Amalise Strategic Management

Running Head: Amalise Strategic Management Name University Course Tutor Date Gauteng Provincial Government is working to the best of its capability with utmost dedication and efficiency to serve the citizens of Gauteng. It demands high performance and competence accompanied by motivation geared with ambition from the various departments it constitutes, to be able to prioritize and fulfill the needs of Gauteng citizens and development of the Gauteng province. The Gauteng Provincial Treasury department handles all the financial matters pertaining to the Provincial Government.It collects, manages and forms strategies to act as guidelines when planning on the usage of revenue contributed by the public. The treasury department works with diligence to ensure government priorities as outlined in a number of documents and key initiatives such as Gauteng Growth and Development Strategy (GDS), The Global City Region (GRC) strategic intent, the shared vision of creating a smart province and as reflected by the innovation programs such as the Blue IQ, Gauteng-online, Gautrain and the Batho Pele principles of delivering high quality services to the citizens of Gauteng are achieved.The treasury also works hand in hand with the provincial departments and municipalities to increase the capacity of financial management, achieve operational efficiency, promote accountability in government, provide strategic leadership and technical support in financial management and budgeting, develop and implement efficient internal systems and processes and provide guidance and leadership in the implementation of financial management reforms for both provincial and local government.To enhance effective and efficient allocation and utilization of fund geared towards fulfilling Gauteng Provincial Government priorities and improving the financial management system, the Provincial Treasury stipulated a statement of purpose to guide it. According to the Gauteng Provincial Treasury five-year strate gic and performance plans for the period 2009-2014 second draft (5th September 2008) the goal of the treasury was, â€Å"to provide sound financial management leadership that maximizes service delivery through effective and efficient use of limited resources in the Gauteng Province† (p.36). The vision of the treasury was, â€Å"to be the pioneer in financial management leadership and fiscal discipline within the public sector in South Africa thus enabling shared economic growth† (p. 37). The Gauteng Provincial Treasury five-year strategic and performance plans for the period 2009-2014 second draft (5th September 2008) states the mission that the Gauteng treasury follows to implement their vision.â€Å"We strive to be an innovative, pro-active and value adding partner to our stakeholders, by: researching and implementing best practice approaches to financial management, enhancing vertical and horizontal alignment in government, promoting and encouraging more informed u nderstanding of the financial management framework, instilling accountability, sound analytical reporting, good enterprise governance and transparency as the norm, ensuring allocative efficiency and optimal utilization of resources facilitating strategic alternative funding solutions thereby supporting an environment of sustainable economic growth and social development† (p.37). The Gauteng Provincial Treasury exhibits reliability and efficiency by performing duties given to them in accordance to the legislative mandate. It ensures the principles it has formed are aligned in accordance to the Batho Pele principles by enabling the provision of technical assistance and analysis, ensuring the spending agencies value the function of money and thus do not misuse the money or misinterpret the role the treasury plays when managing the government’s financial materials.This is done through training programs such as CIBA and SAM. Also the treasury should promoting transparency by publication of their annual reports and budgets through local newspapers, budget statements and MTBPS. The treasury department also ensures the allocation of funds to every department are according to the provincial priorities which include building a competitive Gauteng GCR, implementing Gauteng social GDS and building the capacity and organization of the state.The Gauteng Provincial Treasury being an independent department has a critical role to perform thus needs to be able to motivate the program levels it is working with, to be able to achieve the stipulated goals. The treasury department should be able to plan, organize, have good interpersonal skills and be able to evaluate performance so as to run the duties outlined to it in the most competent and accurate manner (Rees & Porter, 2001).The head of the treasury department was able to show good leadership skills by involving each department in decision making, when reviewing and updating the strategic plan for the period of 2 009-2014, developing medium term tactical plans and outlining the methods to use when evaluating performance of the department after every year. In the period of 2006-2009 the treasury did not fully accomplish some of the roles it played.When formulating the strategic plan for the period of 2009-2014, it discussed ways of overcoming that short fall by improving and adding value to maximize their performance so as be able to raise the living standard of the Gauteng citizens, creating a parallel line between their corporate services function and their core strategies, using internal and external auditors to monitor and evaluate those sent to work in the municipalities to prevent creation of too much dependency which may bring undesirable outcome, interns and the credibility of their data.The results the auditors present should be discussed and the solutions given implemented to lay a competent foundation of performing duties in the most qualified way. The treasury department should fo rm a partnership with the Chief Financial officer (CFO) and professional bodies to enable it function in a reliable manner towards achieving the department’s vision. The treasury should work with the CFO working for Gauteng Provincial Treasury to be able to evaluate the performance of the department in reference to achieving the department’s vision.It should also liaise with other CFO’s to gain more knowledge and tactics of performing the role it has defined to fulfill the department’s vision. Strategies of communicating with other departments in the Provincial Treasury must be improved, to enable full understanding of the duties they perform. For the treasury department to set a good trend of performing the roles given, to enable the Gauteng Provincial Government achieve the goals it promised the citizens of Gauteng, unqualified municipalities should be fired.This means that the treasury should review its strategy of staffing to ensure that it has a qual ity staff in the right quantity. It should design KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics of the organization) that it will use when staffing, to employ qualified and competent people who will work to the maximum of their capability to improve the overall performance of the treasury department. This will place the department in a better position to perform their duties according the preference and priority of the Gauteng citizens.The head of department in the Gauteng Provincial Treasury should have an ambition that drives him, so as to plan and organize the various departments under his disposal and the duties to be carried out by each department in an efficient way. He should have a power of influence and inspiration so as to win the trust of the subordinate leaders by leading the department in an appropriate manner that will accomplish their vision. The HOD should also be innovative and posses qualities of being able to implement and develop the ideas that ha ve come up and those that existed.This will enable excellent performance and smooth running of the treasury department and thus demolish the foundation of the risks that the Gauteng treasury department faced (Caroselli, 2000). By adopting the right staffing strategies the Gauteng treasury will have competent and qualified staff members that will be able to understand any policy or strategy formed for them to implement as they perform their duties, this will prevent the problem of under and over staffing, lack of motivation and good guidance to the staff and poor management in the departments (Rees & Porter, 2001).For instance due to poor strategies of staffing the Gauteng treasury was unable to implement the strategy given to it by the Gauteng provincial government (GPG). The HOD should evaluate the performance of the department on a regular basis to be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of every member and delegate duties to them in a fair manner and according to their skill, capacity and competence. This will also help to raise any problem like lack of resources and technology and thus be in a position to provide them.The same system of organization and running of duties will be maintained eliminating the chances of a confusion cropping up during the performance period. This will curb the problem of lack of integration of financial systems (Caroselli, 2000). As the Gauteng treasury department continues to expand, appropriate measures should be carried out to also expand the working space and enable comfort to prevail to the staff as they are working.This will increase the overall out put and efficiency of each staff member. The HOD should set up a reliable information and technology management system to prevent loss of data that will give the treasury a history of their performance which is very important when evaluating the performance of the department. This will also prevent the loss of any current information or data being worked on thus mai ntain the efficiency of the department, because time will not be wasted repeating the same thing again.A back up measure that is reliable and easy to operate and manage should be devised (Rees & Porter, 2001). Administrative skills and policies have been implemented into each department, enabling good relationship to prevail in the treasury department thus contributing to the overall efficiency of performance in the department. This can be portrayed by the good relationship between the HOD and the employees, national treasury, implementation of NCOP, with the investors and human resource services among others.The Provincial Treasury must take care to prevent the functioning of the treasury to run under the influence of the politicians as this will make them rule biased decisions that favors only one party instead of working to satisfy the desires of the citizens of Gauteng. The treasury department should avoid over reliance to politicians to act as their guarantors in case of financ ial crisis but instead should work closely with the DED and GEP. Contracts formed must be fulfilled according to the terms agreed on this can be guided by implementation of SLA with ABSA.This will ensure trust between the treasury departments and the organization or person they are drawing a contract with is maintained. The HOD should ensure the municipalities are thoroughly audited to ensure the funds allocated to them are put in to their correct use and thus eliminate mismanagement of funds. Before initiating any planning methodologies, appropriate and sufficient research should be done to help accurate and adequate allocation of funds to every department in the treasury (Rees & Porter, 2001).Implementation of good leadership skills will enable the Provincial Treasury to meet their objectives which include; being recognized as the leading Provincial Treasury in South Africa, ensuring good governance of all financial matters in the province, promoting integration and alignment of p lanning processes within the Province, exploring, implementing and managing strategic financing solutions, ensuring the effective and efficient management of Gauteng Provincial Treasury and to be a preferred employer, attracting and retaining high performing individuals (Caroselli, 2000).The strategic management of the Provincial Treasury department should implement good management and leadership skills in the period of 2009-2014, to enable the department to go by their goal, vision, mission and objectives and uplift the performance of the Gauteng Provincial Government. This will make the Gauteng citizens to trust that the Gauteng Provincial Government will act on their needs and will re-elect it back to power.Word Count: 1930 Reference List Caroselli, M. (2000). Leadership Skill for Managers. New York: Mc Graw Hill Professional. Five-year Strategic Plan and Performance Plan (Second draft). (5th September 2008). Gauteng: Gauteng Provincial Treasury. Rees, D. W. and Porter, C. (2001) . The Skills of Management. 5th Ed. Bedford Row, London: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Case Analysis of Airline Industry in India Essay

