Homelessness, Housing And Or Child Welfare - 1313 Words

Do you have at least 5 years Human Services experience in the areas of homelessness, housing and/or child welfare? Yes No *2. Tell us about your experience in Human Services, in each of the areas below: (a) homelessness (b) housing (c) child welfare (d) racial equity (if any) (a) homelessness - I’ve worked serving the homeless in many capacities that encompass my experiences a Social Worker, a Volunteer Guardian ad Litem (VGAL), and a Volunteer at Teen Hope. I’ve also frequently work serving the homeless by distributing clothing donations at Seattle’s Outdoor Meal Site on the corner of 6th Ave Columbia St. (b) housing - I’ve performed outreach, advocated, and assisted in locating suitable housing for case participants as a Social Worker, a Volunteer Guardian ad Litem, and Volunteer at Teen Hope. (c) child welfare - Previously as a Volunteer Guardian ad Litem, I served as a legal court-appointed Special Advocate on behalf of foster children in cases of child neglect. My duties included, but were not limited to working with a team of caseworkers and investigators conducting research and analysis to advocate for case participants needs. Recently I’ve obtained position with the State of Washington as a Social Worker for the Child Protective Services Division investigating complaints and supervising children awaiting placement. (d) racial equity (if any) – Although I do not have any direct experience in Racial Equity promotion, I believe institutionalShow MoreRelatedEssay about Homeless Children In America1111 Words   |  5 Pagesgrowing age groups of homelessness. Single women with children represent the fastest growing group of homeless, accounting for about 40% of the people that are becoming homeless today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children that are homeless can become this way for a variety of reasons. Youth can be on their own, with no permanent residence or even usual place to sleep. They could have also been separated from their own homeless parents and placed in foster care or living with some of their relatives. A child could be part ofRead MoreWelfare Reforms During The Uk s Largest Hostel For Homeless Young People1603 Words   |  7 Pagessingle mothers, including eight expectant mothers and twenty-three children living in the UK’s largest hostel for homeless young people in London may have to be re-housed as a result of welfare reforms. It has been described as one of the largest displacements of vulnerable people since the coalition government’s welfare reforms began. The mothers have been told they may possibly be re-housed as far as Manchester, Birmingham and Hastings, which is not anywhere where they are familiar. Newham CouncilRead MoreThe Effects of Homlessness Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesemotional problems. homeless children have a higher rate of learning disabilities than children that are not homeless and sadly these homeless children and their families have experienced violence in many forms starting at a young age. the burden of homelessness on a family has led to total break down of the family unit. Homeless Families with children have experienced ,frequent moves , separation and foster care, poor health, inadequate education, development delays,exposure to Violence, and being stereotypedRead MoreHomelessness1688 Words   |  7 PagesCauses of Homelessness in America Homelessness is an ongoing problem for our society. Every day we come to terms with the effects of it, but what about the causes? By definition, a person who is homeless lives in public. The lack and destruction of federal housing programs and increasing rents forced those who are homeless to do in public what everyone prefers to do in private. According to the website, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, the Low Income Housing Information ServiceRead MoreHomelessness : The Current Social Welfare Issue1339 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Welfare Issue: Homelessness Written by: Laura Westra The current social welfare issue that I chose to explore is homelessness within Canada. First, this essay will give a brief description of homelessness. Secondly, it will describe how homelessness relates to some concepts and theories that we learned in this course Introduction to Social Welfare, it will also look at what may have happened to people facing homelessness one hundred years ago, next we will explore a possible solution to thisRead MoreWhat Causes Homelessness? The United States Of America884 Words   |  4 Pagescauses homelessness? Homelessness is a major problem in the United States of America. Homelessness is a state in which people do not have a place to stay in for a period of time and are always spending their time on the streets. From a teenage eluding a bad environment, to an elderly citizen on a fine tuned income that is not enough to cover a rent or the tax increase, to a child whose parents lost their job out of nowhere and became unemployed are what leads to homelessness (â€Å"Homelessness ResourceRead MoreHomelessness : Homeless People Are Homeless Essay1381 Words   |  6 PagesFighting Homelessness Together â€Å"Homeless people are homeless because they are too lazy to pull themselves out of it.† Unfortunately, this type of misperception all too often creates negative attitudes when it comes to understanding homelessness. Admittedly, for some, homelessness is a lifestyle choice; however, the current system presents many barriers for many homeless people that desire a home, employment, and community. Since 2011, Houston has reduced its homeless population by 57 percent; butRead MoreYouth Among The Homeless Essay1118 Words   |  5 Pages Homelessness is all around the world, and many people have either dealt with the issue or had first-hand experience with it. Thus causes everyone to think about the possible solutions to such an important social and economic problem. Whether or not anyone wants to support or ignore the issue, it will always be there. However, the youth population is on the rise among the homeless. While the exact number of youth among the homeless is hard to determine, given various information about homelessnessRead MoreSocial Problem Homelessness1065 Words   |  5 PagesApplication Social Problem Research: Homelessness Homelessness is becoming a major social issue in the United States, with many poor families and young people ending up in the street because of several reasons. This condition is leaving many people helpless in the streets and the number keep on rising on a daily basis. Cities like Detroit and New York are among the most populous with poor families and homeless people, making it important for government and other social agencies to find urgent solutionRead MoreHomelessness As Positively Affected by the McKinney Act1436 Words   |  6 PagesPolicies Implemented For Homeless Many social welfare policies have been put into place throughout the course of history to attempt to deal with the ever present problem of homelessness. Starting at the first widespread attempt by the government with the implementation of the Elizabethan Poor Law, which placed the plight of the poor into the realm of responsibilities of the community; and serves as the very basis for our notion today of what welfare should be. It set apart the worthy and those deemed

How Insulin Helps Maintain Blood Levels Essay - 1351 Words

My report is about Insulin and if a person intakes too much would it create type 2 diabetes. As most information on Type 2 Diabetes states that insulin helps maintain blood levels that are high in glucose and that an overdose can create dangerously low glucose levels in your blood (hypoglycemia). But can it also create Type 2 Diabetes if a person intakes too much insulin. This report will show how insulin can create Type 2 Diabetes by intaking too much insulin. Type 2 Diabetes in New Zealand is increasing yearly and has over 156,000 people diagnosed with this chronic sickness. And this is caused by New Zealanders eating too much junk food and doing no physical activity. This then results to obesity, and as many states obesity is one of the most common conditions that can develop Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is an issue because even though you re obese, you are most likely to get Type 2 Diabetes and this makes your life span shorter. In New Zealand we already have too many deaths yearly and around 2,500 of those deaths are produced by Type 2 Diabetes. New Zealand has an o verwhelming number of people that have Type 2 Diabetes, would that also be the number of deaths in New Zealand. Type 2 Diabetes is when the body is not creating enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels at a maintained level. Tissue cells from muscle, fat and the liver are all created to take glucose out of the blood and pull it into the cells and produce it into energy. These cells require insulinShow MoreRelatedThe Prevalence Of Gestational Diabetes1223 Words   |  5 Pageshigh blood glucose levels during pregnancy to get gestational diabetes. There is a process in which the baby has to go through inside their mother’s womb. The placenta is what supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother s insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance  makes it hard for the mother s body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much  insulin. GestationalRead MoreThe Endocrine Part Of The Pancreas1609 Words   |  7 PagesLangerhans). Insulin and glucago n are hormones secreted by islet cells of the pancreas. Both of these hormones are secreted depending on the blood glucose levels. Alpha cells of the pancreatic islets secrete glucagon and beta cells of the pancreatic islets secrete insulin (Marieb, 2012). Insulin and glucagon are equally vital in managing blood glucose, making sure the body functions well. Glucose, which comes from the food we eat, is important for every body system. A decline in the blood glucose levelRead MoreHomeostasis Biology 91604 (3.4B). †¢Describe The Purpose1604 Words   |  7 PagesBiology 91604 (3.4B) †¢ Describe the purpose of the homeostatic system The definition of homeostasis: â€Å"Homeostasis involves a control system by which an animal maintains a stable internal environment, despite fluctuations in their environment.† Purpose of homeostasis according to referenced website: â€Å"The purpose of homeostasis is to maintain a normal balance throughout the body in regards to: temperature, salt concentration, water concentration and food intake. The human body has very little roomRead MoreDiabetes Mellitus : An Autoimmune Disease1238 Words   |  5 Pages Diabetes or as doctors would refer by as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has a high blood glucose level (above 110 mg/dL) because insulin production is inadequate, the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin or even both. Diabetes mellitus is also a contributing factor of development of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, renal failure, blindness, and stroke as individuals’ age. There are 3 different types of diabetes mellitus, type 1diabetes mellitusRead More Diabetes Mellitus Essay examples1745 Words   |  7 Pagescondition in which the body either fails to produce the amount of insulin needed or it responds inadequately to the insulin secreted by the pancreas. The three primary types of diabetes are: Diabetes Type 1 and 2, and during some pregnancies, Gestational diabetes. The clichà © for all three types of diabetes is high glucose blood levels or hyperglycemia. The pathophysiology of all types of diabetes mellitus is related to the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas. This hormoneRead MoreHealth Complication Of A Diabetic Patient1104 Words   |  5 Pagesto our body if not consumed adequately. One must maintain a healthy diet in order to be less likely to access a health complication. Some illness/diseases are simply just genetics and unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease. When someone is diagnosed with a certain illness/disease they must follow certain diets and have more precautions of the food and drinks they intake. Keeping an activity level in one’s life is also important to help the body control the disease or illness, this isRead MoreDiabetes Assignment1542 Words   |  7 Pages2 diabetes mellitus is the result of the pancreas being unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin and the resistance of cells to insulin. This results in glucose remaining in the blood and not being taken up by the cells leading to hyperglycemia. Because of insulin’s role in the stimulation of the synthesis of protein and the storage of fatty acids in adipose tissue, inadequate amounts of insulin also reduces nutrients that are essential for fuel and storage being accessed by tissues. BetaRead MoreDiabetes Mellitus : An Autoimmune Disease1261 Words   |  6 PagesDiabetes or as doctors would refer by as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has a high blood glucose level above 110 mg/dL because insulin production is inadequate, the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin or even both. Diabetes mellitus is also a contributing factor of development of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, renal failure, blindness, and stroke as individuals’ age. There are 3 different types of diabetes mellitus, type 1diabetes mellitusRead MoreDiabetes Mellitus Type 1 And Type 21675 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels† (p.1). There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Insulin management is needed for type 1 diabetes, because it is an autoimmune disease. Diabetes Mellitus typeRead More Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels Essays1440 Words   |  6 Pages Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels Maintaining normal blood glucose levels greatly reduces the risk of experiencing complications due to diabetes. Whether an individual has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, regular use of a glucose monitor to determine blood sugar levels will help determine what adjustments to diet, oral medications, or insulin injections may be necessary to achieve good control. Whats Glucose? Glucose is a simple form of sugar. Dextrose, fructose, sucrose

