The Myth and Reality of the American West Essay Example for Free

The Myth and Reality of the American West Essay We have all heard the stories about the old west. There are the infamous gunfights, the cowboys that steal all of the women’s hearts, and the many stagecoach robberies. But how can we tell fact from fiction? Where is the line drawn between the reality of the American west and the myth portrayed in the numerous books and movies? Everything may not have been as adventurous as we believe, or as glamorous. But the real question is: what is true and what is not? ​It is shocking how many misconceptions are made about the old west. I for one, definitely picture what most people probably do. Cowboys are always the first that come to mind. Everyone loved a rustic, rugged, handsome cowboy. They saved the day on all occasions a nd at the end of the day, went and swept the woman off her feet and they rode off into the sunset on horseback together. The cowboys were the â€Å"good guys† who wore the cowboy hat and boots and fought the â€Å"bad guys† in gunfights right outside of the bat-wing door saloons. A mental picture is drawn of two men with their backs to each other taking ten paces in opposite direction, only to draw guns and fight â€Å"fairly† after turning around. Cowboys were the ultimate white, southern gentlemen who always won the lady’s heart. There are, of course, many other myths about the old west. For instance, the legal system; there is the town sheriff with the star badge and uniform worn at all times, who just happens to show up whenever there is trouble. The sheriff settles disputes that break out amongst townspeople and always makes the right decision, in putting the bad guy in jail to bring the ever-so unpredictable outcome of a â€Å"happy ending†. ​ The popular song, â€Å"Cowboy Take Me Away† by the country music group the Dixie Chicks, reinforces almost all concepts of the myth of the American west. The chorus is: â€Å"Cowboy take me away. Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue. Set me free oh I pray. Closer to heaven above and closer to you, closer to you.† This is a prime example of the misconstrued ideas about the west. This verse portrays exactly what every naà ¯ve person believes about this subject. The handsome cowboy comes to take you away to a place where you can forget all cares and troubles you have. He has come to carry you off into the sunset where the two of you will live together where only love and happiness matters. Living the simple life with the man of her dreams, who will treat her with respect and love her unconditionally, is the fantasy of every woman. The entire song portrays the beauty and simplicity of nature and life in the west, where the hustle and bustle of everyday life , elsewhere, doesn’t exist. Who wouldn’t want that? If it only existed†¦ What is the reality of the American west? Well contrary to popular belief, cowboys weren’t actually the heroes. Cowboys were of all races and were mostly poor farm boys. Cowboys were just what the name states which is, males who raised and herded cattle for a living. Most women fell for the wealthy men of a higher class than for mere â€Å"farm boys†. The west wasn’t peaceful, pleasant place that most people picture it as, except for the occasional bad guy. There were many problems in the west including lack of good food, lack of money, constant fighting with Indians over territory, and increasing violence (this was especially true when saloons, brothels, and gambling dens began to open). Another misconception of this time was that of the legal system. In all actuality there was not one at all. It wasn’t until much later, after problems increased even more, that a so called legal system was developed. This was the miners’ courts. Miners in the area served on a jury and settled disputes in that way. This was a very inefficient system, because the miners favored the powerful, popular, and wealthy. The poor, weak, and unpopular were often charged with crimes they didn’t commit. Hollywood has come up with many different ways to make the old west seem so exciting and adventurous. Whether it’s through a song, an old movie, or a fictional book, the myth of the American west comes across as the truth for most people. The truth is never as interesting, so we depend on made up stories to entertain us.

