above, situations that require a mode of change can be anything. Factors could be financial, technological, economic, environmental or human focused. The change may be driven from internal or external circumstances such as a new competitive advantage or threat, economic considerations, advancing technology, management restructuring or ownership change, customer dissatisfaction, vendor disruption, or loss of key personnel just to name a few. The figure below shows the contextual features and design choices for a change process undertaken by Glaxo Pharmaceuticals in 1988, prior to its merger with Wellcome in the early 1990s. (Balogun and Hope Hailey) Glaxo was undertaking a proactive change initiative with time on its side. The initial scope was only realignment, as the aim was to generate readiness in its complacent sales division for the transformational changes that were to come to match the changing customer requirements of the National Health Service and the reduced income that would result from one of Glaxos major drugs coming off-patent in the mid-1990s. Interestingly Glaxos balance sheet was heavy, and had the capacity to invest in the change process. However, it wanted to ensure that the change process did not antagonise its sales force and cause them to leave and join competitors. The timescales and the two phases of the scope allowed it to follow a path of reconstruction to generate the required levels of readiness, followed by a longer term evolution. Its capacity and time enabled it to invest in participative personal development initiatives and other symbolic interventions as part of the reconstruction, which would have been out of reach for a less profitable organisation. Q.2.3 If strategic change is important, why do some people find it difficult to accept and what are the consequences of this on the resources of the organisation and on the change process. (P6) As change can be for the proverbial good or bad for an organisation, there are more often than not resistance to the change process. Resistance could come from the following factors: A lack of awareness about the change Low tolerance to change Comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown. Conflict over the need for change Misunderstanding Parochial self interest Fear of failure. Loss of status and/or job security. Peer pressure. Disruption of cultural traditions and/or group relationships. Change is also resisted because of the poor way in which change is managed. Although most people feel comfortable with minor changes, it is not easy for people to live and work by yesterdays reality. While a degree of resistance is acceptable, it could lead to Disruption, Stress, Project delays, Missed objectives, Decline in production, Absenteeism, Loss of valued employees, and The ultimate failure of the whole process of implementing change or even the whole organization. LO 3 Be able to lead stakeholders in developing a strategy for change Q3.1 Briefly explain how to involve stakeholders in the planning of change (P7). Use an organization of your choice to demonstrate it is workable in the selected organization. (D2) It is important to consider and understand that people and all stakeholders would be personally be affected by the change process. On a broader scale change requires that â€Å"people do something they have not done before† (Galvin 2003). People are generally the most critical resource, supporter, barrier and risk when managing change. At the onset of the change being conceptualised, the articulation of vision cannot be done exclusively and has to take all parties involved in the process. It is essential that at this stage one involves all of those who will have a stake in the achieving the vision. Strategic plan development requires consideration and articulation of values and priorities; the plan should reflect views expressed by all those involved in the process. Q3.2 List and identify the different strategies that are available in the process of change management in an organization of your choice that would involve ‘stakeholders of such organisation. (P8) For the organizational change exercise to succeed, the management team has to depend on an assortment of people at various stages of the organization. They can be divided into five groups. (Managing Change in the Workplace (2nd Edition) Stakeholders at various Stages Description Examples Change recipients Intended receivers of change or change outcomes End-users of new software Employees of merged companies Decision makers People who approve a change exercise and decide its scope and direction Steering Committee Members Project Sponsor Chief Executive Officer Resource holders People empowered to release financial and human resources required by a change effort Chief Financial Officer Financial institution such as a bank Line Manager Program implementers People charged with the responsibility for bringing about the change Program Manager Project Manager Project Team Members External parties People that are not the intended recipients but who are impacted by the change suppliers whose access to a business is restricted after a change in business hours broader community impacted adversely by a new product that contaminates the local environment Once you have identified your stakeholders at each stage, consider the key messages you will need to deliver to each group in order to gain their support. 3.3 Evaluate ‘six step stakeholders circle as an effective system used to involve stakeholders in the development of a change strategy (P9). You need to evaluate the process, taking account of anything that worked well and anything that did not work well or could have worked better in an organisation of your choice. (D3) The concept of ‘Stakeholder Circle is a registered trademark of the Mosaic Project Services Pty Ltd, Australia. The following are considered when positioning a stakeholder within the circle The radical depth of each stakeholders segment represents the power of that stakeholder. Each stakeholders degree of influence is represented by the width of their segment, the wider the segment, the greater the influence. The proximity of a stakeholder to the project is represented by how close their segment is to the project in the centre. The outcome of the visualisation above is to facilitate decisions on where the project team need to concentrate on their stakeholder management effort. This is based on the understanding of each element like key and relevant stakeholders. After such a careful study can one make a stakeholder-centric planning process be started. 