Liquidation for Changing Face of Accountability- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theLiquidation for Changing Face of Accountability. Answer: Introduction Liquidation its basics Liquidation may be defined as the process by the company shut down its business and operations and sell off its assets in the market for cash and paying the creditors out of it. There can be multiple reasons for the same, some of which are voluntary liquidation and on being ordered by the court to do so. The court generally does so when the company has not been able to meet its debt obligations and is bankrupt or the creditors demand so on foreseeing the future of the company. It marks the end of the going concern status of the company and there are various laws and regulations which have been laid down to guide the overall procedure of liquidation (Alexander, 2016). It affects all the given stakeholders of the company and especially the shareholders. The official liquidator is appointed for giving effect to the liquidation process and in some case personal assets of the management may also be held for meeting off the liabilities of the company. The company should avoid liquidation t o the maximum extent as it marks the end of the company. Liquidation is also called winding up and in case the company is running into losses, the the directors on their own can call for the liquidation of the company. There can be various other reasons as well like business started for illegal purposes or wrong reasons, or fraudulent financial practices or the location is not right or the working capital is not adequate for the business to operate (Bizfluent, 2017). Non-compliance with the law and following unethical ways of doing business can also be one of the reasons. The same has been explained below with the help of examples. The case of liquidation: ABC learning, One Tel Phone company and HIH Insurance ABC learning was known for providing quality child education in Australia in the recent past. It has a number of primary and secondary education centres across cities of Australia and was earning with good profit margins. The company also got listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in the year 2000 with the market capitalization of 2.5 billion dollars which was staggering at that point of time. The new auditor took over in 2000 and it was discovered that the company was involved in a number of malpractices and ethical issues due to which it had to liquidate (Bromwich Scapens, 2016). The company has huge debt and wasnt able to pay the same on time due to which investors went into widespread losses. Auditors were held responsible as they didnt highlight the accounting discrepancies to the investors and ultimately the company had to liquidate in 2008. In 2009, it was taken over by Goodyear Early Leaning which is now operating in Australia with 650 centres. Liquidation happened as the c ompany was not able to pay off its debt to creditors and in the presence of material misstatements the auditors denied signing the audit report of the company and demanded the recasting / re-preparation of the same (Chron, 2017). The company expanded heavily in 2000s so much so that 2300 centres were opened and it acquired almost 1% of the US market, made some major acquisitions and profit shoot to 15-20% in 2004. However, besides this the debts of company also increased to all time high which company could never pay and thereby its share prices crashed by more than 40% in 2007. This also resulted in SP removing the listing status of the company (Defond Lennox, 2017). Many reasons cumulatively were responsible for the collapse and liquidation of ABC learning but some of the major reasons include incorrect valuation in the balance sheet, disclosure of price sensitive information, wrong and unethical practices being followed and corporate governance being overturned. Poor internal control and lack of due diligence by the internal management on the acquisitions being made also resulted in outflows of million dollars which should never have been in actual scenario (Dichev, 2017). All this proved that the acquisitions were never analysed from future economic benefit scenario and was just a rubber and stamping activity on the legal papers. One such example was payment of $ 70 Mn for an acquisition whose actual worth was about $ 30 Mn which shows excessive payment made in various scenarios by the company. One another company is One tel which is widely known in Australia for the telecommunication services being offered including the mobile, internet services, and other information system services. It is famous amongst the youth and serves 2 million people across 8 nations (Farmer, 2018). This company was again liquidated due to non-competitive management who did not showed the true position of the profit and loss in its financial statements and was also involved in the unethical practices. The company also had weak internal control and thereby the liquidation was effected due to wrong flow of information with respect to expected profits in the future, thereby overstating the profit figures. The company was in the booming mode from 1997 to 2000 having a rise in the sales by 127% , 40%, 57% and 100% respectively due to which the company gave false expectations. But in reality it couldnt achieve that much and ended with having huge debts and payables on the balance sheet. It also purchase d additional spectrum licenses which were not required and it was out of funding from public and government. It then suffered heavily and incurred losses of $ 291 Mn due to which share prices fell below $ 1 (Flix, 2017). In spite of losses, the directors of the company were paid huge bonus and salaries which had put additional pressure on cash reserves and hence cash balances became negative and to pay off its debts, the company had to close its operations, sell off its assets and lay off employees ultimately leading to liquidation in 2001. Two major reasons of liquidation was corporate governance regulations not being followed and overstating of the profit and loss account which even the auditors of the company missed out. The 3rd major case of liquidation happened with HIH insurance company which was the 2nd largest in Australia at that time when it had to liquidate because of the huge losses that it incurred. The loss amounted to $ 5.3 Bn which is still one of the largest in Australia. The major reason of liquidation is supposed to be inflated valuation of the acquisition (FAI) made by the company due to aggressive accounting techniques being followed in the company (Goldmann, 2016). Besides this the company also paid a huge amount to its CEO as the severance package when he decided to quit the company an year ago before liquidation. All this impacted the construction and housing industry which was multiplied due to the wrong accounting techniques and wrong disclosures of the facts and figures by the company in the financial statements (Sithole, et al., 2017). For example, in case of acquisition of CE Health international, the liabilities and reserves were shown to be understated and later it resulte d in destruction of wealth rather than creation of the same. Here also, acquisitions were made without proper due diligence and same resulted in increasing the quantum of losses from $ 100 MN to $ 300 MN, which were later on not disclosed to the public. Hence, it can be said that here too non-compliance of corporate governance resulted in liquidation (Linden Freeman, 2017). Conclusion From the above discussion and examples, various reasons of liquidation could be established, the major of which was company not being able to manage its operation properly, wrong reporting of the facts and figures in the financial statements, non-compliance of corporate governance, fraudulent accounting techniques and over inflated valuations and acquisitions without due diligence. ABC learning liquidated because a loss making company was being casted as a profit making through falsified means and the management as well as the auditors were not efficient enough to identify the frauds and errors and thereby projecting the same before public and investors. In view of all this, regulatory authorities have provided for strict laws and rules for liquidation so as to avoid false and unethical means by the company where the investors would be on the losing side. From all the above cases, it can be seen how important the role of auditor is in giving the reasonable assurance to the investors regarding the true and fair view of accounts. Recommendations The companies which are being liquidated are not small ones but multinationals and they need to understand that there are major impacts of liquidations, not only the company is closing but people are losing jobs, investors are losing funds and above all, country is losing a major share of GDP and growth. To avoid this, government has come out with the number of laws and regulations so that the stakeholders are not impacted much due to the liquidation of the company. To improve the situation and avoid liquidation, the management should assume responsibility and should take the ownership of the accounts, they need to ethical and practice corporate governance in the work done. This will contribute to the development of the company as well the global growth. References Alexander, F., 2016. The Changing Face of Accountability. The Journal of Higher Education, 71(4), pp. 411-431. Bizfluent, 2017. Advantages Disadvantages of Internal Control. [Online] Available at: https://bizfluent.com/info-8064250-advantages-disadvantages-internal-control.html [Accessed 07 december 2017]. Bromwich, M. Scapens, R., 2016. Management Accounting Research: 25 years on. Management Accounting Research, Volume 31, pp. 1-9. Chron, 2017. five-common-features-internal-control-system-business. [Online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-common-features-internal-control-system-business-430.html [Accessed 07 december 2017]. Defond, M. Lennox, C., 2017. Do PCAOB Inspections Improve the Quality of Internal Control Audits?. Journal of Accounting Research, 55(3), pp. 591-627. Dichev, I., 2017. On the conceptual foundations of financial reporting. Accounting and Business Research, 47(6), pp. 617-632. Farmer, Y., 2018. Ethical Decision Making and Reputation Management in Public Relations. Journal of Media Ethics, pp. 1-12. Flix, M., 2017. A study on the expected impact of IFRS 17 on the transparency of financial statements of insurance companies. MASTER THESIS, pp. 1-69. Goldmann, K., 2016. Financial Liquidity and Profitability Management in Practice of Polish Business. Financial Environment and Business Development, Volume 4, pp. 103-112. Linden, B. Freeman, R., 2017. Profit and Other Values: Thick Evaluation in Decision Making. Business Ethics Quarterly, 27(3), pp. 353-379. Sithole, S., Chandler, P., Abeysekera, I. Paas, F., 2017. Benefits of guided self-management of attention on learning accounting. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(2), p. 220.