INTRODUCTION Aviation Industry plays an important role in the economic growth of anation. It not only promotes international trade but also provides an effective and fastest means of transportation across the globe. Today, in the world of globalization and cut throat competition the value of time has become more precious. The history of Indian Aviation industry lies back in the year 1912.The first domestic flight was taken between Delhi and Karachi by the Indian State Air Services. Tata Airlines started with an air mail service in the year 1912.It was renamed as Air India in 1946. There were few players at the time of independence including Tata Airlines, Indian National Airways, Deccan Airways .In 1953 ,the government nationalized the airlines via the Air Corporations Act 1953. Two separate entities came into existence Indian Airlines which was the merger of the already existing domestic Airlines and Air India International. In the year 1986, private players were granted permission to work as air taxi operators which included Air Sahara, Jet Airways, Damania Airways, East West Airlines, Modiluft and NEPC Airways. In 1995, government granted scheduled career status to six private air taxi operators. But all the players could not survive and by 2003 Jet Airways and Air Sahara continued. Air Deccan entered the market in 2003.Air Deccan gave India its first Low Cost Carrier (LCC).Later on, other players also entered the market including Kingfisher, Paramount, GoAir, and Indigo. The year 2007 was the year of merger and acquisitions –the Jet-Sahara deal, the Kingfisher-Deccan deal, Indian-Air India. Full service airlines were forced to drop fares as well though their minimum fares tended to be still higher than those offered by the â€Å"low-cost† carriers. These low fares attracted leisure travelers to fly by air. The overall growth rate of the market was about three times faster than the growth in business travelers. The proportion of business travelers on full-service carriers such as Jet Airways came down to about two-thirds. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to identify the most important factors responsible for the performance of both public as well as in private low cost airlines, to compare and contrast on the basis of collected data and to suggest some adequate measures of improvement. The three major airlines making waves, for different reasons, in the Indian airlines industry are Air India, Kingfisher and Indigo. So in this paper we try to compare and analyse the reasons behind their successes and failures. We will be comparing the above mentioned airlines on the basis of their business models, scope for expansion, management practices and current operations. We try to compare and analyse the reasons behind their successes and failures. INDIGO Indigo is the exception to the rule in the Indian Airline industry as of today,being the only profitable Airline in the financial year ending March 2012. Despite having entered the market in 2006,Indigo has rapidly climbed up the ladder to become the second largest domestic carrier. Its market share increased from 5% in the first quarter of 2007 to 10.3% in first quarter of 2008 to 15.4% in December 2008 to a whopping 27.6% in September 2012. This growth rate of Indigo is expected to continue as the Airline increases its capacity on the domestic as well as international front.In addition,it also has massive fleet orders in the pipeline to sutain future growth. IndiGo currently has 51 A320s in its fleet, with more than four times that number of aircraft on firm order with Airbus. All the planes have exactly the same configurations, having the same engines, same number of seats in one class configuration. Load factors have also been strong throughout with an average load factor of 86.3% in June 2012 when the Industry’s average was 75%. Following are some of the strategies the airline has adopted which enable it to scale to the top in a span of 6 years: 1. Low cost,single class model- It has its low cost, single class model. Indigo retained its policy of offering one class of no frills service on a single type of plane. They have set a record for using the lightest passenger seats in India which weigh only 12.8 Kgs. They have started using paint which overall weighs 50 Kgs less. Such weight savings are negligible on their own but collectively ,they have helped Indigo to cut on costs and function as a â€Å"low cost airline†. 2. Maintaining a young fleet:Indigo uses the strategy of selling and leasing its planes,thus helping the airline to constantly replace its fleet,hence preventing the need for major checks and repairs. 3. Excellent Quality of Service: Some of the reasons for the outstanding quality are as follows: a. The management and staff are hired only after the CEO meets with each of them individually. b. The airline also employs far lesser number of people as compared to other airlines. c. The airline has trained its crews to de-plane the passengers in 6 minutes and unload the baggage in 10 minutes. It regularly acheives Turn around times of around 22-25 minutes(Industry Average being much more than 30 minutes). The lesser the time taken at the airports, the more the airplane can fly and earn more 4. Reliable and On-Time Service: Indigo’s Management has tried to attract customers with more than just low fares. An important factor is its on-time performance of 94 per cent – much higher than its other rivals. For instance, to ensure that its flights depart and arrive on time in spite of the dense fog that envelops Delhi and other northern cities without fail every winter, IndiGo has one of the highest percentages of pilots who are trained to fly under such conditions. IndiGo has set up a centralized operations control center which monitors the weather, anticipates delays and provides advance information to the ground staff in case an aircraft requires some repair or maintenance while it is airborne so that the engineers are ready to rectify the problem to save time. 5. War on Costs: d. On an average, an IndiGo aircraft flies for around 12 hours a day, compared to eight to 10 hours logged by most competitors. The extra hours allow it to undertake one extra flight daily, which translates into more seats and revenue. e. To reduce its cost of holding inventory of components, IndiGo has done a tie-up with Air France under which the French airline will stock components required by Indigo. In this way, the Inventory will not be in Indigo’s Books. 6. Additionally trained pilots: According to the latest figures released by the civil aviation ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, nearly 38 per cent of IndiGo’s pilots are CAT III compliant or are able to fly under low visibility. Even full service airline Jet has only 22 per cent of its pilots trained to fly under fog. Indigo has realized well in time that to sustain in this competitive industry, it needs to deliver on its promise and it seems to be doing so pretty well, especially in the domestic front. Kingfisher: Air DeccanLaunch: August 2003Low, variable fare, no frills. Only Economy Class. Mix of metro and cross-country destinations.Was acquired by Kingfisher and later renamed Kingfisher Red| Kingfisher AirlinesLaunch: May 2005Current Fleet: 94Variable fare, all frills. Single Kingfisher class. Premium in-flight service. Only metro destinations.| Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines â€Å"Kingfisher! King of good times† is seeing its worst time in recent months. All the ‘service with glamour’ provided by Vijay Mallya is not looking so glamorous at the closed ticket counters. Several flights have been cancelled and Government is swinging between the idea of shutting down or not shutting down the service. The losses incurred by the kingfisher are around 7000 crores. Revenue department is also blaming the airlines for tax evasion of another 2000 crores. His shares tumbled around 19 percent at BSE. There are numerous reasons for the present condition of the kingfisher airlines: Every big business needs an expert team of CEO and other officers look into the day to day activities. But here the scenario was different. Mallya kept this business under his direct control and this was one of his biggest blunders. This caused a major mismanagement and confusion among the employees. Administration of India’s second largest aircraft service was going down the lane. Mallya group continuously blamed Government for the dismal performance of airlines. To balance all this, they started cutting the salaries and perks of their staffs. They didn’t get their salaries on time due to which they refused to come back on job. Sometimes they also vented their anger and misbehaved with the passengers adding fuel to the fire. Another reason for its collapse is the takeover of Air Deccan in 550 crore acquisition. There were mixed reactions, some saying that it can be a disaster and some saying it to be a wonder. Kingfisher owned around 26 percent stake. Major advantage was that engineering and aircraft cost decreased due to almost same routes. But Kingfisher incurred losses of Air Deccan also. That’s when Vijay Mallya tried his luck and gave birth to a new low cost carrier ‘Kingfisher Red’. It was awarded death sentence in few years although low cost carriers were at its best. He provided goody bags and air hostesses provided a beautiful sight with their 24*7 ‘Pan Am† smiles. So customers started choosing Kingfisher Red over its mother brand because of same facilities with cheap prices. Kingfisher Airlines started incurring losses as it was typecasted as mainly the aircraft for the riches. Mallya started decreasing business class seats and routes to compensate the losses. Again when Mallya was already in turmoil, he tried another shot to ruin himself. He did not cared about his domestic flights and started the service on the international routes where competition was even higher with better facilities. This again provided him with losses. To compensate for these losses Mallya took loans from banks including SBI and many private banks with share from its UB group as collateral. It even collateralized its brand name ‘Kingfisher’. Now the group is asking for some time and easier interest rates that may help it to recover. But with rigid attitude of banks, it’s looking like a no win situation for Mallya group. Tax authorities have already frozen its bank account for the nonpayment of dues. Now only time will tell that what will be the future of this ‘once most stylish and attractive’ aircraft carrier. AIR INDIA Air India is considered to be India’s National Flag carrier. On October 15 1932, J.R.D Tata took from Karachi in a tiny light single- engine flight to Mumbai. It was known as Tata Airlines during those days. In the year 1946, it was renamed as Air India .In 2007, it was merged with Indian Airlines .The official name of the registered airline is National Aviation Company of India (NACIL) .However Air India was retained as the brand name for NACIL as it was well known at home and abroad. Air India Crisis 1. Merger and its Outcome Though operating in one of the fastest growing airline market in the world, both Air India and Indian Airlines were suffering losses before the merger in April, 2007. The former is plagued by the ills of bloated workforce and ageing fleet, the later a largely domestic operation that has been ceded market steadily to nimbler privately owned rivals for the past decade. Thus, in an attempt to revive them, the Government of India decided to merge the two entities and a new enterprise called National Aviation Company of India (NACIL) was formed. After the merger, in the first year of its operation was planned to focus on the workforce beginning with a management team of 400 people. The plan was eventually to split the carrier into five strategic units: Passenger, cargo, ground handling, MRO and low-cost airline. Five CEO would be heading the units and would report to one group chairman and MD. But as it turns out, the managers of the two carriers have little independence. They have to wait for Ministry of Aviation approval for taking not only major decision like buying new aircraft but also on routine business issues like new routes. According to Kapil Kaul, CEO of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation’s India, the government will ultimately privatize the carrier. But the ground picture was different. The management did not take any step to help in the process of privatization rather it was busy smoothing the ruffled feathers of the unions. Most of the wage agreements and seniority issues were cleared before the merger. But most of the issues were not resolved by the Air India management, which led to pilot strike and huge losses. 2. Disparity among pilots During the time of merger it was promised by the management that both Air India and Indian Airlines pilots would receive same amount of compensation. But in reality pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines were angry for not getting the same pay as their colleagues of Air-India for doing identical job and working in the same organization. 3. Unplanned Cargo Operation It was decided during the merger a separate division handling cargo would be formed. Thus Indian Airlines limited (IAL) signed an agreement with M/S Aeronautical Engineers Inc, Miami, US, in 2006, to convert five B737 aircraft into freighter aircraft for retail courier service at a cost Rs 41 cr. All five aircraft are now grounded. Even when they were leased out to private players in 2007 and 2009, it resulted in a loss of over Rs 29 cr. This startling revelation came after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) scrutinised the National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL) accounts. This shows clearly the management has plans to lift Air India’s image and recover it losses. Due to improper execution it always resulted in huge losses. 4. Reasons for increasing losses and debts Around July 2011, the cumulative loss and debt burden of state-owned airlines stood around whopping Rs 67,270 crore. Its debt burden stood at Rs 46,950 crore – Rs 20,185 crore worth of aircraft loans, Rs 22,165 crore working capital loans and over-dues of Rs 4,600 crore. The national carrier has to repay a whopping Rs 20,415 crore worth of loans before the end of this fiscal year. High aviation oil prices, rise in wages and competition from other airlines are causing state-run Air India to incur Rs 600 crore monthly, as income is around Rs 1,100 crore and expenses at Rs 1,700 crore. Besides, the Government is paying interest on working capital and procurement of aircrafts. 5. The series of government infusion Against the backdrop of the state-owned airline’s massive cumulative loss and debt burden of about Rs 67,000 crore in July 2011, the Group of Ministers(GoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee granted approval for the Rs 1,200 crore equity infusion. The GoM has also granted approval for payment of Rs 532 crore for operating VVIP and rescue flights for the government and formation of strategic business units for ground handling. The Government on July 18th released Rs 265 crore to Air India to partially clear the interest burden to banks. Air India has borrowed loans from a consortium of 22 banks led by SBI. Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and Bank of India are the three biggest lender of the airline. Central Bank and HDFC are the other key lenders. Air India has defaulted interest due on the working capital debt which is Rs 22,100 crore. 6. Routes Discrepancies The CAG report in May complains that Air India kept various routes operational despite suffering heavy losses: â€Å"Despite its critical financial position, the national carrier continued with routes which were rendering cash losses in domestic and international sectors.† The report refers to the India-US sector where Air India operated 10 international routes during 2005-09. By 2008-09, these routes were incurring losses. One route of Chennai to Bangkok with 95% passenger load capacity was cancelled and Thai Airways got the major pie of this shocking decision. Air India has not been able to inform the ministry and pilots why such a decision was taken. Another profitable route in the Middle East was reduced to just one flight a week. Conclusion Almost all the airlines in India are facing financial difficulties. There are couple of factors that account for this. One factor is the inability of the airlines to reduce costs, and the other is the â€Å"irrational† pricing that set in after the advent of LCCs.. They have chased market share, i.e., revenue maximization and forced the incumbents to match their low prices. They have been successful in taking the market share from the Full Service Carriers (FSCs). While revenue maximization may seem like a good short term strategy to enter the market, sooner or later, the LCCs have to be become profitable. These depressing financial conditions can lead only to two types of outcomes for the airlines—either some of them go bust in a market shake-out or they merge/get acquired by other airlines or business groups. 2007 became a landmark year in the industry because of the major consolidations that took place during the year. The airlines’ plans to expand capacity and replace ageing fleet aggressively should enable them to meet this growing demand more efficiently. But in the near term, they have to face significant challenges such as: 1. Realizing the benefits of the consolidations. 2. Realigning their competitive strategies to become profitable. 3. Pursuing aggressive cost reduction. 4. The availability of capital. 5. Constraints due to poor infrastructure for aviation in India. BIBLIOGRAPHY For the purpose of this paper, assistance has been taken from * EBSCO database for different research papers on LCC models and Information about Indian Airline Industry * Aceanalyser to get the Net Sales of different brands year wise * Euro monitor to get information about the background of the company competitive strategies * Different Airlines websites for the information * DGCA site for the growth about Indian Aviation Industry and the market shares of different players * Newspapers and Magazines to look into the advertising strategies of different brands * www.livemint.com * www.theindusview.com * http://www.centreforaviation.com * www.airfleets.net * http://www.indiainternalflights.com