3.4 Using the same organisation in 3.3. Create a strategy for managing possible resistance to change that is appropriate to the selected organization (P10). You need to address the issues and provide a workable approach to overcoming the resistance. (M3) LO 4 Be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change Q4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 briefed below By looking at change as a process with distinct stages, the change management team needs to prepare itself for what to expect at each stage and make subsequent set of plans. In such a method it becomes easier to manage transition, rather than being caught unawares. Understanding the why the change needs to place, is one of the foremost in any successful change process. Lewin said that, â€Å"Motivation for change must be generated before change can occur. One must be helped to re-examine many cherished assumptions about oneself and ones relations to others.† This is the unfreezing stage from which change begins. After the initiation in the first stage, the change stage is where people begin to make up their mind and are coaxed to look for alternative behaviours. Ideally team members begin to believe and act in ways that support the new direction. The final stage is all about stability. In the stage before this changes have been made and established. At this level changes are accepted and they replace the previous norm and become the new model. Team members shape new relationships and become comfortable with their routines. This can take time. UK retailer, Marks Spencer (MS), found its way into trouble in late 1990s and it subsequently tried to put in place programme of change. It explored issues concerning to the organisational culture, strategic drift, strategic choice and the management of change. The Unfreeze stage: One of the biggest and foremost needs for change came from the customers front. The management and staffs attitude at MS were now being termed as ‘rude and arrogant by some analysts. This was owing to MS stellar performance and the distant competition. This way of doing things, had to be changed as its growth trajectory was taking a slight southward path. This was extremely difficult to change. The internal workings of at the retailer, which were mainly run by family members at the helm of affairs, had also become highly deferential, male oriented, with considerable bureaucracy. Amid this, the market began to see the tides of changes. More and more customers began to value higher levels of service, and were seeking novelty and difference. Competition was picking up too and the quality of service and range of products being offered started to take a toll on sales for the market leader. The Change stage: Luc Vandevelde, Chairman and Chief Executive, gathered info and talked to all stakeholders. It set up an executive team in place and began a strategic review which was rigorous and all inclusive and was radical. The change management team kept all people informed and took feedback from every important person who had something to offer. The Refreeze Stage: The change leader in the form of Vandevelde chalked out some successful strategies like A rebrand and update of the corporate image thus avoiding the confusing ‘Marks Spencer and ‘St Michael symbols. A restructuring of the supply chain where stores were stocked based on demographic patterns. stressed the importance of restoring confidence to MS ‘core customers

johnny tremain essay :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book starts in the pre-revolutionary time. At the beginning of the book, Johnny Tremain, is working as an apprentice to Mr. Lapham. Mr. Lapham is a blacksmith. Johnny’s parents died in a fire several years before, and this is why he lived with the Laphams. He worked there with enthusiasm for several years until he hurt his arm, scolding it in hot metal. After the accident, Mr. Lapham told Johnny that he needs to find a different profession, but he can stay with the laphams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Johnny, after a lot of searching, finally finds a job delivering papers. While delivering papers he meets Rab, who works with him. Rab introduces him to the rebel underground. At that point Johnny agrees to deliver messages between the groups of rebels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is a very interesting read, if you have some self discipline. I mean that you need some self discipline because this book didn’t really captivate me in the sense that I couldn’t put it down. But after reading it for a while, I started to appreciate the author’s way of describing the characters and actions in this book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several things that I like about this book. First off, I love historical fiction, and this is the genre of this book. Also, despite the author being too descriptive, the book went at a steady pace. For me, pace usually determines whether I will read the book or not, and I never really hesitated, or thought about changing books.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was interesting to me, but I think that anyone older than I would find this book a slight bit easy, despite the fact that the author, Ester Forbes does use old English words that are no longer used. So I would recommend this book for anyone between the ages of 12-14, and strongly recommend it at that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite the book being well written, there are several parts that I would re-write; here I will describe two of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first one is when Johnny hurts his hand by pouring hot metal on it.

