A Leader Essay

Leaders can be seen in a variety of ways such as a president, a soldier, an athlete. But does a lieutenant only lead his men into combat? Or does a president just send the military off to war in one command? Leadership has a far different meaning than one man giving orders. Being a leader, one must understand that you cannot carry every single thing upon your hands. Sometimes, even a leader can find themselves tied up in a knot and not realizing what they’ve done or are doing. Therefore, in a leadership position there must always contain a group so that way the leader will not rule over everything and actually be seen as an inspiring person; one who sacrifices themselves for others, and one who searches for the best outcome. Throughout my life of experience, I have come across â€Å"leaders and leadership†. There also have been many leaders way before my time came about. For example, somebody like John. F. Kennedy. This man was seen as very inspiring to the American peo ple at the time. His speeches and commitment drove not only the people in the right path but the country as well. Currently, our country is being run by Barak Obama which is actually really good. He is a great example of a leader. He has helped our country in the past few years get a lot out of this huge dept we have and are actually still having. He’s also has helped us with this welfare and also is giving a bit more benefits for illegal immigrants. In addition, the outcome of his work shall inspire the people of America. Currently my most favorable experience of leadership is actually taking place as we speak. I came across a book by the one and only great baseball player Josh Hamilton. It is called â€Å"Beyond Belief†. Josh Hamilton is a great example as a leader and is a man who inspires many ball players. Although he was drug tested and came out positive for cocaine and also suspended from the major leagues, he fought his way back to where he belonged in the majors. From a very young age he we always seen upon as the leader of the team. At the age of only six years old he obtained the skills to play with the older kids. Even then he was better than the older kids. He was always leading his teams in hits, average, and home runs. He carried this through high school. Although he was doing all these great things at once, being that type of leader is far different from being a leader for the team. He  would always care for his teammates as if they were brothers and always lightened up situati ons when they would be down a couple of runs or lost a game. He would sacrifice himself when needed and was always one for helping out his team before powering his skills onto the field. He was not a selfish person at all and never bragged about anything he did. He did it for the love of the game that he cherished so much. That’s what really defines a true leader. When one does not become selfish and truly believes in the good of things whether it is an athlete or a president. Therefore, the outcome will not only inspire teammates or the people of America, but maybe even inspire them self to do more and be greater. A leader always does what is best for the outcome. Overall for the country, or for their teammate. Within a leader, there is always something unique about them. There are reasons, facts, and details on why they seem so inspiring to many people and that is why they are chosen to be the leader or even simply be seen as a leader. Although a leader may have the drive to do something right it is not always the right or best thing. Groups will play an important role for the leader and back them up with opinions of their own. Furthermore, a leader must play along or they will not be seen as a one who sacrifices or inspires anything. Overall, the true greatness of a leader will only show when one is tested. It really can be at any moment. Josh Hamilton was tested for drugs and came out positive unfortunately. But the real test was whether he would be able to get back on his feet from this. Which in the end he did and fought his way all the way back to the top. Leaders do not vary simply off of how many people know them, how many votes, or how many home runs are hit. They’re leadership shows when they are in the toughest moments that seem they cannot get across but actually can. As long as there is a contained group within leadership, more often than not everything will be fine. Things will not turn into a dictatorship and one man will not lead his team to the world series. Therefore, the group within will help their leader realize what they are doing and they will in fact sacrifice, inspire, and search for the best outcome.

Nursing Fundamentals-Professionalism and Discipline

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF NURSING RELATED TO PROFESSIONALISM AND DISCIPLINEIn this paper I will provide information regarding the definition of nursing, nursing as a discipline, nursing as a profession and nursing roles and settings. In addition, I will provide the fundamentals of nursing related to caring and communication, along with nursing as an art and science. I believe nursing is a very important career needed much around the world, and only certain types of people can be nurses.These individuals should contain a good heart and a good brain to further their success in nursing; they should be capable of caring, have strong communication skills, and have the knowledge capabilities to accomplish difficult tasks. I will be addressing these topics in my paper. Definition of nursing: Nursing is the collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well in all settings. â€Å"Nursing is the use of clinical judgment and the provision of care to enable people to promote, improve, maintain, or recover health or, when death is inevitable to die peacefully† (Newham, R., 2012).Nurses are capable of more tasks than what most people imagine. Nursing is a mix of communication and caring, and the culmination of art and science. Therapeutic communication is extremely important in a nurse-client relationship. Communication allows an establishment of helping and healing relationships within the individual, family or community client(s). â€Å"At the core of nursing care, are therapeutic interpersonal relationships based on caring, mutual respect, and dignity. † (Burger & Goddard, 2010, p.246).By ensuring these relationships with clients, responsibilities are to be put forth; ethical responsibilities, legal responsibilities, and professional standards are met. When good communication is established, clients become empowered, which allows them to become capable of their decision making (2010). Verbal and non-verbal communic ation is very important to sustain. Often, difficulties arise from misinterpretation based on the clients’ perception. The nurse must contain the knowledge of these skills to minimize the unwanted confusion within the communicating process.Caring is a reflection of what matters to a person and has a wide range of involvements. Having personal concern for others motivates people to care. â€Å"Caring practices and expert knowledge that are at the heart of competent nursing practice must be valued and embraced† (Perry & Sams, 2010, p. 266). The act of caring is the process and decisions to help people in ways that include empathy, compassion, and support. All nurses should have this aspect within their nursing career. Without care from the nurse, the client’s holistic, spiritual, emotional and physical well-being can be comprised.â€Å"Instead of focusing on the client’s disease and its treatment by conventional means, transpersonal caring explores inner s ources of healing to protect, enhance, and preserve a person’s dignity, humanity, wholeness, and inner harmony† (Perry & Sams, 2010, p. 267). Nursing as a science is the application of knowledge through theoretical framework (Watson, J. , & Smith, M. , 2002). The technical aspect of nursing is more than ordinary technology. Nurses have to be critical thinkers and to know how to solve problems in the most optimum way possible.Watson states, â€Å"the science of nursing [is] to provide reliable and valid approaches, techniques, and theory that will enable nurses to practice effectively while solving problems† (p. 73) According to Watson, the last two decades has experienced an explosion of nursing knowledge that will improve the health, promote and optimize health, prevent illness and injury, and alleviate suffering as much as physically possible. As a profession, nurses have been educating patients, conducting research, and advocating for care. (Watson, J. , & Smi th, M., 2002).However, the artful acts in nursing are those activities that science cannot explain. The art in nursing is the individual practice of the nurse–patient interaction. Attempts are made to reincorporate art and science in ways that are morally, socially, aesthetically, and ecologically grounded by being accountable to a larger whole (Blondeau, D, 2002). New relationships are being established between arts and healing. The act of the nurse treating each patient interaction as a sacred and artful act can be just as beautiful and healing.The mere presence of the nurse can be more healing than all technology available today. In order for these elements to be put in place, society can expect these activities from the nursing discipline. Nursing as a Discipline Nursing is presented as a unique, independent, and a disciplined profession. A discipline is associated with following a standard way of doing things. There are many areas in which organizations are attempting to take disciplines and create a profession from it (Hayne, Y. ,1992). The goal of the discipline is to expand knowledge and human experiences through creative perception and research.This knowledge is the scientific guide to living the art of nursing (1992). Interaction between a nurse and a patient at a specific time and place is a very important discipline. Orlando (2010) states, that nursing discipline must be put in a certain order to enable the best outcome for a positive relationship between the nurses and clients (George, J. B. , 2011, p. 164). First, an arrangement of exchanges involving the nurse’s reaction to the patient behavior takes place until the patient’s need for help, as he or she perceives it, is clarified.Secondly, the nurse and the client in cooperation, decide to resolve the need in an appropriate manner. Lastly, an evaluation of this action is carried out after it is complete. Succession of the action is shown if the patients’ behaviour imp roves, the desired outcomes were achieved and the process is completed. The process recycles if there is no change or the behaviour of the patient gets worse. (2011) Using the appropriate nursing action and clarifying the patient’s behaviour is needed for progress.When nurses use this process to communicate their reactions in caring for patients, Orlando calls it the â€Å"nursing process discipline. † She applies the process discipline to contacts between a nurse and a leader and those she supervises and directs (2011). To enable the discipline of nursing to grow, nursing needs leaders who can articulate the place of nursing within modern society. The role of leaders also have to clarify the nursing discipline for the purposes of better understanding the nature of life and the nature of living, to contribute to societies’ health care.By doing so, nursing can ensure its positive contribution to health care and provide society a better understanding of health. Nu rsing as a Profession Nursing should always be spoken of and looked upon as a profession, not as an occupation. When the work of nursing was first organized by Florence Nightingale, it was proper to think of it as an occupation, but then the art of nursing the ill has been growing and thriving since ( Ross-Kerr, 2010, p. 32-34). Elliot Fredison; another important role model regarding the health care system, was a leading researcher in the sociology of medicine and other professions.According to Freidson, the ideal professional is characterized by five elements: specialized work, exclusive control, required qualified credentials, formal training, and a commitment to doing good work before economic gain (Paulsen, 2011). Another important aspect that Freidson addressed, regarding the topic of professionalism, was the physician-patient care. â€Å"Only members of the health professions can be trusted, because of their competence, because of their ability to cure sometimes, treat often, and care always† (2011).Caring requires the concentration of caregivers so that they become aware of the patient’s needs. Paulsen (2011) inquires that a moral quality of caring is derived from being able to perceive needs with as little alteration as possible. He also states that caring â€Å"about† differs from caring â€Å"for. † The aspect that is clarified by the awareness of something becoming a need is the caring â€Å"about† fragment and having full responsibility for one’s patient, qualifies the caring â€Å"for† feature.This leads into the competency of caring, and how important it is on a professional spectrum. â€Å"Incompetent care is not only a technical problem, but a moral one. † (Hafferty, F. et. al, 2003) This states that within the ethics of caring, one must balance a sustainable role within the clinical setting and contain the knowledge retaining the patient’s rights (2003). Such rights would classify under confidentiality, informed consent, acceptance or refusal of treatment and privacy (CNA, 2008).Fundamental to Fredison’s definition of professionalism is the claim that the physician must retain independence of judgment and action, if only to decide when and what kinds of care are inappropriate (Hafferty, F. et. al, 2003). Following Freidson’s view on what a professional is, would include the nursing profession. Nursing is a dedicated profession with required skills that are accumulated through formal education and care.Nursing Roles and Settings If one cannot identify their uniqueness within nursing, a negative impact could be put in place, such as; the lack of a clearly identifiable function,  which leads to inadequate care and insufficient attention to the patient’s reactions to his immediate experiences. Then, nurses will identify their role as a concern regarding the right provided direct assistance to individuals in any setting they are found, to th e purpose of avoiding, relieving, diminishing or curing the individual’s sense of helplessness. â€Å"It is the nurse’s direct responsibility to see to it that the patient’s needs for help are met either by her own activity or by calling in the help of others.† (Lowe, G. , et. al. , 2012).The importance of nursing uniqueness acts as a function to allow nurses to work in any setting where persons experience a need for help they cannot resolve themselves. Therefore, nurses may practice with well or ill persons in an independent practice or in an institutional setting (2012). Support, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.By being influenced by economic, social, and cultural factors, nursing has responded by continuing to meet the needs of health care. The founder of modern nursing is considered to be Florence Nightingale (Ross-K err, 2010). Nightingale, along with her staff of nurses dramatically reduced morbidity rates through their care and the importance of comfort for clients. She applied the principles of cleanliness and comfort to nursing care which is today known as one of the fundament principles of nursing.ConclusionThis paper explained the idea of what nursing is. The fundament concepts of nursing are to provide the most competent care achievable through proper caring and communication, discipline and profession and the knowledge of roles and settings. I have also inquired nursing as an art and science, to better understand the fundaments of nursing. I learned from doing research that the main aspect of nursing is to care. The other points are very valid and important, but to be a truthfully caring nurse, is what a patient really needs to gain the most optimum health.

benefits of work integrated learning education

benefits of work integrated learning education While reviewing the literature on the subject of the impact of the Hospitality Curriculum at the Durban University of Technology on Work Integrated Learning. The researcher believes that one needs to deal with the issues separately, that is the issue of Work Integrated Learning firstly and then the issue of the Curriculum at the Durban University of Technology .The chapter reviews literature that is based on the above mentioned issues and it has been divided into different sections. The sections start to talk about Work Integrated Learning in general explaining what it is about and then goes on to talk about the history of Work Integrated Learning and how it was founded. The next idea deals with the importance of Work Integrated Learning, it is then followed by the Work Integrated Learning process and the next section talks about the benefits of Work Integrated Learning. The next area starts talking about the Hospitality Management curriculum at the Durban University of Technology a nd it goes into the next section which discusses the Work Integrated Learning process used at the Durban University of Technology. The trainees experience Work Integrated Learning is dealt with here and then it show the ideal Work Integrated Learning experience for a in service trainee. The next sections talks about Hospitality and leads on to the next section which gives an overview of the Hospitality Industry. The last section discusses the Hospitality Management Programs at different universities and institutions. 2.2.1 Work Integrated Learning (Cooperative education) According to Poppins and Singh (2005) Work Integrated Learning is referred to as an internship program by many people and it provides the learner with real life learning experiences. Work Integrated Learning is included in many academic programs and universities not only in South Africa ,but all over the world. There are many names that Work Integrated Learning is referred to and some of the names are internships, s andwich year, workplace learning and cooperative education. Work Integrated Learning can be defined when a student that is doing a tertiary degree program has a period in time where they undergo professional work in their field of study. It is said that by providing students with real life experiences it is one of the best methods to prepare the students for their future career. Similarly, Schuetze and Sweet(2003) state that there are debates whether the universities and colleges teach graduates the knowledge and skills relevant to work in a knowledge based economy. There are high demands on universities to provide and supply both highly trained workers. To meet their objectives universities have developed alternative strategies to prepare young people for work life and one of these strategies used is Cooperative Education which is also known as Work Integrated Learning. (Suskie, 2009:124) suggests that when students start Work Integrated Learning it is very important that they deve lop their goals and information should be collected by students on their goals from internal and external resources. The internal resources can be a college or universities, mission statement, vision statement and the experiences of recent graduates can be internal resources also. External resources can be goals of the industry, surveys or interviews of current employees. Nipson(2000) states that Work Integrated Learning has introduced the adult world of work to students and it has been described as a learning plan where students earn and with this the students can graduate with the knowledge and experience to be successful in their careers that await them. There are certain environments that support Work Integrated Learning and each of these environments should support a learner or a teacher and also provide support for interactions between the two for learning purposes. According to Wynn(2000) employers can reap many rewards from Work Integrated Learning as it is a less expensive means of recruiting and looking for future employees. It also reduces the cost of keeping existing employees and employers can evaluate the students without making a long term commitment to them.