MRI Contrast Agents

â€Å"MRI contrast is used for a variety of reasons.   Primarily, it is used to improve the detection of disease; that is, to increase sensitivity and diagnostic confidence, to enhance the ability to differentiate normal and abnormal tissue; and to identify the extent of the disease† (Muroff, 2001).Contrast agents are chemical substances used in anatomical or functional imaging for the purpose of increasing visual differences between normal and abnormal tissue.   These chemical substances are used to alter relaxation times.   Contrast agents are classified by changes in relaxation times after injection.There are six main categories of MRI contrast agents: Gastrointestinal, Intravenous, Intravascular (blood pool), Tumor-specific, and Reticuloendothelial contrast agents.Within the Gastrointestinal contrast agent category, there two subcategories: Positive and Negative contrast agents.Positive contrast agents cause a reduction in T1 relaxation times.   These agents appear brightly on images.   They may contain Manganese, Iron or Gadolinium as active elements.Positive contrast agents have three classifications: Paramagnetic agents, short T1-relaxation agents, and a combination of the two.Paramagnetic contrast agents have magnetic centers which create magnetic fields.   These fields interact with water protons, and have a larger effect on relaxation rates.   They include ferric chloride and gadolinium, which cause T1 and T2 shortening.   In low concentrations, T1 shortening holds the domination of the intensity of the signal.   In high concentrations, T2 shortening causes the signal to decrease.   At mid-level concentration, T1 and T2 shortening show an increase in the signal on T1 weighted images, and decreased the signal on T2 weighted images.Short T1-relaxation agents include mineral oil and oil emulsions.   In these agents, protons relax faster than protons in water, which results in short T1 time.   In bowels with T1 weighted imag es, a bright signal is apparent.Combinations include emulsion oil that contains corn oil and ferric ammonium citrate, and an emusion containing baby formula with ferrous sulfate.   Combination contrast agents distribute evenly through the bowels.Negative contrast agents will appear largely dark on images.   They are frequently called superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO).   They have shorter T1 and T2 relaxation times.Negative contrast agents have three classifications: diamagnetic agents, superparamagnetic agents, and perfluorochemicals.One readily available diamagnetic contrast agent is barium sulfate suspension.   It reduces the loss of bowel signals, resulting in improved pancreatic visualization.Superparamagnetic contrast agents are generally administered orally.   They include magnelite albumin microspheres and superparamagnetic iron oxide.   A large loss of the signal in the stomach and small bowels that give immense visualization of the pancreas and anterior renal margins.   This contrast agent type â€Å"accumulates in the reticuloendothelial system of the liver, and darkens healthy liver tissue in T2-weighted images† (mr-tip.com).Perfluorochemicals are organic compounds that replace protons with fluorine.   They are a special group of negative contrast agents that appear completely dark on images, because they do not contain hydrogen atoms, which are responsible for the signal in MRIs.   In gastrointestinal imaging, the purpose of perfluorochemicals is to give a complete signal absence in the bowels.Intravenous contrast agents include both ionic and nonionic chelates.   When using paramagnetic metal ions as contrast agents, there is a high level of toxicity in the doses required for imaging.   Chelates reduce the chances of long term toxicity by reducing the toxic levels.Intravascular contrast agents remain in the blood longer than most other contrast agents.   They are highly useful in diagnosis imaging that may require longer imaging times.Tumor-Specific contrast agents are targeted to tumors.   There are four main types of tumor-specific agents:Metalloporphyrins target multiple types of tumors, such as melanomas and lymphomas.Monoclonal antibodies are for specific tumors such as colon carcinomas.Ferrioxamine is a paramagnetic agent used for the kidneys and urinary tract.Nitroxides are also paramagnetic agents, but are not widely used.Reticuloendothelial contrast agents are used in liver, spleen and lymph node MRIs.   In liver and spleen imaging, specific contrast agents are used that target the reticuloendothelial system of the liver and spleen.   Because of the inability of most imagers to differentiate between normal and abnormal lymph nodes, USPIO has become widely used.   USPIO allows imagers to have the ability to differentiate between lymph nodes.â€Å"In cases where it is difficult to differentiate two types of tissue, because the signal intensity they produce is so similar, the s olution is to add a contrast agent to one of them in order to distinguish it from the other tissue† (GE Healthcare, 2007).   MRI contrast agents affect hydrogen atoms and the time they take to return to their original state, thereby increasing the signal intensity differences between the tissue with the contrast agent and the tissue without the contrast agent.   This results in an increase of contrasts on the image.ReferencesGE Healthcare (accessed January 13, 2007) www.amershamhealth.com/public/medical/mri_3.shtmlMedline Plus (revised March 2000) http://mplus.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202770.htmlMR-Technology (accessed January 13, 2007) www.mr-tip.comMuroff, Lawrence R. (Aug. 2001) â€Å"MRI Contrast: Current Agents and Issues† Applied Radiology Online (vol. 30, No. 8) www.appliedradiology.comRunge, Val M. (Aug. 2001) â€Å"The Safety of MR Contrast Media: A Literature Review† Applied Radiology Online (Vol. 30, No. 8) www.appliedradiology.com

