Many Of The Characters In Of Mice And Men Have Dreams Essay Example for Free

Many Of The Characters In Of Mice And Men Have Dreams Essay John Steinbeck wrote the novel Of Mice and Men in 1937. The settings were personally related to the author himself. The Novel is set were he originally came from, around Salinas, California. It was written during the great depression which not only effected America, but Europe as well; however the novel only focuses on America. Steinbeck had his reasons for writing about it. He wanted to show the reality of the great depression as it struck everyone in different ways. He used realistic characters that represented the main groups of people living in America and what effects took place according to their status. One of the biggest problems was that twenty-five percent of the whole population was unemployed, leaving a mass of civilians to roam the streets, desperate to survive by any means. Others were forced to become itinerant workers. George and Lennie, the main characters, are two ranch workers. They are prime examples or itinerant workers due to the economic disaster they faced. They had slight difficulties maintaining a job as Lennie has a mental and almost physical disability. His child-like mind didnt allow him to correspond well with his beastly physicality. This means he is unaware of how brutal and uncivilized his actions may be. Its what always got him in trouble and George was the one always defending him. All they had was each other. As Itinerant workers they travelled far in search of work as did many others who were desperate to earn enough money to survive or perhaps support their family. They pretty much had no choice if they wanted to live. Work on a ranch didt always pay well ; however, the workers were provided with the necessities which had already cover a lot of costs such as a roof over their head, cooked meals, bathing facilities, so they were grateful. All those small things are the things that are taken for granted, but to those times they were valued and appreciated. Whatever salaries they received at the end of each month they would send home to their families or spend it all on a cat house (prostitute house) and start all over again. George and Lennie had other plans which differentiated them from the rest. George and Lennie both shared a dream. Besides the fact that their relationship status was quite rare, the dream made it that little bit more special. Most people travelled alone and just had their minds set on surviving. George and Lennie had their hearts set on bigger things. We could live off the fatta the lan, a quote used constantly by both George and Lennie. They are implying that they want to buy land in which they can live off everything they grow so they wont have to rely on any one to survive. Its a big change from working for someone to working for yourself; its more satisfying knowing they can do what they want for themselves. Well have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, well just say the hell with going to work! Their dream gets deeper with endless wants; to them its almost like an obsessive fantasy. However, their dreams are still realistic compared to a modern day dream which tends to be more selfish and greedy. A sense of freedom is what they are after which is highly understandable and admirable. Lennie also has an obsession with tending rabbits. Again his child-likeliness is getting the better of him; then again all children look forward to particular things they enjoy. Their dream is like a private sanctuary in their minds, an escape from reality, the one thing that no one can take from them. Its their goal, the one thing that keeps them motivated to carry on. Come on, George. Tell Me. Please, George. Like you done before. George tells their dream like a story out of a fairytale to satisfy Lennies childish behavior. Lennie also repeats his sentences as a sign of enthusiasm. The dialect used gives quite a clear impression of what they sound like and helps to visualize their words and actions. What is said is written quite different from how we would write and speak today, so it emphasizes on how long ago this took place. The Ranch consists of more than just workers and one dream. George and Lennie werentt alone; there were others with different occupations and completely different dreams. George and Lennies dream later developed into a larger dream including one other member. Candy, a former worker, who had lost his hand on the ranch so he wasnt much use. He was aware that it wouldntt be long until he would have no were to go, he was only getting benefits for his loss on the ranch, and no one wants a useless worker hanging about. When Candy over hears George going into story mode, he was overwhelmed knowing that there was some hope. You know wheres a place like that? and How much they want for a place like that? showed Candy was deeply interested by asking questions. Candy was interested by all of this because his life was slowly passing by and he was still not doing anything about it. So this dream of having a ranch and not working for somebody was a big eye-one for candy and seemed very interested in the dream. He stated obviously that hes interested by saying, Spose I went in with you guys and shows us how desperate he is by offering three hundred an fifty bucks which was more than half of the overall payment required. Just to sweeten up the deal even more he adds, I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. And Id make a will an leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, Candy chose his words carefully letting George know it will benefit everyone rather than it being a selfish gesture. Just to make sure they kept him in he used a very short but never the less a very effective emotional line, When they can me here I wisht somebodys shoot me. Automatically they feel sympathetic towards him because he lost his hand and his best