Case Study - Strategic Leadership Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

- Strategic Leadership - Case Study Example It has been equally focused on all the four main areas which facilitate exploitation of volume opportunities vis-a-vis retail, commercial, advertisement and specialty; and premium market. It has been able to efficiently exploit various marketing tools like prolific advertising on all leading media, attractive packaging, promoting eye-catching displays on point of purchase and lastly becoming proactive participants in trade and consumer promotion campaigns. The company has expanded its market across region and geographical boundaries through effective distribution and supply chain management. Providing a wide range of well differentiated writing product lines which are inexpensive but quality driven has also been part of vital marketing strategy of the company. b. Financial policy The company is goal driven and its budgeting is dependent on the short term and long term goals of the company that it formulates from time to time. At the same time it realizes that as its business expands, more formal financial strategy would need to be evolved for effective delivery of its long term vision and mission. Presently, its financial strategy is mainly focused on three areas: To ensure plant expansion through mortgage loan, short term loan and using cash-in-hand. It believes that its good credit rating would greatly help in acquiring large financial assistance so as to exploit opportunities for acquisition, merger and new product development for maintaining leverage against their rivals in the industry. The company’s compensation policy is focused on the welfare of the workforce. It has offered purchase option of its shares to its workforce. While initially the dividend policy was at the discretion of its owner Mr. Bich, now as a public limited company, it considers that 20-25% of the earning is a good target dividend for its workers which it distributes amongst them as bonus. It also is one of the best pay masters as regards the assets. Thus, satisfied workforce en sures optimal performance that significantly contributes to the profit margin. c. Manufacturing The company has developed highly integrated state of the art manufacturing process that is capable of mass production of quality goods at relatively low cost. The parent company, Societe BIC of France has provided its American counterpart with the machinery, production technology and R&D know how. Quality control norms are strictly followed that considerably reduces cost due to mass production. The company has expanded its plant manufacturing capacities through better technology, benchmarking and regular training of its workers so that it becomes cost effective. d. Human Resource Policy The managerial leadership of the company is highly motivating and labor friendly. Workers’ participation is encouraged during decision making process and development of joint goals that align with long term objectives of the company. They are regularly encouraged to take part in quality control prog rams and grievances and conflicts are resolved through weekly meetings. The company has not used redundancy in its HR policy and instead has retrained workers for other positions that are linked to increased production. Answer 2 BIC’s strategy is to dominate the market of writing products and increase profits by selling large volume of inexpensive pens through channels that cater to mass market. Answer 3

Animal Farm, Snowball Essay Example for Free

Animal Farm, Snowball Essay He led a revolution, became a scapegoat, and was exiled from his home lane. This person was Leon Trotsky, a Russian Marxist revolutionary. In the novel Animal Farm, Trotsky came out through a pig named Snowball. Throughout the novel, Trotsky is brought up more and more through snowball. Leon Trotsky is represented through Snowball by the many life events they had in common. Snowball was chased away from the farm and became an exile by Napoleons trained dogs. In Trotsky’s life, he too became an exile from his home. He sent away and banned from returning. In addition, Napoleon claimed that all the ideas that had come from Snowball were actually all his own creations. â€Å"One of them all but closed his jaws on Snowballs tail, but Snowball whisked it free just in time. Then he put on an extra spurt†¦ slipped through a hole†¦ and was seen no more†(68). This is a quote from the scene where Snowball becomes banned from the farm. After Snowball takes charge over the farm for some time, his comrade, Napoleon comes to despise him. Snowball and Napoleon never agree on anything. Napoleon did not want the animals to side with Snowball, he always argued against Snowballs ideas and was never friendly towards him. What also went on was Napoleon, showing his hatred for Snowball, examined the layouts Snowball had made for the windmill and urinated over the plans. Napoleon showed his disgust by urinating on something that was important to Snowball. â€Å"†¦looked closely at every detail of the plans†¦ then suddenly he [Napoleon] lifted his leg, urinated over the plans, and walked away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (65). Obviously the action that Napoleon just committed shows hatred for Snowball. After Snowball was gone from the farm, he became a scapegoat for Napoleon. It was suddenly Snowballs fault that the windmill had collapsed. Napoleon needed a reason for it to have fallen, and who better to blame than Snowball, that way the animals would want revenge by building a stronger one; exactly what Napoleon wanted. In addition, it was announced that Snowball had been sneaking onto the farm to steal corn, break eggs and what not. Whatever bad thing that occurred was automatically put on Snowball by Napoleon. â€Å"Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball†(88). With hardly ever any proof, Snowball was always the scapegoat. In conclusion, it is obvious how Snowball went through the events of Leon Trotsky’s life. From having his ideas stolen to becoming a scapegoat, he led the life of a famous revolutionary leader, though it wasn’t a very good life, he made a big impact on all of his comrades and will never be forgotten.