American Hero Essay Example For Students

American Hero Essay Every child has fantasys of being a super hero and leaping tall buildings in a single bound or staring death in the face everyday and somehow finding a way to escape. All of these imaginative thoughts have been derived from the past literary works by the great writers of the early American literary period. These early writers entered society into a world of action and adventure, where one can see spectacular events unfolding through the eyes of a notorious man of courage and feel as though they are defending there country or saving the woman they love. Though the modern heroes are much more popular than classic American heroes, the modern hero has rooted from these same literary works which once amazed people in the days of old. Because of its popularity, the public pores into movie theaters to see movie-remakes of renown literary works. Natty Bumppo was the first true recognizable American hero. He was looked up to by the masses and is still a popular symbol of the classic hero. Just as Natty Bumppo was the popular hero of his time, Indiana Jones is still the favorite of millions today. Indiana has overshadowed Nattys success but still contains many of his attributes. The characteristics of the American hero are similar in both Indiana Jones and Natty Bumppo. An American novelist, travel writer, and social critic, James Fenimore Cooper is regarded as the first great American writer Groliers NP. Cooper began writing at age thirty to demonstrate to his wife that he could write a better novel than the one he was reading to her Encarta NP. In proving this he soon became one of the most successful writers of his time. He was famed for his action-packed plots and his vivid, if somewhat idealized, portrayal of American life in the forest and at sea. He is most noted for the writings of the Leatherstocking Tales. The Leatherstocking Tales are a series of five novels that constitute an epic of the American wilderness. In these novels, Cooper introduces Natty Bumppo, the central character, who embodies the spirit of the frontier in The deerslayer, The Prairie, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, and The Pioneers. Groliers Over the years Natty Bumppo has been looked up to by many because of his bravery, honesty, and his will to help people in a time of need. Readers have watched grow and mature as though they were with him the whole time. In The Deerslayer, Natty is seen as and idealized youth. Natty is later seen wondering through the forest and lonely waters and is confronted by hunters, Indians, and the hostile Europeans Groliers NP. This is an example of Natty encountering physical danger. This wilderness scout is the first of his kind in American literature and was seen nowhere before by the American readers. This novel allowed the readers to enter a world where they could relive the Revolutionary War, Indian wars, and battles on the frontier. After The Deer Slayer, Natty Bumppo is seen in The Last of the Mohicans. In this novel, Natty is called Hawkeye because of his ties to the Mohicans. Indians of this time were looked upon as savages, but Natty has taken unto himself the best of both civilization and so-called savagery Cliff Notes 11. Because he made peace with the Indians, he had a mysterious and dangerous quality in the eyes of the reader. In this novel Natty has many close native companions to join him in his endeavors on the frontier. During the French and Indian Wars, The Legendary woodsman, Natty Bumppo, is know by another famous aliass, The Pathfinder. His companions in this story is his adoptive Indian father, Chingachgook and the beautiful, Mabel Dunham. They become involved in an attempt to rescue a besieged British fort where he faces danger many times. Eonline The last novel of the Leatherstocking Tales Natty appears in is The Prairie. Here Natty is viewed as a decrepit, old man. This is when the hero everyone once loved and admired becomes weak and helpless. As he is lying on his death bed many people from far and wide come to pay their respects to the honorable Natty Bumppo American Experience 194-202. Aliison from the Millers Tale Chauser EssayHe is asked by an art collector to search for the Holy Grail. He doesnt accept the offer until he finds that his father is missing while searching for the same artifact. Ebert NP Indy, again, puts his life in danger in an attempt to rescue his father. Indy finds himself trying to escape the long arms of the Nazis. The much-sought-after religious artifact is not easily found. When it is finally found its powers are a bit too much for those impure in heart. As expected, the Jones family and companions prevail in the end and ride off into the sunset together Ebert NP. Indy rescues his father and accomplishes his primary goal and then defeats evil by out smarting them and showing a pure heart. Again, Indiana is showing the attributes of an American hero. These films show a get deal of heroism by Indiana Jones by evading danger, finding trust in his faithful companions, being smarter than the enemy, and always ending well. The viewers are left with thoughts of bravery in themselves after reading the book or watching the movie. Though Indiana isnt faultless he is still portrayed as one of the greatest heroes of all time. These films allow viewers to fall into the story and feel as though they are there with Indiana. They are astonished by every escape that is made and every idea he conjures up. Each movie that Indiana Jones appears in grosses over $175,000,000 and is one the highest grossing films of all times. Proof that the public views Indiana as there favorite American hero. Natty Bumppo was viewed as the American hero of his time because of his acts of heroism by displaying bravery, never making a mistake, having a loyal companion, escaping physical danger, and always prevailing in the end. Indiana Jones also has many of these characteristics. Because of Indianas fear of snakes, he isnt faultless; and this fear inhibits him from giving a perfect performance. Ever since he was an adolescent, Indy has feared snakes. But, as he grew older, he must cross snake-infested tombs and forest. This quality is admired by the audience because Indy is seen as being imperfect. This appeals to the audience since they are imperfect as well and they can relate to his fears. The imperfection of Indiana makes the story all the more believable. In both novels, the characters are attempting to assist the same groups of people. In every Leatherstocking Tale, Natty either has a Native companion, or is trying to rescue them. In The Temple of Doom, Indiana agrees to help an Indian tribe rescue their children and retrieve their sacred jewel. Also, both characters are seen during there childhood. This gives explanations for some of the characteristics in both heroes. The Indiana Jones character faces danger much more often than does Natty Bumppo, which maybe a sign of what the future will bring. Since Indiana Jones, the heroes have become more action related and have had less emphasis on plot and story line. Seems the viewers and readers alike demand to see battles and wars which only show violence and the onslaught of evil in there heroic literature and movies. These stories and movies are becoming increasingly popular and, as shown in recent comic books and movies, the future of action literature seems to depict the American hero of the future as only muscles and a thirst for blood. Natty Bumppos and Indiana Joness characteristics are very similar. They both show incredible bravery by coming to the aid of strangers and friends when they are in grave danger. Both characters always have faithful companions who are with them throughout their journey. They always find a way out of danger by conjuring up the most effective plans for the situation at hand and in the end always escapes the villains. The heroes death is never caused by the enemy and the adventure always ends well. Though the future may bring a new breed of heroes to the public, Natty Bumppo and Indiana Jones will always be remembered, by all who may of read of them, as the true American heroes.

