Thursday, October 31, 2019

How significant are maritime issues in the Indian Ocean in terms of Essay

How significant are maritime issues in the Indian Ocean in terms of overall global security and stability - Essay Example The Ocean is bounded by three landmasses and ranks as the world third largest ocean or water body. The Indian Ocean is a discrete geographical entity and surrounded by long-standing disagreements (Institute for Security Studies 2012). The Indian Ocean region comprises of the following nations in Africa: South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt (Institute for Security Studies 2012). The Middle East countries include Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arabs Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iran. The South Asian nations include Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka (Institute for Security Studies 2012). Additionally, the South East Asia countries include Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Burma, and Thailand (Institute for Security Studies 2012). Lastly, the Island states include Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Reunion (France), Mayotte (France), Comoros, Maldives, and British Indian Ocean Territory (Institute for Security Studies 2012). The economic viability of Indian Ocean stems from its choke points. They serve as major trade routes for global oil transportation, and their disruption can cause delays in delivery of goods and services all over the world. Some of the importance choke points are discussed in subsequent paragraphs. Strait of Hormuz: This choke point is located between Oman and Iran and connects the Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea (Kopp 2012). It is considered as the global choke point because of the daily flow of oil to about 17 million barrels as at 2011 (Kopp 2012). The flow through this choke point stood at 35% of all seaborne trade, which was equivalent to 20% of worldwide oil purchased in 2011. Most of the crude oil exports went to Asian markets such as Japan, India, South Korea, and China. The chokepoint is also important to Qatar because it exports approximately two trillion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas each year, accounting for about

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Technical Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technical Writing - Essay Example Constructing the charts using the computers is much easier than constructing it manually. However, although the constructing the charts by computers is easier, the guidelines for constructing the charts both manually and by using computers are similar. The pie charts must always be numbered as figure 1 or figure 2 and so on. However, if the visual (chart) is one, the numbers are excluded. The charts must also have a title and each segment or sector must be labelled concisely and clearly. In addition, arrows or lines should be used if necessary to link the labels to the segments (Picket, Laster and Staples, 2001). The chart below is an example of a pie chart. The chart is prepared by computer software graphic. It represents the total expenses of a student in Linfield College per term. These are estimates of his expenses for one of the terms in the 2011-2012 year of study (Linfield College, 2011). College Expenses per Term Item Amount($) Percentages (%) Accommodation 2,490 8.987547374 Personal expenses 1,100 3.970402454 Telephone/Internet 550 1.985201227 Food 3,000 10.82837033 Laundry/Personal Hygiene 430 1.552066414 Clothing/Entertainment 1,000 3.609456777 Transportation (local) 375 1.353546291 Tuition 16,050 57.93178127 Books and Supplies 700 2.526619744 Board (Standard) 2,010 7.255008121 Total 27,705 100 Question 5.12 Bar charts Bar charts are also referred to column charts or bar graphs. Just as the pie charts, bar graphs are also simple and very useful visuals because they permit easy comparison of proportions or amounts. Bar charts are composed of one or more vertical or horizontal bars that are equal in width and length. Bar charts can either be column charts or bar charts. Column charts are those with vertical bars whereas bar charts are those with horizontal bars. The bars, whether vertical or horizontal, are usually separated so as to improve their appearance and readability (Picket, Laster and Staples, 2001) . In representing multiple data in bar chart s, multiple bars with different colours, shading or cross-hatching may be used to show different divisions. Bars charts can also be designed manually or by computer graphic software. Preparation using the computer is easier provided one has the knowledge of using the software. Like a pie chart, a bar chart must also have a title and the bars together with the axes must be well labelled. The charts must also be numbered as figure 1 or figure 2 and so on if they are more than one (Picket, Laster and Staples, 2001). The figure below is an example of a bar chart. The bar chart is a column chart representing the annual retirement plan of Gomez. The retirement plan is paid by Roy Gomez who earns an annual salary of $ 50,000, Comal County and the state. Gomez’ Annual Retirement Plan Payer Amount ($) Gomez 2500 Comal County 2000 State 1000 Total 5500 Question 5.3 Estimated Preparation Time for IRS Form 1040A Visuals are images that relay information. Although written language is the most common mode of communication used in the workplace, images such as charts, graphs and tables are also required to support the information passed by written language. However, the visual language used must be suitable to the intended persons and purpose regardless of the subject matter. Therefore, since the response of the audience to visual information is

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Modified Biogeography Based Optimization

Modified Biogeography Based Optimization Modified Biogeography Based Optimization and enhanced simulated annealing on Travelling Tournament problem. Abstract: This paper shows the implementation of Modified BBO and Extended BBO on Travelling Tournament Problem. We modified the migration step of BBO by using probabilistic measures into it. Conventional BBO is used to solve deterministic problems but when we are dealing with real world problems which are non deterministic Conventional BBO failed to achieve the desired/expected results. Modified BBO is able to handle non deterministic problems which occurs in TTP and considered it as noise. The physical significance of noise in our modified solution is any existing parameter which can affect the fitness of the habitat. We also implemented various models of Extended BBO (Linear and Non linear models) on TTP to achieve desirable results. In this paper we compare the performance of our modified BBO to conventional BBO on TTP problem and compare results with previous methodologies. Introduction BBO is Global optimization method which represents organism distribution in our biological system in terms of mathematical model .BBO is an evolutionary algorithm whose working principle is based upon migration mechanisms of species from one habitat to other depending upon the fitness of the habitat which are favorable to them .The habitat which have high HSI (high suitability index ) have high value of species count .Therefore habitat which have high value of HSI have high emigrating rate; it is ready to send its SIV to other habitat, while the habitat having low value of HSI have low value of species count and their immigrating rate is high ;that is it as ready to accept species towards itself .HSI of a habitat can be affected on the basis of SIV (suitability index variables) which are independent variables. The above diagram illustrates the basic mechanism and relation between immigration curve and emigration curve. Here I is maximum Immigration rate, E is maximum emigration rate, is equilibrium number of species, is emigration rate and is Immigration rate. Modified BBO for TTP: Firstly the question arises why there is need of Modification of BBO .We are dealing with biological issues which are dynamic in nature so we have to modified our solution which can take care all dynamic constraints of nature. Let we have two habitats and .These habitats have their fitness’s as and .Let noise involved in two habitats are and .Due to affect of noise the measured fitness is instead of .If we consider has more fitness than ,and let n1 has huge value than n2 and both high value than and .Therefore the overall fitness becomes: 1.1 1.2 Therefore HB1 accepts the SIV from HB2 as condition of BBO gets satisfied as immigrating habitat fitness is less than emigrating habitat. But population of HB1 is already high due to its high HSI because its fitness is more if don’t consider noise .this immigration should not be done .The BBO migration procedure will corrupted .That’s why we need to modify it. In order to calculate the uncertainties, we use the concept of noisy BBO[]. U= 1.4 E= +1.5 U = 1.6 Where U is the uncertainty of the state estimate, m is the estimated fitness, z is the measured fitness, is the variance of the process noise, and is the variance of the observation noise. The uncertainty and the estimated fitness are the values from the previous iteration step before the most recent fitness measurement is updated. The process noise is assumed to be zero, therefore the uncertainty U is only related and . U = 1.7 U = 1.8 Because 0, now +1 > 1. Therefore +1 .With each step in the Kalman algorithm, the uncertainty U will be reduced according to and . Small value of uncertainty leads to high accuracy of estimated fitness. If limit tends to infinity, than Kalman filter gives an estimate value of the fitness which is equal to the real value. Proposed Modified BBO algorithm: Select habitat with the Probability . If is selected For j=1 to n Select with the probability. If is selected Use rand (0, 1) to select SIV from the habitat and pass it through Modification phases. Choose the best feasible solution based on optimal selection from the output of three Modification Phases. Replace selected SIV with End of if End End of if The above Algorithm solves all the issues that is related with Deterministic Problems. We Map this approach to different variants of BBO that can be classified as its Models. Equations used : The above equation is generalization of Baye’s rule. Probability of a habitat with fitness after accepting a selected SIV greater than fitness given that. is simply equal to where P(switch) is given by : When x > y we obtain: if x The PDF of p is as follows The PDF of q is as follows. In the Modification step we talked about three ways by which we can increase the performance of BBO. These three ways can be described as: No-reevaluation phase: In this phase we have two Habitats as immigrating habitat and act as emigrating habitat. We consider two instances of as and Firstly is going to accept optimal SIV from and then accept another best suitable SIV from and after that their performance get measured on the probabilistic measures as: = Immigrating Habitat Re-evaluation: () Emigrating habitat Re-evaluation: () From the above phases we choose the best option for the immigration step. Secondly we Map this Modification approach to all the variants of Extended BBO and implement it on TTP problem. We Modified the Immigration step and apply this Modification to all the linear and non linear Models of BBO to check whether we are able to achieve the optimal results or not. We Test our algorithm to obtain various results which provide optimal solution for TTP problem. We also apply efficient simulated annealing in order to refine our solution obtained so far. We use this technique after we produced the Schedule, so that we can optimize our solution. Efficient Simulated Annealing is applied to schedule after these five moves: 1. Swap Homes(S, 2. Swap rounds(S, 3. Swap Teams(S, 4. Partial Swap Rounds(S, 5. Partial Swap Teams(S, After these Simulated algorithm is applied on the schedule which is obtained after implementation of above moves in order to obtain best feasible schedule. The cost objective function is used in order to calculate the best feasible schedules Results of implementation of our Modified algorithm for TTP Performance comparison of best feasible cost produced by linear and non linear-models

Friday, October 25, 2019

Autonomy and Responsibility: The United States involvement in the Persian Gulf :: Essays Papers