Religious Healthcare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religious Healthcare - Research Paper Example This report will address the measures regarding the strategic performance of Religious Health Care. In areas of improvement the core functions of the RHC, the governing board can strategize on the following five elements. They should first ensure that the services of the nursing get their rightful planning in time (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). This would automatically diffuse any interruption within the operations of the nurses since their positions, time and involvement activity are well in order. Apart from only planning, they should also implement and evaluate to maximize the quality of life of the residents to ensure they have a quality care. The Governing Board should also see into that the program for social services get prior attention. This then follows by implementation and evaluation in order to meet the psychological and social needs of the residents. As a result, the resident’s preferences would receive enough attention and this maximizes the quality of life and ca re. Furthermore, the program for food should be effective. As like the others, it should have good planning, implementation, and evaluated in order to satisfy the needs as well as the interests of the residents in RHC (Institute of Medicine (U.S.), 2003). This would serve as a measure in the provision of the nutritional needs of the residents hence maximizing of their life quality and care. ... Lastly, the board should plan, implement, and evaluate the pharmaceutical program in advance. This would assist in supporting the medical care of the residents resulting to quality care at their disposal. There are various dimensions, which the Board of governors can put into use to measure performance of the Religious Healthcare Institution. To start with, they can check on the overall cost of care. In these measures, the concern is the quality of services provide for by the health plan (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). In order to achieve its target on cost of care, information gathering is on high-occurrence and high cost facilities and the monitoring of the rate trend in certain aspects. Therefore, the medical management often gets direction towards management of the cost of provision of health care interventions. Because of this dimension, the medical manger’s specific concern is on how his plan would end up costing and this should compare with fellow competitors (Lighter & F air, 2004). Secondly, effectiveness of care is another dimension involved in measurement of performance. The overall concentration in this is the summative clinical care provided and the results achieved at the end of it. For example, the examination of an eye for a patient with diabetes, screening of breast cancer, the follow up after someone gets hospitalized for mental illness and attending to infants and growing kids with all forms of infection. Through this measure, an organization would have gotten an assessment on how effective it operates. Thirdly, the dimension of foreseeing satisfaction with the care experience would serve best in measuring the performance of RHC (Institute of Medicine (U.S.) et al, 2001). In operations of the institution, this dimension would focus on how the

How Religion would Respond to Today's Issues Essay

How Religion would Respond to Today's Issues - Essay Example This paper analyses the ways in which religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam respond to today's issues. Hindu religion consists of different castes such as Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and Chandalas (Jayaram). Brahmins are the upper class caste while Chandals are the lower class caste in Hindu caste system. In other words racism appears in the form of caste system in Hindu religion. Hinduism considers poverty as a virtue rather than curse. In other words, Hindus do believe that the sufferings or poverty in this world is good for getting salvation. Hindus are not much aggressive like some of other religions. They will try to avoid war and murder as much as possible. They are peace loving people which are evident from the fact that India never tried to attack Pakistan even though Pak terrorists created so many problems in Indian soil in the recent past. Hindus normally do not believe in sex activities outside a marital relationship. However, in some of the Hindu castes, keeping more than one wife is allowed. Hindu women command huge respect from Hindu men and it should be note d that some of the goddesses of Hindu religion are females such as Sita, Lakshmi and Saraswathy. Hindus do believe in democratic administrations and they are the strong advocates of freedom and individuality. Education is considered as an essential activity by Hindu religion. Perhaps Buddhists are the most liberal and peace loving people in the world. They hate all types of war and murder activities. Killing of even an insect is a sin in Buddhism. Racism in any form cannot be witnessed in Buddhism. Freedom and liberties are much respected terms in Buddhism. Truthfulness is the major land mark of Buddhism. Buddhism advocates normal sex activities for layman. However, â€Å"Complete sexual continence is considered an essential feature of the monastic life. Intercourse of a heterosexual or homosexual character is automatically a Parajika offense† (Walshe). Capitalism and injustices are unacceptable to Buddhism. Taoism give more emphasize to living in harmony with the environment or nature. Taoism believes in the ancestor spirits and immortals. Taoists believe in a peaceful life filled with happiness. So, war and murder like activities are unacceptable to Taoism. Even though Taoism considers sex as a vital component in the relationship between men and women, it never advocates crazy sex habits or unnatural sex. As per the beliefs of Taoism, â€Å"a strong military was an important tool in human relations, but the conduct of warfare was an absolute last resort. Its consequences so potentially harmful that it had to be understood completely and practiced flawlessly when required†(Davis). Confucianism believes in humanity more than any other religions in the world. It has not much customs or rituals compared to other religions. War and crimes are unacceptable to Confucianism. â€Å"Confucius regarded himself as a transmitter, not the originator, of social values and wisdom† (Dr. Sprunger). Judaism, Christianity and Islam are three Abrahamic relig ions. Even though the origins of these three religions have some common elements, their beliefs are entirely different. Islam does not hesitate to conduct wars against the enemies. In fact killing of enemies of religion is a sacred act in Islam. Jews and Christians are also seeing no dangers in conducting wars even though they are not much adamant in religious belief and thoughts. Jews and Christians give more freedom to the sexual life. Homosexuality is practiced among Christians and Jews even though their religious beliefs are against it. On the other hand such things are punishable acts in Islam. Muslim males can keep

The dangers of obesity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The dangers of obesity - Assignment Example An individual who has reached the ‘morbidly obese’ or Grade III status needs to understand that weight is a threat to their health (Patient, 1). However, higher BMI’s exist in individuals who are muscular; therefore, they should not be assumed as having excess fat (Shearer, 173). Waist-hip ratio is an alternative indicator of obesity. WHR accurately predicts cardiovascular risks than Body Mass Index (Skouteris, Helen, et al, 7). It is important to note that all the listed classes if obesity relates to significantly higher causes of mortality. The increase in degree of obesity significantly increases the risks involved. Calculation of the connection between obesity and other diseases depends on the gender of an individual. According to NAO (National Audit Office), the risks of diseases related to obesity differ between men and women. Obesity is a major danger in the growth of disorders related to chronic respiratory diseases such as obesity hypoventilation, obstructive sleep-apnoea, asthma, and COPD. In the occasion where an individual exhibits an obesity case demanding surgical procedure, diagnosis becomes more difficult. Frequency of postoperative complications enhances, including wound dehiscence, chest infection, and acute vein thrombosis (Chhabra, Lovely, et al., 1). Osteoarthritis is common in almost every individual with a prolonged obesity problem. This is very risky to proper maintenance of bone rigidity while aging. Obese people are also faced with problems that cannot be readily treated such as total hip replacement. Most people with this condition cannot afford the medical costs to administer such treatments. Different grades of obesity increase the dangers of endometrium carcinoma and breast cancer. In addition, the disease referred to as Polycystic ovarian disorder is also connected to the obese. Researchers and doctors found that obesity has the

What is the operating system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

What is the operating system - Essay Example only simple pointer acting according to our commands, but actually there is a whole software program that is running behind the scenes, and is controlling all its moves. That software program is the OS. When we purchase a computer system, it may or may not have an OS in it. The user has to install it. There are different types of OS, which have come over the period. For example, Windows 2000/XP/7 (types of Windows OS which is the most common OS developed by Microsoft, compatible with PC and IBM), Apple Mac OS (which is the only OS introduced by and for Apple), Ubuntu Linux (PC and IBM compatible, a variant of Linux), Google Android (which is a new OS that goes with smart phones that support Android functionalities), and iOS (for Apple iPhones). Hence, OS can be found not only in computers, but also in small electronic devices like mobile phones nowadays. Discussion about OS cannot be completed with an account of how to install an OS. Suppose that you have to install Windows 7. Place Windows 7 DVD in the DVD-ROM, and start the PC. This starts Windows 7 booting, followed by a progress bar. A screen appears that asks for language, time and currency format, and also the input method. After inserting user settings, click the install option after reading the license terms. Select Custom (Advanced) option, and disregard the Upgrade option to do a clean install. Select the appropriate drive where the Windows files will be installed. Windows 7 will start copying files to the hard disk while rebooting the system a few times in a number of steps. PC reboots from the DVD, since it is the first boot device. After the reboot, select the computer name and the username. An account with the name of administrator will be created. Now, select password and password hint for the administrator’s account. Type the product key, although you can stil l proceed but that will be a trial version then. Windows will have to be activated within the next thirty days. Review your settings,

World Trade Organization (WTO) impacts agriculture Research Paper

World Trade Organization (WTO) impacts agriculture - Research Paper Example The aim of the WTO and the agreements is to assist exporters, importers, consumers and producers to conduct international trade. The outcome is essentially assurance as producers and consumers feel that they have security in supplies and a range of options of products, services and raw materials. As a result of accountability in the economic world, international trade is peaceful and prosperous as the WTO settles trade disputes by interpreting commitments and agreements made by member states. This paper will examine various areas of trade such as international and domestic trade, discussing different elements that influence both forms of trade. The essence of trade is to benefit both consumers and sellers in a mutually beneficial relationship (Mankiw, 2011). Compare and contrast free trade and protectionist theories   Economists continue to argue on the issue of protectionist theories and free trade. These arguments are complex, but the underpinning controversy is even greater. Fre e trade refers to a strategy through which a government allows imports and does not interfere with exports. This is through the application of import tariffs or export quotas or subsidies. Free trade allows both trading partners to gain from trade. This is because, under free trade, the prices of goods and services emerge from the forces of demand and supply (Mankiw, 2011). In addition, free trade allows resource allocation on account of demand and supply. Free trade enables counties to acquire greater levels of production and consumption, which they can obtain in isolation. In case of perfect competition, free trade allows optimal, global resource allocation. This essentially means that free trade allows trading countries to achieve equality in their marginal production transformation rates (OECD, 2000). Theory on free trade suggests that free trade facilitates income increments and equitable distribution of income among countries (Lambert & McKoy, 2009). Free trade differs signifi cantly from protectionist theories since the latter allows the determination of the allocation of products and services amongst trading nations on the basis of different price strategies. The different price strategies amongst trading partners emerge from government interventions in the market. Here, governments intervene by adjusting prices or instituting supply restrictions. Essentially, under protectionist theories of trade, government interventions either increase or decrease the cost of products and services to producers and consumers. Protectionism involves the establishment of trade barriers such as currency restrictions with regard to international trade, taxes, import quotas and other subsidies offered to domestic industries. The essential purpose of protectionist theories is to protect domestic industries from losses incurred in unstable marketplaces (Giovanni, Bohman, Carter, & McCalla, 2007). Consequently, governments also establish non-tariff barriers. They include: the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which intervene in markets, hence producing artificial prices. These are prices not set by the natural mechanisms of demand and supply. Moreover, protectionist theories deter equilibrium in countries’ marginal production transformation rates by establishing differences between international and domestic prices of goods (Mankiw, 2011). In essence, this means that protectionist theories produce suboptimal allocations of factors of production, as well as lower global real income than free trade would produce. Protectionism reallocates income, which would not occur under free trade since income reallocation would mean one

