Walt Disney Value Chain Analysis Essay - 1360 Words

Megan Beabout MGMT4009- Online 7 April 2013 Value Chain Analysis By conducting a value chain analysis for Walt Disney Company, I will be able to accurately show the â€Å"parts of its operations that create value, and those that don’t† (Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson, 87). The value chain is segmented into two categories: support functions and value chain activities. Support functions include finance, human resources, and management information systems which â€Å"support the work being done to produce, sell, distribute, and service the products [Walt Disney] is creating† (Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson, 87). Value chain activities include supply chain management, operations, distribution, marketing, and follow-up services, which Walt Disney†¦show more content†¦xix. Walt Disney has researched and developed ideal seasonal opportunities for maximum profitability. For example, holidays offer opportune times for families to travel to theme parks and on cruise lines; Christmas and Easter are profitable op portunities for product release; and because Disney has a strong focus on children, summer (or times when school is out of session) is a profitable season for movie releases. g. Marketing and Sales xx. Walt Disney has developed the ability to internationalize their brand through diversification in entertainment and products for different cultures. xxi. Walt Disney advertises through the most direct channels to their target market, having the ability to maintain brand loyalty and brand recognition. xxii. Walt Disney offers products and services to consumers during low peak times of the year through reduced prices for admission tickets, hotel suites, and cruise line tickets. xxiii. Walt Disney is able to provide high-quality products and services to consumers while maintaining a relatively low price. xxiv. Consumer sales and repurchase motivations are maximized through the hiring and training of motivated staff and customer service representatives. h. Follow-up Services xxv. WaltShow MoreRelatedValue Chain Analysis Of The Walt Disney Company827 Words   |  4 PagesValue Chain Analysis In differentiated organizations, corporate executives can increase their upper hand by increasing the energy they put forth in different areas of their business. The Walt Disney Company increase their value over numerous business entities throughout the company. There value in the chain comes across several different avenues in amusement parks and resorts, video stimulation, and consumer shopping divisions utilizing the Disney name and wholesome family excitement. Product movementRead MoreWalt Disneys Corporate Strategy1274 Words   |  6 PagesWalt-Disney Walt-Disney Company’s Corporate Strategy The Walt-Disney’s corporate strategy is to create a professional focused content. The Disney organization takes the newest innovation of technology to create a professional experience in entertainment. For instance, Walt-Disney utilizes innovation to bring the excitement of a carnival to the world. As a result, fun time is the strength of the family and Walt-Disney believed in a family branded industry in animation. Incorporating media networksRead MorePorter s 5 Forces Model1830 Words   |  8 Pagescompanies that could potentially steal market share in a specific industry or cause problems for the desired company. Because The Walt Disney Company is a conglomerate that spreads itself into many different industries, the threat of competition is higher than normal companies that focus primarily in a single industry. Having a high threat of competition means that Disney is extremely susceptible to different companies interest in partaking in their share of the market in many o f the industries thatRead MoreWalt Disney s Corporate Strategy1610 Words   |  7 Pages1.Walt Disney’s corporate strategy is called as Broad Differentiation. The strategy based on three principles which are following; - creating high-quality family content by incorporating a diverse range of businesses to its structure - to be a brand for every member of the family, not only children – such as Disney theme parks and resorts, its media network includes ESPN and ABC, Disney Cruise Line, studio productions, consumer products and interactive media channels. - make entertainment experiencesRead MoreWalt Disney Strategy Case Essay718 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿QUESTIONS FOR DISNEY CASE 1. What is Walt Disney Company’s corporate generic strategy? Explain the reason for your answer. Broad Differentiation because its products are in media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products, and interactive media. Thus, it attracts a wide base of consumers through differentiating its products by superior dedication to creating high quality content, technological innovations in entertainment and international expansion. 2. What isRead MoreAs An Efficient Organization, Cultural Enterprise Is The962 Words   |  4 Pages social display and so on. These sectors comprise various craft, fashion, media, and entertainment and service industries with outputs like jewelry, perfume, clothing, films, and recorded music or tourist services. Such outputs have high symbolic value relative to utilitarian purpose. (Bourdieu, 1971,Lash and Urry, 1994). In addition, Culture as embodied in the everyday artifacts that constitute the materiality of social life, but also as it is expressed in such domains of human activity as artRead MoreAnalysis Of Disney s Leadership And Organizational Model1918 Words   |  8 Pagesstrategic analysis concerning The Disney Company, an American diversified Multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquarter at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California (Wikipedia, 2017). This analysis is based on a 2009 case study of Disney as to the strategic challenges the comp any is facing at the time. Key Strategic Issues and Opportunities When examining the Disney case using internal and external analysis, a key area of opportunity exists within the Disney organizationRead MoreExamples of â€Å"Good† Strategic Management1293 Words   |  6 PagesMANAGEMENT Disney In 1984, Disney’s stock price had been flat for a decade. Earnings per share were only $0.06. Disney had profits that year of $242 million. By this point in time Disney had become primarily a theme park company. Seventy seven percent of its profits came from theme park operations that year. Twenty two percent of profits came from consumer products (licensing Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc.). Only one percent of profits came from filmed entertainment in 1984. Indeed, Disney had becomeRead MoreOrganizational Technology Plan for Disney4238 Words   |  17 PagesRunning head: ORGANIZATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR DISNEY Organizational Technology Plan for Disney Author Not Disclosed University of Phoenix Human Factors in Technology TEC/401 Lorelie Kaid Apr 03, 2006 Organizational Technology Plan for Disney Technology has changed the way we do business in America, and in the world. The marketplace tempo and pace has quickened from a light trot to a sprint, and the global consumer has placed new demands on corporations worldwide. How companies haveRead MoreWalt Disney Financial Analysis Essay3968 Words   |  16 Pages1.0 Introduction The Walt Disney Company is a diversified worldwide entertainment and global mass media company in the USA. It was first discovered by the Disney Brothers called Walt and Roy. It was started as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio and later on to be called Walt Disney Studio. The main headquarters of Disney is located in Burbank, California, USA. This company is now of the leading animation industry in America and they are slowly broadening their horizons into live-action

The Difference Between The North American And Mexican...