Project Management Failure Essay Example

Project Management Failure Paper PROJECT MANAGEMENT FAILURE: MAIN CAUSES by Soraya J. NetoAlvarez A Graduate Research Report Submitted for INSS 690 In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Management Information Systems ` Bowie State University Maryland in Europe March 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES CHAPTER I LITERATURE REVIEW Understanding Failure The Systems Failure Method II METHODOLOGY Sample Selection Procedure Limitations III PROJECT MANAGER (PM) CHALLENGES Managing People The Organizational Challenge Lack of Resources Lack of Clear Vision and Objectives Lack of Training Project Size Lack of User Involvement IV ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION V CONCLUSION RERERENCES APPENDICES A. Interview Protocol 1 1,2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5,6 7,8 9 9,10 10,11 11,12 12,13 13-15 16 17 18 18 iii iv II ABSTRACT In the business world, â€Å"problems† can be looked as opportunities to improve the processes that contribute to business objectives. Information Systems and Technology (IS/IT) play a very important role in the daily operations of most businesses; hence, the development of such systems has become very important. There are well known models designed to guide Project Managers throughout the development and successful completion of these projects. However, many IS/IT projects continue being reported as â€Å"failures†. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management Failure specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management Failure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management Failure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Studies suggest that a great deal of responsibility lies on Project Managers who need to focus on their interpersonal skills to get people to accomplish the work. Nevertheless, technical skills play a very important role in project development; learning from hard lessons can avoid repeating mistakes as well as developing tools for analyzing, predicting, and taking actions to prevent failure. III LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Page Chart 1 – Major Causes of Project Failure Chart 2 – General Dynamics Partial Organizational Structure Chart 3 – Success by Project Size Table 1 – Common Causes for Project Failure 6 8 12 13 IV CHAPTER ONE LITERATURE REVIEW Information systems projects continue to fail at an alarming rate, according to a 2001 Standish Group study; only 16% of all projects are fully successful, 84% fail. Failed IT projects cost US companies an estimated $145 Billion per year causing serious business problems. Many research studies have been conducted to determine the reasons for project management failure. Project Managers (PMs) are usually held responsible for the success or failure of their projects; therefore, most studies revolve around PMs skills. The development and design of a project requires skills that range from soft people skills to sophisticated technical skills. This study looks at the main reasons for project failure, and analyzes whether they pertain to soft or hard skills. Before discussing the reason for project failure, it is important to define â€Å"failure† in the context of project management. Understanding Failure Failure does not always have to be negative; it can be a positive experience if the procedures involved in the failure are analyzed and corrected. If one does something always right, there is no opportunity for learning. Failure gives opportunity for learning from previous mistakes; therefore, improving the decision making process. â€Å"When one does something right, one only confirms what is already known: how to do it. A mistake is an indicator of a gap in one’s knowledge. Learning takes place when a mistake is identified, its procedures are identified and it is corrected† (Ackoff 1994). The idea is to take advantage of the failure and turn the negative feeling around by analyzing what went wrong and 1 correcting it for future times. In project management, a project is onsidered â€Å"failure† when results don’t match initial objectives; common reasons for project failure are budget overruns and time overruns. Understanding why projects are not completed on time and/or go over budget can help correct the problem. For instance, a recent study conducted by Spikes Cavell (Lytinen 1999) shows that a successful practice to overcome time overruns is implementing meeting miles tones. Analyzing failure is not always that intuitive, so PMs are starting to apply the system failures method to information systems analysis to prevent project failures. The Systems Failure Method The aim of the Failures Method is to investigate some identified failure to learn what aspects of the situation may have led to the failure occurring. The investigation consists of comparing â€Å"ideal† models against the real-life failure situation. This comparison is expected to reveal discrepancies between the two, highlighting areas of concern. These discrepancies can then be interpreted in relation to the failure situation and conclusions can be drawn. (West 1998) Investigating whether failures can be avoided, or reduced by some degree, is certainly a worthwhile effort. Studies suggest that most IS project disasters are avoidable (Heekens 2002). Many times, warning signals occur long before an information systems project has begun to fail. History has shown that software projects are far more likely to be successful if they are highly focused and built upon well-understood technology (Heekens 2002). 2 CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY This study was designed to identify the main causes for project failure. Interviews with Project Managers from General Dynamics Systems Integration Management Office (SIMO) were conducted. Data gathered from interviews was analyzed and corroborated with previous surveys and case studies on project failure. Sample Selection In order to find out common reasons for IS/IT projects failure, Project Managers from the SIMO office were interviewed. Participants were composed from a diverse socioeconomic background including Black, Hispanic, and White. Their ages ranged from 30 – 55 years old. Each participant had at least five or more year’s experience in his or her profession. Procedure The interviews took place during August – September 2002. The interviews were conducted in person during lunch breaks. Project Managers were given a survey (shown in Appendix A), and asked to list the main reasons for project management failure. Later individual appointments were scheduled to discuss answers in more detail. Results were then combined and analyzed. A table containing the most frequent causes for project failure was produced (See Table 1 Discussion Section). The table serves as a discussion tool, and it shows the type of skills (soft or hard) related to the reason for failure. Common reasons for project management failure are discussed and analyzed in detail. Discussion points are reinforced with statistical data. Limitations Unfortunately General Dynamics does not require Project Managers to have any type of formal Project Management training, so most PMs have little knowledge of Project development techniques and models. General Dynamics’ main customer is the US Armed Forces; therefore some requirements are unique. A larger sample is required to include other companies that have customers from different industries. Farther research could include companies from other countries as well. 4 CHAPTER THREE PROJECT MANAGER (PM) CHALLENGES Managing people Managing a project is not just about accomplishing tasks, but getting people to accomplish the work. One of the major challenges for a Project Manager (PM) is managing people. Most Project Managers have the technical skills required to manage a particular project, but not everyone has the interpersonal skills required to manage people successfully. A PM has to communicate with people inside and outside the organization, and be able to speak their languages. When dealing with top management and stakeholders, the PM should address how the system will contribute to business objectives, and highlight initial investment and return on investments figures. They want to hear the project in terms of profits to the company. Their reason for launching a project is to make money or to save money, so the PM should focus on the financial aspect of the project. When dealing with team members, the PM is esponsible for fostering teamwork. Usually the team consists of people from different departments who have their own priorities, and departmental interests. The PM faces the challenge of getting team members to share a common objective and focus on what is best for the project itself and not each individual department. For a project to be successful, everyone should pull in the same direction and towards the same vision. According to Fortune (1 997) â€Å"You don’t get people to buy into a vision, you get them to enroll†. Once again, it is on the 5 PM to inspire team members to take ownership of the project and do their best to lead the project to a successful completion. When dealing with engineers, scientists, and computer experts, it is crucial for the PM to remain focused on the business objectives. It is very easy to lean towards the state of the art technology, even if it does not add value to the business. The PM has to look at the system technology from the business perspective. If it does not contribute to the efficiency of business processes, there is no need to spend the extra money. In 1998, the French computer manufacturer and systems integrator, BULL, contracted an independent research company to conduct a survey in the UK to identify the major causes of IT project failure in the finance sector (Linberg 1999). Interestingly enough the survey reveals the major causes of project failure during the lifecycle of the project are a breakdown in communications (57%), a lack of planning (39%) and poor quality control (35%). See Chart 1. Chart 1 6 The Organizational Challenge Most companies have some type of hierarchical organization, which may undermine the authority of Project Managers (PMs). For instance, having PMs report to a section leader, who is under a team chief who reports to a department manager who also reports to someone higher, may delay communication among team members from different departments. Ideally, PMs should be able to control the company’s resources needed to accomplish their projects, and directly supervise their teams. Unfortunately, in the real world PMs have little or no authority, so they have to rely on the official process for communicating their needs across the organization. This cross-organizational communication can result in delaying project tasks, which can ultimately bring the project to failure. The field study conducted in the General Dynamics Systems Integration Management Office (SIMO), Project Managers were asked to give the most common reasons for project failure. Survey results indicated that 75 percent of Project Managers are unhappy with the current structure of the company, and list it as the top reason for not accomplishing their projects on time. General Dynamics is broken down into departments; each department has its own manager, and the department is further broken down into sections managed by section supervisors. See Chart 2. 7 Site Manager IT Manager Engineers Dept. Training Division Personnel Manager Acquisitions Systems Integration Office Chief Project Manager Project Manager Project Manager Project Manager Chart 2 General Dynamics Partial Organization Structure The System Integration Management Office (SIMO) has a team chief who is responsible for communicating with other sections and departments. When interviewed Project Managers pointed out the inefficiency of going through the team chief to coordinate tasks with other departments. As Project Managers, they believe that a flat organization would be the ideal because they would have the authority to contact other key players themselves. By coordinating the tasks themselves, they increase the accuracy of the information, and make changes in the schedule as needed. More than 50 percent of General Dynamics Project Managers attribute the success of their projects to the good personal relationships at work. In most cases, they don’t follow official communication channels. They establish good relationships with people from other departments, and approach them directly whenever they need to get the job done. This shows the importance of good interpersonal skills, but also reiterates the need for an organization structure that facilitates communication across the company. Lack of Resources Project managers face the challenge of coordinating the use of valuable resources when other people seem to have higher priorities. Not having control 8 ver resources can cause the project to fall behind schedule and subsequently to fail. A survey conducted by IT Cortex (Lytinen 1999), on â€Å"Reasons for Project Impaired Factors† conducted among 365 IT managers from companies of various size and in various economic sectors showed that lack of resources is one of the main reasons for project failure followed by lack of executive support. It is interesting to point out that lack of IT manag ement and technology illiteracy was at the bottom of the list, showing soft skills superceding technical skills. When competing for resources it is important to document the days and times resources are available, and try to accommodate the needs of the project during these times. Organizational skills play a very important role in managing resources successfully. Lack of Clear Vision and Objectives Not understanding the true needs of the company can prompt supervisors and project mangers to jump to a quick solution, decreasing the chances for selecting the best solution. Solution jumping can take place in the department where the problem/opportunity is identified, or by the Project Manager himself/herself. An example of a department jumping-solution is when instead of describing the problem, a solution is drafted and turned into a project requirement. For instance in a manufacturing company, the head of the production department requests to start up a project for the creation of an additional production line to meet customers’ demands. Once the PM starts identifying the true needs, he/she realizes that the real problem lies in the existing production lines that are not performing at optimal levels. In this case, 9 the real need and perhaps the best solution to the problem is to focus on the other production lines first. Sometimes the PM feels the pressure to get the project started right away without understanding the true needs of the company. Without this true understanding, it is very difficult to select the best solution to the problem. General Dynamics ensures its PM’s are familiar with the company’s needs by holding weekly meetings to discuss and debate new and ongoing projects, increasing the odds for selecting the best solution, and keeping projects on schedule (Heekens 2002). Banco Itamarati, a privately held Brazilian bank, attributes the success of its IT project to clear vision and documented specific objectives. The company produced an annual net profit growth of 51% and moved from 47the to 15th place in the Brazilian banking industry (West 1998). Lack of Training – The â€Å"Accidental Project Manager† Phenomenon Researchers at Athabasca University’s Centre for Innovative Management in Alberta, Canada, conducted a global online study on project failure. As part of the study, a large-scale online survey was posted to key websites on the Internet and distributed via e-mail to 40,000 executives, project personnel, and consultants involved in managing or directing public and private sector projects. The researchers received 3,156 responses (7. % response rate). Results indicated that project failure dominates all sectors, and more than half of PMs have little or no formal training to deal with the complexities of today’s projects. (Res 2001) In addition, the study indicated that company executives continue to underfund project management; they view the job of a Proje ct Management as 10 an add-on to an employee’s job description, thus creating â€Å"Accidental Project Managers. † Furthermore, 75 percent reported that projects consistently came in late and over budget, and that management tools, techniques, and methodologies were rarely applied to projects. Project Size A research study conducted by the Standish Group in shows that small projects are more likely to succeed than large projects. Typically, as project size increases, cost increases as well, and its chances of success decreases. Extra features and functions may decrease the likelihood of success. Results show that projects costing less than $750 K had a success rate of 55% while projects budgeted over $6M were successful only 8% of the time (See Chart 3). Some IS projects should be segmented into smaller subprojects to increase the likelihood of success. Pilots can be used in this case as relatively inexpensive methods to provide a â€Å"proof of concept† for an application before additional resources are allocated. This is especially useful when it comes to the use of new technology. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is using a new technology on a highly visible and large project. A $100 million project should not be started with any technology unless a $10 million project has used it first, and a $10 million project should not be conducted until a $1million project has been completed (Glass 1998). New technology is notorious for having software bugs. Big projects should be broken down into small, low visibility projects, where problems are easier to address before it is unleashed on a larger project. 11 Success by Project Size Over $10M $6M to $10M $3M to $6M $1. 5M to $3M $750K to $ 1. 5M Less than $750K 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 0% 8% 15% 25% 33% 55% 60% Chart 3 Lack of User Involvement A Standish Group survey (2001) shows user involvement as the number one reason for successful projects followed by executive management support, and a clear statement of requirements. One of the participants in this survey was the IT executive manager from a Hyatt Hotel. Hyatt implemented a system that allows customers to dial from a cellular airplane telephone at 35,000 feet, and check into your Hyatt room, schedule the courtesy bus for pick up, and have the keys to the room waiting at the express desk. This new reservation system was ahead of schedule, under budget, with extra features. Hyatt had all the right ingredients for success starting with user involvement, management support, clear requirements, proper planning, and small project milestones. 12 CHAPTER FOUR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION The results of compiling the main reasons for project failure from different surveys and case studies are hown in Table 1. Although no percentages are shown, the reasons are prioritized from most common to less common. It is also indicated whether they pertain to soft skills or technical knowledge. As shown in Table 1, the top two most common reasons for failure pertain to soft skills (lack of user involvement, and lack of management support), but there is also a good balance of soft skills and technical knowledge. This shows that both are important, and one cannot focus just on the soft skills or the technical knowledge. Managing projects is not all science. Project management involves working with people, and getting people to accomplish the work. Common Reasons for Failure Lack of User Involvement Organizational Structure/Lack of Mgmt Support Lack of clear vision Unable to Manage Team Unable to Cope with Project Size Lack of Training Lack of Resources X X X X X Soft Skills X X X Technical Knowledge Table 1 Common Causes for Project Failure From Most Common to Less Common 13 Lack of user involvement deals mainly with soft skills because the Project Manager needs to schedule appointments to interview users, and get them to buy into the project. Sometimes project mangers can face resistance from users who do not like change. PMs have to use their interpersonal skills to assure users that they will benefit from the new system. In addition, it is important to make the users feel they are part of the project and their input is highly valuable for the overall success of the project. Organizational structure/lack of management support also deals with soft skills because Project Managers need to adjust to the company structure, and be able to find effective channels of communication. In order to get all the key players involved, project mangers need top management support to schedule meetings, and to use the company’s resources. Lack of clear vision deals more with critical and analytical skills; the Project Manager is expected to understand project requirements, and convey these to the rest of the team. It is important to grasp the true needs of the company and to ensure that the project meets the business objectives. Unable to manage team deals with soft skills since Project Managers are in charge of getting the teams together and motivating every member to excel within the project. Unable to cope with project size deals with technical knowledge and the ability to break complicated tasks into smaller manageable modules. Complex projects can be compared to math problems; solving complicated math problems requires breaking the problem down into small pieces, and solving it step-by-step. 14 Lack of training deals mainly with technical knowledge; Project Managers need to understand different models used for developing and designing systems; recurrent training is also important due to fast technological advances; knowledge of management tools is necessary to facilitate planning and tracking of project tasks. Lack of resources can require both soft skills and knowledge of the systems. Competing for resources requires coordination with other users. This coordination can be accomplished by communicating the project needs well in advance. Scheduling resources also requires technical knowledge to know which resources are needed and when they can afford to go offline without inconveniencing other users. 15 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION A Project Manager is like a bridge that links key pieces together, and in order to reach pieces effectively he/she needs to have a balance of soft skills and technical knowledge. Some pieces need to be handled with soft skills, especially those that depend heavily on people to accomplish the work. Other pieces need to be addressed logically and precisely, such as instructions given to programmers and engineers for system implementation. Project Managers need to be able to learn quickly and become familiar with the needs of the company and the business objectives. It is important for a Project Manager to keep a positive attitude even when projects fail or are cancelled. Failure should be seen as an opportunity to learn what went wrong and could go wrong again if not corrected. Project failure can ultimately lead to success if it provides insight, and encourages learning. According to an article in the Journal of Systems and Software (Lingberg 1999), struggle and challenge are part of the learning process. Many organizations have used an IS project failure as a method to improve the next version of software or on a completely different project. The key point to be made with this notion is: if you lose with an IS project, do not lose the lesson. Not every IS failure can be labeled as a â€Å"failure†, especially if lessons can be learned and applied. 6 REFERENCES Ackoff, R. L. , 1994, It’s a Mistake! Systems Practice, 7, 3-7. Fortune, J. , Peters, G. (1997). Learning from Failure: The Systems Approach John Wiley Sons, Inc. Heerkens, G. R. (2002). Project Management. New York: McGraw-Hill Lytinen, K. Robey, D. (1999). Learning Failure in Information Systems Development: Info Systems J. 9, 85-101 Linberg, K. (1999). Software Developer Perception s about Software Project Failure: a case study: Journal of Systems and Software, 49(2-3), 177-192 Parker, W. (2003). WorkStart Net: The Eight Keys to Project Management Failure. Retrieved March 2003, from WorkStar Web site: http://www. workstar. net/library/pm1. htm Results of World’s Largest Study on Project Management: Athabasca University Study Indicates High Rate on Project Failure and Accidental Managers in Today’s Organizations. (2001). Retrieved December 15, 2002, from Athabasca University Web site: http://www. athabascau. ca/media/mba_pm. html Ross, J. , Weill, P. (2002). Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn’t Make: Harvard Business Review, 80(11), 85-91. Satzinger J. , Jackson, R. , Burd S. (2000). Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World. Course Technology MA. Spot Light on PM Training: Global Study Cites Problem of â€Å"Accidental† Managers. (2001, December). PM Network: Project Manager, 15 (12), 8 The Standish Group Report Retrieved December 2002, from http://www. scs. carleton. ca/~beau/PM/Standish-Report. html West, D. (1998) The systems Failure Method and its Potential Use in Information Systems Analysis: Computing and Information Systems, 5, 135-38. Wiegers, K. (2003). Know Your Enemy: Software Risk Management. 1-9. 17 Appendix A Interview Protocol Project: Reasons for IS/IT Project Failure Time of Interview: Date: Interviewer: Interviewee: (Description of Project) Questions: 1. What is your professional background as Project Manager? 2. What is your educational background? 3. How many projects are you currently managing? 4. List the project management models/methods that you use to manage your projects 5. List the major challenges that you face as Project Manager to successfully complete your project. 18

