Mt 460-02 Management Policy and Strategy

Unit Seven Scotts Miracle-Gro Case Study Analysis XXX Kaplan University MT 460-02 Management Policy and Strategy Dr. Carrie A. O’Hare April 22, 2013 Unit Seven Scotts Miracle-Gro Case Study Analysis Introduction The submitted report identifies Scotts Miracle-Gro’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 140). Key issues will be explored concerning Scotts Miracle-Gro’s external environment and solutions developed to maximize its opportunities or minimize its biggest threats. This comprehensive analysis will used to add value to the company and its consumers.Synopsis (Background) of the Situation The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (Scotts), based in Marysville, Ohio, was formed by a 1995 merger of Miracle-Gro and the Scotts Company (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-1). The merger made Scotts the largest company in the North American lawn and garden industry as well as the world’s leading supplier and marketer of consum er products for do-it-yourself lawn and garden care (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-1). The Scotts Company was founded in 1868 by Orlando McLean Scott as a purveyor of weed-free seeds.By 1879, Scotts had diversified into distribution of horse-drawn farm equipment and also started a mail-order farm seed distribution channel. Scotts began offering grass seeds for lawns in 1907, distributing through retail channels beginning in 1924 (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-1). In 1928, Scotts introduced Turf Builder, the first fertilizer specifically designed for grass and started its spreader business with the introduction of drop spreaders in 1930; broadcast spreaders were rolled out in 1983 (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 6-1). Scotts acquired Republic Tool & Manufacturing Company in 1992 and gained competencies in total quality control over spreader manufacturing (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-1). Ownership of the firm changed hands several times, beginning in 1971 when ITT bought Scotts from the Scotts family. In 1986, a leveraged buy-out (LBO) made Scotts a private company again for a time, until 1992, when its stock started trading on the NASDAQ (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-2).Miracle-Gro was founded in 1951 by Horace Hagedon (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-2). Unlike Scotts, Miracle-Gro had no internal production; all production was outsourced to contract manufacturers. Before the 1995 merger with Scotts, Miracle Gro was already a leading brand in the lawn care chemical industry (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-2). By early 2000, Scotts Miracle-Gro products were No. 1 in every major category and in virtually every major market in which they competed (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-2). Key IssuesThe three key issues facing Scott’s are increased domestic production costs, dependence on large scaled customers, and profitability below market average. The comparatively high plant and labor costs of the Temecula plant continues to be an issue to the growth of Sco tt’s Miracle-Gro. The key issues revolve around the idea that that is has become expensive to produce fertilizer spreaders and lawn seed by Scott’s Temecula plant. Another weakness that has been identified is Scott’s over dependent to customers, such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart, which account for 61% of the company’s sales (Mays, 2012).These large consumers have demanded a change in policy and production by â€Å"leaner inventories to end their fiscal years as well as to move shipments closer to the start of the lawn and garden season (Mays, 2012). Scott’s also has experienced lower sales in the international segment, tumbling 21 percent, while also missing revenue targets in 2011 due to sales declining by -2%, an 8% miss (Mays, 2012). Define the Problem The main problem to Scott’s survivability and health is the increasing cost of production for the Temecula plant, which manufactures products for Scott’s Miracle-Gro.These increasing costs are driven by the higher labor costs. These increased costs are also in conjunction with higher prices for raw materials, energy costs, and higher state taxes. Alternative Solutions The three possible solutions to alleviating this issue is outsourcing, hiring lower waged workers, or slightly lower wages and offer bonuses for meeting certain milestones. Outsourcing to China may not be the best solution because it would raise costs in the distribution channel, which is not a desirable outcome for the long-term.Also hiring an outside work-force willing to accept a lower wage could jeopardize quality but the new employees can be instructed on how to provide quality when manufacturing the products which would generate a short term increase in costs for training. The other alternative is to move the plan to more friendly manufacturing state and slightly lower current employees’ wages if it is considered that they are higher, and also to identify areas where money can be saved .This would retain human capital which has led to productivity improvements which have averaged six per cent per year (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-4). In this section, you demonstrate your expertise by identifying a couple of different ways to solve the problem you identified in the previous section! Selected Solution to the Problem The most economical and viable solution would be to move production outside of California. Areas where costs can be saved are in the distribution of the products and in the procurement of raw materials.Scott’s should search for areas where expenses can be lowered and costs cut but that does not diminish employee morale and job satisfaction which can negatively impact productivity. The state that has been selected is Utah which has right-to-work law on the books which means lower labor costs, Utah also has a favorable regulatory climate and Utah’s 5% flat corporate tax rate is one of the lowest in the country (Badenhausen, 2012). Implemen tation Internal Stakeholders|   | External Stakeholders | Accounting- Assess budget |   | Customers- e. . Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot| Operations- Calculate costs of operational processes |   | Suppliers – Local and current raw material suppliers| Procurement- Calculate the costs of purchasing material |   | Regulatory agencies- Local government agency| Human Resources- Calculate wages and benefits of current employees, management, and executives. Identify training for new plant. Create benefit package to retain current employees. |   | Natives- Local community| Legal Department- Develop and review contracts for new facilities and suppliers.   | | Information Technology- Develop network for supply chain, operations and sales. Maintain integrity of database|   | | Initiating Process Group- Time frame- Within one month * Project Integration Management * Reason- Develop Project Charter * Project Communications Management * Reason- Identify Stakeholders Planning Pro cess Group Time frame- Within one month (to run concurrent to the initiation process) * Project Scope Management: (Within two weeks) Reason- Define Scope (Moving plant operations and distribution) and Create a work breakdown structure (WBS) * Project Procurement: (Within two weeks after project is defined) * Reason- Plan Procurements (Where, who, and how much raw materials will cost if plant is moved) * Project Risk Management: (Within two weeks after project is defined) * Reason- Plan Risk Management, Identify Risks, Plan Risk Responses, and Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis * Project Human Resources Management: (Within two weeks after project is defined) * Reason- Develop Human Resource Plan- (Calculate wages and benefits of current employees, management, and executives. Identify training for new plant. Create benefit package to retain current employees. ) * Project Quality Management: (Within two weeks after project is defined) * Reason- Plan Quality- Ensure the effective design of processes that verify customer needs, plan product life cycle and  design, produce and deliver the product or service. Project Cost Management: (Within one month of project scope) * Reason- Estimate Costs and Determine Budget * Project Time Management: (Within two weeks after project is defined) * Reason- Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Develop Schedule, Estimate Activity Durations, and Estimate Activity Resources * Project Integration: (Within one month of project scope) * Reason- Develop Project Management Plan Executing Process Group Time frame- Within six months of completing the planning phase * Project Quality Management: * Reason- Perform Quality Assurance (5% improvement from previous year) * Project Procurement Management: * Reason- Conduct Procurements (10% reduction in procurement) * Project Human Resource Management: Reason- Acquire Project Team, Develop Project Team, and Manage Project Team * Project Communications Management: * Reason- Distribute Informati on and Manage Stakeholder Expectations (30% reduction in labor costs and 20% increase in distribution speed) * Project Integration Management: * Reason- Direct & Manage Project Execution Monitoring and Controlling Process Group Time frame- Within six months * Project Scope Management * Reason- Verify Scope, Control Scope * Project Procurement Management * Reason- Administer Procurements * Project Risk Management * Reason- Monitor & Control Risks * Project Communications Management * Reason- Report Performance * Project Quality Management Reason- Perform Quality Control * Project Cost Management * Reason- Control Costs * Project Time Management * Reason- Control Schedule * Project Integration * Reason- Monitor & Control Project Work and Perform Integrated Change Control Closing Process Group Time frame- Within nine months of completing the planning phase * Project Scope Management * Reason- Verify Scope, Control Scope * Project Procurement Management * Reason- Administer Procurements * Project Risk Management: * Reason- Monitor & Control Risks * Project Communications Management * Reason- Report Performance * Project Quality Management * Reason- Perform Quality Control * Project Cost Management Reason- Control Costs * Project Time Management * Reason- Control Schedule * Project Integration * Reason- Monitor & Control Project Work and Perform Integrated Change Control * Project Integration Management * Reason- Close Project or Phase * Project Procurement Management * Reason- Close Procurements Recommendations The biggest threat facing Scotts Miracle-Gro is â€Å"high plant and labor costs of the Temecula plant† (Pearce & Robinson, 2011, p. 26-4). This has led to lower sales both domestically and internally diminishing their market share and global standing. Conclusion This concludes an in-depth analysis of Scotts Miracle-Gro.The major issue that has been identified and addressed is high internal costs of production at Scotts Temecula plant. A solution has been developed and implemented to alleviate above market expenses and to cut costs by moving production outside of California. China and other overseas markets have been excluded because quality issues would be raised and decreasing cost with just labor wages will not provide the solution to the problem, but will create other problems. A short term project plan has been identified in the report to be presented to executives and implemented by functional management. The implementation portion includes developing a project charter and identifying stakeholders within one month.A tepid budget will be created using figures submitted from the operations, procurement, human resources, and information technology departments during this process. The planning phase will also be concluded within one month developing a project scope and creating a WBS while also conducting a risk assessment of the move versus remaining in California. In addition this process will require the creating of a huma n resources and procurement plan. In three months Scott’s should be able to execute the plan provided which includes quality management of improvements of five percent above last year , procurement management reduce costs of raw material purchases, and human resource management to help reduce labor costs by ten percent.Information technology should have a network set up in this timeframe to protect integrity and integrate services between operations, sales, and distribution. The objectives should be established for the short-term and they will be monitored to determine if they are followed accordingly. This key issue is important and moving operations should not be the end-all-solution but the beginning of a continuous solution to achieve maximum consumer satisfaction and profitability. When appropriate measures are taken and if the corporate officers communicate and discuss the issue considering all the details, the best solutions will be reached to obtain long term objectiv es. References Badenhausen, K. (2012, December 12). Utah tops Forbes 2012 list of the best states Ffor business. Forbes. com.Retrieved from forbes. com: http://www. forbes. com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/12/12/utah-tops-list-of-the-best-states-for-business/ Mays, G. C. (2012, February 08). Can Scotts Miracle-Gro hit its lofty 2012 sales forecast or will it miss the target again? Seekingalpha. com. Retrieved from seekingalpha. com: http://seekingalpha. com/article/351541-can-scotts-miracle-gro-hit-its-lofty-2012-sales-forecast-or-will-it-miss-the-target-again Pearce, J. A. , & Robinson, R. B. (2011). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (12th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Appendix A SWOT Analysis Template for Scotts Miracle-GroStrengths * Large market share * Consumer loyalty| Weaknesses * Increased overhead costs * Greater dependence on large consumers| Opportunities * Lawn services * Increasing online consumer spending * Globalization| Threats * Competition * Government Regulation * Increasing prices of energy| Project Grading Criteria | Grade| Content, Focus, Use of Text/Research| Analysis and Critical Thinking| Writing Style, Grammar, APA Format (when assigned)| %| 50%| 30%| 20%| 90-100%| Response successfully answers the assignment question(s); thoroughly uses the text and other literature. | Response exhibits strong higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e. g. , evaluation). Sentences are clear, concise, and direct; tone is appropriate. Grammatical skills are strong with almost no errors per page. Correct use of APA format when assigned. | 80-89%| Response answers the assignment question(s) with only minor digressions; sufficiently uses the text and other literature. | Response generally exhibits higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e. g. true analysis). | Sentences are generally clear, concise, and direct; tone is appropriate. Grammatical skills are competent with very few errors per page. Correct use of APA format when assigned. | 70-79%| Response answers the project assignment(s) with some digression; sufficiently uses the text and other literature. Response exhibits limited higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e. g. application of information). | Sentences are occasionally wordy or ambiguous; tone is too informal. Grammatical skills are adequate with few errors per page. Adequate use of APA format when assigned. | 60-69%| Response answers the assignment question(s) but digresses significantly; insufficiently uses the text and other literature. | Response exhibits simplistic or reductive thinking and analysis but does demonstrate comprehension. | Sentences are generally wordy and/or ambiguous; tone is too informal. Grammatical skills are inadequate, clarity and meaning are impaired, numerous errors per page. Inadequate use

