Workplace Diversity Initiatives - Free Essay Example

Workplace Diversity Initiatives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversity in the workplace is something that shows what a company stands for and its values. It can be something that positively or negatively effects an organization. In medium and larger organizations diversity is something that is almost always present, so it can be a very important issue. There are so many issues and liabilities that can be associated with diversity, so any conflicts regarding diversity must be handled with extreme care and caution. There are many types of diversity present in all organizations and companies across the globe. Some of the most common ones are age, gender, race and ethnicity, disabilities/abilities, religion, LGTB, as well as many others. If approached and handled correctly, diversity should be embraced in an organization as it can be greatly beneficial. There are many ways to approach diversity in the workplace and our e-text highlights four of these as: Top Management Commitment to Diversity, Mentoring, Diversity Skills Training, and Employee Resource Groups (Robbins Coulter, 2016, p. 142-144). These four concepts can be thought of as the four workplace diversity initiatives, and all are key in having successful workplace diversity. I have researched and investigated three different companies to learn about how they use these four co ncepts. The companies I have chosen to research are the company I work for, Bartran Construction, as well as Texas Health Resources, a hospital system out of Arlington, Texas and Marriot International.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Bartran Construction is a local small to medium sized home builder based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. The company has been around since the sixties and has practically built half of Fort Collins homes, so there are strong values and ethics weaved within the company. I have worked for the company for six months now and have seen some of the diversity initiatives in action first hand. Since we are a smaller company compared to some of the national organizations with thousands of workers, diversity isnt quite as prevalent but is definitely still present. Some types of diversity that are distinguished in this company are age, gender, as well as LGTB. The age range of the employees is from 20-60s, with most of the employees being over 40. In fact, I am the only employee under the age of 30, so there is a large age gap taking place between me and the majority of the other employees. The older employees of the company diminish this diversity of age by often ta king me out to lunch and including me in all conversations and meetings. A diversity initiative used in this situation was mentoring. Some of the older more experienced employees took me under their wing and showed me the ropes. These techniques made me feel just as included and important as any other employee in the company. The other type of diversity prevalent in this company is sexual orientation and gender identity. One of the accountants is a lady who had a female life partner, aka lesbian. This type of diversity can be a touchy subject and I noticed that the company and employees did an excellent job handling this diversity. As a fellow employee it is key to make sure that you dont say or do anything that would put this other employee in a hurtful or rejecting situation. I think the best diversity initiative in this case is diversity skills training, which upper level management did a great job in preparing and education all employees on important diversity skills. The only t hing this company isnt up to par on in my opinion is Employee Resource Groups. It would make a much more enjoyable working environment and bring the entire team closer if there was some sort of resource group or even some company events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next organization that I researched regarding diversity initiatives is Texas Health Resources, which is a hospital system out of Arlington, Texas. Diversity is a huge part of what this company stands for and they fully embrace diversity in every aspect of their organization. The hospital systems workforce is made up of 77% women and 41% minorities. This alone shows how much the company embraces diversity. With such a large diverse environment, it is very important to make sure that all employees are included regardless of their diverse background they have. As mentioned before the best way to do this is with the diversity initiatives. The most prevalent diversity initiative that this organization uses is a top management commitment to diversity. The company offers English classes to anyone interested in learning it as their second or more language. They also provide special benefits to same-sex partners. And on top of that they host over 32 events and gathering a year to assist in connecting individuals of all different backgrounds and orientations. This is how you successfully use the diversity initiatives in order to make all employees feel of the same importance and include everybody in a healthy workplace environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third and final company I researched that demonstrates excellent workplace diversity initiatives is the Marriot International company. Marriot International is a company where African American, Latino, and other minorities make up 64% of the workforce. 2.7 % of the workforce identifies as LGBT, with some even in executive positions. Marriot is a company who charismatically uses all of the diversity initiatives out there and probably even makes up some of their own. One of them displayed in action is top management commitment to diversity. The Marriot President and CEO Arne Sorenson published an open letter on LinkedIn saying, Everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or identity, gender, race, religion disability or ethnicity should have an equal opportunity to get a job, start a business or be served by a business. Use your leadership to minimize divisiveness around these areas by letting people live their lives and by ensuring that they are treat ed equally in the public square. This is true upper level management commitment to diversity. It is easier to get the entire workforce on the same page of diversity commitment when the highest position of the company is an active enthusiast. Resources How the Best Companies Do Diversity Right. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://fortune.com/2016/12/05/diversity-inclusion-workplaces/