Review and Comparison of Different Software Quality Models

Review and Comparison of Different Software Quality Models Muhammad Qasim Riaz1 and Zeeshan Asif2 1,2Department of Computer Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan Abstract Software quality models are one of the best means for the support of software quality management system. Since more than 30 years, several quality models have been offered and used with fluctuating mark of success. To be particular, with the idea of defining the multidimensional content of software quality management system a variety of qualitative models have been presented by which different aspects of this topic have been tried to be investigated properly. By investigating the trends and evolution of software quality models and identifying differences in the approaches and judgment outcomes, the results indicate significant progress in the development of software quality models. Many definitions and models of software quality are studied and a competitive conclusion is drawn. It carries on with a review of the quality models and comparison between them. Introduction The main aspects of the quality at which every software engineer should focus himself are reviewed and compared [4] in this paper. Now a days, in modern age of technology large firms and companies spend millions and billions of dollars at the IT projects to get precise and efficient software services. Our first point is, what is meant by quality [1] in software products. What should we do to a software product to decide it as a quality product, simply a good product or name it as a failed product. Many papers have been published about the causes of project failure e.g. [8]. Several models and many success factors are presented for effective and precise management of projects to make up the quality of products [5]. This paper is taking a review by examining factors and points discussed in different models like Boehm, McCall and many others[9][8]. We also illustrates their impact on quality of the software product. Secondly, many models are presented by different researchers, organizations and scientists. Most of the scientists followed the basic models of software quality presented by the McCall, Boehm, and FURPS. On the basis of these models IEEE and ISO presented new models and also did many additions like ISO 9126. This paper emphasizes all these models of quality factors and explains a comparison between them. How to measure the quality of software and which scales are defined to measure it, are also mentioned in the paper. At the end, effect of quality at the cost and demand of software will also be discussed. We have reviewed and compared the following software quality models in this paper: McCalls software Quality Model Boehms software Quality Model FURPS software Quality Model IEEE software Quality Model ISO 9126 software Quality Model A quality model is mostly stated as a set of characteristics like document clarity, design trace-ability, integrity, program reliability, test integrity and relationships among them which truly provide the foundation for identifying the requirements of quality and calculating quality. It can be identified as defined set of properties that are required for a product to meet stated purposes. The advantage of quality model is determined by the decomposition of main objects like product, process or organization in the list of its properties and characteristics. It is applicable for forecasting, guaranteeing and authenticating the accomplishment of a well-defined goal. Quality Defined As the quality of any object/thing in universe can be defined as: The measure of standard of any object/thing against the other objects/things of same kind is known as the quality of that object/thing. OR It can also be defined as the degree of superiority or inferiority of something as compare to the other things of same type. For example the quality of a computer depends on the speed of the computer, reliability of the computer, consistency of the computer and many other factors like that. Similarly, the dictionary definitions of quality in computing largely concentrated on excellence and improvement in product International Standards(IS) professionals should focus. Quality according to ANSI Standard can be define as Quality is the sum of characteristics and features of a software product or a service that bears on its capacity to fulfill the given needs Quality according to IEEE Standard (IEEE Std. 729-1983) All the characteristics and features of a software product which stand on its capacity to fulfill the particular requirements [6]: for example, follow to conditions. The grade to which software keeps a wanted mixture of features. The mark at which a consumer observes that software meets his mutual outlooks. The multiple characteristics of software that define the unit according to which the software product in use will meet the hopes of the customer. General Kinds of the Models Now a days, most of the quality models are hierarchical models which are based on the basic principles of the quality and related metrics [7]. All of these models are classified on the basis of the means and ways according to which they have been generated. These are categorized into the following three types. The assumed model is based on the hypothesis relationships among variables used. The model based on data-driven by a statistical analysis of related matrix in model. This model is the mutual effect of hunches which are used to determine the simple type of the model and secondly the Data analysis used to formulate the constants of the model along with the variable values. Different Quality Models 4.1 McCalls Quality Model This was the first ever quality model presented by the Jim McCall in year 1977 which is also called General Electronic Model [8]. Before presenting this model there was no any authentic model to review or check the quality of the product. This model provides a set of the basic characteristics to measure the quality of product. Figure 1. McCalls quality model and all of its components Three major perceptions of the McCall model for declaring and recognizing the quality of the product are presented following: Product Operation: The degree of any product that how much quickly and easily it can be understood, it includes, reliability, correctness, efficiency, integrity and usability criteria. Product Revision: it covers the maintainability, testability, changeability, flexibility and debugging of the product. Product Transition: it deals with the adaptability with the environment, portability, reusability and interoperability of the product. 