Marriage Gone Wrong Spills Over to WorkView in a new window Assignment

Marriage Gone Wrong Spills Over to WorkView in a new window - Assignment Example ording to the US employment and labour laws, external harassment of an employee, not only possesses a security threat to him or her but to the whole company employees (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman). Thus, it is would be prudent for the company to develop human resource policies (protocols) that could be useful in handling situations like this. These policies are expected to be in compliance with the federal laws and the state laws of the particular state in concern. Some of the policies that could be applied in this particular situation include: As the employee in this situation had clearly put it to her supervisor, the situation in this case is personal. The simplest way to tackle this issue is for the employer to personally talk with the employee. To achieve this, a trusted member of the management team, like her supervisor, could be invited to the meeting in order for her to talk freely without feeling that her personal boundaries, as well as her constitutional rights, are being violated. Through this, the employer may be able to understand her attitude in the workplace and even officially refer her to relevant authorities who handle matrimonial issues. However, this protocol proves less effective especially given the fact that the husband’s audience in the meeting is not guaranteed. In order to avoid unnecessary chaos in the workplace, the supervisor, having been informed of the situation, should immediately alert the security department of the company of this employee’s situation. It is usual that some employees in a company usually feel demystified in the company to the extent that they feel their personal issues may not be addressed. This could be a reason as to why the employee, in this situation, felt that her supervisor should not bother telling anyone of her problem. However, her confrontation with the husband could generate a general disturbance to the company that could lead to even the arrest of the employer on allegations of improper security

Global Financial Stability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Financial Stability - Essay Example When the FED raises interest rates the value of the dollar tends to go up. â€Å"An increase in the foreign exchange value of the dollar, in turn, would raise the price in foreign cur ­rency of U.S. goods traded on world markets and lower the dollar price of goods imported into the United States† (Federalreserve) The growth of the U.S banking industry oversees has been significant since the 1950’s. In 1950 there were seven U.S. banks operating oversees with 126 branches; by 1976 the U.S. had 731 branches abroad (Fieleke). In 1978 the value of the total assets of U.S. banks oversee had reach $306 billion which is nearly 100 times higher than its asset balance 20 years earlier. U.S. banks were motivated to expand oversees because the international branches had a higher return on investment than the domestic bank branches. The U.S. banks that operated oversees were able to steal market share from the local banks due to their superior marketing expertise. The balance of p ayments records and tracks all the financial transaction made by consumers, government, and the business community with other nations. It measures the amount of imports that entered the United States territory. The biggest imported of goods in the world is the United States. The reason for this phenomenon is the high gross domestic product per capita of the people and the consumerism culture of American citizens. The United States has taken advantage of its banking industry to generate money oversees. The U.S has also used its power and economic resources to lend money to other countries to help in their development process. The U.S has used its banking industry as a tool to improve its diplomatic relations with many countries. For instance the U.S. controls Panama and the channel since they have provided a lot of the money used for expanding the canal which is extremely important for the trading activity between North and South America. The FDIC was created in 1933 and at the time it guaranteed the client’s money up to $2500. Today the FDIC guarantees deposits up to $250,000. The FDIC insurance was very instrumental in the growth of the banking industry during the past 50 years. Foreigners felt a greater level of security depositing their money in U.S banks because their local banks could not offer the types of guarantees in their deposits that the U.S. banks could due to their FDIC insurance protocol. In the 1980’s approximately 20% of the deposits of U.S. banks came from its international branches. During this decade there were inflationary forces in the U.S economy. At the time the government created The Emergency Credit Control Act which gave the Federal Reserve virtually unlimited powers to alter the nature of financial services available in the economy during emergency periods (Hester). The Reagan Administration did a bad job of controlling interest rates, but his tax cut initiatives during the early part of the 1980’s helped apprec iate the value of the U.S. Dollar in international markets. A lot of restructuring of banks occurred during this era. The United States during the 20th century was the biggest international player in the banking industry. The country’s banking sector aggressively expanding into the foreign territory to take advantage of foreign

The purpose of this project is to better understand the effectiveness Term Paper

The purpose of this project is to better understand the effectiveness of the sling in hunting and combat - Term Paper Example Archaeologists give us a number of answers, one of which points to the use of sling. A sling may simply be explained to be an effective personal projectile weapon that was used in ancient times for purposes of protecting herds, hunting, and combat (York and York 2011: 56-59). Fundamentally, sling was used as a hand-on weapon that was fired by the use of the arm. Users loaded the sling with offensive pellets that included stones and clay. The carriers then spanned the sling in their arms till they felt they had gathered enough force or pressure in the sling before finally releasing it towards their enemies. A very popular story of the use of the sling is told in the story of David and Goliath, where we are told that David used a sling to project a stone against Goliath. There is a lesson learnt from slings here and that is, slings were very powerful weapons and once they were in the right hands, the size of the opponent or target was not a problem. As a shepherd, David was familiar wi th the use of the sling and so he succeeded. It is in this direction that this project is trying to find out how slings could be used effectively to accomplish hunting and combative missions even in today’s cotemporary world. Known history behind the sling Thanks to archaeologists, history behind the sling is fading no time soon. ... Again, history has it the use of sling can be traced to all continents of the world. Archaeologists today have, however, gathered more evidence on the presence and use of the sling in Europe and the Near East (Korfmann 1973: 33-37). What is even more beautiful among the role of the sling in world history is that up to date, the use of the sling are symbolically still in place in areas of the world such as Southern Africa, Pacific Island, Mediterranean and Andean cultures. The slings are used for traditional memorial contests, historical recreations and festival purposes. Much of the history also points to the reasons why the use of the sling started at all. In fact, the use of slings, though became very popular in battle, was not originally meant for that purpose. Knowing that man was basically living with wildlife in the forest in the days of old, the design of the sling was actually necessitated as a weapon for protecting man from carnivores and other dangerous animals that could a ttack them. The sling was found to be preferably for this course because it has the ability to swing its shot to chase the animals, most of which were very athletic. Materials and construction Even in the ancient times, the materials used in the construction of slings underwent a lot of changes. Generally, the weapon was inexpensive to make as its construction involved the use of readily available materials in the human environment. Basically, a sling was constructed to have a cord and a pouch. One ideal factor was that both the cord and the pouch needed not to be elastic. To this end, materials that were used in the construction included animal hide, flax, hair, hemp, plant fibers, sinew and wool. The ideal behind

Professionalization of modern sport For Profit or Glory Coursework

Professionalization of modern sport For Profit or Glory - Coursework Example This has led to more time for the people to attend and followed spectator sports. With the advent of mass media in the contemporary world, these trends continued progressing at a faster rate leading to professionalism in sports. Today, professionalism in sports has become prevalent. This has further increased the popularity of sports as the fans of the sports begin following the exploits of professionals athletes. This happens through mass media, all while enjoying the exercise and the competition that is mostly associated with the amateurs participating in sports. The development of today’s football is closely related to the industrialization process. Most of the Britain’s new working class inhabitants of the industrial towns and cities are seeking fresh forms of enjoying leisure collectively. In addition, the increase in the levels of adult literacy has also spurred the mass media to cover sports that are organized such as football. The popularity of football has played a huge role in eroding the public interest in other sports like cricket (Szymanski 1998). The issue of professionalism in football reached a crisis in England in the year 1884 when football association (FA) expelled two clubs for using players who were professionals. However, players receiving wages had become a common thing by then that the FA had no powered but to sanction the practice a year later. With the growing influence of the players who were working, the upper classes were forced to seek refuge in other sports. With modernization, professionalism in football was inevitable. This led to the establishment of a football league that led to the competition among several teams. During this time, several clubs in England were owned and controlled by businessmen but the shareholders were receiving low dividends if any. Their main reward was only enhanced by the status of the public through running of the local clubs