The Opinion Of The Newspaper Discourse Community - 972 Words

Joining the newspaper discourse community was one of the greatest achievements in my high school career and that was only possible by gaining intellect about the community, securing my place on the team by proving myself, and by continuing to learn from my experiences. The first step to achieving my position in this discourse community included familiarizing myself with the intellect and style of writing that was required for journalists. In my freshman year of high school, I took Journalism as one of my electives. This course taught the basic knowledge that comes with journalism that includes journalistic ethics, writing, and skills. I was able to logistically prove myself to the members of the newspaper discourse community by abiding by the ethical values of journalism. I was able to know the difference between slander, a spoken defamatory statement, and libel, a written defamatory statement I was successfully able avoid it in my assignments. Similarly, I studied the Associated Press Stylebook (AP) that is a required resource to know for journalistic writing. Through this, I was able to effectively write my assignments knowing that instead of a thesis, I will have a lead that is thirty five words or less. I knew that my writing would vary dependi ng on the type of story I was assigned. For example, a news story follows a certain quote-transition format to emphasize the sources while an editorial piece would follow a different format catering to its persuasive nature.Show MoreRelatedApproaches to and Types of Genre672 Words   |  3 Pageschange discourse by the format the information is presented to the audience (Varela, 2008). It is also a category of composition that is characterized by a particular style, form or content as dictate by Webster Third Dictionary. However Trosborg (n.d) stated that for the past decade, genre identification, classification and description have been scholarly concern. Certain scholars dictate that genre is defined primarily around its basic external criteria such as journals and newspaper discourse whileRead MoreAll Lives Matter, By Nikita Carney Essay1344 Words   |  6 Pagesthat bias whether negative or positive affected the African-American community. Nikita Carney’s â€Å"All Lives Matter, but so Does Race: Black Lives Matter and the Evolving Role of Social Media† assesses the role of social media as a public sphere, capable of influencing public discourse and the evolution of social media as a platform for discussing racial injustice. Carney uses twitter as her subject and analyzes the opposing discourse surrounding hashtags â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter† and â€Å"#AllLivesMatter† occurringRead MoreA Study Of A Large Coastal Development Project1266 Words   |  6 PagesIn his text To the Beach: Community Conservation and Its Role in Sustainable Development Thor Kerr presents an illustrative and case study of a large coastal development project in Southern Australia. The framing of this coastal project is indicative of production operating under the ideology of ecological modernization, which functions with the assumption that science and technology can provide the solutions to ecological crisis with the help of economic agents such as innovators, entrepreneursRead MoreThe Russian Ukrainian Conflict During Media Discourse1510 Words   |  7 Pagespublic opinion. At the same time, it is also created and shaped by community. In war or conflict discourse the power of media is crucial because it affects the image of the country on the international stage as well as public mood and atmosphere in the country. The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been a matter of debate between many countries including but not limited to Russia and Ukraine. The research area of the current study is the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict in media discourse. TheRead MoreDiscourse Features Of Mental Health1658 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Discourse features of mental health community have been studied by many scholars. As Morrow (2006) described, there are numerous studies of doctor/patient interaction and of the interaction between other health care professionals and their clients. The research of online community that has gained increased attention by public media and health experts (Wolf et al, 2013) appeared, and there was also critical discourse analysis on the pro-anorexia movement (Knapton, 2013). From these researchesRead MoreThe Public Sphere : An Encyclopedia Article Essay1683 Words   |  7 PagesThe concept ‘public sphere’ is used to signify a realm of rational public discourse and debate; a realm that directly corresponds to democracy where all citizens have the agency to participate in discussions about issues of common concern. In The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article Jà ¼rgen Habermas defines the public sphere as an equally accessible realm of social life where public opinion can be formed (Habermas 102). Despite Habermas idealized notion of the public sphere, Professor Smith-FullertonRead MorePolitical Polarization Vs Deliberative Poll1747 Words   |  7 PagesPolitical Polarization Vs Deliberative Poll It is not a coincidence that the increased availability of news sources has been accompanied by increasing political polarization. Over time, polarization appears to have spread to the level of mass public opinion (Abramowitz Saunders, 2006; Jacobson, 2006; Abrams, Pope, 2005). For instance, in U.S. politics, Democrats’ and Republicans’ negative evaluations of a president of the other party have steadily intensified (Abramowitz Saunders, 2006; JacobsonRead MoreMass Media Today a Summary1563 Words   |  7 PagesTHE MASS MEDIA TODAY: DISCOURSES OF DOMINATION OR DIVERSITY? : SUMMARY The thesis written by Teun A. Van Dijk talks about how the western media takes a one sided view- portraying minorities, immigrants etc in a negative light while still trying to prove itself independent of any bias. He explains that although neo-liberal discourse may now be prevailing, but it also exhibits conflicts and contradictions. The optimistic rhetoric of a New World Order after the Cold War is replaced by deep-seatedRead MoreImpact Of The Internet On Public Sphere Essay1619 Words   |  7 Pagesall individuals and opinions should have the opportunity to democratically be engaged in community is an oft-cited framework in order to better understand media, democracy, and pluralism (Antony Thomas, 2010; Garcà ­a-Canclini, 1992; Jurgen Habermas, 1964; Stein, 2006). In Habermas’ words, a â€Å"well-functioning public sphere† implies an â€Å"open communication structures that permit and promote discussions oriented to self-understanding† (Jà ¼rgen Habermas , 1994: 128). Press and newspapers were the traditionalRead MoreHow Has Freedom Of Artistic Expression Changed The Uk?1726 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing suppressed and diminish due to competing concerns. An artist holds responsibility to maintain the balance between certain boundaries of violating societies respect and sensibility. It has always been a treacherous task juggling the storm of opinions one faces with artistic impression without it causing major problems in political, religious, cultural or economical societies as the most petty issue can lead to major disagreement and criminal disorder. There are multiple reasons why mots of the