Autonomy and Responsibility: The United States' involvement in the Persian Gulf The United States' involvement in the Persian Gulf War showed the responsibility of the country to maintain peace and order, but more importantly, the conflict showed that the United States has a responsibility to oversee control of the world's natural resources. â€Å"On Aug. 2, 1990, Iraqi military forces, on orders from President Saddam Hussein, invaded and occupied the small country of Kuwait.†1 Kuwait, a small country in the Middle East, contains a large amount of oil that Iraq wished to take control of to help solve the economic problems of their country. A very important decision faced the United States, whether or not to risk lives of American soldiers to free Kuwait. By freeing Kuwait, the United States would be able to maintain Kuwait’s control over oil prices in the United States. The United States, fearing Iraqi control of Kuwait’s oil supply, initiated an offensive military action on January 16, 1991, over five months after Iraq’s in itial invasion.2 Thus beginning a conflict known as the Persian Gulf War. The United States, standing â€Å"for law and order and justice,† had a responsibility to free Kuwait after peaceful negotiations failed and the economic future of Kuwait, Iraq, United States, and the rest of the world was in danger pending Iraq’s control of the regions natural resources.3 So that citizens would be peaceful and supportive, the United States' use of military action was justified by the helpless Kuwait citizens and the fear of Iraqi control of oil prices in America. The public opinion on the United States’ responsibility to join the war involved several complex arguments and counter-arguments. One such argument involved the United States being the world’s police force. Since the United States controls most of the world power, many feel as though the United States should maintain order throughout the world. Unfortunately, this maintenance of order is not at a cheap cost. The United States spends billions of dollars to support its military forces and figures increase during war times. This created a huge dilemma among the nations leaders. The cost of war may or may not have been worth the cost of the government being involved in the Persian Gulf War. The government made the tough decision to engage in offensive military actions to free Kuwait on the basis that the price of war was less than the apparent price of allowing Iraq to control Kuwait and their oil supply.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Marco Polo’s Influence on Christopher Columbus Essay

Marco Polo’s Travels formulated in Europe of the fourteenth and fifteenth century a new perception of the Eastern world, a world just as advanced and sophisticated as that of the West. Yet, another two centuries were needed for a significant change to take place; this was Christopher Columbus’ voyage. For Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo’s travelogue was a valuable and solid resource that contained the necessary details of the East. The geographical descriptions in his writing generated a basis for Columbus’ scientific calculations for his expedition and the explicit depictions of the luxury of Cipangu and Cathay, flawed though they were, created a strong motivation for Columbus. In the 12th of May 1492, Christopher Columbus, accompanied by the writings of Marco Polo, sets sail to change history forever. Marco Polo’s travelogue was the only written account to have enlightened the European world with details of the Eastern world. In the year 1254, when Marco Polo was born in a noble family of Venice, the public knowledge of the East was close to nothing. Ever since the years of Alexander the Great, Europe had scarce information about its neighboring civilization. Although basic trade routes were present along the Silk Road, â€Å"no one in the West seems to have had any notion of the country from which it had come or those through which it had passed.† Islamic countries that surrounded Europe, along with the Atlantic Ocean created a natural barrier, isolating the Europeans from the rest of the world. Even the vigorous merchants of Venice, Genoa, and Constantinople could not penetrate beyond the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. â€Å"The religion and commerce of Islam were flourishing throughout that continent† after the first Crusades. Due to this strong â€Å"Islamic curtain†, the Europeans were unaware of the existence of the Mongol empire gradually rising as one of the world superpowers until Marco Polo came back with fascinating stories after his service under the Great Khan. The seventeen years of service under Kublai Khan safely and conveniently provided Marco with a wide range of experiences in the Asian continent. The Polo brothers, Maffeo and Nicolo Polo (father and uncle of Marco Polo) had initially met with the Khan some years before they took Marco on their second journey to China. Let me tell you next of the personal appearance of the Great Lord of Lords whose name is Kubilai Khan. He is a man of good stature, neither short nor tall but of moderate height. His limbs are well fleshed out and modeled in due proportion. His complexion is fair and ruddy like a rose, the eyes black and handsome, the nose shapely and set squarely in place. The Khan was a wise and brave man, and Marco being a master four languages and young and healthy as he was, the Khan appointed him to a high post in the administration. Marco was given a golden tablet in the shape of a tiger’s head, â€Å"which grated Ch’ang Ch’un a free pass and the right of assistance everywhere in the Mongol Realm.† With sufficient access, Marco was able to visit various places in Asia and gained an abundant amount of experience with its culture. He illustrates the geography, climate, people, and religions of the East in depth, even mentioning the recipe of Mongolian dried milk. Marco Polo’s achievements were only completed after his return home, when encounters Rustichello of Pisa, a romance writer who became his collaborator in putting his stories into a book. Two years before the death of Kublai Khan, the Polos were assigned their last mission to escort the Mongol princess Kokachin to marry the Persian prince, and then to return home. Painstakingly, they accomplished their mission and arrived home in the winter of 1295. Marco begins a new life with the jewels and gold acquired in his journey. When a war between Venice and Genoa starts off, Marco is captured and imprisoned for a year in the Genoese prison. Here he meets Rustichello, to whom Marco tells the stories of his great journey. After his return home, Marco, although Rustichello did most of the work, publishes his travelogue: Marco Polo Travels. Marco’s book remained more for entertainment purposes until the 1450s and 60s when Johann Gutenberg invents the letterpress and catalyzes its spread. At first, many people were skeptical about his book. His writing contained many mentions of legends and myths that seemed to be quite exaggerated. Neither did Marco include any descriptions about the Great Wall. Regardless of these  controversies, his book became one of the first books to be massively published through the Gutenberg’s letterpress. Travels spreads out through Europe in no time. By the time all of Europe is shocked by his book, Marco approaches his death, leaving the last words: â€Å"I have only told the half of what I saw!† Whether or not Marco’s words were reliable was not an issue at this point. In the years following Marco’s death, immense changes occurred in the minds of Europeans including the perception of world geography, directly affecting Columbus’ preparations. The TO map best represents the medieval understanding of the world. (Diagram attached to the back) The circle O, represents the world and the branches of the T, the Don and the Nile. Asia fills the upper semi circle and in the left and right of the upright section of the T, which represents the Mediterranean, lays Africa and Europe. In the center is Jerusalem and at the top is Earthly Paradise of Adam and Eve, believed at the time to be the source of great rivers such as the Tigris and the Euphrates. Images of Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, and others of the bible can be found on the map. As presented, the TO map signifies the primitive form of the world map before the years of Marco Polo. The world map rapidly evolved starting from the publishing of Marco’s book to the time of Columbus. The impact of Marco Polo’s works is displayed in these maps. Among the numerous versions of different maps, â€Å"the first maps known to us†¦ strongly influenced by Marco’s Books and which still remain to †¦[is]†¦ the Catalan Atlas,† drawn up by the Majorcan Jew Abraham Cresques at around 1380. Here is introduced for the first time, India, in the form of a peninsula and images and lands of the Great Khan. The map also includes on it images of traditional legends of the area. Great resemblance can be found between them and those of Marco’s book. Representations of the world grew bigger and wider until finally, even the notion of a path westward to Asia is brought up. When the impact of Marco Polo started to take place, a physician of Florence by the name of Paolo Toscanelli, played the role of transforming the ideas of Marco Polo into the scientific inspirations for Christopher Columbus.  Toscanelli was one of Marco Polo’s believers, who supported Marco Polo’s estimate of the length of Asia to be correct. He argued that, according to his calculations, â€Å"a voyage of 3000miles from Lisbon to Cipangu and 500miles from Lisbon to Quinsay† was possible. With this calculation, he urged men that an expedition for the search of Japan, described as the â€Å"most fertile in gold,† should be organized. Among these men was the young and ambitious Christopher Columbus. The theories of Toscanelli stimulated the intellectual interest of Columbus and soon Columbus was determined to find out more. Columbus wrote Toscanelli questioning him for more comprehensive information. Toscanelli replied with an encouragement of Columbus’ aspirations and a chart of calculations, which he carried with him on his voyage. By this time, Columbus was determined to put his thoughts into action. Although Columbus’ calculations were carefully made, most of it was erroneous. One of his major calculations was his misconception of a degree. He thought the length of a degree was 562/3 Italian nautical miles. (â€Å"the Italian nautical mile used by Columbus contained 1480 meters† ) This was not his own idea, but of the general public of his time. According to Henry Vignaud, he obtained his results â€Å"because he knew in advance what he wanted to find.† Based on his degree and other elements including the calculations of Toscanelli, Columbus’ conclusion came out to be far from the truth. It came out that Tokyo would be on the meridian that runs through Western Cuba, Chattanooga, Grand Rapids, and Western Ontario. In other words, â€Å"he underestimated the size of the world by 25 percent.† Yet, until his actual departure, he had no clue whatsoever of his mistakes or of the American continent. Marco Polo had provided Columbus with crucial information of the East, but Columbus had not known that there were so many more things to consider, such as the existence of another world in the West. Fifteenth century Europe was an age of exploration and discovery; interest of the Eastern world was increasing rapidly everyday. Trade with the Indies, which referred to most of Eastern Asia, flourished during the time of Columbus, especially in Portugal and Spain where spent most of his life. â€Å"The account of Polo’s travels told how to buy spices from the East,† and  other goods such as silk, gold, silver, or perfumes were also taken by caravans across Asia to Constantinople and then redistributed through Europe. Although the price was costly due to long and burdensome process of shipping and handling, the demand for these merchandises continued to rise as the amount of luxury and wealth of Europe also increased. Thus, it was soon evident for a new and shorter route for the importing of these valuables. Repeated attempts were made to get around Africa to India. Columbus, however, â€Å"decided that the African route was the hard way to the Indies.† He was thinking of an easier and quicker way to reach the East; he proposed to travel west. His rather rash plot satisfied the desires for expansion of the people of his time. After Columbus made up his mind, his next task was to convince the wealthy Princes to provide the necessary equipment and money for his expedition. Unfortunately, Columbus was turned down in the Portuguese committee, where he had gained a certain level of respect as a merchant. He, then moved to Spain, and started his six years of persuasion. It was hard for Columbus to support with solid evidence his requests at first. He, thus, turned to Marco Polo. Columbus used the tempting descriptions of the Cipangu, or today’s Japan, for his first argument against the princes. By the time of Columbus, â€Å"The Travels of Marco Polo became one of the best-known tales in western Europe.† One of the biggest issues of Marco Polo’s book was whether or not its magnificent portrayal of Japan’s luxury was true. According to Marco Polo, wealth of no other civilization matched that of the Japanese. They have gold in great abundance, because it is found there in measureless quantities†¦so much indeed that I can report to you in sober truth a veritable marvel concerning a certain palace of the ruler of the island. You may take it for a fact that he has a very large palace entirely roofed with find gold. Just as we roof our houses or churches with lead, so this palace is roofed with fine gold. Even the most stubborn princes gazed open-mouthed at the imagination of such  luxury. Certainly, the search for Cipangu sounded much more convincing after such descriptions. Another part of Columbus’ argument was based on religious reasoning. The failure of the Crusades was a huge disgrace for the Christian ruling class of Europe and many attempts to regain control of the Holy Land, which was then occupied by the Turks, were made. The Mongol empire, which the Europeans still believed to exist way after its actual downfall, sounded like a strategically profitable deal. Horrific impressions faded away as benevolent descriptions of Kublai Khan and the rest of his subjects were made in Marco Polo’s book. Now let me tell you something of the bounties that the Great Khan confers upon his subjects. For all his thoughts are directed towards helping the people who are subject to him, so that they may live and labor and increase their wealth. Likewise, Europeans were shocked at the incredibly civilized qualities of the Mongols they previously considered barbaric. In 1492, after six years of tenacious persuasion, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain finally accept Columbus’ proposal. The end to Columbus’ persuasion of princes only brings forth about a new beginning of an arduous journey of exploration and a new world. Marco Polo’s Travels acted as a basis for Christopher Columbus’s achievement and the Age of Discovery. Columbus may have formulated a flawed theory of the world, but it was convincing enough for the princes who bought into it. This surely could not have been done without evidence found in Marco Polo’s book. Without Marco Polo, there would not have been Columbus, and furthermore, no America. Marco Polo’s possibly false information has made one of the biggest changes in history.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Literature Review of Strategic Management