Market Entry Timing Strategy Essay

Empirical study (Robinson and Fornell, 1985) shows that first mover 20%, early followers 17%, and late entrants 13% market share. Robinson (1988) believes that the order of entry alone explain 8.9% of the variation in market shares. It has been shown that the longer the elapsed time between entry of the first mover and that of later entrants, the more opportunities becomes available to the first mover to achieve cost and differentiation advantages. A longer response time provides the first mover to promote awareness and trial that contribute to category learning and for consumers to integrate into their memory additional information through media and WoM. Lieberman and Montgomery (1988) believe that first-mover advantages arise from three primary sources: Technological leadership, pre-emption of assets, and buyer switching costs. Technological leadership provides a learning curve, where unit production fall with cumulative output, which generates a sustainable cost advantage for the early entrant if learning can be kept proprietary and the firm can maintain leadership in market share. If the first-mover has superior information, it may be able to purchase assets at market prices below those that will prevail later in the evolution of the market, such as natural resources and retailing or manufacturing locations. Where there is room for only a limited number of profitable firms, the first-mover can often select the most attractive niches and may be able to take strategic actions that limit the amount of space available for subsequent entrants. With switching costs, late entrants must invest extra resources to attract customers away from the first-mover firm. Buyer may rationally stick with the first brand they encounter that performs the job satisfactorily. Brand loyalty of this sort may be particularly strong for low-cost convenience goods. Thus, late entrants must have a truly superior product, or else advertise more frequently or more creatively. Schnaars (1986) implies that the early bird normally catches and retains the worm. ‘Me-too’ products introduced by later entrants were much more likely to fail. Second entrants obtain on the average only about three-quarters of the market share of the pioneer, and later entrants are able to capture progressively smaller shares. Consumers tend to know and favour the pioneering product, they have no reason to experiment with subsequent entries. These cost advantages put later entrants at a competitive disadvantage, and pioneers may be able to erect entry barriers that lock out subsequent entrants. Late entrants can also find that the field is crowded and the market offers little opportunity. However, a well-conceived ‘second-but-better’ entry, backed by aggressive advertising, may be able to surpass the pioneer’s entry. Later entrants must be better in terms of performance or price, or both, if they are to have any chance of success. Many firms with str ong market orientation seem to embrace later entry. No one entry strategy proved best in all situations. Primary benefit for the pioneer is to build an unassailable position before later entrants recognize the promise of the market or are willing to take the risks of an early entry. It is most appropriate when image and reputation are important to the customer, experience effects are important and not easily copied, brand loyalty accrues to the pioneer, and cost advantages can be obtained by early commitment to suppliers and channels. It carriers many risks, because almost every aspect of an emerging market is unknown. Many pioneers end up pursuing false leads that later entrants are able to avoid. Thus it must be willing to commit a great deal of money – for R&D and educate customers’. The chances of a pioneer getting the product right for the first time are almost nil. One study found that it takes seven to eight years on the average before a firm that enters a new line of business actually turns a profit. Golder and Tellis (1993) state that for pioneers, consumer-based advantage relate to the benefits that can be delivered from the way consumers first choose and then repurchase the product. The pioneer may become the standard for the product category, and a pioneer can lock-in some customers in categories that have high switching costs. Seventy percent of market leaders are pioneers, and almost half of all pioneers are market leaders. Second firm to enter the market would obtain only 71% as much market share as the pioneer, and third firm to enter would obtain only 58% as much. On the other hand, they believe that if later entrants can leapfrog pioneers with superior technology, positioning, or brand names, firms could better off entering late. Evidence shows that the advantages of being first-in are almost equally balanced by the many pitfalls and disadvantages. Kerin, Vradarajan, and Peterson (1992) state that one