Examining the impact of the Enron Corporate Scandal

Examining the impact of the Enron Corporate Scandal Enron is an energy-based company in Houston, Texas that deals with the energy trade on international and domestic based. Enron Corp. Is one of the worlds largest energy, commodities and Services Company was created out of merger of two major gas pipe line in 1985. Enron was created by merge between Houston Natural Gas and Internorth. Houstons gass CEO Kenneth lay headed the merger of the two companies. After that Kenneth lay become the CEO of Enron. Earlier Enron was Enron was solely involved with the distribution and transmission of electricity and gas of United States. In merger, Enron incurred a large amount of debt, and which resulted deregulation, after this Enron was no longer had the rights of its pipelines. The company had to find a way to generate profits and cash flow. Kenneth lay hired Jeffrey Skilling to work for Enron as an accountant. Skilling suggested the practice of buying gas from a network of suppliers and selling it to it consumers at the fixed price with a contract. Enron was interested in the expansion, building, and operation of the pipelines, power plants, and other infrastructure. After just a year of operation Enron merged with a company called spectrum seven, a company whose chairman and CEO is the former president of United States, George W. Bush After just a year of operation. In 1999, Enron tried to expand their company by creating the Azurix Corporation, a water utility company. Overall the Azurix Corporation proved unsuccessful financially. The Azurix Corporation, due to their failure to make an entrance into the market, went under. Enron allegedly became successful, trading over eight hundred different products worldwide. Enron was named Americas Most Innovative Company by Fortune magazine from 1996 to 2001. Enron was on Fortunes 100 Best Companies to work for In America in 2000. The companys future appeared to be bright and promising continued success. Enron faced many accusations of building links to political power. The companys connection to George W. Bush, and Houstons local politics has received much attention in recent past. In 1986, Enron was involved with Bushs company in joint drilling for oil. There are reports that Kenneth Lay and George W. Bush even shared friendship. Kenneth lay has employed politicians who have worked under George W. Bush also signed off on a law that deregulated Texass electrical markets, which coincidentally resulted in large profits for Enron. The company also had political links that reached outside of the United States. Enron created a massive and highly expensive power plant in India, even though many Indian citizens and the World Bank strenuously objected. Allegedly protesters in India were beaten up and arrested. The United States ambassador to India, who opposed the plant eventually, joined the board of Enron oil and gas The screws came loose in August 2001, when Jeffrey Skilling, the CEO resigned from office for unknown reasons. By October 2001, Enron experienced its first quarter where they did not report a profit. On November 8th, 2001 Enron told the SEC it was restating its earnings since 1997, reducing income by $. ENRON SCANDAL In Enrons original natural gas business, the accounting had been fairly straightforward in each time period, the company listed actual costs of supplying the gas and actual revenues received from selling it. However, when skilling joined the company, he demanded that the trading business adopt mark- to -market accounting, citing that it would reflect true economic value. Enron became the first non-financial company to use the method to account for its complex long- term contracts. Mark-to-market accounting requires that once a long-term contract was signed, income be estimated as the present value of net future cash flows. Often, the viability of these contracts and their related costs were difficult to judge .Due to large discrepancies of attempting to match profits and cash, investors were typically given false or misleading reports. While using the method, income from projects could be recorded, which increased financial earnings. However, in future years, the profits could not be included, so new and additional income had to be included from more projects to develop additional growth to appease investors. However, Enron later expanded its use to other areas in company to help it meet Wall Street projections. Here are some detailed frauds in the Enrons financial statement: Enrons auditor applied reckless standards in their audit, which was showing conflict between interests. Enron financial statement showed the booking costs of cancelled projects as assets, with the rationale that to no official letter had stated that the project was cancelled. This method was known as the snowball, and although it was initially dictated that stay under $90 million, it was later extended to $200 million where all found strange transactions. Like erratic cash flow and huge debt. Enron was estimated to have about $23billion in liabilities, both debt outstanding and guaranteed loans. Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in particular appeared to have significant amounts to lose with Enrons fall. Additionally, many of Enrons major assets were pledged to lenders in order to secured loans, throwing into doubt what if anything unsecured creditors and eventually stockholders might receive in bankruptcy proceedings. IMPACT The collapse of Enron, the largest bankruptcy in U.S history, which led to thousands of employees losing their jobs and their life saving plans tied to the companys stock, which was calculated as 401(k). Reputation of Andersen, Enrons auditing firm, is damaged after company official admitted that thousands of Enron documents were destroyed. Those events lead to flurry of probes, including a criminal investigation by the U.S justice department of Enron .The SEC and the Labor department as well as six congressional committees-is also investigating the companys collapse. Enron officials have donated millions of dollars to Republicans and Democrats alike. At the heart of Enrons troubles were numerous outside partnerships, set up to keep debt off its books, which were reviewed by Andersen. In addition, it was revealed that Enron has paid no income taxes in four of the last five years, using almost 900 subsidiaries in tax-haven countries and other techniques. A major issue brought to light by the scandal is Andersen dual role as Enrons auditor and consultant, which critics claim is a serious conflict of interest. Andersen has been accused of over looking the huge sums of money kept off Enrons books because Enron represented a potential $100 million -a- year in fees to the auditor. Enron fired Andersen as the feuding corporations both came under growing scrutiny for their roles in the collapse of the worlds largest energy trading company. REFEENCES http://www.lawyershop.com/practice-areas/criminal-law/white-collar-crimes/securities-fraud/lawsuits/enron/ http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/enron.html http://www.freeinfosociety.com/site.php?postnum=2308 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal

Dying with Grace, Living in Peace: Hospice Care in America Essay exampl

The beginning of life is celebrated. Books and resources are shared among friends and family in preparation for becoming a new parent. So, what happens as one approaches the end of life? Unfortunately, the same care and sharing rarely occurs in those circumstances and many face the process of dying unprepared. Though most people state they would prefer to die at home, this is often not where death occurs. Many Americans spend their last days attached to medical apparatus that keeps the body alive, but it does not allow for communication with family and often requires heavy sedation. Additionally, this level of treatment comes at a high price. As a society, we must become as comfortable in addressing the end of life process as we are with the beginning of life. One way that this can be done more effectively is through increased knowledge and use of hospice care. Hospice care is a viable option that provides health care cost savings, comfort to the patient, and support to the caregivers, however as hospice systems become more commercialized, care must be taken to avoid the pitfalls that are inherent in larger organizations. Hospice care is a relatively young option in the United States, with the first hospice organization founded in 1971 after gaining acceptance in England in the 1950s (Jensen, 2012). Hospice care is provided to those who are diagnosed with a terminal condition that is expected to culminate in death within six months. Unlike regular health care which focuses on curative procedures, hospice services focus on the comfort of the patient in order to ease the process of dying. These services provide benefits to the patient and the caregivers, as well as showing cost savings. It is no secret that health... ...NHPCO facts and figures: Hopice care in America. Alexandria, VA. Perry, J. E., & Stone, R. C. (2011). In the business of dying: Questioning the commercialization of hospice. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 39(2), 224-234. doi:1111/j.1748-720X.2011.0059.x Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2012). Quality of life at the end of life: A guide to hospice and palliative care at home or in a hospice facility. Retrieved from Helpguide.org: www.helpguide.org/elder/hospice_care.htm Seeger, P. (2012). Turn, turn, turn lyrics. Retrieved from metrolyrics.com: http://www.metrolyrics.com/turn-turn-turn-to-everything-there-is-a-season-lyrics-the-byrds.html Taylor, D., Ostermann, J., Houtven, C. V., Tulsky, J., & Steinhauser, K. (2007). What length of hospice use maximizes reduction in medical expenditures near death in the US Medicare program? Social Science & Medicine, 1466-1478.