This review provides an overview of a few of the key topics that have defined the strategic management field since the later twentieth century. Strategic planning, strategic planning frameworks and strategy implementation issues are discussed both from a historical and modern perspective. Michael Porter's frameworks and generic strategy provide an excellent backdrop for formulation of strategy but scholars argue that the current environment of business may require new or altered frameworks.A blended strategy of differentiation plus cost leadership may be possible within the new technology platforms afforded via e-commerce. Mega sized corporations nearing 500 billion in revenue are redefining the rules of strategy and using their massive scope and scale in new and unique ways. Regulation, diversity and shared value are important to consider in developing strategy and can contribute to differentiation if properly managed. Strategy implementation is an area where further research is nee ded and special attention needs to be focused on the internet and mega corporations as they seem to defy all historical strategy guidance.Keywords: Strategic management, strategy implementation, Michael Porter Introduction The single most important intellectual asset in any company outside of its employees is its strategy. Leaders are defined by the strategies they create and execute. Poorly designed strategy can be devastating to firms and many years of hard work can disintegrate when strategic plans are not properly implemented. Developing consistency in strategy is very important to proper implementation of the core elements. Ultimately the strategy must become centrally integrated and externally oriented in order to define how the business will achieve its objectives.One of the most common reasons for firm bankruptcy is improper implementation of strategy (Hosiery, Chambermaids, Onerous, & Saudi, 2013). Strategy is largely defined by adaptation to a constantly changing marketpla ce which seems to get more and more complex. True strategy is about making complex bets and following up with hard choices (Martin, 2014). Historically stable markets allowed managers to rely on complex strategies that were built on future predictions (Eisenhower & Sulk, 2001). But in the current fast moving marketplace and with the rise of the millennial billionaires, opportunity seizure may require a different approach.The review contained herein will take a shallow dive into a few of the endless strategic management models along with the challenges and typical faults with implementation. The e-commerce world and mega sized corporations will be explored as they present special challenges to strategy makers. The internet seems to defy many of the historical perspectives on business strategy. Diversity and regulation are highlighted as these issues stand out in the literature as being an ongoing consideration for strategy makers.A special focus is on the perspectives of Michael Port er both historically and in the present. Countless reviewers have dissected and applied Porter's academic work. Many arguments have been made both for and against Porter's frameworks held up against a modern business landscape. This paper will serve to challenge Porter's generic strategies and the applicability in today's business world. Managers can learn much from Porter, but to survive in the age of millennial billionaires, leaders may need to develop new frameworks.And those who do will have a good chance at building a firm foundation for responding to competition and reacting to market opportunities in a fast moving global economy. Strategic Management Overview The word strategy is often improperly used by managers as an industry buzzword in hopes of gaining credibility for their management priorities. This often results in confusion and can undermine the credibility of the leader. The word strategy is derived from the Greek strategist, which means the art of the general. The b usiness general must form a coherent strategy which is the sum of the parts of the organization.If this is not accomplished then mid level managers will focus time on their own priorities and the organization will risk fragmentation (Humpback & Frederickson, 2005). The origin of the subject of strategic management is heavily abated but H. Igor Anions is commonly noted as having significant influence in the field prior to Michael Porter whom took center stage in the asses (Martinet, 2010). Insofar bestselling book titled Corporate Strategy was published in 1965 and started to transition the mindset from strategic planning to strategic management.Much of the current understanding of strategic management can be traced back to Porter's (1985) low cost, differentiation, focus framework. His concepts marked a key transition point in the strategic management field by integrating organization specific factors into a model of firm performance (Apparel, 2006). According to Porter's generic st rategy, a firm can maximize performance by either being a low cost producer or differentiating its products or services from other businesses. Either of these strategies can be accomplished by focusing the organizations efforts on a segment of the market.Porter believes that businesses that attempt to employ both strategies simultaneously will end up â€Å"stuck in the middle† and will not be successful. This issue is hotly debated in the literature and especially as related to e-commerce. Internet firms seem to be employing strategies that exhibit one of more firms of differentiation in unison. Despite all the debate, Porter is widely cited in the literature and is highly respected by both supporters and critics alike whom all consider him to be a significant contributor to the field of strategic management.Nag, Humpback, and Chem. (2007) contended that the field of strategic management is lacking an identity. The researchers conducted an exhaustive large scale survey of aca demics in the field and came up with the following definition for strategic management. â€Å"The field of strategic management deals with the major intended and emergent initiatives taken by general managers on behalf of owners, involving utilization of resources, to enhance the performance of firms in their external environments. † (p. 944).The interface with the external environment, also known as the customer and the community, is a central dogma of the strategic planning process and we will see this theme emerge throughout the literature review. Strategic Planning Strategic planning is normally the first step in the strategic management process and is critical to the success of an organization. Strategic plans normally have three parts (Martin, 2014). The first is the mission or mission statement that sets the long term owls. The second is a listing of the initiatives that the organization will carry out as part of its fulfillment of the goal.And third is the financial i mpact of the initiatives. Martin (2014) recommends three rules for strategic planning to prevent from falling into the trap of focusing on internal metrics and not the external customer. Rule one is to keep the strategy simple by focusing on what will attract customers. Eisenhower and Sulk (2001) contend that to survive in a complicated high velocity market space, managers should choose simple rules over complicated plans. The simple rules will low the managers to move quickly in order to capture opportunities more quickly.Customers will spend their money with the company that has the superior value proposition. Martin (2014) rule two is strategies do not have to be perfect. There should be some risk in the strategy and boards should not prevent management from taking risks in setting strategy. This actually weakens the strategy. And the final rule is to test the logic of your thinking. Write down the desired outcome when setting strategy. The logic should be compared to real life e vents in order to identify areas of improvement along the way.Despite the criticality of strategic management to an organization's success, a McKinney survey found that most executives are not happy with their strategic planning process (Dye, 2006). And companies that have formal strategic planning processes have the highest level of satisfaction with corporate strategy development. Selene (2009) broke strategic management into four different schools including the classical school, the environmental school, the competitive school, and the contemporary school.The classical school is based on the research contributions of the mid twentieth century and is centered on the fit between internal and external actors. Classical management assumes that internal and external factors have an equal fit. The SOOT analysis is a common model used to assess the classical business environment. The environmental school contends that the external environment plays the most important role in strategy de velopment. And firms that do not respond well to the external environment will eventually die out. The competitive school of strategy is distinguished by competition being the driving force in differentiation.Porter (1980) noted that the firm must acknowledge and respond to the external opportunities and threats to survive. The contemporary school souses on understanding the internal firm. Collaboration and differentiation are important to winning with a contemporary strategy. Multicast (2009) provides an interesting perspective on strategic management and its relationship to time. Strategic planning is most often thought of in terms of planning for the long term future of the firm. The author encourages management to also consider history, the present, and the near future in making strategic planning decisions.When new management enters a firm, history is often seen as a negative since historical perspectives are sometimes viewed as a hindrance to instituting hanged. But in reality , history can be an asset to strategic planners. For example, if the company has a culture of continuous improvement, good employee loyalty and commitment, and good learning ability, then this is a sustainable competitive advantage that should be retained. If new management is not aware of the firm's culture then they may make decisions like terminating senior employees therefore damaging the firms culture and competitiveness.Passage of time can also be a weakness if management has become complacent and they are not questioning the way their firm operates or making suggestions for efficiency gains. Improving the learning capabilities of the firm can help prevent previous strengths from turning into weaknesses. Generic Strategies According to Porter (1980), differentiation, cost leadership, focus, or a combination of differentiation and cost leadership are the keys to maintaining a competitive advantage. These are known as Porter's generic strategies and are still relevant in busines s today.The below sections will explore some of the applications of Porter's generic strategies. This section also addresses a blended cost leadership/ differentiation strategy model which has emerged in the literature largely as a result f the success of companies that have seen success using the internet as the primary customer interface. Differentiation. Differentiation or value is defined by having a product or service that is differentiated from the competitor on some stand alone merit. Firms that employ differentiation typically can charge a premium for their product or service.The consumer typically sees a superior value in the product or service, whether perceived or real, and is willing to pay a premium. Akin, Allen, Helms, and Sprawls (2006) discovered three tactics that were most commonly employed in differentiation strategy. These included innovative marketing technology or tactics, a culture of creativity and innovation, and an emphasis on having a significant market sh are. Marketing research had found that it is eight to ten times more expensive to market to new customers than to existing customers (Akin et al. 006). Organizations must have insight into the future in order to manage and drive profitability and this should be a key component of the strategic planning process. This can only be accomplished by developing a culture of innovation. Unfortunately the tactics needed to create a culture of innovation are not ell understood and documented in the literature. Many firms seem to be out of touch with the external environment in which they operate. Kim, Name, and Stripers (2004) evaluated differentiation within the context of e-commerce.Due to the low costs on switching sources via the internet, it is more important that internet companies learn how to differentiate. Differentiation based on distribution is a key area of focus for internet firms. Speed of delivery, online interface, security, and order tracking are all ways that internet firms are differentiating themselves. There re numerous studies that show that internet shoppers are less sensitive to price when the product or service is coupled with information or services. Olio and Fay (2012) noted that innovation is only possible with a good strategy.Firms should avoid copying other company's ideas. And instead develop innovation that is relevant to the needs you are trying to serve. Jumping on trends is not always a bad idea as long as it is tailored to your strategy. The firm's core value proposition should have stability. Successful companies rarely have to go through major changes since they re constantly updating their processes, offerings, and methods. Industry structure is dynamic and structural change is very slow. Having a good understanding of industry stricture will help to identify new strategic opportunities.Multicast (2009) discussed differentiation as a crucial component of understanding competitiveness. Differential value is an important component of competitiveness and can be created in a number of ways including reliability, product features, quality attributes, and aesthetics. In addition to having differentiating factors, the product will also need to overcome the â€Å"hurdle factors. These are the characteristics that the customer expects the products to have and are a limiting factor in the initial product selection. Differentiating factors without â€Å"hurdle factors† will not position the product or service competitively.Perception is important since it is important to understanding the customer perspective since it may be different than the firms perspective. If the customer does not have a need for a differentiating characteristic of the products than those characteristics will potentially add manufacturing cost without adding value to the customer. Cost Leadership. Cost leadership requires a accompanied mindset to operate at the lowest cost possible. The company must be willing to walk away from opportuniti es where they cannot be a cost leader and must choose outsourcing partners whom will provide cost leadership.All company operations and marketing must be centered on cost leadership. Tactics employed include mass production and distribution, vertical integration, lower input cost from raw materials, and technology. The tactic that has proven to be most beneficial to cost reduction strategy is to lower distribution costs (Akin, Allen, Helms, & Sprawls, 2006). One way hat retailers have accomplished this is through cross docking or shipping direct from manufacturer to retailer without storing in warehouses. Wall-Mart is largely credited with developing cross-docking strategy and this has been widely adopted and refined by retailers since the asses.The internet has been a hotbed for companies trying to implement cost leadership strategy. Kim et al. (2004) studied this issue and reported that most online shoppers are using price as their most important buying criteria. The internet prov ides a format for retailers to quickly access a large volume of customers through a price leadership strategy. Porter (2001) argued that the internet is a very difficult environment in which to differentiate one's firm since they lack many of the physical attributes of brick and mortar firms like sales people.In general, most online only brands have not been very successful at brand building and have developed only modest customer loyalty(Papua & Upon, 2000). Kim et al. (2004) recommend that companies avoid cost leadership for internet firms. And instead they recommend using a blended strategy that includes elements of cost leadership as well as differentiation. Porter's cost leadership framework is often misinterpreted by managers. Competitive advantage for example has come to mean anything that the organization deems as noteworthy. Porter was very specific in defining competitive advantage as price advantage versus rivals.The