Kei Tua o Te Pai Early Childhood Assessment Exemplars

This is an essay about assessing childrens learning through play, Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for learning: Early Childhood Exemplars, learning stories and how beneficial Kei Tua o te Pae and learning stories are to early childhood teachers. Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for learning: Early Childhood Exemplars are extremely useful to any early childhood teacher at any level, from the student teacher, to the early childhood teacher with decades of experience as there are many different examples of assessing a child. Kei Tua o te Pae exemplar booklets are useful for a teacher to go back and study often so they can reinforce the different types of ways to assess a child. Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for learning: Early Childhood Exemplars†¦show more content†¦Child Ss determination is evident as she keeps digging in a hole that is now bigger than herself (See Appendix). Learning dispositions are included in the assessment because dispositions are considered as important learning outcomes, and instead of being taught, dispositions are encouraged (Ministry of Education. (1996). p44). The assessing teacher then needs to link those dispositions with the different strands of Te WhÄ riki. In child Ss learning story, the disposition of perseverance can be linked to the strand of Exploration/Mana AotÃ… «roa, because she chose the difficult task to stay and dig for treasure, whereas her friends left because it was taking too long to find the treasure (See Appendix). The next step section of the learning story is also known as the responding part of a learning story. The responding part a learning story is to make suggestions and plans to encourage the growth of these dispositions within the child the next step is to channel this determination in other areas of child Ss learning and encourage this perseverance (See Appendix). Often finished learning stories are placed into the childs portfolio so the parents, whÄ nau and the child can read about the progress being made, and the suggestions that the teacher has made for the childs learning progression, The portfolios or folders in which they are housed invite families to contribute their own stories and comments (Podmore, Valerie N. (2006).