friend, the dog. It was after that conversation that Candy gained hope after all. However, a serious incident occurred which lead George to kill Lennie for the good and safety of others. He gave up on the dream and decided to become a part of what everyone else already was. then its all off? Candy asked sulkily. Without George, Candy couldntt stand a chance making the dream come true alone and there was no persuading George to reconsider. Candy was vexed at Curleys wife as she laid dead, Everbody knowed youd mess things up. He knew that if she didnt disturb Lennie they would all be able to leave the ranch and have a good life together. Now that she had caused all these problems he had no respect for her at all and insulted her by using harsh names such as lousy tart and bitch. Women to those times werent seen as equals, they done what they were told and werent much use. Curleys wife is a good example of a typical woman to those times. She is referred to as Curleys wife and nothing else to show her lack of importance. She craves attention as no one pays her no mind, so she resorts to Lennie who listens too her dream. Her dream was to make something of her self by becoming an actress. Coulda been in the movies, an had nice clothes all of them nice clothes they wear. An I coulda sat in them big hotels, an had pitchers took of me. she reminisces on the past were she had a chance of fulfilling her dream and all the materialistic things she would have had. She sounded ungrateful when she said, I wouldnt be livin like this, you bet as if to say what Curley had to offer wasnt good enough when thats what nearly all women wish they could have. Her marriage to Curley was an escape from loneliness which seemed to have failed. As she was an attention seeker she used her sexuality to her advantage to lure in other men, even if they were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Although the other men were aware of the sly schemes, Lennie was mesmerized by her beauty and was generally vulnerable. She even admitted that she was lonely to make Lennie feel sorry for her by saying, Why cant I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely. She did this to make him feel sorry for her and give in to her cunning ways. She had finally found someone dumb enough to listen to her pitiful life story without passing a judgment on her and it all started from, Maybe I will yet. Then with such passion she let lose what she had bottled up inside for a while. She couldnt care about what Lennie had to say when he included his own dream in the conversation, she went on with her story quickly, before she could be interrupted. For someone desperate to talk to someone she seemed awfully ungrateful and selfish. She was fully aware of what he was capable of yet she still took the risk of getting to close. She took Lennies hand and put it on her head she told him to Feel right aroun this was the biggest mistake she could have ever possibly made. From the slightest jerk he began to panic. His child and animalistic side began to collide again. Like a child he held on and panicked, however, he didnt realize he was hurting her and she wasnt strong enough to struggle free. She died young and still could have made something of herself but she could never get another chance after that. This quote is taken after Curleys wife died, her dreams like the others but hers different of wanting to be famous were shattered. Crooks is just the isolated nigger at the bottom of the social hierarchy on the ranch who constantly got degraded by everyone. His status is even lower than any womans. Any black person to those times would have the most selfless dream, to be treated as an equal and to have freedom. George and Lennie were the only ones that communicated with Crooks so it probably made him feel somewhat wanted. Crooks also developed a desire to join the dream. Crooks constantly had to take everything thrown at him verbally by Curleys wife as he had no status as a busted-back nigger. She constantly abused him and when he finally decided to stand up for him self he got knocked back down again. Keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny. This shows that if Crooks did anything out of the ordinary it will be reported and he will be dealt with in harsh ways. It made him realise that he couldnt take part in the dream, all hope had been lost thanks too the threat Curleys wife made. Every character mentioned above presented their dreams in the form of a story to another character. Each of the dreams were different yet similar in many ways. All of the dreams resorted to freedom from somewhere or someone, and not to suffer from financial problems. They all wanted to be able to support themselves and survive from what they owned. The only difference being that some were unrealistic and they had different views of the dreams they wished too accomplish. In the past Curleys wife was close to being an actress twice. Only thing that stopped her was her mother, who didnt let this dream continue knowing what the consequences would be later on in life. George, Lennie and Candy were less than a month away from completing their task of obtaining the land. In the end Lennie accidentally ruined everything and didnt even know what he had caused. Crooks wasnt as close, he only had hopes of becoming apart of the dream, but nothing had been established officially. I think the situation on the whole affected George the most as it was originally his aim to work towards it and without it he felt like there was nothing left for him. He lost faith in his dream and his fellow companion. I believe Steinbeck looked at how the Great Depression affected the different people in America and sympathized on their behalf. All the characters represent all types of people in America; the elderly, disabled, women and the ethnic minorities. They all played important parts as they helped to show how major the issue was.

