Identifying a patient, stating the reason for admission/appointment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1723 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Medicine Essay Type Essay any type Level High school Did you like this example? Identify a patient, stating the reason for admission/appointment. Identify a patient, stating the reason for admission/appointment. It must be on diabetes. Describe a specific problem that has been highlighted through the assessment process. Explore factors that may have led to their hospital admission/appointment. This could include physical psychological and social aspects. Case details In this essay we shall discuss the case of Mrs Singh. She is an elderly lady of 76 yrs. old. Who lives in warden assisted accommodation. She has done so for the last ten years since her husband died. She has had Type II diabetes mellitus for the last 17 years, and copes reasonably well considering her age and her comparative infirmity. She has been able to go out and get her shopping from the nearby shops and is otherwise self-caring, clean and tidy. According to the referral letter from her General Practitioner, who arranged this admission to hospital, a number of people had recently commented that she looked ill and was not caring for herself as well as she used to do. Her family live a considerable distance away from her and, although they see her about once or twice a month, they do not stay for long as they have a business to run. When she was admitted she was found to be lucid and coherent but her family told us that she had had a number of episodes of confusion rec ently. She was occasionally very sleepy and had left the gas burning on one occasion. She had a large infected ulcer on her left shin, which had clearly been there for a matter of weeks, but because of her habit of wearing long skirts, no one had noticed it. She had a degree of ankleoedema, but her physical examination was otherwise unremarkable, apart from the fact that she had a BMI in excess of 29. She is a moderate smoker. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Identifying a patient, stating the reason for admission/appointment" essay for you Create order Discussion Mrs Singh as an individual is clearly unique, but sadly, she also represents a great many elderly diabetic patients who live in similar conditions. The thrust of this particular discussion will be the aetiology and management of her condition with particular relevance to her leg ulcer. Diabetes Mellitus, an overview Diabetes is a comparatively common disease process in the UK. In children it is the commonest major illness (after childhood infections). There are approximately 1.5 million diabetic patients in the UK at present and the number is relentlessly increasing. (Devendra et al 2004). The 1.5 million are not equally spread across all segments of the population. People from the Asian and Afro-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds have a markedly increased risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus (UKPDSG 1998) with one in four of all Afro-Caribbean women over the age of 55 being diabetic. (Nathan 1998). Increasing age and BMI also are both independent risk factors for Diabetes Mellitus (James 1997). Of this number, it is expected that about 10% will develop some form of lower limb ulceration while they are diabetic. (Amos et al 1997). To some extent, it is statistically more likely that those patients who have poor control of their diabetic state will develop ulceration (and other complications) than those patients who have good control. The other factor that is relevant in the aetiology of leg ulceration is the length of time a person is diabetic. Chronicity of the disease process is an independent variable for leg ulceration. (Simon P et al 2004). A number of authorities have estimated the burden of cost of Diabetes Mellitus to the NHS. A recent study by Newrick (et al 2000) considered that 9% of the total NHS budget was spent on diabetes and diabetic related issues. By far the biggest single portion of that amount (over half) was on the treatment of complications and the commonest clinically relevant complication is that of venous ulceratio n (Ellison et al2002) We can start by considering the pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus Pathophysiology This is a huge subject in its own right and we shall therefore present a brief overview as far as it is relevant to Mrs Singh. In broad terms Diabetes Mellitus is a condition where the body loses the ability to metabolise carbohydrates in general and glucose in particular. Glucose is absorbed from the gut, transported to the liver where is can be stored as glycogen, and then transported through the bloodstream to the cells in the periphery of the body, where it is one of the main metabolic substrates. It is absorbed from the blood into the cells by a specific molecular carrier system and this is totally insulin dependent. If there is a failure of insulin production, then the circulating level of insulin falls and the glucose is not transported into the cells. This leads, initially to hyperglycaemia and finally to ketosis and metabolic failure. This is the situation of Type I diabetes mellitus. The alternative is Type II diabetes mellitus where the cells lose the abilit y to respond to the circulating insulin levels. This also results in hyperglycaemia and eventual metabolic failure but is characterised by high levels of circulating insulin. In general terms, Type I diabetes mellitus is a comparatively acute illness whereas Type 1 diabetes mellitus tends to be far more chronic, sometimes taking many months or even years to become clinically apparent. (after Donnelly et al 2000)/ The complications of Diabetes Mellitus are many. The largest group are the micro- and macro vascular group of the cardiovascular complications. (Stratton I et al 2000). The macro vascular group are usually related to the process of atherosclerosis and present with either degrees of myocardial is chaemia or as peripheral impairment such as intermittent claudication or ulceration. In general terms the incidence of this type of complication is directly associated with the average levels of HbA1 (which is a long term indicator of diabetic control) (HSG 1997). Nursing interventions The major nursing intervention to discuss here is the management of the leg ulcer. In any medical intervention its important to establish a sound evidence base (Sackett, 1996). We shall therefore quote the literature relevant to each point. The first, and arguably most important consideration is whether the ulcer is primarily venous, arterial or (more rarely) neuropathic in origin. This is comparatively easily determined by an assessment of the ankle/brachial pressure ratio. This is measured by means of a Doppler measure and the ratio is easily calculated. If it is less than the critical level of 0.8 it is likely that an significant arterial element is present.(Partsch H. 2003). Mrs Singh was treated with a 4 layer bandage. Her ratio was significantly above the 0.8 threshold and the main aetiology of her ulcer was therefore judged to be venous. The composition and construction of a 4-layer bandage is very specific but it can be individually modified to suit the demands of the individual patient. The first layer is a cotton wool based bandage with the primary purpose of absorbing the copious amounts of exudates that are common with this type of ulcer. It also has the secondary purpose of spreading the pressure evenly across the underlying tissues the second layer is a crepe bandage which has the prime function of holding the lower layer in place. The third layer is a compressive layer, usually an elastic type of bandage is then applied and this is covered by a final binding layer. (Nelsonet al. 2004). The rationale behind the bandage is that in the typical diabetic venous ulcer there is an increased pressure at the venous end of the capillary bed which translates into stagnation in the capillary blood flow which renders the tissues less viable because of poor oxygenation. By exerting physical pressure of about 40 mm Hg on the tissues, this increase of venous pressure is negated and the circulation improved.(Thomas S. 2003). Clearly it follows that in an arterial ulcer, as there is a reduction in the arterial pressure at the arterial end of the capillary bed, any increase in physical pressure could further reduce the blood flow across the capillary bed, which is why it is vital to differentiate between the two types before applying the bandage.(Marston W et al. 2003). The second main nursing intervention, and possibly more beneficial in the longer term, would be the Health Promotion aspects of the nursing relationship. Mrs Singh is overweight. Her BMI is about 29 which means that her weight is not only contributing to the reduction in venous return, and thereby contributing to both the aetiology and the persistence of her ulcer, but the obesity is also a major factor in the aetiology of her Type II diabetes mellitus. If Mrs Singh can be persuaded to reduce her weight, her need for hypoglycaemic medication may well lessen. It is possible that it may reduce to the point that she could manage her condition o n diet alone. (Terry T-K et al 2003). Smoking is not only an independent risk factor for Type II diabetes mellitus, but it is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A major health promotion measure would therefore be to help Mrs Singh to give up smoking. This is not a short term measure, so is not particularly suited for hospital intervention, although the nursing staff spent a considerable amount of time with Mrs Singh to explain the problems associated with smoking. (Marks-Moran Rose 1996). On discharge she was referred to, and seen by, the smoking cessation nurse at the local primary healthcare team. The whole concept of patient empowerment and education is most important in this field. If a patient understands why they are being asked to do something, they are much more likely to comply with the request from the healthcare professional (Marinker M.1997). The weight reduction needs to be carefully managed if it is to be successful. She was referred to the d ietician who prescribed a low fat, carbohydrate regulated, 1,200 cal. per day diet. Because this is clearly going to be a long term intervention, arrangements were made for Mrs Singh to be followed up in the community dietetic clinic. Mrs Singh was in hospital for seven days when the multidisciplinary discharge team were able to arrange her discharge. This involved the assistance of an occupational therapist to assist with minor home modifications and the community nurses who continued the treatment with the 4 layer bandage. (Harrison, I. D et al 2005) The diabetic specialist nurse was also involved. As Mrs Singhs weight slowly reduced she was able to reduce and finally come off her hypoglycaemic medication.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare - 2088 Words

