Structural Collapses

Auxiliary breakdown are debacles that require proficient and prompt reactions by engineers and other crisis administrations. This report examines these reactions so as to uncover obstructions and issues that might cause a basic disappointment. It is basic that every job is played at the furthest extent of productivity in such a calamity to limit losses and amplify wellbeing. For this to happen, ICT engineers become basic to the moment reaction of such a debacle as through tackling innovation, they can screen significant information and successfully build up a solid open system. Besides, correspondence before any basic breakdown is essential, as it serves to improve precision through shared evaluation and synergistic information. (Matsushiba and Nishi 2010; Chintalapudi et al 2006; Ferworn and Ribeiro 2010; Lawson 2005) Auxiliary wellbeing checking (SHM) is exceptionally compelling in forestalling basic breakdown. SHM is an ease sensor arrange innovation that gathers incredibly critical checking information of a structure and is utilized to recognize any likely blames in the pre breakdown, just as the particular explanation of disappointment in the post breakdown (Matsushiba and Nishi 2010; Chintapaludi et al 2006). Such information is viewed as profoundly significant because of a basic breakdown and its worth is affirmed by Matsushiba and Nishi ‘The framework screens auxiliary vibration brought about by seismic tremors, recognizes basic harm and predicts execution and lifecycle of the structure' (2010, p.76). The checking information gathered in this way results in the area of any auxiliary harm, however just as the general execution and state of the structure. With this, the SHM framework can decide a structures surmised life expectancy and along these lines diminishing its general operational expenses (Chintalapudi et al 2006). Moreover, since the sensors are with ease they are financially feasible taking into consideration mass arrangement particularly for huge structures. This inconclusively improves wellbeing just as its property of observing remotely. In this way with the utilization of such a propelled bit of sensor innovation, the SHM framework is profoundly viable in the avoidance and in this manner reaction to basic falls through steady checking. Moment correspondence is basic during a basic breakdown. Correspondence is the premise of cooperation and coordinated effort. Such a thought turns out to be incredibly huge during a basic breakdown as it is required for architects and crisis administrations to convey, yet effectively assume another job totally. This degree of correspondence is essential as through such contrasts in understanding and abilities, the coordinated effort is resultant in a considerably more exact investigation and thusly, an exceptionally effective way to deal with the basic breakdown is found. In this manner the reconciliation of innovation gets crucial as it quickens correspondence with the end goal that it gets consistent and prompt, which is explicitly essential for such a quick reaction to a catastrophe. As expressed, ‘in crisis the executives it is basic that the interchanges be dependable and responsive' (Ferworn and Ribeiro 2010). During a basic breakdown, moment correspondence is unmistakably basic as any deferral of noteworthy data could prompt further disappointment or debacle (Ferworn and Ribeiro 2010). Such huge data could be from as talked about over, a SHM framework which through its information can adequately decide the area of harm (Matsushiba and Nishi 2010; Chintapaludi et al 2006). This fundamental sort of information being momentarily shared between the various groups during an auxiliary breakdown is of immense worth. Besides, through the use of innovation, moment correspondence turns out to be increasingly powerful and dependable, particularly because of its remote property. Subsequently, the foundation of such a system is enthusiastically suggested. Correspondence previously is fundamental for future anticipations. In the avoidance of basic dangers and harms, engineers and other huge jobs need to convey viably in advance so as to augment the general knowledge into a structure as correspondingly talked about above (Ferworn and Ribeiro 2010). Such pre correspondence includes shared surveys and joint efforts. With shared audits, structures in advance are surveyed by various individuals and in this way perspectives, successfully uncovering significantly more potential blames instead of being investigated by comparable individuals in a similar field of understanding (Lawson 2005). Pre correspondence through coordinated effort is additionally a fundamental factor in the counteraction of basic falls as it takes into consideration the full sharing of information and thusly makes a feeling of transparency just as cooperation (Lawson 2005). Such a positive environment is an impetus for solid and basic reasoning, unavoidably prompting solid structures as needs be. These distributed interchanges have been talked about and portrayed as ‘powerful devices to improve wellbeing just as to improve execution' (Lawson 2005, p.319). Because of the level of adequacy that they have upon engineers just as different administrations, and along these lines the avoidance of basic breakdown, associations have been shaped to help these ideas. Such striking models is the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). These associations have executed systems like the shared audits and joint efforts, which have brought about the improvement of collaboration and the prioritization of security (Lawson 2005). End It is obvious through these discoveries that ICT engineers talented with present day innovation become important previously, during and in the reaction to an auxiliary breakdown. This is because of their numerous capacities, for example, observing a structure through remote sensor innovation like the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) framework which gives extensive measures of significant information (Matsushiba and Nishi 2010; Chintapaludi et al 2006), or the foundation of a system which basically is a wellspring of momentary correspondence, and hence collaboration (Ferworn and Ribeiro 2010). This cooperation through correspondence ought to likewise be set up before any breakdown, as it is a need to adequately impart basic data to different specialists and administrations the same (Lawson 2005). The issues inside a basic breakdown however, can be acknowledged to be determined in understanding for the need of aggregate information and gathering participation. This is clear through the prioritization of wellbeing and expanding productivity. In result, situational change is likewise be a factor as far as needs for a basic breakdown reaction. In this manner for engineers, it is a shared belief for the coordinated effort of ability and information so as to genuinely get fruitful in the reaction to a basic breakdown.

Free Essays on Kozma And Clark Via Driscoll

Does Driscoll’s portrayal of these learning situations loan backing to Kozma’s perspective or does it bolster the perspectives on Clark. Clarify why you feel along these lines. Prior to settling down to create my musings on this inquiry, I evaluated a lot of data including what I had recently composed on Clark and Kozma. I additionally visited the CSILE site and â€Å"The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury†. I additionally saw Marcy Driscoll as intriguing yet fairly befuddling in her hypothesis. It unquestionably appeared that she inspected the better purposes of the Clark/Kozma banter and accepted the best of both to build up her hypothesis. Along these lines, I discovered more correlation than differentiate. I began believing that she was going to absolutely line up with Kozma, however at that point, found that her press for â€Å"information processing† was likewise in favor of Clark who might have seen the PC with â€Å"media† or a vehicle by which to convey guidance. Kozma, nonetheless, had limited Clark’s conviction that instructional media are minor vehicles that convey guidance. Kozma indicated that media are a necessary piece of the instructional structure process. I trust Driscoll, in this sense, agrees with Kozma. He concentrated on successful innovations that could be utilized to arrive at understudies, to help them â€Å"learn† and increase new information. Driscoll would concur since she expressed â€Å"the birth of PCs after WW II gave a solid perspective about learning and a predictable structure for deciphering early work on memory, discernment and learning. Improvements became inputs; conduct become yields. Furthermore, what occurred in the middle of was thought about as data processing†. (Driscoll, 2000, p 75-76). Kozma and Driscoll both felt that innovation could be a significant and helpful instrument actualized in a legitimate, strong learning condition. I thought the main perspectives Driscoll had with Clark, as I would like to think, were that, since innovation isn't the most e... Free Essays on Kozma And Clark Via Driscoll Free Essays on Kozma And Clark Via Driscoll Does Driscoll’s portrayal of these learning conditions loan backing to Kozma’s perspective or does it bolster the perspectives on Clark. Clarify why you feel along these lines. Prior to settling down to form my contemplations on this inquiry, I looked into a lot of data including what I had recently composed on Clark and Kozma. I additionally visited the CSILE site and â€Å"The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury†. I additionally saw Marcy Driscoll as intriguing however fairly befuddling in her hypothesis. It positively appeared that she checked on the better purposes of the Clark/Kozma banter and accepted the best of both to build up her hypothesis. Subsequently, I discovered more correlation than differentiate. I began feeling that she was going to absolutely line up with Kozma, however at that point, found that her press for â€Å"information processing† was likewise in favor of Clark who might have seen the PC with â€Å"media† or a vehicle by which to convey guidance. Kozma, nonetheless, had limited Clark’s conviction that instructional media are simple vehicles that convey guidance. Kozma indicated that media are a fundamental piece of the instructional plan process. I trust Driscoll, in this sense, agrees with Kozma. He concentrated on powerful advancements that could be utilized to arrive at understudies, to help them â€Å"learn† and increase new information. Driscoll would concur since she expressed â€Å"the birth of PCs after WW II gave a solid perspective about learning and a predictable structure for deciphering early work on memory, recognition and learning. Improvements became inputs; conduct become yields. What's more, what occurred in the middle of was considered as data processing†. (Driscoll, 2000, p 75-76). Kozma and Driscoll both felt that innovation could be a significant and helpful apparatus executed in a legitimate, steady learning condition. I thought the main perspectives Driscoll had with Clark, as I would see it, were that, since innovation isn't the most e...

Avengers Assemble (Loki and Black Widdow Free Essays

Jennifer Reed The Avengers Assemble Essay The Avengers Assemble Film (2012), coordinated by Joss Whedon, is a superhuman film which is delivered by Marvel Studios. The film follows 7 famous Marvel characters, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Dr Bruce Banner otherwise known as Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson). All the characters consolidate on their crucial spare the Earth from the miscreant, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). We will compose a custom exposition test on Vindicators Assemble (Loki and Black Widdow or then again any comparative theme just for you Request Now The film is determined to a spaceship. The spending plan for the film was $220,000,000 and figured out how to get 1. 5 billion box workplaces. In the article I will break down the scene where Black Widow Interrogates Loki in the Prison. I will be taking a gander at two of the smaller scale highlights, Mise en Scene and Cinematography. Mise en Scene, incorporates three perspectives, setting, execution and development, and ensembles and props. The second smaller scale highlight, cinematography incorporates, camerawork, hues, and lighting. The beginning of the scene is determined to a Spaceship in cutting edge time. The camera is on a panning shot on Loki’s face, the lighting all over is shadowed to show the riddle and vulnerability of his character. He detects that dark widow is behind him and his outward appearance shows joy in the way that he needed her to be there. At the point when dark widow is appeared on screen, the shot utilized is a since quite a while ago shot, this proposes she is presented to Loki and there is no where for her to cover up. Be that as it may, calm lighting is utilized on her, which implies there could be a concealed goal she has. The ensemble widow is wearing is dark and fitting and tight on her body outline, which suggests that she is a character of trust, authority, and request. Turn around shot is utilized for most by far of their discussion, and afterward the camera dish as Widow strolls towards Loki in the jail this could imply that she has no dread of the scalawag. Since a long time ago shot is utilized on Loki to show that he is presently being uncovered and addressed by Widow, the lighting is counterfeit in the jail and all of Loki can be seen, yet his outward appearances despite everything shows that he despite everything has the force between the them two. In spite of the fact that when the two characters walk in reverse and plunk down while having their discussion, the force is equivalent between as a result of their body act is at an equivalent level. The lighting on Widow’s face is shadowed while discussing her past, though Loki’s face and body is high lit. This shows he despite everything may have the high ground. At the point when he talks the camera is on him and it is additionally a since quite a while ago shot which underscores the jail he is kept in. Contrasted with the jail, Loki appears to be extremely little and lost while in it. This advances he is really not as amazing as he describes, it shows that he is the one truly uncovered and the lighting all around and on him recommends that all his real nature are being uncovered. All through this segment of the scene, their manners of speaking are quiet and proportional, so it’s still questionable who has the force. When Loki questions â€Å"What would you say you are presently? † Widow stands up and overlays her arms, so her stance is currently shut which at that point legitimately recommends she presently has the force, and isn't happy to uncover any longer about herself. Medium close up shot is utilized on Loki when he uncovers something he thinks about her. At that point it changes to Widow on a nearby shot all over to underscore her stressed and stunned eye to eye connection while Loki is talking about her privileged insights. The more he uncovers the more extensive her eyes become to make an effect of dread. Loki at that point rises up to show that the force has now changed to him. A low point shot is utilized all over to show authority and that he is in control. His tone in his voice gets sure, ground-breaking and uproarious as he strolls Paige Cuthbertson over to Widow. The lighting of his face is shadowed which shows that he has more to uncover. The camera at that point goes to Widow while in his seething discourse and in the impression of the glass jail is Loki’s face, along these lines the crowd can see the two characters outward appearances and this effects a ton of intensity, on the grounds that despite the fact that the camera isn't on Loki, it’s simple to make out on the shadow of his appearance the enthusiasm and animosity he has. The slice is then immediately changed to the next colleagues of the amasses as they are working, with the monolog of Loki over it, his volume and tone of his voice gets calmer and milder, however still harsh and amazing. The camera is panned on Iron man, and the Hulk as they are working then on different individuals from the general group, as Loki is discussing them being liars and executioners, this piece of the scene may make an oppositional perusing to the watchers. This makes them question whether what Loki is stating is in reality right. The low camera edge on Nick Fury hints that he is responsible for the â€Å"lying and slaughtering. † Captain America is demonstrated seeing his outfit, his face and ensemble are both in center which recommends the significance of them two. His outward appearance shows that he is addressing what he is doing, which makes the watchers feel that perhaps the superheroes aren’t making the best decision. The slice changes to Loki uproariously hitting against the window, lastly demonstrating his actual expectations and plans, while clarifying what he will do to Hawkeye. The camera container to a low edge shot on Loki’s face this effects the way that he is high in force and control. It additionally supports he has power, when the nearby on Widow’s face shows wide eyes and sparkling in her eyes. To close, in the scene I have been breaking down it has all been about force and authority. All through the scene, the exchanging of forces between the characters is incredibly improved. I accept the crowd would respond to the film in a positive manner and just from the scene I have been examining would need to discover more. Just from a 3 brief scene there is a great deal of extraordinary and amazing minutes. Step by step instructions to refer to Avengers Assemble (Loki and Black Widdow, Essay models

Differences Between Vietnam and British Food Essay

At the point when we talk about the contrasts among Vietnamese and English culture, we can consider numerous things, in particular writing, style of music, expressions, †¦ One of these feature culture is culinary. What's more, I will reveal to you a few contrasts of the two cooking styles. At first, both English and Vietnamese have 3 suppers for every day, except British food has customarily been founded on meat, sheep, pork, chicken and fish and for the most part presented with potatoes and one other vegetable while individuals in Vietnam have rice, pork and vegetable as the fundamental fixings. Also, the most widely recognized nourishments eaten in Britain incorporate the sandwich, fish sticks and french fries, play and meals suppers, inverse to pho, banh mi, xoi in Vietnam. For instance, a run of the mill English breakfast is bound to be a bowl of grains, a cut of toast, squeezed orange and some espresso however in Vietnam, individuals ordinarily eat pho, banh mi, xoi or moment noodles. Another distinctions is eating way. English individuals eat with a blade, fork or spoon (with the fork in the left hand and the blade in the correct one) while Vietnamese ordinarily use chopstick and spoon. In the supper, the British for the most part use napkins and drink during dinner in the interim Vietnamese don't utilize napkins however wash their hands and their countenances when each feast. They don’t drink during eating, they drink a short time later. What's more , in Viet Nam, rice is the primary starch and meat is cut into little pieces before cooking since they never use blade during feast yet in Britain potato or bread is the principle starch and meat is cooked in huge pieces, they cut it during eating Finally, before having supper, individuals in England typically petition God for the God on account of giving them food, in any case, in Vietnam, everyone (particularly youngsters) need to welcome different individuals having dinner. There are such a large number of contrasts in British and Vietnamese cooking. The distinctions demonstrated above can show that the British culture is fundamentally not quite the same as the Vietnamese one. Be that as it may, in the pattern of incorporation Viet Nam and Britain have more cultural assimilation, particularly cooking. For instance, there are such a large number of spots in Viet Nam selling British food, for example, sandwich, fish sticks and french fries and the other way around.