Criminal Punishment Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Criminal Punishment Program - Research Paper Example In June 1972, Furman v. Georgia reduced the support for death penalty, when the Supreme Court held capital punishment to be unconstitutional and voided 40 death penalty statutes. Several more rulings questioned the constitutionality of capital punishment, though many states continue the program. This paper discusses the history and outcomes of death penalty in the U.S. It also uses applicable criminological theories that help explain the different results of capital punishment programs. Despite scholarly evidence and arguments that showed that death penalty does not deter the incidence of violent crimes, majority of Americans continue to support it and other studies prove its deterrence. History of Death Penalty in the United States The first death penalty laws can be dated to eighteenth century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which applied the death penalty for twenty-five kinds of crimes. Britain influenced American death penalty because the English brought this prog ram with them to the New World. The first person who was executed through capital punishment was Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608 (DPIC, 2013). Kendall was put to death for being a spy for Spain. The abolition movement for death penalty began during the colonial times too. Montesquieu, Voltaire and Bentham wrote against it, although the most prominent opposition came from Cesare Beccaria’s 1767 essay, On Crimes and Punishment (DPIC, 2013). Beccaria argued that no one can justify the state’s execution of human lives. Throughout the nineteenth century, death penalty witnessed different reforms, aside from abolition in some states. Instead of being applied in all crimes, for instance, it was applied to capital crimes in a number of states. After the Civil War, new means of execution developed. The electric chair was developed and used at the end of the nineteenth century. New York made its first electric chair, which was first used on Wil liam Kemmler (DPIC, 2013). Other states followed this technology. The early and middle twentieth century witnessed the ups and downs of the capital punishment program. From 1907 to 1917, six states banned the death penalty, while three reduced it to cases concerning treason and first degree murder of a law enforcement official (DPIC, 2013). These reforms were cut short because of the Russian Revolution and World War I, where five of the six abolitionist states reapplied death penalty in 1920. The 1960s and the 1970s tested the constitutionality of the capital punishment program. In 1958, the Supreme Court ruled in Trop v. Dulles (356 U.S. 86) that the Eighth Amendment embodied an â€Å"evolving standard of decency that marked the progress of a maturing society† (DPIC, 2013). In 1972, Furman v. Georgia, Jackson v. Georgia, and Branch v. Texas led to the Supreme Court asserting that death penalty is arbitrary. In Furman, the Supreme Court created the standard that a punishment would be â€Å"cruel and unusual,† if it was too severe for the crime, if it was capricious, if it offended society's sense of justice, or it if was not more effective than a less harsh penalty (DPIC, 2013). At present, the United States numbers of death sentences are gradually falling from 300 in 1998 to 106 in 2009 (DPIC, 2013). Though execution rates are declining, Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans continue to favor capital punishment. In its 2012 survey, 63% of those surveyed supported death penalty

Ap Us History Outline Essay Example for Free

Ap Us History Outline Essay General Information: Use your review text, other history text books, and/or reliable internet sources to complete each of the five (5) outlines over U.S. history from exploration through the Civil War. Be sure that all terms are defined and specific information is added under each topic. We will use this work in class over the first several weeks of school. All of this work should be placed in a folder and turned in by the designated date. This should be typed. You will need much more space than provided below. Adjust the spacing when you type your work. Native Cultures Early Exploration Do you remember this topic from elementary or middle school? Brainstorm any information that you remember. In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue The first people to discover the land were the nomads that traveled over the â€Å"land bridge† from Asia The Mayflower brought the first British pilgrims The Native Americans showed the pilgrims how to grow maize Pilgrims introduced the plague to Native American When/where for first arrivals— Christopher Columbus and his crew landed on the Canary Islands on October 12, 1492. List regions of North America and the Native groups living in each— Southeast- Cherokee,Seminole, Apalachee, Catawba Chickasaw, Choctow, Coushatta, Creek, Houma, Lumbee, Miccoukee, Timacu Mid Atlantic/Northeast- Piscataway, Lenape, Powhatan, Yaocamico, Algonquin, Iroquios, Narrangansett, Nipmuc, Peqet, Pokanoket, Wampanog Great Lakes- Cippewa, Fox, Shawnee, Huron, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, Oneida, Onondaga, Ottowa, Potawatomi, Winnebago Great Plains- Sioux, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapoho, Crow, Dakota, Kiowa, Mandan, Osage, Pawnee, Wichta Califrornia/Mountains- Paiute, Shoshone, Cahuilla, Chemihuevi, Chumash, Costanoan, Diegueno, Hupa, Luiseno, Maidu, Pomo, Ute Pacific Northwest- Spokane, Aleut, Athabascan, Chinook, Colville, Coos, Nez Perce, Puget Sound Salish, Quileute, Quinault, Tlihgit, Tulalip Southwest- Navajo, Apache, Pueblo, Hopi, Keres, Maricopa, Mojave, Tohono Oodham, Pima, Yaqui,Yuma, Zuni Columbus the Columbian exchange- The Columbian Exchange refers to the transcontinental movement of animals, foods, plants, and diseases after 1492. II.Age of Exploration (1420 – 1620) What developments/changes BEFORE this time that had an impact on exploration? Political—the unification of small states into larger ones with centralized political power Technological— compass, astrolabe, cross staff, hour glass, the Spanish galleon Religious— the Protestant Reformation as a result of The Renaissance Military— The change in the way people payed for wars and the sudden need for a strong military was western Europe’s response to the challenges of warfare in the new age of gunpowder weapons Economic—The rise of capitalism created a largely urban middle class committed to expanding markets. As more people looked to buy products and goods, national and international trade interests grew . Nations/ Their explorer(s)/Major Reasons Motives for Exploration/Location/Success Portugal— Treaty of Tordesillas Ferdinand Magellan- first voyage around the world Christopher Columbus- discovered the New World; landed in Bahamas on first voyage Bartholomeu Dias- lead voyage around Cape of Good Hope (southern tip of South Africa) Pedro Alvarez Cabral- first European to see Brazil The Treaty of Tordesillas was created to settle disputes between Spain and Portugal over land discovered by Columbus. Motives: Wealth gold, silver and spices Power Increasing opportunities for Portuguese trade Spreading the Catholic Religion Spain— Christopher Columbus- financed by Spain and claimed much of the New World in the name of Spain Vasco Nunez de Balboa- crossed the Isthmus of Panama and claimed the Pacific Ocean for Spain Juan Diaz de Solis- landed in Uruguay Hernan Cortes- founds Veracruz in Mexico Motives: Wealth Power Prestige Increasing opportunities for Spanish trade Spreading the Catholic religion Building a Spanish Empire France— Jaques Cartier- landed in Newfoundland Samuel de Champlain- established Port Royal in present day Nova Scotia, founded Quebec Sieur de Bienville- founded New Orleans Motives: Gold Expand French Empire To capture and sell American animals furs in France 4. England— Sir Frances Drake- circumnavigates the world Sir Walter Raleigh- The Discovery of Guiana and establishing the Virginia colony of Roanoke Island Sir Humphrey Gilbert- established St. Johns, Newfoundland Motives: Wealth (failed) Competition with Spain and France Spreading Christianity C. Other European powers exploring the New World/Areas Claimed/Goals of Colonies Dutch- Henry Hudson was an Englishman who was sent by the Dutch; he landed in Labrador and headed south, down the coast. Colonized New Netherlands and New Amsterdam II.English Colonization in North America 1 Motives of English immigrants: escape religious prosecution  economic (business investments overseas)  place to work for unemployed  more political freedom 2 Types of Colonial organization Royal- owned by the King Proprietary- land grants from British Government to colonists Self-governing- set up ongovernment seperate of the crown (King at any time could revoke  privillage and declare the colony a Royal Colony) Thirteen English Colonies (complete chart in detail) Be able to compare/contrast. The Thirteen English Colonies |Region |Date of Founding|Founder or People associated with Early History of Colony |Environment, Economy, and Labor of the Region;| | | |Notes on the Early History of the Colony: Why it was founded, |the role of religion in these colonies | | | |significant characteristics, terms, and/or laws | | |New England | |Plymouth and |Plymouth – 1620 |101 colonists left England to head for the Virginia Colony in 1620. |It was very cold in the New England colonies, | |Massachusetts |Mass. Bay – 1630 |However, the Mayflower was blown off course and landed in |but this helped prevent the spread of deadly | | | |present-day Cape Cod and the town they established on December 21, |diseases (although it did not stop it). The | | | |1620 was named Plymouth. |harsh winters killed many. The land was | | | | |covered in hills and rocky soil. There was a | | | | |short growing season, so the natural resources| | | | |such as fish, whales, trees, and fur became | | | | |the most reliable so urces for survival. The | | | | |towns were to support the religion of the | | | | |Puritans, who did not tolerate other religious| | | | |views. | |Connecticut |1636 |John Winthrop, Thomas Dudley, and other non-separatist Puritans | | | | |founded the colony. The first Governor, John Endecott, was a staunch| | | | |Puritan who percecuted anyone with opposing views. | | |Rhode Island |1636 |Roger Williams was a Protestant minister who sought separation from | | | | |the Church of England. Eventually he was tried in Salem and banished| | | | |for his views. He purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and | | | | |founded Providence, Rhode Island. | | |New Hampshire |1623 |In 1623, under the authority of an English land-grant, Captain John | | | | |Mason sent David Thomson, a Scotsman, and Edward and Thomas Hilton, | | | | |fish-merchants of London, with a number of other people in two | | | | |divisions to establish a fishing colony in what is now New | | | | |Hampshire, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River | | |Middle Colonies | |New York |1625 |Originally call ed New Netherlands, was so named in honor of the Duke|These colonies are politically, socially, and| | | |of York to whom the territory was granted on its conquest from its |economically diverse. The rich land in | | | |first settlers, the Dutch who came for trade and furs. |Pennsylvania and the easy access to the ports | | | | |are the reason the Middle Colonies are | | | | |agricultural and industrial. This region | | | | |experienced the most religious pluralism. | |New Jersey |1664 |New Jersey was sold by the Duke of York to George Carteret and Lord | | | | |Berkley. It was colonized majorly for farming and trade. | | |Pennsylvania |1681 |The King granted the land to William Penn, who set sail from England| | | | |August of 1682 with Captain Greenway and the soon-to-be colonists, | | | | |who were mostly Quakers. | | |Delaware |1638 |Peter Minuit was Dutch and formed New Sweden as part of New | | | | |Netherland. When Charles II, King of England gave his brother James,| | | | |the Duke of York, New Netherland, James demanded and received its | | | | |surrender. He renamed New Sweden to Delaware | | |Southern Colonies | |Maryland |1632 |The territory was named Maryland in honor of Henrietta Maria, the |The founders of the se colonies came for the | | | |queen consort of Charles I. It was founded by Lord Baltimore, |sole purpose of making money. The area is | | | |because he had attempted to settle in Virginia and was rejected for |almost entirely agricultural, so there was a | | | |being a Catholic. |high need for slaves due to the increasing | | | | |demand for labor. The most common religion was| | | | |Anglican. | | Jamestown and Virginia |1607 |Virginia was founded by John Smith, who is remembered for his role | | | | |of establishing the first permanent English settlement in America, | | | | |Jamestown. This was the first successful English colony, which did | | | | |very well. With all of its exports and imports, it was able to | | | | |sustain itself very easily | | | | | | | |North Carolina |Carolinas – 1663 |The Carolinas were settled by proprietors, who were successful due | | | |NC – 1712 |to the rich soil for farming and the available wildlife for fur | | | | |trading. | | |South Carolina |Carolinas – 1663 |The Carolinas eventually split into the modern day North and South | | | |SC 1712 |Carolinas because of general cultural differences. | | |Georgia |1732 |James Oglethorpe was a British general from London, who joined the | | | | |army when he was 18, in 1714. After he had become successful in the | | | | |army, he was assigned to establish a new colony, Georgia, in 1732. | | | | |This was the last English colony to be founded in America. | | | | | | | General Social/Cultural Information Problems of early settlement – Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay: Jamestown- difficult to produce harvest in the virginian soil spent all of their time looking for gold when they should have been preparing for survival had disputes with natives over land Plymouth- the settlers arrived at the very beginning of winter there was such a severity of food shortage that people resorted to cannibalism. Massachusetts Bay- most succumbed to disease or starvation Religion – ideas, important people and events: The colonies were mostly that of Puritans, Quakers, and Anglicans. Social ideas: If a man was absent from church, he would not be given his provisions for the week. For multiple offenses he could be whipped, or even hanged. Major cities: Philadelphia, New Amsterdam (changed to New York in 1674), Albany, Boston, Newport, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Annapolis, Charleston, Savannah, Providence, Baltimore, and Alexandria Labor: Law/politics/major steps toward democracy: Economic issues/relations with Britain: (define mercantilism) Problems a.Health: people often died of starvation or malnourishment. Disease also spread rapidly in the colonies. b.Cities: settlers had to develop their own form of government that was acceptable to the people of the colony. Indians (New England Indian Wars of 17th century): Both the Europeans and the Native Americans had a sense of superiority over  each other. This of course resulted in many disputes over things such as land. The New England Indian Wars of the 17th century include the French and Indian War of 1688-1763. These battles were a struggle for land and power, and resulted in the near-death of the indigenous tribes of eastern North America. Rebellions against authority: (Bacons, Leislers, Paxton Boys, Regulators, Popes) Bacon: In the New England Indian Wars of the 17th century, Nathaniel Bacon, Jr. rebelled against the authority of Governor of Virginia Sir William Berkley. After Bacon began his own group of volunteer Indian fighters and raiding a couple Indian camps, he was taken by Berkleys men and made to appologize to Berkley and the council for his actions. After immediately being pardonned, Bacon demanded to be named a General in the forces against the â€Å"hostile natives†. Reluctantly, Berkley gave in. The Enlightenment/Great Awakening: French and Indian War/Seven Years War (1754 – 1763)—For any war that we study, you should gather the following information. This will NOT be repeated on each outline. Major cause(s) (incl. â€Å"spark†): The French and Indian War resulted from ongoing frontier tensions in North America as both French and British imperial officials and colonists sought to extend each countrys sphere of influence in frontier regions. Major people/heroes (and what they did): William Johnson- He was one of the most successful negotiators with the Native Americans. Later he would lead the British to victory in the Battle of Lake George in 1755. William Pitt- Pitt assumed leadership of the British ministry in December 1756. His aggressive new policies for the war were a crucial part of turning the tide in Britains favor in the latter half of the war. James Wolfe- Major British general who led the British to victory in the Battle of Quebec. Major events (incl. turning point concluding battles): May 28, 1754 George Washington lead a successful surprise attack on the French. His troops retreat and establish Fort Necessity. July 3, 1754 The French take Fort Necessity June 17, 1755 The British seize Acadia May 8, 1756 Britain declares war on France August 8, 1757 The commander-in-chief of the French forces, Louis-Joseph de Montcalm takes Fort William Henry. The infamous massacre occurs. The turning point began when William Pitt took over wartime operations Advantages/disadvantages of each side: France had the support of most of the Native American tribes. New Frances government was more uniform, and was able to communicate to different areas more efficiently. While the colonies were more separate and had issues with communication, their navy was much stronger and had a population 15 times that of New France, so it was easier for the British to defend attack. Major strategies/plans: The French kept most of their forces in Europe, hoping a victory closer to home would be more beneficial. They sent barely any troops or supplies to their colonies. The British were almost always able to effectively blockade ports and prevent the trade and distribution of French trade and supplies. Costs (casualties/financial): In The French and Indian War there were 13,000 casualties and 40 million Pounds were spent. G. Results (treaties, land changes, PERMITS): The French and Indian War resulted in The Treaty of Paris.