Competitive Corporate Strategy Strategy In Context Commerce Essay

Competitive Corporate Strategy Strategy In Context Commerce Essay The very definition of strategy is elusive as there are many different opinions on what strategy actually involves. Often a generalised description is given such as top managements plans to attain outcomes consistent with the organisations missions and goals (Wright et al., 1993, p3). However, De Wit and Meyer (2010) state There is no simple answer to the question of what strategy is. They continue to describe strategy in terms of three main dimensions: process, content and context. These are referred to as the input, throughput and output of strategy, or the How, the What and the Where. Each of these dimensions should be regarded as parts of the whole and while one can focus ones attention on any single dimensions it should never the less be in regard to the interaction with the other two (De Wit Meyer, 2010). Accordingly it is with this proviso that this report looks at the strategy process. The complexity and contradictions of strategy with regard to the above mentioned dimensions offer many different strategy perspectives, often contradicting one another. This gives rise to particular tensions and result in strategic paradoxes that are best analysed using a dialectical approach (De Wit Meyer, 2010). By analysing two opposing points of view the strategist can identify the tension as a paradox and reconcile the opposites as best as possible, hopefully arriving at a best of both worlds conclusion. Figure . Tension as a paradox (Aidan ODriscoll, 1986) 3.0 The Strategy Process 3.0.1 Aspects of the Strategy Process De Wit and Meyer (2010) identify strategy process in terms of how, who and when. How is the strategy to be made, who is involved and when do such strategic activities take place? Many argue that the strategic process is not linear, such as in analysis, formulation and implementation, it is more intuitive and creative. It is considered that there are three areas of the strategic process: strategic thinking, strategy formation and strategic change but that these are not phases, stages or elements of the strategic process but rather different aspects of the strategy process, which are linked and overlap ( De Wit Meyer, 2010) Figure . Aspects of the Strategy Process ( De Wit Meyer, 2010) Foe each of the strategy topics certain paradoxes can be identified and associated with two complementary perspectives. Figure . Strategy topics, paradoxes and perspectives ( De Wit Meyer, 2010) For each of the strategy topics case studies (or short case studies) have been used to illustrate the strategic dichotomies that exist and show how the individual companies implemented the opposing types of strategic perspectives. 3.0.2 Strategic Thinking De Wit and Meyer (2010, p 53) suggest that managers must go through a strategic reasoning process in order to find ways to resolve the challenges of strategic problems. This strategic reasoning is a string of strategic thinking activities directed at defining and resolving strategic problems. The cognitive activities involved in strategic thinking are categorised as defining a strategic problem and solving a strategic problem. As can be seen in Figure 4 below defining constitutes identification and diagnosis while solving consists of conception and realisation. However, the thought processes adopted by managers do not always follow such a formulated and logical ideal. It is often a case of a mixture of structured analytical process combined with intuitive reflection. Figure . Elements of a strategic reasoning process ( De Wit Meyer, 2010) It is this mixture of opposites, analysis and intuition, in varying degrees that create a tension and produces a paradox of logic and creativity. Logical thinking involves analysing empirical facts, formulating strategic options and subjecting them to formal evaluation (De Wit Meyer, 2010). This allows the manager to understand what is actually happening rather than what is perceived to be happening, based on habits, routines, and personal beliefs. Generative reasoning and creative thinking describe the use of intuition to bypass the restrictions of logical thinking to make leaps of imagination and create new ways of looking at old problems (De Wit Meyer, 2010). This is not without substance; such reasoning is based on knowledge gained through education, experience and interaction with others. This knowledge resides in the form of cognitive maps (Tolman, E., cited by Downs and Stea, 2005) which combined with observed behaviour can then lead to the prediction of behaviour (Eden, 1992). The paradox of generative reasoning and creative thinking is further discussed in Appendix 1 where two short case studies are used to compare the different approaches applied by Berkshire Hathaway (rational reasoning perspective) and Google (generative reasoning perspective). 3.0.3 Strategy Formation Strategy formation is concerned with realising both strategic formulation and strategic action. It encompasses intended strategy (a pattern of decisions) and realised strategy (a pattern of actions) (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). This concedes that strategy is a pattern as in a consistency of behaviour over time (Mintzberg et al, 2009, p 10). While still using the four elements of a strategic reasoning process discussed earlier (See Fig 4) there are additional activities that can be further developed into eight basic building blocks of strategic formation process (Fig. 5). Figure . The main strategy formation activities (De Wit and Myer, 2010) Who carries out strategic formation in an organisation varies from CEOs to those on the shop floor. De Wit and Meyer (2010) identify three variations in who carries out these activities: Top vs. middle vs. bottom roles Line vs. staff roles Internal vs. external roles De Wit and Meyer (2010) also give a warning regarding a formalised strategic planning system. While this can give a framework for the setting of tasks and responsibilities etc it can also become over bureaucratic and not only stifle innovation and creativity but become a means of demotivation. Mintzberg et al. (2009) identifies a formalisation edge where a structured, formalised system has a break-point, after which instead of supporting strategic activities it begins to become intrusive. Figure . The formalisation edge (Mintzberg et al, 2009) Mintzberg (1987) argues that definitions of strategy as a plan and strategy as a pattern (of behaviour) can be independent of each other. He describes a planned strategy as intended strategy and a pattern of strategy as realised strategy. This allows us to distinguish between deliberate strategy, where previous intentions were realised and emergent strategies, where patterns developed without prior intention (or unrealised intentions). Figure . Deliberate and emergent strategies (Mintzberg, 1987) The tension between deliberate strategy and emergent strategy are discussed in Appendix 2 in relation to the case studies of Strategic Planning at United Parcel Services. 