buy custom Racism and Anti-Semitism essay

buy custom Racism and Anti-Semitism essay Since pre-Independence time the United States of America has had challenges of racism and anti-Semitism affecting its people. American people have tried to mitigate the problem, but with limited impact due to peoples` attitude, culture, among other social economic issues. In operationalization of the terms, Dictionart.com (2005) defines racism as a doctrine or belief that intrinsically differentiates traits, behaviors, and lifestyles according to the human races. In modern times, racism signifies discrimination based on human race. Anti-Semitism, on the other hand, simply means discrimination or hatred towards Jews (ADL, 2001). It can also imply hatred to any group attributed to Jews or Jewish ethnicity and religion. Anti-Semitism started during Adolf Hitler regime in 1930s, where he spearheaded a campaign against Jews. It reached its Climax during the Second World War where Hitler killed six million Jews in Europe. Anti-Semitism since then has spread all over the world, including Am erica. On the other hand, racism became a big issue during the slave trade, where Arabs traded Africans as goods to the whites, hence African slave trade, was rampant in America (Herf, 2007). Racism and anti-Semitism are crimes against humanity, because they involve torture, discrimination and suffering of human beings (Herf, 2007). America is one of the countries, which face a big problem of presence racism among its races and anti-Semitism that results to a lot of suffering and injustice of the victims. Since colonial era, racism has been a major issue in the United States, as earlier stated. It has caused a heavy burden and suffering to the African American, Native Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans and all migrants from other countries. The Anglo Americans, commonly known as the European Americans, have more privileges and enjoy more rights than the other Americans. These privileges are seen in the following areas; literacy, education, employment, health care, and justice among other social economic benefits. Access to education undergoes racial influences since the minorities (African American, Native Americans, Latin Americans, and Asian Americans) in the US who have lack of presence in American Universities. In 2003, the then president of the United States of America made an affirmation that racism is present in America (Taylor, 2003). In his speech, he said that racial prejudice was present in the American Colleges and Campuses. Here the president made the case of affirmation that there was poor presentation of some races in access of education. Racism in learning institutions is also present in the policies, rules, regulations and student enrollment. Currently, Bob Jones University an evangelical based university in Greenville, South Carolina, has an interracial dating policy that prohibits students from different races dating (The Associated Press, 2008). This policy mainly affects the minority in the university since they cannot interact freely with the others in fear of not to be accused of interracial relationship. This discriminative policy violates civil rights of people in having relationships. Such policies in learning institutions advocate for racism and as a result, other racial discriminations arise in these institutions. For instance, the authorities have accused the same university in 2008 of being racially hurtful, because it was enrolling few minority races students in the US (The Associated Press, 2008). Due to the schools racial policy, other racial issues emerge like the issue of enrolling students in Bob Jones University. This university is just one example of many leaning institution in the US, which have racism. They blame the employment sector that discriminates Black Americans. Analysts take employment racism to be the major contribution factor to rapid increasing poverty levels among the African Americans as compared to whites. Taylor (2003) asserted that the Blacks have low chances of being employed, when the economy is flourishing, consequently having high chances of losing their jobs, when the economy is going down. Taylor (2003) also says that during economic recession, job loses affect mostly the construction and the manufacturing industry, which employ mostly the Blacks. In 2001 during the economic recessing, unemployment among the blacks rose from 10% to 11%, while there was a negligible change in job loss and unemployment among the White Americans (Taylor, 2003). For instance, at Coca-Cola company in the US (with only 18% Black employees), during the economic recession of 1990, had 42% of the black employees lose their jobs. Also in Sears, which had 15.9% Black employees, more tha n 54% who lost their jobs were the Blacks (Taylor, 2003). This is a clear inappropriate distribution of employment opportunities in American companies based on race. Still on the same issue of racism in employment, there shocking finding by University of Chicago showing that job applicants with the names, which sound black are twice not likely to be shortlisted and be called for an interview. The same study also showed that the Whites with criminal records got more interview calls, than those who are black without criminal records (Tyehimba, 2003). It is evident that there are racial policies among American companies, which remain hidden at the individual institutional level with the Blacks being discriminated in the employment sector. The racismpandemic is present in the very basic right of access to health care. African Americans experience more problems in accessing health facilities and care than white Americans. From a report by ASPE (2011), it shows that 20% of African Americans in the US do not have health coverage. As a result the Blacks in US die six years younger than the other Americans and birth mortality rates among the Blacks are twice as those of Whites. This implies that the health care system of the US has a weakness, which allows unequal access to health care. Health care is a fundamental human right that supposed to be equal to all the U.S. citizens. The justice system in the US is another sector highly affected by racism. Currently the Blacks make up 13% of the total population in America and shockingly 50% of the nations prison population is comprised of blacks (Unlocking America, 2007). The first question one would ask is, do not the Whites in America commit crime like other Whites in white dominated countries? The answer to this question lies to only one thing, racism. In Maryland, Washington D.C. and Baltimore, more than 50% of African Americans males are under jurisdiction of criminal justice (Unlocking America, 2007). Forty percent of people sentenced to death are black, while the total proportion of the Blacks in the US is only 6% (Unlocking America, 2007). In addition, Unlocking America (2007) shows that the Latinos and Blacks are much more cruelly treated than white in the juvenile justice system. All the above statistical facts show the extent of racism in the justice system in America since Blacks are out rightly disc riminated. Anti-Semitism in America Despite the US setting up many systems to control anti-Semitism, there are current instances of anti-Semitism seen. Dinnerstein (2004) claimed anti-Semitism was increasing as from a research done in 2004. Dinnersteins predictions are true as confirmed