Strategic alignment

Strategic alignment Chapter 1: Introduction 12 Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Overview This chapter introduces the research background and context for this investigation. An introduction to strategic alignment is presented with the aim of establishing the context of this research, followed by an explanation of the importance of business strategy and Information Technology (IT) and the uniqueness of organizational culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In addition, the knowledge gap and research methodology were explained. In light of these arguments the aims and objectives are presented together with an outline of the thesis structure. 1.2 Research Background For the last two decades the relevance of alignment between business and IT strategies has continuously grown and remains a top priority for academics and practitioners. Research suggests that aligning business and IT strategies has a positive effect on organisational performance (Teo and King, 1996; Reich and Benbasat, 2000; Chan et al., 2006). The annual survey on top management concerns by the Society for Information Management (www.simnet.org) however ranked ‘IT and Business alignment as the No. 1 concern for four years in a row (Society of Information Management, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006). In last years survey, alignment lost its doubtful honor as the ‘top concern to drop to only the second place on the list (Society of Information Management, 2007). But it came back in 2008 and regained the No.1 spot as the top concern. Moreover, the value of IT has been related to strategic alignment (Tallon and Kraemer, 2003). They found that organisations with strategic goals for IT showed higher levels of strategic alignment and, as a consequence, the perception of IT business value was higher. However, organisations that have developed IT strategies often fail to deliver IT business value, despite having integrated their business and IT strategies. This suggests business-IT strategy is necessary but not sufficient to deliver business value from IT investments (Peppard et al., 2000; Benbya and McKelvey, 2006). Strategic alignment research has extensively discussed the coordination between business and IT strategy (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993; Reich and Benbasat, 2000; Kearns and Sabherwal, 2007). As strategic alignment has become embedded in the strategic management process, a closer relationship between IT and business managers is required to establish a two-way commitment that enables managers in both IT and business domains to prioritise IT projects that will support the business strategy (Luftman et al., 1999). Figure (1) summarizes the Information System/Business relationship which can be described as ‘Interdependent; where any changes in the IS (Software, Hardware, Database and Telecommunication devices will have an impact on the Business and vice versa; any change in the business (Strategy, Rules and Procedures) will have its impact on the Information Systems function of the organization [2]. Figure 1: The interdependence between organizations and information systems (Laudon Laudon, 2006) This commitment, however, has been difficult to achieve at strategic level in organisations and consequently difficult to transmit to lower levels within organisations (Lycett et al., 2004; Srivannaboom, 2006). Additionally, the frequent failure of IT projects has reduced the trust of senior managers in IT investments and their business value (Peppard et al., 2000; Taylor, 2000; Hartman and Ashrafi, 2004). When an IT strategy is conceived at strategic level, it may be aligned with company goals; however, as it moves down through the lower levels of an organisation to be implemented, the original objectives for which the strategy was conceived can be lost. Relationships between business and IT implementers are not always close and IT staff tends to be more concerned with technical issues. Business and IT also need a close relationship at implementation level to ensure the project goals are well communicated and understood (Lederer and Salmela, 1996; Campbell et al., 2005). The interaction between information technology and organizations is influenced by many mediating factors, including the organizations structure, standard operating procedures, politics, culture, surrounding environment, and management decisions as shown in figure (2). and information Technology (Laudon Laudon, 2006) Therefore the motivation behind this research is to develop a model that depicts the dynamic interrelationships between the factors affecting strategic alignment taking into consideration the organizational culture (OC) in Saudi organisations. OC and strategy Connie Curran, (2002) a researcher and practitioner in the healthcare sector, wrote â€Å"Culture eats strategy for lunch every time†. In this simple statement she has eloquently summarized one of the strongest themes in the literature on strategy implementation, which is that it doesnt matter how wonderful your organizations strategy is, if its culture does not support it, the strategy will not be realized even if the goals and infrastructure are aligned. Aligning organizational culture to strategy accelerates strategy execution. Organizational culture includes the highly influential sets of norms, values, assumptions, beliefs and behaviors which influence the selection, design and implementation of strategic initiatives, impacting growth and operational strategies. Misaligned cultures create drag that impairs the performance of the organizations ‘engines for growth, hobbling strategies from being achieving to their full potential. OC and IT It is a common statement that we are now living in an era of rapid technology development. The adoption and implementation of new technologies, in many cases, is imperative not only to improve productivity, efficiency or to cater to new demand and requirements but also to ensure the survival of the business itself. ‘The introduction of any new technology into an occupation, organisation, or society can be seen as a cultural change problem (Schein 1989). The success or failure of integrating a new technology in an organisation is, to a large degree, dependent on its ability to adjust or change its culture. The creation and/or existence of a certain cultural environment may be essential to ensure the successful implementation of a new technology. The new technology once has been put in use in an organisation, in turn, will dictate further changes in the organisations culture. Many current examples can be found in relation to the areas of automation and information technology. 1.6 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) The culture of Saudi Arabia is a rich one that has been shaped by its Islamic heritage, its historical role as an ancient trade center, and its Bedouin traditions. Saudi Arabia is considered a very high context culture, which means that the message people are trying to convey often relies heavily on other communicative cues such as body language and eye-contact rather than direct words. Saudi traditions are rooted in Islamic teachings and Arab customs, which Saudis learn about at an early age from their families and in schools. Arab traditions also play an important role in Saudi life. These age-old traditions have evolved over the millennia and are highly regarded. They include generosity and hospitality, which every Saudi family offers to strangers, friends, and family [50]. One of the most important features of the Saudi culture is the segregation of the sexes. Segregation, which means not permit women to mix with unrelated men. Also Shyness is another important characteristic that people should uphold. The other important feature in the Saudi culture is family ties, where Muslim is expected to keep contact with his relatives [51]. Respect and friendship are values that are held very highly by the Saudi people, business setting, favors based on mutual benefit and trust are ways of enhancing these cultural values. Due to the personal nature of business in Saudi Arabia, family influence and personal connections often take precedence over other governing factors [52]. Saudi Arabia is behind in the area of IT, which could be contributed to several factors including Computer illiteracy, lack of government incentives to attract businesses, the absence of adequate infrastructure to support industry, poor enforcement of intellectual property and copy right laws, and lack of resources [53]. 1.7 Knowledge Gap Based on the above, and through screening some of the existing strategic alignment models in the literature review, the researcher figured out that to achieve such an alignment there is a need to consider and integrate the following points: Most of staff, if not all, is unaware of business goals and objectives, especially in the environment of Saudi Arabia. Important technical investments decisions are made by the IT manager alone. No relationship exists (Gap) between Business strategy and IT strategy. A lot of factors are not taken into consideration when forming strategic alignment, such as Structure, Culture, politics, and others. Strategic alignment models discussed only top management level and discarded other levels. Previous strategic alignment models are hard to be understood and implemented in reality. The models discussed in the literature review may have achieved one or two of the above six points, however, there is no existing model that has achieved the above six points altogether. Based on the above, the researcher has selected Strategic Alignment as a starting and a centre area of research that he is building on to fulfill the other points mentioned. The model that the researcher is aiming to establish differs from the existing ones in that it will meet the requirements and challenges of the Saudi environment taking into consideration the 6 above points. 1.8 Research Aims Significance To bridge the gap between Business Strategy and Information Technology Strategy through developing and designing a simple Strategic Alignment Model, that includes the essence of the major research works in addition to other strategic alignment theories available To highlight the role of socio-cultural aspects as a critical success factor for successful IT implementation, which were not taken into consideration in the past To measure the contribution of such a model to business performance. To encourage Saudi Firms to use such a model to gain competitive competition. To reduce the associated costs of implementing Information Systems in Organization 1.9 Research methods The researcher has used the mixed research methodology. Mixed research involves the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics within a stage of the study or across two of the stages of the research process. It collects data either sequentially of simultaneously to best understand research problems [16]. Advantages of using mixed research includes: the major goal for researcher who design and conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental principle of mixed research, in other words, the researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. When different approaches are used to focus on the same phenomenon, while providing the same result, is a strong evidence for the result. Other important reason for doing mixed research are to complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of results, or to discover something that would have been missed if only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used[17]. 1.9.1 Quantitative Method One of the most widely used research techniques can be defined as collecting data through written questions [17]. There are a number of different ways in which questionnaires can be administered; for example: posted to the intended respondents or administered over the telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire design provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. From sample results, the researcher generalizes or makes claims about a population [18]. 1.9.2 Qualitative Method Interviews are considered to be the main tool of the qualitative researcher for data collection [18]. Additionally, since the interpretive stance is also being followed, interviews are viewed to be the main and appropriate source from where data has been collected. According to Walsham, interviews allow the best access to the interpretations that the participants have regarding the actions and events, which have or are taking place and the views and aspirations of themselves and other participants. An added benefit is that it allows researchers to step back and examine the interpretations of their fellow participants in some detail, and this is an advantage that other methods may not allow [18]. There are several types of interviews possible for use, structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews. In this study the semi-structured interview type was used due to different reasons. The semi-structured interview lies somewhere in between the other two types. It allows the interviewer to explore, probe and ask questions within a subject area less freely than the unstructured interview and with more freedom in sequencing of questions and timing for each question than the structured type. It allows the interviewer to explore more ideas and make use of unexpected and unforeseen information as it revealed. In addition, this study is a limited time study and since the timing required in conducting semi-structured interview is less than that required from the unstructured type, this type was chosen. To make the interview proceed smoothly, an Interview Guide was designed. A participation information sheet was also designed to familiarise the participants with the research purpose and to assure them of anonymity and confidentiality. Before conducting the semi-structured interview, each participant was asked to fill and sign a consent form with a copy kept with him/her. See Appendix F and G for the (Interview Guide, Invitation letter, Participation Information Sheet, and Consent Form). 24 interviews were conducted within the four organizations. The collected data from the interviews were converted into a quantitative format (frequencies) using content analysis method, where the collected data were summarized on a summary sheet. Then it was categorized to meet the research objectives, which was then displayed on a table. Rating for the results was calculated using Microsoft office Excel spreadsheet. 1.9.3 Secondary Data In order to gain a richer picture of Strategic Alignment concepts, a literature survey was conducted from published books, articles, journals, etc. All data from the primary case study (questionnaires and interviews), secondary case studies and documents were combined and linked together to give the base for designing the Strategic Alignment Model. 1.9.4 Data analysis Data gathered was analyzed through frequency distributions. These have given way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. With relation to data analysis, the indicators that were used in evaluating the study include the age of the respondent; the social status; the educational attainment of the respondents; the occupation of the respondents and their length of stay in the company they belong to [19]. The research has involved 4 large organizations, SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah, where interviews have been conducted with business managers to have a clear idea about the companys business strategy. Also, other interviews took place with IT directors to investigate about the IT strategy and its relationship with the business strategy. In addition,2 sets of questionnaires were distributed among different levels of the organizations to come up with the types of organizational culture and the use of Information technology in those organizations. At the end, data were collected and analyzed through using SPSS software and content analysis. Figure depicts the various steps that compromised the research framework 1.10 Expected Research Outcomes The results from this research are anticipated to be of great help to top managers, strategic planners, IT managers, and other work force in Saudi environment, and will contribute to the following factors: Increasing the awareness of Strategic Alignment Concept and its importance. Showing the importance of the use of Information Technology in organizations Identifying the organizational culture as a major factor of achieving strategic alignment. Encouraging decision makers and top management to apply and implement strategic alignment throughout the organization. Highlighting the weaknesses of previous strategic alignment models and the lessons learned, which would help other researchers for future work 1.11 Indicative Thesis Structure The thesis will contain nine chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction: Presents an overview about the research subject. It shows the importance of strategic alignment in all sectors, followed by bridging the gap between business strategy and IT strategy, and the factors that affect strategic alignment, including the organizational culture in Saudi Arabia. The research aims and significance then was explained followed by a brief discussion of the research methodology, research framework, then prospected research contribution was mentioned. Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides the literature review for this research. It begins with explaining Business strategy, Business planning and its tools, followed by a discussion of IT strategy, IT planning, and its tools. Then a discussion of strategic alignment was presented. And ended with an overview of previous strategic alignment models. Chapter 3: Research design and methodology: The chapter details the research process adopted and continues with an explanation of the data collection and data analysis methods employed by the researcher including justification for the approach and methods. The detailed questionnaire and interviews preparation and use process is described, followed by the reliability and validity tests. There is reasoning provided in this chapter for the use of data interpretation techniques and softwares like the SPSS Content analysis. Chapter 4: Selection of Strategic Alignment Model Parameters: Presents the organizational culture parameters selected by the researcher, the validity of this selection, and their relationship with the two main components of strategic alignment (Business strategy IT strategy) Chapter 5: Information Technology Use Questionnaires Analysis: This chapter introduces findings from a survey of 62 Information Technology (IT) managers to establish general perceptions of added value(s) of IT investments in Saudi organizations. Chapter 6: Organizational Culture Impact Questionnaires Analysis: Discusses and examines the data collected through the questionnaires from 400 staff in the selected Saudi firms, to identify the importance of organizational culture in strategic alignment. Chapter 7: Interviews Analysis: Talks about and analyses the data collected through the interviews in the 4 Saudi firms where 12 Business managers and 12 IT managers were approached. The chapter ended with an interviews summary and conclusions. Chapter 8: Hypothesis Formulating: Chapter 8 presents and discusses the research hypotheses. Dependent and independent variables were discussed in details. The chapter ended with a detail visual model showing the predicted relationship between dependent and independent variables Chapter 9: Conclusion and Recommendations: Proposes the new strategic alignment model, and concludes the study and gives recommendations and future directions. The Effect of OC on Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms Hatem Tamimi