price may be low or high depending on the choices made in the value chain. These choices shift relative cost or relative price to the advantage. This ultimately leads to sustainable performance (Olio & Fay, 2012). Price competition is more about developing a value chain than it is about low prices. This value chain should be differentiated and not easily reproduced by competition. When companies imitate each other's reduces and value chain then price becomes the only dimension that customers utilize. This results in a very destructive environment.Competition should be thought of more in terms of profits rather than competing to win. Competitors are competing to capture the value an industry creates. The value is being captured by customers, suppliers, rivals, potential new rivals, and producers of replacements. Creating economic value results in sustained profitability by using resources effectively to meet customer needs. Focus Strategy. Focus strategy is when firms decide to focus on a specific segment of the market. The company may f ocus on specific customer demographic, product range, or service line.Often the focus strategy is used to grab market share that may have been overlooked or is not large enough for larger competitors. The segment must have good growth potential but be small enough to not be of great importance to competitors. Firms may utilize focus strategy as a standalone or they may bundle low cost with focus strategy. Common tactics that are employed in low cost/focus strategy include providing outstanding customer service, improving operational efficiency, quality control of products, and extensive training of front line sales and technical personnel(Akin, Allen, Helms, & Sprawls, 2006).The key to success with low cost/focus strategy is to reduce cost by creating a happy customer. Customer complaints and a failure to meet customer expectations result in higher costs through corrective actions. Low cost/focus firms must be masters of preventative action and create quality procedures that drive c ustomer satisfaction through consistently meeting customer expectations. Customer service is typically the first point of a customer engagement and can be an important component in standardizing procedures and preventing problems.If services are done right the first time the firm will save a significant amount of costly managerial time in solving problems in the future. Men's Warehouse is an example of where price and focus strategy and successfully employed. The store offers a lower priced high quality suit when compared to larger retailers, and they couple this with a high level of customer service and on site services such as tailoring. Kim et al. (2004) note that focus strategy can be very effective with online commerce. The internet allows companies to customize their products and offerings to meet the pacific wants and needs of a select group of customers.Customers see value in being directed to the specialty retailer on the internet and will pay a premium for the products or services. The internet has the ability to service both broad markets and very niche markets. Consumers have instant access to price information and product information. Internet retailers would be wise to consider focus or focus/ differentiation strategy as their primary strategic development platform. Focus/ Differentiation Strategy. Firms may also employ a focus/differentiation strategy when he firm has a unique quality focused product aimed toward a specific market segment.Common tactics employed by these firms include the production of specialty products and producing products for higher priced market segments (Akin, Allen, Helms, & Sprawls, 2006). Specialty retailers like Pier 1 accomplished the first tactic by focusing on unique high quality specialty products. These are often times imported goods that have a unique differentiator. The second tactic is employed by luxury car companies like Cadillac that can only afforded by the highest income segment of the population. Blended Strategy.An integrated strategy of price leadership and differentiation was strongly opposed by Porter (1980). He argued that these two generic strategies are fundamentally contradictory and that any firm attempting to fluctuate between the two would fail to realize the full potential of their performance. On one extreme, cost leadership requires standardization and building low cost in the value chain. One the other extreme is differentiation which almost always drives up marketing and production costs. But there is a large proportion of the literature which challenges Porter on this issue (Kim et al. 004). Most scholars agree that Porter's incompatibility argument will hold up in a stable business environment, but in the rapidly changing competitive environment that reflects the modern business world, a flexible combination of multiple strategies may be required. The internet is especially challenging in that it can disassemble traditional value chains. For example, several onlin e companies are successfully employing a diversified business strategy such as Amazon and Backbone. This issue will be discussed in more detail later in this literature review. Strategic Management FrameworksThe multitude and complexity of issues facing organizations has resulted in a wide variety of strategic management frameworks that are referenced in the literature. Each model attempts to organize issues in a way that makes management decision making more comprehensible. With each framework comes a myriad of academic scholars that have created, critiqued, or built the frameworks in positive ways. This literature review will cover two well known strategic management frameworks, SOOT and Porter's five forces. In SOOT analysis, internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats are considered.Some of the most widely referenced frameworks in the literature are credited to Michael Porter. The framework that will be reviewed in this section is Porter's fiv e forces. SOOT The originator of SOOT is somewhat unclear from the literature but it was first described by Learned, Christiansen, Andrews, and Gust (1969). SOOT is often the first tool of choice for decision makers assessing alternatives and complex decisions. The use of SOOT to group external and internal business issues is a logical starting point for most management decisions.Helms and Nixon (2010) provide a more cent analysis of SOOT as a strategic planning tool and some of the limitations. SOOT is commonly used in academia and business largely due the simplicity of SOOT as well as its catchy well known name. The literature reveals that SOOT is most commonly used for business strategic planning both for individual organizations as well as for comparing two or more companies. SOOT analysis consists of examination of internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats.The analysis can be quickly constructed and multiple viewpoints can be combined to pe rform a brainstorming exercise Helms et al, 2010). Internal strengths and weaknesses may include branding, organization structure, access to raw materials or natural resources, production capacity, or capital for investment. External opportunities and threats could include customers, rivals, market trends, contractors, vendors, or technology. Various environmental, political, and regulatory issues are often examined as well. The literature revealed that SOOT was the most commonly utilized strategic management tool well into the late nineties.After the year 2000, the literature is conflicted as to he value of SOOT although there are multiple researchers both for and against (Evans and Wright, 2000). Sherman, Rowley, and Armband' (2007) added steps to SOOT and came up with a seven step strategic management process to assist firms in the pre planning stages. Many researchers have coupled SOOT with various mathematical models to give it a quantitative basis versus qualitative. Most supp orters of SOOT admit that it should be combined with other strategic management tools like Porter's five forces and not used in isolation.But as with any strategic management tool, SOOT is only as good as the experts whom use it. Its greatest weakness is probably that it is a snapshot of time. The business environment is constantly changing and firms will need to constantly scan the environment and update their SOOT analysis (Helms et al. , 2010). In the next section we will explore another widely used strategic management model developed by Michael Porter. Porter's Five Forces Porter is most well known for the association of competition with the firm and its external environment.Porter felt that corporate strategy should meet the threats and opportunities in the external environment Ellen, 2009). Porter identified five nominative forces that he claims are the key to shaping every industry and every market (Porter, 1980). By studying and understanding these forces, a firm should be able to determine the level of competition and therefore the attractiveness and potential profitability of a market. Porter's five forces analysis framework is primarily used for industry level analysis Ellen, 2009). Five forces were first discussed by Porter in his publication titled Competitive Strategy (Porter, 1980).The five forces are threats from competitors, buyer power, supplier power, threat of new entrants, and alternative products. The strength of these collective forces decides the amount of profit potential available to rivals in an industry. Unfortunately the literature reveals that the application of the five forces may not be straight forward and even Porter (2008) has been disappointed with its misapplication. Five forces analysis should not only be used to determine if an industry is attractive or not, but it should be a primary tool to unravel the complexity of competition and improve performance (Olio & Fay, 2012).Dobbs (2014) discusses some of the challenges tha t are faced by managers when they attempt to apply the five forces. These include a lack of depth, lack of structured analysis, lack of strategic insight, and millennial generation preferences. Many people use the five forces analysis in a superficial way and this leads to inaccurate and incomplete analysis. This may largely be due the lack of in depth study given to MBA students. The lack of quantitative measures in the five forces framework may be a limiting factor in many cases. Most applications of five forces consist of lists which make poor substitutes for in depth analysis.Olio and Fay noted that five forces analysis should not only be used to determine if an industry is attractive or not, but it should be a primary tool to unravel the complexity of competition and improve performance. With the rise of the millennial generation in 2010, Dobbs (2014) noted that the five forces framework must be modified in order to accommodate the technology vigor and analysis preferred by thi s generation. Akin, Allen, Helms, and Sprawls (2006) contend that the literature is missing information on the tactics that are needed in order to implement Porter's strategies.Several researchers have proposed models to be used to better apply the five forces. In Akin et al. s (2006) study, the authors researched over 200 companies to develop a set of key tactics that could be used to implement Porter's generic strategies and drive organization performance. Dobbs (2014) provides a practical template that provides good comprehension and ease of use. The models have proved very beneficial in the classroom setting in terms of driving higher levels of strategic insight and industry analysis.Diversity and Shared Value Building market share can also be influenced by diversification in the workforce and acknowledgement of a preference for products that are made and sold by companies with similar cultural heritage. This is largely due to the diversification of the customer base which cross es many borders, cultures, and ethnic groups. Hiring a diverse workforce and drawing in a culturally diverse customer base is critical to success. This group of consumers is growing at a much faster rate than the rest of the US population.The US welcomes nearly one million new immigrants into the country every year. These people come from different backgrounds, nationalities and ethnicities and they are learning how to work in an unfamiliar culture. Ramifies (2010) reported that the challenges are immense for immigrants as they try and maintain a nation connection to their home country as well as try and adapt to their host country. The pressure that results drives individuals to be more inventive and productive. The force is very powerful and one of the reasons why immigrants do so well in start up businesses in the US.They develop a comfort level with uncertainty and risk that allows them to drive performance. Despite the advantages of diversity most companies fall short on divers ity thought and leadership. In fact, half of companies operating in 25 countries or more, reported only having one or two foreign nationals on their boards. Yet they cited global experience as one of the most important factors in terms of selecting board members. Managers that understand and take advantage of diversity into their strategy will have a distinct competitive advantage.Developing a global company that appeals to a global customer is extremely important in developing strategy. In work done by Watson and Wright (2000), the authors looked into the country of origin effect. This â€Å"made in† concept has to do with the attitudes and buying behaviors of consumers for foreign made goods. This is also known as ethnocentrism. Research has proved that the â€Å"made in† concept has as a very strong influence on buying behaviors. These behaviors can override other more practical factors such as brand name, quality, or price.A tactic that is commonly employed is to m arket the country of origin information with the product. For example, a Chinese American may have a preference for Chinese manufactured products over US manufacturing products. Shared Value Porter and Kramer (2011) discuss the concept of the shared value which focuses on improving the connections between society, the economy as well as corporate growth and profitability. The economic collapse of the last decade contributed to frustration with corporations as companies in the banking sector were largely blamed for causing the failed economy though risky lending practices.Firms have begun to realize that social harms and weaknesses frequently create internal costs for the firm in wasted energy costs and costly accidents. As a result many large firms have begun to embrace the concept of shared value and have started to see some rewards in terms of public opinion and profitability. Companies and their communities are intertwined since companies need the consumers and the raw trials fro m their communities, while the people in the communities need the wages and opportunity offered by the firm.This interdependence or shared value has the potential to unlock the next wave of growth and innovation for companies if incorporated into their strategic plans. Regulation and the Porter Hypothesis No review of strategic management would be complete without a discussion on the impact of regulation on business. Regulation has become an increasing concern for business leaders as they develop strategy and decide on how best to allocate resources. There are also political implications since government regulators have the power to influence market dynamics between rivals as well as between countries.Generally economists, politicians, and business leaders see increasing regulation as an economic challenge which erodes global competitiveness. But Porter (1991) argued that well designed regulation could be a competitive advantage if properly managed. This concept is frequently refere nced in the literature as the Porter Hypothesis. Researchers frequently use the Porter Hypothesis to help understand the links between regulation, competitiveness, and innovation. Porter (1991) andClass van deer Lined (Porter & van deer Lined,AAA) argued that pollution was an example of wasted resources and that by reducing pollution, productivity could be improved. They felt that properly designed environmental regulation would help drive innovation and would more than offset the additional cost of implementing regulation. Porter brought these concepts to mainstream businesses and policy and has revolutionized how strategic management deals with the impact of environmental or other regulation. Porter et al (AAA) explained five reasons why they thought innovation offsets any negatives created by regulation.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Extended Definitions in Essays and Speeches