by Benari (2011) that 15% of Americans are anti-Semitic. It was on March 3, 2003, when James P. Moran (a then Democratic Congress man from Virginia) blamed the Jews for the war in Iraq (Dinnerstein, 2004). Many people in the U.S.A. considered this as an anti-Semitic statement. It was an anti-Semitic statement, because Moran accused the Jews for problems in Iraq, which is not true, because Jews played a minor role in the war in Iraq, in fact, the US was the major influence for that war but not the Jews. This was a direct false accusation to the Jews community hence the statement qualifying to be an act of anti-Semitism. In 2002, the anti-Defamation League (ADL) found out that most George Washington University faculty members were against the Israel treatment to Palestine (Dinnerstein, 2004). Later in the same year, the president of the university made a calling to the American firms to withdraw their investments in Israel. By the end of the year, other universities made a similar call including MIT, the University of California at Berkeley, Harvard, the University of Michigan and the University of Texas at Austin. The call of the major American universities for American investors to withdraw their investments in Israel was anti-Semitism, because any attack to the Israel government is an attack to the Jews. The universities were anti-Semitic by attributing the problems faced in Palestine, while not looking at other factors, which resulted to the problems in Palestine like corruption, dictatorial leadership, fanaticism and terrorism. Therefore, the skewed accusation to the Jews by the American Univers ities was an act of anti-Semitism. The other aspect that affects the Jews in the US is the hype with the media. Televisions, magazines, and newspapers help making anti-Semitic news by changing the true general picture of events to Jewish specified issue. In 2003 the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations has noted that there were a lot of misinformation on the Jews by the media (Dinnerstein, 2004). This kind of media hype may have a large effect since most of the citizens in America trust the media; therefore, if it gives inappropriate information on any issues, the citizens are likely to take it as true. Anti-Semitic statements made by the media can have a devastating effect to the nation since many will believe in the news. They spend their efforts and time to overcome anti-Semitism in the US, but there are still cases of the dreadful and it is rapidly spreading. Counter arguments on racism in America An article posted in the internet by Uroskie (2008), affirmed that there is no racism in America. In the article, the writer said that the word racist was misused and there were no racists in the US. In his argument, Uroskie (2008) said that, when someone claimed that a particular candidate is running for president, because is black, he was not a racist. He went ahead and said that people who made statements like; he is a nigger and calling a black woman, the cleaning lady were not racist. In his argument, he said that this people were racists only after making a mere statement without an actual racial did. Of course, critics like Uroskie will claim racism is not present in education, employment, health sector, and in the judiciary. In the edducation sector, the argue is continuing as for the Blacks who might be lazy and do not put efforts in studies like the Whites, as to qualify to the universities. Some critics like the scientist who claim Blacks are less intelligent than Whites would use that in defense on presence of racism in America. Critics would argue the same arguments of laziness and less intelligence among the Blacks on the issue of racism in employment, because the Whites are the majority that is why they have many jobs in the US. Others would say the access to health is not a racial issue since everyone is obliged to pay for health coverage and if one cannot afford health coverage, it is not a racial issue but an issue of poverty. This is to imply that access to health should to be not only a racial issue, but an economic issue as well. In the judiciary department, critics would say crime is a personal responsibility and not to be taken as a racial issue. They would say if a person commits a crime regardless of the race, should be prosecuted and the Blacks in jail are there, because they committed crime, but not because they are Black. This implies that the 50% Black population in prisons are criminals who deserve to be in jail. Counter arguments on anti-Semitism in America Some people believe that the new anti-Semitism overseen in the media is untrue. In their arguments, these critics claim anti-Semitism ended time ago in America, but other people want the world to believe anti-Semitism is still present in the US. One such critic is the founder (Michael Lerner) of Tikkun magazine, a magazine referred by many to as self-hating Jews magazine, who asserts that there is no anti-Semitism in America. Lerner (2007), claims that the new anti-Semitism is a propaganda created by the Jews to cover up Israels crimes against humanity to the Palestinians. He points out that the Israelites use this strategy to silence those who criticize their crimes. Learner (2007) believes that Israel policies are similar to apartheid systems. This implies that anti-Semitism accusations are untrue and are from Jews to cover up their crimes. In his article, Lerner (2007) protects the media, especially his magazine by saying that the media gives the information as it gets it and it d oes not make up stories on anti-Semitism. This is to imply that the media should be responsible for the anti-Semitism accusations in America. Response to racism in America counter-arguments Uroskie makes the most absurd argument on racism since his statements sent a racism picture. If such statements exist, they will lead to the whole society using them and claiming they are not racist. Just consider the effect such statements will have on our children. What kind of adults will they become with such philosophies like: the black woman is the cleaner? The future is wanting, if then such statements are not racial statements. The arguments made that the Blacks are lazy and less intelligent than the White is untrue. This is so, because there have been very intelligent Blacks, who have made greater contribution in science, politics, economy, sociology among the other fields. In addition, the current American President is Black and he is intelligent enough to lead such a super power country. Otherwise, it has not true scientifically that the Blacks are less intelligent than the Whites are. On the issue of health, critics are wrong in blaming poverty and poor economic status in inability of the Blacks to access health care. This is because the increasing poverty among the Blacks is a contribution of racism in America. Nonetheless, there was a proposal for universal health policy in the US, which was under criticism. This shows that their some Americans who do not want the poor to get sufficient health care. Yes, it is true that crime is a personal responsibility but not a racial issue. Do not the Whites in US commit crime like other whites in white dominated countries? Then what about the unfair treatment in the juvenile prisons of Black prisoners, is that also their responsibility? This questions drive to presence of racism in American judiciary system. Michael Lerner and other critics who think anti-Semitism is not present in America are very wrong. What Lerner is doing is defending his anti-Semitic statements and actions since the war of Palestine and Israel is an issue of land, but not race. Israel has a right to defend its land as well as any other country. Therefore, it does no wrong in doing so. Implicating that Israel has apartheid system of governance is an anti-Semitism statement since Israelites are Jews. In addition, Lerner uses his magazines to spread anti-Semitic messages, and if it is not true then why does his magazine refer to as self hating Jews magazine? Media like Lerners magazine is truly spreading anti-Semitism to Americans. From the arguments raised above, it is lucid that racism and anti-Semitism are present in America and it is time for the Americans to face the bull on its horns and deals with the racism and anti-Semitism before they affect the entire country. Buy custom Racism and Anti-Semitism essay