Women Seeing the World through a Different Lens in Three Guineas and Th

At the time Virginia Woolf wrote The Years and Three Guineas, there were many differences between men and women, one of which was education. Most women were not educated, which prevented them from entering into agency. Women allowed themselves to be played by history. In order for them to change a world that was dominated by men, women needed to refuse what history said was their essence, and rather, use that essence to create critical ways of being in the world. The photograph, "a crudely colored photograph--of your world as it appears to us who see it from the threshold of the private house; through the shadow of the veil that St. Paul still lays upon your eyes; from the bridge which connects the private house with the world of public life," must be taken from a different perspective, (Three Guineas 18). In Three Guineas, Woolf shows her readers how women were enslaved by men, why it was so important that women receive an education, and the different ways in which women could e nter into agency in order to change a world that was dominated by men. In Three Guineas, Woolf describes all of the ways in which women were being enslaved by men. There were many differences among men and women, which deprived women of their freedom. At this time, there was a power imbalance; men were dominant and women were not valued by society. Many doors were still locked for women. Men had been educated for five or six hundred years, while women, only sixty. Even though both sexes contributed to university funds, the number of women who were allowed an education was extremely limited. "Though we see the same world, we see it through different eyes," (Three Guineas 18). Men were taught to think and act through tradition. They wer... ...en how they were being enslaved by men, explained the importance of an education, and proposed ways in which women could enter into agency in order to change a world that was dominated by men. Women should strive, " to assert `the rights of all--all men and women--to respect in their persons of the great principles of Justice and Equality and Liberty,'" (Three Guineas 143). Women must look at the whole picture and burn the old photograph, the crudely colored photograph, and retake the picture from a different angle, from the angle of a world that let the light into the private house. Take the picture from the perspective of an educated woman, an educated woman looking through a different lens than she had before. Works Cited Woolf, Virginia. Three Guineas. Â ©1938, 2008. Harcourt, Inc. Orlando, Florida. Woolf, Virginia. The Years. New York: HBJ, 1937.

Dinosaur Family Values: The Real Monsters in Jurassic Park :: essays papers

Dinosaur Family Values: The Real Monsters in Jurassic Park "The striking moral exhibited in this story, is the fatal consequence of that presumption which attempts to penetrate, beyond prescribed depths, into the mysteries of nature." Playbill for the first stage production of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein(1826) In a recent PBS special about the possibility of cloning dinosaurs a la Jurassic Park, Steven Speilberg reveals that he felt his film version of Michael Crichton's novel had been a success because "There's such a reality to it."Later, one of the scientists interviewed during the show admits that the idea of resurrecting dinosaurs is so imaginatively compelling because every paleontologist "wants to see the real thing."In fact, throughout the PBS documentary the criteria used to evaluate all possible schemes for cloning dinosaurs is always framed as a question: How "real" would the resulting dinosaurs be?The most scientifically credible method discussed would involve injecting dinosaur DNA into bird eggs with the hope that several generations later the birds would become "dinosaur like."Yet every one of the scientists interviewed evidences a clear lack of enthusiasm toward this method because, as one of the paleontologists puts it, "of course, it wouldn't be a real dinosaur."Meaning, we can only conclude, that only a dinosaur born of dinosaur parents can be a "real" dinosaur.The program ends with two quotes, one from the novel's author, Michael Crichton, and the other from actor Jeff Goldblum, who plays scientist Ian Malcolm in the film.First Crichton informs us that Jurassic Park is, above and beyond all else, a "cautionary tale about the hazards of genetic engineering"; and secondly, Goldblum ends the program by expanding on Crichton's warning and advising us that we are "better off marveling at the past rather than tampering with the future." The PBS program very tidily echoes and summarizes the central ideology of both the Jurassic Park films (Jurassic Park and The Lost World), which seems to me to be an obsession with the difference between natural and unnatural breeding practices, and how natural breeding results in and from traditional parenting, and unnatural breeding results in and from non-traditional and therefore unsound or inpure or, to put it as simply as possible, unnatural parenting. In other words, I beieve both of these films make basically the same argument: that there is a difference between natural and unnatural parents, and thus natural and unnatural families.The metaphor the films use as a cinematic stand-in for this quite conservative take on parenting is science, or rather natural vs unnatural science.

Importance of Preserving the Union in John Milton’s Paradise Lost Essay

The Importance of Preserving the Union in Paradise Lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Critics have long argued over the power structure operating in the gender relations of Milton's Paradise Lost. However, to really understand Adam and Eve and the intricacies of their relationship, it is necessary to view them in terms of a union, not as separate people vying for power. Because they are a union of contraries, the power dilemma is a moot point even though a hierarchy exists; it is a hierarchy of knowledge, not of power, and it in no way implies that Adam needs Eve any less than she needs him. Actually, they both need each other equally as much because they each have strengths and weaknesses that are complemented by the other&emdash; this necessarily leads to their interdependency. They are opposites, each with their own limitations (which Milton makes clear particularly through their creation narratives and their pre-fall relationship), who come together to form a very powerful and cohesive union. Everything that Adam and Eve do throughout the story of Par adise Lost, most obviously during and after the Fall, is directed at preserving their union. The balance of their relationship changes after the Fall and allows for the redemption of the union as well as humankind. Milton shows the opposite natures of Adam and Eve throughout their creation narratives. Adam is created during the day, and his creation emphasizes the heat of the sun: As new wak't from soundest sleep Soft on the flourie herb I found me laid In Balmie Sweat, which with his Beames the Sun Soon dri'd. (8.253-56) The sun is both light and heat, and it plays an important role in Adam's creation: "The sun helps creation by drying Adam" (Flannagan 441). Conversely, Ev... ...woman: they are two forces which must remain in balance, or if they change, they must change according to each other and come to terms with a new union. The relationship of Adam and Eve changes greatly in the course of Paradise Lost and though they lose much of what they begin with, they end with what they need: each other and a newly defined union whose terms they both accept.    Works Cited Froula, Christine. "When Eve Reads Milton: Undoing the Canonical Economy." John Milton. Ed. Annabel Patterson. New York: Longman, 1992. 142-164. McColley, Diane Kelsey. Milton's Eve. Chicago: U of Illinois P, 1934. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Roy Flannagan. New York: Macmillan, 1993. Webber, Joan Malory. "The Politics of Poetry: Feminism and Paradise Lost." Milton Studies. Vol. 14. Ed. James D. Simmonds. Pittsburgh: U of Pittsburgh P, 1980. 3-24.   