4.2Boehms Quality Model Boehms software quality model [9] offers more attributes and characteristics of product than McCalls quality model. It was presented by Barry W. Boehm in 1978. Boehms model is almost similar to the McCall Quality Model because it also presents a hierarchical quality model designed about high-level, intermediate level and primitive characteristics, each of them plays an important role in the overall quality level. All above stated levels represent the questions of buyer, the quality factor which can affect or represent the quality of product and offers the basis for describing qualities metrics. Figure 2. Boehms quality model and all of its components Almost both Boehms and McCalls models similar to some extent [10].The difference in these two models is that McCalls model mainly centers on the accurate measurement of the high-level characteristics As-is utility. On other hand Boehms quality model is dependent on a broader range of characteristics with a stretched and detailed emphasis on primarily maintainability. 4.3 FURPS Quality Model FURPS model was presented after the McCalls and Boehms model. It was firstly presented by Robert Grady and Hewlett Packard Co. the abbreviation of word FURPS stands for Functionality, Usability, Reliability, Performance and Supportability of the product under development [11]. Functionality: Functionality contains combination of characteristics, security, features and capabilities. Usability: This section covers the factors which affect usability of the product like Human Factors, Aesthetic, material of training and documentation of the user. Reliability: It ensures the reliability and integrity factors like Recovery to failures Time among failures, Frequency and severity of failures. Performance: Enforces conditions on practical necessities like speed, availability, efficiency, throughput, accuracy, resource usage, response time and recovery time. Supportability: This section contains the components like Extensibility, Adaptability, Maintainability, Compatibility, Configurability, Install ability, Serviceability and Localizability. Figure 3. FURPS quality model and all of its components 4.4 IEEE Quality Model Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) [12]. It is an international organization which also provided many standard models for the software product quality and maintenance. It presented, many standards of software quality assurance and verification/validation of the software product. The abstract figure of IEEE software quality models is given forward: Figure 4. IEEE quality model and all of its components This model illustrates several ways for the measurement of qualitative factors and reflects factors like Efficiency, Functionality, Maintainability, Portability, Reliability and Usability. Efficiency: It includes the characters like time and resources. Reliability: It contains the factors and the characteristics which are used to increase and maintain the maturity and reliability by fault tolerance and Recoverability. Functionality: It includes characteristics like accuracy, compatibility, completeness, security and interoperability. Supportability: It helps in maintaining the testability, extendibility and correctability. Portability: It makes the software portable by ensuring characteristics like hardware independency, software independency, adaptability, install-ability and reusability. Usability: It ensures the comprehensibility, communicativeness and ease of learning. 4.5 ISO 9126 Quality Model ISO 9126 [14] [13] is presented by the international standard organization. It is one of the most implemented and used quality model for maintaining the quality of the software product. This modern model is based at the previous models like McCall, Boehm, FURPS and many other old versions of the ISO like ISO 9000 and etc. Figure 5. ISO 9126 quality model and all of its components This version of ISO also takes account of functionality as parameter and include identification of both internal quality characteristics and external quality characteristics of the products. The characteristics new version of this model [15] contains are Efficiency, Maintainability, Functionality, Reliability, Portability and Usability. Efficiency: It contains the characters which affects the throughput in a given time and resources used. Reliability: It includes the Maturity, Fault Tolerance and Recoverability. Functionality: It contains many essential characteristics which are necessary for the proper functionality of the product like suitability, accurateness, interoperability, compliance and security. Maintainability: It helps in maintaining the changeability, stability and testability by using analyzability. Portability: It makes the software more dynamic and portable by ensuring characteristics like adaptability, install-ability, conformance and replaceability. Usability: It makes sour that the learnability and operability of the software product should be easy and simple. 5. Comparison of Models According to the above study and figures we did a comparison between all of the models to justify our competitive study. McCall Model: according to the reference [] and the figure 1 of McCall model we can observe it can say following characteristics are included in this model correctness, reliability, efficiency, integrity, usability, flexibility, maintainability, testability, portability, interpretability and reusability. Boehms Model: As shown in the above figure 2 and the literature the characteristics owned by the Boehms model [] are device independence, self-contentedness, understandability, modifiability, testability, human engineering, efficiency and reliability. FURPS Model: FURPS is the combination of functionality, usability, reliability, performance and supportability these are further classified into security, capabilities, availability, efficiency, throughput, accuracy, resource, response time, integrity, failures, human factors, documentation, extensibility, maintainability, compatibility, install ability and serviceability. All these characteristics are mentioned in reference no. . IEEE Model: As we mentioned above the IEEE model is consist of the external and internal characteristics like functionality, reliability, supportability, usability, efficiency and portability these external characteristics are sub divided into