Twelfth Night, or, What You Will by William Shakespeare is a comedy that was written for the Christmas season. Twelfth Night presents many different topics throughout the play like: crossdressing, homosexuality, unknown same sex desires, and undertones of talk about genitals. Although some are more noticeable than others, they are all present. I will be focusing mainly on the homosexuality of some of the characters and what the difference between that and just having a ‘male friendship.’ I will also address how homosexuality was thought of in the Elizabethan Era and how that affected the relationship between the characters in Twelfth Night. The play starts off by Duke Orsino saying how madly in love he is with Lady Olivia, but she won’t have anything to do with any suitors, due to mourning over her brother’s death. Viola is found from a shipwreck where she believes her brother drowned. Viola disguises herself as a man and seeks a job with the Duke. Within days, Cesario (Viola) has made it as one of the Duke’s favorites. Cesario created a friendship with the Duke. The male friendships in the Elizabethan Era was not your average male friendship that you would find today. They had a very close and intimate friendship. Males looked to other men for companions because men were looked upon as more superior and females were looked down upon (Stanley 120). Males would hug, walk arm in arm and they would even kiss in the public without people giving it a second thought aboutShow MoreRelatedTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare1279 Words   |  5 Pages Within the play ‘Twelfth Night’ it can be argued that the audience may be entertained by the outlook of Malvolio’s gulling. To start with his name means â€Å"ill will† within Italian which already suggests his attitude towards the other characters thus showing his place within the play as an â€Å"unpopular†character. He is a part of a religious order who sought to regulate forms of worship. In modern time the word â€Å"puritan† is often used to mean Against pleasure . Historically, the word was has been usedRead MoreTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare1019 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered elements of a comedy. Shakespeare wrote a comedy called Twelfth Night because that’s the Christmas Celebration when pranks and deceptions were allowed when people were off work. However the last day 6th January was when all the decorations came down, which brought a tinge bit of sadness to the Elizabethans. William Shakespeare employs the dramatic conventions of mistaken identity and disguise to establish humour in an example of Act 2 Scene 2 of Twelfth Night. Viola realises Olivia is inRead MoreTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare1164 Words   |  5 PagesIn the comedy Twelfth Night written by William Shakespeare many of the characters experience emotional pain. The pain that a character name Olivia experiences is the death of her brother, causing her to mourn. 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Slowly with the knowledge gained, we transitioned into examining the adaptations of the world famous playwright, William Shakespeare. For this assignment, we were to choose a modern Shakespeare adaption and compare its successes and failures to its traditional script. With the choices given, I decided to choose the Twelfth Night to its modern adaption directed by Andy Fickman called, â€Å"She’s the Man.† I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it as an option, therefore I feltRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1967 Words   |  8 Pages William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Twelfth Night† or â€Å"What You Will† was written around 1601-1602 with the primary performance being in February 1602. It is known to be a high point of Shakespearian comedy as it is one of Shakespeare’s finest works. Twelfth night was written to commemorate the close of the Christmas season being possibly one of the first ever holiday specials, kind of like the Middle Ages version of â€Å"Love Actually†. 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What interests me in this play most is the fact that there are a lot of love interests. Duke Orsino is greatly attracted to a gentlewoman called Olivia. However, despite his attempts to court her, she rejects his approaches as she claims to be in a period of mourning for her dead brother which has been going on for seven years. Olivia forms a tight friendship with Viola, a woman

