Corporal Punishment and Children Essay Example

Corporal Punishment and Children Essay Is corporal punishment needed to discipline children? This is a very controversial question that is often debated. Even with as many arguments as there are against corporal punishment, there are also arguments for such punishment for children. This is something that tends to happen in both home and school settings. This type of punishment is very hurtful to the child and can have lasting effects on the child throughout their life. It can cause damage to relationships. It can also cause many different psychological problems as they get older.While some may not agree, there are other ways to discipline children that can be just as effective without causing any harm. What exactly is corporal punishment? Often referred to as child abuse, corporal punishment is any type of physical force causing pain, but not injury, to a child to help correct their unacceptable behavior (Lansford, Wager, Bates,Pettit,amp;Dodge, 2012). There are several different acts that are considered to be corporal pu nishment; such acts, as small as they may be, can be just as harmful.Actions considered corporal punishment include the following: spanking the bottom of the child, pushing or shoving a child, striking anywhere on the child with or without an object, and even slapping of the child’s hand. All of these actions inflict pain on the child but do not necessarily cause injuries or leave marks. While at first it may seem that this would only occur in a home setting, sadly that is not the case. Corporal punishment has also been used in schools. This began in the Victorain Era in which schools believed that unacceptable behavior was an act against God.It was primarily used for three reasons: â€Å"(1) to produce people who would conform to accepted societal norms; (2) to beat out the obstinacy that was viewed as a syndrome of â€Å"original sin, and (3) to ensure that learning occurs† (Dupper amp; Montgomery Dingus, 2008. Pg. 244). With any topic, especially concerning childre n and/or parenting, there are going to be different views. You will have a set of people that are completely against the issue; those that do not know what to think, and then you will have those that defend the topic to its full extent.Most parents believe it is their right as parents decide how he/she should discipline their child. Other parents believe the way they were raised is how they should raise their children. This, more often than not, has some religious background behind it. It states in the Holy Bible that â€Å"Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him†(Holy Bible, Proverbs 22:15) and â€Å"Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die† (Holy Bible, Proverbs 23:13-14).Some parents believe that corporal punishment is designed to correct bad behavior. If children are not properly disciplined they will not grow up to become productive members of so ciety. Physical discipline is necessary to send a strong message and deters future bad behavior. Children that are not disciplined through corporal punishment they will grow up to engage in criminal behavior and find the proof is in the high number of children engaging in violent behavior, juvenile delinquency, crime, bullying, and school shootings.Many people in society blame juvenile violence and school shootings on the failure of parent to properly punish their children (Waterson, 2000). Corporal punishment towards children by their parents obviously has many disadvantages. The effects that corporal punishment has on the child’s relationship with their parent are unbelievable. After being on the receiving end of corporal punishment a child often has a heightened sense of fear, anxiety, mistrust, and anger towards the parent (Gershoff, 2002). As in any relationship, trust plays a very important part; and with a child/parent relationship trust is everything.Trust is the most important aspect in any relationship and that begs the question, could you ever trust your mother and father if they beat you or severely disciplined you using corporal punishment? There would most likely be a constant level of fear and anxiety on the part of the child because they would not know what to expect from their parent when it came to discipline. Would it be just a stern talking to or would it be a beating? This would cause a lot of uncertainty and fear and anxiety on the part of the child. The child would feel an emotional distance and lack that close parent-child relationship.If a child is fearful of their parent(s) then, when they are older, they would be less likely to go discuss any problems they may be having and this would cause the parent to miss important changes and events in their childs life and the child would not feel that close relationship with their parents. A child may want to go discuss a problem with their parents, but since they do not feel they can t rust their parents, and then they do not confide in them. While many think that corporal punishment, since by definition, is not meant to cause injury to the child, that it has no lasting effects on the child as well.This, however, is not true. Corporal punishment can cause many psychological problems as the child grows into an adult. Among these psychological problems are depression, low self-esteem, aggression, and future abuse to family just to name a few. Bonnie Rochman, from Time Magazine, reports that â€Å"children whose parents use physical force are at greater risk for depression and anxiety† (Rochman, 2012. Para. 10). It is important for everyone to have a positive self-esteem and self-worth, but the more abuse that a child endures, the more likely that they will have low self-esteem and self-worth.Self-esteem and self-worth are often thought of as the same thing, but they are actually very different. Self-esteem is defined as, â€Å"a confidence and satisfaction i n oneself† (Merriam-Webster. com, 2013). Self-worth is defined as, â€Å"respect for or a favorable opinion of oneself† (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Thinking highly of yourself and respecting yourself are very important and those that have been abused often think of themselves as unworthy and unlovable. Aggression is often also an issue for those that were disciplined using corporal punishment.They are taught by what is being done to