Anyliss of Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. What caused Poe Research Paper

Anyliss of Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. What made Poe compose such dull sonnets - Research Paper Example Pundits both in history and writing have developed various speculations about his inspirations to compose as he did with some presuming Poe’s temperamental love life while others have noted substance maltreatment as the reason for his shock stories. To comprehend Poe’s scholarly works, it is imperative to be available to the two hypotheses however is clear the passing of his friends and family notwithstanding being manhandled by his temporary dad are a portion of the variables that altogether affected his works. Poe’s terrible life started when not long before his third birthday celebration, his mom kicked the bucket of tuberculosis living him his sibling and sister vagrants as their dad had before on surrendered them (Moreno and Rigal-Aragã ³n 128). Now throughout everyday life, Poe was extremely youthful to appreciate the ramifications of his mother’s demise in his life however in later years particularly during adulthood, his appearance drove him to lament for how much better his home life would have been with the two his natural guardians present. The demise of his mom appears to have psychologically affected him given that as ahead of schedule as age six he feared the dead or kicking the bucket making him have alarm assaults at whatever point he passed a burial ground dreading phantoms would come after him (Meyers 76). The demise of William Henry Leonard Poe likewise because of tuberculosis contamination was the second passing of those Poe adored. Poe grieved the demise o f his sibling lamenting the absence of chance for them to communicate. Despite the fact that Poe had a temperamental relationship with his non-permanent dad, Poe’s mental solidness and work when all is said in done was enormously affected. In this manner, the demise of his mom, sibling and temporary dad assumed a powerful job in the in Poe’s dull writing. Given the agonizing experience Poe had because of the passing of those near him, it is just regular that he would feel demise as a definitive discipline. Demise is the best methods for isolating individuals from one another as it did to those round him. Poe in this manner

Understanding Fear of Abandonment

Understanding Fear of Abandonment Phobias Types Print Understanding Fear of Abandonment By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa Fritscher Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on June 20, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on November 22, 2019 More in Phobias Types Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment A fear of abandonment  is a complex phenomenon in psychology that is thought to stem from childhood loss or trauma.?? This fear has been studied from a variety of perspectives. Theories behind why fear of abandonment occurs include interruptions in the normal development of young childrens social and mental capacities, past relationship and life experiences, and exposure to specific norms and ideas.?? Verywell / Emily Roberts Although it is not an official phobia, the fear of abandonment is arguably one of the most common and most damaging fears of all. People with the fear of abandonment may tend to display compulsive behaviors and thought patterns that affect their relationships, ultimately resulting in the abandonment they dread becoming a reality. This fear can be devastating. Understanding this fear is the first step toward resolving it. Why It Happens Our behaviors and actions in current relationships are all thought to be the result of old fears and learned concepts that take place in childhood. There are many theories that attempt to understand the fear of abandonment. Object Constancy In object relations theory, an offshoot of Freudian analysis, an object in ones mind is either a person, a part of a person, or something that somehow symbolizes one or the other.?? Object constancy is the concept that even when we cannot see someone, that person does not fundamentally change. This is related to the idea of object permanence first studied by the developmental psychologist Jean Piaget.?? Infants learn that mommy or daddy goes to work and then comes home. He or she does not stop loving the child just because they are separated for a few hours. Meanwhile, the child develops an internal object, or a psychological representation of the parent, that satisfies the childs need for contact during the interim. Object constancy generally develops before the age of 3.?? As children grow and mature, the periods of separation lengthen and are often generated by the child as he, say, goes to school or spends the weekend at a friends house. A child with good object constancy understands that important relationships are not damaged by time apart. Object constancy may be interrupted by traumatic events. Death or divorce are common causes, but even situations that seem relatively unimportant to the adults involved may affect developing this critical understanding. For example, children with parents in the military, those whose parents have little time to spend with them, and those with neglectful parents may also be at risk for interrupted object constancy. Archetypes and Mythology Mythology is filled with stories of abandoned or rejected lovers, primarily women who dedicate their entire selves to their partners only to be left behind when the lover goes off to conquer the world. Some psychologists, such as Carl Jung, argue that these myths and legends have become part of our collective unconscious. At some primal level, we have internalized certain archetypes and stories and made them part of our shared worldview. We each have a personal myth as wellâ€"one that is not shared with others but resides deep within the core of our beings. This personal myth is made up of our interpretations of the collective unconscious through the filters of our own experiences. From this perspective, the fear of abandonment is connected to these universal myths but varies in severity according to our own personal memories. Prior Experiences Many fears are triggered by the events of our past. Even if your object constancy is intact and you are not affected by overarching myths or archetypes, you may have been abandoned at some point in your life. One study found that our brains ripple right before recalling an event and can be based on a sound, a smell, or a feeling.?? By the time we are adults, most of us have been through some significant changes: A death of a loved one. A friend moving away. A relationship ending. A transition from high school to college to marriage and parenthood. Although most of us adapt to changing circumstances, it is not uncommon to get stuck somewhere in the process of you grieving what once was. If you have been through a sudden and traumatic abandonment, such as losing someone to violence or tragedy, you may be at increased risk for developing this fear. Signs of a Fear of Abandonment Millions of people struggle with fear. In fact, nearly 10% of people in the U.S. have some sort of phobia.?? When it comes to relationships, its resulting behaviors include: You are quick to attach, even to unavailable partners or relationships.You are reluctant to fully commit and have had very few long-term relationships.You may be quick to move on just to ensure that you dont get too attached.You aim to please. For some women, research has even found an increase in the willingness to have unwanted sex.??Once in a relationship, you stay, no matter how unhealthy the relationship is.You are often hard to please and nitpicky.Emotional intimacy is difficult for you.You feel insecure and unworthy of love.You find it hard to trust people.Being jealous of everyone you meet is not a strange feeling to you.Feelings of separation anxiety are intense.Feelings of general anxiety and  depression are very common to you.You tend to overthink things and work hard to figure out the hidden meaning in everything.You are hypersensitive to criticism.You have repressed anger and control issues.Self-blame is common for you. Effect on Relationships: An Example Scenario The fear of abandonment is highly personalized. Some people are solely afraid of losing a romantic partner. Others fear suddenly finding themselves completely alone. To better explain how individuals with a fear of abandonment may navigate a relationship, here is an example of how a typical relationship may start and evolve. It is especially true for romantic relationships, but there are many similarities in close friendships as well: 1. Getting to Know One Another Phase At this point, you feel relatively safe. You are not yet emotionally invested in the other person, so you continue to live your life while enjoying time with your chosen person. 2. The Honeymoon Phase This is when you make the choice to commit. You are willing to overlook possible red or yellow flags because you just get along so well. You start spending a great deal of time with the other person, you always enjoy yourself, and you start to feel secure. 3. The Real Relationship The honeymoon phase cannot last forever. No matter how well two people get along, real life always intervenes. People get sick, have family problems, start working difficult hours, worry about money, and need time to get things done. Although this is a very normal and positive step in a relationship, it can be terrifying for those with a fear of abandonment who may see it as a sign that the other person is pulling away. If you have this fear, you are probably battling with yourself and trying very hard not to express your worries for fear of appearing clingy. 4. The Slight People are human. They have foibles and moods and things on their minds. Regardless of how much they care for someone else, they cannot and should not be expected to always have that person at the forefront of their minds. Especially once the honeymoon period is over, it is inevitable that a seeming slight will occur. This often takes the form of an unanswered text message, an unreturned phone call,  or a request for a few days of alone time. 5. The Reaction For those with a fear of abandonment, this is a turning point. If you have this fear, you are probably completely convinced that the slight is a sign that your partner no longer loves you. What happens next is almost entirely determined by the fear of abandonment, its severity, and the sufferers preferred coping style. Some people handle this by becoming clingy and demanding, insisting that their partner prove her love by jumping through hoops. Others run away, rejecting their partners before they are rejected. Still, others feel that the slight is their fault and attempt to transform themselves into the perfect partner in a quest to keep the other person from leaving. In reality, the slight is most likely not a slight at all. Simply put, sometimes people just do things that their partners do not understand. In a healthy relationship, the partner may recognize the situation for what it isâ€"a normal reaction that has little or nothing to do with the relationship. Or he may feel upset by it, but address it with either a calm discussion or a brief argument. Either way, a single perceived slight does not become a dominating influence on the partners feelings. 6. The Partners Point of View From your partners point of view, your sudden personality shift seems to come from out of left field. If your partner does not suffer from a fear of abandonment, he probably does not have the slightest idea as to why his previously confident, laid-back partner is suddenly acting clingy and demanding, smothering him with attention, or pulling away altogether. Similar to phobias, it is impossible to simply talk or reason someone out of a fear of abandonment. No matter how many times your partner tries to reassure you, it will simply not be enough. Eventually, your behavior patterns and inconsolable reactions could drive your partner away, leading to the very conclusion that you fear most. Coping Strategies If your fear is mild and well-controlled, you may be able to get a handle on it simply by becoming educated about your tendencies and learning new behavior strategies. For most people, though, the fear of abandonment is rooted in deep-seated issues that are difficult to unravel alone. Professional assistance is often required to work through this fear and build the self-confidence needed to truly change your thoughts and behaviors. Although treating the fear itself is critical, it is also essential to build a feeling of belonging. Rather than focusing all of your energy and devotion on a single partner, focus on building a community. No one person can solve all of our problems or meet all of our needs. But a solid group of several close friends can each play an important role in our lives. Many people with a fear of abandonment state that they never felt like they had a tribe or a pack when they were growing up. For whatever reasons, they always felt other or disconnected from those around them. But the good news is that its never too late. Whatever your current stage of life, it is important to surround yourself with other like-minded individuals. Make a list of your current hobbies, passions, and dreams. Then find others who share your interests. While it is true that not everyone who shares an interest will become a close friend, hobbies and dreams are an excellent stepping stone toward building a solid support network. Working on your passions also helps build self-confidence and the belief that you are strong enough to cope with whatever life throws your way.

New GRE Word of the Day email program

If youre studying for the GRE ® and want to learn some words for which ETS has, shall we say, traditionally shown a strong predilection (i.e., proclivity, penchant, propensity, bent), the Critical Reader is now offering a Word of the Day email program. One email with a top word, a GRE-level example sentence, and a list of must-know synonyms/antonyms, every day, direct to your inbox, plus periodic quizzes, every day for 100 days. Click here to sign up. As Ive written about recently, focusing exclusively on dictionary definitions as a study technique does have its limits, but I also recognize that sometimes theres just no other way to learn words. So Im aiming to balance the straight-up definition component with additional GRE-specific information that isnt covered on standard word lists.  As always, my goal is to teach the content of the test while emphasizing the most likely ways in which that content will be tested. If youre already using the Magoosh vocabulary app, you might be wondering what the benefit of this program is. Well, it has a few things the Magoosh app doesnt. First, it focuses exclusively on high-frequency hard words and second meanings. The Magoosh app does not cover many of these terms of until the very highest level; if you dont finish the entire program, you wont see these words. And ETS really likes to test some of them. Second, for every word provided, this program also includes a list of high-frequency synonyms and antonyms. The goal is to get you to think in terms of groups of words rather than focusing on individual terms. The ability to think about GRE words in terms one another rather than in terms of their much simpler definitions is invaluable, particularly for Sentence Equivalences; if you can spot synonym pairs upfront, you can often jump right to the answer. Third, every term is illustrated with a GRE-level example. You will see these words used in the same types of sentences youll see on the GRE. Some of them are very challenging, and thats the point. Just click to get started.

History of the First Credit Card

Charging for products and services has become a way of life. No longer do people bring cash when they buy a sweater or a large appliance, they charge it. Some people do it for the convenience of not carrying cash; others put it on plastic so they can purchase an item they can not yet afford. The credit card that allows them to do this is a twentieth-century invention. At the beginning of the twentieth century, people had to pay cash for almost all products and services. Although the early part of the century saw an increase in individual store credit accounts, a credit card that could be used at more than one merchant was not invented until 1950. It all started when Frank X. McNamara and two of his friends went out to supper. The Famous Supper In 1949, Frank X McNamara, head of the Hamilton Credit Corporation, went out to eat with Alfred Bloomingdale, McNamaras long-time friend and grandson of the founder of the Bloomingdales store, and Ralph Sneider, McNamaras attorney. The three men were eating at Majors Cabin Grill, a famous New York restaurant located next to the Empire State Building, to discuss a problem customer of the Hamilton Credit Corporation. The problem was that one of McNamaras customers had borrowed some money but was unable to pay it back. This particular customer had gotten into trouble  when he had lent a number of his charge cards (available from individual department stores and gas stations) to his poor neighbors who needed items in an emergency. For this service, the man required his neighbors to pay him back the cost of the original purchase plus some extra money. Unfortunately for the man, many of his neighbors were unable to pay him back within a short period of time, and he was then forced to borrow money from the Hamilton Credit Corporation. At the end of the meal with his two friends, McNamara reached into his pocket for his wallet so that he could pay for the meal (in cash). He was shocked to discover that he had forgotten his wallet. To his embarrassment, he then had to call his wife and have her bring him some money. McNamara vowed never to let this happen again. Merging the two concepts from that dinner, the lending of credit cards and not having cash on hand to pay for the meal, McNamara came up with a new idea - a credit card that could be used at multiple locations. What was particularly novel about this concept was that there would be a middleman between companies and their customers. The Middleman Though the concept of credit has existed longer even than money, charge accounts became popular in the early twentieth century. With the invention and growing popularity of automobiles and airplanes, people now had the option to travel to a variety of stores for their shopping needs. In an effort to capture customer loyalty, various department stores and gas stations began to offer charge accounts for their customers which could be accessed by a card. Unfortunately, people needed to bring dozens of these cards with them if they were to do a day of shopping. McNamara had the idea of needing only one credit card. McNamara discussed the idea with Bloomingdale and Sneider, and the three pooled some money and started a new company in 1950 which they called the Diners Club. The Diners Club was going to be a middleman. Instead of individual companies offering credit to their customers (whom they would bill later), the Diners Club was going to offer credit to individuals for many companies (then bill the customers and pay the companies). Previously, stores would make money with their credit cards by keeping customers loyal to their particular store, thus maintaining a high level of sales. However, the Diners Club needed a different way to make money since they werent selling anything. To make a profit without charging interest (interest-bearing credit cards came much later), the companies who accepted the Diners Club credit card were charged 7 percent for each transaction while the subscribers to the credit card were charged a $3 annual fee (begun in 1951). McNamaras new credit company focused on salesmen. Since salesmen often need to dine (hence the new companys name) at multiple restaurants to entertain their clients, the Diners Club needed both to convince a large number of restaurants to accept the new card and to get salesmen to subscribe. The first Diners Club credit cards were given out in 1950 to 200 people (most were friends and acquaintances of McNamara) and accepted by 14 restaurants in New York. The cards were not made of plastic; instead, the first Diners Club credit cards were made of paper stock with the accepting locations printed on the back. In the beginning, progress was difficult. Merchants didnt want to pay the Diners Clubs fee and didnt want competition for their store cards; while customers didnt want to sign up unless there were a large number of merchants that accepted the card. However, the concept of the card grew, and by the end of 1950, 20,000 people were using the Diners Club credit card. The Future Though the Diners Club continued to grow and by the second year was making a profit ($60,000), McNamara thought the concept was just a fad. In 1952, he sold his shares in the company for more than $200,000 to his two partners. The Diners Club credit card continued to grow more popular and didnt receive competition until 1958. In that year, both American Express and the Bank Americard (later called VISA) arrived. The concept of a universal credit card had taken root and quickly spread across the world.