Extended Definitions in Essays and Speeches In a paragraph, essay, or speech, an extended definition is an explanation and/or illustration of a word, thing, or concept. An extended definition, says Randy Devillez, can be as short as a paragraph or two or as long as several hundred pages (such as a legal definition of obscene) (Step by Step College Writing, 1996). As B.F. Clouse explains below, an extended definition can also serve a persuasive purpose. See Examples and Observations below. 60 Essay Topics: Extended DefinitionDefinitionHorismus Etymology From the Latin, boundary Examples of Extended Definitions A Definition of a Gentleman, by John Henry NewmanA Definition of a Jerk, by Sydney J. HarrisGifts, by Ralph Waldo EmersonHappiness, by Nikos KazantzakisLists and Anaphora in Nikki Giovannis View of HomeThe Meaning of Home, by John Berger Observations An extended definition may explain the words etymology or historical roots, describe sensory characteristics of something (how it looks, feels, sounds, tastes, smells), identify its parts, indicate how something is used, explain what it is not, provide an example of it, and/or note similarities or differences between this term and other words or things.Introduction to an Extended Definition: FamilyWe are all aware that family is a word which eludes definition, as do other important things, like nation, race, culture, gender, species; like art, science, virtue, vice, beauty, truth, justice, happiness, religion; like success; like intelligence. The attempt to impose a definition on indeterminacy and degree and exception is about the straightest road to mischief I know of, very deeply worn, very well traveled to this day. But just for the purposes of this discussion, let us say: one’s family are those toward whom one feels loyalty and obligation, and/or from whom one derives iden tity, and/or to whom one gives identity, and/or with whom one shares habits, tastes, stories, customs, memories. This definition allows for families of circumstance and affinity as well as kinship, and it allows also for the existence of people who are incapable of family, though they may have parents and siblings and spouses and children. An Extended Definition of DamnedYoure all damned! Damned! Do you ever stop to think what that word means? No, you dont. It means endless, horrifying torment! It means your poor, sinful bodies stretched out on red-hot gridirons in the nethermost, fiery pit of hell, and those demons mocking ye while they wave cooling jellies in front of ye. You know what its like when you burn your hand, taking a cake out of the oven, or lighting one of them godless cigarettes? And it stings with a fearful pain, aye? And you run to clap a bit of butter on it to take the pain away, aye? Well, Ill tell ye: therell be no butter in hell!Composing an Extended Definition of DemocracySometimes, . . . particularly when we are thinking seriously about a complicated concept, such as democracy, we use a definition as the basis for an entire theme; that is, we write what may be called an extended definition.Purposes of an Extended DefinitionMore often than not, an extended definition informs. Sometimes you inform by clarifying something that is complex. . . . A definition can also inform by bringing the reader to a fresh appreciation of something familiar or taken for granted... Sources Stephen Reid,  The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers, 2003 Marilynn Robinson, Family.  The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought. Houghton Mifflin, 1998 Ian McKellen as Amos Starkadder in  Cold Comfort Farm, 1995 Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren,  Modern Rhetoric, 3rd ed. Harcourt, 1972 Barbara Fine Clouse,  Patterns for a Purpose. McGraw-Hill, 2003