Applying to Go to Graduate School for a Different Major

Applying to Go to Graduate School for a Different Major Many students find that their career would benefit from additional studies that differ from their bachelors degrees. They may learn that their interests lie in a different field than their major or that their current field has grown and new avenues for study have emerged since their earlier years in academia. Demonstrate Your Capabilities While your graduate options are not limited by your college major, you still, however, have to work hard to demonstrate that youre a good candidate for graduate programs in your newly chosen field. Admittance to graduate school is all about how well you match the program. If you can demonstrate that you have the experiences and competencies to succeed, that may help your chances of getting accepted. Focus on the skills and life experiences that led you to switch your studies. Seek Related Experience Most graduate programs in biology will not accept a student without undergraduate science coursework. This is true of most areas of graduate study. To demonstrate competence you might consider engaging in internships or additional coursework. If, for example, your bachelors degree is in psychology and you wish to apply to a masters program in biology, take some science courses can demonstrate that you have a solid science background. Check your local community college or look into online courses. Take the Subject GRE If youre switching fields of study, its in your best interest to take the Subject GRE, even though its likely not required. A solid score on this exam illustrates your mastery of the subject matter, which can show your ability to succeed in the new field. Get Certified While a certificate is not the same as a graduate degree, many programs are rigorous and can be a great precursor to your next degree. Certifications are often affordable and can be done in a short period of time, and they can prove your mastery of the material. Some certificate programs offer courses similar to those youd find in graduate school and can prepare you for the rigorous studies ahead. Use Your Admissions Essay to Demonstrate Your Fit Your graduate school admissions essay is your opportunity to speak to the graduate committee. Use this essay to show how your education and experiences specifically align with the graduate program.  Some fields, like law, relate to many courses of study. Discuss your interest in the field and how your experiences have prepared you to succeed in the field. Draw attention to courses youve taken or experiences that illustrate your interest or competence in the area to which you aspire. For example, as a psychology major who wishes to study biology, emphasize the aspects of your education that overlap with biology, such as the emphasis on understanding the brain as an influence on behavior, as well courses in methodology and statistics, and your research experience. Explain why youre making a transition from one field to another, why you have the background to do so, why youll be a good graduate student, as well as your career goals. Ultimately graduate school admissions committees want to see evidence of your interest, knowledge, and competence. They want to know if you have the ability to fulfill degree requirements and if youre a good risk.  Keep the admissions committees perspective in mind, and youll have an advantage in the admissions process despite having the wrong undergraduate major.

Ideological analysis of two different magazines Essay

Ideological analysis of two different magazines - Essay Example The magazine was founded in 1977. Acquired by Werner Media in 1986, it currently has a circulation of 1.7 million, and a web site that has approximately 2 million unique hits a month. Upon first glance of U.S. Weekly, the reader is bombarded with images of fashion, stereotypical beauty, and often current scandals in the entertainment world. Glamorous ideals promoting the everyday lives of the wealthy, and advertisements centered on makeup, lingerie, acne medication, and ads for television shows that are marketed to woman as well, make up the majority of the sponsors. On the cover of issue 629 March 5, 2007, there were three main pictures on the front cover. One was of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie walking their newly born and adopted children in dual strollers through the streets; below this was a picture of a very glamorous and happy looking newly coupled Kate Moss and Owen Wilson, both with bright blond hair, shiny white teeth and blues eyes. Next to these two small photos, was a hu ge leading photograph of Britney Spears with a partly shaved head and a lead title statement saying, Help Me. This cover page gives perfect insight into the magazines ideology, in that it shows what ideals the editors promote as well as what goes against their values. By U.S. Weekly degrading Britney Spears for shaving her head, as apposed to putting it in a positive light, or doing any genuine investigative/informative journalism on her motives, the magazine takes a definite stance. Using Spear’s image in this way is a combination of exploitative scandal, and the magazines way of taking a finite stance against her fashion decision, but it takes it even further. The fact that she cuts her hair is not treated as just a fashion mistake, but as a sign that she needs psychological analyses. Her personal and family life is put in question and she is virtually crucified by the magazine for simply cutting her hair. Of course, the hair she cut was the key

Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Paper 1 - Essay Example Nevertheless, this analysis holds that Clausewitz theories of warfare were not only applicable during the previous wars, but are still applicable in the 21st century military strategy. According to Clausewitz theories of war, the application of physical force and material strength is essential for earning victory during a war (Peter et al., 1986). Nevertheless, considering the fact that physical force and material strength does not always result in victory due to the counter-tactics that are employed by the enemy side, then it becomes essential to ensure that the moral factor becomes the fundamental principle in the war strategy. According to Clausewitz, the moral factor in war represents the calculation of the mistakes of the enemy and then responding with a daring action, even in the times of desperation, when it becomes eminent that victory may not be achieved after all (Gat, 1993). The moral principle therefore emerges as the most important factor in Clausewitz theory of war, since it is the moral principle that enables the military to calculate the likelihood of attaining victory in a war, and when such likelihood seems not to be forthcoming, then it is upon the military to take up the defeat bravely. The moral principle serves for both victory and defeat. In the times of war, it is very important that the military approaches the war with the possibility of victory on its side (Peter et al., 1986). However, since victory is never guaranteed in a war, it is also prudent to act against the possibility of victory, when it seems that there is nothing better to do in the circumstances. This is the ultimate test of moral principle in warfare, although it is very hard to attain during a war, since the moral forces cannot be reduced into sketches, maps or written strategies, but these forces can only be seen and felt (Peter et al., 1986). The evaluation of the Clausewitz Moral Theory of War through the lens of the Civil Strategy

Bilingualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bilingualism - Essay Example 183). Romaine (2000, p.2) notes that growing up bilingual means learning to be competent in two languages and this ultimately means compiling knowledge from two languages. This paper examines the potential advantages and disadvantages of growing up bilingual by first analysing the concept and process of acquiring bilingualism. The outcome of acquiring bilingualism will also be analysed. By taking this approach the challenges and how those challenges carry over in practice will provide a robust indication of the advantages and disadvantages of growing up bilingual. There appears to be two perspectives. Research dating back to 1913 reveals that growing up bilingual has a number of benefits particularly socially, culturally and linguistically. Other researchers argue that growing up bilingual limits the child’s ability to retain and extend his/her own language and creates distance from its own culture, society and impedes intellectual possibilities (Makin, Diaz and McLachlan 2007 , p. 205). Learning another language is expected to create some challenges particularly for the small child who is learning to speak generally. Theoretically at least, growing up bilingual must be particularly challenging for children who are learning to count, read and spell. Learning these basic functions in one language is difficult enough. Therefore it is not difficult to believe that growing up bilingual can inhibit the child’s intellectual possibilities. However, children who are exposed to two languages do have the opportunity to learn valuable linguistic skills and to exercise their respective cognitive skills in ways that monolingual children do not. The research sheds light on whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages to growing up bilingual. I. Definition and Process of Bilingualism A. Definition Defining bilingualism has proven difficult as researchers are divided on what it means to be bilingual. Some researchers prefer a narrow definition of bilin gualism and insist that in order to be bilingual, an individual must be â€Å"very close to two monolinguals† (Reicholf-Wilscher 2008, p. 14). Other researchers in more recent times have preferred a broader definition of bilingualism, and have regarded bilingualism as a â€Å"common human condition that makes it possible for an individual to function, at some level, in more than one language† (Reicholf-Wilscher 2008, p. 14). Bilingualism means that children will be exposed to more than one culture and language at a very young age, most often at birth if they are growing up bilingual. There are obvious challenges for the young child as he/she begins the learning process. On the other hand, once the child learns two languages, this can be beneficial to the child later on. For instance if the family speaks one language at home and the child enters a school that teaches in another language, learning two languages will not only be necessary but beneficial to the childâ€⠄¢s education. Farther on, as the child enters adulthood, being bilingual will provide greater flexibility and opportunities in the job markets. However,if claims that bilingual children can suffer intellectual setbacks are believed, having flexibility and greater job opportunities is not only necessary but compensatory. B. The Process of Bilingualism In a majority of cases in which children become bilingual, the process of bilingualism occurs naturally and is

Entrepreneurs Personal Characteristics And Influence On Growth Commerce Essay

Entrepreneurs Personal Characteristics And Influence On Growth Commerce Essay Barons (2002) definition of entrepreneurship indicates that entrepreneurship involves a complex process in which specific individuals recognize opportunities and then act to convert them into tangible economic benefits by setting up a new business. This corresponds with Schumpeters (1934, from: Elliot, 1983) early definition of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs. He states that an enterprise is a carrying out of new combinations and entrepreneurs are the individuals whose function it is to carry them out. According to Schumpeter everyone is an entrepreneur only when he is actually carrying out new combinations, and he loses that character as soon as he built up his business. The entrepreneur then becomes only a small business owner (Carland et al., 1984). In this report I use Schumpeters definition of entrepreneurs and with that focus on entrepreneurs that started a business recently. Several meta-analyses have shown that entrepreneurs differ from other groups in terms of a broad range of personality (Zhao et al., 2010). The five-factor model (FFM) of personality provides a meaningful and generalizable taxonomy for studying these differences. The FFM consists of five relatively independent dimensions: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience (Wang and Erdheim, 2007). Each dimension reflects certain personal characteristics. Small businesses are different from large organizations. Their characteristics are that they are reactive, fire-fighting mentality, have resource limitations, informal strategies and flexible structures (Terziovski, 2010). While small firms opportunity-seeking skills may be strong, their limited knowledge stocks and lack of market power inhibit their ability to enact the competitive advantages necessary to appropriate value from opportunities the firms choose to pursue (Ketchen et al., 2007). This paper consists of a literature study on the personal characteristics of entrepreneurs and their influence on small business growth. Scientific literature will be consulted to study this relationship. I have chosen to investigate the relationship between an entrepreneurs personal characteristics and their influence on small business growth because I am interested in entrepreneurship and because I am working on setting up my own small business. It is an interesting topic because there are not many articles written about it and I think it can give entrepreneurs insights in how to use certain personal characteristics to make a positive contribution to the growth of their small business. The research question of the paper is: To what extent are an entrepreneurs personal characteristics of influence on small business growth? The sub questions are: How can personality be defined? Which personal characteristics are according to the literature specific for an entrepreneur? What are the characteristics of the small business sector? What kind of challenges will an entrepreneur face after starting up a business? The paper will be structured as follows. In the next section I will put up a definition of personality and review the Five Factor Model. Some insights about personal characteristics of entrepreneurs that are written about in the literature are also being discussed. After that a section is dedicated to the characteristics of the small business sector and what kind of challenges entrepreneurs face after starting up their business. Section 4 consists of an analysis where the insights from the foregoing two sections are combined. I will also analyze and discuss the results of an interview with an entrepreneur in this section. In the last section a conclusion will be given with a concrete answer to the sub questions and the research question. I