internal characteristics like time, resources, error tolerance, availability, completeness, accuracy, security, compatibility, interoperability, testability, correctability, hardware independence, software independence, installability, reusability, usability, comprehensibility, ease of learning, extensibility and communicativeness . ISO 9126 Model: ISO 9126 is the combination of all the models it includes all the best characteristics which are necessary for building up a satisfactory product. The main characteristics of the ISO model are functionality, reliability, maintainability, usability, efficiency and portability. The derived sub characteristics form those main characteristics are suitability, accurateness, interoperability, compliance, security, maturity, fault tolerance, recoverability, understandability, learnability, operability, time behaviour, resource behaviour, analyzability, changeability, stability, testability, adaptability, installability, conformance and replaceability. 6. Conclusion We have studied several types of software quality models which are different on the basis of their characteristics and methodologies. Really it was a great task and challenge for us to conclude which model is the best and which we should prefer to implement in developing a good software product. In this paper we have also made a comparison table (above) to understand the real differences in the models. This table also shows which features and characteristic a model contains or lacks. We have studied and compared the following models. McCalls Model: In McCalls quality model, the quality is mostly measured on the basis of judgment of the person(s) or the users by answering the questions given in a questioner. (Yes or no questions). Boehms Model: While Boehm concentrates on the levels based upon the characteristics of the product. FURPS: The FURPS quality model is made and stretched to be cast-off in the IBM Rational Software Company. So, it is a special-purpose quality model, which is presented, for the benefits and betterment of that company. IEEE: It is also a good model to implement. It uses different measurement ways and standards like software quality assurance to maintain the quality of the product. ISO 9126: The ISO 9126 quality model is the most useful model it has been figured on the basis of international agreements and accordance from all the countries which are members of the ISO organization. In result of the comparative study ISO 9126 is best model. But it depends at your software product and the organizations that which model is best for use. It is a satisfactory and successful completion we hope it help the new users to understand the quality models properly and easily. Quality Characteristics Models McCall Boehm FURPS IEEE ISO 9126 Stability Integrity Security Maturity Usability Accuracy Flexibility Efficiency Reliability Portability Testability Reusability Functionality Analyzability Modifiability Performance Install Ability Supportability Interpretability Maintainability Fault Tolerance Understandability Time Management Self-contentedness Availability Human Factors interoperability compliance Suitability Replaceability adaptability Device Independence References [1] Khomh, F., Haderer, N. and Antoniol, G. (2009). SQUAD: Software Quality Understanding through the Analysis of Design, Reverse Engineering, WCRE09, 16th working conference [2]Dubey, S.K., Gosh, S. and Rana, A. (2012). Comparison of Software Quality Models: An Analytical Approach. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, ISSN 2250-2459, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 111-119. [3]Robson, C. (2002). Real world research: a resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers, Blackwell Publisher Ltd. [4]Sharma, K. and Sharma, K. (2013). Comparison of various software quality products, Proc. of the Intl. Conf. on Recent Trends in Computing and Communication Engineering, RTCCE 2013 [5]Sharma, A., Kumar, R. and Grover, P. S. (2008). Estimation of Quality for software components: an empirical approach, ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes, 33(6), pp. 1-10 [6]IEEE STD 729. (1983). IEEE Standard Glossary of the Software Engineering Terminology [7] Pressman, R. S. (2012). Software Engineering a practitioners Approach 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill, Inc. [8]McCall J. A., Richards, P. K. and Walters, G. F. (1977). Factors in Software Quality, Vol. 1, 2 and 3, AD/A 049-014/015/055, National Tech. Information service, Springfield. [9] Boehm, B. W., Brown, J. R., and Lipow, M. (1976). Quantitative evaluation of software quality, International Conference on Software Engineering, Proceedings of the 2nd international conference on Software Engineering (2nd):592-605. [10]Boehm, B. W., Brown, J. R. and Kaspar, J. R. (1978).Characteristics of software Quality, TRW Series of software Technology, Amsterdam, North Holland. [11]Ghezzi, Jazayeri, C. M. and Mandrioli, D. (1991). Fundamental of software Engineering, Prentice-Hall, NJ, USA. [12] IEEE (1993). Standard for Software Maintenance, Software Engineering Standards Subcommittee of the IEEE Computer Society. [13] ISO/IEC TR 9126-3. (2002). Software Engineering Product Quality. [14]ISO 9126. (2000)E. Standard ISO/IEC, Information technology- Software product quality Part1: Quality Model, ISO/IEC FDIS 9126-1: 2000(E) [15]ISO/ IEC 25030. (2006). Software Engineering: Software Product Quality Requirements and Evaluation (Square), Quality Requirements.

The US Firm Kraft Foods Took Over Cadbury Marketing Essay