can achieve first-mover status by producing a new product, use a new process, and/or enter a new market. They distinguish between two perspectives: the economic-analytical and the behavioural. The former indicates that the pioneer creates barriers to entry so it becomes costly for others to follow, this in turn lengthens the lead time, thus enabling the first mover to benefit initially from no competition, and being more experienced once new entrants emerge. From the behavioural view, the first mover communication is more effective and it obtains reputational advantage. Through purchase and trial, customers can become more reluctant to switch. Similarly, there are economic and behavioural views on market contingencies. From the former perspective, the uncertainty of product demands can lower resource commitments and reduce cost advantage due to scale, but small scale operations are more efficient. A first mover can influence how attributes are valued, define the ideal attribute combination, and ultimately influence consumer’s preferences to its benefit over later entrants. The industry relies heavily on advertising and marketing, thus early consumer exposures to advertising is even more beneficial. The technology changes quickly, so the legal protection and experience advantage decreases. From the behavioural perspective, products can be easily evaluated before purchase, so the purchase and trial benefits decrease. The cost of evaluating a product and making a purchase mistake is lower, hence switching costs decreases. But when consumers need to invest in special, related assets, the switching costs increase. However, following firms may benefit from the ability to free-ride on first-mover investments, resolution of technological and market uncertainty, technological discontinuities that provide ‘gate-ways’ for new entry, and various types of incumbent inertia. They can achieve a CA by influencing consumers’ preferences rather than responding to them, such by moving away from the pioneer and develop a more desirable position. Early entrants’ main benefit is to learn from the pioneer’s experience, and avoid many of the onerous costs, along with being able to assess the market’s reaction to the pioneer’s entry. Many early entrants have relied on some combination of marketing clout, product enhancement and low-cost production. Later entries can benefit from the passage of time. If the product form is changing rapidly and standardization has not been achieved, the later entrant may be able to leapfrog earlier entrants by introducing a superior product, backed by market clout. The later entrant can gain a sizable share of proven growth marketing by capitalizing on the low-cost production of me-too products. Many foreign companies pursue this strategy. Late entrant is risky when earlier entrants are able to erect entry barriers, or the market is already flooded with products that leave no room for enhancement. Level Brother’s Persil entered the tablet detergent market as a pioneer, whereby P&G’s Ariel entered as a follower. The former achieved satisfying customers that stuck to the brand, despite low switching costs. It built a brand image that indicated it was the best, it was innovative and technological advanced. It increased customer choice, which could lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Persil soon enjoyed large or monopoly market-share in the category, and had potentially highest share after followers enter. Moreover, entering early allowed it to learn from experiences, with more time for trial and error. By entering first, it could create barriers for entry in the retail through shelf-space, and have patent on technology. Persil also set rules for competition on features, benefits and added services. It could also set the price value based or cost based, thus deciding the market. Ariel, on the hand, had the opportunity to assess the market profitability upon entrance, and needed less knowledge to educate the market. It could learn from Persil’s mistakes in terms of pricing, and had less risk to brand equity. Ariel also enjoyed lower R&D costs and could free-ride on Persil’s effort, in addition to develop a better product. The saved time can be used for optimal positioning. The two competitors were competing heavily on the price per wash, higher and lowering accordingly to each other, starting at 22.0p and 28.0p respectively in 1999, both finishing at 20.0p in 2004, but Ariel did better in the end through learning. In conclusion, one can say that faster entry into the industry does not necessary guarantee absolute competitive advantage. The magnitude of first-mover advantage depends on the degree of fit between the environmental opportunity and the first-mover’s skills and resources. Market pioneering is not a strategy that is appropriate for all firms. In organizational reality, firms are more often a later entrant than a pioneer.