Mexican American Essay

This week we learned how Mexicans are stereotyped negatively in the media, they are Stereotyped as being only portrayed as having very low paying jobs and as criminals. Furthermore even in the Latin media in telenovelas the actresses are mainly white with blonde hair. Seeing Mexicans portrayed as heroes is a rarity because according to the society Mexicans are minorities. Another stereotype is that almost all Mexicans are illegal’s. Discrimination was also a big issue in the 20th century, Mexicans-Americans were lynched in the years of 1848 and 1928. Furthermore, even in restaurants Mexicans were discriminated against in the same manner as African Americans before they had their civil rights. The debate that we were discussing was how wrong it was for Mexicans to be discriminated against in this way. In addition, statistics show that only 7 percent of Mexican-Americans graduate from college, meaning that an education isn’t really a top priority for Mexican Americans. In children’s cartoons it is rare to find a latino or latina character with a positive Influence, for example speedy Gonzalez was invented because of an affair that the wife of the creator of the cartoon had with a Mexican, in my opinion this is simply ridiculous and it simply made Mexicans look bad morally. Another example that as a class we looked at were Disney princesses, the first Disney princess to be made in face does not look â€Å"latina†. Typical Latinas have tan skin and brown eyes yet the new princess is fair skinned with green eyes. This only shows that according to American creators a princess cannot be brown or she is considered â€Å"ugly†. In my opinion this is simply racist and it only makes latina girls who have brown skin feel inferior to fair skinned girls. According to statistics a small amount of Americans view Mexicans as violent, dirty and as drunkards simply because of how the media has portrayed them In the media. These media portrayals and in my opinion they should show how Mexicans really are by that i mean the honest hardworking men and women that have helped this country become such a great country.

Chinese Customs for Meeting New People

Chinese Customs for Meeting New People When it comes to making friends or meeting new clients, knowing the proper Chinese customs will help you make the best first impression possible. Tips for Meeting New People 1. Learning a little Chinese goes a long way. While it’s not necessary to master Chinese, learning to say a few phrases will help break the ice. Say ‘Hello’ on the telephone in ChineseSay Hello in Chinese.Say ‘How Are You?’ in ChineseSay â€Å"My Name is ___† in Chinese 2. While the Chinese prefer to bow at the waist for formal ceremonies and special events, a handshake and hello are becoming more and more popular. Always stand when being introduced and remain standing until introductions have been completed. You are expected to shake hands with everyone even if the delegation is rather large. 3. Immediately upon introduction, present your name card. Use two hands to present the business card to the person you are meeting. You name should be facing the person you are greeting. Most Chinese and foreign business people have bilingual business cards with Chinese on one side and English on the other. You should present the side of your card that is in the person’s native language. Be sure to give everyone in the room your business card so be sure to have plenty of hand at all times. 4. Once you receive your new acquaintance’s business card, do not write on it or shove it in your pocket. Take a minute to read it and look it over. This is a sign of respect. If you are seated at a table, place the name card in front of you on the table. If you are standing and will remain standing, you may place the card in a cardholder or discreetly in a breast or jacket pocket. 5. Remember that Chinese names are in reverse order of English names. The last name appears first. Until you become close business partners, address a person by their full name rather than their first name, by their title (for example, Managing Director Wang), or Mr./Ms. followed by the person’s surname. Learn More About Chinese Etiquette Chinese Banquet and Dining EtiquetteChinese Business EtiquetteEtiquette for Visiting a Chinese Home