The Forever War By Joe Haldeman - 2059 Words

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman is a classic work of military science fiction depicting a war between the human race and an unfamiliar alien entity known as the Taurans. The overall plot line follows a fairly typical path, but Haldeman’s real genius is realized through the interactions that take place between the protagonist, William Mandella, and the Earth he returns to between military operations. Developing beneath the ever-present war of the two species lies a much subtler conflict between generations of human thought and culture. Brought about by the way troops are transported in space, time dilation creates an interesting dichotomy between the early soldiers of the war and the rapid evolution of human society and culture remaining on Earth. The Forever War questions the stability of human nature by creating a scenario where its fluidity is exposed through an invariable link to time. The expression of human nature changes as cultural and personal identities adapt to new s ituations; viewing these changes through Mandella, we begin to see how different expressions of human nature can impact human nature itself. William Mandella is an intelligent physics student who was drafted into the military at the age of twenty-three. Beginning his journey in the year 1997, he goes on missions in space to advance the human agenda against the Tauran alien race. As he and his company serve their military term, they utilize the recently discovered mode of interstellar transportationShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between The Forever War And The Vietnam War1598 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vietnam War was in many aspects one of the lowest periods in American history, being not just a military failure, but also contribute to social unrest and extensive political change in the mainland. In many ways, ‘The Forever War’ is an analogue of The Vietnam War, that, in abundant detail, explores the vast amount of opinions the veterans of that war had towards a new societ y, vastly changed from the one they left. The resemblance between ‘The Forever War’ and the Vietnam War starts withRead More Abraham Lincoln Through Many Lenses Essays1740 Words   |  7 Pagesposition on slavery - he was against it. He didnt want Negroes in America period. From the debate we have these following Lincoln quotes which you will never read about in the school classrooms today. From Lincoln-Douglas Debate, published by Haldeman-Julius Company, Girard, Kansas 1923 Page 44 quot;I have no purpose to produce political and social equality. I am not in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes or of qualifying them to hold office or allowing them to intermarry with white people

Essay A Career as a Police Officer - 1106 Words

It would be fulfilling to be a police officer because police officers help people in the community and keep it safe. They also enforce the law. They are the reason why people can live their lives in peace. If there is anyone in the community that citizens can trust it would be the police officers. Police officers have to accomplish many things in their workday. (Career Cruising.com) They have to write detailed reports and fill out forms.(Career Cruising.com) They are responsible for making sure that people obey the law and are kept safe at all times.(Career Cruising.com) They also observe the activities of suspects.(Career Cruising.com) Cops have to gather facts and collect evidence from many crimes.(Career Cruising.com) Many police†¦show more content†¦A Police officers normal day is usually less exciting and less dangerous than how it can be portrayed on TV.(CareerCruising.com)Police officers have to have many abilities and traits to go far in these types of careers. (Car eer Cruising.com) The most important trait they must have is to multitask. (Career Cruising.com) They must have an empathetic personality to help victims of terrible crimes. (Career Cruising.com) They must be physically fit to be able to catch criminals and explore all areas that could contain evidence. (Career Cruising.com) If they don’t posses the ability to think quickly and clearly then they will be injured or possibly killed because of one stupid mistake. (Career Cruising.com) Cops have to be able to communicate well with people. (Career Cruising.com) Some special skills will also benefit them in their career. (Career Cruising.com)Like being fluent in many other languages or scuba diving expertise are very helpful. (Career Cruising.com) Police officers have to have good Judgment. (Career Cruising.com) They have to have great communication skills. (Career Cruising.com) Police officers have to have a good education or they will not be able to do their jobs correctly. (Care er Cruising.com) Many small town or rural areas require that a police officer at least have aShow MoreRelatedThe Career Of A Police Officer1919 Words   |  8 PagesThe police must obey the law while enforcing the law.† Which means that the police have a strict policy they need to follow to not get in trouble themselves. The career of a police officer is dangerously attractive, because of the adrenaline rush you get when you are faced with danger. Also the unknown challenges you can face that change from day to day. The research will describe the career of a police officer, what is required to become a successful police officer and the impact that police officersRead MoreThe Career Of A Police Officer1938 Words   |  8 PagesThe police must obey the law while enforcing the law. Which means that the police have a strict policy they need to follow to not get in trouble themselves. The career of a police officer is dangerously attractive, because of the adrenaline rush you get when you are faced with danger. Also the unknown challenges you can face that change from day to day. The research will describe the career of a police officer, what is required to become a successful police officer and the impact that police officersRead More The Career of a Police Officer Essay739 Words   |  3 PagesThe Career of a Police Officer With many people going to school to become police officers it is important to know exactly what the job is about and the effects it has on a person. Many people think it is just sitting in your car and giving speeding tickets. In fact there are many life threatening things that occur while a person is on the job many of which can cause a severe amount of stress. Stress on the job can cause a person to become severely depressed and cause ones home life to fallRead MoreMy Career Of Police Officer1062 Words   |  5 Pagesbecome a police officer. It is not easy to be being police officer because it may result in dangerous situation in police career. But, I don’t care about these things because if people want to become what they want to become in their career, they don’t have to give up in that career. There are no always good chances come in your way. I have mostly inspired by other police because in my family and relatives, nobody became an interest in police. When I walk through the road, I see police helping peopleRead MoreThe Career Profession Of A Police Officer Essay1515 Words   |  7 PagesThe career profession that I want to become is a Police Officer. Police Officers protect life and property, keep the peace, prevent crime and maintain the public in order through the application of the law. I first knew that I wanted to become a Police Officer when I was 13 years old. My 8th grade teacher told us to research the career we wanted to do when we grow up and I didn’t know what I wanted to be. So I started by search online but nothing interested me then my aunt told me to interview herRead MoreThe Best Career Choice For A Police Officer1141 Words   |  5 Pagesof my police officers is in trouble. The career I have chosen is police officer. A police officer is someone who enforces laws to protect others. This career interests me because I like a good challenge and I like to help people. Whether it’s unlocking someone’s car for them or protecting people and their property, this sounds like the job for me. After looking at the education and the training needed, important qualities needed and the salary and job outlook, I decided this is the best career choiceRead MoreCareer Research Paper : Police Officers763 Words   |  4 PagesMr. Decker Government 7 October 2015 Period 4 Career Research Paper Police officers are responsible for protecting people and property. Related job titles include Sheriffs and sheriffs deputy, detectives, and state police officers. However all of these job titles have similar duties for example they are all responsible for the protection of people and property. These job titles might be very similar but they do differ in many ways. Police officers patrol the city issuing citations keeping theRead MoreChoosing A Career Path Of Becoming A Police Officer939 Words   |  4 PagesChoosing a career path in law enforcement can be exciting yet challenging. It takes incredible focus and intestinal fortitude for any man or woman to wake up daily knowing that their life is on the line the moment that they step out of their home. Police officers deal with drunk drivers, speed demons, and many unforeseen wildcard situations when they come across ordinary citizens that are just having a bad day. Many of these officers handle said situations with tremendous gumption. But there areRead MoreThe Career I Chose A Canine Police Officer2303 Words   |  10 Pages The career I chose was a Canine Police Officer. I chose to be a Canine Police Officer because I could help the community be a better and safer place. After some Canine Police Officers conducted a demonstration at a camp that I attended, I thought it would be a great job to have. They showed us some of the commands. The Canine Police Officers also showed how the dog would attack and hold onto the suspect. The Canine Police Officers also said that some of the commands are in a different languageRead MoreMy New Career Choice Becoming A Police Officer1242 Words   |  5 Pagesquickly realized how invasive and cruel politics can be to people, not just candidates but to voters. For this reason, my focus shifted to becoming a police officer. However, after finding out that I have fibromyalgia a couple years before that, I realized it was going to be extremely difficult for me to be at 100% as a police officer. My new career choice became business analytics. My goal is to get a degree in business analytics so that I can get help businesses like Microsoft impact lives of millions

Of Mice And Men By Robert Burns - 1623 Words

Introduction Of Mice and Men is a simple story in regards to the fact that it only covers a duration of three days, is set in only four locations and generally uses short sentences written using a simple writing style. Its title is taken from ‘To a Mouse’, which was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns. In this poem, Burns accidentally ploughs through a mouse’s nest, ultimately destroying its home. This title gives the reader an idea of the fate that awaits its characters as its use signifies the moral of the story, which is that even well prepared plans often go wrong. John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ using the personal experiences he gained whilst he was studying at University. The end of the â€Å"boom time† and the crash of the stock market led to the â€Å"great depression†, which left people poor and desperate for employment. As a result people had to leave the cities in America to look for work, with half a million going to California, which is where ‘Of mice and Men’ is based. Within this novella, Steinbeck uses fictional characters to present a microcosm of the issues that were being faced by the people of America at this time. The main themes of this novella include loss of dreams, friendship, loneliness, racism, sexism, ageism and the mistreatment of those with both mental and physical disabilities. The first issue that I will explore is Racism. Throughout the novella, Crooks is treated much like an animal as opposed to a human being. The mentioning of Crooks’sShow MoreRelatedOf Mice And Men By Robert Burns2761 Words   |  12 Pagesdialect, by the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns. It is about a mouse which carefully builds a winter nest in a wheat field, but it was destroyed by a ploughman. The mouse had dreamed of a safe and warm winter but now it have to face the harsh reality of cold, loneliness and possible death. This is relevant to the novel Of Mice and Men in two ways. First, the characters in the story are seem to be at the mercy of fate, almost as powerless as mice. For example, Lennie can be likened to theRead MoreForeshadowing In Of Mice And Men Analysis1257 Words   |  6 PagesHow does Steinbeck Use Foreshadowing in his Text? Foreshadowing is the way an author uses clues to show the reader what happens later in the book. In 1937 John Steinbeck published the American classic, â€Å"Of Mice and Men,† a short story that tells the tale of George and Lennie, two migrant workers during the Great Depression. George, a small quick man, and his companion, Lennie, an enormous man with the mind of a child. They begin work at a ranch and come across Crooks, Candy, Slim, Curley, Curley’sRead MoreEssay on To a Mouse1738 Words   |  7 PagesIn the poems Robert Burns’ â€Å"To a Mouse† and â€Å"The Mouse’s Petition† by Anna Letitia Barbauld, many feelings and emotions about mice are brought forth. While both poems were written by different authors, many of the feelings they share towards mice are common. The analysis of the two poems will help to find the comparisons and differences in theme, political and social issues, diction, and tone. Examples from the poems will help to show the similarities and differences in the two. The tone of eachRead MoreMan Vs Nature Vs Of Mice And Men1265 Words   |  6 Pagestypes of conflict, the conflict such as Man .vs. Nature, Man.vs. Man, and Person .vs. Self these types of conflicts show the struggle people have to go succeed a goal, dream or just to survive. In the poem â€Å"Ode to a Mouse† by Robert Burns and the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, both authors use the literary element, Conflict to show the struggles of the characters. In California during the Great Depression, Lennie Small and George Milton are two ranch workers going from job to jobRead MoreGeorge And Lennie Relationship Analysis871 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, the relationship between Lennie Small and George Milton is complex. Lennie and George are two companions who look for work and brave the hardships of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression together. Although Lennie and George are both grown men, their relationship resembles more of a child and a single parent, or a boy and his dog. Lennie is portrayed as animalistic and childish through his behavior and Steinbeck’s comparisons. This reveals the crucialRead MoreOf Mice and Men1352 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay - Fate or Choice? Choice is defined by the ‘Shorter Oxford Dictionary’ as; â€Å"The act of choosing; preferential determination between things proposed.† It also states the definition for fate; â€Å"The principle, power, or agency by which events are unalterably predetermined from eternity.† Is our life choice, can we determine our fate by choosing our path or is our destiny determined for us? John Steinbeck puts forward this question in his novella Of Mice and MenRead MoreOf Mice and Men - Critical Evaluation Essay examples727 Words   |  3 PagesThe main theme of ‘Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is fate . The techniques he uses such as the title , repetition , echoes and symbolism are very successful in putting across his very pessimistic views on this theme . br brThe two main characters , George and Lennie , share a dream . George dreams of a piece of land of his own . Independence . A couple of acres , a cow and some pigs . Lennie dreams of tending rabbits . With the title ‘Of Mice and Men , Steinbeck is telling you that thisRead MoreTheme Of Foreshadowing In Of Mice And Men1219 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book, Of Mice and Men, foreshadowing is used all the way from the title of the book to the last sentence. Of Mice and Men was written by Nobel Prize for literature winner, John Steinbeck. The book is about two migrant workers with the fantasy of a plac e to call their own. When George and Lennie end up traveling together to a new town to find work, new challenges await them there that are disastrously worse than the ones they faced in their former town, Weed. How does Steinbeck use foreshadowingRead MoreOf Mice and Men and American Dream863 Words   |  4 PagesHopes and dreams are important in ‘Of Mice and Men.’ Not is it important to the characters of the story itself, it is the theme of the novel. In this essay I will talk about the hopes and dreams of the main ensemble and also about the context of the novel, the American Dream and the Great Depression on the 1930’s. I will also talk about the poem Steinbeck based the book’s title off and how important it is to the book’s overall theme. The dream of attaining land and – ultimately – happiness isRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1080 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I want you to stay with me Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself.† The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck shows the relationship between two migrant workers in the 1930s, George and Lennie, along with the other members on the new ranch that they began working on. Georgie and Lennie dreamed of following the American Dream and owning their own patch of land and the novel revolves around the dream and the obstacles that stand in their way. Lennie, a strong