Organizational Leadership and Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Leadership and Motivation - Essay Example The first important aspect of developing the correct leadership is based on the environment which is created, specifically because of the goal of having innovation as the leading factor for those managing different teams. There are three factors which are noted in the environment that develops the correct culture for an organization. This includes the stimulus, capacity and performance results. The stimulus within the environment needs to be created to invite in different levels of innovation and to build a culture that is reflective of finding and developing new ideas. The capacity which follows this continues with the understanding of the different human resources and how they are able to respond and approach the different environmental needs that are occurring. This can be combined with the performance, which becomes significant because of the way in which this reflects the organizational environment. As the culture of the organizational environment is stimulated, the performance should increase and more responses from team members should be available. The atmosphere and environment which is created from the organizational culture then has to show and reflect all aspects of how the organization is managed (Prajogo, 2006: 15). The environment that is reflected and the stimulus, capacity and performance are further reflected with characteristics that are in the organizational culture. This is led by creating ways for opportunities to be further defined while the limitations within the work structure are lifted. The concept of building the right opportunities is one which begins with developing a system through technical and non – technical applications which can be used. The approach is to find different resources and tools which are added into the environment and which build and develop an alternative approach to creating the right development within the environment. This combines with understanding types of innovation within the environment and ways i n which this can be reflected through opportunities. The main approach to take with the environment is to allow resources, ideas and expansion to be continuously available to the employees, teams and leaders. As the systems within the environment are able to create the right approaches there is the ability to develop and understand the relationships that are associated with the organization. The environment will need to create a process and understanding of this through the culture to further reflect what is needed for new innovations to be developed (Walker, 2007: 591). The environment which is created with resources and other systems should further develop with expected procedures that invite innovation. The leadership arena is one which has to create an environment that is stimulating and which offers teamwork and development to be created. Furthering this

Is China a 'rule maker' or a 'rule taker' in the international system Essay

Is China a 'rule maker' or a 'rule taker' in the international system - Essay Example Such a multi-stakeholder system is classified by an increasingly liberal multilateral order and increasingly flexible attitude toward the sovereignty of the state. The perception that China has served as a rule-taker for a long time but is now undergoing a radical transformation to become a rule-maker that is making new game rules in favor of its national interests, is commonly help by both realists and neoliberals. â€Å"A more powerful China, the thinking goes, is likely to promote a statist and more hierarchical brand of international governance that is inconsistent with the open, multilateral governance architecture that has emerged and developed since the end of World War II under American and European guidance† (Kennedy and Cheng, 2012, p. 9). Transformation in China’s foreign policy since the mid-20th century In the Mao Era between 1949 and 1978, there was a fundamental opposition of China to the global architecture that was derided as the capitalist West’ s puppet. However, since the early 1980s, integration of China into the different regimes of the international system improved rapidly. ... enge the traditional regimes, though as soon as China gets in a more powerful position, it would inevitably reshape the international institutions and norms to suit its own preferences. Therefore, the engagement and compliance presently shown by China toward the international order cannot be thought of as long-lasting. â€Å"Since the 1990s China sought to improve relations with as many of its neighbors as possible, including settling leftover border disputes with the former Soviet Union† (Lanteigne, 2013, p. 3). The longevity of China’s global engagement There is a lot of subjectivity about goals and course in the recent foreign policy of China (Sutter, 2012, p. 3). The global engagement of China is not as temporal as it is perceived to be by some, and there are numerous reasons for that; firstly, in spite of the fact that the current international system was not invented by China, it is consistent with the interests of China in different ways. China has increased its military and economic power substantially within the current order’s context. Secondly, people and institutions that have more political and economic strength in China have taken advantage of the engagement of China in the present international system. China would continue favoring the status quo till the time these institutions are in power in China and the ruling elite favors them. Thirdly, over the passage of time, China has become so deeply grounded in the international order that outright opposition or disengagement is very difficult to achieve. A lot of Chinese companies have started to integrate into the networks of production on a global scale, and depend upon growing such linkages in order to survive and expand. The government of China has made a formal pledge to comply with numerous treaties

Unity and diversity in Contemporary America.(The Module) Essay

Unity and diversity in Contemporary America.(The Module) - Essay Example In this piece of writing, we are going to discuss and justify in depth the pragmatic Obama. President Obama’s foreign policies and decision making undergoes intensive planning and careful evaluation, only two years in his presidency Obama achieved success in four out of five countries he had earlier on engaged in national security issues. In events that seem out of control and beyond his capacity president Obama does not make snarl decisions based on certain ideologies but he resorts to analyzing how the events stretch out.. Not more than two years of his presidency, Obama has faced many foreign policy situations than any of his precursors. His leadership has been put to test in all perspectives availing a ground upon which criticism from his opponents and evaluation from his supporters use to rate him in matters to do with foreign policy (Obiwuru et al. 2011). Way back during his presidential campaigns, Obama set forth several strategies and principles that would be the path to his foreign policies. This includes the five denotative national security policy issues that he made the priority; to put an end to war in Iraq, to reduce nuclear weapons in the world, fight the terrorist groups that are Al Qaeda and Taliban, energy safety and reconstructing the confederations and working other countries in tackling today’s challenges. War in Iraq had been an issue that affected the overall world peace, this being one of the priorities president Obama managed to decimate this war with little criticism and minimal international concern (Lowenthal 2010). President Obama began by withdrawing 10000 soldiers from Iraq and launching operation new dawn that replaced the operation Iraqi freedom in 2010. The American soldiers were given new missions of advising, training, and helping the Iraqi security forces in bringing order and peace. Even thoug h plan to withdraw the US soldiers was prior to president Obama’s election he

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 20

Globalization - Essay Example Modern infrastructure development has helped bring the dream of globalization closer home. Today, Countries no longer make decisions on their own but guided by international policy. The collaboration between nation states of the world means that we are all responsible for the future of this world together. Globalization has economic grounds. Without the financial gain, there is no globalization. However, economies did not create globalization but globalization largely depends on them. Because of technological advancement, globalization is achievable today. International business can be done all thanks to technological progress easily. Technology infrastructure has improved the way we do business and has positive effects on globalization. (Castells, 2006) Business outside the global perspective kills the business driving home the point each company aims at achieving international standards. The nation state is central to regulating the approach to globalization. The world of today is marred by lots of problem. Most of these problems are an identity-related crisis. Religion is as a platform for the war in the Middle East. Religion is but one of the avenues for globalization and cannot be used to advance national let alone international agendas. It is impossible for a nation to read from a confined script on matters nation and at the same time embrace globalization. The Middle East continued conflict is as a result of shutting off globalization and embracing religious backdrops in everything they do. Such restrictions and backgrounds breed resistance not towards religion alone but fundamentalism Europe and America appreciate the fact that slavery helped built the societies we see today in Europe. Slaves from West Africa worked on sugar plantations in the Caribbean Islands. While the slaves provide the labor, the French provided capital and the English machinery and industry. The three worked hand in hand and eventually saw the industrial revolution.

Pricing Strategy and Distribution Essay Example for Free

Pricing Strategy and Distribution Essay Nature Beauty Price strategy will be the penetration theory for my product. Penetration is pricing low to stimulate the sales, encourage trail, and trigger by word of mouth. Nature Beauty’s mineral powder foundation will not be a new product that no company has similar to. We will need to start by gaining the trust of the consumers by word of mouth and different marketing strategies to the targeted customers. This way once the product has some buzz and customers appreciate the products value, we can price the mineral powder foundation at higher price do to the demand of the product. The competing cosmetic company has a similar product that claims help the skin improve. This company will be established in the cosmetic industry and customers will have trust in them. We at Nature Beauty are striving to become a powerhouse cosmetic line so we can price according the value we believe we hold. Penetration strategy is the best the company because there are a lot of other producst that compliments the mineral powder foundation and other general everyday hygiene use type of products that want to bring out. With this strategy we can price the other products low as well and hopefully with the trust of Nature Beauty mineral powder foundation gains it will help us introduce them. Even though Nature Beauty can be considered a luxury cosmetic, we also want it to become a necessity to the consumers as well. We want the demand for it increases by making the consumers feel like this product is a need and want them to live by this Brand. Penetration strategy will also work with medium pricing range. Medium is a competitive approach. Pricing the mineral powder foundation could be slightly price above or slightly price below. Nature Beauty picks slightly below. This goes into the theory for starting off low in and gaining value to price higher. We want the customers to perceive this product as safe and efficient and more valuable compared to the leading cosmetic competitor. I believe we will have to start out as an alternative cosmetic and show that we are just as good or a better brand. Also with the feedback from the customer’s feedback and response to our product, can determine the value of its offering. The leading competitor pricing strategy are mostly medium or high leaning towards the Skimming theory. You have companies like Revlon, Cover Girl who are well known, easy, and are very accessible to the consumer at your local drug store or even supermarkets. They put off a new product and it is the priced high and after a while you will see the product come down then maintain at lower price. Nature Beauty is pricing tactics is Value pricing. According to EZine articles. com, Value pricing is a strategy that businesses with a high value product or service use. The strategy is to sell the high value product or service at a low, value price. Note: this price is not to be below cost but at what the customer would perceive to be a low price. Nature Beauty believes this a good fit for its product because all of the products are really good, safe, and highly effective. Also Ezine articles mentioned that â€Å"Customers perceptions are influenced by the value they perceive in the relationship between the attributes of the product or service and the price they will have to pay for that product or service. Customers also are influenced by price comparison amongst similar products or services†. Nature Beauty provides a product that conceals the unwanted blemishes, scars, tattoos, and gives you a even flawless skin tone while with the alone extracts, and organic ingredients helps improve your skin for a softer and clearer skin. We believe if the consumers see the attributes that this product have and also trust the other product that compliments the mineral powder foundation, we will price higher to the true value of the product. Even though we are using the Value pricing tactic, Nature Beauty believes we are a good brand and want the consumers to believe that we are high quality with a good price. In the psychology of pricing the â€Å"price is a clear, tangible cue, higher the price set the highest expectation. However, even though it’s easier to start high and lower prices later down the line, depending on sales of the products, we don’t want to jump the broom on the price set. We believe that we meet the expectation for a higher price and will strive to become a brand that can set a premium price like it leading competitors. Nature Beauty does want to use the theory framing on the products that compliments the mineral powder foundation. Framing is pricing higher prices and then discount to make the consumers feel better. There will be promotions that will give consumers the chance to try these products such lotion, facial cleanser, beauty bar soap, make-up remover wipes, and future idea products for free or at a discounted price. But they will not always be on sale. Nature beauty will push these products out individually starting out high then discounting them after we introduced the new and latest product.