Sun Tzu Biography

Sun Tzu Biography Sun Tzu and his Art of War are studied and quoted in military strategy courses and corporate boardrooms around the world. There’s just one problem – we aren’t sure that Sun Tzu actually existed! Certainly, someone wrote a book called The Art of War several centuries before the common era. That book has a singular voice, so it is likely the work of one author and not a compilation. That author also appears to have had significant practical experience leading troops into battle. For simplicity’s sake, we will call that author Sun Tzu. (The word Tzu is a title, equivalent to sir or master, rather than a name - this is the source of some of our uncertainty.) Traditional Accounts of Sun Tzu According to traditional accounts, Sun Tzu was born in 544 BCE, during the late Spring and Autumn Period of the Zhou Dynasty (722-481 BCE). Even the two oldest known sources about Sun Tzus life differ as to his place of birth, however. Qian Sima, in the Records of the Grand Historian, claims that Sun Tzu was from the Kingdom of Wu, a coastal state that controlled the mouth of the Yangtze River during the Spring and Autumn Period. In contrast, the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Lu Kingdom state that Sun Tzu was born in the State of Qi, a more northerly coastal kingdom located approximately in modern Shandong Province. From about the year 512 BCE, Sun Tzu served the Kingdom of Wu as an army general and strategist. His military successes inspired him to write The Art of War, which became popular with strategists from all seven rival kingdoms during the Warring States Period (475-221 BCE). Revised History Down through the centuries, Chinese and then also western historians have reconsidered Sima Qians dates for Sun Tzus life. Most agree that based on the specific words he uses, and the battlefield weapons such as crossbows, and the tactics he describes, The Art of War could not have been written as early as 500 BCE. In addition, army commanders during the Spring and Summer Period were generally the kings themselves or their close relatives - there were no professional generals, as Sun Tzu appears to have been, until the Warring States Period. On the other hand, Sun Tzu does not mention cavalry, which made its appearance in Chinese warfare around 320 BCE. It seems most likely, then, that The Art of War was written sometime between about 400 and 320 BCE. Sun Tzu probably was a Warring States Period general, active about one hundred or one hundred and fifty years after the dates given by Qian Sima. Sun Tzus Legacy Whoever he was, and whenever he wrote, Sun Tzu has had a profound influence on military thinkers over the past two thousand years and more. Tradition avers that the first emperor of unified China, Qin Shi Huangdi, relied on The Art of War as a strategic guide when he conquered the other warring states in 221 BCE. During the An Lushan Rebellion (755-763 CE) in Tang China, fleeing officials brought Sun Tzus book to Japan, where it greatly influenced samurai warfare. Japans three reunifiers, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, are said to have studied the book in the late sixteenth century. More recent students of Sun Tzus strategies have included the Union officers pictured here during the American Civil War (1861-65); Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong; Ho Chi Minh, who translated the book into Vietnamese; and US Army officer cadets at West Point to this day. Sources: Lu Buwei. The Annals of Lu Buwei, trans. John Knoblock and Jeffrey Riege, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000. Qian Sima. The Grand Scribes Records: The Memoirs of Han China, trans. Tsai Fa Cheng, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008. Sun Tzu. The Illustrated Art of War: The Definitive English Translation, trans. Samuel B. Griffith, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Formal Letter to the legislative representative Essay