The US Firm Kraft Foods Took Over Cadbury Marketing Essay According to the Harvard Business Essential the word strategy originated as a military term, and adopted by businesspeople when refereeing to plans for controlling and utilizing limited resources human, land and capital. In his classic article, Kenneth Andrews (1971) described strategy as the goal of promoting and securing vital interest, whilst M. Porter (1980) re-defined strategy as a broad formula for how a business is going to compete. One of the founders of the renowned Boston Consulting Group, Bruce Henderson linked strategy to competitive advantage. However, being different is not an instant guarantee for business success. According to ORegan Ghobadian (2009) Cadbury is one of the worlds largest confectionary businesses with top ranking in over 20 of the worlds 50 biggest confectionary markets. (See figure 1). It has one of the largest and wide spread markets in emerging countries around the world. Kraft Foods, Inc. is the largest confectionery, food, and beverage corporation whose headquarters is in the United States and the second largest in the world after Nestle. It markets many brands in more than 155 countries. (See figure 2). It is listed as a public company, on the NY Stock Exchange. (Wikipedia, Accessed 02/04/10) The former chief executive of Cadbury, Todd Stitzer launched the Vision in Action program in 2007. At it launch, he said the vision was aimed at driving the companys margin s up by mid-teen by 2011. It hoped to achieve this by focusing on 3 key priorities: Growth, Efficiency and Capacity. (Company Annual Report 2009) And as of the present time, the strong performance continues, edging Cadbury closer to its goal. 2.1.2 Kraft Key Strategy Performance (see Appendix Fig. 4) In an article written by boozco for the Strategy + Business, (Issue No 56, autumn 2009), 11 of Krafts top executives were interviewed about their strategy for the 3 year turnaround and campaign for growth. The interview started with the company CEO Irene Rosenfeld who as at 2005 was in charge of the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo. Thus when she became the chef executive in 2006, she observed that Kraft concentrated its power to its HQ in the US and this was hindering innovation and growth. Thus her first objective was to decentralise Kraft, and re-focus the companys vision to the challenging macro-economic environment. The company went about these changes by introducing what it called Organising for Growth (OFG) which began in 2007. It included review of organisational structure with a 3-year turnaround time, dismantling of existing centralisation of power matrix, clear operational initiatives such as building up sales capabilities etc, and implementing new operating metrics coupled with financial rewards for executive managers. (See figure 5) 3. Market Driven Analysis of Acquisition 3.1 Why Kraft could not resist Cadbury (see Appendix fig.5,8,10,1112) According to Andrew Clark of the Guadian, the attraction of Kraft to Cadbury comes down to brands, sheer scale, geography and distribution channles. Though Kraft has some big brand products such as Maxwell House Coffee and Philadelpha cream cheese, many of these and other products were reported struggled to gain market sector domamnce in spite of the fact that they have been around for many years. (The Guadian, 06/04/10) Predictably, acquiring Cadbury meant addition of brands products such as Cadburys chocolate, confectionary and chewing gum products will increase the comapanys annual revenue from 4% to 5% whilst earnings growth which were lagging between 7% to 9% will now increase to between 9% to 11%. This predictation is based on Cadburys shrewed distribution strategy. For example, it has strong presence within the instant consumption channels such as corner shops and petrol stations where prices can be marked up, whilst relying on people making impluse buying. In comparison, Kraft products are mainly seen in traditional outlets such as supermarket and food stores where profit margins are lower. (The Guadian, 06/04/10) However, the acquistion comes at cost, for example, a cost cut of $675m have been highlighted, this will include effiecency savings of $300m. This amount is as a result of stream lining procurement, RD, and logostics. Futher $250m will come from duplicated adminstrative work which will now be centralised, and a $125m project synergy saving in making biiger bulk deals when buying media adverts. (The Guadian, 06/04/10) 3.2 What next after the takeover? (See Fig. 6,913) The share magnitude of the two companies coming together is enough to give anyone sleepless nights, as there are many strategic risk factors to consider. A winning Kraft/Cadbury strategy that is well implemented might work for a long while, however according to (refà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) no strategy is effective forever. 3.2.1 The Stakeholders (see fig. 7) Figure xxx shows an illustrative mind map of the different group of people that are interested in the financial strength of the two companies. It is worth nothing that whilst the government is interested in Corporation Tax and no breach of legislation especially e.g. National Minimum Wage Act (1998) ref, shareholders are particular about shares especially ROI. Whilst the workforce are interested in job loses, pensions etc. Other points of interests are competition from other competitors. Likewise, the general public wants to be reassured that the acquisition will not led to exploitation of Child labour in other to fight off price war competitions. Hence the strategy to manage these groups of people will be paramount in the coming years 2010 and beyond for the acquisition to be judge successful. 4. Balance Scorecard Introduction The notion of the Balance Scorecard (BSC) was brought into existence in 1992 in a business review article written by David Norton and Steve Kaplan (Kaplan and Norton 1992). The article was born out of the notion that the ability of a company to measure its intangible assets had a direct bearing on company performance and its ability to achieve company strategic objectives. The BSC brings additional value to the traditional measurement of historical financial perspective by including the measurement of internal business processes, innovation and learning and customer perspectives-all key indicators of future successful implementation of company strategy. The BCS is thus seen as a 3-way tool: Measurement System, Strategic Management System, and Communication Tool. See Fig 3 Fig 3 Source: Wiley and Sons (2003) The need to include lag and lead indicators in determining strategic performance is important. Lead indicators are those that affect future performance of Cadbury e.g. increasing market share. Lag indicators are those that indicate what has happened in the past, e.g. financial performance. Whilst lag indicators are important, Cadbury needs to focus on the future indicators of strategic success i.e. customer perspective, business perspective and learning and growth perspective. Cadburys governing objective at the start of 2009 was to deliver superior shareholder returns by realising their strategic vision to be the worlds BIGGEST and BEST confectionary company. (Cadbury Report 2008). Stakeholder theory identifies 5 main groups who have a vested interest in the commercial undertakings of the company.