What Five Paragraph Essay Topics List Is - and What it Is Not

What Five Paragraph Essay Topics List Is - and What it Is Not The Start of Five Paragraph Essay Topics List The secret to all kinds of synthesis is the exact same. You will find that a number of the topics can be adapted to suit almost any type of writing assignment. You have to make sure you're very interested in the topic before you may persuade others about it. Obviously, you can create your own topic to write about. Before discussing the conclusion, it's crucial to take a look at the manner body paragraphs are built. Each paragraph within the body will go over either 1 cause, 1 effect, or a principal point of your general argument that explains your thesis about the importance of the event in question. If somebody doesn't believe in his power, he'd never achieve his objective. Also, simply being popular doesn't necessarily imply a man or woman is more influential. In the majority of cases, you want to produce a topic which will enable other people to realize your viewpoint, and telling them to feel that what you write is true. You might also want to suggest more research or comment on things that it wasn't possible that you discuss in the paper. If you're still searching for the efficient academic writing help to come up with a well-organized five-paragraph paper, know you could order a full writing solution online with no obstacles or risks. In the event the individual is arguing in a transparent manner about a few of the instances involved with their topic and thesis statement, then the paper is going to have opportunity to be heard. School should occur in the evenings. School tests aren't effective. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. They should be allowed to pray in school. MP3 music needs to be free. A podcast about vacations that you have not taken. You should make sure that you select a topic which you find interesting and one that you are going to want to write about. The topic also needs to be unique. 5 paragraph essay topics aren't restricted to the 1 theme. Read the very first and last paragraphs of each essay before you start. Experts who understand how to begin a 5 paragraph essay understand that it is essential to prepare a draft to direct them in writing the essay. The 5 paragraph essay is regarded as the typical essay writing assignment. At this time you would like to know why you need to learn the 5-paragraph essay's structure. Typically, a structure of essay contains three key sections, in other words, introduction, body, and conclusion. The imagery is powerful and one of the utmost effective moments in the movie, and among the few approaching the poetic kind of Moby-Dick. To make a good essay employs the topic. Although it's common, student has to acquire right to become excellent grades. Students have a challenging time in writing if they don't have a draft or outline to follow. To write a strong argumentative essay, they should begin by familiarizing themselves with some of the common, and often conflicting, positions on the research topic so that they can write an informed paper. Therefore, many students and employees decide to obtain inexpensive essay rather than writing it themselves. Each of these forms of paper is owned by the category of informative essay. So far as essay structure goes, a 4 or 5 paragraph essay based on the number of points you are going to want to argue is an excellent start. Yearly driving tests ought to be mandatory over a particular age. No matter whether you would like to understand how to compose a three paragraph essay of 5 paragraph paper, an introduction stays the same. You've got a guide and get ideas about what to do with your essay. Stasis theory is understood to be a rhetorical procedure to specify the point of issue in a debate. Also, you can look for sample expository essay topics so you will understand what to research and that which you will deal with.

Peer pressure free essay sample

?Peer pressure is the influence of a peer group to an individual, causing them to change their attitudes, values and behaviour. It refers to any individual who is being persuaded in doing something that is against their judgment but does not have the courage to stand their ground and do the right thing. It weakens the sense of an individual because of the saying â€Å"everybody is going to do it† which makes them think that such thing is correct. It causes the youth to strive for social acceptance which makes and individual do something he/she is not comfortable of doing. Peer pressure is most commonly associated with the youth, especially the students, because they spend most of their day in school with their friends and classmates. Although peer pressure does not necessarily have to be negative, it also has some positive sides. It can make a student strive for academic success because of their peers or it can improve the study habits of students. We will write a custom essay sample on Peer pressure or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The study habits of students are highly affected by peer pressure. Study habits are the approach on how school works are done and how students budget their time in doing tasks. It is crucial to the performance of students but also easily affected by peer pressure. It may cause some positive or negative effects. Peers may influence their classmates to study or not. Students also study together. This chapter includes the main problem together with its specific questions and the background knowledge of the study. It will show us the different problems that the study aims to answer as it give benefits to many people in said institution. Through this chapter, the reader can now visualize on how the study will flow throughout the whole research. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The researchers have chosen the topic which is â€Å"The Effects of Peer Pressure on the Academic Performance of the Third Year Students in Roosevelt College Cubao during S. Y. 2012 – 2013†. This research study steered to find out the effects of peer pressure to the academic performance and study habits of the respondents; everyone knows that students have a lot of feelings, pressure in subjects and activities which sometimes lead them to deviate in their academic performance. Peer pressure effect depends on the group you belong. There are many risks, especially when your friends results to positive or negative peer pressure. With these vices from positive or negative peer pressure, it deprives the concentration and motivation of an individual to excel or failing in his academic performance in school. Peer pressure is very powerful because of everyday accompaniment with your friends; you will be able to cope and adopt their habits either bad or good, only to have the essence of belongingness?. Dependency to your peers gives a great impact of their influence, especially when your parents are away or out of town. Great supervision must be given in choosing who to be