Case 1 Free Essays

string(117) " management that the industry has changed in a significant way that renders the company’s current vision obsolete\." chapter 2 CHARTING A COMPANY’S DIRECTION: VISION AND MISSION, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGY McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright  © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. LO1 Grasp why it is critical for company managers to have a clear strategic vision of where a company needs to head and why. We will write a custom essay sample on Case 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now LO2 Understand the importance of setting both strategic and financial objectives. LO3 Understand why the strategic initiatives taken at various organizational levels must be tightly coordinated to achieve companywide performance targets. LO4 Become aware of what a company must do to achieve operating excellence and to execute its strategy proficiently. LO5 Become aware of the role and responsibility of a company’s board of directors in overseeing the strategic management process. 2-2 What Does the Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process Entail? 1. 2. 3. 4. Developing a strategic vision Setting objectives Crafting a strategy Implementing and executing the chosen strategy 5. Monitoring developments, evaluating performance, and initiating corrective adjustments 2-3 FIGURE 2. 1 The Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process 2-4 TABLE 2. Factors Shaping Decisions in the Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process Internal Considerations Does the company have an appealing customer value proposition? What are the company’s competitively important resources and capabilities and are they potent enough to produce a sustainable competitive advantage? Does the company have sufficient business and competitive s trength to seize market opportunities and nullify external threats? Are the company’s prices and costs competitive with those of key rivals? Is the company competitively stronger or weaker than key rivals? External Considerations Does sticking with the company’s present strategic course present attractive opportunities for growth and profitability? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and are they acting to enhance or weaken the company’s prospects for growth and profitability? What factors are driving industry change and what impact on the company’s prospects will they have? How are industry rivals positioned and what strategic moves are they likely to make next? What are the key factors of future competitive success and does the industry offer good prospects for attractive profits for companies possessing those capabilities? 2-5 Factors Shaping Strategic Decisions External Considerations What are the industry’s economic characteristics? How strong are the competitive forces at play? What forces are driving change in the industry? What market positions do rivals occupy and what moves are they likely to make next? What are the key factors for future competitive success? What are the company’s external opportunities? 2-6 Factors Shaping Strategic Decisions Internal Considerations How well is the present strategy working? What are the company’s competitively valuable resources, capabilities, and internal weaknesses? Are the company’s prices and costs competitive? Is the company competitively stronger or weaker than key rivals? 2-7 Stage 1: Developing a Strategic Vision, a Mission, and Core Values Strategic Vision Is top management’s views about the firm’s direction and future product-market-customer-technology focus Provides a panoramic view of â€Å"where we are going† Is distinctive and specific to a particular organization Avoids use of innocuous uninspiring language that could apply to most any firm Definitively states how the company’s leaders intend to position the firm beyond where it is today 2-8 Characteristics of Effectively Worded Vision Statements Graphic Paints a picture of the kind of firm that management is trying to create Flexible Is not so focused that it makes it difficult to adjust Feasible Is within the realm of what is possible Directional Is forward looking to change Desirable Indicates why the directional path makes sense Focused Is specific enough to provide guidance in decision making Easy to Communicate Can be explained in simple terms 2-9 TABLE 2. 2 Characteristics of Effectively Worded Vision Statements Paints a picture of the kind of company that management is trying to create and the market position(s) the company is striving to stake out. Is forward looking; describes the strategic course that management has charted and the kinds of product-market-customer-technology changes that will help the company prepare for the future. Is specific enough to provide managers with guidance in making decisions and allocating resources. Is not so focused that it makes it difficult for management to adjust to changing circumstances in markets, customer preferences, or technology. Is within the realm of what the company can reasonably expect to achieve. Indicates why the directional path makes good business sense. Is explainable in 5 to 10 minutes and, ideally, can be reduced to a simple, memorable â€Å"slogan† Graphic Directional Focused Flexible Feasible Desirable Easy to communicate 2-10 TABLE 2. 3 Common Shortcomings in Company Vision Statements Short on specifics about where the company is headed or what the company is doing to prepare for the future. Doesn’t indicate whether or how management intends to alter the company’s current product-market-customer-technology focus. So all-inclusive that the company could head in most any direction, pursue most any opportunity, or enter most any business. Lacks the power to motivate company personnel or inspire shareholder confidence about the company’s direction. Provides no unique company identity; could apply to firms in any of several industries (including rivals operating in the same market arena). Doesn’t say anything specific about the company’s strategic course beyond the pursuit of such distinctions as being a recognized leader, a global or worldwide leader, or the first choice of customers. Vague or incomplete Not forward looking Too broad Bland or uninspiring Not distinctive Too reliant on superlatives 2-11 Concepts and Connections 2. 1 Examples of Strategic Visions—How Well Do They Measure Up? 2-12 Concepts and Connections 2. 1 Examples of Strategic Visions—How Well Do They Measure Up? 2-13 Examples of Vision Statements To be the global leader in customer value. Provide a global trading platform where practically anyone can trade practically anything. Red Hat To extend our position as the most trusted Linux and open source provider through a complete range of enterprise software, a powerful Internet platform, and associated support and services. 2-14 Core Concept Strategic Inflection Points A change in vision is required when it becomes evident to management that the industry has changed in a significant way that renders the company’s current vision obsolete. You read "Case 1" in category "Essay examples" 2-15 The Importance of Communicating the Strategic Vision An engaging, inspirational vision Challenges and motivates the workforce Articulates a compelling case for â€Å"where we are going and why† Evokes positive support and excitement Arouses a committed organizational effort to move in a common direction 2-16 Expressing the Essence of the Vision in a Slogan Nike To bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world The Mayo Clinic The best care to every patient every day Greenpeace To halt environmental abuse and promote environmental solutions. 2-17 Why a Sound, Well-Communicated Strategic Vision Matters 1. It crystallizes senior executives’ own views about the firm’s long-term direction. 2. It reduces the risk of rudderless decision making by management at all levels. 3. It is a tool for winning the support of employees to help make the vision a reality. 4. It provides a beacon for lower-level managers in forming departmental missions. 5. It helps an organization prepare for the future. 2-18 Strategic Vision versus Mission Statement A strategic vision concerns a firm’s future business path—â€Å"where we are going† Markets to be pursued Future product/ market/customer/ technology focus The mission statement of a firm focuses on its present business purpose—â€Å"who we are and what we do† Current product and service offerings Customer needs being served 2-19 Developing a Company Mission Statement Ideally, a company mission statement is sufficiently descriptive to: Identify the company’s products or services. Specify the buyer needs it seeks to satisfy. Specify the customer groups or markets it is endeavoring to serve. Specify its approach to pleasing customers. Give the company its own identity. 2-20 Example of a Mission Statement The mission of Trader Joe’s is to give our customers the best food and beverage values that they can find anywhere and to provide them with the information required for informed buying decisions. We provide these with a dedication to the highest quality of customer satisfaction delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, fun, individual pride, and company spirit. 2-21 Examples of Mission Statements To help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 2-22 Strategic Mission, Vision, and Profit Firms sometimes state that their mission is to simply earn a profit. Profit is the obvious intent of every commercial enterprise. Profit is not â€Å"who we are and what we do. † Profit is more correctly an objective and a result of what a firm does. 2-23 Linking the Strategic Vision and Mission with Company Values CORE CONCEPT A firm’s values are the beliefs, traits, and behavioral norms that the firm’s personnel are expected to display in conducting the firm’s business and pursuing its strategic vision and mission. -24 CONCEPTS CONNECTIONS 2. 2 ZAPPOS MISSION AND CORE VALUES Deliver Wow through Service Embrace and Drive Change Create Fun and a Little Weirdness Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open Minded Pursue Growth and Learning Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit D o More with Less Be Passionate and Determined Be Humble 2-25 Stage 2: Setting Objectives Why set objectives? To convert the strategic vision into specific performance targets To create yardsticks to track progress and measure performance Objectives should: Be well-stated (clearly worded) Be challenging, yet achievable in order to stretch the organization to perform at its full potential Be quantifiable (measurable) Contain a specific deadline for achievement 2-26 Core Concept Objectives are an organization’s performance targets—the results management wants to achieve. 2-27 Stage 2: Setting Objectives (cont’d) What Kinds of Objectives to Set Financial objectives Communicate management’s targets for financial performance Are lagging indicators that reflect the results of past decisions and organizational activities Relate to revenue growth, profitability, and return on investment -28 Stage 2: Setting Objectives (cont’d) What Kinds of Objectives to Set Strategic objectives Are related to a firm’s marketing standing and competitive vitality Are leading indicators of a firm’s future financial performance and business prospects. If achieved, indicate that a firm’s future financial perfo rmance will be better than its current or past performance. 2-29 Core Concept The balanced scorecard is a widely used method for combining the use of both strategic and financial objectives, tracking their achievement, and giving management a more complete and balanced view of how well an organization is performing. -30 TABLE 2. 4 The Balanced Scorecard Approach to Performance Measurement Strategic Objectives †¢ Winning an x percent market share †¢ Achieving customer satisfaction rates of x percent †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Increase percentage of sales coming from new products to x percent Financial Objectives †¢ An x percent increase in annual revenues †¢ Annual increases in earnings per share of x percent †¢ An x percent return on capital employed (ROCE) or shareholder investment (ROE) †¢ Bond and credit ratings of x †¢ Internal cash flows of x to fund new capital investment †¢ Improve information systems capabilities to give frontline managers Achieving a customer defect information in retention rate of x percent x minutes Acquire x number of new †¢ Improve teamwork by customers increasing the number of Introduction of x number projects involving more of new products in the than one business unit next three years to x Reduce product development times to x months 2-31 Examples of Financial Objectives X% increase in annual revenues X% increase annually in after-tax profits Profit margins of X% X% return on capital employed (ROCE) Sufficient internal cash flows to fund 100% of new capital investment 2-32 Examples of Strategic Objectives Winning an X% market share Achieving a customer retention rate of X% Acquire X number of new customers Reduce product defects to X% Introduction of X number of new products in the next three years Increase employee training to X hours/year Reduce turnover to X% per year 2-33 Examples of Company Objectives General Motors Reduce the percentage of automobiles using internal combustion engines through the development of hybrids, range-extended electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell electric engines. Reduce automotive structural costs to benchmark levels of 23% of revenue by 2012 from 34% in 2005. Reduce annual U. S. labor costs by an additional $5 billion by 2011. 2-34 Examples of Company Objectives The Home Depot Be the number one destination for professional contractors. Improve in-stock positions so customers can find and buy exactly what they need. Deliver differentiated customer service and the know-how that our customers have come to expect. Repurchase $22. 5 billion of outstanding shares during 2008. Open 55 new stores with 5 store relocations in 2008. 2-35 Short-Term and Long-Term Objectives Short-Term Objectives Targets to be achieved soon Milestones or stair steps for reaching long-range performance Long-Term Objectives Targets to be achieved within 3 to 5 years 2-36 The Need for Objectives at All Organizational Levels Objectives Are Needed at All Levels 1. Set business-level objectives 2. Establish functional-area objectives 3. Set operating-level objectives last Long-term objectives take precedence over short-term objectives 2-37 Stage 3: Crafting a Strategy Crafting a strategy means asking: How to attract and please customers How to compete against rivals How to position the firm in the marketplace and capitalize on attractive opportunities to grow the business How best to respond to changing economic and market conditions How to manage each functional piece of the business How to achieve the firm’s performance targets 2-38 A Firm’s Strategy-Making Hierarchy A firm’s strategy is a collection of initiatives undertaken by managers at all levels in the organizational hierarchy Crafting strategy is a collaborative effort that: Involves managers from various levels of the organization Is rarely something only highlevel executives engage in Requires choosing among the various strategic alternatives 2-39 Concept to Action In most firms, crafting strategy is a collaborative team effort that includes managers in various positions and at various organizational levels. Crafting strategy is rarely something only highlevel executives do. 2-40 Concept to Action Corporate strategy establishes an overall game plan for managing a set of businesses in a diversified, multibusiness firm. Business strategy is primarily concerned with strengthening the firm’s market position and building competitive advantage in a single business company or a single business unit of a diversified multibusiness corporation. 2-41 FIGURE 2. 2 A Company’s Strategy-Making Hierarchy 2-42 Corporate Strategy versus Business Strategy Corporate strategy is orchestrated by the CEO and other senior executives and establishes an overall game plan for managing a set of businesses in a diversified, multibusiness company. Business strategy is primarily concerned with building competitive advantage in a single business unit of a diversified company or strengthening the market position of a nondiversified single business company. 2-43 The Strategy-Making Hierarchy Corporate strategy †¢ Is orchestrated by the CEO and other senior executives and establishes an overall game plan for managing a set of businesses in a diversified, multibusiness company. Addresses the questions of how to capture cross-business synergies, what businesses to hold or divest, which new markets to enter, and how to best enter new markets—by acquisition, creation of a strategic alliance, or through internal development. Business strategy Functional-area strategies †¢ Is primarily concerned with building competitive advantage in a sin gle business unit of a diversified company or strengthening the market position of a nondiversified single business company. Are concerned with the strategies specifically related to particular functions or processes within a business (marketing strategy, production strategy, finance strategy, customer service strategy, product development strategy, and human resources strategy). †¢ Are relatively narrow strategic initiatives and approaches of limited scope for managing key operating units (plants, distribution centers, geographic units) and specific operating activities such as materials purchasing or Internet sales. 2-44 Operating strategies Stage 4: Implementing and Executing the Chosen Strategy Managing the strategy execution process involves: Staffing the organization to provide needed skills and expertise. Allocating ample resources to activities critical to good strategy execution. Ensuring that policies and procedures facilitate rather than impede effective execution. Installing information and operating systems that enable personnel to perform essential activities. 2-45 Stage 4: Implementing and Executing the Chosen Strategy (con’d) Managing the strategy execution process involves: Pushing for continuous improvement in how value chain activities are performed. Tying rewards and incentives directly to the achievement of performance objectives. Creating a company culture and work climate conducive to successful strategy execution. Exerting the internal leadership needed to propel implementation forward. 2-46 Stage 5: Evaluating Performance and Initiating Corrective Adjustments Triggering change as needed: Monitoring new external developments Evaluating the firm’s progress Making corrective adjustments Managing strategy is an ongoing process, not an every-now-and-then task A firm’s vision, objectives, strategy, and approach to strategy execution are never final -47 Corporate Governance: The Role of the Board Of Directors The Role of the Board Of Directors in the StrategyMaking, Strategy-Executing Process: 1. Oversee the firm’s financial accounting and reporting practices. 2. Diligently critique and oversee the company’s direction, strategy, and business approaches. 3. Evaluate the caliber of senior executivesâ€⠄¢ strategy-making and strategy-executing skills. 4. Institute a compensation plan for top executives that rewards them for actions and results that serve shareholder interests. 2-48 Strong Boards Lead to Good Corporate Governance A Strong, Independent Board of Directors: Is well informed about the company’s performance Guides and judges the CEO and other top executives Has the courage to curb management actions it believes are inappropriate or unduly risky Certifies to shareholders that the CEO is doing what the board expects Provides insight and advice to management Is intensely involved in debating the pros and cons of key decisions and actions 2-49 Leading the Strategic Management Process The Strategic Management Process calls for six managerial actions: 1. Making sure the company has a good strategic plan 2. Stay on top of what is happening (MBWA) 3. Putting constructive pressure on organizational units to achieve good results 2-50 Leading the Strategic Management Process (cont’d) The Strategic Management Process calls for six managerial actions: 4. Pushing corrective actions to improve both the firm’s strategy and how well it is being executed 5. Leading the development of better competitive capabilities 6. Displaying ethical integrity and leading social responsibility initiatives 2-51 Making Sure a Firm Has a Good Strategic Plan Responsibility of CEO Effectively communicate the vision, objectives, and major strategy components Exercise due diligence in reviewing lower-level strategies for consistency with higher-level strategies 2-52 Staying on Top of How Well Things Are Going Stay connected to the field by managing by walking around (MBWA) Insist that top managers spend time in the trenches to exchange information and ideas through face-to-face contact with employees Prevent overly abstract thinking and getting disconnected with reality of what’s happening 2-53 Pushing for Good Results and Operating Excellence Fosters a results–oriented, high-performance culture Treat employees with dignity and respect Encourage employees to use initiative and creativity in performing their work Set stretch objectives and clearly communicate expectations Focus attention on continuous improvement Reward high performance Celebrate successes 2-54 Initiating Corrective Actions to Improve Strategy and Execution The leadership challenge of making corrective adjustments is twofold: Deciding when adjustments are needed Deciding what adjustments to make Leader’s responsibility is to step forward and push corrective actions 2-55 Leading Social Responsibility The strength of management commitment determines whether a company will implement and execute a full-fledged strategy of social responsibility that: That protects the environment Actively participates in community affairs Supports charitable causes Supports workforce diversity and the overall well-being of employees 2-56 Displaying Ethical Integrity The CEO and other senior executives must set an excellent example in their own ethical behavior. Top management must declare unequivocal support of the company’s ethical code. Top management must be prepared to act swiftly and decisively in punishing ethical misconduct. 2-57 Leading the Development of Better Competitive Capabilities Lead efforts to strengthen existing competitive capabilities Anticipate changes in customer-market requirements Proactively build new competencies and capabilities that hold promise for building an enduring competitive edge 2-58 How to cite Case 1, Essay examples