them, for example, being spanked, that it is then okay for them to hit others when others do something that displeases them. This attitude is then carried over into adulthood and those children, now adults, will be more prone to getting into physical fights with others, with their spouse, and will be more likely to use corporal punishment on their own children (Morris ;amp; Gibson, 2011). Just as there are many different ways to negatively punish your child, there are just as many ways to properly discipline your child.Positive reinforcement is what is often considered to be the most effective way to get an undesirable behavior stopped. Positive reinforcement does not damage the parent-child relationship, and it also does not cause the child any negative psychological problems such as anxiety and fear. Positive reinforcement does not mean bribing your child, it means rewarding good behavior. For example, when a young child, washes their hands after using the â€Å"big kid potty†, they see that you are excited for them and proud of them and they get excited also and feel proud of themselves, too.You can reward this behavior by giving them a single M;amp;M or other treat that will make them feel special and at the same time encourage them to wash their hands again. Positive reinforcement does not use fear, intimidation, threatening, or guilt to get a child to behave. Positive reinforcement is something that is also useful with older adolescents and teenagers. You can reward a pre-teen for completing their chores, for not swearing, for not eye-rolling and slamming their door by letting them play an extra half hour of their favorite video game, by letting them rent a DVD to enjoy.This encourages their behavior and does not cause them any physical or mental harm. A teenager is always looking for freedom, independence and respect. They need to earn certain privileges, like driving and going to parties. For teenagers, positive reinforcement could be letting them drive to the store for milk, letting them stay an extra hour at a party, or giving them an allowance and helping them save up for something important, like a new cell phone or an iPod.There are really no limits to positive reinforcement, and the results and benefits are positive and encourage and support your child to act appropriately and work to get an undesirable behavior stopped. In conclusion, there are many different ways to discipline children and sadly, corporal punishment is one of those ways. Corporal punishment can cause physical harm such as bruises, cuts, concussions, and red marks to your child. While those are visible signs of corporal punishment, it is often the psychological ramifications that leave the most lasting effect on a child.Fear, anxiety, depression, and aggression are just some of the psychological effects of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment causes a fear and lack of trust between parent and child. The effects of corporal punishment often carry consequences into adulthood for those children. While corporal punishment creates a quick stop to an undesirable behavior is does not stop the behavior forever. While, on the other hand, positive reinforcement does not cause any physical harm, its effects are longer lasting towards getting a certain behavior stopped or in continuing a good behavior. Positive reinforcement supports and encourages children of all ges to do better and helps them have higher self-esteem and self-worth. Positive reinforcement can be used for teenagers and adults as well. Everyone needs a little encouragement and a sign that they are doing the right thing. While corporal punishment is still used today, the effects of it are becoming even better known. Punishment has evolved over time and it is my hope that in time, corporal punishment will never be used and in its place positive reinforcement will be used and children will have no need to fear their parents.

Pepsi Cola Essays - Patent Medicines, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Cola

Pepsi Cola Essays - Patent Medicines, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Cola Pepsi Cola Pepsi Cola Pepsi Cola beverage business was founded at turn of the century by Caleb Bradham a New Bern N.C druggist who formulated Pepsi Cola. Pepsi Cola Company now produces and markets nearly 200 refreshment beverages to retail, restaurants and food service customers in more then 190 countries and territories around the world and generates revenue of over 18 billion dollars. Although Pepsi holdings over the years have become diverse in such fields as the snack industry and restaurants industry this portfolio will discuss its core business and its highly successful business of beverages. The soft drink industry customer base is probably the widest and deepest base in a world that is flooded with some many categories. According to Beverage Digest the customer base for soft drinks is a whopping 95% of regular users in the United States. This represents a large field of potential customers for Pepsi Cola. Yet although Pepsi could just use the majority fallacy to market there product, Pepsi prefers to segment itself as the beverage choice of the New Generation, Generation Next, or just as the Pepsi Generation. These terms adopted in Pepsis advertising campaigns are referring to the markets that marketers refer to as Generation X. The Generation X consumer is profiled to be between the ages of 18 to 29. They have high expectations in life and are very mobile and active. They adopt a lifestyle of living for today and not worrying about long term goals. Those Pepsis main emphasis on this segment they also have a focus on the 12 to 18 year old market. Pepsi believes if they can get this market to adopt their product then they could establish a loyal customer for life. Pepsi Cola is situated in an industry that is dominated by two competitors, Coca-Cola and of course themselves. Although Pepsi and Coke basically go after all consumers who purchase soft drink beverages Coca-Cola targets its products at the head of household. This is evident in many of the ad campaigns such as Always Coca - Cola which refers to the traditional beverage heritige of its product. They also reinforce this in the name Coca-Cola Classic which is inferring to the older consumer. This name reflects an image of value, reliabilty, and