Organizational Behavior in Australian

Questions: This assessment task requires that you synthesise your understanding of organisational culture and leadership with your theoretical and practical knowledge of OB in Australian organisations. The focus of this activity is to determine how the practice of OB must be redesigned and realigned in multiethnic/multicultural contexts to ensure cultural appropriateness and to achieve organisational effectiveness. 1. Identify and critically analyse and discuss the communication challenges that a leader would expect to encounter in relation to the cultural diversity of many Australian organisations. 2. Critically discuss how leaders can address the ethical issues related to the cultural diversity in many Australian organisations. 3. Identify, synthesise and critically discuss an optimal mix of leadership styles/behaviours which would be aligned with managing culturally diverse workplaces; these should be sufficiently flexible, and able to be appropriately adopted in Australian organisations. Answers: Introduction The modern day organizations display a wide variety of workforce (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). The diversity is regarding race, religion, culture, ethnicity, language, age, gender and others. The multinational organizations employ a large number of manpower which has culturally diverse backgrounds. They unite together to work in the same organization and towards fulfilling the same organizational goals (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). There are diverse industries, and there are different types of organizations surviving in the same market place (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). A single organizational policy or operation manual is not applicable for every organization. There is a need to adapt the organizational rules and regulations as per the needs of the organization. There is a need for the improvement in the employer-employee relationship so that the workplace becomes a mutually enriching place. This paper would explore the communication challenges encountered by a leader in relation to the diverse workforce. The paper would also discuss the ethical issues handled by leaders in a culturally diverse organization. The last segment of the paper describes the leadership styles related to the management of the culturally diverse workplaces. The objective of the paper is to gain a broader knowledge base regarding the management of the multicultural workforce. The strategic challenges in the employee behavior and the leadership issues are discussed. Discussion The organizational culture is an influencing factor for the behavior of the people in an organizational scenario (Alvesson Sveningsson, 2015). The organizational culture affects the thinking capabilities of the people and their performance as well as commitment towards the organization (Alvesson Sveningsson, 2015). The organizational culture changes from one organization to the other and there are primarily three forms of the culture namely bureaucratic, innovative and supportive (Alvesson Sveningsson, 2015). The Australian organizations display higher proportion of the supportive and innovative organizations. The national culture of a country also influences the organizational cultures. The leadership styles contribute a lot towards the achievement of the organizational objectives (Alvesson Sveningsson, 2015). There is interconnection between the motivation, leadership styles and the performance of the employees. The transformational leadership contributes to commitment and job satisfaction of the employees (Alvesson Sveningsson, 2015). The attributes of transformational leadership include clarity of vision and empowerment. Australia has a unique blend of employees in the workplaces. There are many advantages of a culturally diverse workplace such as increased innovation, increased productivity and others (Robbins et al., 2013). The organizations are benefitted if they can manage the cultural diversity well. The benefits include reduced employee turnover rates, reduction in the compliance and legal risks, reduction of any negative image of the organization and others (Robbins et al., 2013). The organizations can gain competitive advantages and added value if they can manage their diverse workforce. There are times when the managers are unable to manage the cultural diversity of the workplace due to several reasons (Moran, Abramson Moran, 2014). The reasons can be a lack of clear understanding, lack of communication, moral degradation, and ethical degradation and the degraded relationship between the employer and the employee. In such cases, the organizations start degrading themselves in the eyes of the public, and hence they lag behind their competitors (Moran, Abramson Moran, 2014). There are different kinds of leadership visible in the organizations (Day et al., 2014). A successful leader should have a long sighted vision and the process of the execution of his tasks. The cross-cultural leaders should visualize his works as a challenge and should consider the individual growth as a mean for the organizational growth (Day et al., 2014). They need to manage tactfully the impacts of technology, demographics, work ethics, continuous learning, and globalization so that they can manage the workplace diversity in a better manner (Day et al., 2014). The global leaders are expected to display excellent interpersonal skills and people management skills for minimizing the number of racial conflicts, which occur between the people working in the organization (Day et al., 2014). The cross-cultural leaders should be carefully selected so that they can handle the diverse manpower as well align themselves with the complex business strategies. Answer to Question 1 The global organizations have started realizing the importance of communications in a cross-border business scenario (Spencer Oatey Franklin, 2014). They have started dealing with the challenges that are faced by the business when they operate in international markets. The cross-border communication plays a vital role in the success of the organizations (Erel, Liao Weisbach, 2012). There is no physical connection between the countries, which makes it difficult for the companies to maintain adequate communication. The managers have to depend on the virtual communication methods for performing conversation between the cross-border entities (Erel, Liao Weisbach, 2012). The home markets are undergoing a period of stagnation, and hence, the countries are searching for new avenues for gaining new customers and venturing into new geographical locations (Dikova Sahib, 2013). The companies are viewing the international expansion as a method for achieving higher revenues. This had led to the requirement of productive and harmonious cross-border relationships (Dikova Sahib, 2013). The cross-border relationship would be strengthened by adequate communication skills, which would lead to higher cultural sensitivity. The leaders face a wide variety of communication challenges when managing a cross-cultural team (Cuypers, Ertug Hennart, 2015). The expense of the installation of a virtual communication system poses a big challenge. The organizations usually have the paucity of funds, as a result of which it may not be possible for the organizations to install advanced technological systems (Cuypers, Ertug Hennart, 2015). There are instances when the employees are not given sufficient training to use the virtual communication systems. There are language barriers between the employees of culturally diverse workplace (Chidlow, Plakoyiannaki Welch, 2014). It is considered that English is a widely used global language but still there are employees who are unable to communicate through this language. They prefer to communicate through their local language or their mother tongue. This creates communication barriers, which leads to an obstacle in the work processes. There are faulty recruitment and sele ction methods, which lead to the human resource employing manpower which is not suited for culturally diverse work environments (Cuypers, Ertug Hennart, 2015). The lack of communication leads to greater misunderstandings between the employees. This is because one employee is unable to understand the language or accent of the employee from different cultural background. The linguistic diversity is a serious issue in this regard (Almond Verba, 2015). A serious communication barrier is the hostile and inaccurate stereotypes of people from different cultural background (Cuypers, Ertug Hennart, 2015). The employees prefer to assume the traits of another employee from a different cultural background (Shenkar, 2012). For example, a stereotypical American guy is assumed to be arrogant and rude as well as tolerant in the workplace. In reality, he may be a different person altogether. The act of prejudging individual leads to miscommunications, which eventually creates barriers in the comm unication process. There are behavioral differences between the employees of different cultures (Shenkar, 2012). The different cultures have different behaviors, which they consider to be acceptable. For example, maintaining eye to eye contact during conversations is considered rude in some cultures, while in some cultures, the act of not maintaining eye contact is considered as disrespectful. The cross-cultural leader should take care of these minute aspects to successfully manage a diverse workforce. Fig: Management of Cultural Differences Source: Moran, Abramson Moran, 2014 The above diagram describes the different characteristics of the culturally diverse people. There are visible cultural differences, which can be considered as the behavioral characteristics of people and there are certain underlying cultural roots. The invisible cultural roots are the primary cause of the behaviors of different individuals. The cross-border leaders should take an active part in dealing with different communication styles, different approaches for task completion, different decision making styles, and different attitudes towards disclosure and approaches of acknowledging knowledge. The leaders should take an active part in eliminating the communication barriers in the organizations (Edge Hoffman 2013). The organizations have realized that for the purpose of the financial success, they need to demonstrate adequate collaboration and effective cross-border communication (Shenkar, 2012). The organizations are often not able to communicate seamlessly to their cross-border partners. The reasons for miscommunication can be due to technical lags or human errors. The cross-border communication process is an expensive affair. There should be proper allocation of funds for the purpose of facilitating cross-border communication (Shenkar, 2012). There should be proper infrastructural facilities and the deployment of information technology for performing the communication process. Answer to Question 2 The management of the cultural diversity is a crucial job role of the leaders. There are two important dynamics that influence the modern day organizations, namely diversity and ethics. It is important for the organizations to formulate a Code of Ethics so that there is a promotion of ethical business culture (Singh, 2015). There are various types of unethical activities that can be observed in the culturally diverse workplaces. There can be bribery, illegal campaign activities, hiding information, intentional sales of defective goods and other troublesome acts (Bassell, Fischer Friedman, 2015). These kinds of situations represent organizational or individual misconduct. In such circumstances, the ethical framework of the organization is challenged, and it results in a cultural conflict. There are ethical differences, which can lead to conflicting business practices. The bribery is strictly prohibited in every organization and every country (Singh, 2015). There are instances when the senior officials engage in bribery, for gaining business prospects and climbing the corporate ladder (Bassell, Fischer Friedman, 2015). The officials try to hide the bribery amount from their financial statements. There are instances when the officials face hefty fines and jail terms about the crime of bribery (Bassell, F ischer Friedman, 2015). Culture is considered as the basis of business ethics (Sultana et al., 2013). The culture of an organization is directly proportional to the ethical activities of their managers. The organizations managers prefer clear and cohesive guidelines to aid in the decision making process. There are not enough practices to address the cross-ethical cultural practices. There are several conflicts (regarding ethical practices) arising from the cross-cultural workforce. There can be minor issues like the exchange of gifts, employing political misfit labor to major issues like bribery, cheating, false allegations and others (Sultana et al., 2013). The cross-border leader should engage themselves in the moral and philosophical belief of the team. The managers should keep themselves aware regarding the day to day operations of his team. Fraud is common in the business world of today (Baer, 2014). There are instances when a close acquaintance of the manager engages in a major fraud to the company (Baer, 2014). The manager should not be carried away by emotions. The cross-cultural manager should aim to create a minimal risk environment in the environment. There should be detailed planning for combating fraud in the workplace. The organizations must take note of their corporate strategy and ensure the minimal occurrence of any unethical practices. The illicit transfer of confidential information is also considered as unethical behavior. There are instances when confidential information is passed to an unauthorized person (Schipani Seyhun, 2015). This proves to be a serious concern for the cross-border business. This can occur either due to intentional interference or unintentional interference. A dishonest person can intentionally pass the companys private information to another unauthorized person (Schipani Seyhun, 2015). The information in one geographical region is considered as confidential to that particular region only. A person belonging to a different geographic location and in a different job role should not gain access to that information, even though he or she is working in the same organization (Schipani Seyhun, 2015). There are situations where there is a transfer of confidential information even though there was no intentional approach towards it. For example, one male employee engages in a romantic relationsh ip with a female employee in a different location. There can be sharing of information between the couple, even though there is no bad intent . The organization is at the losing end, as ultimately their private and confidential information is reaching the unauthorized persons (Schipani Seyhun, 2015). The cross-border managers should take adequate measures to combat the unethical practices in the workplace (Kruk, 2013). There should be monitoring and checks on the various interrelationships between the employees. The manager should formulate anti-fraud strategies according to the organizational needs. There should be counseling sessions as well as seminars for boosting the morale of the employees. There should be the formulation of ethical standards guide as per the organization (Kruk, 2013). It should provide adequate guidelines for the company to perform in a trustworthy and honest manner in all their company related interactions. These kinds of standards would motivate the employees to undertake right decisions for the company (Kruk, 2013). It would also allow them to report any unethical behavior, which is observed by them. The managers should also inform the organizational standards and the expected legal practices to the employees (Kruk, 2013). The managers should convey strict legal actions against employees who are found to be engaged in unethical practices. The corrective actions can be imprisonment, hefty fines, instant termination, blacklisting and others (McCormick, 2012). The managers should establish the corporate culture and underline the core values of the organization. The corporate culture should outline the factors of respect, trust and honest dealings in their business practices and the communication channels. The human resource team should recruit the right person (McCormick, 2012). The detailed background check should be made a compulsory tool for the recruitment process (McCormick, 2012). Proper care should be taken so that they hire trustworthy and ethical persons in the workplace (McCormick, 2012). There should be proper penalty systems for unethical and dishonest behavior. The human resource department should set a high example standard by recruiting an honest employee, which boosts the morale of the other employees. Answer to Question 3 The competitive nature of the workplaces, which has resulted as a result of globalization, demands the leader to possess a diverse set of skills and abilities. The cross-cultural leaders should be able to manage the culturally different infrastructures, which are also known as cultural quotient or cultural intelligence (Erez et al., 2013). There should be a blended organizational culture, which should respect each and every employee. The cross-border leaders in Australia are expected to direct a diverse group of employees, originating from different cultural backgrounds. The leaders in Australia believe in the fact that group dynamics is an important role in the practice of global leadership (DeChurch et al., 2013). The various management approaches and different leadership styles should be adopted by circumstances as well as group dynamics. The judgment can affect the behavior and values of the individual working together in a group. The leadership styles are affected by the varying perceptions of the colleagues, superiors, and subordinates. The similar norms, relations, behaviors, and roles are kept together in a group, and the group is an entity, which acts as individual entities. The key for cultural innovation is the group dynamics (Hogan Coote, 2014). The team size has a direct impact on the group dynamics and the patterns of leadership. For example, a large team size demands an autocratic or formal leadership for the purpose of direction. The dynamic cross-cultural competencies are crucial for global managers and leaders, which can be improve d by the characteristics of personality as well as the development of cross-cultural experiences. The act of the influence of the attitudes, thoughts and behaviors about a global community so that they can work together is known as global leadership (Caligiuri Tarique, 2012). The aim of the global leadership is to work together towards the accomplishment of a common goal. There are six crucial dimensions of global leadership. They are traits, values, cross-border relationship skills, global business expertise, cognitive traits, visionary skills and the expertise of global organizing (Caligiuri Tarique, 2012). The global leaders should be able to influence as well as set themselves as a role model to motivate the attitude of the employees. The global leaders should enable the global community to achieve the common organizational goals. The leadership patterns in Australia consist of transformational leadership and charismatic leadership. The charismatic leaders are known to possess divine personality who can perform miracles (Tsaur et al., 2014). The leaders influence the teammates with exceptional qualities. The charismatic leaders are known to arouse great levels of enthusiasm and a certain degree of commitment in the followers (Tsaur et al., 2014). They present a compelling vision so that they gain the confidence of their followers. The charismatic leaders are best suited for managing cross-cultural diversity because they have innovative ways and effective methods of performing managerial tasks (Tsaur et al., 2014). They can bring radical change in the organizations by their out of the box thinking, and they believe in the achievement of unusual success. The transformational leadership has a wonderful capability of inspiring and transforming his followers by a unique appeal of their job role (Herman Chiu, 2014). The transformational leaders make their team members aware of their value as well as importance in their day to day work. This type of leadership is suitable for the cross-cultural managers as there are diverse job roles, which needs to be performed by the employees (Herman Chiu, 2014). The cross-cultural leaders induce a sense of self-interest in the job roles of the fellow employees, which increases their productivity rates (Muenjohn, 2015). The increased productivity rate is beneficial to the organization. The transformational leaders develop their concerned team to shoulder a wide range of responsibilities (Muenjohn, 2015). This is done by instilling a level of confidence and skills among the fellow organizations, which drives to give better performances (Muenjohn, 2015). The followers get motivated by the leader, which is very important in a culturally diverse organization. The team members depend on their leaders for guidance, cooperation, and inspiration (Muenjohn, 2015). There is an increased level of commitment, motivation, encouragement, enthusiasm, and empowerment, as a result of transformational leadership, which makes it a popular leadership style for managing a diverse workforce (Soieb, Othman D'Silva, 2013). The Australian population has a belief in the transformational leadership as they found it very suitable for managing diverse organizations. Conclusion It is an important job duty of the managers to manage effectively the culturally diverse workforce. The organizations in Australia are culturally diverse and comprises of employees from different backgrounds. In such diverse organizations, there are instances there are gaps in the communication process. The different cultures have different organizational culture, which influences the performance of the employees. The communication is a vital process in a culturally diverse workforce. The work teams located in diverse geographical locations need to interact with each other on a regular basis. This is discussed in detail in this paper. The various communication challenges faced by the cross-cultural leaders are also discussed in detail. The patterns of the cultural differences are discussed. The cross-cultural leaders need to take care of the ethical aspects of the business. The various types of unethical activities that are observed in the workplaces are discussed. The different meas ures that are taken by the leaders to minimize the unethical activities are also explained. The mix of leadership styles that are displayed by diverse workforce leaders is also discussed. This paper will broaden the knowledge base of the organizational behavior displayed in diverse cross-cultural organizations. References Almond, G. A., Verba, S. (2015).The civic culture: Political attitudes and democracy in five nations. Princeton University Press. Alvesson, M., Sveningsson, S. (2015).Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. Routledge. Baer, M. H. (2014). Confronting the Two Faces of Corporate Fraud.Florida Law Review,66, 87. Bassell, M., Fischer, D., Friedman, H. H. (2015). The Importance of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Course Module.Available at SSRN Caligiuri, P., Tarique, I. (2012). Dynamic cross-cultural competencies and global leadership effectiveness.Journal of World Business,47(4), 612-622. Chidlow, A., Plakoyiannaki, E., Welch, C. (2014). Translation in cross-language international business research: Beyond equivalence.Journal of International Business Studies,45(5), 562-582. Cuypers, I. R., Ertug, G., Hennart, J. F. (2015). The effects of linguistic distance and lingua franca proficiency on the stake taken by acquirers in cross-border acquisitions.Journal of International Business Studies,46(4), 429-442. Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E., McKee, R. A. (2014). Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25years of research and theory.The Leadership Quarterly,25(1), 63-82. DeChurch, L. A., Mesmer-Magnus, J. R., Doty, D. (2013). Moving beyond relationship and task conflict: Toward a process-state perspective.Journal of Applied Psychology,98(4), 559. Dikova, D., Sahib, P. R. (2013). Is cultural distance a bane or a boon for cross-border acquisition performance?.Journal of World Business,48(1), 77-86. Edge, J. S., Hoffman, S. J. (2013). Empirical impact evaluation of the WHO global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel in Australia, Canada, UK and USA.Globalization and health,9(1), 1. Erel, I., Liao, R. C., Weisbach, M. S. (2012). Determinants of cross border mergers and acquisitions.The Journal of Finance,67(3), 1045-1082. Erez, M., Lisak, A., Harush, R., Glikson, E., Nouri, R., Shokef, E. (2013). Going global: Developing management students' cultural intelligence and global identity in culturally diverse virtual teams.Academy of Management Learning Education,12(3), 330-355. Herman, H. M., Chiu, W. C. (2014). Transformational leadership and job performance: A social identity perspective.Journal of Business Research,67(1), 2827-2835. Hogan, S. J., Coote, L. V. (2014). Organizational culture, innovation, and performance: A test of Schein's model.Journal of Business Research,67(8), 1609-1621. Kruk, J. (2013). Good scientific practice and ethical principles in scientific research and higher education.Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine,1(1), 25-29. McCormick, J. (2012). AN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CROSS-BORDER LABOR RECRUITMENT. Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., Moran, S. V. (2014).Managing cultural differences. Routledge. Muenjohn, N. (2015). Transformational leadership: The influence of culture on the leadership behaviours of expatriate managers.international Journal of Business and information,2(2). Podsiadlowski, A., Grschke, D., Kogler, M., Springer, C., van der Zee, K. (2013). Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in organizations.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,37(2), 159-175. Robbins, S., Judge, T. A., Millett, B., Boyle, M. (2013).Organisational behaviour. Pearson Higher Education AU. Schipani, C. A., Seyhun, H. N. (2015). Defining'Material, Nonpublic': What Should Constitute Illegal Insider Information?.Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law, Forthcoming. Shenkar, O. (2012). Beyond cultural distance: Switching to a friction lens in the study of cultural differences.Journal of International Business Studies,43(1), 12-17. Singh, M. (2015). Importance of Social Responsibilities and Ethical Values in Corporate.International Journal of Research in Management Business Studies. Soieb, A. Z. M., Othman, J., D'Silva, J. L. (2013). The effects of perceived leadership styles and organizational citizenship behaviour on employee engagement: The mediating role of conflict management.International Journal of Business and Management,8(8), 91. Spencer Oatey, H., Franklin, P. (2014).Intercultural interaction. John Wiley Sons, Inc.. Sultana, M., Rashid, M., Mohiuddin, M., Mazumder, M. N. H. (2013). Cross-cultural management and organizational performance: A content analysis perspective.Cross-Cultural Management and Organizational Performance: A Content Analysis Perspective, 133-146.