Communist Manifesto Essay Example For Students

Communist Manifesto Essay Subject: Jolee and ScarletFrom: Jolee Romano emailprotectedTo: emailprotected, emailprotected, emailprotected, emailprotected, emailprotected, emailprotected, emailprotectedDate: Sun, April 21, 2002 9:54 amJoseph RomanoHow do residents benefit from having a sense of community developed on their floor and in their hall? What will you do to foster that sense of community?I am very grateful to have the neighbors that I have. I have been through a lot of adjusting and they have been very helpful! I know that if I needed a cup of sugar they would be the first to give it to me, just like at home! I ask for advice, they give it to me. I need a laugh, there there! And its just not the people to the left and right of me either. Almost the whole floor! We work together, like a community, to make sure that everyone is in line. We all have responsibilities that we follow. We respect eachothers privacy and are there when someone needs a helping hand! I know if I am a Resident Assistant I will be available to do all these things. Because things work better that way. Hi Guys!These are two more pictures of my roomate Scarlet and I enjoying our first bus ride in Malta. Okay, I promiss this is it with the pics!!! Miss you! Jolee_________________________________________________________________Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

Langston Hughes Essays - African-American Literature, Jazz Poetry

Langston Hughes Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His father was James Nathaniel and his mother was Carrie Mercer Langston Hughes. His grandfather was Charles Langston, an Ohio abolitionist. As a young boy he lived in Buffalo, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Lawrence, Kansas, Mexico City, Topeka, Kansas, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Kansas City, Kansas. In 1914 his parents divorced and he, his mother, and his stepfather moved to Lincoln, Illinois. In high school back in Cleveland, he was elected class poet, and editor of the senior class yearbook. He taught English to some families in Mexico in 1921 and also published his first prose piece, "Mexican Games"(Davis). In an excerpt from an article about Langston Hughes in Encarta 97, it says that he was discovered in 1925, while he was working as a busboy in a restaurant in Washington, D.C., when he accidentally left three of his poems next to the plate of Vachel Lindsay, an American poet. She helped him ge! t publicity for his works and she got him seriously started in writing(Encarta). In an article about Langston Hughes in The Reference Library of Black America it talks about all the places in the world that Hughes has traveled. He probably used much of the information of the cultures of other countries to write. Hughes traveled all over the world as a seaman. He went to the Soviet Union, Haiti, Japan, Spain, Genoa, France, and other parts of Europe. Hughes was an author, anthologist, librettist, songwriter, columnist, translator, founder of theaters, and a poetical innovator in jazz technology. Hughes liked to write in many genres such as prose, comedy, drama, fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and TV and radio scripts. Langston Hughes was the father of the Harlem Renaissance and made many contributions on the behalf of African- Americans which led to the end of discrimination and segregation(Davis). Hughes was an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance because he was one of the most talented and famous black writers in his time. The Harlem Renaissance was the black movement during the 1920's. Many African-Americans got famous during this time and more people in the United States and the world got to see another side of African- Americans which had never been seen before. People saw that blacks could do things the same or better than white people and many, but certainly not all, barriers like segregation were decreased noticeably. He wrote numerous protest poems in which he used irony to get his points across to the reader. Hughes was influenced by Jean Toomer, another black writer and poet. It seemed as though Hughes used his poetry as a way to combat against the ongoing struggle that African- Americans still face today. Many believe that his best poems were inspired by the city of Harlem. He was even called the "Poet-Laureate of Harlem" because of his unders! tanding for the city. Hughes best volume of Harlem works is Montage of a Dream Deferred. Hughes was the author who during the Harlem Renaissance used much of the Black culture in his work. He began to use the Blues, Ballad form, dance rhythms, folk speech, and Jazz in his poetry. Hughes had success in many different fields of writing. His best drama, "Mulatto," a play, was performed on Broadway 373 times in 1935. In his best comedy, "Little Ham"(1935), again he uses themes from Harlem. Hughes's best fiction is in his "Simple" series. In his lifetime, Langston Hughes won several awards. In 1925 he won his first prize for poetry in the Opportunity contest and third prize for essay in the Crisis contest. In 1926 he published his first volume of poems, The Weary Blues. In 1953 he won the Anisfeld-Wolfe Award. Hughes also won the Witter Bynner Prize for undergraduate poetry while attending Lincoln University. Even West Indian poets, such as Leopold Senghor, saw Hughes as the father of the Negritude Movement(Davis). One of Hughes's works mentioned in the book, The Langston Hughes Reader, is entitled, My Most Humiliating Jim Crow Experience. This short story of his is a true story of his childhood. It shows all the themes he is fighting for and the things he is fighting against. What happens is that Hughes and a white friend of his go into a restaurant. His friend gets his food, but when he gets his, the white clerk charges him six times what the food is worth. He argued with the clerk and finally