Chapter 12 Zara

CHAPTER Marketing Channels Delivering 12 Customer Value PRE VIEWING We now arrive at the third marketing mix tool—distribution. Firms rarely work alone in creating value for customers and building profitable customer relationships. Instead, most THE CONCEPTS are only a single link in a larger supply chain and marketing channel. As such, an individual firm’s success depends not only on how well it performs but also on how well its entire marketing channel competes with competitors’ channels. To be good at customer relationship management, a company must also be good at partner relationship management.The first part of this chapter explores the nature of marketing channels and the marketer’s channel design and management decisions. We then examine physical distribution—or logistics—an area that is growing dramatically in importance and sophistication. In the next chapter, we’ll look more closely at two major channel intermediaries retailers and wholesalers. We’ll start with a look at a company whose groundbreaking, customer-centred distribution strategy took it to the top of its industry. Q uick, which rental-car company is number one? Chances are good that you said Hertz. Okay, who’s number two?That must be Avis, you say. After all, for years Avis advertising has said, â€Å"We’re #2, so we try harder! † But if you said Hertz or Avis, you’re about to be surprised. By any measure—most locations, revenues, profits, or number of cars—the number-one North American rental-car company is Enterprise Rent-A-Car. What’s more, this is no recent development. Enterprise left number-two Hertz in its rear-view mirror in the late 1990s and has never looked back. What may have fooled you is that for a long time, Hertz was number one in airport car rentals. However, with estimated revenues of US$9. billion and growing, Enterprise now has 30 percent more overall car ren tal sales than Hertz. What’s more, analysts estimate that the privately owned Enterprise is twice as profitable as Hertz. How did Enterprise become such a dominating industry leader? The company might argue that it was through better prices or better marketing. But what contributed most to Enterprise taking the lead was an industry-changing, customer-driven distribution strategy. While competitors such as Hertz and Avis focused on serving travellers at airports, Enterprise developed a new distribution doorway to a large and untapped segment.It opened off-airport, neighbourhood locations that provided short-term carreplacement rentals for people whose cars were wrecked, stolen, or being serviced, or for people who simply wanted a different car for a short trip or special occasion. It all started more than half a century ago when Enterprise founder Jack Taylor discovered an unmet customer need. He was working at a St. Louis auto dealership, and customers often asked him where t hey could get a replacement The tagline â€Å"Pick Enterprise. We’ll Pick You car when theirs was in the shop for repairs or body work.To meet this need, Up† remains the company’s main value Taylor opened a car-leasing business. But rather than competing head-on with proposition. the likes of Hertz and Avis serving travellers at airports, Taylor located his rental offices in centre-city and neighbourhood areas, closer to his replacement-car target customers. These locations also gave Taylor a cost advantage—property rents were lower and he didn’t have to pay airport taxes and fees. Taylor’s groundbreaking distribution strategy worked and the business grew quickly. As he opened multiple locations in St.Louis and other cities, he renamed his business Enterprise Rent-A-Car after the U. S. Navy aircraft carrier on which he had served as a naval aviator. Enterprise continued to focus steadfastly on what it called the â€Å"home-city† marke t, primarily serving customers who’d been in wrecks or whose cars were being serviced. Enterprise branch managers developed strong relationships with local auto insurance adjusters, dealership sales and service personnel, and body shops and service garages, making Enterprise their preferred neighbourhood rental-car provider.Customers in the home-city market had special needs. Often, they were at the scene of a wreck or at a repair shop and had no way to get to an Enterprise office to pick up a rental car. So the company came up with another gamechanging idea—picking customers up wherever they happen to be and bringing them back to the rental office. Hence the tagline: â€Å"Pick Enterprise. We’ll Pick You Up,† which remains the company’s main value proposition to this day. By the late 1980s, Enterprise had a large nationwide network of company-owned off-airport locations and a virtual lock on the home-city market.From this strong base, in the mid-1 990s Enterprise began expanding its distribution system by directly challenging Hertz and Avis in the onairport market. A decade later, it had operations in 230 airports in North America and Europe. Enterprise opened its first Canadian branch in 1993 in Windsor, Ontario, and since then has experienced double-digit growth in Canada. It now employs 2800 Canadians, and has over 35 000 vehicles and 400 locations, including 23 offices serving Canadian airports. In late 2007, Enterprise purchased the Vanguard Car Rental Group, which owned the National and Alamo brands.National focused on the corporate negotiated rental market while Alamo served primarily the leisure traveller airport market. With the Vanguard acquisition, Enterprise now captures a 27. 4 percent share of the airport market, putting it While competitors Hertz and Avis focused on serving travellers at airports, Enterprise opened off-airport, neighbourhood locations that provided short-term car-replacement rentals for people whose cars were wrecked, stolen, or being serviced. neck-and-neck with Hertz at 28. 5 percent and jointly owned Avis/Budget at 30. percent. That, combined with its more than 55 percent share of the off-airport market, makes Enterprise the runaway leader in overall car rental sales. Enterprise owns a stunning one-half of all North American rental cars and is the world’s largest automobile buyer. Last year, it purchased 800 000 cars to support its 7900 locations in the United States and four other countries. However, rather than resting on its laurels, Enterprise continues to seek better ways to get its cars where customers want them.The enterprising company is now motoring into yet another innovative distribution venue—â€Å"car sharing† and hourly rentals. Car sharing was pioneered in the late 1990s by Zipcar, which operates on parking-starved university campuses and in congested urban areas, where it rents cars on an hourly or daily basis to people who want to run errands or make short trips. Zipcar does not currently serve the Canadian university market but does have branches serving the general public in Vancouver and Toronto. Enterprise has now revved up its own car-sharing program, WeCar.This new operation will park automobiles at convenient locations in densely populated urban areas, where residents often don’t own cars and where business OBJECTIVES 1 2 3 4 5 Explain why companies use marketing channels and discuss the functions these channels perform. Discuss how channel members interact and how they organize to perform the work of the channel. Identify the major channel alternatives open to a company. Explain how companies select, motivate, and evaluate channel members. Discuss the nature and importance of marketing logistics and integrated supply chain management. 90 Part 3 Designing a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix commuters would like to have occasional car access. Enterprise will also target businesses that want to hav e WeCar vehicles available in their parking lots for commuting employees to use. WeCar members pay a US$35 annual membership fee. They can then rent conveniently located, fuel-efficient cars (mostly Toyota Prius hybrids) for US$10 per hour or US$30 overnight—the rate includes gas and a 200-mile allotment. Renting a WeCar vehicle is a simple get-in-and-go operation.Just pass your member key fob over a sensor to unlock the car, then open the glove box and enter a PIN to release the car key. Although the carsharing market now belongs to tiny Zipcar, a US$100 million company that has cars on more than 70 university campuses in several large metropolitan areas, look for giant Enterprise to perfect and expand the new distribution concept. Thus, Enterprise continues to move ahead aggressively with its winning distribution strategy. Says Andy Taylor, founder Jack’s son and now longtime Enterprise CEO, â€Å"We own the high ground in this business and we aren’t going to give it up.As the dynamics of our industry continue to evolve, it’s clear to us that the future belongs to the service providers who offer the broadest array of services for anyone who needs or wants to rent a car. † The company intends to make cars available wherever, whenever, and however customers want them. 1 As the Enterprise story shows, good distribution strategies can contribute strongly to customer value and create competitive advantage for both a firm and its channel partners. It demonstrates that firms cannot bring value to customers by themselves.Instead, they must work closely with other firms in a larger value delivery network. 1 Value delivery network The network made up of the company, suppliers, distributors, and ultimately customers who â€Å"partner† with each other to improve the performance of the entire system in delivering customer value. Supply Chains and the Value Delivery Network Producing a product or service and making it available to buyers requires building relationships not just with customers, but also with key suppliers and resellers in the company’s supply chain. This supply chain consists of â€Å"upstream† and â€Å"downstream† partners.Upstream from the company is the set of firms that supply the raw materials, components, parts, information, finances, and expertise needed to create a product or service. Marketers, however, have traditionally focused on the â€Å"downstream† side of the supply chain—on the marketing channels (or distribution channels) that look toward the customer. Downstream marketing channel partners, such as wholesalers and retailers, form a vital connection between the firm and its customers. The term supply chain may be too limited—it takes a make-and-sell view of the business.It suggests that raw materials, productive inputs, and factory capacity should serve as the starting point for market planning. A better term would be demand chain be cause it suggests a sense-and-respond view of the market. Under this view, planning starts with the needs of target customers, to which the company responds by organizing a chain of resources and activities with the goal of creating customer value. Even a demand chain view of a business may be too limited, because it takes a step-by-step, linear view of purchase–production–consumption activities.With the advent of the Internet and other technologies, however, companies are forming more numerous and complex relationships with other firms. For example, Ford manages numerous supply chains. It also sponsors or transacts on many B2B websites and online purchasing exchanges as needs arise. Like Ford, most large companies today are engaged in building and managing a continuously evolving value delivery network. As defined in Chapter 2, a value delivery network is made up of the company, suppliers, distributors, and ultimately customers who â€Å"partner† with each othe r to improve the performance of the entire system.For example, in making and marketing its iPod touch products, Apple manages an entire network of peoValue delivery network: In making and market- ple within Apple plus suppliers and resellers outside the company who work ing iPod touch products, Apple manages an together effectively to give final customers â€Å"so much to touch. † This chapter focuses on marketing channels—on the downstream side of the entire network of people within Apple plus suppliers and resellers outside the company who value delivery network.We examine four major questions concerning marketing work effectively together to give final cus- channels: What is the nature of marketing channels and why are they important? tomers â€Å"so much to touch. † How do channel firms interact and organize to do the work of the channel? What Chapter 12 Marketing Channels Delivering Customer Value 391 problems do companies face in designing and managing the ir channels? What role do physical distribution and supply chain management play in attracting and satisfying customers? In Chapter 13, we will look at marketing channel issues from the viewpoint of retailers and wholesalers.The Nature and Importance of Marketing Channels Marketing channel (distribution channel) A set of interdependent organizations that help make a product or service available for use or consumption by the consumer or business user. Few producers sell their goods directly to the final users. Instead, most use intermediaries to bring their products to market. They try to forge a marketing channel (or distribution channel)—a set of interdependent organizations that help make a product or service available for use or consumption by the consumer or business user.A company’s channel decisions directly affect every other marketing decision. Pricing depends on whether the company works with national discount chains, uses high-quality specialty stores, or sel ls directly to consumers via the Web. The firm’s sales force and communications decisions depend on how much persuasion, training, motivation, and support its channel partners need. Whether a company develops or acquires certain new products may depend on how well those products fit the capabilities of its channel members.For example, Kodak initially sold its EasyShare printers only in Best Buy stores to take advantage of the retailer’s on-the-floor sales staff and their ability to educate buyers on the economics of paying higher initial prices but lower long-term ink costs. Companies often pay too little attention to their distribution channels, sometimes with damaging results. In contrast, many companies have used imaginative distribution systems to gain a competitive advantage. FedEx’s creative and imposing distribution system made it a leader in express delivery. Enterprise revolutionized the car-rental business by setting up off-airport rental offices.And A mazon. com pioneered the sales of books and a wide range of other goods via the Internet. Distribution channel decisions often involve long-term commitments to other firms. For example, companies such as Ford, HP, or McDonald’s can easily change their advertising, pricing, or promotion programs. They can scrap old products and introduce new ones as market tastes demand. But when they set up distribution channels through contracts with franchisees, independent dealers, or large retailers, they cannot readily replace these channels with company-owned stores or websites if conditions change.Therefore, management must design its channels carefully, with an eye on tomorrow’s likely selling environment as well as today’s. How Channel Members Add Value Why do producers give some of the selling job to channel partners? After all, doing so means giving up some control over how and to whom they sell their products. Producers use intermediaries because they create greater efficiency in making goods available to target markets. Through their contacts, experience, specialization, and scale of operation, intermediaries usually offer the firm more than it can achieve on its own. Figure 12. shows how using intermediaries can provide economies. Figure 12. 1A shows three manufacturers, each using direct marketing to reach three customers. This system requires nine different contacts. Figure 12. 1B shows the three manufacturers working through one distributor, which contacts the three customers. This system requires only six contacts. In this way, intermediaries reduce the amount of work that must be done by both producers and consumers. From the economic system’s point of view, the role of marketing intermediaries is to transform the assortment of products made by producers into the assortment wanted by consumers.Producers make narrow assortments of products in large quantities, but consumers want broad assortments of products in small quantities. Ma rketing channel members buy large quantities from many producers and break them down into the smaller quantities and broader assortments wanted by consumers. 392 Part 3 Designing a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix 1 Manufacturer 3 4 Manufacturer 6 7 Manufacturer 8 9 Customer Manufacturer 6 3 Customer 5 2 Customer Manufacturer Distributor 5 Customer 2 Customer Manufacturer 1 4 Customer A. Number of contacts without a distributor M? C=3? 3=9 B.Number of contacts with a distributor M+C=3+3=6 Figure 12. 1 How adding a distributor reduces the number of channel transactions For example, Unilever makes millions of bars of Lever 2000 hand soap each day, but you want to buy only a few bars at a time. So big food, drug, and discount retailers, such as Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Walmart, buy Lever 2000 by the truckload and stock it on their store shelves. In turn, you can buy a single bar of Lever 2000, along with a shopping cart full of small quantities of toothpaste, shampoo, and ot her related products as you need them.Thus, intermediaries play an important role in matching supply and demand. In making products and services available to consumers, channel members add value by bridging the major time, place, and possession gaps that separate goods and services from those who would use them. Members of the marketing channel perform many key functions. Some help to complete transactions: †¢ Information: Gathering and distributing marketing research and intelligence information about actors and forces in the marketing environment needed for planning and aiding exchange. Promotion: Developing and spreading persuasive communications about an offer. †¢ Contact: Finding and communicating with prospective buyers. †¢ Matching: Shaping and fitting the offer to the buyer’s needs, including activities such as manufacturing, grading, assembling, and packaging. †¢ Negotiation: Reaching an agreement on price and other terms of the offer so that owne rship or possession can be transferred. Others help to fulfill the completed transactions: †¢ Physical distribution: Transporting and storing goods. †¢ Financing: Acquiring and using funds to cover the costs of the channel work. Risk taking: Assuming the risks of carrying out the channel work. And a new item that has been added to the list of functions to be performed within the supply chain is environmental sustainability. Take the case of Toronto-based Grand & Toy: In 2007, Grand & Toy, Canada’s leading provider of business solutions, announced a new corporate strategy aimed at becoming a leader in environmental sustainability. Among its initiatives was a plan to significantly reduce its environmental footprint in supply chain carbon intensity, packaging, recycling of waste, and distribution centre management.In just a few short years, Grand & Toy has established itself as a leader in sustainable procurement practices, In 2009, for example, the company sponsored t wo free sustainable procurement showcases to help supply chain management professionals understand how sustainability is becoming a key driver for innovative procurement solutions, and how to adopt sustainable supply chain practices when working with suppliers and partners that maximize both profitability and corporate social responsibility. 2 Chapter 12 Marketing Channels Delivering Customer Value 393 FPOThe question is not whether these functions need to be performed—they must be—but rather who will perform them. To the extent that the manufacturer performs these functions, its costs go up and its prices must be higher. When some of these functions are shifted to intermediaries, the producer’s costs and prices may be lower, but the intermediaries must charge more to cover the costs of their work. In dividing the work of the channel, the various functions should be assigned to the channel members who can add the most value for the cost. Number of Channel Levels Companies can design their distribution channels to make products and services available to customers in different ways. Each layer of marketing intermediaries that perform some work in bringing the product and its ownership closer to the final buyer is a channel level. Because the producer and the final consumer both perform some work, they are part of every channel. The number of intermediary levels indicates the length of a channel. Figure 12. 