(Kaplan 2010) Cadburys strategic focus placed emphasis, primarily, on one stakeholder group; the shareholders. Fig 4: The strategy map links intangible assets and critical processes to the value proposition and customer and financial outcomes. Fig 4 shows the causal connection between these different metrics and the ultimate strategic aim of delivering shareholder value. The upward flow identifies the cause and effect relationship in the BSC that lead to superior performance. An e.g. is that innovative practices identified by learning and growth lead to more efficient internal business processes which in turn lead to a superior customer experience and eventually long term shareholder value. 4.1 Financial Cadbury continues to increase its profit margin towards its goal in the mid teens. 4.2 Customer Measurement Cadbury creates customer loyalty by identifying the exact amount of pleasure that customers derive from the Cadbury experience. This ensures that customers returned repeatedly and remain loyal. This has been an essential part of the strategic focus ensuring strong performance in 2008. (Cadbury Corporate Brochure 2008) Emerging markets have been identified as part of the overall strategy to reach more people, more quickly. As stated in the Cadbury India report in 2008, the overarching goal is this sector is to have more grams in more mouths. The potential for growth in this segment of the market is significant as the per capita consumption is very low compared to other non-emergent markets.0.03kg compared to 4.3kg in Europe. (Cadburys India Report 2008). The link between Cadburys relationship with Fairtrade is crucial to ensuring that company achieves its strategic objective of sustainability by increasing its supply of raw materials and ensuring the livelihood of the farmers who produce these raw materials.(Cadbury 2008 corporate brochure) 4.3 Innovation and Learning The challenges include managing different pay structures, different ethos, work patterns and hiring methods. The management of all of these aspects will have a significant impact on Krafts ability to successfully integrate Cadbury into its global family and reap the financial rewards that will make the union a profitable one. Successful integration studies have shown that monetary rewards do work, but on their own are not enough to promote a successful collaboration between two different companies engaged in a merger or acquisition. (Montmarquette et all 2004). Krafts pledge is to take the best of both approach to the acquisition. (Kraft Final Offer 2010) Kraft culture is different to Cadburys culture and this will have major implications for the successful synergy of the two companies. Tetenbaum (1999) identifies culture as being at the centre of any successful merger or acquisition. Hofstede (2001) identifies culture as the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another 4.4 Internal business processes Innovation and research and development are key aspects of strategic success. Continuous investment in the development of new product ranges, especially in emerging markets, will be necessary to achieve strategic objectives. Cadburys extensive distribution networks ensure products are easily accessible to all consumers, from the large supermarket chains to the small corner kiosk in a remote part of India. The BSC is only as effective as the action taken as a result of the metrics indicated and measured. Leadership is important to ensure that the metric information is followed up and changes made to maximise the impact of these measurements on performance.(Neely 2008). Cadburys developing association with the Fairtrade brand ensures that it is meeting its corporate social responsibility objectives, as well as ensuring a constant supply of raw material for its products, a form of backward integration. Fig 5 4.6 Criticisms of the BSC: The recent global crisis has also highlighted the weakness in current measurement systems as they failed to identify the potential for risk for many companies. Analysis needs to identify, not only the historic performance, but also the potential future risks. Risk assessment and management needs to become an essential part of the any measurement system used in the future. Cadbury/Kraft must now identify, mitigate and manage risk in such a way that it becomes an integral part of their strategic management ethos. Management Control Systems will need to be agile enough to respond to rapid changes in the environment in which they operate in order to achieve their strategic objectives. Simons levers of control present an alternative system of measurement that includes complimentary metrics e.g., belief systems, interactive control systems and boundary systems etc. (Simons 1995). Fig 5 The BSC has been criticised as being too simple as a measurement/control tool. Businesses are more complex than just a few controls or levers. The functioning of the BSC has been compared to a pilot in charge of a flight from A to B. The BSC provides the mechanism for control and guidance in achieving the goal. (Kaplan and Norton 1996). The BSC is seen mainly as a diagnostic tool rather than a tool that aids strategic success. Where is the point of balance in the competing demands of the different measures?. For e.g. Cadburys overarching goal is delivering superior shareholder returns, but this must be balanced against the needs of staff. A trade off must occur at some level. Companies must understand the cause and effect relationship between the metrics in order to make the most appropriate decisions. Timing difficulties in respect of cause and effect relationships mean that the results of measures introduced may take a significant period of time to have an impact on the financial outcomes. It is essential to link the four aspects of the BCS to strategy to ensure its maximum effect on performance. Nair (2007) BSC can be seen as too rigid in its measurement matrices, i.e. just 4 elements and does not include risk, corporate social responsibility or environmental metrics. Need to conduct sensitivity analysis to measure responsiveness of performance to certain scenarios. More research is needed on the cause and effect outcomes for companies that use the BSC. Fig 6 4.7 Potential problems for Cadbury: Staff integration poses a significant challenge to Cadburys governing objectives. This is part of the internal process element of the BSC. This has the potential to derail the recent merger. (Shebioba 2010) Fig 6 shows how Cadbury can translate its mission into desired outcomes. Ensuring that all staff are aware of the new strategic direction that the combined company is now embarking on, and everyone understanding the impact their role has on achieving strategic objectives.