Monday, October 21, 2019

Key terms from WW2 essays

Key terms from WW2 essays Machtpolitik German realist philosophy that sees the expansion of state power and territory by use of armed force as a legit goal (power politics) Isolationism policy of withdrawing from active participation in world affairs to Imperialism the policy of expanding state power through the conquest of foreign territory Battle of Britain (1940) then Pearl Harbor Germany lost Battle of Britain: Britains RAF pilots were better trained. Britains morale was high due to the bombings of London...back were against the wall as well. Germany never sent in ground reinforcements...shot down pilot was gone for good. RAF planes more heavily armed; Germany had faster planes however. Germany was too cocky. Hitler was too focused on one city (London), thus Brit only had to defend one area. Brit had radar. Germany had many more pilots than Britain did as well as planes. Their planes were more maneuverable and faster than Brits. Germany was moving on a undefeated winning streak, vast ego. Battle of Britain changed the tide of the wear. Germany realized it was not unstoppable, and motivation was given to the allied cause. Germany was never able to get a single troop on Brit thus GBs nationalism and more grew. Power transition a narrowing of the ratio of military capabilities between great power rivals that is thought to increase the probability of war between them. IE when USSR got nuke capabilities Domino theory if one state fell to communism, its neighboring states would fall to it as well. Extended deterrence A great powers commitment to its allies to use its military might to prevent them from being attacked by an enemy. Balance of power the theory that peace and stability are mostly likely to be maintained when military power is distributed so no one power has domination Collective security security regime agreed ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Analytic Report - Outsourcing Essay Example for Free

Analytic Report – Outsourcing Essay Offshore outsourcing, the sending of jobs to lower wage countries, has become a very popular practice amongst U. S. companies seeking ways to cut back on their operating costs. The idea of outsourcing has made for a highly emotional situation because of two dramatically different effects: it leads to layoffs and dislocations for workers. Well-educated workers in other countries are willing to work for a fraction of the wages paid to Americans, resulting in massive savings for American companies. The U. S. mports goods that would cost higher to produce domestically, and it creates and sells to other countries goods that would cost more for them to create on their own. The immediate problem resulting from outsourcing jobs is workers in the U. S. can become unemployed. The problem that causes a debate over outsourcing is even though it promises a better life for all involved; it causes hardships on the American workers when they are laid off. Economists argue that outsourcing is a bad choice because of the workers that are being laid off and displaced. In analyzing the Case Study IV-3 – IT Infrastructure Outsourcing at Schaeffer (A): The Outsourcing Decision, both sides of the outsourcing debate are well represented. Once the Schaeffer board assigned the highly ambitious growth goals to Reitzel, the Vice President of Human Resources made the recommendation that they outsource some of its IT processes and resources. During the initial evaluation of the possibility of outsourcing, Schaeffer determined what the benefits would be of having a vendor manage their IT. They determined that they would be able to focus on core activities during growth periods, which would help them to meet the goals set forth by the board. Outsourcing IT will allow them to remain focused on those business activities that are important without sacrificing quality or service to their customers. Next, they would be able to achieve reduced overhead costs and better operational control. An outsourcing company could bring better management skills to a company than what would otherwise be unavailable to them. Another added benefit would be staffing flexibility. Outsourcing will allow operations that have seasonal or cyclical demands to bring in additional resources when needed and release them when they are finished. Outsourcing these functions can provide the additional resources for a fixed period of time at a consistent cost. Continuity and risk management would also be greatly improved because when you have periods of high employee turnover which add uncertainty and inconsistency to the operations, outsourcing would provide a level of continuity while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would impact the company and its customers. They also determined that outsourcing could help diversify and develop the staff by bringing in people with skills that are needed within the company and by providing training opportunities that had not previously been available for current staff. Once the idea of outsourcing was presented, a task force was created to analyze their current processes and map them in as great a detail as possible. This would help them to determine exactly what their outsourcing needs were going to be. They brought on an outside consultant who provided them with advice on how to proceed as well as detailed templates to assist them in gathering the necessary information to help them create the Request for Proposal (RFP). They determined that they wanted to outsource the data center, distributed computing (all desktops), voice (telephones), data networks, and the helpdesk. It was also determined that they did not want to outsource their development resources. The task force spent a year gathering data and filling out the templates so that they had a complete picture of their current services to better understand their outsourcing needs. They then spent several months preparing a 200-page RFP that could be provided to possible outsourcing vendors. After receiving two strong proposal responses, it was determined that ABC Corporation would be the best fit for Schaeffer’s outsourcing needs. There was a lot of negotiation to be able to bring the price within the needs of the company, but after several weeks of back and forth an agreement was reached. The next step was to get Schaeffer’s top management’s buy-in to the task force’s recommended solution. However, once the task force report was circulated internally, there were a lot of perceived disadvantages raised by its managers. One of the first concerns that was brought up with the consistency and priority of service that Schaeffer would receive. Most outsourced IT contracts are for a relatively long time-period. This is because of the high cost of transferring assets and employees as well as maintaining technological investment. The long time-period of the contract can cause three particular problems. One, difficulties in getting out of a contract if the supplier turns out to be unsuitable; two, problems in foreseeing what the business will need over the life of the contract hence creating difficulties in negotiating new services; and three, almost insurmountable problems in re-creating an internal IT department after the contract period is over or the relationship is terminated. Another major concern that was discussed was the impact to employee morale with the inevitable reduction in Schaeffer IT personnel, where some would be absorbed by the vendor but most would be given a severance package and laid off. And the employees who remain may distrust management after outsourcing because they will become fearful that their position could be targeted next. Administration should treat morale problems seriously and will need to work with staff to rebuild their trust and loyalty. The company is a major employer in the area so the decision to outsource could also have a ripple effect in the community by damaging their reputation. The vice president for finance of the Colbert division brought up the concern that the major benefits of outsourcing would only be beneficial to the Reitzel division whereas the other two divisions would incur additional costs without additional benefits. This concern led to a third alternative being suggested; outsource the IT infrastructure just for the Reitzel division. Based on the information included in the case study for all three alternatives, outsourcing should be the chosen solution. It is the most flexible solution for their growth goals. Outsourcing would allow for them to expand in areas more quickly without all of the time and costs associated with startups. The vendor already has the infrastructure to support the areas that they most want to expand into, allowing for quicker turnaround times in meeting customer needs and wants, especially for new business growth. If they kept the IT in-house, they would need to make a substantial investment of both time and money in expanding their services and support that would be needed for new business and it would need to be done very quickly to be able to meet the goals set by the Board of Directors. If they tried to adopt the third alternative, of only outsourcing the IT for the Reitzel division, it would negate all of the time and cost savings of the consolidation of the divisional IT groups into a shared services solution. It would then cause duplication of work and processes between the in-house IT team and the outsourced group, which would be impactful to the overall costs for all divisions. Each solution had its own pro’s and con’s, and needed to be evaluated against the best interest in achieving Schaeffer’s overall goals in the marketplace. Like it or not, change is an integral part of today’s business climate. In the workplace, changes can occur as a result of new thinking, advances in technology, innovation and progress, knowledge and communication, as well as mergers, takeovers, layoffs, and downsizing. A lot of the concerns and disadvantages were voiced after the task force’s recommendation had been developed, presented, and circulated within the company. Communication is key! This could have been avoided by having better communication throughout the life cycle of the whole process, from the information gathering, to the development of the RFP, and the presenting of the final recommendations. A lot of people probably felt blindsided by the proposed solution to outsource the IT infrastructure because they have been conditioned to fear change. We must not lose sight of the fact that change is normal, and most of us will experience unpredictable changes throughout our professional lives. However, there is no doubt that everyone views change from a different perspective than everyone else. Many employees believe that management doesn’t understand their side of the story, and managers often feel it is the employees who don’t understand why the change is necessary. This is why communication is so vital during any change circumstance. It’s been said that lack of communication is the number one reason why relationships deteriorate between employers and employees. Change will require open communication on both sides. None of us want to acknowledge that we doubt our ability to integrate new ideas, use new technology, or adapt to new organizations. We don’t even want to think about what’s ahead when outsourcing a whole department: new management structure, new processes and procedures, new terminology, new titles and job descriptions, not to mention the loss of longtime co-workers, friends, and family. The more we fight and resist the change, the more painful and frightening the changes will be. Resisting doesn’t keep a new idea from taking hold; it simply makes the process longer and more painful. Change will happen no matter what. We will handle it better when we learn to move with the change – not against it. It’s natural to fear the unknown and lack of control when it comes to embracing a new concept such as outsourcing that goes completely against the traditional workplace structure. There will be a lot of struggle during the transition period. We know we will have to work a lot harder. Are we willing to let go of the present to embrace the future? We may not know what the future will bring, but we are responsible for what we bring to the future. Analytic Report – Outsourcing. (2016, Dec 10).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Week 2 Individual Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 2 Individual Paper - Essay Example The formulas of financial ratios combine the variables of the financial statements. For example the return of equity formula is calculated in the following manner: net income / shareholders equity. Net income is a variable that is found in the income statement, while shareholders equity is an element from the balance sheet. Two financial statements whose elements interact with each other are the income statement and the statement of retained earnings. The total net income illustrated at the bottom of the income statement is a figure that is added to the initial retained earnings balance. Another relationship of interaction among the elements of the statements is between the statement of retained earnings and the balance sheet. The ending retained earnings balance illustrated at the bottom of statement of retained earnings is the same figure that is shown in the equity section of the balance sheet. Changes in one financial statement can affect the other financial statement in certain circumstances. The net income total is used in the statement of retained earnings as a variable that is added to the initial retained earnings balance. For example if a company ended with a year-end net losses that figure would set off a chain reaction which affects other financial statements. The losses are moved to the statement of retained earnings where they are subtracted from the initial retained earnings balance. The final retained earnings balance is then transferred to the balance sheet. Not all changes to accounts in one financial statement affect the other. For instance a change in the debt total in the balance sheet does not affect the income statement in any way. It is important for business professionals to understand the relationship between the four financial statements. The statements together provide a picture of the financial health of an enterprise. A person can make an error analyzing a