Nowadays, we are living in the community that we are interacting with people who have different cultural background. When we interact with others who do not share the same values as us, numerous intercultural issues are going to emerge, such as language difference, nonverbal misinterpretation, preconceptions and stereotypes, and etc. Spanglish by James L. Brooks explores the difference between the North American and Mexican American culture by describing how Flor is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who does not speak any English and tries to integrate to an American family. Although cross-cultural can be a challenge or an obstacle to interact with others, we just need to put more effort by fostering more respect and acceptance against their culture. This is because it is a great opportunity for us to learn from others in order to enrich our knowledge and widen our vision toward the world. Stereotypes happen when we have a certain judgment for a particular group of people beyond their behaviors in the society. Miladinovic declares, â€Å"In an intercultural setting, their use increases our sense of security and is psychologically necessary to the degree that we cannot tolerate ambiguity or the sense of helplessness when we cannot understand or deal with other people and situations†(â€Å"Overcoming Obstacles Intercultural Communication†). In â€Å"An Introduction to Intercultural Communication†, Jandt states, â€Å"Psychologists have attempted to explain stereotyping as mistakes our brains makeShow MoreRelatedThe Manifest Destiny Essay884 Words   |  4 Pagescontinental expansion by the United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, which naturally occurred out of a deep want and need to explore and conquer new lands and establish new borders. This idea contributed to several wars, including the US-Mexican War. Mexico and the United States had its share of territorial issues. With only four more days of his presidency, on March 1, 1845, President John Tyler signed the Texas annexation bill. When the United States formally offered annexation to TexasRead MoreDifferences Between Mexico And The United States874 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1994, both countries [Mexico and the United States] signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which has increased their mutual trade and foreign direct investment. Between 1994 And 2005, the US-Mexico foreign direct investment flows increased substantially from 16,968 billion to $71,423 billion. By 2007, the Mexican commercial relationship with the U.S. almost tripled from $297 billion to $930 billion. [2] This mutual increase in business inherently has had an attendant growth inRead MoreThe Cultural Awareness Of Mexican Culture1276 Words   |  6 PagesMEXICAN CULTURE One of our neighboring countries, although so close to these wonderful, United states of ours it couldn’t be any more different. To understand the differences between the two neighboring countries we need to understand the culture or have cultural awareness. First, we break down the two words and their definitions. Then break down some of the things that make up the culture of Mexico and the differences between U.S. cultures. The way we view family life, nationalism, religionRead MoreIs Free Trade a Necessity for Aiding Worldwide Economic Development?1539 Words   |  6 Pagesthought so, he being the initiator of removing tariffs and other limitations on U.S. imports. His hypothesis was that by doing that, other nations would follow Americas example and leadership. This is not a new notion either, nor is it confined to American Presidents. No nation was ever ruined by trade, stated Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. Franklins maxim is just as true today as it was in t he 18th century in that trade is enriching nearly all nations today. In the past ten years free tradeRead MoreLanguage Is More Violent Than War?1426 Words   |  6 Pagesstruggle with my identity because I am Mexican and American. I grew up speaking Spanish and English, and was always being policed on what language I was allowed to speak. If I was with my parents they only wanted me to speak in Spanish and when I was at school I was actually forced to only speak English. Gloria Anzaldua writes about the struggles Mexican Americans have in America within our own community and within the â€Å"American† standards. Langue is a part of our culture it’s how we begin to communicateRead MoreEssay on Protecting the U.S. Mexican Border1341 Words   |  6 PagesThe U.S. and Mexican border is a line drawn on a map and along with many other borders all around the world. That line can signify a difference on each side which can be a difference as from black to white. Within the U .S. and Mexican border along with other nations this border is commonly the difference between the United States growing into a superpower which entitles things as a better life of the people, better living, better conditions, more rights, and so forth . Within the Mexican side of theRead MoreFamily Health Assessment1461 Words   |  6 PagesHeritage Assessment: Evaluation of families, cultures and views on health Anniemae Stubbs Grand Canyon University Culture and Cultural Competency in Health Promotion NURS 429 Professor Alma Celaya June 19, 2016 Heritage Assessment: Evaluation of families , cultures and views on health Cultural Heritage is a concept that is passed on from one generation to the next that depicts how people live, act, behave, or think. It can be a noticeable or vague manifestation. It includes various customsRead MoreGuatemala and Spanish Cultures1213 Words   |  5 PagesGuatemala has more people than any other Central American country, with an estimated population of 11,980,000 it is home to many different cultures. The population can be divided into two groups; Indians and people of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry. But in Guatemala, being called an Indian or a non-Indian does not depend entirely on a person s ancestry. It is basically a matter of how people live and of how they categorize themselves. For example, a Guatemalan is considered an Indian if he orRead More Guatemala and Spanish Cultures Essay1215 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guatemala has more people than any other Central American country, with an estimated population of 11,980,000 it is home to many d ifferent cultures. The population can be divided into two groups; Indians and people of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry. But in Guatemala, being called an Indian or a non-Indian does not depend entirely on a persons ancestry. It is basically a matter of how people live and of how they categorize themselves. For example, a Guatemalan is considered an Indian ifRead MoreCivil War Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Civil War is one of the most momentous and controversial periods in American history. America Civil War during the years 1861-1865 was resulted in the social, political, and economic differences that can be traced to the first colonies and are exemplified in the conflict between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. These differences expanded over time to result in the divided country of the 1860s. At the time of the Civil War, the abolitionists had many conflicts with South. The