Common Components Of Digital Database Management Applications

A DBMS can also provide many perspectives of a single database schema. A perspective characterizes what information the client sees and how that client sees the information. The DBMS gives a level of reflection between the reasonable diagram which characterizes the legitimate structure of the database and the physical construction that portrays the records, files and other physical instruments utilized by the database. At the point when a DBMS is utilized, frameworks can be adjusted all the more effectively when business prerequisites changes. New classifications of information can be added to the database without aggravating the current framework and applications can be protected from how data is organized and put away. Obviously, a†¦show more content†¦It is used to access or manipulate records or rows within a relational database. Primary key is the field containing a unique label identifying a record or row in a table. Each table has a least one primary key. Keys should be meaningful to the data being stored. Examples: employee ID number, Social Security number Queries: Queries are the searches initiated by users to retrieve information from the database. It consists of sets of variables or keywords formatted in a query language. - SQL is one of the query language. (Parrish, 1997) Example of SQL query: SELECT title FROM songs, artists, WHERE songs.artists=groups.ID AND groups. Name= ‘Madonna’ Database models: Database models represents the way data is stored and determines how data is retrieved and manipulated. There are four main database models. They are: Flat, Relational, Hierarchical and Network. (Johnson., 1997) (Nicolai, Database Security and Review, 2016) Object Oriented Databases: Object-oriented database management systems allows storing and retrieving objects and complex data types such as CAD files, Artificial intelligence objects, XML-compatible objects, General multimedia (audio and video). Originally, we’re not widely adopted to object oriented databases when released in 1985. But, used in specialized areas today. Database type is determined by data that will be housed in it. (Kim, 1990) There are

The Whole Brain Child Guides Parents Through The Science...

Overview The Whole-Brain Child guides parents through the science behind a child’s developing brain. Authors Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson deliver solutions for integrating the four quadrants of their child’s brain (upper, lower, left, and right) and how to use these solutions when dealing with the child, in either a difficult situation or happy moment. The Whole-Brain Child looks at the brain development of children from newborns to twelve years old. Also included in the book are twelve strategies for parents to use. These strategies are based on scientific brain research and include detailed, step-by-step processes on how to utilize the strategies throughout a child’s development stage. A child with an active and engaged brain tends to be generally healthier, and has the ability to be self-aware, understanding, and a relationship- builder. It is the goal of all parents to raise children who will be happy and thriving, resourceful and independent, and ultimately productive adults. But looking after a developing child has its challenges; children can be stubborn, they cry frequently, and they’re often frustrated and throw temper tantrums with ease. At times like these, all a parent can hope for is to just survive the day. Having a meltdown in public usually results in punishment for bad behavior; a better tactic would to use the incident as a teachable moment for the child. The whole-brain approach is a tool that enables parents to effectively deal withShow MoreRelated Vaccinations Necessary to the Nation’s Youth Essay1743 Words   |  7 PagesParents must make many decisions about their child, which vary from what brand of diapers to use to at what age to start a college fund. Parents also take responsibility for their child’s health, including deciding whether or not to vaccinate. Immunizations serve as the most efficient way to prevent possible life threatening diseases, including mumps, Hepatitis B, and polio, from affecting children, not only during adolescence, but also throughout their adult lives. Parents need to make the informedRead MoreMusic And Its Effect On Education Essay1887 Words   |  8 PagesMusic is fascinating because there are so many different uses and styles. It is an enjoyable way to help the brain grow and develop. Plato once said, â€Å"I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importa ntly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.† Music classes should be part of the required core curriculum through all four years of high school; however, some schools don’t have the money to support these programs, despite the many benefits itRead MoreTotal Physical Response in Second Language Learning4112 Words   |  17 PagesIntroduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 3 3. Background of the TPR Approach †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 4. Approach †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 5 4.1. Theory of Language †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 4.2. Theory of Learning †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 5. Why TPR Works? Brain Lateralization †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 6. Goals of TPR Approach †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 7. Strengths of TPR Approach †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 8. TPR Approach Vs. Comprehensive Approach †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 9. Principles †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 10. SyllabusRead MoreUnit 14 Childcare Grade B6300 Words   |  26 Pagescommittee and report care | Education Act 1981 | SEN disability Act 2001 | Education Act 1993/1996 | Education Act 1944 | It was suggested that formal staged process should be followed to identify and access a child’s special need and to create a written record. | A five stage process to assess a child’s special need/s identified. If needed a â€Å"statement† is written to say how those needs will be met. | Providers should make â€Å"responsible adjustments† to include children with SEN. A written SEN policy is neededRead MoreDevelopmental Psychology14082 Words   |  57 PagesHAVE A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW ON THE BASIC ISSUES UNDERLYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT. DETERMINE, DISCUSS AND EVALUATE THE POINT OF VIEW OF VYGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY AND THE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPROACH WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUES UNDERLYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT * THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT (CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOUS) * THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT: ONE OR MANY * FACTORS THAT DETERMINE DEVELOPMENT (NATURE/NURTURE) Introduction Child development has many theories with different ideas about whatRead MoreDevelopmental Psychology14091 Words   |  57 PagesHAVE A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW ON THE BASIC ISSUES UNDERLYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT. DETERMINE, DISCUSS AND EVALUATE THE POINT OF VIEW OF VYGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY AND THE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPROACH WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUES UNDERLYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT * THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT (CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOUS) * THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT: ONE OR MANY * FACTORS THAT DETERMINE DEVELOPMENT (NATURE/NURTURE) Introduction Child development has many theories with different ideas aboutRead MoreOppositional Defiant Disorder Case Studycase Study4246 Words   |  17 Pagespolicy. With the decline of religious orders in education, the responsibility of educating children with special needs was appointed to government officials such as the Department of Education and Science (DES) as well as other corresponding agencies. Ireland became increasingly aware that they were well behind other countries when it came to making provisions for children with special needs. This resulted in an increase of changes to legislation and structural activity. Major Publications and LegislationsRead MoreOppositional Defiant Disorder Case Studycase Study4258 Words   |  18 Pagespolicy. With the decline of religious orders in education, the responsibility of educating children with special needs was appointed to government officials such as the Department of Education and Science (DES) as well as other corresponding agencies. Ireland became increasingly aware that they were well behind other countries when it came to making provisions for children with special needs. This resulted in an increase of changes to legislation and structural activity. Major Publications and LegislationsRead MoreFreuds Theory of Psychosexual Development Essay1779 Words   |  8 PagesPsychology is defined as the science of mind and behavior its immediate goal is to understand humanity by both discovering general principles and exploring specific cases. 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Dick Smith Case Study free essay sample