Formal Letter to the legislative representative - Essay Example An earlier proposed bill in California also supported this bill and had a similar agenda to this bill. Following the rising reports published by the American Psychological Association, which determined that minors were accessing conversion therapies in the State of California, Senator Ted W. Lieu drafted a bill that sought to ban the therapies owing to their severe side effects on minors. Several facilities in the country offer such to adults who willingly seek the services. The service providers thus explain the potential ramifications of changing one’s sexuality. Studies proved that the sexual orientation efforts often had negative effects on children. Such effects included confusion, depression and substance abuse at some levels. Therefore owing to the adverse effects that are associated with the sexual conversion therapies that are currently targeting the minors, we proposed the bill that seeks to have proper guidance in the policies ascribed to in the practices. As indica ted in our proposed bill, the main aims of the bill is to have sanity restored in the medical and legal system concerning protection of the rights of the minors while upholding ethical practices within the society. Children have always been the major target of sexual abuses over ages with children being assaulted owing to their vulnerability. Despite the great psychological as well as physical suffering that children suffer, undergo through due to sexual exploitation, the orientation therapies have increased to this suffering in targeting the minors more. The practices are not only exploitative but also unethical and hence needs to be opposed with all seriousness possible. It was in the position that the bill was drafted in order to have a voice against such vices in the society. Among other recommendations of the bill were the serious disciplinary and corrective measures to be enforced towards such perpetrators who are guilty of breaking the law when the bill is enacted.

Discourse Community Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discourse Community Analysis - Research Paper Example A discourse community can be defined as a group of individuals or people with common texts and practices whether a group of social network users or group of academicians (Boreczky &Wyclif's 34). Members of a discourse community usually use both verbal and written communication to express their feelings emotions and interest and these will be understood and acted upon by their audience. Communication among mothers is one that is often characterized by the use of abbreviations and other non-verbal symbols that is clearly understood within their social cycles. The kind of abbreviations used while communicating depends on various factors like age, location, and experience that one is undergoing. Understanding the abbreviations and the nonverbal signs used by mothers requires one to have interest and remain abreast with the current dynamics and changing terminologies. One of the common abbreviations used by mother is BM which is used to refer to the breastfeeding mothers. The abbreviation is common amongst mothers who are breastfeeding or used by other women when referring to mothers with young babies. Women who undergo pregnancy tests also prefer using the abbreviation BFN standing for the big fat negative. The abbreviation is also prevalent amongst mothers who intend to pursue a pregnancy test to enable them to know their status. The term is normally used to help confine the communication amongst themselves in order to preclude others from being privy to such information, especially at the earliest stage. To describe the menstrual cycle experienced by women, mothers have mostly used the abbreviation AF- Aunt Flo. The term is largely common amongst mothers and women during their menstrual cycle. Most mothers feel shy to have unintended individuals to be privy to their menstrual cycle except for those they are considered very close with.  

Commercial office blocks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Commercial office blocks - Essay Example On some occassions, high rise buiding may also comprise o f both the retail and educational facilities. High rise commercial office block is considered as the most recent from of high rise building which is considered as a mixed – use building. Being one of the highest and largest buidings, the cost for construction is relativey high. Together with that, both the commercial and office functions of such buidings require a high degree of maintenance. There is a wide variety of commercial buildings that subsists mostly within the USA. The buildings ranges from customary sandstone architecture to the contemporary ones, that is, the multi-story and the high- rise structures. The construction of some of the most important swimming pools purposed for global swimming competitions, are featured by high technological level. For them to retain their position as international pools, use of contemporary and accurate techniques is not an optional thing (American Institute of Steel Construct ion, 2003). There are different forms of high rise commercial office blocks. These may include: i. Shopping malls. There has been a growing trend since the 1970s of building large shopping malls at the suburbs of the business districts for large cities around the world. These malls contain everything from the supermarkets, banks, movie theatres and even restaurants. ii. Hotels and pubs. From an architecturally point of view, most of the large hotels are monumental in respect to modern blueprint and depicts the level of commercial tourism of the region. They are built ion the heart of the business districts of major cities with impeccable landscape gardens, spacious lobbies, restaurants and specialty shops. iii. Retail stores. Self relying retail outlets such as large electrical and furniture stores and fast- foods outlets are present all over the in semi-residential areas, along highways and near the large shopping malls. Big commercial links often than not establish a similar desig n creating an architectural icon that can be linked to such a company. iv. High-rise office skyscrapers. It all started in the 1960s with the building of multi-story officer blocks and at present it is so much evident especially in large cities and coastal regions. v. Industrial estates. These are constructed away from the central business districts and residential areas due to pollution and noise and the fact that they usually feature a one or two story offices and warehouses with individual parking and loading bays. The commercial leasing companies construct industrial estates and their residential areas flooded with factory waste and pollution. Storage warehouse Warehouse the most universal type of storeroom although other forms such as storage tanks and computer server farms still exist. It is a gigantic structure that supports the offloading of several trucks and railroad cars that hold supplier’s products while at the same time loading other smaller trucks for transport ation to customers. There are 5 types of warehouses namely: i. Private warehouse. This is owned and an ran by resellers and suppliers that use them for their personal supply endeavors. ii. Public warehouse. This is basically a space that can be leased to take care of short-term supply needs. Retailers running their own warehouses may seek to use them if their facilities have