Modern Greece 5 Themes of Geography Essay Essays

Modern Greece 5 Themes of Geography Essay Essays Modern Greece 5 Themes of Geography Essay Paper Modern Greece 5 Themes of Geography Essay Paper Absolute Location of Greece:The absolute location of Greece is located at 39oN. 22oE because that’s where its capital. Athens. is located. Relative Location of Greece:South of Macedonia. West of TurkeyThis is a image of Modern Greece that shows the co-ordinates of Greece. This image relates to the subject location because it shows the absolute location of Greece which is the co-ordinates of Athens which is the capital of Greece and absolute location ever shows the co-ordinates of the capital of a state. This is of import because it shows where the capital of Greece. Topographic point Physical Features:Greece is 80 % made of mountains. This is a image of Greece with a mountain in the background. This relates to the subject because mountains are a physical feature because an illustration of a physical feature is a landform and mountains are a type of landform. This is of import because mountains provide us with tonss of resources. Human Features: The Greeks built the Parthenon in award of the goddess Athena. This is a image of the Parthenon. the memorial to Athena. This relates to the subject of topographic point because the Parthenon is a edifice which is a human feature because a human feature is something that was manufactured or created by a human. This is of import because a batch of things worlds build are edifices. Human/Environment Interaction How Humans in Greece Adapt: Peoples adapt in Greece by have oning different apparels for different seasons. For illustration. in the summer people wear short arms to maintain themselves cooled off in the hot portion of the twelvemonth and in the winter wear long arms to maintain themselves warm in the cold portion of the twelvemonth. How Humans in Greece Modify: Peoples in Greece modify by utilizing stuffs for edifices because they’re modifying the environment by destructing the environment in order to do edifices like houses and mills. How the Environment Influences Life/How Humans depend on the environment in Greece: Peoples in Greece depend on the environment for nutrient like fish and farm animal. This is a image of farm animal in Greece. This relates to the subject because people in Greece depend on these animate beings for nutrient. This is of import because without nutrient people would hunger. Motion How Goods Move in Greece: Goods move in and out of Greece by aeroplanes. trains. boats. and choppers. This is a image of an aeroplane transporting goods out of Greece. This relates to the subject because the plane is transporting goods. This is of import because without this there wouldn’t be any manner to acquire goods out of other states to the U. S. or other states. How People Move in Greece: Peoples in Greece move utilizing autos. planes. trains. and boats. How Ideas Move in Greece: Ideas in Greece move utilizing the cyberspace. and by speaking on telephones. Region What Characteristics Unite Greece?Some features that unite Greece are their faith ( Hellenism ) . linguistic communication ( Grecian ) . its mountains. and its attractive forces ( e. g. The Parthenon ) This is a map demoing the mountains of Modern Greece because a feature of Greece are its mountains. This relates to theme because a mountain is a characteristic that is portion of part. This is of import because unifying features bring states together. Other names for Greece:Even though most states call it the state Greece the existent Greeks name their state Hellas and Greek’s functionary name is Hellenic Republic. Bibliography * World Wide Web. nut. wikipedia. org* World Wide Web. greeceathensaegian. com* World Wide Web. enchantedlearning. com* World Wide Web. ericsonlivestock. com* World Wide Web. copterplane. cyberspace* hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Central Intelligence Agency. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

American Themes Essays - Politics, Philosophy, Political Philosophy

American Themes Essays - Politics, Philosophy, Political Philosophy American Themes American Theme-Individualism Literary works reflect the main ideas of the American mind. An American theme that is seen in various works of literature is individuality. Individuality is expressed in three different literary works from Frost, Chopin, and Paine. These works of literature aid us in developing an open mind about what the American people should expect in society. Following others doesnt guide us in any way because it does not allow for us to express our innermost feelings. Throughout these three works, individualism is expressed in various ways. Although all three works do illustrate the idea of individualism, Paine seems to approach it in a different way. Robert Frosts poem, The Road Not Taken, is an insightful idealistic attempt in illustrating the paradox of free will. In the first line, Frost uses the metaphor Two roads diverged (1), to establish not only the hard decision the traveler must make in the poem, but life itself. The decisions we make in life, like the traveler in this poem are not to be taken carelessly. Many have a desire to be adventurous, yet we fear possibilities of failing if we are different from others. In this poem, the road that he decides to take is wanted wear. This road is not a well-traveled path and no one has taken it before. The central idea of Frosts poem is individualism. Frost shows that being his own person makes life so much easier. Frost shows us that we should all express our feelings and be our own person, even if no one else will follow. He took the path that no one else did and that has made all the difference. Similarly, in Kate Chopins short story The Story of an Hour, the central theme of individuality is also expressed. When Mrs. Mallard received the news of her husband s death, she was in a deep state of grief. After she realized that she would now have freedom, she began to rejoice. Even though she loved her husband and will weep for him again, one thought comes to her over and over again: free, free, free!(546). Mrs. Mallard realizes at that instant that her life from now on is her own to live as she chooses; no more will she have to give in to the needs and wishes of her husband. She experiences a sense of independence to be who she wants to be without having to worry about her husband. This reflects the idea of individuality because Mrs. Mallard would live for herself(548). She was delighted to be able to make her own decisions and be free! Body and soul free(548). In contrast, Thomas Paines The Crisis, Number 1, expresses the theme of individualism in a different way. I love the man that can smile at trouble: that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection(124). Thomas Paine illustrates the idea that those who are free and can look at themselves and see that they live their own life without anyone else, have courage. People, who decide to be independent and not follow anyone else, demonstrate their bravery. Paine expresses his thoughts on giving up on something. He feels that we should strive for what we want to do for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire(125). Therefore, we can see that American themes do imitate the essential thoughts of the American mind. Most American people illustrate the American theme of individualism and it plays a major role in shaping our world today.