3.0.3 Strategic Renewal Organisations change, whether to maintain competition with its rivals, change through innovation in technology or the changing environment of the business. Growth itself is dependent upon change and management of such changes is paramount. Clarke (1994) states Change is an accelerating constant (cited by Senior et al, 2006). De Wit and Mayer (2010) suggest that change can be strategic or operational stating that While operational changes are necessary to maintain the business and organisational systems, strategic changes are directed at renewing them. Organisational structure, organisational processes and organisational culture are the pillars on which the business system stands (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). The hierarchy of a company, its policies and procedures and its shared beliefs determine the companys capabilities, what type of renewal it is capable of and how such renewal can be managed and implemented. Much of these organisational components are hidden within the company as informal elements and requires careful consideration to identify accurately the true situation within a company (see Fig. 8). Figure . The Iceberg Model (Senior and Swailes, 2010) There is a distinction in particular between disruptive change and gradual change. Revolutionary and evolutionary are used here to describe the paradox between these two types of changes (Greiner, 1972). De Wit and Meyer (2010) state that it is widely accepted that a balance is required between Strategic (revolutionary) change and operational (evolutionary) change. Figure . Types of change (Prime Ministers Strategy Unit, 2010) Appendix 3 discusses the application of change in the case study on Ferrari Transforming the Prancing Horse. 4.0 Conclusion The tensions that are apparent throughout the strategy process and their resultant paradoxes suggest strategic activities are either of one side of the paradox or the other. In some case this may be accurate; the acquisition of a company by another may well, though not always, constitute a revolutionary, big bang, change where fundamental changes are made across each company in a relatively short space of time. However, in order to facilitate the actual implementation of the change and to provide some consistency during and after such a change will require the adaption of existing systems, processes and procedures within each company. This suggests that even in such a situation there is a combination of strategic approaches both revolutionary and evolutionary, indicating that a pluralistic approach is required to develop, implement, manage and sustain change. It can also be seen that even with such paradoxes as logic vs. creativity there is a balance between the two in how they are applied. In the short case study for Google, for example, it is clear that this is a highly creative organisation with a deliberate strategy of promoting free thinking, but within boundaries. These boundaries allow for intuition and creativity but only within a cooperate structure that is very much aligned to the business model and its goal to sustain and increase the companys profitability. It would also seem that few strategies are purely deliberate or purely emergent; there is generally a mixture of the two to some degree. Strategies have to form as well as be formulated (Mintzberg et al., 2009). So, in essence, it is the decision of the strategist to reconcile these opposites, decide what sort of balance is to be made and provide the best of both worlds solutions. References De Wit Meyer. (2010). Strategy: Process, Content, Context (Vol. 4th). Andover, Hampshire, UK: Cengage. Aidan ODriscoll. (1986). Exploring paradox in marketing: managing ambiguity towards synthesis. Retrieved March 20th, 2011, from Journal of Business Industrial Marketing: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1657811show=html Buttel, M. (2010, March 3rd). 10 years on:When the bubble burst. Retrieved March 20th, 2011, from Financial Service Technology: http://www.fsteurope.com/news/when-the-bubble-burst/ Downs, R. and Stea. D. (2005). Image Environment: Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behaviour. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Eden, C. (1992, May). Journal of Management Studies. Retrieved March 20th, 2011, from Wiley online Library: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1992.tb00664.x/ Greiner, L. (1972). Evolution and Revolution as Organisations Grow. Harvard Business Review. Mintzberg, H. (1987). The Strategy Concept I: Five Ps For Strategy. California Business Review , 13. Mintzberg. H, and Alhstrand. B, and Lampel. J. (2009). Strategy Safari. Harlow: Pearson Education. Prime Ministers Strategy Unit. (2010). Change Management in Practice. Retrieved March 20th, 2010, from Strategy Survival Guide: http://interactive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/survivalguide/skills/pd_change.htm Wilson, I. (2010). From scenario thinking to stratgic action. In D. w. Meyer, Corporate strategy: process, content, context (p. 153 to 157). Andover: Thomas Renvoize. Wright, P., Pringle, C., and Kroll, M. (1992). Strategic Management: Text and Cases. Needham Heights, Massachusetts, USA: Allyn and Bacon. Appendix 1 The paradox of generative reasoning and creative thinking 1) The Rational Reasoning Perspective Two short cases studies have been used from the course book De Wit Meyer (2010). Strategy: Process, Content, Context (Vol. 4th). The first is Exhibit 2.2 (p66), The Rational Reasoning Perspective Berkshire Hathaway:Not Outside the Box (2009). The study introduces Warren Buffett (The sage of Omaha), a highly sucessful investor and owner of the insurance and investment conglomarate Berkshire Hathaway. Although at his peak as an investor in the 1980s and 1990s it was regarded that he had failed to grasp the investment