Case Study: Mattel Toy Recall, 2007

Case Study: Mattel Toy Recall, 2007 I. Introduction : Mattel Toy Recall 2007 Case Study About Mattel In 1945, Ruth and Elliot Handler and Harold Matt Matson form a partnership called Mattel Creations in Southern California in a garage workshop that manufactured picture frames and dollhouse furniture. The worlds largest toy company, Mattel, Inc., also known as â€Å"the worlds premiere toy company today and tomorrow,† designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes a variety of toy products all over the world. The companys products include a number of core toy lines, including Barbie dolls (which eventually became the best-selling toy ever), clothing, and accessories; Hot Wheels vehicles; Harry Potter, Batman, Superman, and Looney Tunes products; the American Girls Collection of books, dolls, clothing, and accessories; Fisher-Price infant and preschool toys, and toys based on Disney and Sesame Street characters; and games such as Scrabble and UNO. Mattels toys are produced in company-owned manufacturing facilities in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, and independe nt contractors located in the United States, Europe, Mexico, the Far East, and Australia. The companys three main retail customers include Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Toys R Us, Inc., and Target Corporation. Throughout the years, Mattel continued to create and market popular toys such as Hot Wheels, merge with profitable manufacturers Fisher Price in 1993 and Tyco Toys, Inc. in 1997, partner with Disney, Sesame Street, and Nickelodeon, obtain licenses and rights to manufacture Cabbage Patch Dolls and Harry Potter merchandise, and acquire Pleasant Company (maker of American Girl brand) in 1997.Since 1945, the Mattel Company works hard to ensure it is considered a trustworthy company for children and the community. Mattel established the Mattel Childrens Foundation to make â€Å"a meaningful difference in the lives of children in need globally.† In 1997, the corporation formed the Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP), establishing Mattel as the first company to create a framework to ensure responsible manufacturing, assembly, and distribution is conducted through consistent standards on a global level. In 1998, Mattel began a unique $25 million multi-year donation partnership to th e UCLA childrens hospital, renamed the Mattel Childrens Hospital at UCLA to assist and serve children from around the world with nationally recognized health care. With so much positive philanthropy projects, Mattel has not always been able to maintain an image of child-like and trustworthy purity. Mattel has experienced many criticisms for stealing ideas for toy-lines from children competing in toy invention competitions. In 1974, investigators revealed that company officials produced and issued false and misleading financial information to make it appear as if the company was continuing to successfully grow. And of course, Mattel has also had its share of recalls (the accurate number of recalls is debatable but it ranges from 17 to 28 recalls). But in August 1997, Mattel faced the biggest recall in the companys history. Brief Background There are two separate reasons why Mattel recalled 19 million toys from August to September of 2007. The fact that both recalls occurred at the same time makes this the biggest recall in the companys history. The first toy recall was due to defective magnets. The design of the toy magnets included parts with high-energy magnets typically used for industrial purposes that easily come loose and posed a threat to young children and infants who could easily swallow the magnets which could then adhere together in the digestive tract and rupture the stomach tissue. The strength of the magnets combined with Mattels poor design of the toys made the products a critical hazard for young children. Mattels website (http://corporate.mattel.com) lists 71 models and makes of toys that were recalled because of faulty magnets. The second toy recall was due to high levels of lead-based paint found on the surface of many toys. Mattel had previously given manufacturers in China a list of eight approved paint suppliers to use, but in order to reduce costs, subcontractors decided to employ unapproved suppliers. In some cases, the lead content was over 180 times the legal limit. Lead-based paint is dangerous for children because elevated levels create learning and behavioral problems, slow muscle and bone growth, hearing loss, anemia, brain damage, seizures, coma, and in some rare cases, death. Mattel recalled 91 models and makes of toys because of harmful levels of lead paint. China Since 1997, China has experienced many tribulations with the quality and standards of the products manufactured within the country. For instance, pet food, toothpaste, seafood, tires, and toys are just a few of the products recalled from homes in the United States because of serious, sometimes deadly, manufacturing inaccuracies. The business relationship between Mattel and China seemed to be a strong partnership. Mattel manufactured 65 percent of its toys in China, and before the recall, was a company others used as a model for successful global manufacturing. Mattel was criticized for placing too much faith in the partnership with China as well as careless inspections on the quality of the manufacturing sites abroad. TimelineIn November of 2006, Mattel recalled Polly Pocket sets sold with magnets that posed a threat to children. In July 2007, a European retailer discovered high levels of lead content on various Mattel toys. Once notified, Mattel began an investigation and closed operations at the factories producing the toys. During the investigation, Mattel discovered millions of products available since 2003 that did not pass safety standards. On August 1, 2007, Fisher-Price recalled 1.5 million toys due to high levels of lead-based paint 60% of which were all manufactured in China. After further investigation, Mattel recalled 18 million more products on August 14, 2007 because of the possible hazards of children swallowing faulty magnets. And on September 4, 2007, Mattel recalled another 848,000 toys due to high levels of lead-based paint. The U.S. Senate Committee began scrutinizing American safety standards for childrens toys and clothing and stated the possibility of creating new legislation to keep hazardous toys and clothing from children. Despite the fact that a larger number of toys were recalled because of faulty magnets and not lead-based paint, the framed communication made China appear culpable for the recalls in order to reduce reputational damage and the Chinese media stated that Mattel should be accountable for the mistakes rather than blame China. Mattel eventually listened and on September 21, the company issued an apology to China taking full blame for the recall crisis. Mattel also posted news releases and video interviews on the company website to keep the public informed. June 8, 2007 Mattel receives information on possible lead paint contamination June 9, 2007 CPSC deadline to report the problem June 10, 2007 Mattel fails to report problem to CPSC July 26, 2007 Mattel files full report to CPSC August 14, 2007 Mattel voluntarily recalls 17.4 million products September 4, 2007 Mattel voluntarily recalls 850,000 toys with lead paint October 25, 2007 Mattel voluntarily recalls Go Diego Go! Rescue boats coated in hazardous lead paint November 6, 2007 Mattel voluntarily recalls 155,000 choking hazard toys manufactured in Mexico OBJECTIVES Mattels management has expressed the overall company vision as â€Å"The Worlds Premier Toy BrandsToday and Tomorrow.† Management set five key company strategies: 1. improve execution of the existing toy business 2. globalize the brands 3. extend the brands 4. catch new trends 5. develop people The company also adapts its definition of truthfulness by:  · Collecting and disseminating all information about the recall to the public accurately, quickly, and efficiently.  · Reassuring the public, especially parents and retailers, that the company is devoted to producing safe toys and improving honest communication.  · Taking responsibility for the recall, solving the crisis, and maintaining a working relationship with China. CRISIS PLAN Mattel is known for their 100-page crisis plan and a well-planned crisis response infrastructure tested from 28 recalls since 2000. Mattel speaks with one voice, communicates consistently through a crisis, acts quickly, and responds with public apology and any other expectations. All steps of the plan are code of a successful crisis plan and response. When Mattel realized the company was facing a serious crisis, their first act was to contact the federal agency overseeing toy issues and product safety. When federal officials publicized the first Mattel recall, Mattels crisis management team instantly arranged for open communication channels with reporters from the top media outlets. The team sent e-mail alerts with the recall press release, invited reporters to a teleconference with company executives, and arranged for the media to interview key personnel employed with Mattel. The day of the recall, Robert Eckert, CEO of Mattel, met with reporters for television and phone interviews. Mattel established a help line, answered over 300 media requests in the United States, and placed full page ads in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal by the end of the week. Mattel also started an online movement to notify consumers about the recall with updates posted on a regular basis, chat rooms, message boards, and social media. Mattel has consistently been open with the media and consumers testifying new company policies with very high standards and quality and safety testing procedures, although carefully stating â€Å"no system can be perfect.† Mattel also made it clear that they are doing all that they can to assess the situation on the manufacturing level. Apology to China Mattel prematurely placed disproportionate blame on Chinese manufacturers encouraging China bashing in the media across the world damaging Chinas reputation. On September 20, 2007, Mattel issued an apology to China in a meeting with Li Changjiang, the Chinese product safety chief. In the apology, Debrowski states â€Å"Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the toys.† China accepted the apology saying â€Å"Mattel should value our cooperation. I really hope that Mattel can learn lessons and gain experience from these incidents, [and they should] improve their control measures† and anticipates that China will restore consumer confidence in products â€Å"made in China.