An exploration of the relationship between learning organisations and Essay

An exploration of the relationship between learning organisations and the retention of knowledge workers - Essay Example The new economy has been defined as one which is technology based. In the new economy, knowledge workers are the most important employees for any organization because they facilitate the creation of knowledge which is critical for maintaining the competitive advantage. Therefore the findings from the paper would enable managers in the new economy to manage turnover intent so that an organization can create a long-term strategic advantage by creating human capital. The importance of knowledge management can be seen in the case of Starbucks, the leading brand in the specialty coffee industry (Pearlson & Saunders, 2008, pp. 56-60). The company has implemented the web 2.0 technology which has enhanced cooperation between employees throughout the organization. Web 2.0 facilitates knowledge management by enabling employees to collaborate online through information sharing. As a result the employees are able to participate in the decision-making process. This increases job satisfaction and decreases turnover intention. The company maintains a continuous process of innovation which is guided by knowledge management. For this reason HR managers have to formulate strategies aimed at motivating knowledge workers who can make the innovation process effective. The managers at Starbucks can apply the findings from the present journal.

Segmentation and targeting Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Segmentation and targeting - Personal Statement Example The major consumer characteristics influencing market segmentation include geographic, psychographic, behavioral and demographic characteristics. Harry and David, a leading internet-retail store that deals with delivery of fruit gifts exemplifies a successful marketing segmentation strategy. In the Harry and David site, segmentation has been achieved through development of a product mix consisting of; Among the various gift segments, the products are targeted to the needs of specific customers using different messages. For instance, the birthday gift segment allows personalization of the gifts by adding a free gift card where the customer can write a specific message. Flower gifts are also tailored to specific occasions like May Day (May 1st), Administrative professional day (April 25th), Earth day(April 22nd) and Nurses Week (May 6th– May 12th) among other occasions. Some of the Promotional messages used in the product mix include; The segmentation choice and the messages used in each category are suitable as they are tailored to provide a personal touch to the customers. However, I would include messages that appeal to the tastes of different age groups like teenagers, young adults and middle-age groups if I was responsible for marketing the Harry and David e-retail

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Consequences of the Peloponnesian War Research Paper

Consequences of the Peloponnesian War - Research Paper Example Although this observation by Thucydides lacked the advantage of hindsight, his statement now carries validity, as the Peloponnesian War had many immediate and lasting effects, which this paper will attempt to determine. In order to properly understand the consequences of the Peloponnesian War, the causes and course of the war must be known. In Donald Kagan’s On the Origins of War and Preservation of Peace, he argues that the causes of all war are sourced from â€Å"fear, honor, and interest† (On the Origins 6), and this holds true with the Peloponnesian War. Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful Greek city-states in the 5th century B.C., and they were on opposite sides of the â€Å"power bloc† due to the formation of the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League. The Delian League eventually became the Athenian Empire, was originally made to combat the threat of the Persian Empire (The Outbreak 2); the Peloponnesian League was formed by Sparta to comba t the rising threat of Athens (Thucydides, Hammond, Rhodes 476). Rather than combining their respective power and influence, the two city states became opposed factions within the Hellenic World. While there are many intricate and underlying causes to the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides and numerous modern historians agree, to the best of their knowledge, that the main cause of the war was â€Å"Spartan fear of Athenian power† (Thucydides, Hammond, Rhodes 477). Because of the threat of the growing Athenian Empire, in hindsight it became evident that the war was inevitable – the Athenian power became an object of fear that the Spartans could not ignore. The Peloponnesian War spanned across a period of twenty seven years, encompassing numerous theaters, battles and campaigns that cannot be explained entirely in this paper. This paper will outline a brief summary of the war that will be used to help determine the consequences of the conflict. Athens was aware of the fact th at they could not outright defeat the Spartan army, thus, they built a walled corridor between their city and their port of Piraeus, which the Athenians resided within in an attempt to wait out the Spartan army and outlast them in a war of attrition (Daniel 74). Since the Spartans could not breach the walls of their enemy and the Athenians could not outlast the Spartans, the war resulted to a series of Athenian naval raids and Spartan attacks into Athenian land with the goal of destroying vital crops and resources (Daniel 74). After a plague within the Athenian walls that led to the death of the Athenian war leader Pericles, Alcibiades, a new Athenian leader, took the reins of the Athenian forces, and drastically altered the Athenian plan of action for the war. Alcibiades decided to change from a defensive strategy to an offensive one, and thus ordered an invasion of the city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, which, due to bad leadership, organization, and excellent Spartan defen se, turned out to be a failure (Daniel 75). The failed campaign resulted in the destruction of the Athenian fleet and army, and ultimately resulted in the Athenians losing the war that they had started (Gombrich 63). First, this paper will analyze the immediate effects of the war on both Athens and Sparta. As history has seen in numerous instances, being defeated in a war has seemingly endless and perpetual

Change Management and Leadership Research Paper

Change Management and Leadership - Research Paper Example Secondly, the leadership should have the power to motivate and empower the followers so that they become ready to adapt to changes without resistance. Also, they should be encouraged to accept the shared vision and get ready to accept challenging goals. Another important point is that the leadership should be able to enforce enough discipline to execute the plans and policies. Most of the time, organizations come up with impressive strategic plans but they lack the change management skills to properly operate the strategies to reach the expected goals. As Kaminski insists, whenever there is a plan, there should be properly developed performance measures and targets. Thirdly, the leadership should be fully prepared to change at any time as an organization might need to change as a result of environmental changes. So, only a fully prepared leadership can ensure that the organization has an environment that proactively observes and responds to changes in both external and internal facto rs. Finally, the leadership should understand change as a long and continuous process which has to be implemented over a long period of time. Leadership as the Visionary The first role of leadership is that of a visionary. ... Leadership as the Inspirer Leadership should have the ability to inspire and motivate the people under it. It is often achieved by identifying specific benefits to the people and minimizing potential losses. Also, there is participative decision making and open communication which will make the followers feel that there is a compelling reason for change. Leadership as Supporter In fact, leadership acts as supporter through providing enough resources, enough time, recognition and rewards. Also, from time to time, leadership will publicise vivid stories about the success of the change. Moreover, the leadership will provide such a picture that the success of all people is dependent on the success of the change. Leadership as Supporter Leadership also acts as supporter during changes. It actively listens to the problems and criticisms of people. Also, it offers as much empathy and care as possible to the people affected by the change. Leadership and Change Strategies There was a seminar named ‘Transforming Organisations’ organised by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in Madrid on 23 and 24 September 2003. In the seminar, all the participants agreed to the fact that change management is the most important role of leadership. In fact, most of the changes introduced in organizations are aimed at improving either performance or productivity. The various strategies the companies adopt to ensure transformation range from growth, innovation and skills development, downsizing, layoff, replacements, altering assets and resources, and so on and on (cited in Dhondt, Kraan and Sloten). June Kaminski

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

History of Pharmacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Pharmacy - Essay Example We now have vaccines to prevent our children from contracting fatal diseases that use to plague us in the earlier times. Had the break though of science been far fetched an idea, then population would not be a problem now and perhaps we would not live up to the days where we see our off-springs bear their own. We would not be able to see the world become highly technical through the science of major discoveries. Such, to me is the importance of learning the history of pharmacy, thus making me marvel at its relevance and importance. Without this branch of medicine, doctors would not have access to measure and solutions and therefore there would be no medication available to sick people. The study of what and how pharmacy evolved enlightens me into a realization that pharmacist play an imperative aspect making the world a better place to live in. When the world searched for drugs to cure illness, we became the answer to it. Along with the advancement of science, people learned to embrace the importance of the discovery of drugs. Those who made this possible were the people who painstakingly studied the pharmacologic aspect of the drug are the heroes of the modern world, with out them there would not be pain relievers or antacids and management of these medications wouldn't be known and practice had there been not enough knowledge imparted to significant people assisting sick individuals become well. If there were no pharmacies around, where would we get our medicines prescribed by our physician Without pharmacist, who would do cross check of the prescriptions issued by doctors Pharmacy is made available because there is a need for drugs to become available to ordinary individual, to assist them with their queries relative to the drug's potency, dosage and uses. Questions which they perhaps failed to ask their general physicians, or possible instructions that were not clearly discussed to them due to ti me constraints. Through out the years, the practice of pharmacy and its management has been clearly affected by cultural diversity, this is because culture plays a significant role in the way interactions happen. Culture dictates the manner with which we relate to one another even when the most obvious need arise. The obvious need I am referring to may reflect in our hesitation to ask or make clarification, or this can be due to language barrier. Most often, the practice of pharmacy management is highly similar to establishing relationships with others; highly critical and full of emotion, simple put, characterized with to human nature. Certain beliefs are thus answered through the science of pharmacology, just like in the manner with which ordinary fever used to be perceived as punishment of the gods in the olden times but in the present, fever is a significant indicator that there is an infection which your own body is fighting against through the efforts and mechanism of your own white blood cell s. Doctors may not have time to explain this to