Key success Factors for Lenevo Core Competence of Lenovo

Key success Factors for Lenevo Core Competence of Lenovo Lenovo has its own unique core competence generating Competitive advantages. If we carefully review the unique business development history of Lenovo, it is not hard to track that what are the sources of Lenovos competitive advantages, and how these core competence have been built up, and to estimate if its competitive advantages are sustainable for its ongoing global expansion. In Lenovos early stage, it has some advantages from its parent. ICT supported Lenovo by providing ICTs facilities free of charge; Legend used ICTs name for doing business and then gained the strong support of government. These can be seen as supportive elements for building core competence. (Liu, 2005) The Ability of Learning Lenovo presents a significant ability of learning for capability development can be regarded as one of its core competence. An important source of learning was its customers. Lenovo learned from its customers through its direct contact with customers and its extensive PC distribution network. Apart from carefully observing customer purchasing habits, Lenovo actively sought out customer help to guide its product and service development. (Xie White, 2004). Another source of learning was from those multinationals. As mentioned earlier, even while it produces its own brand, Lenovo learned a lot from HP, IBM and Compaq such as marketing and management skills, personnel training, product design and customer services. (Xie White, 2004). The third source of learning is its internal RD activities. They attained the awareness of that proper RD activities should be combined with the engineering, and manufacturing, instead of purely pursuing cutting-edge technologies such as large-scale integrated circuits and digital switches (Xie White, 2004). A related view in terms of learning is that developing countries MNCs develop their advantages through the accumulation of technology and skills. Tolentino (1993) claims the importance of the accumulation of technological competence in the expansion of firms from developing countries. The Capability of Competing on Price Another core competence is Lenovos super capability of competing on the basis of product price. An article in Wall Street Journal (1997) points out that the prices of Lenovos products are only roughly two-thirds of those of foreign brands. Lenovo successfully maintained a lower cost structure than multinationals, (Liu, 2005) Firstly, the management costs of Lenovo are lower than those of its competitors especially foreign firms doing business in China. (Liu, 2005) .Second, owning to more foreign component producers such as Seagate (the no.1 hard driver producer in the world) have established manufacturing operations in China, Lenovo and other Chinese PC makers benefited from cost savings of cheaper components purchasing. Apart from these above, Lenovo constantly concentrated on the cost reduction in all activities including manufacturing, RD, marketing, distribution etc. and accumulated great experience in this field. (Liu, 2005) The Ability to Establish and Manage Effective and Efficient Distribution Network Among domestic and foreign IT companies, in Chinese market, Lenovo can be awarded as the no. 1 company with the best distribution network management. Lenovo have approximately 50 authorized distributors in each of the seven regions in China, and each distributor has its own reseller network. There are over 2, 000 resellers in Lenovos distribution network. Additionally, it has 130 1+1 PC specialty shops in major cities. (Liu, 2005) To be compared, IBM has no more than ten main distributors in some major cities. It could be imaged t hat how hard to manage and control such a huge network. But Lenovo has cultivated a positive relationship with its distributors by implementing a win-win strategy. Many distributors had grown with Lenovo over years. (Liu, 2005) Even when Lenovo constantly increased the depth and breadth of its distribution network, it never encountered any big conflicts among its distributors. The huge and effective network gives Lenovo much greater geographic coverage than either domestic or foreign companies in Chinese IT market. (Liu, 2005) Therefore, the ability of building and managing such huge distribution network and constantly exploring the potential of the network can be seen as another source of Lenovos core competence. (Liu, 2005) To be concluded, the abilities of learning, cost reduction and building and managing sophisticated distribution network are supposed to be the core competence of Lenovo. Additionally, in Chinese market, the brand name-Lenovo is also an important core competence of Lenovo. But in the context of global scale, the brand of Lenovo is still waiting for customers recognition. (Liu, 2005) These core competences sustain Lenovos success in domestic market. However, Lenovo is undertaking its new globalization strategy. The question is that if they can generate sustainable competitive advantages for global competition and what are the challenges of existing in its globalization process. The next section is the case study of Lenovo acquiring IBM PCD (Personal Computer Division) and the objective is to challenge its international expansion strategy and its core competence in the context of global competition. (Liu, 2005) Giant Step of Globalization: The Acquisition of IBM PCD Lenovo group ltd. has completed its $1.75 billion purchase of IBMs PC Division, creating the third-largest PC vendor in the world and giving IBM greater entree into the rapidly growing Chinese market. According to the agreement of the acquisition, Lenovo will gain control of IBMs Think desktop and ThinkPad laptop brands, as well as the thousands of IBM PC customers. Lenovo is allowed to use the IBM name for five years. However, the new Lenovo will have a strong IBM presence. Many of the top executives have moved over from IBM, including Stephen Ward, the former vice president and general manager of IBMs PC Division and now CEO of Lenovo. Yang Yuanqing, president and CEO of Lenovo Group Ltd, will become chairman. In addition, 10,000 of Lenovos 19,000 employees are former IBMs employees, and IBM will continue to provide service and support for the IBM products. Lenovos headquarters will move to Armonk, New York, and IBM also holds an 18.9 percent stake in the new company. (Burt, 2005; Daniels, 2005; Khanna, 2005; Dowling, 2005) The Lenovos Strategy for Global Expansion Apparently, Lenovo realized that there are not so much potential of Chinese PC market after becoming the leading PC maker in China. And becoming a real global player is the Urgent mission for Lenovo. A common view of firms internationalization process is that the internationalization is the process of accumulating experiential knowledge and market commitment in foreign markets (e.g. Bilkey Tesar, 1977; Johanson Vahlne, 1977; Chang, 1995). Firms tend to start their internationalization process by exporting to countries with similar culture. (Sharma Blomstermo, 2003). Lenovo chose the most efficient way (the acquisition) for its global expansion and foreign market entry. The founder Liu Chuanzhi has such a comment on the acquisition in an interview (Chandler, 2004): We have a $3 billion business with 27% market share in China. Theres not much room to expand. The global PC market is $200 billion, so theres still a lot of potential. IBM has all the things we need. This deal brings us market share, Management know-how, technology, and international reach. The strategy decision to acquire IBM PCD has been given careful considerations in Lenovo. In 2002, Lenovo almost refused the suggestion of the acquisition approached firstly by IBM since the top managers of Lenovo thought it was too risky. (Chandler, 2004) But they also saw this as a great opportunity to become a global PC maker. After one years consideration, analysis and learning from big multinationals, they understood the opportunities and challenges related to this deal and decided to implement this acquisition. (Chandler, 2004) As Liu Chuanzhi said in the same interview as above: As discussions progressed, we gained confidence that many of the risks wed feared could be distributed or controlled. For example, we worried about losing customers. So we worked out an agreement that would allow us to continue using the IBM brand, to keep the IBM salespeople, and even to keep the top IBM executive as CEO. That gave us confidence we could give customers the same level of service and quality after the acquisition. (Chandler, 2004) The main advantage of acquisition is that it provides the fastest way to enter foreign markets and rapidly build the firms presence in these new national markets. Through the acquisition, Lenovo becomes the third biggest PC multinational of the world from a little-known Chinese PC maker and then makes a giant step forward of internationalization. (Chandler, 2004) Furthermore, acquisition provides the great opportunity to acquire valuable resources of the acquired company. Through the acquisition, Lenovo attains the IBMs global market share, global management skills, top PC technologies and the outstanding ability of RD, experienced managers and other personnel, and as Liu Chuanzhi mentioned, the International reach. (Chandler, 2004) Lenovo appears great confidence on their ability of learning for absorbing these merits from IBM PCD. (Chandler, 2004) For example, IBM PCD was commonly regarded as the sophisticated expert in serving corporate customers, while Lenovo was significantly good at selling PCs in consumer market. Such a successful combination of these advantages of both sides will definitely result in great performance. Additionally, Lenovo hopes that combining Lenovos price advantage with IBMs engineering will deal with Dells formidable threat (Forelle, 2005). The Necessity to Form the Strategic Alliance Lenovo was known as one of Chinas most promising companies in the early 1990s, with its sales more than tripled between the year 1994 and 1998, and Asias leading PC vendor outside Japan at the end of the 1990s (Lau, 2004a). However, before the declaration of the alliance with IBM, the company had encountered with obstacles for its further expansion and development. (Lau, 2004a). Though Lenovo is the largest PC maker in China with more than a quarter of the market share, it does little business outside the country. The increasing fierce competition from aggressive foreign rivals such as Dell and HP in the past few years in Chinese market has put further pressures on Lenovos margins. (Lau, 2004a). - Rather than just continue to concentrate on the domestic Chinese market, the decision to go global is a necessity for Lenovo at that critical time. Under these circumstances, Lenovo decided to form the deal with IBM to acquire its low profitability PC business with US$1.75bn. According to the terms of the agreement, Lenovo pays US$650m in cash and up to US$600m in shares (which later changed to US$800m and US$450m share value), giving IBM an 18.9 per cent stake as well as shouldering US$500m in debt; and IBM will become the Chinese PC makers preferred supplier of support services and customer financing. For Lenovos part, the acquisition quadruples its sales to more than US$12bn and expands its sales market globally; besides being given the ownership of the Think family trademarks, Lenovo also gains the right to produce IBM-branded PCs under a five-year licensing agreement (FT reporters, 2004; Simon, 2004). Motives toward Lenovo IBMs Strategic Alliance Lenovos takeover of IBMs PC division has been described as snake ate the elephant, and the deal pulls Lenovo from the eighth-largest PC maker in the world to the third-largest just behind Dell and HP (Buetow, 2005; Ling, 2006; London, 2004). The motivations that drive the formation of the strategic alliance between Lenovo and IBM can be analyzed from two perspectives. For Lenovos aspect, though Lenovo is the largest IT Company in China, its products are mainly within China. Michele Mak, an analyst at ABN Omro, once commented that Lenovos distribution network is its biggest problem, and it is not well adapted to serving the small and medium-sized companies who usually buy directly (Lau, 2004a). Thus, in the first place, with an intention to expand its business globally, the firm needs a well-developed worldwide distribution network, which happens to be the advantage of IBM. As what has been announced by Lenovo, the agreement between the two firms includes broad-based strategic alliance under which Lenovos products will be integrated into IBMs global service offerings, which also became the impetus to the deal. - Secondly, as a world-leading company like IBM, it has specialized and advanced skills in sales and marketing functions, for Lenovo, the sales and marketing support, as well as the RD support are significant and of a necessity in its way to a multinational enterprise, which is also part of the agreement (Lenovo.com, 2007c). - Thirdly, the use of IBMs globally recognized brand is an impetus to accelerate the alliance, and also perceived as a sweet victory for Lenovo. The local brand Lenovo, formerly known as Legend, will become more valuable in the market after its association with the ThinkPad series of laptops. And also, Lenovos right to use the IBM brand on the computers for five years adds more value and trustworthiness to the brand, as despite the fact that Lenovo is the largest PC maker in China and Asia, it is little known elsewhere in the world, even with the ownership of ThinkPad family trademarks, it can hardly divert the loyal customers from IBM to Lenovo (London, 2004). Furthermore, analysts said that the deal could enable Lenovo to cut procurement costs (Guerrera and Dickie, 2004). The Performance after Acquisition The fiscal report combining two months after the completion of the acquisition truly shows a magic turnaround of PCD (Ramstad, 2005) with a profit of $33 million, while the PCD recorded a pre-tax loss of $149 million before joining Lenovo. (Liu, 2005) Further, the latest fiscal report (The First Fiscal Quarter Report 2005/2006, Lenovo) reported on 11th Aug 2005 illustrates