2A shows several consumer distribution chanGrand & Toy’s sustainability vision involves â€Å"powering the potential of Canadian businesses to lead the journey towards sustainability. nels of different lengths. Channel 1, called a direct marketing channel, has no intermediary levels; the company sells directly to consumers. For example, Mary Kay and Amway sell their products door-to-door, Channel level through home and office sales parties, and on the Web; Veseys, located in York, Prince EdA layer of intermediaries that ward Island, sells its plants and bulbs to gardeners across the country through mail cataperform some work in bringing the logues, by telephone, and online. The remaining channels in Figure 12. 2A re indirect product and its ownership closer marketing channels, containing one or more intermediaries. to the final buyer. Figure 12. 2B shows some common business distribution channels. The business marDirect marketing channel keter can use its own sales force to sell directly to business customers. Or it can sell to various A marketing channel that has no types of intermediaries, who in turn sell to these customers. Consumer and business marketintermediary levels. ing channels with even more levels can sometimes be found, but less often.From the proIndirect marketing channel ducer’s point of view, a greater number of levels means less control and greater channel A marketing channel containing complexity. Moreover, all of the institutions in the channel are connected by several types of one o r more intermediary levels. flows. These include the physical flow of products, the flow of ownership, the payment flow, the information flow, and the promotion flow. These flows can make even channels with only one or a few levels very complex. Producer Producer Producer Producer Producer Producer Wholesaler Manufacturer? s representatives or sales branch RetailerRetailer Business distributor Business distributor Consumer Channel 1 Consumer Channel 2 Consumer Channel 3 Business customer Channel 1 Business customer Channel 2 Business customer Channel 3 A. Consumer marketing channels B. Business marketing channels Figure 12. 2 Consumer and business marketing channels 394 Part 3 Designing a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix 2 Channel Behaviour and Organization Distribution channels are more than simple collections of firms tied together by various flows. They are complex behavioural systems in which people and companies interact to accomplish individual, company, and channel goals.Some channel systems consist only of informal interactions among loosely organized firms. Others consist of formal interactions guided by strong organizational structures. Moreover, channel systems do not stand still— new types of intermediaries emerge and whole new channel systems evolve. Here we look at channel behaviour and at how members organize to do the work of the channel. Channel Behaviour A marketing channel consists of firms that have partnered for their common good. Each channel member depends on the others. For example, a Ford dealer depends on Ford to design cars that meet consumer needs.In turn, Ford depends on the dealer to attract consumers, persuade them to buy Ford cars, and service cars after the sale. Each Ford dealer also depends on other dealers to provide good sales and service that will uphold the brand’s reputation. In fact, the success of individual Ford dealers depends on how well the entire Ford marketing channel competes with the channels of o ther auto manufacturers. Each channel member plays a specialized role in the channel. For example, consumer electronics maker Samsung’s role is to produce electronics products that consumers will like and to create demand through national advertising.Future Shop’s role is to display these Samsung products in convenient locations, to answer buyers’ questions, and to complete sales. The channel will be most effective when each member assumes the tasks it can do best. Ideally, because the success of individual channel members depends on overall channel success, all channel firms should work together smoothly. They should understand and accept their roles, coordinate their activities, and cooperate to attain overall channel goals. However, individual channel members rarely take such a broad view.Cooperating to achieve overall channel goals sometimes means giving up individual company goals. Although channel members depend on one another, they often act alone in thei r own short-run best interests. They often disagree about who should do what and for what rewards. Such disagreements over goals, roles, and rewards generate channel conflict. Horizontal conflict occurs among firms at the same level of the channel. For instance, some Ford dealers in Vancouver might complain that the other dealers in the city steal sales from them by pricing too low or by advertising outside their assigned territories.Or Holiday Inn franchisees might complain about other Holiday Inn operators overcharging guests or giving poor service, hurting the overall Holiday Inn image. Vertical conflict, conflicts between different levels of the same channel, is even more common. For example, Goodyear created hard feelings and conflict with its premier independent-dealer channel when it began selling through mass-merchant retailers: For more than 60 years Goodyear sold replacement tires exclusively through its premier network of independent Goodyear dealers.Then, in the 1990s, G oodyear shattered tradition and jolted its dealers by agreeing to sell its tires through mass merchants such as Sears and Walmart, placing dealers in direct competition with the nation’s Channel conflict Disagreements among marketing channel members on goals and roles—who should do what and for what rewards. Channel conflict: Goodyear created conflict with its premier independent-dealer channel when it began selling through mass-merchant retailers. Fractured dealer relations weakened the Goodyear name and dropped the company into a more than decade-long profit funk.Chapter 12 Marketing Channels Delivering Customer Value 395 most potent retailers. Goodyear claimed that value-minded tire buyers were increasingly buying from cheaper, multibrand discount outlets and department stores, and that it simply had to put its tires where many consumers were going to buy them. Not surprisingly, Goodyear’s aggressive moves into new channels set off a surge of channel conflict , and dealer relations deteriorated rapidly. Some of Goodyear’s best dealers defected to competitors. Other angry dealers struck back by taking on competing brands of cheaper private-label tires.Such dealer actions weakened the Goodyear name, and the company’s replacement tire sales—which make up 71 percent of its revenues—went flat, dropping the company into a more than decade-long profit funk. Although Goodyear has since actively set about repairing fractured dealer relations, it still has not fully recovered. â€Å"We lost sight of the fact that it’s in our interest that our dealers succeed,† admits a Goodyear executive. 3 Some conflict in the channel takes the form of healthy competition. Such competition can be good for the channel—without it, the channel could become passive and noninnovative.But severe or prolonged conflict, as in the case of Goodyear, can disrupt channel effectiveness and cause lasting harm to channel relation ships. Companies should manage channel conflict to keep it from getting out of hand. Vertical Marketing Systems Conventional distribution channel A channel consisting of one or more independent producers, wholesalers, and retailers, each a separate business seeking to maximize its own profits, even at the expense of profits for the system as a whole. Vertical marketing system (VMS) A distribution channel structure in which producers, wholesalers, and retailers act as a unified system.One channel member owns the others, has contracts with them, or has so much power that they must all cooperate. For the channel as a whole to perform well, each channel member’s role must be specified and channel conflict must be managed. The channel will perform better if it includes a firm, agency, or mechanism that provides leadership and has the power to assign roles and manage conflict. Historically, conventional distribution channels have lacked such leadership and power, often resulting in damaging conflict and poor performance.One of the biggest channel developments over the years has been the emergence of vertical marketing systems that provide channel leadership. Figure 12. 3 contrasts the two types of channel arrangements. A conventional distribution channel consists of one or more independent producers, wholesalers, and retailers. Each is a separate business seeking to maximize its own profits, perhaps even at the expense of the system as a whole. No channel member has much control over the other members, and no formal means exists for assigning roles and resolving channel conflict.In contrast, a vertical marketing system (VMS) consists of producers, wholesalers, and retailers acting as a unified system. One channel member owns the others, has contracts with them, or wields so much power that they must all cooperate. The VMS can be dominated by the producer, wholesaler, or retailer. The Forzani Group, headquartered in Calgary, is an example of a retail-dominated VMS. It owns and operates a range of sporting Consumer Figure 12. 3 Comparison of a conventional distribution channel with vertical marketing system Conventional marketing channelVertical marketing channel 396 Part 3 Designing a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix goods stores including Sport Chek, Coast Mountain Sports, Sport Mart, Athletes World, Hockey Experts, and National Sports. We look now at three major types of VMSs: corporate, contractual, and administered. Each uses a different means for setting up leadership and power in the channel. Corporate VMS Corporate VMS A vertical marketing system that combines successive stages of production and distribution under single ownership—channel leadership is established through common ownership.A corporate VMS integrates successive stages of production and distribution under single ownership. Coordination and conflict management are attained through regular organizational channels. For example, U. S. grocery giant Kroger owns and operates 42 factories that crank out more than 8000 private-label items found on its store shelves. Similarly, to help supply products for its 1760 grocery stores, Safeway owns and operates nine milk plants, eight bakery plants, four ice cream plants, four soft drink bottling plants, and four fruit and vegetable processing plants.And little-known Italian eyewear maker Luxottica produces many famous eyewear brands—including its own Ray-Ban brand and licensed brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace, and Bvlgari. It then sells these brands through two of the world’s largest optical chains, LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut, which it also owns. 4 Controlling the entire distribution chain has turned Spanish clothing chain Zara into the world’s fastest-growing fashion retailer: The secret to Zara’s success is its control over almost every aspect of the supply chain, from design and production to its own worldwide distribution network.Zara makes 40 percent of its own fabrics and produces more than half of its own clothes, rather than relying on a hodgepodge of slow-moving suppliers. New designs feed into Zara manufacturing centres, which ship finished products directly to 1161 Zara stores in 68 countries, saving time, eliminating the need for warehouses, and keeping inventories low. Effective vertical integration makes Zara faster, more flexible, and more efficient than international competitors such as the Gap, Benetton, and H&M. And Zara’s low costs let it offer midmarket chic at downmarket prices.A couple of summers ago, Zara managed to latch onto one of the season’s hottest trends in just four weeks (versus an industry average of nine months). The process started when trendspotters spread the word back to headquarters: White eyelet—cotton with tiny holes in it—was set to become white-hot. A quick telephone survey of Zara store managers confirmed that the fabric could be a winner, so in -house designers got down to work. They zapped patterns electronically to Zara’s factory across the street, and the fabric was cut.Local subcontractors stitched white-eyelet V-neck belted dresses—think Jackie Kennedy, circa 1960—and finished them in less than a week. The US$129 dresses were inspected, tagged, and transported through a tunnel under the street to a distribution centre. From there, they were quickly dispatched to Zara stores from New York to Tokyo—where they were flying off the racks just two days later. In all, the company’s stylish but affordable offerings have attracted a cult following. Zara store sales grew almost 40 percent last year to nearly US$9. 8 billion. 5 Contractual VMSA contractual VMS consists of independent firms at different levels of production and distribution who join together through contracts to obtain more economies or sales impact than each could achieve alone. Channel members coordinate their activities and m anage conflict through contractual agreements. Corporate VMS: Effective vertical integration makes Zara more flexible and more efficient—a virtual blur compared with competitors. It can take a new line from design to production to worldwide distribution in its own stores in less than a month (versus an industry average of nine months).Chapter 12 Marketing Channels Delivering Customer Value 397 Contractual VMS A vertical marketing system in which independent firms at different levels of production and distribution join together through contracts to obtain more economies or sales impact than they could achieve alone. Franchise organization A contractual vertical marketing system in which a channel member, called a franchisor, links several stages in the production–distribution process. The franchise organization is the most common type of contractual relationship—a channel member called a franchisor links several stages in the production–distribution proces s.Franchising has been the fastest-growing retailing form in Canada, growing more than 20 percent since 1993. It is estimated that Canada has four times more franchises per capita than the United States, with over 78 000 franchises across the country. Canadian franchising employs over 1 million people and represents over $100 billion in annual sales. 6 Almost every kind of business has been franchised—from motels and fast-food restaurants to dental centres and dating services, from wedding consultants and maid services to fitness centres and funeral homes. There are three types of franchises.The first type is the manufacturer-sponsored retailer franchise system—for example, Ford and its network of independent franchised dealers. The second type is the manufacturer-sponsored wholesaler franchise system—Coca-Cola licenses bottlers (wholesalers) in various markets who buy Coca-Cola syrup concentrate and then bottle and sell the finished product to retailers in loca l markets. The third type is the service-firmsponsored retailer franchise system—examples are found in the auto-rental business (Hertz, Avis), the fast-food service business (McDonald’s, Burger King), the motel usiness (Holiday Inn, Ramada), and more recently in health care (Vancouver-based Nurse Next Door). Let’s face it: Canadians are getting older. And with the aging population comes a greater need for quality senior home health care. Enter Ken Sim and John DeHart, founders of Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare Services, who sought to â€Å"provide high quality services that could help improve the lives of those struggling with sick or aging family members. † Established in 2001, the company began franchising in 2007.By 2009, Nurse Next Door had 30 franchises across Canada and continues to expand at a rate of two franchises per month across North America—a staggering 3400 percent growth rate since 2001! The company’s success has largely been attributed to the way it supports its franchise operators. For example, client calls are handled through a centralized call centre in Vancouver, freeing franchisees from the time-consuming task of fielding urgent calls around the clock. Nurse Next Door is highly selective about which franchisee applicants it takes on, and those that are successful receive the highest level of support and training possible.The company has earned a number of awards, including being named the sixth best midsize franchise system in North America by Franchise Business Review in 2009. As it looks toward the future, Nurse Next Door’s goal is to generate $1 billion in sales and have 500 franchisees worldwide by 2021. Given its explosive growth and the aging world population, this goal seems very achievable. 7 Nurse Next Door’s strategy of â€Å"treating franchisees like customers it aims to retain for decades† has led to rapid growth for this Canadian company. 398Part 3 Designing a Cus tomer-Driven Strategy and Mix The fact that most consumers cannot tell the difference between contractual and corporate VMSs shows how successfully the contractual organizations compete with corporate chains. Chapter 13 presents a fuller discussion of the various contractual VMSs. Administered VMS Administered VMS A vertical marketing system that coordinates successive stages of production and distribution, not through common ownership or contractual ties, but through the size and power of one of the parties.In an administered VMS, leadership is assumed not through common ownership or contractual ties but through the size and power of one or a few dominant channel members. Manufacturers of a top brand can obtain strong trade cooperation and support from resellers. For example, General Electric, Procter & Gamble, and Kraft can command unusual cooperation from resellers regarding displays, shelf space, promotions, and price policies. Large retailers such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Ch apters Indigo can exert strong influence on the manufacturers that supply the products they sell.Horizontal Marketing Systems Horizontal marketing system A channel arrangement in which two or more companies at one level join together to follow a new marketing opportunity. Another channel development is the horizontal marketing system, in which two or more companies at one level join together to follow a new marketing opportunity. By working together, companies can combine their financial, production, or marketing resources to accomplish more than any one company could alone. Companies might join forces with competitors or noncompetitors.They might work with each other on a temporary or permanent basis, or they may create a separate company. For example, McDonald’s now places â€Å"express† versions of its restaurants in Walmart stores. McDonald’s benefits from Walmart’s heavy store traffic, and Walmart keeps hungry shoppers from needing to go elsewhere to eat. In another example, once major competitors, Canada’s two largest wineries, T. G. Bright & Co. and Cartier Inniskillin Vintners Inc. , formed an alliance so that they could increase their economies of scale and resources. This was necessary because they wanted to export to the U.S. market, which is dominated by huge American vintners, such as E. &J. Gallo. Such channel arrangements also work well globally. For example, McDonald’s recently joined forces with Sinopec, China’s largest gasoline retailer, to place drive-through restaurants at Sinopec’s more than 31 000 gas stations. The move greatly speeds McDonald’s expansion into China while at the same time pulling hungry motorists into Sinopec gas stations. 8 Multichannel distribution system A distribution system in which a single firm sets up two or more marketing channels to reach one or more customer segments.Multichannel Distribution Systems In the past, many companies used a single channel to sell to a single market or market segment. Today, with the proliferation of customer segments and channel possibilities, more and more companies have adopted multichannel distribution systems— often called hybrid marketing channels. Such multichannel marketing occurs when a single firm sets up two or more marketing channels to reach one or more customer segments. The use of multichannel systems has increased greatly in recent years. Figure 12. 