Financial Management †Exam Free Essays

1. Time value of money (15 points) You have just turned 30 years old, have just received your MBA and have accepted your first job. Now, you must decide how much money to put in your retirement plan. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Management – Exam or any similar topic only for you Order Now The plan works as follows. Every dollar in the plan earns 7% per year. You cannot make withdrawals until you retire on your 65th birthday. After that point, you can make withdrawals as you see fit. You decide that you will plan to live to 100 and work until you turn 65. You estimate that to live comfortably in retirement, you will need $100,000 per year starting at the end of the first year of retirement and ending on your 100th birthday. You will contribute the same amount to the plan at the end of every year that your work. How much do you need to contribute each year to fund your retirement? 2. Stock pricing (20 points) Colgate-Palmolive Co. has just paid an annual dividend of $0. 96. Analysts are predicting an 11% per year growth rate in earnings over the next five years. After that, Colgate’s earnings are expected to grow at the current industry average of 5. 2% per year. If Colgate’s equity cost of capital is 8. 5% per year and its dividend payout ratio remains constant, what price does the dividend-discount model predict Colgate should sell for? 3. Bond pricing (15 points) Consider a 30-year bond with a 10% coupon rate (annual payments) and a $1000 face value. 1. What is the initial price of this bond if it has a 5% yield to maturity? (5 points) 2. What will the price be immediately before and after the first coupon is paid (10 points) 4. NPV (25 points) A proposed cost savings device has an installed cost of $480,000. The device will be depreciated straight-line to zero over its five year life. The required initial net working capital investment is $35,000 (which will be recovered at the end of the project), the marginal tax rate is 35%, and the discount rate is 12%. The device has an estimated year 5 salvage value of $80,000. What level of pretax cost savings do we require for this project to be profitable? 5. IRR (25 points) Your firm is contemplating the purchase of a new $850,000 computer based order entry system. The system will be depreciated straight line to zero over its five-year life. It will be worth $150,000 at the end of that time. You will save $350,000 before taxes per year in order processing costs and you will be able to reduce working capital by $125,000. If the tax rate is 35%, what is the IRR for this project? How to cite Financial Management – Exam, Essay examples