Structures and Agency Essays

Structures and Agency Essays Structures and Agency Essay Structures and Agency Essay and emplaced in terms of lifestyle, conditions, etc. Our actions therefore respond to the structures of one kind or another, in which we are situated. Another way of thinking about how structure changes us comes from the 19th century social scientist, Durkheim. An example comes from Durkheims work on suicide, which listed three categories in which suicide could occur: Egoistic: for reasons of self-dissatisfaction or in response to personal emotion. Altruistic: for the good of other people Anomic: because all structures have broken down and life no longer has meaning This shows that even in relation to this extreme decision, the individual does not act without reasons – reasons are taken in response to structures. Durkheims theory of social facts clarifies the relationship between structure and infrastructure. Structures have priority, externality and constrain, in relation to our behaviour. Structuralists reject pluralism: they argue that the atomized actor is the only actor we can know. We can therefore predict life chances according to structures such as class, race and gender. From a structuralist approach we can understand the relevance of the debate to politics. Structuralist Marxists would argue that human action and choice is determined by class. Society is composed of superstructure, what we can call civil society which includes things such as education, the arts and culture and substructure which is constituted of the material and economic base. Marx argued that the substructure defines the superstructure – clearly a structuralist and deterministic view of society and culture. Both levels, according to Marx, are controlled by a ruling class. Men make their own history, but not under circumstances of their own choosing. Marcuse, for example, argues that we do not live in a free society, but a one-dimensional one. There is no freedom, simply reproduction of the views of the ruling class. Similarly, structuralist feminism, of the 1960s, held patriarchy as the key structural influence. The work of Germaine Greer and Kate Millet reflects this. They saw the systematic exclusion and subordination of women from many aspects of the economy and society, and explained the position and behaviour of women through the structures set up by men. There are criticisms of this approach. Firstly, structuralist accounts underestimate the reflexivity and autonomy of human actions. They tend to concentrate on the individuals position in a hierarchy, and do not deal with the ambiguity and ambivalence of human experience. There is a skewed reality at work: they attribute too much power/influence to few structures. Marxists, for example, have been accused by feminists of ignoring gender as a structure. Furthermore, they postulate repetitive patterns of behaviour and therefore cannot explain how changes, for example Glasnost and the abandonment of Communism have occurred. Loyal and Barnes elucidate the key differences between structure and agency. They suggest â€Å"agency stands for ‘the freedom of the contingently acting subject over and against the constraints that are thought to derive from enduring social structures. To the extent that human beings have agency, they may act independently of and in opposition to structural constraints, and/or may (re)constitute social structures through their freely chosen actions. To the extent that they lack agency, human beings are conceived of as automata, following the dictates of social structures and exercising no choice in what they do. That, at any rate, is the commonest way of contrasting agency and structure in the context of what has become known as the structure/agency debate. †5 No current theorists would argue that either agency or structure are completely in control of our behaviour, although much is still influenced by this debate: most people today hold the view that agency and structure are enmeshed together. It is still a debate which informs how we think and research. A consequence of the abandonment of extreme positions is the new prevalence of postmodern thought, for which structure is no longer the complete answer. Stuart Hall, for example, admitted in the 1980s that we are living in new times, not defined by class, as in the Marxist approach of his work. Feminists have also accepted that patriarchy is not the sole reason for womens behaviour. Postmodernism has filled the vacuum. Postmodernism reflects the ambiguity and ambivalence of life, and suggests that structures such as class are discursive, representations of how life occurs, not real life. This is a thread in the work of Baudrillard, Barthes, Foucault and Derrida. Derridas work, for example, foregrounds the play of meaning in his differance which implies defer and differ. The point is that meaning is always deferred: there is never a final truth or fact, and reality is always being rewritten. This radically destabilises the idea of a shared reality, emphasising the elasticity of human experience and the need to look at life processually. Everything is moving, unfixed, unfastened, and there are no underlying fixed structures. Postmodernism also emphasises the need to be tolerant of other peoples viewpoints. It encourages multiculturalism. Another strand is Hybridity theory, which claims that everything is hybrid in some sense: that there is no purity. Consequently, no language or point of view is superior. â€Å"Giddens in the form of what he calls ‘Structuration’ theory has set out to try and transcend the dualism of structure and agency. His basic argument is that, rather than representing different phenomena, they are mutually dependent and internally related. 6 Structure only exists through agency and agents have ‘rules and resources’ between them which will facilitate or constrain their actions. These actions, can lead, in turn, to the reconstitution of the structure, defined as rules and resources, which will, in turn, affect future action. Thus, we have a close interrelationship between structure and agency. Giddens’ metaphor for this is that rather than being dist inct phenomena structure and agency are in fact two sides of the same coin. As such, we have a conception of the mutual constitution of structure and agency. As Taylor argues, â€Å"†¦this conception is the most distinctive feature of ‘Structuration’ theory, yet a feature which serves crucially to undermine the theory as a whole. †7 This approach combines the best of agency and structure approaches the actor is situated, but not clueless. This emphasises reflexivity, and assumes a high degree of self-awareness on the part of the actor, but also allows for the influence of structures and awareness of emplacement. Structuration theory is Giddens attempt to bridge the gap between theories which place emphasis on either structure or agency at the expense of the other. Structuralism represents one extreme on a continuum of theory in which social structures such as class, gender or race are seen as systems which are so pervasive through time and space that people have little or no choice but to operate within them. At the other end of the continuum, there is an emphasis is on the subjective individual, structures are seen as ephemeral; they are relative and secondary to agency. These extremes can be characterized as systems without actors in the case of the former, and actors without systems in the case of the latter. Giddens explains the relation between theses two extremes by offering a theory of structuration that: â€Å"†¦provide[s] an account of human agency which recognizes that human beings are purposive actors, who virtually all the time know what they are doing (under some description) and why. At the same time [as understanding that] the actions of each individual are embedded in social contexts stretching away from his or her activities and which causally influence their nature. 8 Grasping the recursive nature of social practices the duality of structure – is according to Giddens, the key to achieving this. The study of politics largely concerns conceptions of power; ‘who gets what, when and how. ’9 We can understand the role of the state to include controlling and distributing limited resources which determines who benefits, and is included, and who does not benefit and is excluded. Structure and agency can assign responsibility for political actions; it is t he head of state or the political-economic environment that causes events and change? An acknowledgement of the structure agency debate allows us to acknowledge the influence of structures and agents in the political world. The structure agency debate cannot be seen as an approach to political analysis in the same way that rational choice theory might be. However, it is an important way of considering and analysing issues. Let us examine for example, the cause of the Second Gulf War in Iraq. Structure and agency debates will examine this with the approach of; were the actors involved free to make decisions independently of structures and so, as individuals, change the course of history? Or was it a situation in which structure was the predominant factor and the actions of the individuals involved was pre-ordained? From an agency perspective, there are clearly two actors who made key decisions which led to the conflict; George Bush and Saddam Hussein. We can understand that George Bush may have been inclined to go to war as he was simply following in his father’s footsteps, attempting to finish off his father’s unfinished business and trying to consolidate American hegemony. Similarly, we can see that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the conflict by his continued refusal to allow weapons inspectors to sites and his recalcitrance to convince the world that they were not harbouring terrorism and producing weapons of mass destruction. On the structure side of the debate we can see that there were factors of structure; Bush and Hussein were individuals acting in accordance with the structures they themselves may have been unaware of, so that these actors were situated in an environment which meant the course of action was inevitable. Some structural factors that could be considered would be; rising oil prices which, had they continued would have undoubtedly fuelled the recession and increased US domestic stability. Furthermore, instability in the region and the history of Iraqi development of banned weapons and expelled weapons inspectors meant that in a structural sense, there was a sense of inevitability of the conflict. The issue of hegemony could also be regarded as a structuralist consideration as it pervades both economy and culture; it is the field on which the game is played. In providing an explanatory framework for political analysis, postmodernism is largely defunct. Postmodernist accounts of structure and agency reduce it to a discourse in which structure and agency are no more than arbitrary discursive constructs. In the case of war in Iraq we can see that this is a gross oversimplification. However, we can clearly see that these phenomena – Saddam, Bush, oil, terrorism and political stability are very much ‘out there’ with their own characteristics and properties. Structure and agency can produce social effect without being articulated in discourse. Furthermore, Giddens’ rejection of the dualism of structure and agency, regarding it as two sides of the same, replies to the criticism of dualistic constructs. The dialectical approach, and in particular, Giddens’ structuration theory provides a plausible explanation which, as Giddens elucidates, the two sides of the same coin. In the case aforementioned, this constructs a much more plausible explanation which takes into consideration all factors involved. Giddens suggests ‘systems’, in this case, the political climate, influence people’s actions, but in turn, social contexts, or ‘structures’ continue to exist only if they are sustained by people’s repeated actions, for example the actions of Bush and Saddam. â€Å"Giddens concept of the ‘duality of structure’ melds agency and structure into one instead of regarding them as a dualism that consists of two separable albeit connected phenomena; unless and until structure is instantiated it has only virtual existence in the form of memory traces in people’s minds. †10 To conclude, the structure-agency debate is useful insofar as it provides a framework within which to explain social change; and to attribute causation, and this is what Giddens recognises in his two sided coin analogy. Giddens is right that we can only see one side of the coin at a time; this results from our own perceptual limitations when we trying to interpret phenomena. Political theory needs abstraction and over-simplification of the world to enable us to explain phenomena and change; the structure agency debate is one tool to enable us to do this.

Symphony of Ludwig Van Beethoven Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Symphony of Ludwig Van Beethoven - Research Paper Example The sketchbook of Beethoven shows that some musical materials that were used in the symphony were written in 1811 (Nicholas 231). The symphony also came from other Beethoven’s pieces, while completion of the work on its own right shows some sense for future sketches for the symphony. The choral fantasy is basically a movement of piano concerto, which brings the vocal soloists and a chorus piano near the end of climax. In this symphony, theme is first sung by vocal forces and is played by instruments, thus making it highly reminiscent of the ninth symphony’s corresponding theme. Going further back, the theme of the choral fantasy’s earlier version has its origins from the song â€Å"Gegenliebe† which means, â€Å"Returned Love†, for high voice and piano that dates back to 1795. Scherzo’s theme was composed from fugue, which was written in 1815. The symphony’s vocal introduction part caused Beethoven to encounter very many difficulties. His friend, Anton Schindler said that his work on the fourth movement made Beethoven struggle than never before. The aim was finding out the most appropriate way of Schiller ode’s introduction. One day, he was able to get a version with the words of singing the immortal Schiller’s ode. Though he was very happy to get it, he did not retain it, but kept on writing other versions until he got its final form. This final form had the words, â€Å"O freude, nicht diese Tone, which translates into â€Å"not these sounds, oh dear friends†. ... Beethoven augmented each wind part with two players at the premiere. The woodwinds included piccolo, 2flutes, 2 oboes, 2clarinets, and 2 bassoons. Brass was composed of 2 horns, 2 trumpets, and 3 trombones. The fourth movement was sung in soprano solo, alto solo, tenor solo, baritone solo, SATB choir voices. Percussions were also used and comprised of timpani, bass drum, triangle and cymbals. Finally, his composition was accompanied by strings that included violins, viola, cellos and double basses. Form Beethoven’s symphony was in four movements: allegro, scherzo, Adagio and recitative movements. He changed the common classical symphonies patterns by placing scherzo prior to slow movements, instead of the vice versa (Hopkins 76). The first movement was in the form of sonata, which was accompanied by a stormy mood. His inspiration was felt in the opening theme, when pianissimo was played over string tremolos, to resemble orchestra sound. The theme showed clarity and power that drove the entire movement. On the other hand, the introduction employed relationships, from mediant to tonic, which distorts the key until it is played in the lowest register by the bassoon. Scherzo, the second movement, resembles the first movement in the opening theme. Written three times, its punctuation sounds like it is in a quadruple time when played with meter speed Hopkins 127). This movement made Beethoven to face various criticisms for failing to abide by standard forms of his composition. This movement has an internal structure that is very elaborate, making it a complete sonata. The third movement comprises of a lyrical slow movement in a variation form that is loose. Each variation pair then progressively elaborates the melody and rhythm. The fourth movement is a