4 shows a multichannel marketing system.In the figure, the producer sells directly to consumer segment 1 using direct-mail catalogues, telemarketing, and the Internet and reaches consumer segment 2 through retailers. It sells indirectly to business Horizontal marketing systems: McDonald’s recently joined forces with Sinopec, China’s largest gasoline retailer, to place restaurants at its more than 31 000 gas stations. Here, the presidents of the two companies shake hands while announcing the partnership. Chapter 12 Mark eting Channels Delivering Customer Value 399 Figure 12. 4 Multichannel distribution system ProducerDistributors Catalogues, telephone, Internet Retailers Dealers Sales force Consumer segment 1 Consumer segment 2 Business segment 1 Business segment 2 segment 1 through distributors and dealers and to business segment 2 through its own sales force. These days, almost every large company and many small ones distribute through multiple channels. For example, John Deere sells its familiar green and yellow lawn and garden tractors, mowers, and outdoor power products to consumers and commercial users through several channels, including John Deere retailers, Home Depot stores, and online.It sells and services its tractors, combines, planters, and other agricultural equipment through its premium John Deere dealer network. And it sells large construction and forestry equipment through selected large, full-service dealers and their sales forces. Multichannel distribution systems offer many adva ntages to companies facing large and complex markets. With each new channel, the company expands its sales and market coverage and gains opportunities to tailor its products and services to the specific needs of diverse customer segments.But such multichannel systems are harder to control, and they generate conflict as more channels compete for customers and sales. For example, when John Deere began selling selected consumer products through Home Depot, many of its dealers complained loudly. To avoid such conflicts in its Internet marketing channels, the company routes all of its website sales to John Deere dealers. Changing Channel Organization Disintermediation The cutting out of marketing channel intermediaries by product or service producers, or the displacement of traditional resellers by radical new types of intermediaries.Changes in technology and the explosive growth of direct and online marketing are having a profound impact on the nature and design of marketing channels. O ne major trend is toward disintermediation—a big term with a clear message and important consequences. Disintermediation occurs when product or service producers cut out intermediaries and go directly to final buyers, or when radically new types of channel intermediaries displace traditional ones. Thus, in many industries traditional intermediaries are dropping by the wayside.For example, Air Canada is selling directly to final buyers, cutting travel agents from its marketing channels altogether. In other cases, new forms of resellers are displacing traditional intermediaries. For example, online marketing is growing rapidly, taking business from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to the Internet. Consumers can buy airline tickets and hotel rooms from Expedia. ca and Travelzoo. com; electronics from SonyStyle. com; clothes and accessories from Bluefly. com; and books, videos, toys, jewellery, sports, consumer electronics, home and garden items, and almost anything else fr om Amazon. a—all without ever stepping into a traditional retail store. Online music download services such as iTunes and Yahoo! Music are threatening the very existence of traditional music-store retailers. 400 Part 3 Designing a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix Avoiding disintermediation problems: Black & Decker’s website provides detailed information, but you can’t buy any of the company’s products there. Instead, Black & Decker refers you to resellers’ websites and stores. In fact, once-dominant music retailer Tower Records declared bankruptcy and closed its doors for good.Disintermediation presents both opportunities and problems for producers and resellers. Channel innovators who find new ways to add value in the channel can sweep aside traditional resellers and reap the rewards. In turn, traditional intermediaries must continue to innovate to avoid being swept aside. For example, when Netflix pioneered online video rentals, it sent tradition al brick-and-mortar video-rental stores such as Blockbuster reeling. To meet the threat, Blockbuster developed its own online DVD-rental service.Now, both Netflix and Blockbuster face disintermediation threats from an even hotter channel—digital video distribution (see Real Marketing 12. 1). Similarly, to remain competitive, product and service producers must develop new channel opportunities such as the Internet and other direct channels. However, developing these new channels often brings them into direct competition with their established channels, resulting in conflict. To ease this problem, companies often look for ways to make going direct a plus for the entire channel.For example, Black & Decker knows that many customers would prefer to buy its power tools and outdoor power equipment online. But selling directly through its website would create conflicts with important and powerful retail partners such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, and Amazon. ca. So, although Black & Decker’s website provides detailed information about the company’s products, you can’t buy a new Black & Decker cordless drill, laser level, or leaf blower there. Instead, the Black & Decker website refers you to resellers’ websites and stores.Thus, Black & Decker’s direct marketing helps both the company and its channel partners. 3 Channel Design Decisions We now look at several channel decisions manufacturers face. In designing marketing channels, manufacturers struggle between what is ideal and what is practical. A new firm with limited capital usually starts by selling in a limited market area. Deciding on the best channels might not be a problem: The problem might simply be how to convince one or a few good intermediaries to handle the line. If successful, the new firm can branch out to new markets through the existing intermediaries.In smaller markets, the firm might sell directly to retailers; in larger markets, it might sell throug h distributors. In one part of the country, it might grant exclusive franchises; in another, it might sell through all available outlets. Then, it might add a web store that sells directly to hard-to-reach customers. In this way, channel systems often evolve to meet market opportunities and conditions. Real Marketing Netflix: Disintermediator or Disintermediated? 12. 1 Baseball great Yogi Berra, known more for his mangled phrasing than for his baseball prowess, once said, â€Å"The future ain’t what it used to be. For Netflix, the world’s largest online movie-rental service, no matter how you say it, figuring out the future is challenging and a bit scary. Netflix faces dramatic changes in how movies and other entertainment content will be distributed. The question is, will Netflix be among the disintermediators or among the disintermediated? Less than a decade ago, if you wanted to watch a movie in the comfort of your own home, your only choice was to roust yourself o ut of that easy chair and trot down to the local Blockbuster or another neighbourhood movie-rental store.In fact, that’s how most people still Netflix faces dramatic changes in how movies and other entertainment content will be distributed. Instead of simply do it. Blockbuster has grown to become watching the developments, Netflix intends to lead them. the world’s largest store-rental chain, Since first opening its virtual doors, Netflix has continwith more than 7800 outlets worldwide ued to add innovative features. Its â€Å"dynamic queue† lets and more than US$5. 5 billion in annual sales. customers select as many movie titles as they wish and rank But now, thanks to Netflix, that distribution model is them by preference.Netflix has also developed an online changing quickly. In the late 1990s, Netflix pioneered a new recommendation system, called Cinematch, to help customers way to rent movies—via the Web and direct mail. With Netflix, find movies theyà ¢â‚¬â„¢ll love based on their own past ratings, you pay a monthly subscription fee and create a movie wish member and critic reviews, and top-rented lists. list online. Netflix mails you a set number of DVDs from your As a result, more and more customers are signing up list at a given time, which you can keep for as long as you like. ith Netflix. Membership has grown to more than 7. 5 million As you return the DVDs in prepaid return envelopes, Netflix subscribers, and in just the past two years, sales and profits automatically sends you new ones from your list. While Netflix have surged 77 percent and 60 percent, respectively. Meanis not available in Canada, Zip. ca offers a very similar service, while, Netflix’s success has sent Blockbuster and other videooffering Canadians over 72 000 titles to choose from. rental stores reeling.As Netflix sales and profits have soared, Netflix offers lots of advantages over the traditional Blockbuster’s sales have lagged and losses have mounted. Blockbuster brick-and-mortar system. With store video The video rental giant has lost money in 10 of the last rentals, you have to make a special trip whenever you want a 11 years. Although the traditional brick-and-mortar videomovie, and if you don’t plan ahead, you’ll probably find the rental market is still alive and kicking, it’s stagnating as the latest hot releases out of stock.As for finding copies of oldies red-hot online channel gains momentum. but goodies, or an old documentary or independent film, To meet the disintermediation threat, Blockbuster introforget it—stores can hold only a limited selection of DVDs. duced its own online video-rental service. In fact, Blockbuster Finally, many consumers are frustrated by short due dates Total Access takes the new distribution model one step furand those dreaded late return fees. In contrast, Netflix isn’t ther. Total Access customers can order videos online and bound by store-spac e limitations.It offers a huge selection of then return or exchange them either through the mail or at more than 90 000 titles and 40 million DVDs. The Netflix systheir local Blockbuster store. Blockbuster’s online business tem eliminates store trips—you always have a stack of DVDs quickly grew to over 2 million subscribers before levelling off. on hand. And there are no per-movie charges, no due dates, and no late fees. 402 Part 3 Designing a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix However, for the most part, Blockbuster is still struggling to find the right formula.And so the video-rental channels battle continues. Blockbuster claims the advantages of a click-and-mortar model that offers both online and store services. In contrast, Netflix sees physical stores as an unnecessary and costly limitation. Says Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings, â€Å"For people who’d love never to go into a Blockbuster store ever again, we offer better selection, better tools for cho osing movies, and more consistent overnight delivery. † Either way, there’s no going back to the past—the two competitors are rapidly disintermediating store-only video-rental outfits.But just as the present isn’t what it used to be, neither is the future. At the same time that Netflix is displacing traditional store channels, it faces its own disintermediation threat from a potentially even hotter channel—digital video distribution in the form of digital downloads and video on demand (VOD). Digital distribution is a fact of life in the music industry, where music download services are quickly making traditional CD retailers obsolete. Most experts agree that it’s only a matter of time before digital video distribution displaces DVD video sales and rentals.In fact, it’s already begun. These days, you can download all kinds of video entertainment—from movies and TV shows to ads and amateur videos—to your computer, iPod, or even your cellphone. Satellite and cable TV companies are promising VOD services that will let you view movies and other video entertainment on television whenever and wherever you wish. And video-rental download services such as CinemaNow are already offering a growing list of downloadable titles via the Web.Digital video downloads and video on demand create obvious cost, distribution, and customer convenience advantages over physically producing and distributing DVDs. For sure, the digital video distribution industry still faces problems. Downloading videos can take a lot of time and yields less-than-DVD quality. Perhaps the biggest barrier so far— Hollywood has been cautious about granting video distribution rights, severely limiting the number of available titles. In time, however, all these limitations will likely dissipate. When that happens, it could be lights out for the DVD sales and rental industry.Netflix CEO Hastings understands the future challenges. â€Å"Weâ⠂¬â„¢re sure that we’re going to be buying cars in 25 years, whereas renting DVDs through the mail in 25 years—for sure that’s not going to exist,† he says. The solution? Keep innovating. Instead of simply watching digital video distribution developments, Netflix intends to lead them. Netflix has already added a â€Å"watch instantly† feature to its website that allows subscribers to instantly stream near-DVD-quality video for a limited but growing list of movie titles and TV programs. Our intention,† says Hastings, â€Å"is to get [our watch instantly] service to every Internet-connected screen, from cellphones to laptops to WiFi-enabled plasma screens. † In this way, Netflix plans to disintermediate its own distribution model before others can do it. Compared to the United States, the online DVD market in Canada is still in its infancy. Thus, it is anticipated that Canadian firms like Zip. ca will experience more modest growth, primar ily because of the lack of content rights in this country as compared to those in the Unites States. To Hastings, the key to the future is all in how Netflix defines itself. If [you] think of Netflix as a DVD rental business, [you’re] right to be scared,† he says. But â€Å"if [you] think of Netflix as an online movie service with multiple different delivery models, then [you’re] a lot less scared. We’re only now starting to deliver [on] that second vision. † When asked what Netflix will be like in five years, Hasting responds, â€Å"We hope to be much larger, have more subscribers, and be successfully expanding into online video. † Sources: Quotes and other information from Matthew Boyle, â€Å"Reed Hastings,† Fortune, May 28, 2007, p. 30; Nick Wingfield, â€Å"Netflix vs.Naysayers,† Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2007, p. B1; Yuval Rosenberg, â€Å"What’s Next for Netflix? † Fortune, November 29, 2006, p. 172; Pa ul R. La Monica, â€Å"DVD or Download? † CNNMoney. com, June 26, 2006; Nancy Macdonald, â€Å"Blockbuster Proves It’s Not Dead Yet,† Maclean’s, March 17, 2008, p. 36; Michael V. Copeland, â€Å"Netflix Lives! † Fortune, April 28, 2008, p. 40; â€Å"Netflix, Inc. ,† Hoover’s Company Records, April 15, 2008, p. 100752; â€Å"Online DVD Rental Firms Find Big Profits in Tough Times,† CBC News, January 27, 2009; and information from www. netflix. com and www. blockbuster. om, accessed November 2008. Marketing channel design Designing effective marketing channels by analyzing consumer needs, setting channel objectives, identifying major channel alternatives, and evaluating them. For maximum effectiveness, however, channel analysis and decision making should be more purposeful. Marketing channel design calls for analyzing consumer needs, setting channel objectives, identifying major channel alternatives, and evaluating them. Analyzin g Consumer Needs As noted previously, marketing channels are part of the overall customer-value delivery network.Each channel member and level adds value for the customer. Thus, designing the marketing channel starts with finding out what target consumers want from the channel. Do consumers want to buy from nearby locations or are they willing to travel to more distant centralized locations? Would they rather buy in person, by phone, or online? Do they value breadth of assortment or do they prefer specialization? Do consumers want many add-on services (delivery, repairs, installation), or will they obtain these elsewhere? The Chapter 12 Marketing Channels Delivering Customer Value 403 aster the delivery, the greater the assortment provided, and the more add-on services supplied, the greater the channel’s service level. Providing the fastest delivery, greatest assortment, and most services may not be possible or practical. The company and its channel members may not have the r esources or skills needed to provide all the desired services. Also, providing higher levels of service results in higher costs for the channel and higher prices for consumers. The company must balance consumer needs not only against the feasibility and costs of meeting these needs but also against customer price preferences.The success of discount retailing shows that consumers will often accept lower service levels in exchange for lower prices. Setting Channel Objectives Companies should state their marketing channel objectives in terms of targeted levels of customer service. Usually, a company can identify several segments wanting different levels of service. The company should decide which segments to serve and the best channels to use in each case. In each segment, the company wants to minimize the total channel cost of meeting customer service requirements.The company’s channel objectives are also influenced by the nature of the company, its products, its marketing inte rmediaries, its competitors, and the environment. For example, the company’s size and financial situation determine which marketing functions it can handle itself and which it must give to intermediaries. Companies selling perishable products may require more direct marketing to avoid delays and too much handling. In some cases, a company may want to compete in or near the same outlets that carry competitors’ products.In other cases, companies may avoid the channels used by competitors. Mary Kay, for example, sells direct to consumers through its network of more than 1 million independent beauty consultants in 34 markets worldwide rather than going headto-head with other cosmetics makers for scarce positions in retail stores. And GEICO primarily markets automobile and homeowner’s insurance directly to consumers via the telephone and Internet rather than through agents. Finally, environmental factors such as economic conditions and legal constraints may affect ch annel objectives and design.For example, in a depressed economy producers want to distribute their goods in the most economical way, using shorter channels and dropping unneeded services that add to the final price of the goods. Identifying Major Alternatives When the company has defined its channel objectives, it should next identify its major channel alternatives in terms of types of intermediaries, the number of intermediaries, and the responsibilities of each channel member. Types of Intermediaries A firm should identify the types of channel members available to carry out its channel work. Most companies face many channel member choices.For example, until recently, Dell sold directly to final consumers and business buyers only through its sophisticated phone and Internet marketing channel. It also sold directly to large corporate, institutional, and government buyers using its direct sales force. However, to reach more consumers and to match competitors such as HP, Dell now sell s indirectly through retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart. It also sells indirectly through â€Å"value-added resellers,† independent distributors and dealers who develop computer systems and applications tailored to the special needs of small and medium-sized business customers.Using many types of resellers i