Strategic Management and Amazon free essay sample

TMA 05 Block 4 Collaborative analysis Contents Part 1 External analysis (group A) 2 Internal analysis (group B) 4 Stakeholder analysis (group C) 10 Corporate-level strategy analysis (group D) 14 Competitive-level strategy analysis (group E) 17 Part 2 Critical assessment of the analysis 23 Part 3 Evidencing of contribution to groups 28 Part 4 Reflection on group decision making 30 Appendix 32 Part 1 1. Group A analysis INTRODUCTION Each member of team A used one of the many available frameworks to analyse the external environment of Amazon. com, focusing on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the organisation. The findings of each member’s analysis were amalgamated to form the content of the following report. Using the following frameworks we have identified the SWOT factors facing Amazon. com: STEP, Strategic Group Analysis/Strategic Group Map, Porter 5 Forces, Porters Generic Strategies and Competitor Analysis. ANALYSIS The far external environment STEP analysis has shown: High barriers to entry for new competitors in the same cluster as Amazon. com, as there is a large investment in technology and marketing required in order to compete. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management and Amazon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Economic factors can affect the cost leadership approach of Amazon. Political issues are linked with sociological and therefore, are amplified for Amazon’s market. The near external environment Porter’s 5 forces: Supplier power is limited, as Amazon is potent customer, suppliers would not wish to lose them. Buyer power is low, as Amazon tends to offer the most competitive all round customer experience. The threat of substitute products is low due to the high barriers to entry, and there are no switching costs for customers (easy to buy from competitors) Amazon has joined forces with competitors (or hosts a web site for them) and therefore it can profit from their sales. Competitive environment Strategic group analysis has shown that Amazon stands alone, with its nearest competitor being eBay. This tends to show that it is a market leader. Amazon is successfully implementing a cost leadership / differentiation strategy enabling it to increase its market share. This helps Amazon to continue as a market leader. Amazon’s collaboration with its competitors has allowed it to source new items and gain economic rents from its partners. Amazon’s cash flow cycle allowed it to receive money from a customer before it has paid its supplier giving the financial market more faith in Amazon allowing it to finance itself more easily. CONCLUSION Team A has identified Amazon. coms key opportunities and threats through framework analysis. Growth, Technological, Collaborative and Flexibility opportunities enable Amazon to take advantage of changing STEP factors, conversely, Growth and Operations  threaten  Amazons  current and future position. Amazon has been able to use leverage within the market in order to persuade competitors to collaborate with them and therefore, gain economic rents from these partnerships. This has enabled Amazon to create intense market growth, which has both opportunities and threats and Amazons response will determine its future success within these fluid markets. TEAM PROCESS The activity was split into smaller tasks assigned to each team member in order to carry out our individual analysis reports on Amazon’s external environment, with each of us responsible for a certain framework. Due to our different availability, we were unable to organize teleconference meetings to make real-time decisions, and we communicate through asynchronous means on the Team A forum instead in order focused on coordinating our final report analysis, in which we used a consensus with qualifications approach. Appendix 1: SWOT [pic][pic]Bottom of Form [pic] Appendix 2: Strategic group map for e-commerce originations[pic] [pic] [pic]Bottom of Form 2. Group B analysis 1. Introduction Amazon. com is one of the largest online retailers offering a one stop shop solution to their customers. This reports objective is carrying out a SWOT audit of Amazons resources and capabilities using conceptsmodels from Unit 2 of Block 3: VRIN/VRIS, Porters value chain, and links between resource, capabilities and competitive advantage from Unit 2 of Block 3 (The OU, 2010). This is an outcome of individual analyses in 3 subgroups, team discussions and collaboration through agreement on tools, responsibilities and wiki structure. 2. Internal Analysis, a Resource Based View Internal analysis is used to determine relationships between resources and capabilities and how they are used to create value. The RBV suggests that sustainable competitive advantage determines organisations distinct capabilities (Johnson et al, 2008). Amazon therefore needs to exploit their capabilities (Hooley et al. 2008), in order to develop sustainable competitive strategy. The audit of Amazons resources and capabilities is shown in Appendix 1. Figure 1 highlights Amazons resources and capabilities using Barneys (1991) VRIS/N concept: to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, a resource must have four attributes; it must be valuable, rare, inimitable and not easily substituted (Block 3, The OU 2010 p. 61-64) a strength for Amazon. [pic] Figure 1, VRIS analysis (Unit 2, Block 3) 3. Resources and capabilities in the Value Chain The Value Chain analysis (Appendix 2) highlights how value is created or lost through internal activities and can indicate a need to extend the development of resources / capabilities: primary activities are those directly concerned with creation and delivery of Amazons services (Unit 2, The OU, 2010). It is clear where Amazon is able to create value through efficient activities and a well established process. Since sustainable competitive advantage is based upon resources and capabilities, value needs to be maintained or enhanced for Amazon. om to retain their position of sustainable competitive advantage (Unit 2, The OU, 2010, p. 60). Amazons business model offers a synergistic combination of the following benefits which help them to remain competitive: †¢ Shopping convenience †¢ Ease of purchase †¢ Speed †¢ Decision-enabling information †¢ A wide selection †¢ Di scounted pricing †¢ Reliability of order fulfillment Amazon. coms combination of services and logistical processes creates value for their customers which in-turn creates  sustainable  competitive advantage. Although these links can be hard to substantiate (causal ambiguity) (Unit 2, The OU 2009), Amazons resources/capabilities are valuable as they are difficult to replicate (e. g. knowledge). 4. Amazon. coms Dynamic Capabilities Amazons capabilities can be described as dynamic: processes used to manage resources in response to dynamic environment (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000). The impact Amazon. coms dynamic capabilities have: †¢ proactive flexible strategy †¢ re-shaping competitive environment / industry standards †¢ superior response to customers demand / KSFs (Unit 2, The OU, 2010) †¢ gathering knowledge utilise resources to their best potential Since Amazon. com operates in a dynamic enviroment, they should avoid risks or exploit new opportunities (SWOT The OU 2010, p. 191) by combining strategic flexibility with adequate resources, supported by their capabilities. 5. Conclusion In this report we collaboratively analysed Amazons resources and capabilities which informs their strengths and weaknesses (The OU 2010, p. 190), as illustrated in Appendix 3. For Amazon. com to manage change and to implement competitive strategy (Block 3, p. 92) is a challenge since they operate in a dynamic and global environment. Amazon. com will therefore need to continually renew resources and capabilities to react to the opportunities and threats in their external environment and to ensure that their cross functional capabilities are integrated. 7. References 1. Block 3, Reading 10: Hitt, H. A. , Keats, B. W. and DeMarie, S. M. (1998) Navigating in the new competitive landscape: Building strategic flexibility and competitive advantage in the 21st century, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 12, No. 4 Academy of Managment 2. Block 3, Reading 3: Grant, R. M. 1991) The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: implications for strategy formulation,California Management Review, Vol. 33, Issue 3. By permission of the Regents. 3. Eisenhardt, K. and Martin, J. (2000) Dynamic capabilities: what are they? in The Open University (ed. ) Readings for Block 3, Milton Keynes, The Open University pp. 77-84 4. Grant, R. M. (2008), Contemporrary Strategy Analysis (6th edn), Oxford, Blackwell. 5. Leschly, S. , Roberts, M. J. and Sahlman, W. A. (2003) Amazon. com 2002, Harvard Business Review. 6. Lester, H. (2006), Creating a unique multi-channel customer experience, London, Fifty Lessons Ltd [online], http://openuniversity. fiftylessons. com. libezproxy. open. ac. uk/viewlesson. asp? 1=534 (accessed July 2009/2011) 7. Porter, M. E. (1985), Competitive Advantage, New York, Free Press. 8. The Open University (2009) B301 Making sense of strategy, Block 1 Introducing strategy, Milton Keynes, The Open University 9. The Open University (2010) B301 Making sense of strategy, Block 3 The strategy toolkit, Milton Keynes, The Open University 10. Viney, H. , Winchester, N. and Boojihawon (2010). B301, Block 3 The Strategy Toolkit: The Open University. 8. Appendices Appendix 1 [pic] Figure 1 Links between resources, capabilities and competitive advantage (adapated). [pic] Figure 2 Resources and capabilities of Amazon. Figure 3 The hierarchical structure of capabilities (The Open University, 2010 p. 80) (Adapted) Appendix 2 [pic] Appendix 3 [pic] 3. Group C analysis Introduction View comments on separate page Add your own comment Team Cs analysis is based on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Amazons stakeholders as highlighted in the case study Amazon. com- 2002. The analysis is informed by a range of models including a stakeholder map and analyses of their power, classes and salience. Outcome of Group Analysis 3 most recent shown (view all) Add your own comment Strengths Amazon uses a superior online platform which can lead to competitors becoming partners so they can tap into that resource. This is a core organizational capability and exploits the technological skills of its highly qualified workforce, putting Amazon in a very strong position to build its businesses effectively, as evidenced by its other business areas (including warehousing, buying, shipping, security and distribution) and mutually beneficial partnerships (i. . with Toys R Us). Amazon has an experienced and accomplished CEO who has developed the Amazon brand into a household name following its successful diversification strategies. Customers use Amazon as a means of achieving convenience through shopping online with an established and recognized retailer with a reputation for secure handling of information and online safety. Weaknesses Amazons collaborative strengths also form part of its weakne sses in respect of reliance on third party distributors. This implies a shortage of expertise in some areas of Amazon’s operation, since they require this kind of collaborative relationship. Having such a strong reliance on the internet delivery model also leaves Amazon vulnerable to technological problems which could lose business and drive customers to its competitors who operate in broader ways (such as high street stores). The hasty expansion of Amazon’s businesses may affect internal procedures and systems. This could have a negative effect on levels of staff productivity and motivation which could have a detrimental effect on Amazon’s overall success. Opportunities Diversifying into new markets is an opportunity to grow its collaborative-focused businesses such as using Merchant. com to help other organisations manage their online services for a fee. This enabled Amazon to simultaneously exploit its superior technology and benefit its collaborative partnerships. Amazon has the potential to develop its technological advantages further in a similar way that it has with its Kindle. This could open up opportunities for collaboration with other high profile technology-focused companies such as Apple or Sony to design the next big gadget. Amazon has the potential to become ambassadors for Corporate Social Responsibility due to its local distribution channels (which are relatively green) as evidenced by the Kindle which has reduced the need for paperback books. This could support political affiliations, helping its long-term planning. Threats Hackers are a threat to Amazon’s online platform. If the wrong people get access to customer data it could destroy Amazon’s reputation for online safety. This could stop customers buying its products, and partners from collaborating. Changes in consumer buying habits can pose a significant threat. Between 2002 and 2007 the difference in spending between books and consumer electronics rose from $843m to $4,319m. Low entry barriers form a threat because there are potential competitors which Amazon must look out for to craft its strategies effectively. This, coupled with the potential for partners with ploys to gain best practice and then compete without collaboration means that Amazon must consider the true motives of its partners. Stakeholder Map I have identified Amazons stakeholders and attached a link to the stakeholder map. Stakeholders are described by Freeman ‘any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firm’s objectives’ (Freeman, 1984, p. 25) The stakeholders are prioritised by power, legitimacy and urgency, dependant on the number of categories they fit into they can be categorised in following sections: Latent Stakeholders – stakeholders who only have one attribute. Expectant Stakeholders – stakeholders who have two attributes. Definitive Stakeholder – stakeholders who have all the attributes. The more attributes stakeholders have the more of a priority they are to an organisation. Stakeholder Power Matrix View comments on separate page Add your own comment How should a business respond to variations in stakeholder power and influence? Completing a power matrix will help Amazon develop a communication plan that is aligned to each stakeholders focus and concerns. The matrix prioritises Amazon stakeholders in order of importance. The positioning on the grid is important; High power, interested people: these are the people with the greatest influence, every effort must be made to engage these stakeholders †¢ High power, less interested people: put enough work in with these people to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they lose interest. †¢ Low power, interested people: These people can often be very helpful with the detail of your project. †¢ Low power, less interested people: moni tor these people, but do not overburden them with excessive communication. †¢ Figure 1: Stakeholder power matrix of Amazon |High level of interest |Low level of interest | |High level of power |Shareholders, Partners, Customers |Government, Suppliers, creditors | |Low level of power |Pressure groups, the press, local communities, environmental agencies,|Every stakeholder will have some form of | | |employees |power | Stakeholder Classes Analysis Amazon. om stakeholder classes In carrying out stakeholders’ analyst (Mitchell et al, 1997) identify three attributes:   Power, legitimacy and urgency. He then formulated seven areas to class them in. |Stakeholder |Attributes: |Classification |   | | |power | | | | |legitimacy | | | | urgency | | | | | | | | |Management |X |Dominant |Bezos and his team are the brains behind | | |X | |Amozon. om | | |X | | | | | | | | |Third party sellers |X |Dependent |Z-shops/auctions | | |X | | | | |   | | | | | | | | |customers |X |dema nding |Always looking for new changes | | |X | | | | |   | | | | | | | | |employees |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   X |Dangerous/dependent |The back bone of the company | | |X | | | | |   | | | | | | | | |partners |X |Definitive |Large corporation/Toys R Us | | |X | | | |   | | | | | | | | |suppliers |X |Definitive |close proximity | | |X | | | | |   | | | | | | | | |Government |X |   |Amazon. com have to abide by certain rules | | |X | |and regulation | | |   | | | | | | | | Stakeholder Salience Analysis The following analysis considered the salience of amazon. com’s stakeholders. STAKEHOLDER SALIENCE |  Ã‚   |Attributes Possessed |Stakeholder Classification | |Stakeholder |Legitimacy |Power |Urgency |   | |Bezos (owner) and Senior Management TeamBoard of Director|   |   |X   |Stakeholder dominant | | |X |X | |   | |Partners suppliers (eg Sotheby’s)    |   |   |Mutual power- dependence | | |X |X |   |relationship | |Shareholders |   |   |   |Mutual power-dependence relationship| | |X |X | | | | |   | | | | |Specialist employees and managers |   |   |   |Mutual power-dependence relationship| | |X |X | | | |Non specialist employees |   | | |Firm dominant | | |X | | | | |Small businesses Individuals that sell stock on website |   |   |   |Stakeholder interests – legitimacy | |   |X | | |not implied | |Third party sellers incl. mall Medium sized   traders |   |   |   |Basis for legitimacy of relationship| |that amazon purchased equity in |X | | | | |Media, Government, Customers |   |   |   |A relationship exists | | |X | | | | NB. Some legitimate stakeholders have little influencepower but it is important to remember that power can be acquired or lost (Mitchell et al, 1997). In addition, I have amended the table to reflect that stakeholders are more likely to move temporarily into a state of urgency. Managers need to pay particular attention if this occurs with stakeholders that possess both legitimacy and power. The first two listed have the highest salience  for managers. However, the needs of the other stakeholders need to be  considered in particular dormant shareholders who can  exert power  with urgency if necessary. References View comments on separate page Add your own comment The Open University, (2010) B301, Block3, The Strategy Toolkit, Milton Keynes, The Open University Stakeholder Map ( The Open University, Block 3, The Strategy Toolkit, 2010, p. 81-82) Stakeholder Power Matrix The Open University, Block 3, The Strategy Toolkit, 2010, p. 106) The Open University, (2010) B301, readings for Block 3, Milton Keynes, The Open University Stakeholder Classes (The Open University, Block 3, The strategy Toolkit, 2010, p. 101) The Open Univers ity, (2010) B301, Block 4,Collaborative Analysis, Milton Keynes, The Open University Amazon. com Case Study (The Open University, Block 4, Collaborative Analysis, 2010, p. 40-70) 4. Group D analysis Outcome of Group Analysis TEAM D – AMAZON. COM’S CORPORATE-LEVEL STRATEGIC CHOICES Bottom of Form ANSOFF’S VECTORS Top of Form Bottom of Form Recommendation: Amazon continues to pursue both market penetration and diversification. Market