will also discuss the limitations of this study and some recommendations for future studies. Figure 1 summarizes the paper structure. Figure 1: Paper structure An entrepreneurs personal characteristics In this section an overview is given of an entrepreneurs personal characteristics that are elaborated on in the literature. First a definition of personality will be given. In the same section The Five Factor personality Model (FFM) is explored because in this model certain personal characteristics are grouped together into five different personality dimensions. After that other personal characteristics that are quoted in the literature are being discussed. The goal of this section is to derive a set of personal characteristics from the literature that are typical for entrepreneurs and match them to the dimensions of the FFM. Personality and the Five Factor Model This paragraph starts with a definition of personality. After that I will explain the FFM model and specify an amount of personal characteristics that are typical for the five dimensions of the model. Personality can be defined as enduring dispositions that cause characteristics patterns of interaction with the environment (Parks and Guay, 2009). Personality consists of personality traits that are endogenous basic tendencies tied to underlying biophysiological response systems. They are strongly heritable, immune to social and parental influences and quite stable throughout maturity (Olver and Mooradian, 2003). In the 1990s consensus was reached about five broad categories of personality. These five categories together are called the Five Factor personality Model. The five FFM dimensions are: Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability/Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Openness to experience (Parks and Guay, 2009; Wang and Erdheim, 2007; Zhao et al., 2010). Conscientiousness refers to making deliberate choices and being reliable. The personal characteristics that belong to this dimension are being careful, thorough, responsible, motivated, organized and efficient. Emotional stability/neuroticism represents the individual differences in the tendency to experience distress and the typical behaviors that are associated with it. According to Parks and Guay (2009) emotional stability refers to the characteristics self-confident, resilient and well-adjusted. According to Wang and Erdheim (2007) neuroticism is the opposite of emotional stability and is being anxious, depressed, emotional, worried and insecure. The third dimension, extraversion, refers to being ambitious, talkative, assertive, and sociable. Agreeableness consists of the social aspect of personality, that is being friendly, cooperative, loyal, courteous, good-natured and tolerant. Finally, openness to experience refers to the characteristics curious, imaginative, open-minded and artistically sensitive. This dimension reflects the creative side of personality. According to Zhao et al. (2010) these five dimensions do not cover all personality traits, so they expanded the model with the dimension Risk propensity. Risk propensity can be defined as the willingness to pursue decisions or courses of action involving uncertainty regarding success or failure outcomes. This was a short explanation about personality and the FFM. In the next paragraph I will discuss several personality traits of entrepreneurs that were elaborated on in literature. An entrepreneurs personal characteristics In this paragraph I will start with Schumpeters theory about the psychology of the entrepreneur. After that several personal characteristics of an entrepreneur that are reviewed in the literature will be discussed. Schumpeter (1934, from: Elliot, 1983) was one of the first to discuss the personal characteristics of the entrepreneur. He argues that there is the dream and the will to found a private kingdom, usually, though not necessarily, also a dynasty. Then there is the will to conquer: the impulse to fight, to prove oneself superior to others, to succeed for the sake, not of the fruits of success, but of success itself. Finally, there is the joy of creating, of getting things done, or simply of exercising ones energy and ingenuity (p. 93). After Schumpeter several other researchers investigated the psychology of the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs differ from the rest of the population in a number of ways (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005; Brandstà ¤tter, 1997; Zhao et al., 2010). Entrepreneurs can be characterized by an incentive structure based on individual responsibility and effort, and a strong work ethic (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005). This means that they think that the state should not take more responsibility, private ownership should be increased, that unemployed should not have the right to refuse a job and success is not a matter of luck and connections but of hard work. Brandstà ¤tter (1997) attaches an entrepreneurs personal characteristics to some situational characteristics that are common to all entrepreneurs. First, it is the absence of people who give orders, set goals and control the outcome. This means that entrepreneurs are more individually oriented than other people (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005). A second aspect is the insecurity. There is always the risk of economic failure that entrepreneurs have to deal with. They dont need to be upset or worried very easily, so emotional stability is a prerequisite for entrepreneurs. This corresponds with the vision of Zhang et al. (2009). They mention that the level of neuroticism was a key predictor of centrality in advice and friendship networks. People that score low on the level of neuroticism tend to obtain central positions in advice and friendship networks and people high in neuroticism tended to become the center of adversarial networks. Because social networks are very important for entrepreneurs, these results suggest that entrepreneurs have to be emotional stable. The third characteristic Brandstà ¤tter (1997) defines is the demand for social contact. Entrepreneurs have to convince their customers of the usefulness of their product and they have to keep in touch with them to fulfill their needs. Finally, entrepreneurs have to be ready to try out new ideas and respond quickly to changes around them. This means that entrepreneurs have to be more innovative than others. Another characteristic of entrepreneurs is that they score high on the extraversion dimension (Zhang et al., 2009). This seems logical because extraverted people tend to have more social skills and this is important for entrepreneurs because they have to persuade different stakeholders. Baron (2002) supports this vision. He states that entrepreneurs who are successful in generating enthusiasm in others, may be significantly more successful than those who are not. Smith-Hunter et al. (2003) defined the most researched personal characteristics from the traditional school, that is a group of researchers who focused on the personality characteristics of the individual. These characteristics are locus of control (Poon et al., 2006), risk-taking (Zhao et al., 2010), achievement motivation (Poon et al., 2006), and problem solving style and innovativeness (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005; Schumpeter, 1934, from: Elliot, 1983). Locus of control can be defined as peoples perception of their ability to exercise control over the environment (Poon et al., 2006). People with an internal locus of control believe that their own effort determines certain outcomes in life, whereas people with an external locus of control believe that outcomes are determined by external factors they cant influence. Locus of control is one of the classical themes in the entrepreneurial trait research that differentiate entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005; Poon et al., 2006). Entrepreneurs are characterized by a more internal locus of control (Dvir et al., 2010). Many recent studies have focused on the relationship between the locus of control and an entrepreneurs level of self-efficacy (Smith-Hunter et al., 2003). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy is the degree to which people perceive themselves as having the ability to successfully perform the various roles and tasks of entrepreneurship (Hmieleski and Baron, 2008). Hmieleski and Baron (2008) investigated that self-efficacy is moderated by the degree of optimism and the industry conditions. The results of their study indicate that (1) in dynamic environments, entrepreneurial self-efficacy exerts positive effects on performance for firms led by moderately optimistic entrepreneurs, but exerts negative effects on performance for firms led by entrepreneurs who are highly optimistic and (2) in stable environments, the effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on firm performance are less clear and not moderated by the degree of optimism. The opinions about the characteristic risk-taking are diverse. Some researchers found that entrepreneurs are high risk takers (Zhao et al., 2010), but others mention that entrepreneurs are moderate risk takers (Xu and Ruef, 2004). There are two forms of risk tolerance that may lead individuals to entrepreneurial activity, strategic and non-strategic (Xu and Ruef, 2004). In strategic risk tolerance rational actors actively prefer low-probability, high payoff outcomes. In non-strategic risk tolerance rational actors need not have active risk preferences, but only appear to prefer low-probability, high payoff outcomes because their information on the distribution of outcomes is based on conditions of imperfect knowledge. The need to achieve refers to a desire to do well in order to achieve a sense of personal accomplishment (Poon et al., 2006). The need to achieve can be related to the characteristics desire for independence (Dvir et al., 2010; Poon et al., 2006) and risk-taking propensity (Zhao et al., 2010). People who have a high need for achievement possess five critical attributes (Smith-Hunter et al., 2003). High achievers like situations where they can take responsibility. They like rapid feedback on their performance, so they can criticize their own improvements. They avoid very easy or very difficult tasks and they dislike succeeding by chance. They prefer striving to achieve targets and the last characteristic is that they are interested in concrete knowledge about the results of their decisions. Finally innovation and problem solving capabilities are expected to be the core of the entrepreneurial capability of an entrepreneur (Smith-Hunter et al., 2003). Schumpeter (1934, from: Elliott, 1983) mentioned that creative destruction, whereby new products and processes replace old ones, is more important than price competition among existing firms and products. This means that entrepreneurs are more innovative than non-entrepreneurs (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005). For this end the most important characteristics of an entrepreneur that were cited in literature were discussed. Dvir et al. (2010) mentioned the most frequently cited personality traits of entrepreneurs. These are the desire to be independent (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005), internal locus of control (Poon et al., 2006), creativity or innovativeness (Schumpeter, 1934, from: Elliott, 1983), risk-taking propensity (Xu and Ruef, 2004; Zhao et al., 2010), need for achievement (Poon et al., 2006), and credible role models. In the next paragraph the above mentioned characteristic will be related to the FFM dimensions. An entrepreneurs personality traits and their relation with the FFM dimensions The characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraph can be related to the dimensions of the FFM. The five dimensions were Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability/Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Openness to experience. The extra dimension added by Zhao et al. (2010) was risk propensity. Because of the strong work ethic (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005) and the high need for achievement (Poon et al., 2006) entrepreneurs score high on the conscientiousness dimension. Conscientiousness has been found to be a consistent predictor of job performance across occupations involving managing others and sales performance (Ciavarella et al., 2004). Emotional stability is a prerequisite for entrepreneurs because of the insecurity they have to deal with (Brandstà ¤tter, 1997). People that score high on the level of emotional stability tend to obtain central positions in advice and friendship networks (Zhang et al., 2009). An internal locus of control (Poon et al., 2006) and mostly a high level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (Hmieleski and Baron, 2009) are specific for an entrepreneurs emotional stability. Entrepreneurs also score high on the extraversion dimension (Zhao et al., 2010). The reason for this is that being extraverted should facilitate the development of social networks, ultimately resulting in stronger partnerships with suppliers and customers, which is very important for entrepreneurs (Ciavarella et al., 2004). The characteristics of extraversion are being ambitious, talkative, assertive, and sociable (Parks and Guay, 2009). According to Ciavarella et al. (2004) agreeableness is an interpersonal factor that focuses on the quality of relationships through cooperation and trust. Entrepreneurs who establish trusting, flexible, and courteous relationships with their customers should expect to reap the profits of repeat business. Zhao et al. (2010) expected that, given the limited margin for unselfish behavior and the high likelihood of guarded and even conflictual interpersonal relationships associated with entrepreneurship, there would be a negative relationship between agreeableness and entrepreneurial intentions. However their results have shown that this is not true and that entrepreneurs do score high on agreeableness and with that are highly cooperative and reliable. Openness to experience describes the extent to which individuals tend to be curious, creative, and open to new ideas, which relates to self-direction values, those are beliefs that individuals ought to be independent and self-directed (Parks and Guay, 2009). Successful entrepreneurship is likely to require constant information monitoring and learning to keep up with changing tastes and market trends, competitor behavior, and new Technologies (Zhao et al., 2010). This indicates that entrepreneurs are more innovative than non-entrepreneurs (Beugelsdijk and Noorderhaven, 2005) and that they score high on openness to experience. For the last dimension, risk propensity, the visions are not always the same. Zhao et al. (2010) argue that entrepreneurs are characterized by a high risk propensity, while Xu and Ruef (2004) argue that entrepreneurs are moderate risk-takers. The goal of this second section was to derive a set of personal characteristics for an entrepreneur from the literature and relate them to the FFM dimensions. After first discussing the FFM model and after that, reviewing the personal characteristics of an entrepreneur, I attached the personal characteristics to the dimensions of the FFM. With this the second section is finished. In the next section I will discuss the characteristics of the small business sector. Because of the focus on entrepreneurs that recently started their business, some challenges they face will also be reviewed.