† Result of Crisis Mattel appeared to handle the crisis by appearing to be up-front and open about the massive toy recall. Mattels homepage contains a dedicated bold red link to toy recalls containing information about recalls affecting all countries, what toys are being recalled, where to bring recalled toys, and defining Mattels three-point safety check system: 1. Mattel will make sure that manufactures only use paint from certified suppliers and they will test every single batch of paint from all vendors. If the paint isnt up to Mattels standards, it wont be used. 2. Mattel is increasing control on every level of the production process and conducting random inspections at all vender facilities. 3. Mattel pledges to test all finished toys vigorously before they reach the consumer. The toys must meet a series of strict safety standards before they are put on the market. Mattel assures customers that all venders are aware of these new procedures and Mattels strict enforcement of them. ANALYSIS Applying SCCT * Good o Public apology from CEO o Coupons offered o Stressed stringent inspection processes and company improvement * Bad o Placed initial blame on China, later making an apology to China o Stated media and government escalated the crisis Media Coverage Most of the media information that covered the Mattel toy recall discussed the lead-based paint recall and did not include the magnetic toy design flaw crisis which led to the China bashing products replying â€Å"Made In China should be viewed as a warning label.† Many media outlets reported the importance of China creating strict safety standards before putting more lives in danger.Media coverage of Mattel was very different since the focus was on Mattels timely apology and quick release of recall information. The fact that key Mattel executives spoke with the media provided a favorable reputation for the company. What China Has Done China continues to build manufacturing trust with the United States while improving problems within the country. US Regulatory Structure after the crisis The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is â€Å"charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agencys jurisdiction. â€Å" In order to ensure the safety of childrens toys, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stopped the use of lead paint in toy manufacturing. CPSC Chairman stated that the Work Plans â€Å"show significant forward progress in the agencys efforts to bring Chinese-made consumer products into line with the U.S. safety rules. This is an important signal from the Chinese government that it is serious about working with CPSC to keep dangerous products out of American homes. We will be looking for meaningful cooperation on the ground that means not just with the Chinese government, but also with industry at both ends of the supply chain.† The CPSC also plans to increase consumer product inspections manufactured for the United States and will review the plans effectiveness after one year to discuss and implement improvements. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act includes strict guidelines of Childrens product safety for: * Sec. 101. Childrens products containing lead; lead paint rule. * Sec. 102. Mandatory third party testing for certain childrens products. * Sec. 103. Tracking labels for childrens products. * Sec. 104. Standards and consumer registration of durable nursery products. * Sec. 105. Labeling requirement for advertising toys and games. * Sec. 106. Mandatory toy safety standards. * Sec. 107. Study of preventable injuries and deaths in minority children related to consumer products. * Sec. 108. Prohibition on sale of certain products containing specified phthalates. Personal interest as a mother During the Mattel toy recall crisis, I was in my third trimester with my first child. Imagine what went through my mind as a soon-to-be-new-mother already filled with angst. And so, a new Fleenor rule was born all products made in China were not welcomed and banned from our home. Easy enough I thought. Our son would have toys, clothing, food, and furniture made in the USA only easy enough I thought. So we discussed our decision with family and friends that all items with the â€Å"Made in China† label would be returned. Shopping became a difficult task because about 80 percent of toys, clothing, and furniture sold in America are made in China. I soon realized that I needed to shop online for specialty â€Å"Made in the USA† stores, find local artisans to build furniture and toys, and plan on entertaining my child myself with books, funny faces, and outdoor adventures. While I am still cautious of â€Å"Made in China† products, I am much more relaxed as I take responsibility in becoming an informed consumer through product recall email alerts from cpsc.gov, maintaining open communication with my childrens pediatrician, and still acting as the main entertainment source for my two children. What we learned Mattel dealt with the toy recall crisis precisely the way Coombs recommends companies to deal with image damaging crises. Mattels experience with recalls definitely ensured precise and smooth execution of their well documented crisis management plan. The company and CEO were visible, available, and publicly apologetic. And more importantly, Mattel told the truth and took immediate action to fix the problem allowing the company to focus on a positive solution and restoring the companys dependable reputation. It is often difficult to know exactly where and how consumer products are manufactured and how products are inspected in todays ever-changing global economy. The toy recall crisis also allowed us to realize that we are also facing an economic crisis with global manufacturing. While the United States is doing the best to ensure our safety through strict product regulations, we need to realize the difficult challenges we face when heavily relying on outside countries to manufacture such large quantities. â€Å"It would be far to easy to attribute this summers recalls to Chinas poorly regulated export manufacturers. Regulatory deficiencies, shoddy business practices, and the forces of globalization all play a substantial role in this catastrophe. There is enough blame to go around,† Representative John Dingell (D-Mich.) said during the Sept. 19, 2007 hearings. Similar recalls The RC2 Corporation of Oakbrook, Ill. recalled approximately 1.5 million Thomas and Friends train sets on June 13, 2007 because of high levels of lead-based paint used by Chinese contractors. The R2C Corporations recall was not as grand in scale as Mattels, but the company quickly posted an apology to consumers on the company website, terminated business contracts with manufacturers not complying with RC2 paint specifications, and employed a six-point safety check system. On February 6, 2007, Hasbro recalled 985,000 Easy-bake Ovens because young children could easily insert their hands in the over and get their hands caught and burned. Summary â€Å"I think Mattel handled the problem very well overall. Its a problem that isnt unusual for them to have. Product defects and difficulty with suppliers are pretty typical in their line of work and they took responsibility. They were willing to talk about it and understood the ramifications,† stated Paul A. Argenti, Professor of Corporate Communications at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. What should Mattel do now? Plan for tomorrow and be more conscientious using domestic and international manufacturers. Again, Mattel took responsibility for the entire recall, which not many companies are willing to be held accountable for Toyota is the best example today. Owning up takes courage and actions in good times and bad should express the companys character. Mattel should continue to identify possible problems, enforce strict manufacturing regulations to produce safe toys, reassure consumers that child safety and product safety is the bottom line, and collaborate with i nternational suppliers and government agencies to ensure public well-being. Mattel has to be prepared for other problems and continue risk management audits. â€Å"There are always going to be problems. But if Mattel can lead the change for toy manufacturers to create a more responsible industry, they could become the hero.† Bibliography AudraAng, â€Å"China Calls for More Testing of Exports,† June 6, 2007 Brian Hartman, â€Å"Thomas Friends Wooden Railway Toys Recalled, â€Å"http://abcnews.go.com, June 13, 2007 Brief Review of China Toy Industry in 2006. (2006). Retrieved February 2010, from China Toy Association: http://www.toy-cta.org/mail/en/7/ Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI). (2007). Retrieved February 2010, from Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI): http://www.bsmi.gov.tw/wSite/mp?mp=2 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. (2010). Retrieved from CPSC: http://www.cpsc.gov/ CPSC Chairman Inez M. Tenenbaum Keynote Address via Video Recording, APEC Toy Safety Initiative Open Dialogue on Toy Safety. (2010, January 12). Retrieved February 2010, from CPSC: http://www.cpsc.gov/PR/tenenbaum01122010.html Ebenkamp, B. (2007). Toymakers Plotting New Game Plans After Recalls. Brandweek, 48(30), 9. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database Eric Lipton, David Barboza, â€Å"As More Toys Are Recalled, Trail Ends in China,† The New York Times, June 19, 2007 Laws and Regulations. (2007). Retrieved February 2010, from General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the Peoples Republic of China: http://english.aqsiq.gov.cn/ Mattel Consumer Relations Answer Center. (2010, February). Retrieved from Mattel: http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp Orey, M. (2009). Taking on Toy Safety. BusinessWeek Online, 20. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database Palmeri, C. (2007). Mattel Takes the Blame for Toy Recalls. BusinessWeek Online, 17. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database Recalls. (2010). Retrieved from Recalls.gov: http://www.recalls.gov/ â€Å"Toys Made in China Set Recall Record, Alarming Parents and Regulators,† http://www.mercurynews.com, June 19, 2007 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2006). Handbook for Manufacturing Safer Consumer Products. Bethesda: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Leadership And Change Management At Dominos Pizza Commerce Essay