QuickTest or WinRunner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

QuickTest or WinRunner - Essay Example Mercury QuickTest Professionalâ„ ¢ (QTP) and WinRunner (WR) are automated functional Graphical User Interface (GUI) testing tools created by the HP quality management and performance testing solutions subsidiary Mercury Interactive (now HP Software) based in Sunnyvale, CA, with R&D in Israel (Mar, 2007, p. 2) that allow the automation of user actions on a web or client based computer application. WinRunner was introduced in 1995 while QuickTest Pro has been available since about 2002 (LoPorto, n. d., p. 3).The Software Test & Performance 2006, Tester’s Choice Grand Award winner (Award-Winning QA by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet, 2007, para.1), Mercury QuickTest Professionalâ„ ¢ is a next-generation automated testing solution. It provides the industry’s best solution for functional test and regression test automation – addressing every major software application and environment including next-generation development technologies such as Web Services, Ma cromedia Flex, .NET, J2EE, and ERP/CRM applications (Mercury Functional Testing: Mercury QuickTest Professional , 2006, p.2). Mercury QuickTest Professionalâ„ ¢ uses the Keyword-driven testing concept to radically simplify test creation and maintenance. Its unique Keyword-driven testing approach enables the test automation experts to have full access to the underlying test and object properties, via an integrated scripting and debugging environment that is round-trip synchronized with the Keyword View (Mercury QuickTest Professional, 2007, para. 2).... d., p. 3). Over the past decade, WinRunner is one of the market leaders when it comes to automated functional testing tools. WinRunner utilizes a "Graphical User Interface (GIU) Map" approach to create an automated test script. Since each object within a test has a minimum set of physical attributes that make it unique (Korhonen, 2000, p. 26) hence WinRunner recognizes objects like buttons and edit fields by their unique properties.It can also be used to create automated scripts for applications created using a range of technologies, including Java, Siebel, PowerBuilder, and Delphi (Mercury WinRunner, 2006, p. 2). It has gain an enormous popularity and thousands of developers has gathered under its flag who have improved their skills in this product over the years of their professional careers. With Mercury WinRunner, the organization reduces testing time by automating repetitive tasks, optimizes testing efforts by covering diverse environments with a single testing tool and maximizes return on investment through modifying and reusing test scripts as the application evolves (Quality Assurance, n. d., pp. 1-3). Although WinRunner has proved to be an efficient testing tool and it has become an industry standard as functional testing technology, yet continuous technological development scenario has highlighted its few short comes or limitations over its applications. In a number of applications, WinRunner has fallen short to recognize a lot of texts, graphics and drop-down lists hence failed to make sure that all of the company's software 100% error-free. To be able to check all of the texts, graphics and drop-down lists, developers have to do more work. This really degrades the automation testers efficiency and makes it impossible for

A Futuristic Commercial Advertisement Video Research Proposal

A Futuristic Commercial Advertisement Video - Research Proposal Example The project title for this proposal will be ‘A Futuristic Commercial Advertisement Video’ that aims at emerging with a new media that would enable commercial advertisements to take place everywhere. This means that videos of commercial advertisements will be aired the whole day through various platforms and media that are unique ranging from the electronic appliances to nature. In this regard, such items such as refrigerators, mirrors, ceilings, and sky. The finished project in this case will be a new and unique media that delivers video commercial advertisements in real-time on virtually any media including such unnatural media as in dreams and in the sky (Mullen and Rahn 64). Unlike the ordinary commercial advertisements that come through the mainstream media such as television, radio, print media, and the internet, this new media will be able to air video adverts on unique platforms that no human has ever witnessed nor experienced before. Additionally, the new media p latform will achieve maximum efficiency in the sense that it will reach out to more audience than the conventional media. Certainly, the principle and elements of visual arts such as colour, shape, lines, movement, and symmetry have played a major role in informing the approach to this project. These aspects of visual arts could just meet the ultimate goal if they can be transferred into nature. In essence, visual arts and films studies have been limited to the common media that performers are familiar with over the years. However, this new commercial advertisement brings in a new dimension of video platform that had never been seen before (Chun 424). This actually means that this will be a pilot project that will inspire many minds and capture the attention of many if it is successfully launched, as it will accentuate the level of enjoyment in commercial advertisements (Vacche 53). Besides, the project that has been motivated by the urge to adventure the commercial advertisements especially in real-time has really won the heart of many through its feasibility is still debatable within some quarters (M ullen and Rahn 64).