Strategic management and strategy is a key factor when trying to compete and the external and internal environment needs to be analysed to do it effectively. By using business level strategy Dick Smith can compete with its competitors and achieve its goal of being one of the main brands that Australians prefer to buy. Strategic management is defined as dealing with the major intended and emergent initiatives aken by general managers on behalf of owners involving utilization of resources to enhance the performance of firms in their external environment (Harrington and Ottenbacher, 2010). By using strategic management firms can gain a competitive advantage over other firms and compete with them. Blumentritt (2006) explains that strategic management is a process of beginning with a mission and vision. After its goals are set analysis and planning begins followed by implementation. An evaluation takes place at the conclusion. The nature of competition in many world industries is changing; there is a new landscape in the 21st entury. There is hyper competition like never before, technological advancements are at a high and investments are becoming enormous. Technology is constantly changing so businesses must adapt to stay up to date and use their resources wisely. Fleck (2008) talks about disruptive technologies and how they caused problems. He explained that disruptive technologies bring a new value proposition to the market and offer different features. The rate of technological improvements tends to be faster than the improvement demanded by customers. Ngamkroeckjoti and Johri (2003) describe hyper competition as rapidly scalating competition arising from strategic decisions made by global and innovative competitors. Dick Smith foods is in a difficult position as it is not selling its product as cheaply as international competitors, hoping that its Australian made product will appeal to Australians for them not to buy from overseas. With technology being so advanced to produce so much so cheaply, Dick Smith will struggle to appeal to a market who simply wants the cheapest product. Kefalas (2007) states that there are six sectors in the general business external environment hich must be considered when implementing strategy. He talked about the demographic, economic, socio-cultural, legal, technological and global sectors. As Dick Smith is concerned about products being bought from overseas instead of within the country, he is focusing on the socio-cultural aspect of the general environment. Another segment he would be researching would be global markets as he has to compete with all the cheaper alternatives. Mason (2007) talks about the five sources model of competition which includes threat of new ntrants, power of suppliers, power of buyers, threat of product substitutes and intensity of rivalry among competitors. Mason talks about products needing to be differentiated; products must be at competitive prices and must be unique in order to attract customer loyalty. Smith appeals to customers with its unique Australian branding but prices are not as competitive as cheaper alternatives from overseas. Customer loyalty would be crucial for Smith to stay competitive as this is why he created the brand, to appeal to Australians. He must also be ware of the rivalry among competitors, it is a popular industry but with his iconic brand name he can be unique from the rest. The external environment is very important to all businesses as they must know what they are up against, especially one that must compete with the world. Not only does the external environment need to be analysed but also the internal environment which relates to processes inside the business. Chen and Mohamed (2007) talks about the internal environment, how it involves resources, core capabilities and core competencies. Resources are described by Martin and Zaghloul (2011) as inputs into a firm’s production process. Capabilities are used to deploy resources and are based on developing the organisation through human capital. They also talk about core competencies and how they provide a framework that articulates professional skills and set benchmarks from which success can be demonstrated. Dick Smith uses its resources to outsource its products from other Australian businesses and then the Dick Smith label is presented on the product. This has caused controversy and critics state that all Dick Smith is oing is pushing out other Australian owned businesses. Willcocks (2011) states the obvious in that outsourcing is beneficial due to cost savings and greater value of the product overall. As Dick Smith products are already at a higher cost due to not coming from cheaper labour overseas, outsourcing is a crucial part to their production process. Corporate level strategy relates to product and market choices of a firm and business level strategy defines how well it deploys its resources in a given market when facing their competitors says Nandakumar, Ghobadian and O’Regan (2010). They also go on to explain about the different strategies such as differentiation, focus and cost leadership. Baack and Boggs (2007) describes these strategies as being vital as they are a result of environmental features but are rooted in the firm’s decision to pursue a broad or narrow target market and a uniqueness or cost competency. Dick Smith specifically focuses on the differentiated and focus strategies due to their appeal and focus on the Australian market. He makes his product different by purely being Australian and making it clear that it is not made cheaply verseas, keeping a lot of Australia’s labour force out of employment. This would also mean having a large focus on Australians and the target market of those who do not want to be replaced by international competitors. These strategies will appeal in the future as more products are moving overseas, it is a smart strategy that appeals to true Australians. Dick Smith is an Australian brand that needs to use strategic management as it needs to compete with much cheaper international alternatives. As the 21st century has become focused on technology and is hypercompetitive, Dick Smith must compete in an ever rowing world. He must be wary of the five sources, being aware of product substitutes and intensity of competitors. As well as being aware of these external factors he must focus on using resources wisely and continue outsourcing to reduce costs. Dick Smith is still staying competitive even though his profit has reduced considerably over the years. He uses smart business level strategies such as differentiation and focus to appeal to Australians as a group to keep jobs here. Overall Dick Smith has been competitive over the years even though competitiveness has been lacking recently.