Leadership And Change Management At Dominos Pizza Commerce Essay Change is part of life. Change come in every things with the passage of time either he is a human being or an organization. To accept these changes things try to adopt different process according to different situations. Similarly in an organisation changing can be small or big as well. For example, hiring a new employee is small change and change in mission or use of new technology is big cause of change. Change should not be done for the sake of change .it is a strategy to accomplish the overall goal. Internal and external triggers are key cause of change and these changes can be planned and unplanned as well. There are some common mistakes while attempting to implement the change. For example, delayed decision making, no proper support of managers, could not understand where business will stand after adopting the change. In addition, for the change organisation follow the process and during this process many conflicts occurred. If something is happening that is indication of resistance. There are many signs of resistance like confusion, denial, immediate criticism, easy agreement, silence and many more. What is change management? Change management is accept, control and manage the situation in the organisation and need to bring change in the organisation has effective management is called change management. Different analysis has to do to see the change and managed by well planned strategy. If any organisation has needed to do change then different valid models are made for effective management of change. Some proactive techniques are used to bring and adjust the change in the external and internal performance of the organisation. There is making some effective strategy to plan step by step change. Change management also keep in eye current and modern issues which can affect the change process. There are some solid reasons when change is required. Change management should have up to date knowledge about the of situation surrounding a issues. Change process: There are many reasons due to change is done. That reason can be internally and can be internally. Change process means journey of source of change to the adopting the change is change process. Why change has done? Which type of changes has done either it is cultural, organisational behaviour, organisation policies. These changes can be related to different department of organisation and every department is related to change process and change process is related to the organisation strategies. Real life examples of the change process: In the recent years, the introduction and modification of the computer dominated the list of changes. It has effected nearly every business, industry and home as well. Change in computer will keep effect on people lives. For examples, nowadays people can buy the thing easily at sitting in home by using the computer through internet. Computer has saved the time and expenses as well. We can buy a thing by clicking a button and can pay at time. Moreover, computer has great impact on industrial area as well. New information technology systems have been installed. It is the best way to access the data. Moreover, working condition also often changes. Many organizations moved or remodelled their facilities. For example shifting of staff or offices to new tall buildings from small quarters which are a great change in working process. Polices, rules and regulations are frequently changed. Continues changes are being made in organizations in order to become more efficient and profitable. For examples, a big insurance company is restructuring its organization around the project management area . They mage centralized area to project mange office where the team of workers stayed until they are assigned to various projects. Foe the starting of the project they need trainings and have to learn methodology of project management. Initiative for the change started in information technology and is expanding rest of the life. History of Dominos Pizza: In USA, Dominos Pizza is second largest franchised chain organisation like its competitors Pizza Hut. Two Brother Tom and James Monagha purchased some property and opened with the mane of Dominicks pizza. After few years Tom had changed the name Dominos Pizza. In late seventies there were 200 franchise of pizza and later on in 1983 it went international and open one thousand franchises and same year in Australia they open new franchise. Organisation of Dominos Pizza grew up very quickly and in many countries it was still a traditional company. The menu of Dominos Pizza was very simple and was offering simple crust means regular pizza. Later on due to competition they added medium and large size otherwise there were no side order, just pizza along with the drink. Deep pan pizza was introduced in 1989 and changed the history. By the market demand, on same years, they opened five thousands stores. For many year, they started the policy about the delivery if the delivery didnt reach in 3 0 minutes then you will get free pizza. In 1993, they did not continue this policy. In 1994 they introduced chicken wings and in 1996 they launched Dominos web site. They also invention the cardboard boxes to keep pizza warm and Heat Wave for the fresh and warm delivery. In 1997 they introduced the new logo as well. They have open many franchises all over the world according to the taste and culture of the different countries. Sources of change in the Dominos Pizza: There are many internal and external sources which has brought change in the dominos pizza and its strategy. They accepted these changes and there are some external reasons which are as follows: Changing in market nature is the source of change in the Dominos Pizza. As the consumers know that their choice is matter in the market whatever they demand it will be considerable. Australia is one of the largest countries and consumers of that country markets want healthy food so Dominos Pizza made healthy menu. With the objective of maintaining the competition, business always run according to the rules and regulation. So Dominos Pizza also influenced by political and legal issues. Employer should have to remember about the nutrition laws and information. There is another source which has affected the operation of the Dominos Pizza which is economic growth and location. There are some internal sources which have impact on the Dominos Pizza. New technology system to keep pizza warm and hot for the longer time it has created change and also online delivery order. New internet based is beneficial for the customers. Dominos made easier for the consumer card payments, driver take wireless card machines for the payment of order. Resistance to change: When changes are made then resistance born. There are many reason of increasing of resistance like due to some confusion in the data, misleading and misusing the data, organisation do not know where have to do change, sometime criticism incurred, employees does not agreed with the new polices. Resistance can be intense because of different reasons like a cognitive of different options, due to deeper emotions and deeply embedded. Resistance to change in Organisational culture of Dominos Pizza: Brandon who had purchased Dominos Pizza for$ 1.1 billion. He tried to create very friendly relationship with employees. First day on the work he explained that change is good. With the passage of time, Dominos Pizza brings changes in cultural sector. Proper wearing uniform and given training to the employees and how to work, given them trainings. Employees of Dominos Pizza were eligible. Organisational culture changing is not a easy thing, manager make out the strategy that how to change in the organisation individually and in the group. Innovation of online ordering is new change in the Dominos Pizza. Competition in the industry has increased in the selection of store manager and gives them training. New computerised system has brought changes in organisational culture as well. Resistance to change in Organisational behaviour of the Dominos Pizza: Due to resistance to change in Dominos Pizza, there are some changes incurred in organisation behaviour of the organisation. Staff issues have increased because new technology is using and employment opportunities are decreasing. With the passage of time new modern technology has taken over the jobs. These are the basic issues and change in the organisational behaviour. There are some problems incurred individually to face the change like managers of store. Resistance to change in organisational policies and power: With the passage of time, there are many changes incurred in polices and rules and regulations which was the cause of resistance to change in dominos. Whenever changes comes in the polices managers have to see the difficulties because he have to handle the store and have direct linkage between the employees. Manger have to try to keep saying to employees to follow new polices these policies can be about food hygienic, delivery, taking orders many other things. After facing these changes, customers who are the basic part of dominos strategy have to face the problem. Some time customers does not understand the about the new polices. Polices has implied on every employee of Dominos Pizza so that is cause of resistance to change. Moreover, main power of Dominos Pizza is their customer so they do not like to lose their customers. If dominos will try to change in culture, organisational behaviour and rules and regulation will directly affect the customers. Basic aim and objective of dominos pizza is to make happy customer. In addition, one more power of dominos is finance which has brought changes many times. Sometimes dominos have to face resistance to change due to finance. Changes come due to loss of revenue, low share market and many other things as well. Strategies to overcome the resistance: Dominos is one of the well know and famous organisation in the world. Its business is expanding day by day at global level. They have experience is the profit margin and have competitive advantage. Dominos pizza have good brand image and have a lot of variety of pizza. In market dominos have leadership quality as well it can competent its competitors like pizza hut, papa johns and many other organisations. There are following steps which are taken by the Dominos Pizza. Dominos pizza aim and objective: To minimize the resistance to change dominos has focus on its aim and objective. Main objective of dominos pizza is to great care of customers. Make customers happy and deliver their orders on the time. Through examine the dominos main objective mangers can control the resistance to change. Achievable goals: Managers can understand about the achievable gaol of the Dominos Pizza. Managers should have to do setting of goal. These goal should be reachable and success able. There is one example of dominos pizza is that in 2006 their goal was to achieve 418 outlet but they had 438. Through this approach Dominos Pizza can reduce the resistance to change. Culture of change: Dominos pizza has to describe their culture to change. Dominos is increasing its growth rate. It has gone international level. Whatever changes will come in the cultural. They should have to explain to their customers. It can be helpful in reduction of strategy. Change models: Kurt lewins has introduced this model. It is very simple to understand and managing the change in any organisation according to this model. His thinking is to bring change as can bring change in ice block. It has given name unfreezing, freezing and refreezing. So, Dominos Pizza should have to accept this approach. Sometime employees cannot work as company demands. Some time customer does not come to but pizza. Step 1: Unfreezing means what problems an organisation is facing? Where it should have to bring changes? There should be proper analysis. Through the survey of market, getting feedback from customers, Dominos Pizza can adopt the change and can reduce the resistance to change. Step2: In this step, freezing, how an organisation can make change? How organisations accept this change? It can be successful by motivating the team and managers. Step 3: In last step refreezing mean if any employee does not want to change the habit. Sometimes organisation does not accept the changes. Unfreezing Freezing Refreezing Sources of conflict within change: Some source which has created change in dominos pizza strategy. These sources were internal and external. Dominos did many changes in it whole journey to the success. This organisation met to resistance to change. These resistance was by organisational culture, behaviour, polices and many other things. There are many approach used to overcome the resistance. After using these approaches and strategies Dominos Pizza faced many conflicts which were changing in the working style of the Dominos Pizza. There is innovation of new technology which has taken over the job of employees. They cannot get working hour more. Online order service, misleading with calculation of sales, misleading the data, misuse of branding. These are the main sources of conflict in the change. When changes come then it creates conflicts between the employees. Due to misleading the calculation there were impact on the sales revue and the ratio analysis of the dominos pizza. Approaches to deal with conflicts: When conflict incurred then there should be some approaches to deal with conflicts. To deal with conflict should have to careful about the main objective and aim. If we forget about the main purpose then there is no befit of running the business. To solve these conflicts Dominos Pizza should have to take some steps which are as follows: Dominos Pizza had to do some promotional activities to keep its image maintain. These activities make customer happy and create more attraction. To reduce the conflicts, Dominos Pizza had to increase the working hours of employees and have to offers some compensation, holiday packages, bonuses. Dominos pizza had to arrange some motivational workshop for the employees like customer service workshop, team work, training of staff. Dominos pizza had offers some new meal deal to the customers to increase the sale and revenue level. Conclusion and Recommendations: At the end, changes come in ever field of organisation. Whenever change needed it comes . For the acceptance to change there are some elements which have to keep in eye. In Dominos Pizza many changes come and due to these changes it has create resistance to change in it. These resistances were in organisational behaviour, organisation cultural, traditional changes, changes in rules and regulation and power. These changes come not individually but it also comes in group of shape. After analysis of Dominos pizza, we came to about the approaches and strategies which had used in the reduction of resistance. After resistance there are some problems and conflict born. Dominos pizza used different techniques like offering the different meal deals, free vouchers to the customers, workshop for the employees and many other things. Dominos pizza is well known and best competitors organisation in the market. It gained high profit and revenue. Bibliography: Paton. R .A and McCalman J (2008) Change Management (3rd Ed) SAGE, London. Tobin. R(1999)overcoming resistance to change (2nd Ed) Kogan Page, UK.