Successful strategies for small music venues

Successful strategies for small music venues This study will analyse what successful marketing strategies for small music venues are. The topic is of special interest due to different factors. According to different surveys among them the Mintel Live Entertainment and Music Concert study, there is a growing interest in live music acts (Music Week, 20.10.2007). People are increasingly interested to catch a band rather than going to a club or watching a comedy acts, so says Keith Ames, member of the Musicians Union (Music Week 17, 25.07.09). On the other hand, one can read more often about the closure of smaller live music venues, venues that can host around 200 people. A number of venues were forced to close down, among them The Point in Cardiff and The Charlotte in Leicester. These venues have hosted big named artists. The venues, especially Leicesters legendary Charlotte, were symbolic for their traditional public house environment. Many promoters are complaining that festivals, stadiums and arenas are dominating the market and drawing the money away from the smaller gigs and tours. That might be in favour for the bands itself but smaller operating venues are not in favour of that concept. The promoter Rupert Dell mentions to Music Week, that it is almost impossible to make money if venues are operating under a capacity below the 300-500 mark, though, there are places that do well, mostly be relying on the bar. It is up to the small live music venues to find a way to successfully compete against the bigger venues. They have to basically think outside the box to attract people on the venues. Many venues around the UK have become very successful in viral marketing, also knows as word-of-mouth, and targeting the right fan base. Social networking became an essential part of the venues marketing approaches. Mintels research also indicates that social networking sites and downloading have promoted, rather than damaged, the live music industry, with the result that regular internet users are more likely to go to gigs. Though, Dell believes that social networking sites can hinder as well as help and says venues have to be prepared to work harder than ever to attract the crowds. Many local venues around the UK still follow their concept that they have been there for ages and doing a good job. There venues include The Ruby Lounge and Night Day in Manchester, Sheffields Leadmill or the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, on which the focus will rely on in this study. There are many more factors that make it difficult for smaller music venues to compete against the bigger ones. One of them used is the Licensing Act 2003: An Act to make provision about the regulation of the sale and supply of alcohol, the provision of entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment, about offences relating to alcohol and for connected purposes. (Legislation.gov.uk) The license requirements cost too much money for the venues. The benefits for the venues itself are too little. Though, it has put into question of the Licensing Act 2003 really harms or encourages the small live music venues. The Licensing Act 2003 has been changed in favour for the small venues (FAQ Licensing Act 2003). Since small venues were still struggling so much, the Parliamentary Select Committee allows certain premises to operate without an entertainment licence. The so-called Two-in-a-bar rule, allows venues that host a capacity up to 200 people can operate without an entertainment license when only one or even two artists are performing in the venue (The Independent, 16.02.2000). There have been many approached to expand that rule since the venues are still struggling. That is only one factor the venues have to deal with. Therefore it is the venues task to find a way to stay competitive and solvent. In order to do so, the venues have to find a successful marketing strategy. To evaluate that, different study aims and objectives have arise which will be exemplified in the following excerpt. Study aims The aim of this study is to investigate what marketing strategies are adopted by small and private owned live music venues in order to compete against the bigger ones. In order to achieve this aim the following objectives were devised. Study objectives The objectives of this study are as followed: understand how live music entertainment is successfully marketed understand the marketing approaches that are available for implementation and taken by managers of live music venues understand the problems faced by the organisations marketing a service like that investigate how small music venues market themselves using the Leeds area for a study case. 1.4 Choice of topic This paper is an investigation in the marketing approaches of live indoor music venues and which strategies are most appropriate for promoting the venue and the staging event. As mentioned above, there has been an immense increase in the live music during the recent years. But even though that is the case, many live music venues are forced to close down. That effects especially smaller venues. Besides of frequent concert visits, the author is genuinely interested in the marketing action provided by those venues in the events industry. And after reading an article about the struggle of small live music venues, it was of great personal interest to see what can be done to compete against the wide range of live music venues. Chapter 2 2. Music performances in the event context In attempting to explain music performances in the events nature, the author finds that music events are classed as fairs and festivals (Goldblatt, 1997) and art festivals/events (Getz, 1997). These events need a lot of support and technical back up and therefore have the potential bring the spectators and performers together. According to this statement Goldblatt (1997, p7) also quotes: Fairs and festivals provide unlimited opportunities for organisations to celebrate their culture while providing deep meaning for those who participate and attend. Gretz on the other hand describes entertainment events as followed: Art festivals are universal, but with considerable diversity on form and type of art featured Gretz (1997) sees it as essential put art festivals in three different categories: Visual (e.g. handicraft, sculpture, painting) Performing (e.g. music, dance, drama, cinema, poetry; usually involving performers in from of the audience) Participation (no separation of audience and performer) In the context of this study, one can say that live music performances can be categorised under art and festival events, more precisely they can be defined as performing arts. After having music events categorised, the next chapter will deal with the wide field of marketing and marketing of small music venues. Chapter 3: Marketing 3.1 Introduction In order to satisfy the study objectives one and two of this dissertation, the author will explain the terms of the marketing concepts and explains as well as marketing strategies which can also be implemented in businesses such as music venues. 3.2. What is Marketing? Marketing is an essential and indispensable part for all sorts of businesses, including the events industry. The complexity of marketing is also seen in the wide range of literature that exists. Marketing is an always changing topic. Definitions are steadily renewed and expanded. Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell (2006) are defining marketing as followed: Marketing consists of individual and organisational activities that facilitate and expedite satisfying exchange relationships on a dynamic environment through the creation, distribution, promotion and pricing of good, services and ideas. Kotler (1997) states: Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering, and exchanging products of value with offers. Blythe (1998) declares: Marketing is the management process which identifies, anticipates and satisfies customer requirements efficiently and profitably. The author finds these definitions mentioned above appealing because it succeeds in addressing the importance of management and profit in relation to marketing, and the modern day of business. As one can tell from the definitions above, the focus of marketing is on satisfying human needs in return of benefits for the business. A business need to satisfy their customers in order to succeed. That is the major concept of marketing. When the customers a kept happy, they will return to the business to provide additional custom. For the business itself, marketing should provide a financial benefit and a greater understanding of the organisation. Therefore it is extremely important for marketers to understand their markets customer, competitors and market trends and also the businesss capabilities. Understanding general market trends is also very relevant for a business. That includes all those that include the market environment: social trends, technological enhancements, economic patterns, changes in the legal and regulatory arena, political influences (Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell, 2006). The product or service offered must be in line with the customer needs and also the service level must clearly be determined. Furthermore pricing and payment issues must be decided, channels of distribution establishes in order to make the product or service available and the promotional strategies need to be devised and executed to communicate with the targeted customers. Is that the case, marketers can develop their marketing strategies and programmes. According to Dibb et al. (2006) marketing consists of the ASP approach: Analyses first, then Strategy decisions with, finally, the formulation of marketing Programmes. This approach consists of basics like satisfying customers and stakeholders, target the right customer group, facilitating exchange relationships, staying ahead in a dynamic environment, increasing the market share and one of the most important facts enhancing the profitability or income. For marketing live entertainment events, marketers use a slightly different kind of marketing which is classified as service marketing. This will be explained in the following chapter. 3.4 Service Marketing 3.4.1 Introduction Relating to study objective number one which covers the questions how music entertainment is successfully marketed, the author sees it as inevitable to give an understanding of service marketing. Service marketing is the most appropriate kind of marketing in the context of entertainment. The author sees it for necessary to define first what exactly is meant by the word service and characteristics service has. Berry (1990) defines service as followed and at the same time shows the distinction to the word good: In general, good can be defined as objects, devises, or things, whereas service can be defined as deeds, efforts, or performances. Hoffman et al. (2006) lists four main characteristics for services: intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability. Due to the importance of these terms, they will be briefly explained in the following sub-chapters. 3.4.2 Intangibility Hoffman et al. (2006) defines intangibility as followed: A distinguishing characteristic of services that makes them unable to be touched or sensed in the same manner as physical goods. An example of intangibility could be a concert to be enjoyed at a music venue. The customer purchases a concert ticket, which entitles the customer to an experience. Since the concert experience is intangible, it is subjectively evaluated; that is, customer of services must rely on the judgements of others who have previously experienced the service for pre-purchase information. The customer will return with the experience of the concert and his memories, the physical ownership that he retains is only the ticket stub. An importing part of a service marketing programme involves to reduce the customers perceived risk by adding physical evidence and the development of strong brands. 3.4.3 Inseparability Hoffman et al. (2006) offers following definition: A distinguishing characteristic of services that reflects the interconnection among the service provider, the customer involved in receiving the service, and other customers sharing the service experience. An example for inseparability could be a musical performance that is created (produced) as it is experienced (consumed) by the audience. The interaction between customer and service provider defines a critical incident. Critical incidents represent the greatest opportunity for both gains and losses in regard to customer satisfaction and retention. 3.4.4. Heterogeneity A distinguishing characteristic of services that reflects the variation on consistency from one service transaction to the next. (Hoffmann et al, 2006) Heterogeneity makes it impossible for a service operation to achieve perfect quality on an ongoing basis. Many errors in service operations are one-time events. Another challenge that heterogeneity defines is that the consistency can vary from firm to firm, it also varies when interacting with the same service provider on a daily basis. 3.4.5 Perishability A distinguishing characteristic of services in that they cannot be saved, their unused capacity cannot be reserved and they cannot be inventoried. (Hoffmann et al, 2006) The customer is usually involved in the production process of a service at the same time as it is produced. Therefore it can be difficult to control and monitor and ensure stable standards. It is not possible with services to pre-deliver an inspection that is open to manufacturers of goods. These explanations provide a brief overview about the characteristics of services which include music performances. Following it will be explained how a service like that can be marketed and brought to the target customer. 3.5 Communication in Service Marketing Introduction With the focus on the second study objective where is was questioned which marketing approached are available, there will be an investigation of the field of service marketing. Marketing within events is based on communication. This can be done by directly informing the customer of a service that is offered, though customer feedback or market research. The main role of a communication strategy is to inform or remind a customer about a service that is offered. The organisation has to create customer awareness and also position an offered service in the customers evoked set of alternatives. Keeping the customer updated with the services is an essential part of the communication service, since people forget quickly and easily (Bateson, 1992). There are two ways in which communication of services may be handled: non-personal sources and personal sources. Non-personal sources are mediums such as television advertising or printed information in newspapers or magazines. Personal sources are on face-to-face basis. It is though all individuals who are in contact with the consumer of purchase, consumption and postpurchase stages. The objectives and strategies of communications can differ, depending on the nature of the target group (Hoffmann et all., 2009). Therefore communication strategies and objectives will be closer described in the following sections. 