potential of the new paradigm for the Information Age based on the Internet . Instead he continued to invest in established old firms, such as Coca Cola and Gillette and completely avoided the opportunity to invest in Internet stocks, which he regarded as chain letters. As the dotcom boom subsided it was clear that the volume of those trying to exploit the opportunity had far outweighed the actual performance of the companies involved. It is not accurate to say the dotcom boom was a failure, those that had good business models succeeded spectacularly (such as Google, Amazon, Wikipedia sites eBay) but it is clear that the over investment was not justified and that many companies were just not generating enough profits to continue. There were added complications such as the US Federal Reserve had increased its interest rate six times over 1999 and the beginning of 2000, the federal court decision that Microsoft was a monopoly as well as the bellwether (or barometer stock the stock of a company that is regarded as a leader in its given industry) sale of high tech stock shares of March 10th 2000. These include selling of shares of Cisco, IBM, and Dell etc. and while coincidental to the actual dotcom boom itself would have undermined further the confidence in an already falling market (Buttel, 2010) Buffetts insistence on sticking to a formula he understood and was well proven enabled him to escape the ravages of the dotcom bubble burst and instead of being derided as being outdated was again lauded as a canny investor. This was not the first time Buffet had gone against the trend, in 1969 he avoided the stock market frenzy which other investors had thrown themselves into, declaring I am out of step with present conditionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦On one point however I am clear. I will not abandon previous approaches whose logic I understand. Again, in 2008, Buffett went completely against the trend and, in the worst recession since the Great Depression (1929 to 1940) and despite already loosing up to 25 billion USD of market value within one year invested 5 billion USD in Goldman Sachs, quoting Today my money and my mouth both say equities. Buffett states his reason for his success as including: Analyse the company to separate investment from speculation Meticulously diagnose the sustainability of the competitive advantage of the company Stay away from ill-understood businesses in fast-changing environments Understanding that risk comes from not knowing what you are doing He is also wary of those witch doctors proposing to be scientific and rational while selling investment advice. Buffetts criterion for investment is a highly structured analytical method which appears almost devoid of any type of intuitive or innovative behaviour. It is based upon consistent, well tried decision making that refuses to stray away from what has been a successful formula. He is, without doubt, following a strategic reasoning process in a highly formulated and logical manner. It is obviously a successful formula for Berkshire Hathaway but there must be some doubt about whether such a rigid style is suitable for other companies without the existence of such a charismatic character as warren Buffett at its helm. And this raises its own questions: is the strategic thinking deployed by Buffett as rigid as it would first appear? Is there actually an element of intuitiveness inherent behind the strategy? Would someone else, using the same formula for investment, come up with the same results, or is the presence of Buffett in the mix the catalyst that makes for a successful formula? 2) The Generative Reasoning Perspective This uses the short case study Exhibit 2.3 (p69), The Generative Reasoning Perspective Google: Experiment in Anarchy. Google, as mention previously, is one of the companies that managed to sucessfully navigate out of the dotcom era. Since 1998 it has continued to grow to over 22,000 employees and over 22 billion USD (figures for 2008). Googles missionto organise the worlds information and make it universally acceptable and usefull. No idle boast, Google has introduced a phenominal range of products which has allowed it to achieve its stated mission, so much so that in 2006 the Oxfor English Dictionary include the verb: Google : intr. To use the Google search engine to find information on the Internet. trans. To search for information about (a person or thing) using the Google search engine. (OED, 2010). Googles innovative company structure includes Google labs, small teams working on ideas and experimenting with possible solutions. Sharing all its development across its teams and allowing other teams to make suggestions and give feedback feed the innovative and intuition that is the hallmark of Googles success.There 70/20/10 model allows for 70% of a persons time to be spent on mainstream business activities, 20% on new, approved projects and, perhaps the most innovative of all, the remaining 10% on developing personal projects as dreams as long as it is in line with the spirit of the core company value to do no evil. The strategy of creativity with generative reasoning is clear and has had a fundamental effect on the success of Google and its impressive employment record. The bottom-up approach certainly allows for innovation and resulting ideas to be turned into working applications within relatively short timeframes. Googles CEO, Eric Schmidt states we dont have a traditional strategy planning process, like youd find in traditional technical companies and while this may be true this does not mean that there is no planning or indeed a lack of a structured strategic process. Perhaps the final paragraph of this case study is most telling. Jim Lewinski, Googles managing director, states Creativity loves constraintà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.let people explore, but set clear boundaries for that exploration. Rationality is not absent in Googles strategy, it is just tempered with the culture of innovation. Unlike Buffetts rigid and controlling influence of Berkshire Hathaway, Google has a far more flexible strategic approach that, given the continuation of its established company culture, will continue to thrive no matter who is at the helm. Appendix 2 The paradox of generative reasoning and creative thinking Strategic Planning at United Parcel Services A case study has been used for this analysis from the course book De Wit Meyer (2010). Strategy: Process, Content, Context (Vol. 4th). Strategic Planning at United Parcel Services By David A. Garvin and Lynne C. Levesque (pp 702 to 718). United Parcel Services (UPS) has grown from its beginnings in 1907 to a 37 billion USD global corporation with a workforce of over 384,000, over 3,500 retail locations in the US alone and servicing more than 200 countries. In addition it has its own airline (UPS Airlines) which is ranked the 10 largest in the world (figures as of 2005). The companys founder, Jim Casey, developed a reputation for running the company like a military operation. With an emphasis on efficiency and discipline UPS developed a culture of continuous improvement, which Casey called constructive dissatisfaction. UPSs workforce was known for its longevity; all the companys CEOs were time-served and had risen through the company from the lowest ranks. Until the early 1990s it is started that UPS had no actual formal strategic planning process, although in the mid-1970s a decision had been made to expand the company globally and over the following ten years resulted in the forming of a Strategic Technology Group charged with developing technological solutions. In the early 1990s it was recognised that the companys execution mentality was hindering managements ability to see significant changes in the environment. This led to the setting up of a Strategic Advisory Group in 1996 to consider and debate strategic issues. In addition another group, CSG, was setup to develop strategic processes for planning for the future. From these activities the company began developing its own strategic process using scenario planning, strategic planning and support for strategic decision-making and strategy implementation. Although using multiple tools and methodologies the approach was made to work, this was helped by the continued support of the CEO who was himself regarded as the chief strategist. A major aspect of UPSs strategy from 1997 was to adoption of scenario planning. This is a management tool designed to explore what could happen given certain situations. Creating different scenarios allows managing to have a better understanding of possible events and help in the decision making process. The aim of scenarios is to develop a resilient strategy within the frameworks of alternative futures provided by the scenarios (Wilson, 2010). The use of scenario planning had been popularised after an article by Peter Wack in 1985, describing a scenario building exercise at Royal Dutch Shell (Mintzberg et at., 1990) The use of these scenarios had a fundamental impact on the company. They defined the companys new corporate charter, a change in the companys mission statement, identification of key themes and insights, the creation of a platform for management and discussions and, according to the authors of this case study, a mind-set shift for at least some managers. In 2002 the company developed their Centennial Plan, a long term strategic plan to take the company not just into their 100th year but also into the new millennium. The plan developed four key strategic imperatives: Winning team Value-added solutions Customer focus Enterprise excellence To support this Strategic Road Map was formulated which formed teams to work on specific strategic areas. Each team broke down its imperative to 24 discrete projects (critical initiatives), themselves supported by more than one hundred specific projects. Because of the complexity of the plan John McDevitt was brought in (from being Vice President of Air Operations) to be in charge of strategic integration. In 2002 the company developed their use of scenarios further to extend its focus into the new millennium. While understanding the limitations of scenario planning it allowed for creative thinking within a planning environment. This would seem to be a situation where formal planning, a deliberate strategy, works with the help of an instrumentalist, emergent approach. While scenario planning, in name and nature is very much part of the planning school of thought the creativity of thought applied and the adaption of scenarios to develop further scenarios is very much an incrementalist approach. UPS, while using a planned approach to strategy, are also encourage the use of innovation within their strategic thinking.

The Sweet Thereafter Summary :: essays research papers

The movie and the novel 'The Sweet Thereafter'; had a few minor differences. Two of the differences that I would like to point out are the two that I consider being the two most important. The first topic of discussion in this paper is the picture on the front of the book and the meaning of it. The second topic I would like to bring up is the relationship between Mitchell and Zoe. The changes between the two are important, however, the main plot does not change between the movie and the novel. The first comparison I would like to make is the picture on the front of the book. The picture shows how the story affects Mitchell's life. After reading the book, watching the movie, and listening in class I realized how they reflect each other. The family on the front of the book is Stevens family. This picture was when Zoe, his daughter, was young. The mother and daughter appear to be very close. The reality within the picture is that Mitchell is not quit as close as they appear. Mitchell did not want to be that close to his family simply because he feared being to close and then losing them. The picture reminds me of the trip that the family took to North Carolina. This image comes from the end of their vacation. In the picture he seems like he is trying not to get to close to his family. One reason for this is the scare he went through with his daughter, Zoe. The scare the family went through was when Zoe got bit by a spider. When she started to swell up, her mother drove while Mitchell had to keep Zoe calm. To add to the scare Mitchell was going to have to do an emergency tracheotomy if her throat was to swell shut. They did, however, make it to the hospital on time. After getting back home that evening the mattress that Zoe slept on was burned. From that night and for the rest of the vacation Zoe slept with her parents. All during the scare with Zoe, Mitchell felt like he was two different people, a father and a doctor. The father role that he was playing was to keep his daughter calm. The doctor role of the situation was holding onto the knife ready to cut into his daughters throat at anytime, ready to save her life.