a great performance of Lenovo Group Ltd., with revenue up 234% from organic growth in emerging markets and PC business acquisition, EBITDA up 135% to HK$829 million, pre-tax profit increased 54% to HK$515 million, and profit attributable to shareholders up 6% to HK$357 million. (Liu, 2005) However, this turnaround remains some strong arguments. Ramstad (2005) argues that Lenovo gives no evidence of the sustainability of the turnaround and there are some accounting differences. Nevertheless, the fact is that Lenovo has achieved the first step of Success. (Liu, 2005) The time will answer such questions such as whether the acquisition is successful or not, how Lenovo efficiently and effectively manage the global business, and What is the final result of this acquisition? (Liu, 2005) From the reports in Lenovos archive, the following critical success factors were identified in planning stage: 1) Top management support: Believed to be critically important in the early stage to engender commitment, provide direction and resources. CEO of Lenovo and senior managers decided to implement ERP project in 1998 and invested 30 millions RMB in the project. (Tang, 2007) 2.) External expertise: In the planning stage, technology support and management consultancy was received from 38 vendors and consultants. Regarding to implementation plan and SAP process. Deloitte and SAP Corporation were participated in planning Lenovos ERP system. (Tang, 2007) 3.) Project management: Detailed project plan was developed with the help from ERP vendor and consultants. Before the implementation, Deloitte supplied with FastTrack solution, business process re-engineering and module designing for Lenovos ERP project. (Tang, 2007) 4.) Clear Goals: Project objectives and staged implementation developed. From senor managers statement presented earlier, the goals of ERP implementation are support rapid business growth, address data sharing issues, and obtain a competitive advantage and new management techniques. (Tang, 2007) 5.) Balanced project team: Mix of IT professions and senior management. Project team consist consultants from SAP Corporation and Deloitte, IT professionals in Lenovo and heads of other departments (SCM, finance, sales and productions). (Tang, 2007) Organizational System-Knowledge management Lenovo Group puts priority on knowledge management, and established specific knowledge management department in 2003 to conduct planning and implementation of knowledge management of the whole group. Cultivation and introduction of knowledge-type workers also achieve notable effect, and recruited a lot of talents acquainted with knowledge management knowledge and software.(Ming,_ _ _ _) At the beginning of 2004, Lenovo integrated knowledge management, information management and flow management to the flow management department. This integration makes knowledge management more executable not only more authoritative, but also practicable with feasible means, because the flow management department takes charge of deciding posts, deciding flow and deciding organization, and enjoy authoritativeness within the company. (Ming,_ _ _ _) When knowledge management and information system are integrated, knowledge management becomes more practical and feasible, and this orientation has made knowledge management play a more important role in the company. Because knowledge management and business execution are combined together, i.e. knowledge comes from business and should feedback to business, the flow requires that knowledge be turned over, then the authoritativeness is represented. As index management of the flow, including deciding posts, deciding responsibility and review, knowledge management is closely related with unfolding of various items of work of the company, not confined to simple knowledge management. (Ming,_ _ _ _) System Design Lenovo carries out knowledge management in four steps. The first step is the definition of knowledge. Lenovo has many business flow links or activities, the first step is to tidy up the business flow of the company, identify activities in the flow, find knowledge hidden behind various activities to form a knowledge map and expose the hidden knowledge(Ming,_ _ _ _) The second step is to conduct efficient classification over knowledge. Behind each post there contains corresponding contents of organizational management, once posts are set, the flow has been decided and it is hard to modify. Of course, this is based on alignment of knowledge. (Ming,_ _ _ _) - The third step is to encourage staff contribute knowledge. In order to establish a knowledge management incentive system of vigorously promoting staff passing on knowledge, Lenovo Group sets knowledge management as an index of assessing staff performance. Lenovos knowledge management system includes assessment tools, using every piece of information of knowledge, the user shall have to give a score of appraisal. (Ming,_ _ _ _) To a certain stage, Lenovo will conduct statistics to form a statement. In this way, according to the latest and most valuable knowledge ranking of every month or every week, staff members with most knowledge contribution will be awarded corresponding material incentive. (Ming,_ _ _ _) Process of Implementation In the concrete process of implementation, Lenovo divides the whole process into four stages as follows: pilot demonstration stage, knowledge integration summarization stage, optimization sharing stage and business audit stage. (Ming,_ _ _ _) First stage: pilot demonstration. Select pilot units and implement knowledge management. Explore problems and resistance arising out of the process of implementation of knowledge management and seek corresponding solutions, endeavor to pose a demonstrative effect on whole group upon knowledge management in pilot units. (Ming,_ _ _ _) Second stage: knowledge integration. Based on experience from pilot stage, divide the group into many teams and many project teams to swiftly promote various departments set up their own knowledge system. The main work is concentrated on effective classification, integration and issuing of current knowledge. This stage is not intended to pursue optimization of knowledge system, and the key is to establish the primary knowledge system of the whole group as soon as possible. (Ming,_ _ _ _) Third stage: dynamic sharing. Operate knowledge management flow, realize dynamic running of knowledge database, and optimize incessantly the established knowledge system in the dynamic updating process. Promote learning sharing and help others solve problems, conduct knowledge quality assessment in the process of sharing and application, and implement knowledge contribution incentive measures. (Ming,_ _ _ _) Fourth stage: knowledge audit. Carry out audit over validity of each link of activities of the whole flow, and provide programs of improvement and promote management improvement. (Ming,_ _ _ _) Lenovo recruits expertise of two types as map retrieving operation and flow management to conduct appraisal and testing over the system, and arrange quite a lot of human resources to update and maintain knowledge database. Each piece of knowledge has a valid period, and the system will retrieve automatically after the valid period to ensure constant updating of knowledge. (Ming,_ _ _ _) Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Lenovo Lenovo, a prestigious IT company in China, is a shining example of entrepreneurship in China. It has achieved sustainable development in the highly competitive high-tech industry in the past decades. However, the development of Lenovo is zigzag but forward moving.(Bao, 2 _ _ _) - Lenovo developed the software and the Chinese character card, which helped the company to accumulate the necessary capital for its further development. In its eveloping period (1987-1988), Lenovo took up the most market share of the product through further research and development. Meanwhile, it began to act as the agent for the other international famous PC brands. In so doing, it learnt advanced international technology, and established its sales network. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) Then the company entered the third period (1989-1996). Both its software business and agency business achieved steady growth. Meanwhile, it started to develop the overseas market. Thus the company has become a company with technical industry, manufacturing industry and trade industry. But soon, it faced the worldwide IT restructuring, its overseas sales declined, but Lenovo made a quick change. It started to manufacture the PC with its own brand instead of other international famous brands. This innovation brought rebirth to the company. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) In 1996, the company took up 10% of the market share and ranked the first place in China. The company smoothly entered the forth developed period (1997-2000), during which its PC business continue to enjoy steady growth. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) According to the IPC market survey in August, 1998, Lenovo ranked one of the top three in Asia pacific area and its sales volume of household computers ranked the first place in the area. In 1999, its total sales volume reached RMB 9,000 millions. All this indicates that Lenovo has developed into a large international IT company. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) - The forth developed period laid a good foundation for the fifth period-the renovation period (2001-2007). With the competition of PC market becoming more and more fierce, the profit is getting smaller. Accordingly, Lenovo made some adjustment of the company structure. On one hand, it continued to do the PC business to achieve its scale merit; on the other hand, it developed the business in the fields of servers, mobile phone, IT service and e-commerce to seek new profit growth. Thus, Lenovo achieved phenomenal growth in this period. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) - Mr. Liu Chuan Zhi, the president of the company, made different innovations in different periods of the development of the company. In the starting period, he adopted a layer structure, a flat organization through which the company can enjoy rapid development. In the developing period, he changed the structure into a ship structure to adapt to the increasing scale of the enterprise. In the developed period, he adopted the united fleet structure for the company. And accordingly, he changed his leading style from centralization to cooperation, decentralization and coaching to meet the needs of the different periods of development of the enterprise. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) Mr. Liu projects his vision of the future and adopts both steady forward moving strategies, through which Lenovo has won a lot of market chances. Besides, he shows his upbeat attitude at critical moments. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) In 1992, the business of the company was not satisfactory in overseas market. Mr. Liu Changed his strategy and focused on the market in China so that the company still achieved growth in difficult times. In 1999, the company failed temporarily in its transformation into an internet company. At the critical moment, Mr. Liu made a quick change and entered e-commerce field with the existence of former software business, which has proved to be a success. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) Whats more, he is very strong in coaching, for he has successfully left his managing position to his successor. All this indicates that it is the entrepreneurship that led the company to one success and another. .(Bao, 2 _ _ _) Strong lure of Brand opportunity Lenovo is a good illustration of the strong lure of brand, opportunity, and purpose. Its acquisition of IBMs personal computer operations, in 2005, made it the third-largest personal computer company in the world. (Ready,Hill Conger) The IBM acquisition produced something of a halo effect for Lenovo, and Chinese workers felt pride that China had been able to buy part of an American business icon. Lenovos brand was and is attractive to ambitious young workers with dreams of their own-people who are building careers and not simply looking for jobs. (Ready,Hill Conger) Lenovo was an early standout for these rising stars. Lenovo also built a global perspective into its brand promise; to become a great company it would have to expand beyond its home market. That meant opportunity. (Ready,Hill Conger) - President and CEO Bill Amelio describes his company as a stage without a ceiling for every employee- worldwide. In a truly global spirit, Lenovos top-team meetings rotate among Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, and Raleigh, North Carolina. (Ready,Hill Conger) - Lenovos brand promise credibly communicates that nationality doesnt matter; if an employee demonstrates capability and vision, there are no limits. The playing field is level. (Ready,Hill Conger) - Lenovos brand promise credibly communicates that nationality doesnt matter; if an employee demonstrates capability and vision, there are no limits. The playing field is level. (Ready,Hill Conger) What makes Lenovos talent-tracking process work, however, is that the career maps are linked to key slots across the globe and accountability for the entire process rests squarely with line leadership, not with HR. Its employees are ambitious, and Lenovo needs to demonstrate that it is serious about developing their careers. (Ready,Hill Conger) 6) Lenovos PCs can be priced competitively to those of Dell and HP without sacrificing quality or any features. Lenovos low cost advantage is never based on cutting RD and low quality. (Ready,Hill Conger) Lenovo have improved its manufacturing efficiency by centralizing production in China where most of the components are made which will eliminate shipping cost before assembly. Further, as mentioned earlier, Lenovo can maintain a low cost of overhead. For example, before the deal, IBM PCD can achieve 24% of gross margin, but the net profit was negative owning to its high cost of overhead. Meanwhile, Lenovo only has gross margin of 14% but with a net profit of 5%.(Ready,Hill Conger)