(Regan and Ghobadian 2009) Fig 7 shows why companies fail to meet their objectives. Simons levers of control will assist the new Kraft Cadbury combination Fig 7 Source: Kaplan and Norton 1992 In order to successfully achieve its overarching goal of superior shareholder returns, Cadburys must successfully balance the barriers to achievement as identified above. 5. Conclusion Cadburys has now become a part of the Kraft family and there is a strategic focus on Kraft reaping the benefits of Cadburys strengths and position in emerging markets. The combined company will need to focus its attention on achieving new corporate goals and devising a strategy that maximises the synergy of the union between them. The use of the BSC or levers of control will aid management in measuring and achieving strategic objectives. It must be noted that in isolation any system that measures the performance of the company will be meaningless unless it is combined with other systems. There is still room for some work to examine the relationship between cause and effect and the impact this will have on Cadburys strategic performance. This is a crucial part of the integration of Cadbury into the Kraft family. Only time will tell if Kraft will get the sugar rush it envisages from the purchase of Cadbury for  £11.6bn. References: Andrews, K., The Concept of Corporate Strategy (Homewood), IL Richard D. Irwin Inc. 1971 Clark Andrew, Chocolate, chewing gum and coner shops, Why Kraft cant resist Cadbury, The Guadian. Tue 19 Jan 2010. Accessed 06/04/10 22:36 Hofstede, G. (1981) Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind, London: Harper Collins Henberson, B., The Origin of Strategy, HBR Nov- Dec 1989 Introduction to the Balance Scorecard. John Wiley . 2003 Inside the Kraft Foods transformation. Introduction by Chairman CEO Irene Rosenfeld, Strategy + Business issue 56, Autumn 2009 reprint number 09207 Kaplan, R. S. and D.P. Norton (1992) The Balance Scorecard: Measures that drive performance, Harvard Business Review, (January- February): 71-79 Kaplan, R.S., and Norton, D.P.(1996). Linking the balanced scorecard to strategy. California Management Review, 39 (1), 53-79 Kraft Final Offer document 2010. Kaplan, R. And Norton, D. (2001). The stratergy Focused Organisation: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Enviroment. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. Montmarquette C, Rulliere JL, Villeval MC, Zeilger R (2004) Redesigning Teams and Incentives in a Merger: An experiment with Managers and Students Management Science Vol.50, No 10 October 2004, pp. 1379-1389 Nair, B. (2007) Balanced Scorecard Performance Management Systems: Its success and failures- A Literature Review, 1 (3/4) Neely, A. (2008) Does the Balance Scorecard work: An empirical Investigation. Centre for Business Performance School of Management. Research Paper 1/08 OReagan, N., and Ghobadian, A. (2009). Sucessful nstrategic re-orienrtation:lessons from Cadburys experience. Journal of Stratergy and Management. Vol 2(4), 2009, pp. 405-412 Porter M. E., Competitive Strategy (NY: Free Press), 1980, xxiv Pandy, I (2005) Balance Scorecard: Myth and Reality. VILKAPA, 30 (1) Shebioba, J. (2010) International Business Assignment Simons, R. (1995). Levers of control: How Managers Use Innovative Control Systems to Drive Strategic Renewal. Boston: Harvard Business School Press Simons, R. (1995). Levers of control: How Managers use innovative control systems to drive strategic renewal. Harvard Business Review ? Strategy: Create and Implement the Best Strategy for your Business, 2005 p(xi) Tetenbaum, T.J. (1999). Beating the Odds of Mergers and Acquisition Failure: Seven Key Practices That Improve the Chance for Expected Integration and Synergies. Organisational Dynamics, Autumn 1999, 25-35.

How has the ?American Dream? been translated into popular film? Refer :: essays research papers fc

The American Dream is an often mentioned and well-known term used to describe the ideology of the United States of America. Despite the common usage of the term it is not always completely understood and so requires, at least, a brief introduction and definition. P Mueller in his writing Star Trek and the American Dream claims that â€Å"†¦to some the American dream is just "from rags to riches", to others it includes the realisation of high flying ideals as old as mankind itself.† Mueller then goes onto say that the term was coined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams and identifies three main roots: mythical aspects (leading back to the ancient dream of a perfect society and as paradise even before the continent was discovered), religious aspects (which Mueller describes as dealing with the puritan vision of a city upon a hill) and political aspects (arising from the declaration of independence and the constitution). It would seem that the most important of these th ree themes is arguably that of the political nature and various commentators have defined the American Dream in this way. Martin Luther King claimed â€Å"It [the American Dream] is found in those majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, words lifted to cosmic proportions: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, Creator, with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This is a dream. It’s a great dream.† Jim Bickford concurred with this view within his writing The American Dream: Our Heritage of Hope (in which he goes onto to identify several examples of the American Dream in practice throughout history) when he claimed â€Å"America was built on dreams† and went onto to discuss the importance of the declaration of independence in creating the dream by stating â€Å"Our ancestors chose to take the risk by putting their lives o n the line and fighting for freedom† . In respect to the medium of film it comes as no surprise that the American Dream has filtered itself, both consciously and unconsciously, directly and indirectly, onto the screen. America, and in particular Hollywood, is the dominant producer of film within the world today. Where Hollywood leads other filmmaking nations follow. The American Dream is largely presented within film in the sense of the political context: life, liberty and (in particular) the pursuit of Happiness but there is no uniform depiction of this.