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1. EDUCAÇÃÆ'O INFANTIL A PORTA DE ENTRADA PARA O ENSINO OBRIGATÓRIO Conceituando a Educaà §Ãƒ £o Infantil pode-se dizer que à © uma educaà §Ãƒ £o criada para ajudar as crianà §as antes de ingressarem no ensino obrigatà ³rio. A educaà §Ãƒ £o infantil à © uma forma de preparar as crianà §as com menos de seis anos para o ensino obrigatà ³rio atà © chegar à   idade certa para ingressa nesse ensino obrigatà ³rio que comeà §a a partir dos sete anos de idade. Nos dias de hoje a Educaà §Ãƒ £o Infantil à © a forma de transportar as crianà §as para ensino obrigatà ³rio com um nà ­vel de aprendizagem mais elevada. (LDB, 2010) Na Educaà §Ãƒ £o Infantil, as crianà §as nessa faixa-età ¡ria sà £o estimuladas a ao aprendizado atravà ©s de atividades là ºdicas e atravà ©s de jogos e brincadeiras, onde os professores procuram exercitar as capacidades motoras e cognitivas, fazendo com que as crianà §as descubram o gosto pela educaà §Ãƒ £o iniciando seu processo de educaà §Ãƒ £o ou aprendizagem. (LDB, 2010). Para a LDB, (2010) a educaà §Ãƒ £o infantil à © coordenada em escolas de ensino educacional como: berà §Ãƒ ¡rio, a creches, prà ©-escolas, jardins de infà ¢ncias, e, jardins-escola, sà £o nesses estabelecimentos que as crianà §as recebem a primeira base da aprendizagem educacional para entrar no ensino obrigatà ³rio. Segundo Mello, (2007, p. 34) a educaà §Ãƒ £o infantil à ©: Uma educaà §Ãƒ £o histà ³rica e de à ©poca, de uma sociedade, de uma cultura e tambà ©m de fatores polà ­ticos e econà ´micos. Dessa forma perguntamos: O que à © infà ¢ncia? Quem à © a crianà §a? Por que essas perguntas foram feitas separadamente? Porque possuem conceitos diferentes. Crianà §a sempre vai existir, mas, da um conceito a infà ¢ncia nà £o; infà ¢ncia à © um sentimento que surgiu hà ¡ pouco tempo, mais precisamente no sà ©culo XVII. Para os autores: A crianà §a hoje à © considerada como um ser so... ... paà ­ses perifà ©ricos. Recebe um valor segundo a forma de produà §Ãƒ £o da vida material, que à © tratada como um negà ³cio lucrativo, com qualidade e retorno financeiro; †¢ No Brasil – na dà ©cada de 1970, com o aumento do nà ºmero de fà ¡bricas, iniciaram-se os movimentos de mulheres e os de luta por creche, resultando na necessidade de criar um lugar para os filhos da massa operà ¡ria, surgindo entà £o à  s creches, com um foco totalmente assistencialista, visando apenas o cuidar. Segundo Faria (1999, p.25): Se os anos 70 estavam voltados para as mulheres, nos anos 80, essas mulheres se voltaram para as crianà §as. É explicado que foram as feministas intelectualizadas de classe mà ©dia, e que eram contra a ditadura, que passaram a pesquisar sobre a infà ¢ncia e assessorar os governos progressistas que, atendendo à  s reivindicaà §Ãƒ µes populares, prometeram creches nas suas campanhas eleitorais.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Essay -- Health Medical Biology Biological

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Located on the X chromosome lies a gene whose improper function would take from us what we often sloppily overlook -- our mobility. The freedom to dance with poise, to run with agility, to dress one’s self, to bend over and scoop a dropped pencil off the floor are all motions which are only dreamt of by those with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. An X-linked recessive disorder which can be exhibited in both males and females, DMD is most prominent in males, affecting 3500 boys in the world (McKusick). DMD affects muscle -- skeletal, smooth, and cardiac -- by causing degeneration (McKusick). Diagnosis occurs around five years old, and by age ten, a wheelchair is often necessary for the patient. The skeletal muscle degeneration is followed by the eventual deterioration of digestion and of the urinary tract. The onset of this is about age fifteen, and cardiac muscle failure occurs around age twenty-one, making the lives of patients with DMD end around age seventeen (McKusick). The gene whose mutation causes Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is one that codes for the protein dystrophin (Bulman et al. 457). The gene for DMD was discovered first through gene cloning, and only later was the protein that it codes for, dystrophin, discovered (Evans et al. 310). Because of these two discoveries, diagnosis can occur by examining the gene or by looking for the presence of the protein dystrophin (Evans et al. 310). The disease can be detected at any age. In fact, a procedure has been developed which can diagnose DMD in utero using a muscle biopsy of the fetus (Evans et al. 310). Located on the X chromosome, the locus designation of the dystrophin gene is Xp21.2 (McKusick). This dystrophin gene has over 70 exons, an... ...ular Dystropy in a Female Fetus ‘Suddenly at Risk’.† American Journal of Medical Genetics 46 (1993): 309-312. McKusick, V.A.; Hamosh, A.; Brennan, P.; Smith, M.; Antonarakis, S.E.; Hurko, O. 310200 Muscular Dystrophy, Pseudohypertrophic Progressive, Duchenne and Becker Types. 24 February 1999. Online. Internet. 29 March 1999. Available http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dismim?/310200 Mendell, J.R.; Kissel, J.T.; Amato, A.A.; King, W.; Signore, L.; Prior, T.W.; Sahenk, Z.; Benson, S.; McAndrew, P.E.; Rice, R.; Nagaraja, H.; Stephens, R.; Lantry, L.; Morris, G.E.; Burghes, A.H.M. â€Å"Myoblast Transfer in the Treatment of Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.† The New England Journal of Medicine 13 (1995): 832-838. NCBI Genes and Disease Map: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Online. Internet. 29 March 1999. Available http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disease/DMD.html

City X’s investigative plan Essay