penetration: †¢ Amazon places an emphasis on customer experience; there’re no switching costs for their ‘customers for life’. †¢ Their technological platform makes it hard to compete due to start up costs and high levels of technical staff required to run the website (valuable, non imitable). Diversification: †¢ It already meets minimum requirement for the market’s KSF, and capitalises on the organisations resources and capabilities. †¢ There’s no unacceptable financial risk to endanger liquidity of the capital structure. †¢ Should not affect the organisations internal systems and procedures, or relationship with its stakeholders. Weaknesses: Possible over-dependence on third parties: contingencies would be required. †¢ Non English speaking market is as yet untouched potential – forming new partnerships where necessary to allow for diversification into new geographic markets of non English speaking readers is suitable, feasible and acceptable. CORPORATE RELATEDNESS Bottom of Form Recommendation: diversification. †¢ Amazon. com offers a single portal to provide convenience to their customer for the online shopping experience. †¢ Book business success expanded to shippable consumer goods. †¢ Diversification approach born through strategic alliances. †¢ Intangible resources were developed forming foundation for capabilities and core competencies. Used expertise and scaling capabilities to enter new markets and offer backend services, therefore gaining positioning with a USP. †¢ Foundation and infrastructure in place, therefore allowing to support the diversity of the offering concurrently. †¢ Synergies between organisations provided an entry point for everyone but allowed each organisation to operate independently. Using the value-creating strategies of diversification table (Hitt et al, 2003), Amazon is located within the Low opportunity of sharing assets/h igh corporate relatedness quadrant (APPENDIX 2 – CORPORATE RELATEDNESS). The high corporate relatedness could partly be explained as the result of their strategic alliances. Although having positioned the company as low operational relatedness, in this company synergy exists as the value created offering several products in a single website exceeds the value the user would have in the possible event they had to pay double shipment costs. SUITABLE, FEASIBLE, ACCEPTABLE Bottom of Form Suitable: Diversification complies with Amazon’s KSF (Selection, Price and Convenience). It also maximises resources and capabilities through the application of Barney’s VRIN model. Diversification overcomes threats including reducing competitors through forming mutually beneficial alliances. It operates according to Bezos’ vision for an online shop where anything can be bought. Feasible: Amazon’s strategy can be resourced because it uses a relatively inexpensive online platform and draws on trustworthy suppliers and skilled staff. Diversification shouldn’t affect Amazon unless they use unknown partners who don’t deliver. The competition’s likely to emulate Amazon or form partnerships with them. Neither approach should pose a threat. Acceptable: Amazon has a developed marketplace platform meaning low input costs and the ability to exploit its existing technology. It’s well established partnerships, meaning that its stakeholder relationships are likely to remain positive. Amazon’s able to rapidly deliver its provision meaning that diversification is unlikely to cause problematic procedural issues. TEAM PROCESS Bottom of Form Project Lead was the only assigned role. Due to larger group-numbers and less areas to cover 3 subgroups were formed and final allocation for separate report areas were agreed upon. Individual reports were put forward and best-bits merged to create a summarised version. These summaries were merged once again for the final  wiki. Wordcount: (545 words) APPENDIX 1 ANSOFFS VECTORS APPENDIX 2 – CORPORATE RELATEDNESS REFERENCES. APPENDIX 1 ANSOFFS VECTORS Market Penetration The use of the internet and access to high speed internet connection has enable Amazon. com with the use of its open minded and innovative team, to launch and develop what is today the biggest online bookstore anywhere in the world. The results of the stage 2 analyses indicate that a market penetration strategy was used effectively. Strategically located, Amazon developed brand eputation through its superior technology, skilled workforce and logistical capabilities that facilitated rapid growth and allowed Amazon to gain price advantage. Market Development At one point Amazon was roughly doubling its sales every quarter: at this stage they had nearly 340,000 customers with further hits numbering 80,000. However despite some countries having internet restrictions, as more of the world becomes internet-enabled, there is still potential for further growth here. Another weakness is that there are a limited number of offers for non English titles. Product Development From their original market plan which was sales of books, Amazon not only developed their product range, but they also developed their services as well, providing the ‘ultimate customer experience’ They then went on to launch an entire host of other items, including the launch of the Kindle eBook which resulted in an existing product (books) being made available to Amazon customers in a new way. Diversification Five years after starting up Amazon. com embarked upon a new strategy â€Å"the marketplace initiative. †   Online auctioning was implemented by the firm; this however was done by third party companies and individuals. Amazon was just the source through which these third party products were sold and Amazon was not accountable for these goods and services. This lead Amazon to realise they now served 2 different sets of customers: buyers and sellers. APPENDIX 2 – CORPORATE RELATEDNESS [pic] Adapted from Block 3 The strategy toolkit p. 223 REFERENCES.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Block 3 – The strategy toolkit Making Sense of Strategy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Block 4 – Collaborative Analysis Making Sense of Strategy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Readings for Block 3 – Reading 15 Making Sense of Strategy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Team A, B C wikis. 5. Group E analysis Outcome of Group Analysis Introduction Team E undertook an evaluation of Amazons competitive level strategy, reporting back using Gerry Johnson et al. (2006) three sets of generic testing criteria: a) Suitability: In line with Jeff Bezos vision of uilding a place where people find and discover anything they might want to buy online (Amazon2002), Amazon is consistent with and fulfils the market KSF (A ppendix, Fig. 1) that it operates within by offering product variety, order fulfillment and competitive prices in a truly virtual model that eliminates a large portion of fulfillment costs and inventory risk. In theory, Amazons cost-leadership and differentiation strategy is suitable, since they are able to meet their customers’ needs (Fig. 2) and it gives them the opportunity to exploit their strengths[i]. Their strategy can become problematic if their technology platform is not continually being developed and therefore able to cope with Amazons continuous expansion. Amazon capitalized their resources and capabilities,[ii] to build awareness, increase traffic and sales. They were also pursuing their online commerce opportunities and solidifying and extending their position in the large markets where they noticed substantial opportunities. [iii] Amazon has accelerated their online commerce by creating value for their customers (Appendix, Fig. 3) and obtaining sustainable competitive advantage. b) Feasibility In practice, Amazon can achieve the required level of operational performance by delivering cost leadership advantage (Fig. 4 and Table1), assigning the necessary market capital due to its IPO, to raise capital and invest $800 million in technology (Grant: economies of scale and learning. Drivers: Quality of purchased products, features and performance and complementary services), creating market share, which stems from its original success and good name (Grants input costs/economies of scale and learning) and lowering costs by initiating redundancies and closing distribution and customer service centers (Grant: residual efficiency / input costs. Drivers: Technology embodied in design, the skill and experience of employees, location and degree of vertical integration). c) Acceptability There is a risk that Amazons relationships with their stakeholders (Fig. 5) can be affected if their increased purposed growth does not take in account that: †¢ International growth can add pressure to their internal systems and procedures which could affect profits. †¢ Increase in oil prices affect delivery costs. †¢ Not enough expertise in markets they are diversifying into a loss in returns. Increased third party suppliers/sellers may not provide same level of servi ce as Amazon directly, could impact the reputation potentially losing customers One of the key issues in shareholders management is the maximization of the long term cash flow by maintaining dynamic capabilities to preserve a degree of flexibility that can allow it to react to changes and keep the shareholder returns acceptable. Recommendations †¢ Have service level agreements of what is expected of suppliers and continue to monitor and develop customer feedback. †¢ Source local suppliers and distributors in countries such as Germany, UK, China Amazons overall sales, resulting in higher efficiency and better quality service. Setup business in countries with stable economies and governments †¢ Ensure their technology platform is continually being developed †¢ Carry out market research into the suitability, feasibility and acceptability of new strategies, products and services offered Process used by the team Team E was split in three sub-teams that bought together all three headings of the framework into one single agreed final report. [pic] [i] (Team A wiki, Appendix1 SWOT) [ii] (Team B wiki Fig. 2 RC Amazon) [iii] (Team A wiki, Appendix 1 SWOT) References 1. Leschly, S. , Roberts, M. J. and Sahlman, W. A. (2003) Amazon. com 2002, Harvard Business Review. 2. Viney, H. , Winchester, N. and Boojihawon (2010). B301, Block 3 The Strategy Toolkit: The Open University. 3. Grant, R. M. (2008), Contemporary Strategy Analysis (6th edn), Oxford, Blackwell. 4. Porter, M. E. (1985), Competitive Advantage, New York, Free Press. 5. Lester, H. (2006), Creating a unique multi-channel customer experience, London, Fifty Lessons Ltd [online], http://openuniversity. fiftylessons. com. libezproxy. open. ac. uk/viewlesson. asp? 1=534 (accessed July 2009/2011) 6. Block 3, Reading 3: Grant, R. M. (1991) The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: implications for strategy formulation, California Management Review, Vol. 33, Issue 3. By permission of the Regents. 7. Block 3, Reading 10: Hitt, H. A. , Keats, B. W. and DeMarie, S. M. (1998) Navigating in the new competitive landscape: Building strategic flexibility and competitive advantage in the 21st century, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 12, No. 4 Academy of Management. 8. 8. Viney, H. , Winchester, N. and Boojihawon (2010). B301, Block 3 The Strategy Toolkit: The Open University. 9. Leschly, S. , Roberts, M. J. and Sahlman, W. A. (2003) Amazon. com 2002, Harvard Business Review. APPENDIX Bottom of Form 1. Amazon. coms Key Success Factors. [pic] 2. Amazons customer needs. [pic] Figure 2, Amazon’s customer needs. 3. Markides'(1999) who, what, how’ framework (Block 3, p. 231). [pic] Figure 3, Markides'(1999) who, what, how’ framework (Block 3, p. 231). 4. Grants eight drivers of cost advantage (Block 3, p. 235) [pic] Figure 4, Drivers of cost advantage. 5. Drivers of Amazon’s cost advantage (Block 3, p. 242) |  Economies of scale |Technical input–output |Amazon can purchase in bulk the firm is able to spread the costs | | |relationships; |of the items over a larger volume of output. Large warehouse | | |indivisibilities; |stores like Amazon dominate the retail industry that used to be | | |specialization |made of small, local stores. The threat of substitute products is| | | |low due to the high barriers to entry, and there are no switching| | | |costs for customers (easy to buy from competitors) | |Economies of learning |Increased individual skills; |Organizations ‘learn by doing’. One of Amazon’s KSF is its | | |improved organizational |technologically experienced employees. . | | |routines | | |Production Techniques |Process innovation; |Amazon. com sells its entire inventory every 25 days! | |re-engineering of business | | | |processes | | |Product design |Standardization of designs and |Amazon have diversified into e-books via the Kindle, made | | |components; design for |possible by their knowledge of technology, research/development | | |manufacture |and unique resources | |Input costs |Location advantages; ownership |Amazon is successfully implementing a cost leadership / | | |of low-cost inputs; non-union |differentiation strategy enabling it to increase its market | | |labour; bar gaining power |share. Supplier power is limited, as Amazon is potent customer, | | | |suppliers would not wish to lose them. Buyer power is low, as | | | |Amazon tends to offer the most competitive all round customer | | | |experience. | |Capacity utilization |Ratio of fixed to variable |Amazon’s cash flow cycle allowed it to receive money from a | | |costs; fast and flexible |customer before it has paid its supplier giving the financial | | |capacity adjustment |market more faith in Amazon allowing it to finance itself more | | | |easily. |Residual efficiency |Removal of organizational |Team A identified Amazon’s $800m investment made in advanced | | |slack; achievement of |technology in order to stand as the platform above competitors. | | |X-efficiency; presence of |Team B identified that Amazon’s skilled staff and e-business | | |employee motivation and strong |systems as two of its most valuable attributes. | | |organizational culture; | | | |managerial effectiveness. | | Table 1, Drivers of cost advantage. 6. Amazon’s stakeholder map. [pic] Figure 5, Amazons Stakeholders. Amazon needs to consider the implications their strategic decisions have on their Stakeholders â€Å"any group or individual who can effect or is affected by the achievement of the firm’s objectives† (Freeman, 1984, p25) Part 2 Critical assessment of group analysis a) External analysis (Group A) Amazon’s internal environment was analysed to identify their opportunities and threats (Appendix 1, figure 3). The distinction of Amazon’s far, near and competitive environments (appendix 1, figure 1) could have been illustrated (Block 3, p. 18). a) Far environment Amazon’s far environment’ (Block 3, p. 18) include ‘sociological, technological, economic and political’ forces (STEP model Block 3, p. 18). The relationship between these factors was explained, but not identified. The ‘online retail spending forecast’ (Block 4, Exhibit 3, on p. 57) identifies a sociological force, showing the changes in their customer behaviour and the apparel opportunity. The increase in active and new customers and a rise in internet purchases are shown in Exhibit 1b (Block 4, p. 54). Technological development provides a opportunity for growth and is supported by the international internet statistics, 2002 (Block 4, Exhibit 11 on p. 0). ‘Legal’ and ‘environmental’ considerations should have been considered, referring to the extended model of Fahey and Narayanan’s framework (Block 3, p. 23). Amazon’s international expansion (Block 4, Exhibit 4b) lead to increased legal factors affectin g their operations due to different governments and regulations and can impact profitability (Block 3, p. 25). b) Near environment The failed to illustrate the analysis of Amazon’s near environment using Porter’s five forces framework (Block 3, p. 27). International internet statistics, 2002 (Block 4, Exhibit 11 on p. 70) shows that ‘government’ should be included as a sixth force (Block 3, p. 18 – Rugman and Verbeke), since it affect the structure of Amazon’s industry and profitability (Readings for Block 3, p. 17). See Appendix 1, figure 2. ‘Growth, technological, collaborative and flexibility opportunities’ was vaguely mentioned and further influences could have been identified i. e. brand development (Doyle, 2002), advanced technology and infrastructure which is not imitable (Block 3, p. 60 – Barney’s VRIN) and differentiation. c) Competitive environment The strategic group map (Block 3, p. 45 – Grant, 20 08, p. 118) clearly showed Amazon’s position in ‘geographical scope’ and ‘product range’. Amazon is a market leader since it is not easy to imitate their brand, their infrastructure or the way they do things (Barney’s VRIN). Although all the criticism on organisations pursuing a dual strategy I feel that they are correct in stating that Amazon compete both on a cost leadership and differentiation strategy (Block 3, p. 46 – Porter, 1985, p. 12). Porter’s generic strategies (Block 3, p. 46) could have been used to support this, as illustrated in figure 4. This report gave me an insight of Amazon’s industry, their competitors and competitive environment; they pursue both cost leadership and differentiation strategies. To identify the opportunities and threats they should have referred to the SWOT analysis in their appendix. b) Internal analysis (Group B) Amazon’s internal environment was analysed with the objective to identify their strengths and weaknesses. See appendix 1, figure 3 for the SWOT ordering framework (Block 3, p. 191). ) Internal Analysis, a Resource Based View Figure 1 (appendix 1) illustrates the ideal relationship between Amazon’s resources, capabilities a nd competitive advantage (Block 3, p. 67); which should have been adapted more specifically to Amazon. ‘Casual ambiguity’ (Block 3, p. 61) is noticeable due to the difficulty to link and establish Amazon’s resources, capabilities and competitive advantage. Their KSFs should have been identified, since resources and capabilities arguably will only have value if they permit to satisfy the KSFs (Block 3, p. 61). Amazon’s tangible, intangible resources and their capabilities were illustrated in figure 2, appendix 1. Further referencing could have been made to the case study for example Exhibit 2b (Block 4, p. 56), the comparison between Amazon and a typical book retail operating cycle. This shows Amazon’s unique resources and capabilities which are not easily imitable. Grant’s (1991) steps of strategy formation (Readings for Block 3, p. 49) could have been included and annotated with an example within Amazon. Barney’s VRIS concept (Block 3, p. 61) was illustrated well and it has been reported back to the SWOT analysis. The analysis did not identify which of Amazon resources have all four attributes and if it provides sustainable competitive advantage. b) Resources and capabilities in the Value Chain Value creation was shown (Appendix 