old time values. Pepsi Cola throughout its 100 years of existence has developed many strengths. One of the strengths that has developed Pepsi into such a large corporation is a strong franchise system. The strong franchise system was the backbone of success along with a great entraupeur spirit. Pepsis franchise system and distributors is credited for bring Pepsi from a 7,968 gallons of soda sold in 1903 to nearly 5 billion gallons in the year of 1997. Pepsi also has the luxury to spend 225 million dollars in advertising a year. This enormous ad budget allows Pepsi to reinforce their products with reminder advertising and promotions. This large budget also allows Pepsi to introduce new products and very quickly make the consumer become aware of their new products. Pepsi also has had the good fortune of making very wise investments. Some of the best investments have been in their acquiring several large fast food restaurants. They have also made wise investments in snack food companies like Frito Lay, which at present time is the largest snack company in the world. Probably high on the list of strengths is Pepsis beverage line up. Pepsi has four soft drinks in the top ten beverages in the world. These brands are Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, and Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi. Pepsi also has the #1 tea in the United States, Lipton Tea. Some other strong brands are All Sport, Slice, Tropicana, Starbucks, Aquafina and a license agreement with Ocean Spray juices. Pepsi Cola like any company has weaknesses. Ironically, the one strength that has been credited for most of its success in the past has now become a weakness for Pepsi. This former strength is the franchise system. The franchise system in Pepsi Corporate view has become a liability. Pepsi in todays market must be able to act as one instead of several separate units. The franchise system has become a hurdle to Pepsi because many of these franchises have become

Challenges Versus Constants Weighing Workplace Opportunities

Challenges Versus Constants Weighing Workplace Opportunities While author and business journalist Suzy Welch warns against complacency in what she calls a professional â€Å"Velvet Coffin,† arguing instead for the importance of taking risks in search of new challenges, writer and employment branding professional John Feldman responds with a more pragmatic point of view. According to Feldman, who describes himself as â€Å"neither an optimist nor a pessimist, but rather a realist,† before taking a plunge into a new career just for the sake of avoiding the ennui of the everyday, you should take stock of the variables and constants of your current position. If you don’t know for sure that another opportunity would provide a better salary, more convivial coworkers, and more challenging work, are you still willing to take the risk, or might it make more sense to trust the constants of the workplace you know? He suggests instead waiting out the inevitable fallow periods where work becomes predictable, or even making your own cha llenges by taking on more responsibilities, earning a new certification, or opening a conversation with your manager about pursuing other opportunities closer to home.Nobody should stay mired in a job that they find unsafe or unsatisfying, but there may be choices besides starting over from scratch that are right for you and your career. Good luck as you consider and pursue them!

Persuasion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Persuasion - Research Paper Example â€Å"Ethical behavior is very significance and important in the society (Johannesen, 2007).† In this paper we will explore the internal and external factors that influence behavior use of deception-Manipulation Theory, Four Factor Model, and Interpersonal Deception Theory. The paper also discusses how visual images, iconic images, music and aroma effect persuasion; Subliminal Messages VS. Supraliminal Messages, Backward Masking, and Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Internal and External Factors that Influence Behavior Positive ethical behavior is expected in all careers and engagements in life. In our current society, people do not always do what is expected from them. Sometimes a person is aware that a given action will have negative consequences but still does it. In the society, it is something nice for every person to be responsible and do only what is right. This is the best way to maintain social responsibility and ethical conduct. At the same time, a person should no t be guided to act in a given manner. Such ethical behavior and act should be intrinsic and consistent with human ethical principles, values and moral obligations. The importance of this behavior is that the society will live in harmony and reduce a great deal of problems faced in it (Freeman & Stewart, 2006). With reference to research, it is clear that manipulation theory offers a way of examining at a distinctive part of the interpersonal communication procedure that deals with the manner through which information packages. It is worth noting that manipulation theory is more concerned with the substance of the deceptive messages, the situational substances that bring them about, the extent to which the recognition of that message affects awareness of the deception and the relational effects related with deceptive messages. Ethical behavior determines a person’s action and how it will influence the people around him. For any action, it is necessary to make sure the greatest gain is realized. This can be explained using the utilitarian theory, which is a major ethical theory. According to utilitarianism, an action is viewed ethical if it promotes the greatest or best consequence. The resultant consequence, according to the utilitarian theory, should maximize happiness (Johannesen, 2007). The argument of this ethical theory is that actions are only right if they will promote happiness and wrong if they produce the opposite of happiness. Any form of ethical behavior should therefore be aimed at maximizing happiness. With reference to the Four Factor Model, whenever people are telling lies, there are usually four fundamental mechanisms at work. Such mechanisms include arousal, behavior control, emotion, and thinking. To begin with is arousal. Lying results to arousal and anxiety. This occur either due to disagreement at conflicting behavior and value, or because of the fear of being caught. The second factor is behavior control. Human beings try to have p ower over body language that might give them away. In actual fact this is impossible and leakage frequently takes place, for instance where one is controlling his or her face and his legs give him away. Emotion: Human emotions usually change whenever lying (Freeman & Stewart, 2006). Thinking: to lie, we frequently have to think harder in order to guarantee coherence in our arguments. Research records that interpersonal deception theory explains the way through which people cope