Impact of Change on an Organization case study of DHL Organization

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Change on an Organization case study of DHL . Answer: Introduction As the proverb says, the only constant thing in this world is change applies to every aspect of work. If the organization does not implement change, it will not be able to perform well and it would not be able to compete with the competitors (Langley et al. 2013). It is up to the companies to implement the changes as per the need of the organization and the need of the external market (Paulsen et al. 2013). DHL is one such organization that has implemented the change in the organization and has faced certain issues. The report will take into consideration the changes that have been taken into consideration the changes that have been taken into consideration by the organization. The operations of DHL are present in 220 territories and countries (Dhl.com.au 2017). They have employee strength of 350,000. They are ready to cater to the needs of the customers as far as various logistics needs are concerned. The report will evaluate the issues faced by the organization while they are implementing the changes. It will further assess the reason for the change and the feedback of the employees regarding the change. Finally, the best strategy that will help in managing the changes will be discussed in the report. Identification and introduction of change DHL is famous for its on-time delivery and its reach all over the world. However, recently the company has been facing issues with the records that are being kept over the computer. The moment a package is received, it is updated over the computer from every office. It helps the company to keep a track of the package as well as it becomes easier at the end of the month or in the weekly check up of the business. Even though the records are been kept daily, yet some records were found missing for two weeks consecutively. The records were later retrieved from the hard copy that is being stored after an order is being received and the franchises deliver them to the main office. As the hard copies cannot be dependent and the soft copy records were more easier, the organization thought of carrying out an investigation. The symptoms that showed that something is wrong are the missing records of more than thirty orders. The organization tallied the date of receiving the package along with the employees who were being given the duties of maintaining the order. In addition to this, the computers that were used to keep a record of the data ere also being checked. After a thorough checking and analysis the records, the actual cause of the issues was being found. The main cause of the issue was fault of the employees as well as the fault of the machines. It has been seen that the fifty orders could not be recoded were mainly because they were being handled by the employees who are approaching old age. Due to the changes in the work environment, a number of changes have been brought about by the organization (Cameron and Green 2015). The main changes that have taken place in the organization are with the technology. They have constantly upgraded technology so that work could be done in a faster manner (Hayes 2014). They have to keep a check on the growing competition and to serve the customers well, up gradation of technology was found to be the best way to keep track of the competition. However, while upgrading the technology, they did not keep in mind that the employees need to be trained about the use of the technology (Frankland et al. 2013). Especially, those employees who are aged and might not be well acquainted with the computers neede d to be trained (Goetsch and Davis 2014). Current organizational conditions To make the employees learn about the new technology, DHL has to bring in certain changes in the organization. They have to change the systems into simpler ones so that the employees could easily use it as well as train the employees to use the complicated system (Hornstein 2015). Eventually, they could bring the changes in the organization. The main idea for changing the system and training the employees gradually is to make the employee aware of the technology. Prevention is better than cure is one such idea that has been applied in the organization. Motivational atmosphere The older employees were motivated as they would be saved from making any mistake (Verhulst and Lambrechts 2015). They were getting confused with types of computers and were not able to understand the constant updates in the operations of the computers. They were trying hard to be well acknowledged with the technological operations in the organization, but they were making mistakes that were costing the company huge amount of loss. Especially, after the discovery of the mistakes in the organization, they have started feeling inferior (Hamraz, Caldwell and Clarkson 2013). They were not being able to perform well in the organization (Rock 2014). They served the company for a long period and have helped the organization during the time of emergency. It was the duty of the organization to keep the employees motivated so that they are able to perform well in the organization. As the older employees are working in the organization for long, they used to help the senior management for taking any kind of decision. Change technologically is helpful for DHL but it should also keep in mind different kinds of employees who are present in the organization (Khattak, Latif and Lee 2013). However, they need to bring the change so that employees understand the change and then use the change in the organization (Parker et al. 2013). Resistance to change There is a huge chaos in the workplace as the employees were not ready to degrade or settle for simple system (Della Torre and Solari 2013). Especially the younger employees were resistant to the change because they were always interested in learning something new (Krger 2017). The younger employees were not ready to comply with the issues faced by the older employees. The younger employees were more tech savvy and felt that if the systems are being changes then it will slow down their work. They were not ready to understand the issues that the older employees were facing. They were not even ready to take time to understand the issues of sudden changes in the organization. Hence, it can be said that the younger employees do not understand the idea of teamwork and the way working in a team helps the organization to get proper recognition in the market (Cummings and Worley 2014). The younger employees were concerned about themselves and they are interested for the career development of the individual rather than on the team. This increased the issues among the organization, as the younger employees were not ready to change their course of work (Pan? 2013). There was a clash of interest between the employees based on their age and experience (Holt and Vardaman 2013). Another factor that was making the younger employee go against the change was that their payment might be reduced, as they will under the training (Jacobs, van Witteloostuijn and Christe-Zeyse 2013). In addition to this, the older employees were the ones who have to go for the training. The younger employees have started feeling that they have to take up the jobs of the older employees in the organization. They have to fill up their space while the older employees as they will be under training. According to the younger employees to work more but the payment will be the same (Jansson 2013). Factors providing pressure for change The competition outside the organization and the constant pressure to make the employees at par the requirement of the external market has helped the organization to instigate the change in the organization (Paulsen et al. 2013). The earlier change that was made in the organization was also due to the demand from the external market (Langley et al. 2013). The second change where the systems will be changed and the employees will be trained will also be done for the external environment. However, the internal factors are also important for the organization as far as recent changes are concerned (Cameron and Green 2015). The employees should feel connected with the organization so that they can perform better. In this situation, the older employees were not feeling connected with the organization, which in turn is affecting the work of the organization (Hayes 2014). Due to the mistakes made by the employees, the organization is gaining a bad name in the market. The stakeholders involved and their likely reactions The stakeholders who are involved in the business are the customers and the financial organization (Frankland et al. 2013). The financers are helping the organization with monetary help and hence, they would be looking for proper business of the organization. The financers might be skeptical with DHL for making the process simpler as they might feel that they will gain lesser business from company (Goetsch and Davis 2014). However, when they will see that it will help them in gaining better business with the help of the training, they are likely to support the change. The customers will also be at loss if the records are not being kept properly (Hornstein 2015). Thus, if the customers come to know that the training will help in better delivery of services, they will also support the change. They would not mind the temporary glitch in the services in the company if they were assured of better services in the future (Verhulst and Lambrechts 2015). Implementation of change To implement the change in the organization, it is up to the leaders of the organization as well as the organization as a whole who would decide the way the changes should be brought in an organization (Rock 2014). To implement the changes in a manner so that it calls for maximum amount of cohesion and minimum amount of resistance, Kotters eight-step model of change management could be used in the organization. Figure 1: Kotters eight-step model of change management (Source: Hamraz, Caldwell and Clarkson 2013) Implementing the Kotters eight-step model of change management will be the best strategy that an organization can use while they are bringing a change in the organization. However, the leaders have the most important role to play when it comes to implementing a change or applying a model (Khattak, Latif and Lee 2013). The main issue that DHL was facing was problems between the employees. The earlier change has been done in haste by DHL and it is getting the negative consequences. Hence, it would be intelligent to implement the next change in a systematic manner as explained in the model. The older employees are facing issues to use the computers that have been upgraded to a great deal (Parker et al. 2013). On the contrary, the younger employees are enjoying the upgrading and working as per the requirement of the organization. DHL has not thought of the issues they will face while they were upgrading the systems. They have thought of training the aged employees in the organization and degrade the systems for the time being. They will gradually upgrade them, as the aged employs will get the training. The younger employees were oppose to the idea because they feel they will be responsible for doing the work of other employees while they will be training period (Della Torre and Solari 2013). The younger employees are still not are of the positive side of the decision. The leaders will be responsible for creating urgency, forming a powerful coalition, creating a vision for change, communicating the vision and empowering the action at the initial stage (Krger 2017). The younger employees have to understand the importance of change and they might face even worse consequences if they do not implement the change (Cummings and Worley 2014). Some of the aged employees will retire after some months. If they are not able to understand the operations well, the younger employees will have to rectify the mistakes when the employees will not be there. If the aged employees are not able to understand the functions of the computer well, they will make mistake and it will eventually affect the business of the organization (Pan? 2013). If the organization will not be able to get good business, it will in turn affect the pay scale of the employees (Holt and Vardaman 2013). In addition to this, the aged employees have more ideas regarding the functionalities of the organization than just the computers. Computers are used to make the work faster and easier. The aged employees know the issues tan have been faced by the organization and have an idea about the ways to get out of those issues (Jacobs, van Witteloostuijn and Christe-Zeyse 2013). Hence, ignoring the knowledge of the older employees just because they are having problems in operating the computers will not be right (Jansson 2013). Once the younger employees will be able to look into the matter other way round, the issues of the company will be reduced (Paulsen et al. 2013). They will be able to get quick wins as the problems will be less when the aged employees will learn (Langley et al. 2013). Both the younger and aged employees will be able to build on the change and the together they will be able to make the changes stick for the betterment of the organization (Cameron and Green 2015). Conclusion After going through the case study of DHL and the issues that the company is facing, it can be said that any issue that should be brought in an organization should be done in a steady and systematic manner. The organization has earlier implemented a change, which was done in haste. The computers were upgraded without training the aged employees. As a result, they started making mistakes while keeping a track of the changes. The organization decided to degrade the technology and train the aged employees accordingly. They will then gradually upgrade the systems. The younger employees of the organization were against the idea as they felt that it would slow down their work. In addition to this, they felt that they would have to extra work while other employees will be working. The Kotters eight-step model of change management found to be best suited for the organization to make the younger employees understand the importance of the change. The leaders will have a major role to play to make the employees less resistant to the change. It has been concluded that they should be made to understand that once the aged employees make the mistakes, it would affect the business of the organization. Once the business will be affected, it will affected the pay scale of the employees. In addition to this, the aged employees have more knowledge in solving bigger issues and if the younger employees work with the older employees, they will able to gain knowledge for surviving in the future. References Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015.Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., 2014.Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Della Torre, E. and Solari, L., 2013. High-performance work systems and the change management process in medium-sized firms.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,24(13), pp.2583-2607. Dhl.com.au 2017.DHL | Australia | English. [online] Dhl.com.au. Available at: https://www.dhl.com.au/en.html [Accessed 3 May 2017]. Frankland, R., Mitchell, C.M., Ferguson, J.D., Sziklai, A.T., Verma, A.K., Popowski, J.E. and Sturgeon, D.H., Applications In Internet Time, Llc, 2013.Integrated change management unit. U.S. Patent 8,484,111. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014.Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Hamraz, B., Caldwell, N.H. and Clarkson, P.J., 2013. A holistic categorization framework for literature on engineering change management.Systems Engineering,16(4), pp.473-505. Hayes, J., 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Holt, D.T. and Vardaman, J.M., 2013. Toward a comprehensive understanding of readiness for change: The case for an expanded conceptualization.Journal of Change Management,13(1), pp.9-18. Hornstein, H.A., 2015. The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), pp.291-298. Jacobs, G., van Witteloostuijn, A. and Christe-Zeyse, J., 2013. A theoretical framework of organizational change.Journal of Organizational Change Management,26(5), pp.772-792. Jansson, N., 2013. Organizational change as practice: a critical analysis.Journal of Organizational Change Management,26(6), pp.1003-1019. Khattak, A.M., Latif, K. and Lee, S., 2013. Change management in evolving web ontologies.Knowledge-Based Systems,37, pp.1-18. Krger, P.P.D.W., 2017. Change Management. Langley, A., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H. and Van de Ven, A.H., 2013. Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow.Academy of Management Journal,56(1), pp.1-13. Pan?, L., 2013. Social efficacy by responsible change management.Systemic Practice and Action Research,26(6), pp.579-588. Parker, D., Charlton, J., Ribeiro, A. and D. Pathak, R., 2013. Integration of project-based management and change management: Intervention methodology.International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management,62(5), pp.534-544. Paulsen, N., Callan, V.J., Ayoko, O. and Saunders, D., 2013. Transformational leadership and innovation in an RD organization experiencing major change.Journal of Organizational Change Management,26(3), pp.595-610. Rock, D., 2014.Quiet leadership. HarperCollins e-books. Verhulst, E. and Lambrechts, W., 2015. Fostering the incorporation of sustainable development in higher education. Lessons learned from a change management perspective.Journal of Cleaner Production,106, pp.189-204.