3.5.1 Communication Strategy in service marketing The development of a service marketing strategy has similarities to the regular marketing strategy which includes the identification of the target market, selection of a positioning strategy and tailoring a communication mix to the targeted audience that reinforces the desired positioning strategy. The three objectives of a communication strategy in general are to inform, to persuade and to remind. It is possible that these objectives can change over the course of the products life circle, depending whether the organisation would like to target current users or nonusers (Hoffman et all., 2009). 3.5.2. Determining a target market In order to meet the general communication objectives, the service organisation must analyse the need of consumers and then categorise consumers with similar needs into market segment (Masterman and Wood, 2006). The segmentation can be applied on a very simple level. A differentiation can simply be implemented by categories such as consumer/organisational markets or male/female segment or local/national/international market. Often segmentation can be a little more sophisticated by using lifestyle, attitudes or opinions and interest. An example of a music event is be a concert production. Of interest here for determining the target group is firstly the music taste of the targeted audience, lifestyle and also reference groups. Age, gender or economic situation are less relevant here (Cottle and Ratneshwar, 2003). Once the target audience has been evaluated, objectives can be developed for each identified target group, as each group may have different communication preferences. 3.5.3. Organisations positioning strategy After having selected the target group, it is necessary to establish a positioning strategy. A positioning strategy is a plan for differentiating the organisation from its competitors in consumers eyes (Hoffman et all, 2009). But there is also the competitive position, which determines the position among the competitive environment. Positioning involves a strategic manipulation of the organisations marketing mix variables: product, price, promotion, place, physical evidence, people and processes. Every single of the components is controllable. When these are effectively combined, the organisation can balance the factors that are uncontrollable and which exist in every organisations environment like technological advances, customer needs, new and existing competitors, government regulations, economic conditions and the effects or seasonability. Kotler (1997) states that companies that fail to alter their positioning strategy to reflect environmental changes in order to differentiate themselves from competitors often falter in the long term. 3.5.4. Competitive position When identifying the current position, the process uses market share trends to determine whether the organisation is a market leader, market challenger, market follower or market nicher. A market leader will have different strategic options to an organisation on a niche market or a smaller player in the field. In relation to the study objectives one and two, the authors finds it relevant to explain the characteristics of a market nicher since small music venues feature characteristics of a market nicher. Often market nicher tend to be very successful with their strategy by avoiding direct conflicts with the larger competitors. In order to achieve this success, the organisation created a kind of specialism in a particular area. This can be the a product itself, the service level or the market that they operate in. The professional competence protects them from attacks and provides enough space for growth of the right target market was selected. Growth in this context does not necessarily mean market expansion but more through market penetration (Hoffman et al, 2009). 3.5.5 Positioning According to Ries and Trout (1992), positioning refers to the position that a product has in the consumers mind in comparison to the competing product. It is important to determined the desired position for each target market. The marketing mix can change according to the target market since the focus has to be changed according the preferences of the target audience. For changing the existing position of a product or brand, marketing communications are often used. By repositioning, the organisation has the chance to gain market share, attract a new market, or recondition an offered product that is coming to the end of their life cycle. Marketing communication helps to change existing approached of a service by using new information, imagery and comparisons. When positioning, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the current position. In order to see how a product is perceived when comparing it with the competitors, it requires a good market research in each target market. Depending on the organisation, there are several criteria on which a product is evaluated. For a concert venue, the ease of access, atmosphere or performance may be of major interest. It is important to identify which is the most relevant criteria for each target group. When having evaluated that, positioning can be made a lot easier, also by using different tool like a positioning map. These maps are very useful for evaluating the competitors offerings and also to advise future strategic actions (Masterman and Wood, 2006). Positioning is an essential aspect of a marketing plan and often leads to a so called positioning statement. These positioning statements shows how an organisation wishes to perceive their products and brand and created consistency, clarity and continuity in how it addresses to target market (Kanzler, 2003; Davidson and Rogers, 2006). 3.6 Communication Mix Introduction In an attempt to satisfy study objective one and two of this dissertation, the author within this chapter explains the concept of the communication mix, also known as promotional mix, and as well explains what tools are available to marketing personnel to marketing a service like live music performances. 3.6.1 What is the communication mix? The communication mix is a set of communication tools which marketers use to communication with their target market. The major tools that are used are media advertising, public relations, sales promotion and the personal selling. This promotion mix has been extended to word-of-mouth, corporate identity, sponsorship and corporate hospitality, e-marketing, exhibitions and events and merchandising (Masterman and Wood, 2006). Wigram (2004) states, when utilising these different methods, the organisation can deliver experiences and information which are relevant to the different target audiences and which collectively deliver the brand vision. When staying in subsequent contact with the customer, it is also important to consider the communication budget (Boone and Kurtz, 1993). Especially for small firm that is very important due to the limited budget that is available. When the budget has been determined, the target audience, objectives and budgets are divided among the different areas of the communication mix. Following there will be different communication tools explained that are relevant and most appropriate for small businesses such as live music venues. Public Relations Due to the complexity of PR, the topic be briefly explained and explained why PR is appropriate for small organisations including music venues. In the following sub-chapter, there will be an explanation of PR as well as how it is relevant to an organisation like a music venue. What is PR? Public relations is a wide field and there a different definitions for this term. Palmer (2008) states that PR is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public. Masterman and Wood (2006) write that PR is used to raise the success of an organisation. It covers a corporate, financial, marketing, community and internal activity. As mentioned before, PR aims to change the opinions of the parties that have a certain influence on the success of an event. PR should also focus on credibility and reputation and therefore with the external perception. Yeshin (1998), Pickton and Broderick (2001) and Fill (2002) agree that PR has a very wide role, not only to support the marketing act. It engages managing communications with every group of the organisation that are considered an important factor in the successful implementation of an event. Uses of public relations Following there are listed a few ways of how to use PR. They are adopted by Masterman and Wood (2006, p88) and can be categorised as follows: Customer retention: using PR activity such as events, launches and media liaison to support marketing push to retain customer, grow sales and market share. Investment: using PR activities such as corporate hospitality to encourage new and further investment via the development of investor relations. Bargaining status: using PR to build brand in order to achieve better relationships with supplier and customers Staff relations: using PR to portray a healthy organisation in order to attract and maintain a desired quality of staff. Business development: initiating and building new business through PR activity such as events, corporate hospitality and business-to-business communication on order to develop business from new or existing customers. The author believes that these categories describe very well, how PR can be engaged in a business and what benefits it can bring for the organisation. Media advertising Introduction Advertising is a very suitable tool for reaching various target groups. Individuals are subjected to at least 600 advertisements a day (Clow and Baack, 2004). Mostsly the crucial factor for the choice of media are the costs. Due to a wide range of tools, even small firms can advertise events very favourable. Advertisements are designed to transfer an event message to the customer, inform, persuade and remind him (Boone and Kurtz, 2002). The advantage of media advertising is that one can reach a mass audience, also on a selective basis (Pickton and Broderick, 2001). Shimp (1997) confirms that advertising is a crucial factor for the successful introduction of a brand or event. Greetz (1997) adds that advertising increases the awareness of an events and that it can demand in sales. Following there will be a brief explanation of a few tools that are very suitable for organisations of all kind. Television Television targets a very wide group of people, often on a national level; very suitable for big events like e.g. World-wide sport events. A disadvantage is the cost of production which can be relatively high and therefore not affordable for small businesses. Newspaper Newspapers have a few advantages. One of them is the credibility and also that it offers a great targeted flexibility, from regional and local editions. Boone and Kurtz (2002) also state that local newspaper have a great impact on the local community, since they can be more easily involved. Furthermore, with newspapers, they have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, especially local papers. Magazines When advertising in consumer magazines, it has the advantage that they are highly segmented. They offer a sophisticated targeting opportunity. Though, promoters often have to plan a long time ahead. During that time, the event plan could might have changed. Cost-wise, it depends on the magazine, whether it is a small more local magazine or a national one. Radio Radio is a very effective mass medium for creating a one-to-one relationship with the customer. It has a great flexibility in advertising locally, regionally or nationally (Clow and Blaack, 2004). As Masterman and Wood (2006) put it: The beauty of local radio for event organisers is its place in the community. Using local radio, can also be relatively inexpensive and target the local listeners. Outdoor Outdoor includes traditionally posters, billboards, transportation and street furniture. This kind of advertising is very low in costs, has a broad reach and long life. Also fly-posting is a very popular medium and often used for music and club promoters (Masterman and Wood, 2006). E-marketing The internet is another mass medium that is nowadays widely used. This mass advertising and e-mail is a cheap ways for direct marketing. Many venues have their own websites which can add longevity to an events. It is a good opportunity for very creative and innovative event marketing strategy. The websites should be updated regularly with information that are of interest to the various target groups. 3.7. Problems arising with the service communication mix Introduction With the focus on the third study aim which focuses on the problems that are faced by the organisations marketing services like live music performances, there will be an investigation on problems that arise within the communication mix. According to Hoffman et al (2009), inseparability and intangibility offer special challenges that have to be followed when implementing and developing a communication strategy. There are different problems that can appear, e.g. mistargeted communication, the management of the consumers expectation, internal marketing communication and selling/operating conflicts (George and Berry, 1981). These problems will now be further explained. 3.7.1. Mistargeted communication Positioning is very important in marketing. It can improve the organisations marketing efficiency when targeting different marketing activities according to the different target group who behave differently towards the organisation. The consequences of mistargeted communication for certain service organisations are clearly more significant than for traditional goods-producing organisations because of the shared consumption experience. Mistargeted communications are communication methods that affect an inappropriate segment of the market. 3.7.2. Managing Expectations Another problem are the customers expectations. An organisations communications are often interpreted as an explicit service promise that consumers use to base their initial expectations. The organisation has the opportunity to direct control the sources of expectation. Though, the organisation cannot influence past experiences and competitors activities. By having that control, the organisation has to define the objectives for the communication mix. One strategy for an organisation including a music venue, would be to reduce consumer expectations as much as possible. That would result in a higher satisfaction level of the customer. On the other hand, in competitive terms, many organisations build up expectations in order to differentiate themselves in the market place and try to attract people to them and not to the competitors. However, there is a risk, that organisations promise too much and increase the customers expectation to an unrealistic level. It would be most effective to match the expectations of the customer to the performance characteristics of the service delivery system (Bateson, 1992). 3.7.3. Internal marketing communications So far, it marketing communications were only mentioned to the external environment. But also internally, marketing communication is extremely important since it can be highly motivated if empathised by the staff. The staff has to have a clear understanding of the communication methods within the organisation. It might raise the