2) using Porter’s value chain. Amazon’s services and logistical processes are seen to add value, for example their operating cycle in comparison to a book retailing operating cycle (Block 4, Exhibit 2b). This highlights the importance of Amazon’s assets in achieving competitive advantage. The limitation of the value chain analysis is that it mostly concentrates on identifying an organisation’s strengths and not their weaknesses. c) Amazon’s Dynamic Capabilities Appendix 1 the ‘hierarchical structure of capabilities’, illustrated Amazon’s excellence of customer support through their cross-functional capabilities. Capabilities are dynamic since Amazon is required to adapt their resources and capabilities to the changes in their competitive environment and to the industry’s KSFs. Amazon’s dynamic capabilities allow them to have a proactive flexible strategy which helps building on their strengths with the support from resources and capabilities to exploit opportunities or avoid risks. They concluded with a focus on Amazon’s strengths and weaknesses and looking at their resources and capabilities. They should have identified where Amazon need to renew their resources and capabilities to react to the opportunities. c)   Stakeholder Analysis (Group C) Team C analyzed Amazon’s stakeholders reporting back on SWOT. a) Stakeholder Map and Power Matrix The stakeholders map identifies Amazon’s stakeholders and is supported by the stakeholder power matrix which indicates whether stakeholders have the capacity to influence the implementation or the criteria upon which Amazon’s strategy is based. It is not clear if Amazon’s strategy is based on ‘criteria or operational power’ (Block 3, p. 106). This can be referred back to the ‘resource dependency theory’ (Block 3, p. 97 – Pfeffer, 1981), showing how one business unit within Amazon can be dependent on another. Amazon therefore needs to take stakeholders into consideration who contributes significant resources when strategy is formulated. b) Stakeholder classes To identify stakeholder types emerging from combinations of attributes: power, legitimacy and urgency (Readings for Block 3, p. 9) they should have used the ‘qualitative classes of a stakeholder’ (Readings for Block 3, p. 99). The analysis of Amazon’s stake holder groups, classified them with the use of the former mentioned attributes. It involves a different aspects to take into consideration which they supported with examples from Amazon but did not report back to the weaknesses and threats. c) Stakeholder Salience Analysis Amazon’s stakeholders were categorised in terms of salience. The possession of attributes should be treated as dynamic, since situations might arise due to urgency and this would influence the decision (Mitchell et el. , 1997). Stakeholders can affect Amazon’s objectives (Block 3, p. 6) due to salience which is linked to CSR i. e. they are using environmentally friendly packing. A stakeholder working in warehousing or distribution might have felt that this is urgent where others did not, but since more customers are environmentally focused this provided a coalition of power to make the decision. a) SWOT analysis This group should revise the structure of their outcome by ending with the SWOT analysis where they mainly had to focus on the threats and weaknesses (Appendix 1, figure 3). Amazon’s weaknesses such as their dependency on third party distributers could also be an opportunity to exploit, using their resources and capabilities. The changes in consumer behaviour identified as a threat; could also be an opportunity for them if the changes in the market are in their favour. They supported this with facts from the exhibits, increase in spending. Further evidence could have been used to confirm what attributes (power, legitimacy and urgency) their consumers have. From a stakeholder perspective they have identified Amazon’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and threats well. d) Corporate Analysis (Group D) Amazon’s corporate-level strategy was evaluated using Ansoff’s vectors with the recommendation to pursue both market penetration and differentiation strategies and reporting back to suitability, acceptability and feasibility (Johnson et al. , 2006). I do not agree with their recommendation; as they need to pursue another strategy when the market is saturated to continue growing. Amazon’s business plan included both the ‘retail model’ and their ‘marketplace model’ (Block 4, p. 40) which they then later integrated showing Amazon’s different growth strategies. a) Retail Model Amazon started as a book retailer with modest inventories, depended on distributors with a focus on growth following a ‘market penetration strategy’ (Block 3, p. 208 – Ansoff’s growth vectors). Amazon then evolved towards a ‘product development’ (Ansoff, 1987) growth strategy to incorporate a wider variety of products (Block 3, p. 40). During the expansion in 2000 (Exhibit 4, p. 8) they pursued a market development or a diversification strategy depending if they entered the new markets with existing or new products. Throughout Amazon’s evolution they have invested in buildin g out and integrating their technology to further develop their capabilities. b) Marketplace Model Amazon augment their retail commence model with the ‘marketplace initiative’ (Block 4, p. 40) focussing on third-party sellers. Retailers became interested in outsourcing their online presence. Amazon therefore served as an e-commerce outsourcing partner, developing commerce models and an auction capability, entering and building partnerships and they introduced zShops. Here they focussed pursuing on both market development and product development strategies. c) Integrating Amazon Amazon’s customer culture focuses on providing their customers with ‘selection, price and convenience’. They changed to a ‘single-store strategy’ from having third-party commerce in distinct areas to selling alongside them on their website. Amazon continually expands their product lines by diversification (Ansoff, 1987) of commerce and developing multiple partnership strategies such as marketing deals and syndicated stores etc. As a result Amazon remains competitive and continually grows. The apparel opportunity posed different options to Amazon i. e. partnerships or stocking the items themselves. I personally feel that the integrated approach would be better, as they would then share their resources and capabilities which will enable them to exploit further opportunities. d) Recommendation and suitability, feasibility and acceptability Amazon has to continually adapt to their growth strategy due to the importance of ’market share, service capabilities and differentiation’ (Barney’s VRIN), to exploit opportunities and overcome weaknesses. Looking at Amazon’s retail, marketplace and integrated models we have seen them pursuing multiple growth strategies (see appendix 1, Ansoff’s four growth strategies)which was suitable at the time and feasible due to their resources and capabilities and lastly acceptable (Johnson et al. , 2006) due to expanding the selection available to customers. I agree with their recommendation to pursue a strategy of diversification especially looking at the apparel opportunity but in other areas of the business they might consider product development or market development strategies depending on the SWOT analysis. e) Corporate relatedness Since Amazon establish economies of scope with their operating models (Block 4, Exhibit 2b) and have the ’technology, processes and competencies’ which other retailers prefer to outsource. I therefore agree that Amazon has an opportunity of sharing their assets whilst having low corporate relatedness (Hitt et al. , 2003 – Block 3, p. 223) with the retailers or partners. e) Competitive analysis (Group E) The outcome of Amazons competitive level strategy evaluation did not recommend which of Porter’s competitive strategies should be pursued (Block 3, p. 245). a) Resources and capabilities available to the Amazon Amazon integrate, build, and reconfigured their internal and external competencies to address changing environments and to build their dynamic capabilities (Reading’s for Block 3, p. 77 Teece et al. ). Investments resulted in online retailing technologies, website personalization features, warehousing, reliable IT systems, customer relationship systems and new products leading to competitive advantage through both cost and differentiation (Block 3, p. 245) strategies. b) The industry key success factors (KSFs) KSFs refer to the limited number of areas in which satisfactory results will ensure successful competitive performance† (Rockart and Bullen, 1981). Amazon needs to focus on their success to build their capabilities, this helps to understand the key areas in which they should invest their time and resources. Amazon’s KSFs is identified in Appendix 1, figure 6. c) The nature of Amazon’s external environment To evaluate Amazon’s competitive level strategy they need to look at their external environment to identify their competitive position and determine opportunities and threats (Porter’s five forces framework). Group A’s external analysis should have been used. Supplier power is low as Amazon provide their customer base a ecommerce platform. Buyer power is low, since Amazon provides the most competitive all round customer experience (SWOT – strength); including variety based on their operating cycle (Block 4, p. 56). Amazon capabilities of ecommerce platforms (Barney’s VRIN) give them competitive power; supported by their customer-centric culture (Block 3, p. 247). Competitors fail to compete directly with Amazon, as they provide customer experience which is not imitable. The threat of substitution is moderate; customers can find the products from competitors i. e. Barnes Noble or Ebay. Their selection, price and convenience (SWOT – strength) makes them unique. The barriers to enter are high; Amazon therefore exploited their capabilities in commerce and by developing partnerships with other retailers (SWOT – opportunity). d) Objectives of key stakeholders Markides'(1999) who, what, how’ framework (Block 3, p. 31) gives an overview of who Amazon’s customers are, what value proposition do they make to customers i. e. variety of products at low cost. And the way the value is delivered i. e. through their reliable web infrastructure. Amazon’s stakeholderâ₠¬â„¢s main objective is a ‘vision of ultimate selection’ by providing ‘a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online’ (Block 4, p. 40). With their focus on serving customers (see appendix 1, figure 6) they started embracing ‘selection, price and convenience’ on which they base their customer experience. In addition to these objectives, also feel that the main focus for the key stakeholders for Amazon is growth and profit maximisation. ) Recommendation and suitability, feasibility and acceptability Amazon’s core competitive strategy has been to focus on the customer experience; however, they also compete on time, price, convenience, loyalty, reputation and innovation. They focussed on Grant’s ‘drivers of cost advantage’ (Block 3, p. 235); this shows that a competitive strategy should not only be based on a cost focus. My recommendation is that they continue pursuing both a co st and differentiation advantage; by developing their capabilities across functions. Creating a sustainable competitive advantage, Amazon differentiates with service and cost sectors made possible with their strong, supportive and complex organisational culture (Block 3, p. 246) Amazon’s integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy is ‘suitable’, as it identifies their opportunities i. e. he apparel opportunity where they capitalise their resources and capabilities which conforms to the KSFs. Their strategy of both options is ‘feasible’ but I feel that the partnership option is more feasible, due to the complexity of the apparel industry. The strategy is ‘acceptable’ since the apparel commerce was forecasted to grow at 34% from 2002 – 2007 with an estimated market segment at $203 billion per year. Although this seems like a profitable option there is still a risk involved due to the complexity of the industry. Part 3 Ev idencing of contribution to groups a) Stage 2 Group B was responsible to undertake an analysis of Amazon’s resources and capabilities. We were divided into three subgroups, where my subgroup was responsible for identifying Amazon’s resources and capabilities and their attributes; evaluate their competitive advantage and strategic implications. Amazon’s resources and capabilities provide the basic direction of their strategy and I incorporated this into Grant’s strategy formation framework. Drawing from the internal analysis I was able to identify Amazon’s strengths and weaknesses (SWOT analysis) and we illustrated the links between Amazon’s resources, capabilities and competitive advantage (Block 3, p. 67). See my individual contribution (Resources and capabilities/strengths and weaknesses, 20 June 2011, 00:30): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=541629#p4181476 Once everyone posted their individual analysis I took on the role as ‘project manager’ to encourage each sub-group to combine their contributions, see my post (Sub-group planning for wiki draft, 20 June 2011, 14:15): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=539832#p4187538 I chased the progress of both sub-group 1 and 3 to post their collated contribution for their group. (Sub-groups 1 3, 21 June 2011, 23:13) http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=539832#p4216747 I was assigned the task to produce the final report in SWOT format based all the contributions with a deadline for day 12 (22/06/2011) and my efforts was then reviewed. See final SWOT Analysis, 23 June 2011, 09:27: http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=547063#p4236069 I was assigned the role as editor of all the contributions and posted the information onto the Wiki, which was further checked by Nadia. We have been corresponding in regards to the outcome of the group analysis and wiki structure on the forum (wiki structure): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=542800#p4143951 Further evidence of my contribution is evident on the editing I have done on the wiki; please see the link for the history: http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/ouwiki/history. php? id=530424group=181907 I really enjoyed working as part of Group B, the communication and team work between members was really good. The project manager (Nadia Curtis) assigned everyone’s responsibilities out well including the deadlines. b) Stage 3 Group E was undertaking a critical evaluation of Amazon’s competitive-level strategic choices. This group started off slowly and it seemed that most people were reluctant to be the project manager. I suggested that we all should post the important aspects that needs to be included in the analysis and from there assign responsibilities (Responsibilities delegation, 25 June 2011, 14:08): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=556960#p4264437 Diana Sacuiu took lead and decided on subgroups and delegation of responsibilities reporting back to suitability, acceptability or feasibility. My sub-group was responsible for looking at Amazon’s competitive-level strategy from a ‘suitability’ point of view. My individual task was to identify Amazon’s resources and capabilities and the way they relate to external opportunities (Diana Sacuiu, 26 June 2011, 20:20): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=558651#p4277348 I identified Amazon’s resources and capabilities and explained how they are used to exploit opportunities, how capabilities are developed and enables them to pursue both an integrated cost-leadership and differentiation strategy (Block 3, p. 247). See link (Competitive level strategy from a suitability point of view, 28 June 2011, 23:36): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=558823#p4305912 We put our sub-groups information together which I edited and included figures to reduce our word count: 1. Draft 1: http://learn. open. ac. k/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=562267#p4310586 2. Draft 2: http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=562267#p4313345 3. Draft 3: http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=562267 #p4322730 4. Draft 3 (2): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=562267#p4324685 I further supported sub-group three with a figure to help reduce their word count, see my post (30 June 2011, 16:05): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? d=562267#p4324971 I also checked the spelling, format and I added the relevant references to our group’s final report (1 July 2011, 14:05): http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/forumng/discuss. php? =562267#p4335805 Although this group did not collaborate as much, we were able to finish our evaluation of Amazon’s competitive-level strategy and reporting back upon its suitability, acceptability and feasibility, see final wiki link: http://learn. open. ac. uk/mod/ouwiki/view. php? id=530430group=181907page=Outcome+of+Group+Analysis Part 4 Reflecting on group decision making Looking at the collaborative work of the groups I will be identifying if the process is rational, political with evidence of power positions o r authority (Readings for Block 3, p. 250) or if there are any noticeable importance of chance which can be referred to as the garbage can model (Readings for Block 3, p. 257). From doing the collaborative exercises I have noticed that the decision- making process which included deciding what information to include for the outcome of each group was a political process (Pettigrew, 1973 Readings for Block 3, p. 246). Political behaviour has been defined as behaviour of individuals, or in collective terms; by sub-units, within an organisation that makes a claim against the resource-sharing system of the organisation (Readings for Block 3, p. 247) or in this case the group. It was decided within the groups which individuals will take on which roles such as editor, project manager and project chaser etc. The groups were then divided into sub-groups which had specialized tasks which are interdependent for the outcome. I have noticed power conflicts within the groups due to the perception of interdependence (Thompson, 1961- Readings for Block 3, p. 248) of resources for the final outcome. This was when each sub-groups’ contribution was collaborated for the final outcome, as it seemed to be influenced by the editor or project manager exercising authority over what information to use (Talcott Parsons – Readings Block 3, p. 249) . This shows that the decision making process deviates from the proposed rational model of decision making, I therefore agree with Simon’s (1979, Block 3, p. 261) assumption of ‘bounded rationality’ and ‘satisficing’ (Block 3, p. 262) for the decision making process of the groups. Group B agreed that the final wiki should be checked by Nadia and I did not ag