Aztec Religion and Gods of the Ancient Mexica

Aztec Religion and Gods of the Ancient Mexica The Aztec religion was made up of a complex set of beliefs, rituals and gods that helped the Aztec/Mexica to make sense of their worlds physical reality, and the existence of life and death. The Aztecs believed in a multiple-deity universe, with different gods who reigned over different aspects of Aztec society, serving and responding to Aztec specific needs. That structure was deeply rooted in a widespread Mesoamerican tradition in which concepts of the cosmos, world, and nature were shared across most of the prehistoric societies in the southern third of North America. In general, the Aztecs perceived the world as divided into and balanced by a series of opposing states, binary oppositions such as hot and cold, dry and wet, day and night, light and dark. The role of humans was to maintain this balance by practicing appropriate ceremonies and sacrifices. The Aztec Universe The Aztecs believed that the universe was divided into three parts: the heavens above, the world in which they lived, and the underworld. The world, called Tlaltipac, was conceived as a disk located in the middle of the universe. The three levels, heaven, world, and underworld, were connected through a central axis, or axis mundi. For the Mexica, this central axis was represented on earth by the Templo Mayor, the Main Temple located at the center of the sacred precinct of Mexico- Tenochtitlan. The Multiple Diety UniverseThe Aztec Heaven and underworld were also conceived as divided into different levels, respectively thirteen and nine, and each of these was overlooked by a separate deity. Each human activity, as well as the natural elements, had their own patron deity who overlooked different aspect of human life: childbirth, commerce, agriculture, as well as the seasonal cycles, landscape features, rain, etc. The importance of connecting and controlling the cycles of nature, such as the sun and moon cycles, with human activities, resulted in the use, in the pan-Mesoamerican tradition of sophisticated calendars which were consulted by priests and specialists. Aztec Gods The prominent Aztec scholar Henry B. Nicholson classified the numerous Aztec gods in three groups: celestial and creator deities, gods of fertility, agriculture and water and deities of war and sacrifices. Click on the links to learn more of each of the main gods and goddesses. Celestial and Creator Gods Xiuhtecuhtli-Huehueteotl (Old Man, the cycle of seasons)Tezcatlipoca (Smoking Mirror, god of night and sorcery)Quetzalcoatl (the god/hero, the once and future king figure) Gods of Water, Fertility, and Agriculture Tlaloc (rain god)Chalchiutlicue (She of the Jade Skirt, childbirth)Centeotl (Maize Cob Lord, maize)Xipe Totec Lord with the Flayed Skin, fertility) Gods of War and Sacrifice Tonatiuh (Aztec sun god)Huitzilopochtli (war god, patron god of Tenochtitlan)Tlaltecuhtli (earth goddess) Sources AA.VV, 2008, La Religià ³n Mexica, Arqueologà ­a Mexicana, vol. 16, num. 91 Nicholson, Henry B., 1971, Religion in Pre-Hispanic Central Mexico, en Robert Wauchope (ed.), Handbook of Middle American Indians, University of Texas Press, Austin, Vol. 10, pp 395-446. Smith Michael, 2003, The Aztecs, Second Edition, Blackwell Publishing Van Tuerenhout Dirk R., 2005, The Aztecs. New Perspectives, ABC-CLIO Inc. Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO and Oxford, England.