Corp.Gov Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corp.Gov - Essay Example Corporate governance refers to the structure which ensures that the right questions are asked and checks and balances are in place to make sure that the answers to these questions reflect what is in the best interest of the organization for long-term sustainability of value (Minow & Monks, 2008). According to Davis (2006) corporate governance can be viewed as a system for optimizing the contributions of a number of stakeholders to a purpose they are persuaded to share. These stakeholders involve shareholders; the board of directors, customers, employees, suppliers, community and the government. Effective corporate governance has a profound effect on how well a business performs. Organizations which have found effective means of governing their businesses are prosperous and remain prosperous. The board’s inability to establish a sound governance model gives rise to the probability of failure of the enterprise (Colley et. al, 2004). The purpose of corporate governance is to ensure the survival and success of the organization (Davis, 2006). Good corporate governance requires a complex system of strict checks and balances. The three key actors in corporate governance are the management, directors and the shareholders. (Minow & Monks, 2008) Appropriate implementation of the business concept with goals and directions set by the board, resource planning and effective execution of plans carried out by CEO and the alignment of board and management objectives with those of shareholders. The board undertakes a huge fiduciary responsibility when it assumes the obligation to represent interests of owners, who do not represent themselves. In the course of this representation they are required to demonstrate integrity as well as the competence to make sound decisions (Colley et. al, 2004). Although the essence of corporate governance has been

Assessing The Strategy Of Blue Ocean Commerce Essay

Assessing The Strategy Of Blue Ocean Commerce Essay The market set is divided into two categories which are called oceans: Blue Oceans and red oceans. Red oceans are the known market space as it exists today, with all the various industries. Competitive rules are defined and barriers are clear and accepted. Competition exists among players to gain a bigger share; the more players are on the market, the fewer prospects for profit and growth is existent. Cutthroat competition turns the red ocean bloody. Blue Oceans on the other hand represent the opposite they are the unknown market space with industries that are not existent today. Demand is not created by competitive rivalry, because the rules of the game are yet to be set. There is substantial opportunity for profitable growth because of the deep potential of market space that is not yet explored.  [2]   To be successful in economic performance most companies are laying the focus on competitive strategies, plenty of enthusiasm is spend on analyzing and outperforming rivals. Using the vocabulary of the authors their focus is on red ocean strategies. In the future this will not be enough to survive; in addition to swim in a red ocean companies need to create Blue Oceans.  [3]  The following image illustrates the major differences between red and Blue Oceans. Image 1: Comparison of Red Ocean with Blue Ocean strategy  [4]   Value Innovation The basis of the Blue Ocean Strategy is called Value Innovation. Competition is made irrelevant by creating value for both buyers and the company. Buyer value is created by the benefit and price that the company offers to the consumer; value to the company is created from the price and its cost structure therefore only if those two variables are aligned the strategy works. The innovation of a product/ service must create value for the market and eliminate features that are not valued by the current market. New and uncontested market space is made accessible by simultaneously differentiate and reducing costs. This strategy is contrary to common management strategies which propose that companies can either create value to customers at higher costs or create reasonable value at lower costs.  [5]  According to the authors Value Innovation is a strategy that embraces the entire system of a companys activities.  [6]  Image 2 illustrates Value Innovation. Image 2: Value Innovation  [7]   Analytical tools and framework There are three basic tools that will help companies to build a Blue Ocean Strategy. The strategy canvas The strategy canvas is a tool that helps to build a Blue Ocean Strategy. It highlights the current situation in the known market space and shows the offering level that buyers receive across several key competing factors. By illustrating these factors in a simple matrix a graphic description in form of a value curve is visible. This value curve shows a companys relative performance within its industrys factors of competition.  [8]  By illustrating the current situation of an industry the strategic focus can be shifted away from current competition to alternatives and noncustomers, a redefinition of the industry can be constructed.  [9]  Image 3 illustrates a strategy canvas with an example of an Airline. Image 3: Strategy Canvas  [10]   The four actions framework This tool uses four key questions to lead to a new value curve: Which of the factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated? Which factors should be reduced well below the industrys standard? Which factors should be raised well above the industrys standard? Which factors should be created that the industry has never offered?  [11]   The first two questions give an insight in how to reduce the cost structure in comparison to other players in the industry. Question 3 and 4 give insight into how to lift buyer value and create new demand.  [12]   The eliminate-reduce-raise-create-grid This tool is supplementary to the four actions framework. It gives companies the possibility to act on all four questions answered before to create new value. The four factors of what to eliminate, reduce, raise and create are put in a matrix and by that scrutinize every factor the industry competes on.  [13]   Formulating Blue Oceans strategies Reconstruct market boundaries In order to break away from the competition the first principle is to reconstruct market boundaries. The challenge is to find possibilities of Blue Ocean opportunities. During performing research across various industry sectors the authors found a basic approach to remaking market boundaries, the six path framework.  [14]  This framework is applicable in all kinds of industries and all are based on looking at data from a new perspective. These are the six paths: Path 1: Look across alternative industries Path 2: Look across strategic groups within industries Path 3: Look across the chain of buyers Path 4: Look across complimentary product and service offerings Path 5: Look across functional or emotional appeal to buyers Path 6: Look across time  [15]   By analyzing each of the single paths companies will be able to get an insight into how to open up Blue Oceans by rebuilding market realities and leave behind conventional boundaries of competition.  [16]   Focus on the big pictures, not the numbers The approach to the strategic planning process is based on drawing a strategy canvas, as it is explained in the section of analytical tools and framework of this document. A structured process for developing a strategy canvas has been developed, which is called the Visualizing Strategy.  [17]  As the name implies, this process uses visual stimulation with the purpose to unlock peoples creativity. The main focus here is laid on the big picture rather than on defined numbers and operational details.  [18]   Reach beyond existing demand To achieve a maximization of the size of the Blue Ocean you are creating the focus should be laid on two things: The analysis of non-customers and finding out strong similarities of what buyers value.  [19]  This is a reversed approach to common strategies, where the focus is on customers and customer differences. The three tiers of non customers The challenge is to find out who the non-customers are and get a deep understanding of them. The authors describe three tiers of non-customers that eventually can be transformed into customers. The first tier of non-customers is closest to your market and would stay and increase their frequency of purchases if a leap in value would be offered to them. These non-customers also referred to as soon-to-be.  [20]  The second tier of non-customers is further away from your market and aware of offerings in it but has consciously voted against them. These non-customers are also referred to as refusing.  [21]  The third tier of non-customers is farthest from your market and has never considered its offerings as an option. These non customers are also referred to as unexplored.  [22]   By analyzing each of the three tiers an understanding of the non-customers can be developed to attract them into your market and expand your Blue Ocean.  [23]   Get the strategic sequence right The fourth principle of Blue Ocean Strategy focuses on the challenge to build a sustainable business model that will make profit on your Blue Ocean idea. The idea here is to use sequences and key criteria within a sequence to reduce business model risk.  [24]  Each sequence has a key question that has to be asked. If answered with no the sequence has to be reshaped. If answered with yes one can move on to the next sequence. The four sequences are: Buyer utility: Is there exceptional buyer utility in your business idea? Price: Is your price easy accessible to the mass of buyers? Cost: Can you attain your cost target to profit at your strategic price? Adoption: What are the adoption hurdles in actualizing your business idea? Are you addressing them up front?  [25]   With this sequencing as a starting point further analyzing of strategic pricing, target costing and finally the profit model is developed.  [26]   Executing Blue Ocean Strategy Overcome key organizational hurdles The challenge to execute the strategy of Blue Oceans is significant, since there are changes made from the conventional way of doing things. The authors present four common hurdles in the execution: The cognitive-, political-, motivational- and resource hurdle. Dealing with those challenges in form of hurdles with tipping point leadership is the key to make Blue Ocean Strategy happen in action.  [27]   Build execution into strategy The sixth principle of the Blue Ocean Strategy is about building commitment and trust into the strategy from the start. The focus is laid on a fair process as a key variable that distinguishes successful Blue Ocean Strategy moves from those that failed.  [28]   Case analysis In this section, we intend to describe and analize two cases of innovative companies (Virgin Galactic and Petrobras) based on the Blue Ocean theory. Virgin Galactic Description of Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a company which belongs to the Virgin Group. This group was founded 1970 by Sir Richard Branson and is one of the leading brand venture capital organizations of the world. The group has created more than 300 branded companies in a variety of different industries, employs around 50,000 people and generated revenue of approx. US$ 18 billion in the year 2009.  [29]  Based on them the success of this group derives from the power of the Virgin name, Richard Bransons personal reputation; our unrivalled network of friends, contacts and partners; the Virgin management style; the way talent is empowered to flourish within the group.  [30]   The Virgin Galactic company has the aim of making private space travel available to everyone by creating the worlds first commercial spaceline.  [31]  Virgin Galactic will create, own and operate spaceships, the SpaceShipTwo. To achieve this goal the Virgin Group uses it experiences in aviation, adventure and luxury travel combining with the technology developed by Burt Rutan. The company was founded in the year 2004 and is located in New Mexico. The SpaceShipOne became the first private spaceship with high altitude-flights in the year 2004. The successor of this technology, the SpaceShipTwo, has seats for two pilots and six passengers. Every passenger has to pay US$200.000 with a deposit ofUS$20,000. At the moment 340 passengers have registered for this service.  [32]  So far 450 people have ever been to space, the goal of Virgin Galactic is to take 1,000 people to space within the first year of commercial operation.  [33]  The first commercial flight shall start in the year 2012.  [34]   The mothership of the SpaceShipTwo, the WhiteKnightTwo, will take the SpaceShipTwo to a height of about 16km and then release it. At that point the rockets of the SpaceShipTwo will boost and bring it to a height of about 100km.  [35]  There it will fly for about five minutes in which the passengers have a magnificent view at the earth and can enjoy weightlessness. Afterwards the space ship will decrease the altitude and land at its base in New Texas. The first flying tests of the WhiteKnightTwo were executed successfully and the SpaceShipTwo completed the first manned glide flight in October 2010.  [36]   At current stage the company Blue Origin which is based close to Seattle is also working on a private space ship.  [37]   Analysis of Virgin Galactic The analysis will start by discussing the Value Innovation of Virgin Galactic. So far tourism in space was available for seven specific persons who paid in average US$ 25 million for staying about 14 days at the ISS.  [38]  The clear buyer benefit of Virgin Galactic is to make this tourism available for nearly everybody who can afford paying the US$200,000 which is less than 1% of the price so far. Moreover, these space trips also add value to Virgin Galactic as it will earn US$200,000 for every passenger having already 340 on the waiting list. Virgin Galactic clearly succeeded in creating a Value Innovation. In the following the strategy canvas for Virgin Galactic will be developed to see the value curve in comparison to its competitor the stay at the ISS.  [39]   As principal factors the following was defined: price, safety, request for personal attributes and easy preparation for the trip.  [40]  As seen in image one the Virgin Galactic company enables a much more comfortable and convenient stay as the previous tourism on the ISS. This is also based on the lower requirements a person has to fulfill to be able to execute this tourism and the lower time-investment. Image 4: Strategy Canvas of Virgin Galactic  [41]   Considering the four action framework Virgin Galactic reduced the costs by eliminated the factors that a stay in space has to be combined with a long duration and cost-intensive stay at the ISS and with cost-intensive rocket starts. Furthermore, they created the factor that nearly everybody would be able (from physical requirements  [42]  ) to go to space with a low time-investment and a comparably low amount of money. They increased the convenience of space-tourisms to a very high extent. In conclusion, they managed to dramatically reduce the costs while increasing the perceived value of the passengers which are interested in some minutes of weightlessness and seeing the earth from the space. Virgin Galactic also concentrated on the so called non-customers as the total number of customers was seven so far. They identified the implicit wish of most people to go to space once. Organizational hurdles The cognitive hurdle cannot be applied as Virgin Galactic did not start in a red ocean but directly entered the Blue Ocean with the start of the company. The hurdle resources will probably be not a big burden as the first flying tests went successful, customers on the waiting list already paid close to US$7 million as deposit and Sheikh Mansour invested US$280 million in this business.  [43]  Furthermore, the Virgin Group and the state of New Mexico are supporting this business. The motivation of the employees and managers is high which is also pushed by Richard Branson personal interest in the success of this company.  [44]  The political hurdle could be implemented by making new laws for required safety standards. But already in 2004 the US congress passed a law which allows passengers to fly into space with the understanding that these vehicles might not be as safe as regular airplanes. Furthermore, the governor of New Mexico supports this company  [45]  and the Virgin group has a high political power. In conclusion all the hurdles were passed successfully by Virgin Gallactic. Build execution into strategy From the beginning Richard Branson declared the vision of this company to make private space travel year 2004. Conclusion In final conclusion, Virgin Galactic entered a Blue Ocean from the beginning. It decreased the costs and made space travel available to everyone by creating the worlds first commercial spaceline. Virgin Galactic works towards this clear vision with having the first commercial flights very likely eight years after its foundation in the previous tourism in space and increased the value of it by leveraging especially the convenience for the customers. Moreover, it went beyond known customer space by offering this service for less than 1% of the costs so far. It managed the organizational hurdles and created a strong vision from the start. Although other companies as e.g. Blue Origin try to create space tourisms this ocean is deep blue so far for Virgin Galactic. Petrobras Description of Petrobras Petrobras was established on October 3, 1953 by the president of Brazil, Getà ºlio Vargas, to undertake oil sector activities in the country. In the early 1970s, the members of the Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose the international prices substantially, triggering the so-called Oil Shock. As a result, the market was troubled and marked by uncertainty. In order to overcome the difficulties, the Brazilian government adopted economic measures in order to overcome the supply of oil. Some examples of these measures were the encouragement for use of ethanol as automotive fuel and prioritizing offshore exploration and production. With the measures, the government intended to reduce the dependency on importing a very expensive product and to create an industry to create jobs and exports. These tasks where given to Petrà ³leo Brasileiro (Petrobras) for being executed.  [46]   Producing ethanol for powering the nation 1975 marks the beginning of the production of Ethanol by Petrobras in Brazil aiming to drive the large-scale substitution of oil based vehicular fuels for biofuels. Substituting gasoline for ethanol (produced from sugarcane and manioc) led to 10 million fewer gasoline fuel cars running in Brazil, reducing the countrys dependence on imported oil.  [47]   Today Brazil is recognized as the world leader in the production of ethanol for industrial purposes, based on the most advanced agricultural technology for sugarcane cultivation in the world and to the amount of arable land available in the country. In 2010, the Brazilian ethanol produced by Petrobras was designated as one of the most advanced biofuels due to the 61% reduction of green house gas emissions.  [48]   Pioneering in deep waters In 1984 the company discovered one of the biggest reserve in deep water ever registered in the world. The Albacora field was discovered; proving the existence of giant fields nestled at great depth in Brazil. This marked the beginning in deepwater exploration for the company. By 1986 the company, which until then purchased technology, was faced with the challenge of producing oil at a depth of 400 meters. After surveying the market and finding out there was no technology available for this depth, the company decided to invest in developing new technologies. This was an extremely ambitious project, since, at the time, Petrobras had been exploring at depths of 150 meters and had plans for 1000 meters by 1990. This project turned out to be a great success and the company is currently the global leader in this area. By 2005, Petrobras sets the record of drilling depth with a sloped that reached 6915 meters beyond the bottom of the sea.  [49]   Petrobras achieves self sufficiency In 2006 Brazil became a self-sufficient country in oil and gas production. With an average of 1.9 million barrels per day, Brazil went on to exporting more oil and oil products than it imported. It was like a dream came true, only possible because of the technological efforts and dedication of the employees. Since this point, Petrobras is the most profitable company in the Brazilian economy, being recognized as the eighth biggest oil exploring company in the world.  [50]   In the upcoming years, Petrobras intends to invest in using and developing new renewable energy sources. The portfolio of new projects includes wind, solar and water energy sources and fuel hydrogen. The intention is to reduce even more the dependency on oil, delivering the necessary energy sources to Brazil in order to sustain the intended growth of the upcoming years. Analysis of Petrobas Petrobras success can be summed up in one word and that word is innovation. This company faced the challenge of turning one of the biggest countries in the Americas from a big consumer of imported oil to self sufficient in oil and gas production. This strategy was based on focusing on the big picture (producing its own oil and become an exporter of petroleum) rather than finding a temporary solution for importing oil in the 70s, when the biggest crisis of oil prices occurred. Value Innovation They broke away from the competition by reconstructing market boundaries. For each challenge they faced, they were able to create and develop the necessary technology that didnt exist in the market, becoming a leader in deepwater oil drilling. They reached beyond their existing demand by having more oil available than they need for their own consumption. They also created value to the country by reducing the amount of CO2 in 61% emitted by cars and public transportation thanks to the introduction to ethanol and biodiesel. Brazil became a more efficient country thanks to the use of their natural resources for powering the nation. By mixing ethanol with oil, Petrobras has managed to increase the value for customers by creating a reduction of oil prices  [51]  and by guaranteeing the oil supply they reduced the dependency on foreign companies. Strategy canvas We have decided to explain the differences between the two largest producers of Ethanol in the world, Brazil and U.S.A. As we have mentioned before, Petrobras is the only company responsible for the production and distribution of ethanol in Brazil. Image 5: Stragegy Canvas Petrobas  [52]   As we can see in the figure xx, Brazil is the second largest producer of Ethanol in the world (6,500 million gallons in 2009  [53]  ) behind the United States (10,900 million gallons in 2009  [54]  ). But, the total area used by Brazil for cultivating their sugar cane (3.6 million hectares  [55]  by 2006) is far less than the land used by the United States (10 million hectares  [56]  in 2006). This means that the productivity per hectare is superior in Brazil than in the United States. Another important thing to mention is that thanks to the mixture of Ethanol and oil in Brazil, green house gas reduction has been reduced considerably (89%  [57]  ), increasing the value the company gives to their customers. Organizational hurdles The hurdles are based on the theory mentioned in the first section of this project. During the oil crisis of the 70s, the company faced the challenge of completely changing the paradigm of production. In the cognitive hurdle, we can say that the employees understood completely the need of the company and were able to transform the company. In the second hurdle resources, we can say that the company successfully understood that they needed to invest a great amount of resources in RD in order to increase the efficiency of the production of ethanol and also to raise the drilling depth for oil extraction. Motivating employees on a thirty-year-old project has been an enormous challenge for the company. They have managed to succeed by achieving small goals each year, increasing the level of satisfaction and trust towards the leadership of the company. Finally, the political hurdle was managed correctly due to the implications of the transformation project, involving the government, the management and employees of the company. Build execution into strategy As we mentioned before, the strategy was clear from the beginning: Reduce the dependency of oil and turn the