Change Management and Leadership Research Paper

Change Management and Leadership - Research Paper Example Secondly, the leadership should have the power to motivate and empower the followers so that they become ready to adapt to changes without resistance. Also, they should be encouraged to accept the shared vision and get ready to accept challenging goals. Another important point is that the leadership should be able to enforce enough discipline to execute the plans and policies. Most of the time, organizations come up with impressive strategic plans but they lack the change management skills to properly operate the strategies to reach the expected goals. As Kaminski insists, whenever there is a plan, there should be properly developed performance measures and targets. Thirdly, the leadership should be fully prepared to change at any time as an organization might need to change as a result of environmental changes. So, only a fully prepared leadership can ensure that the organization has an environment that proactively observes and responds to changes in both external and internal facto rs. Finally, the leadership should understand change as a long and continuous process which has to be implemented over a long period of time. Leadership as the Visionary The first role of leadership is that of a visionary. ... Leadership as the Inspirer Leadership should have the ability to inspire and motivate the people under it. It is often achieved by identifying specific benefits to the people and minimizing potential losses. Also, there is participative decision making and open communication which will make the followers feel that there is a compelling reason for change. Leadership as Supporter In fact, leadership acts as supporter through providing enough resources, enough time, recognition and rewards. Also, from time to time, leadership will publicise vivid stories about the success of the change. Moreover, the leadership will provide such a picture that the success of all people is dependent on the success of the change. Leadership as Supporter Leadership also acts as supporter during changes. It actively listens to the problems and criticisms of people. Also, it offers as much empathy and care as possible to the people affected by the change. Leadership and Change Strategies There was a seminar named ‘Transforming Organisations’ organised by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in Madrid on 23 and 24 September 2003. In the seminar, all the participants agreed to the fact that change management is the most important role of leadership. In fact, most of the changes introduced in organizations are aimed at improving either performance or productivity. The various strategies the companies adopt to ensure transformation range from growth, innovation and skills development, downsizing, layoff, replacements, altering assets and resources, and so on and on (cited in Dhondt, Kraan and Sloten). June Kaminski

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Info Tech Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Info Tech Essay 1.more time: I.T has made it possible for businesses to be open 24/7 all over the globe, making purchases from different countries easier and more convenient.it also means that u can have goods delivered right to your doorstep with having to move a single muscle. 2.bridging the cultural gap: I.T has helped bridge the cultural gap by helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another, and allow the exchange of views and ideas.increasing the awareness and reducing prejudice. 3.communication:communication has become cheaper,quicker and more efficient. we can contact anyone in the word simply by sending them and email or using one of the social networks for almost an instantaneous response.the internet has opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world by video conferencing. disadvantages 1.unemployment: while I.T may have streamlined the business process it has also created job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. this means all the middle class jobs have been gotten rid of causing more people to loose their jobs 2.lack of job security: industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue since technology keeps on changing everyday. this means that one has to be in a constant learning mode if he or she wishes to keep their job secure. 3.privacy: though I.T has made communication cheaper,faster and more convenient, it has also brought along some privacy issues.(eg. email hacking) people are now worried about their once private information  becoming puplic knowledge.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Strategy for Innovation and Development in Latin America

Strategy for Innovation and Development in Latin America Fernando Vela ABSTRACT Latin America has grades development opportunities due to its great natural wealth. The universities are a fundamental part of this development because they are encouraging their students to develop their capacity for innovation. The universities are creating a series of programs to help the innovation and development of Latin America. These programs are based on the relationships that exist between different universities, so they can share ideas and innovation and development projects. It is also based on reference the model for the University Social Responsibility in explaining the 4 key points for the development and the innovation. This will help improve the economy in Latin America. INTRODUCTION Mark Twain says: A man with a new idea is a crazy until the idea triumphs. Latin America is a characterized as one of the regions of the world with greater opportunities for growth and development. Latin America has opportunities for growth and the universities are the key to this growth. Those countries that it makes up are rich in resources natural and talented human. However, in its population there are great contrasts in the distribution of wealth. For this reason, there is still poverty in Latin America. Â  Countries that make up Latin America have sufficient natural riches and to face the future with optimism. Universities are a key part of the momentum of the entrepreneurial activity in Latin America. It is a source of knowledge for their students and the society, has a positive influence in these. One of the ways in which universities have extended their contributions in the field of entrepreneurship, is through the creation of networks taking into account the model for the university social responsibility. In Latin America the majority of universities seek to give students an education with innovative skills. For this reason, the students develop their creative capacities and seek solutions to problems that exist in Latin America. This is the only way in which students can help the development and entrepreneurship in Latin America, because it began to create new sources of employment and help that every country that makes up Latin America continue proceeding. Countries of Latin America with higher and lower index of innovation In Latin America there are countries that have an index very high of developments in the last time. It is the case of Colombia and Chile. In the past few years, Chile has been growing in the topic of innovation, ecosystems and mainly in the undertaking. Start-Up Chile was the beginning of a revolution in this area, since developed a great program that was not limited to the local. But this does not stop there, until in the south, in their universities, is planning to develop and enhance dynamic entrepreneurship (Andrade, 2015) Colombia ranks fourth in the list of countries with the highest number of innovative entrepreneurship in initial phase, behind Chile. Colombia has conditions such as a high activity of enterprises in the early phase, a significant percentage of innovation and ambition of growth of young companies. Colombia shows a high rate of entrepreneurship and a large proportion of them are innovative and with the ambition to grow. A large number of entrepreneurs is introducing products or services in the Colombian market, which before were not available and that is good. (Kelley, 2015) According to Kelley, both in Chile and Colombia, the only Latin American countries included on the list, people can see entrepreneurship as a way to provide an income when there is not better alternative to the employment. Venezuela suffers an economic crisis due to the low cost of petroleum. This country depended only of oil and for that reason the Venezuelan people is concerned. The development and innovation in this country is the lowest according to a study carried out. This study indicates that due to the crisis that confronts Venezuela companies are deterred from investing in Venezuela. (Pardo, 2014) Universities in Latin America propose a momentum for innovation From a point of view of research, universities such as the Autonomous of Nuevo Leon University conducted several studies that enhance the entrepreneurship and innovation; highlights the study of them different types of strategies of collaboration or bonding and its contribution to the amount of development of projects of research and development technological for improve it management and efficiency in the generation of projects of research and development technological and innovation in organizations. In the case of the Catholic of Uruguay University, there was a strong work for developing entrepreneurship and innovation through education by competences, where through their actions seeks to develop the entrepreneurial spirit of its students support to entrepreneurship of students and graduates to investigate the profile of the Entrepreneur. The Popular autonomous of the State of Puebla University is an institution that also has with a program to promote the entrepreneurship which is plans to from the constructivism and the connectivism, and has as strategy didactic perform projects training and solve problems, form character, develops the auto learning, gives tools of management, is flexible, links to the student until where it decides to, creates environments, networks of collaboration and partnerships. Highlights also the technological of Monterrey, institution that from makes more than thirty years has designed various strategies to foster the culture entrepreneurial through it innovation and the generation of value. This institution has an Institute that aims to ensure that all students develop and strengthen their entrepreneurial spirit, which has worked hard in implementing the following strategies: develop attitudes and entrepreneurial skills; study and propose to advance the State of the art in the field of entrepreneurship; facilitate the creation and development of enterprises for students with interest; positioning and communication; and partnerships and collaboration (Toledo, 2014) Reference the model for the University Social Responsibility Organization. Where it is analyzed as the business school incorporates between its management the themes of innovation and entrepreneurship, teaching with example. Education. Where are reviewed and analyzed the way in which each business school uses techniques and tools and approaches for the formation of the competencies of their students in these topics. Research. In where is identify the areas priority of study and research relevant that impact to your region or community and their forms of disclosure Participation. Where it seeks to have practical results with an impact on the surrounding communities so that in a collaborative effort students and researchers applied in real situations their knowledge and experience, leaving testimony in companies and agencies in the region of successful projects. (Toledo, 2014) CONCLUSION The lack of innovation hinders the creation of jobs. The economic situation in Latin America is such that firms tend to start small and remain small. In the last ten years, Latin America has benefited enormously from the favorable winds of the global economy, enabling you to reduce extreme poverty, improve the equality and catapult to 50 million people to the middle class. However, as these favorable winds are diluted, growth will have to come from within, and the innovation and dynamism will be key for the region can take advantage of the social progress of recent years. Employees in Latin America works for companies many times considered as an engine of development, the entrepreneurial spirit generates jobs and spurs economic growth. While the creation of enterprises in the region is high, companies that survive grow at a much lower rate than their counterparts in other regions. Latin America has a wealth that is not developed by the lack of innovation and entrepreneurship. For this universities are generating more development in Latin America with their innovation projects. References Andrade, M. (2015, JUNIO 1). LA TERCERA . Retrieved from LA TERCERA: http://www.latercera.com/noticia/chile-es-lider-en-america-latina-en-materia-de-emprendimiento/ Kelley, D. (2015, enero 21). Ejecutiva. Retrieved from Ejecutiva: http://mba.americaeconomia.com/articulos/notas/colombia-ocupa-el-cuarto-puesto-en-listado-de-paises-con-mayor-numero-de Pardo, D. (2014, NOVIEMBRE 18). BBC WORLD. Retrieved from BBC MUNDO : http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2014/11/141117_venezuela_precio_petroleo_dp Toledo, L. A. (2014). Innovation and entrepreneurship in the light of the Latin American context . LIMA: CLADEA.