Free Essays on Black Elk Speaks

Black Elk Speaks Greed is a large part of the American culture whether we realize it as a society or not. Many countries around the world view the United States as a selfish country that does what it wants on a global scale, and does not share or allocate its predominate wealth. I am very thankful and proud to be a citizen of this country. Even though I would risk my life to protect our country and its freedom, there are aspects about our civilization that I wish could be different. Black Elk, â€Å"a holy man and a warrior of the Lakota Nation Indians,† was a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe during the most horrific period for Native Americans in the Western part of the United States. In excerpts from the novel of his life story Black Elk Speaks, he is able to relate the differences in the ways of life from his people and the white settlers. Although he lived in the late 1800s, he is able to make reference to issues that are relevant to us today. His observations display issues such a s human bonds, ethics, economics, and politics. He describes how the excessive acquisitiveness of one society led to the cultural displacement of another. The Native American culture revolved around a circle, or what black Elk referrers to as their nation’s hoop. The flowering tree is the center of the hoop. The flowering tree is symbolic of growth and prosperity for all the people in the tribe. It is equally shared between all the members of the tribe. â€Å"Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round† (APT 315). The flowering tree at the center of the circle was nourished by the seasons, which also occur in a circular pattern. Black Elk also makes reference to the sky and the earth being round, the moon and the sun setting in a circle as well as both being round. The wind blows in circular whirls. A person’s life from childhood to dea... Free Essays on Black Elk Speaks Free Essays on Black Elk Speaks Black Elk Speaks Greed is a large part of the American culture whether we realize it as a society or not. Many countries around the world view the United States as a selfish country that does what it wants on a global scale, and does not share or allocate its predominate wealth. I am very thankful and proud to be a citizen of this country. Even though I would risk my life to protect our country and its freedom, there are aspects about our civilization that I wish could be different. Black Elk, â€Å"a holy man and a warrior of the Lakota Nation Indians,† was a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe during the most horrific period for Native Americans in the Western part of the United States. In excerpts from the novel of his life story Black Elk Speaks, he is able to relate the differences in the ways of life from his people and the white settlers. Although he lived in the late 1800s, he is able to make reference to issues that are relevant to us today. His observations display issues such a s human bonds, ethics, economics, and politics. He describes how the excessive acquisitiveness of one society led to the cultural displacement of another. The Native American culture revolved around a circle, or what black Elk referrers to as their nation’s hoop. The flowering tree is the center of the hoop. The flowering tree is symbolic of growth and prosperity for all the people in the tribe. It is equally shared between all the members of the tribe. â€Å"Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round† (APT 315). The flowering tree at the center of the circle was nourished by the seasons, which also occur in a circular pattern. Black Elk also makes reference to the sky and the earth being round, the moon and the sun setting in a circle as well as both being round. The wind blows in circular whirls. A person’s life from childhood to dea...

Creating a New Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Creating a New Society - Essay Example The cosmic architecture of the society should be based on some form of numerology since it seems that has interested philosophers such as the Pythagoreans and others who considered numbers to be important. For example, seven heavens, seven skies, seven important stars (brightest ones to represent seven important prophets) and other astronomical ideas which connect with the number seven can be used as the basis of the cosmic architecture. Of course, the number can even be five or eleven but it should be a prime number since that would give the philosophers of the realm plenty to think about and keep them busy for eons to come. The main Gods and Goddesses will not exist in this society since the society would be monotheistic. There is a very good reason for this and it is because a monotheistic society could be less likely to go to war based on religion if everyone believes in the same god. That god will only have one name and there will only be one holy city in that world while there could be other important monuments i.e. burial places of ancient prophets, memorials for great philosophers etc. However, the idea of a single god has to be a paramount concern since it is likely that different gods could lead to their followers trying to convert one another and thus start warring with each other. That god will not be like the god of the Old Testament which comes across as being angry, vengeful, or even jealous. In fact, that god will be a kind and merciful god who provides for the people with things such as rain which grow crops, fruits that grow on trees and animal that can be eaten when necessary. The god is not strictly vegetarian but s/he has ordered not to harm animals until there is no option except to eat meat. Further, the god likes things such as charity, caring for others, creating peace, development of knowledge and considers all of these to be positive things. On the other hand, being miserly, selfishness, offensive war, suppression

Perceptions of Different Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Perceptions of Different Cultures - Essay Example Globalization and civilization have made each community more aware of itself, its image, its reputation and its attitude towards its culture and the risk of trust or distrust in other people’s cultures. Some communicative behavior is comprehensive, others specific to a given society just as much as words that only have a much significant in a specific language. Different cultures have distinctive ways of assigning intention to common behaviors within informal verbal exchange such as the use of gaze and head –gestures (Saunders 118). Like in the Kazakhs culture they believe that the most powerful healer received the power from a tattoo that was not colored but it was a sign that she is one of the community healers while others believe tattoos are meant for beauty and body decorations. In the Kazakhs feast, Molina stares at Huston in a long unsmiling gaze to say that she was welcomed while she expected a jovial facial expression to show that she is accepted and welcomed i n the feast (Zaleski 101). The perceptions of the two cultures on the facial expressions vary in the sense that they have different concepts of the informal verbal communication. There are distinct opinions of the gender roles and cultures differ in setting the accepted roles of both females and males. More civilized cultures believe in gender equality and have the attitude that both male and female have the same capability of doing any given task. There is a clear picture of how the Kazakhs culture views the idea of gender equality... There are distinct opinions of the gender roles and cultures differ in setting the accepted roles of both females and males. More civilized cultures believe in gender equality and have the attitude that both male and female have the same capability of doing any given task. there is a clear picture of how the Kazakhs culture views the idea of gender equality and they still believe there are certain roles that should only be done by men thus they don’t approve that there can be equal states for both male and female . When the car breaks down on their way, Alina is unconcerned of what happened and says that Ivan will just think and fix the problem while on the other hand Huston has a different opinion and thinks that she can be of good help in trying to fix the problem (Zaleski 92). These acts as an important example that shows the disparity of ideas where the Kazakhs culture does not advocate nor promote gender equality and they still believe that there are separate roles for ea ch gender. It is clear that there is a vast number of spirits as it is in different cultures that believe in good and bad spirits as well as those who believe in only one supreme god. There are communities where people believe in darkness powers that bring harm and bad things to them. The cultures mostly rely on witch crafts and magicians who give them protection through charms, spiritual prayers and instructions that should be followed to stop the evil spirits that come to destroy or bring problems to them. On the other hand there are those who believe in only one god and justify that it is only the creator who can protect you. Huston and Alina seem to differ in this because Alina wants her to buy a charm that will protect his son so that