Essay on The Effects Of Junk Food On The Body And Brain Essay Example For Students

Essay on The Effects Of Junk Food On The Body And Brain Essay The Effects of Junk Food on the Body and Brain Since industrialization in early America, the food industry has been growing, and with the development of prepackaged foods and fast-food chains, having snacks at your fingertips is a luxury that seems convenient and beneficial†¦ until one considers the effects of junk food on the body and brain. Generally, junk food is characterized as food with high fat and sugar content and minimal nutritional value (Karimi-Shahanjarini et al., 2012). In modern day America, it is common to arrive home from a long day at school or work and grab a conveniently prepackaged snack to quiet your munchies and calm your nerves. Although this seems like a harmless act, eating these snack foods can have negative effects on the body and brain. The intake of unhealthy snacks has long-lasting effects on the body. Regular consumption of these high calorie and low nutrition snacks is linked with health concerns such as tooth decay, a higher frequency of obesity, and other chronic diseases (Jackson, Romo, Castillo, Castillo-Duran, 2004). Researchers at Boston’s Children’s Hospital reported a study at the American Heart Association’s cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention annual conference. The researchers came to the following conclusion: Those who ate fast foods more than twice a week and watched more than two hours of television a day had three times the risk of obesity and abnormal glucose control as those who ate fast food no more than once a week and watched less than 90 minutes of television a day. (Amsterdam News, 2003)Obesity, especially in women, yields a higher risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, gallstone formation, cancer of the reproduc tive. . , an increased vulnerability to health issues (O’Keefe Cordain, 2004). This same industrialized government should be responsible for regulating these food distributions that stemmed from the growing nation as a whole. A government regulation on junk food would improve our health and, in effect, lower our health bills. While the rules may seem inconvenient and controlling, the regulations are for the good of the American citizens and it is in the best interest of the people to lower not only the material costs, but also the hidden costs of junk food, which are obesity, heart disease, and diabetes (Amsterdam News, 2003) – diseases that have the potential to impede everyday living styles; diseases that have the potential to end a life early. If we can’t take care of ourselves, someone needs to step in, and if that requires a helping hand from the government, so be it.