As the Police Chief, I have noted with concern the rising number of daylight robberies within the precincts of the city. Over the past couple of days I have gathered and analyzed various reports from both the police and investigation department on the same. Armed with intelligence, my team and I have come up with robust and feasible strategies not only to curb this type of crime but to nail those who are accountable for it. It is absolutely true that those who engage in these robberies are living among us; our relatives, friends and neighbors. I would like the public to volunteer any helpful information to help us carry out duties more effectively. Besides that, the following are some of the actions that we are going to make use of to tackle the problem. First, we are going to amplify the use of intelligence in assembling and acting on useful information about imminent robberies. That is, we are to engage in a policing type which is guided by analyzed information and data. From the studies we have made, the most useful information comes from the undercover police, the public, through top secret informants as well as from those suspects we have in custody. With such information, we will scientifically analyze it, determine and predict when such incidents are likely to happen. From then, we will act swiftly (Palmiotto, 2004). Secondly, we will map out some entities, felony groups and systems which offenders use to cause mayhem. In this case, our work will be to focus on specific people who are well known, their ilk and the connections they use. This is a critical group that will make our investigation procedures easy. Thirdly, we are going to classify and deal with places which report most incidences. These areas are well known to us and therefore, an increase of our undercover personnel will be the next logical step. Fourthly, from now onwards the police will thoroughly categorize and examine the crime cycles from the records that are in their possession. This will help us to be acquainted with the patterns of robberies common in our city. Fifthly, we will implement a variety of precautionary guiding principles which may include revamping the police administration as well as establish a unit dedicated to robberies. This means that a re-structuring of the administration may be in the offing. In addition to that, we will re-engage the community to, alongside our personnel, keep watch over itself. In essence, we will equip the community with the know-how to effectively collect information on likely robberies and notify the police. Local observatory groups ought to be formed to that effect. Furthermore, with the help of the city council, we will be increasing the number of closed circuit television cameras in our streets and residential areas. Undercover, cameras will be discreetly installed in particular places. Similarly, our tour of duty operations will be more objective and directed towards the areas with widespread robberies. The police therefore will be resourced with more patrol cars, special clothing and guns to handle the most violent locations. On top of that, the police will be watching closely monitoring released convicts and repeat offenders in order to thwart them from. Besides that imprisoned robbers will be a vital source of information to our investigations. This because they are relatively knowledgeable on how the friends outside operate, how they are connected to them and the times they pounce on businesses and homes (Palmiotto, 2004). Computer based software for crime analysis is being installed in our stations and experts have already been hired to start working on the available data. What they will provide us with is premises which will inform our decisions regarding robbery and other types of crime. In this regard we would like to appeal for more funding from the federal government and the city council to enable the police division to procure the state-of-the-art communication equipments and systems. This will facilitate our forces to be more effective in their lines of duty. We are in the process of drafting proposals to other organizations pursuant to the same effect. Thank you.

Communication Styles Worksheet Essay

You spent the past few days exploring the resources available to students at University of Phoenix, and you want to share what you learned with a friend who is interested in enrolling.  Write a 150- to 200-word e-mail to your friend summarizing the resources available to students. Hi,  I wanted to follow up with you on the conversation we had last night about you attending University of Phoenix. There are many resource’s available to help you with reaching your goals. To start there is the CWE (Center for Writing Excellence). It has a wealth of information and guides to help you with grammar and writing. There is also the program Riverpoint Writer which will actually take your information and turn into a well formatted paper. It will even help with quotes and references and turn them into properly formatted citations. The University also has the plagiarism checker which will review your papers and help you to avoid plagiarism. Last but certainly not least there is WritePoint. When you finish writing your papers and before you turn them in you can send them to Write Point. This is just like having your very own proofreader available any time day or night. The program will actually add suggestions to your paper to let you know what needs to be fixed or help you make changes to have them sound better. All of these programs are available to all students starting the day you enroll. Hope this helps in you decision! You asked your facilitator to review your e-mail draft. She liked what you wrote and asked you to write a summary to post in the class forum for the other students to read.  Write a 150- to 200-word summary for your class of the resources available to students. Remember to write using an academic tone. The University of Phoenix has many resources available to students to help be successful in continuing their education. For example the Center for writing excellence (CWE) is found in the University’s online library. This is a tool that helps students become better writers. It has many programs such as Plagarisism Checker which will review your writing for any possible palgarisism and guarantee you turn in original work. There is also WritePoint which will review your writing and give feedback on how to improve your paper. Riverpoint writer is another good tool to help students learn to format in the APA style. Another useful program is the Center for Mathematics Excellence which is also found in the online library. This program has many tutorials, videos, and practice problems to help students become more comfortable with mathematics. There is also the building mathematics confidence which students can use to become reacquainted with math before starting their first mathematics class.