Morrisons Supermarket Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Morrisons Supermarket - Essay Example These are backed up by hundreds of special offers each time (Morrison's, 2006 and Wikipedia, 2006) from discounts to "buy one take one" topped by the wide range of goods offered from their own label "Bettabuy" and "Farmer Boy" to branded ones such as the overtaken and now defunct Safeway (BBC News, 2005) upmarket group products called "The Best." Morrison's is generally acknowledged to cater to "the lower end of the mainstream supermarket sector, offering value above choice and premium quality," of which executive chairman Sir Ken Morrison was quoted as saying "I don't know what a middle class shopper is," (Wikipedia, 2006). Morrison's manages its own commercial operation in-house from buying, packing, to distributing its fresh fruits and vegetables, meat products and fish, with their own temperature controlled warehouses, meat processing and fleet of transport. The company now employs about 130,000 members of staff in stores, factories, distribution centres, and head office administrative functions. They also enjoy a chunk of about 10 million weekly shoppers with their 360 stores across the nation. Morrison was founded in 1899 with a stall in Bradford Market selling egg and butter with its founder William Morrison inspired at innovating to lead the way in supermarket retailing. In 1958, the first town centre shop was opened, followed in 1961 by "Victoria" the first supermarket with 5,000 sq/ft of retail space selling fresh meat, green grocery, among other provisions, with a free parking. By 1967, it went public, with the shares over-subscribed at 174 times. 80,000 investors cashed in. In 1971, the Hilmore House head office was opened and by 1976, new produce Cutler Heights depot became operational after taking over Whelan Stores. By 1980, Morrison opened its "Farmer Boy" factory and in 1988, the Wakefield distribution centre opens. In 1988, Erith Greater London store opened and by 1999, the centennial store at 100th opens at Nelson. In 2001, Morrison Supermarket joined the FTSE 100 and by March 2004, it merged with Safeway (Morrison, 2006). Marketing and Communications: Employing the Market Street format that presents skilled butchers, bakers, fishmongers, pizza makers, among other well-versed staff to address its clientele, Morrison have successfully integrated among other marketing strategies a home-based service to its customers. Other stand-out marketing offers include returns for volume orders, and bell ringing announcement of newly baked goodies. Morrison's maintain its own website for the internet-using consumers, clients and the public that can be viewed at