Motiff of King Lear :: English Literature Essays

Motiff of King Lear One of the primary themes portrayed in "King Lear" is the harsh effects of betrayal by one's loved ones. Incorporated in this message is the fact that such betrayal can be avoided with sound judgment and temper, and with patience in all decisions. Shakespeare uses the motif of madness to aid in this message. Anger and insanity are coupled to illustrate the theme, and they both cloud the judgment of characters in various ways. A contrast between actual insanity and fabricated madness aids in the depiction of the main theme as well. King Lear's temper and madness in the form of anger are shown in Act I, when he is quick to banish Cordelia, under the false impression that she does not love him. Kent tries to warn him, and says "When Lear is mad, ... When majesty stoops to folly," implying that Lear's rage has blinded him from making the correct decision. Lear's anger is heightened when Goneril insults him and he decides to leave her castle. His anger consumes him until he is forced to scream to the skies, "O Let me not be mad... Keep me in temper." In Act II, after he is betrayed by Regan as well, he says to his servant, "O Fool, I shall go mad." He is saying that he is so overcome by pain that he will go mad, not knowing that, ironically, his anger will later transform into true insanity. Edgar offers a different pathway for the madness motif to unfold. In Act II, after fleeing Gloucester's castle, he decides to disguise himself as a beggar with no clothes and "lunatic bans." He pretends to be mad for the majority of the story and in another ironic twist, it is this so-called madman that actually brings many truths to light. Lear's madness begins to unfold in Act III. Kent notes in the shelter, that "his wits begin to unsettle." Scene IV is a blatant display of madness by Lear and the acting Edgar, who converse with each other in incoherent outbursts. Lear becomes more and more unstable as he uses two stools as models of his daughters and places them on trial for the crimes they have committed against him. In Act IV, Edgar is reunited with Gloucester, who thinks he is a madman. Edgar actually saves his father's life in this act, still pretending to be mad the entire time.

Sexual Harassment and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) :: Sexual Harassment Essays

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. Federal law as well as various state fair-employment laws prohibit employers with 15 or more employees from treating members of one sex or race differently from members of the opposite sex or another race in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. The statutory and regulatory laws govern the entire employment process from pre-employment activities such as recruiting, through an employee's career with the organization, including termination. The prohibition against sex discrimination imposes responsibility upon employers to afford their employees an environment free from sexual harassment and from the fear that it may occur. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) can file lawsuits on behalf of victims of sexual harassment, women who take their accusations to court face even bigger obstacles than mere public disapproval. The legal process is long and cumbersome - it can be years from the first complaint to the final verdict and in the meanwhile, the woman is in a legal, professional and often financial limbo. Women are not entitled to collect damages under the Civil Rights Act - just back pay; so many women don't see this process as worth the trouble. Even those, however, who do file a complaint and win a harassment case, may feel lost. Though, Title VII offers reinstatement to previous job, the individual may be shunned or harassed by co-worker thus making conditions even more uncomfortable than they were beforehand. Common law tort lawsuits, such as intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery, provide a remedy in certain types of sexual harassment cases that is total ly dependent of any of the statutes and governmental agencies. However, the solutions proposed might seem comprehensive in plans to lessen sexual harassment in the workplace and punishment of harassers, women still face formidable obstacles in preventing harassment from continuing. The proposed measures fail to cover all aspects of harassment, though the truth is, it is virtually impossible to formulate a plan to do so.

College Essay (Soccer)

As a senior, my team and I take our first step onto the turf field; we go on as a family that is striving to bring home the cup. This is my first, yet last chance to do this. The heat from the turf moves through my cleats and onto my feet. The intensity of the sun is shining straight down on me and the sweat is just beginning to start. Then my mind rewinds back to those few words that crushed me terribly last year coming from the varsity soccer coach, â€Å"I think it’d be best if you played on junior varsity this season. I spent countless nights being angry that I did not make varsity and I felt somewhat like a loser because I was a junior playing on the JV team. After a few weeks, I figured it was pointless to feel pity for myself and decided that I was going to show everyone how great I could be. Soccer has been my addiction since I was five and nothing could ever replace the desire for it. My father taught me the rules and coached me; I was set on making sure I knew every aspect of the game, attempting to perfect every skill. I was in complete disbelief when I was not put on the varsity squad, I thought I was good.I knew I had to get better because there is always room for progress. My first step was to improve my physical condition by running and lifting. Running was something that I dreaded to do every day, but knew it was so vital to do. I absolutely despised running, every time I wanted to stop I would just think, â€Å"A starter wouldn’t stop running until they’ve reached the end†. Lifting weights was an activity that I found enjoyable and did not mind doing. Besides exercising, I spent numerous hours working on my ball skills; juggling, controlling, and passing everything a starting player should be precise at.Finally, after many long months, my hard work had paid off. During tryouts I showed everyone that I was a zealous and determined player, taking practice serious and hustling for every drill. The varsity coach awarded me with a starting position for the team my senior year. My determined work ethic, initiative and discipline helped me to get where I am now. To this day I continue to work hard at every practice, even though I am starter. Slacking off is not an option for me. I have applied this lesson to many areas in my life including school work, sports and volunteer work. I am not a quitter and am never satisfied until I achieve my goals.