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buy custom Application Essay essay Today, human beings have turned out to be self-centred. We are always busy, thinking about own benefits and doing only things that help to fulfil our intentions. We think neither about other persons, nor about entire society. The thought that we should be our brothers keepers provoked me to continue staring at Mathew Johnsons lifeless body. After making a journal entry on July 14th, I evaluated how he fought endlessly for society. Soldier Matthew J. Johnson died today in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan War 2010. He had not died alone since images of other soldiers frequently appeared on BBC News television screen. Haunting and torturous experience they underwent remained in my mind. The nagging memory prompted me to think more about the political interests of nations, which made innocent men like Mathew die. It is unfair that while feigned authorities rule, soldiers try to pursue and execute interests of other people. I felt the need to take on responsibility to raise awarene ss. This memory called me to get out of my comfort zone. One Sunday afternoon, as I was studying for my final 9th grade exam, I exploded. I could barely concentrate since the heavy burden of why should it happen this way? was weighing heavily on me. I lost my countenance and I needed to share my feelings with somebody. I went downstairs, looking for someone to share my feelings with. On my way down, I was having an argument with myself. Although I promised myself to appreciate peoples advice and to turn their passion into constructive emotions, I was already tired of empty opinions and adults attempts to deflate my dreams and control my self-expression. Let me understand you, honey, my father said, why are you upset?. Peoples lack of international responsibility makes me furious was all that came out of my mouth. My father tried to calm me down, when I desperately explained my disappointment with peoples indifference towards international responsibilities, but he did not succeed. People only care about themselves, I concluded, storming out of the door. Nonetheless, several months after this event, I began looking for an explanation of peoples selfishness. I suddenly sensed an enlightenment, knowledgeability and some relief. The fact is people care more about themselves and their individual lives and know little about international concerns. I realized that I was unconsciously shaped by society in which personal interest supersedes morality and, as a result, I felt uncomfortably out of place. When people like dad takee care of their family responsibilities, forgetting everything about fallen soldiers like Mathew Johnson, they are still regarded as good citizens. I could not help thinking about paltry moral standards of small society. The truth was that highlighting others passivity helped me to hide mine. I supposed that the same social patterns could also pertain to me, but I refused to accept the concept of responsibility as newfound limitation. From my perspective, responsibility was not just personal, but also political and even international. I never thought of a dramatic experience of an epiphany that I would come to terms with reality, but that Sunday afternoon, I saw the light. The feeling denoted the start of my quest to bring change to the world. I knew that my efforts would be inconsequential if I attacked the system wholly. Eventually, I knew that knowledge regarding international politics was my strongest weapon. Owing to that occasion, I decided to transform myself. I started to work with many people, volunteered in political projects, and created a website that helps people understand international politics. Finally, I realized that I had to change myself in order to change the world. Hence, I liberated my mind from personal, cultural and family ties to become a global citizen. Nothing changed in the world that day, except me. Buy custom Application Essay essay