Advertising strategies of the fashion accessories

Advertising strategies of the fashion accessories 1. Working Title The advertising strategies of the fashion accessories retailer Accessorize and Claire for the UK market. 2. Introduction According to Levitts points, the needs and desires of consumers around the world are becoming ever more homogenized. Consequently, consumers around the world would become quite alike and can be satisfied with similar products (Muller, 1996). Hence, they can be persuaded by similar advertising message. Moreover, it also can be argued that consistent brand images can enormously influence consumers. Also, every target market is unique and consumers do vary, thus adopting the same advertising strategy will not be appropriate for all market segments. Traditionally, advertising was considered as an afterthought, used primarily to promote companies name to the consumer (Burnett, 1993). No matter how innovative a designers new collection might be, how the collection is positioned for the new season, or how successful a new innovative fabric or material will be, none of these targets are achievable without consumer awareness. For this purpose advertising is used to quickly and succinctly deliver these messages to specific target group around the world (Burnett, 1993). 2.1 Justification Advertising is the most important means for developing a brand (Mooij, 1997). Advertising has been conventionally regarded as one element of promotional mix, differentiated from other marketing communication elements such as public relation, personal selling, corporate communication, sales promotion, etc. (Hackley, 2005). Advertising can be defined through many perspectives such as from consumer perspective, businesses perspective, social perspective and in general. But a definition serving all these perspectives can be defined as non personal communication of marketing related information to a target market, usually paid for by the advertiser and delivered through mass media in order to reach the specific objective of the sponsor (Burnett, 1993). Advertising has also traditionally been the principle method of communicating a brand image, thus communication plays an important role in advertising (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). Marketing departments of companies need to use advertising strategies and communication methods to benefit the company.   Communications is at the heart of good marketing strategies providing an interface between firms and its publics. Strategic communications is also referred as a recipe; ingredients must be added at the right time and in right quantities to gain comparative advantage (Blythe, 2003). In order to achieve these, the understanding of advertising and what it can and cannot accomplish is a necessity for the marketers (Burnett, 1993). Even with such benefits the role of advertising has not satisfied everyone related to it. Advertising has faced criticisms in the way it is used by companies to achieve their targets. Few of these criticisms are advertising persuades people to buy against their will, artificially differentiate products and creates brand loyalty, prevents new firms to enter the market and enables advertisers to raise prices in comparison to those of un advertised products. However, these criticisms about advertising are the causes of one another for example; consumer loyalty can pose a threat to new brands entering the market (Tellis, 1998). 3. Aim Analyzing advertising strategies used by fashion accessories retailers and their impact on sales. 4. Objectives To discuss how different advertising strategies can have an effect on consumer decisions to purchase. Analyze and comparing the advertising strategies used by fashion accessory retailers with a focus on Accessorize and Claire. To discuss the effect of the advertising strategies used by Accessorize and Claire on the consumer. 5. Literature review For the purpose of this project literature review will focus on three main categories which will reflect the aims and objectives. Advertising, consumer behavior and effects of advertising strategies on consumers will be discussed while maintaining the main focus on the chosen companies Claire and accessorize. Over the years, many brands have faced the problem of conveying their message to consumers even with the availability of different communication elements such as public relations, personal selling, word of mouth, advertising etc (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). In recent years, businesses has wildly used advertising, as being costly it serves the purpose of sending message to a mass in shortest time (Wu, 2001). The delivery of the message not only serves the needs of designers, retailers, but also plays an important role for the recipients of the message. The primary goal of fashion advertising is to bring prominence to a particular company and to increase its profits (Diamond and Diamond, 1996). Advertising can be classified in three ways which is by audience, by advertiser and by intention (product and institutional).   Audience is the most obvious way of advertising as it examines the audience intended for the purpose of advertising (Burnet, 1993). Advertiser is referred in terms of who is advertising. A retailer does not get affected by what brand consumer buy as long as they buy it in their store (Burnet, 1993). Intentional advertising is further sub classified into product advertising and institutional advertising. Product advertising aim to inform or to stimulate the market where as institutional advertising creates a positive attitude towards the seller. Product advertising can provide quick response or stimulate demand over a longer period. Institutional advertising aims to establish a high level of goodwill rather than selling a particular good or service. According to vignali (2009), the purpose of advertising is to inform, persuade and remind. Advertising is also observed according to the media by which it is used to send message to the consumers. The media used for the purposes of advertising are press (magazines, daily papers), TV, Radio, external advertising, direct mail and the internet. Advertising in magazines have been regarded as one of the most effective methods, because it can be finally tuned to the target market of the magazine. In specific magazine, fashion brand/ retailers advertising can match their target market with the magazine target market effectively and inexpensively (Lea-Greenwood, 2002) e.g. accessorize have been targeting their customers especially through magazines. Generally advertising is assumed to have the potential to shape consumers beliefs and behaviors. Researchers have demonstrated that hierarchical effects of advertising have impacts on purchase intention (Mitchell and Olson, 1981). Consumer attitudes toward advertisements and their attitudes toward brands may shape their purchase intentions (see De Pelsmacker and Van Den Bergh, 1996; Mackenzie et al., 1986; Mitchell and Olson, 1981; Percy and Rossiter, 1992; Shimp, 1981). Advertisers reliance upon the use of sexual imagery and text to attract consumer attention is increasingly common in todays saturated media culture (LaTour and Henthorne, 1994; Reichert, 2007; Reichert and Carpenter, 2004; Severn et al., 1990; Streitmatter, 2004). This approach to advertising in which sexually explicit messages are purposefully invoked to challenge social mores is an example of provocative or â€Å"shock† advertising and its not surprising that many of the studies examining the impact of sexual content in advertisements upon consumer behavior have focused upon apparel as a product category (Andersson et al., 2004; De Pelsmacker and Van Den Bergh, 1996; Ve ´zina and Paul, 1997) (e.g., Grazer and Keesling, 1995; LaTour and Henthorne, 1994; Severn et al., 1990; Ve ´zina and Paul, 1997). Although Bailey and Hall (1992, p. 15) have identified shock advertising as â€Å"one of the most effective† approaches to selling commodities in the contemporary marketplace, empirical evidence about the efficacy of sex appeal as an approach to promoting consumer goods. Advertisements featuring lower levels of sexual intensity may fail to attract consumers attention, whereas those featuring higher levels of sexual int ensity may distract the consumer from focusing upon the product being promoted (Alexander and Judd, 1978). Fashion opinion leaders have been recognised as important to the spread of new clothing fashions for a long time. Sometimes consumers become especially interested in and preoccupied with clothing and fashion so that their interest, experience, and knowledge and are then referred as opinion leaders for others (Goldsmith, 2000). The tendency of consumers to pursue dissimilarity from others in the marketplace via product and brand acquisition and usage for the enhancement of the individuals self and social image is referred to as consumer need for uniqueness or CNFU (Tian et al., 2001). Consumer need for uniqueness is a multidimensional construct consisting of three factors which are Creative choice counterconformity, Unpopular choice counterconformity and Avoidance of similarity. The advertising industry is held responsible for creating fashion norms such as â€Å"tweens†, and marketers exploit the tendency of children to look forward to growing up, choosing slightly older children as role models (Linn, 2004). Accessories have been proven to be the most resilient sector of fashion retailing in recession with growth of 3.2% in 2009 and have added nearly  £0.5bn to sales value between 2005 and 2009 (Verdict, 2009). The accessories sector of fashion has always been woman dominant and accounts nearly for 73% of all accessories expenditure. Within the last decade, clothing specialists have used accessories as a vehicle for growth and discovered accessories to be a necessity for fashion followers. Accessorize remain leading specialist despite facing tough competition from clothing specialists, Accessorize has managed to hold on to a share of 7.4% in 2009 (Verdict, 2009).

Compare and contrast the variety of attitudes to marriage as expressed

Compare and contrast the variety of attitudes to marriage as expressed by different characters in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous novels in the history of English Literature. Written in the year of 1813 by the very well known author, Jane Austen, whose novels all examine the nature of love. The general tone of the novel is light, but serious. Pride and Prejudice is a story that focuses on the life of marriage, it is full of love. Money and wealth is also a main aspect of the book. Marriage in Pride and Prejudice is acknowledged in that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. The first sentence of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice could not have better prepared the reader for the rest of the novel. The thread that sews together the lives of all the characters in the novel is the establishment of marriage. Jane Austen uses the Bennet family of Longbourn to illustrate the good and bad reasons behind marriage. Mrs. Bennet is an irritating woman whose main goal in life is to get her five daughters married. It might be correct in assuming that she felt social and financial pressure to do so. Her husband's estate was entailed to his nephew, Mr. Collins, when Mr. Bennet was to pass away. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters to have financial stability elsewhere in case of their father's death. In the time period of this story there was very little social acceptance of women who were single their whole lives. For the most part, women could not acquire money on their own without inheriting or marrying into good fortune. Women who could not find a husband were often referred to as â€Å"old maids† and lived their whole lives with their p... ...daughters were pleasant and appear to be ideal. Jane had longed for Mr. Bingley for quite a while. Bingley was handsome, rich, kind, and well liked. He and Jane shared many conversations and had complimentary personalities. They were pleasantly matched and I believe that they shared a happy life together. Elizabeth (the main character in the novel) and Darcy's marriage was an excellent match. Though she thought him a cold, aloof snobbish man at first, this soon evolved into something else, it was love. They were equal in intellect, had physical attraction and deep love for one another, financial security, romance, and companionship. They are the two I believe would be most happy in life. Jane Austen wanted the reader to know that marriage should be approached as a package deal - a package of love, financial stability, physical attraction, and happiness.