country into a self-sufficient country. The facts speak for themselves, the whole company aligned in order to achieve the goal and it is an example on how to implement the Blue Ocean strategy. Conclusion So, why can the strategy of Petrobras be considered a Blue Ocean strategy? First of all they focused on creating value for the country by reducing the amount of oil imported and gaining self-sufficiency. As a consequence, they were able to reduce considerably the prices of gasoline in Brazil and the dependency of external factors to develop the country. They achieved this goal by innovating in ways to reduce consumption of oil (alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel) and exploit the potential the country had in its coasts, regardless the technology available at the times. In the last twenty years, Petrobras has become a key player in the success of Brazil to achieve development. The upcoming years for this company look really bright, thanks to the investment they are doing on other alternative means to produce electricity (water, solar and wind), improve the efficiency of alternative fuels and by creating the necessary technology for increasing the depth for deepwater drilling for oil. Discussion In the following the degree of novelty of the Blue Ocean strategy and the general criticism about this theory will be discussed. Analyzing the degree of novelty in the Blue Ocean Strategy The book The Blue Ocean Strategy was first published in 2005 and according to the two authors based on more than 15 years of research in various dimensions of this business topic and 150 successful strategic moves spanning.  [58]   As we read above the Blue Ocean Strategy aims at creating new demand in an uncontested market space. This is done by reducing the factors of competition and offering new value to t

Pennsylvania Organization Essay

The overall initiative to increase equity and funding in public educational institutions in Pennsylvania brought about the creation of the Good Schools Pennsylvania Organization (GSP). Since its creation, the organization has undergone many changes and lobbied for the creation of an environment wherein important actors and legislation coincides with the needs of the growing student population. These struggles brought about new trends wherein it both opened up avenues for change to occur and encourage new parameters wherein goals and objectives are integrated with mandated standards. Recognizing the relevant contribution that GSP has done to the citizenry and target group, this proposal aims to increasingly widen the capability of the organization to address student needs. The prescribed programs for 2010 under three (3) categories seeks to intensify the approach wherein it both looks into the possibilities and scenarios that may happen during that time and appropriating the needed strategies that can intensify the needed outcomes for change. Likewise, by allowing these diverse program alternatives, it seeks to compensate the loopholes that may be associated in the process of planning, implementation and facilitation. At the same time, these proposals take into consideration the needs of all relevant actors who serve as potential members and benefactors in the success of the initiatives of GSP. By taking into account the relevance of these people, GSP can increase its arm in reaching out and fostering the commitment towards community building and empowerment. Such ideals clearly allows each parties to recognize their individual capabilities in the process of participation With all of these, the organizers seek to intensify the efforts given by GSP. It is in this light that the organization can remain committed in addressing the increasing challenges and trends of 21st century education. I. Introduction and Background The pursuit for creating an environment for equal opportunities among students via appropriate delegation and funding has been the integral foundation for the creation of the Good Schools Pennsylvania. Since its inception in 2001, the organization has continued to recognize the needs of students by making sure students in the district get the sufficient and quality education needed to help them combat the trends of today’s society (Good Schools Pennsylvania, 2008). These efforts have paved the way for new alternatives in addressing public education and opened up arenas for every actor in the community to take part in the process of collaboration and change. Looking at it, the initiative of Good Schools Pennsylvania GSP can be described in one sentence. It involves seeking new ways wherein legislators provide equitable funding in public education to ensure that students get the quality of education they need and foster increased accountability and responsibility among actors involved in the process (Good Schools Pennsylvania, 2008). With these renewed interest in seeking outcomes for development in budget appropriation and education, it has opened up the door for greater cooperation among the state and the integration of vibrant members who have paved the way for the organization’s growth. Dwelling further, the role of the GSP is to encourage organizers to come up with new approaches that can motivate different sectors of society to come up and take the stand towards achieving equal education for all. Good Schools Pennsylvania argues that â€Å"among the constituents who have stood with us are students and retirees, clergy and lay leaders, parents and teachers, school board members and superintendents, and business and civic leaders† (p. 1). With these continuing initiatives to seek out new members who are committed towards changing the level of education of Pennsylvania, the GSP has been vibrant in addressing the needs of public education in the community. Realizing these relevant objectives of the organization, it greatly coincides with our purpose to find alternatives that can strengthen and improve the capability of GSP to facilitate and clamor for new ways to increase accountability and equity in public education. By elaborating on several new strategies and outlining them in three possible scenarios, our group can maximize the potential of GSP and implement the new ideas that can expand the scope of practice, intensify efforts for commitment, and be adaptive to the state’s current trends. II. Research For the initiative in 2010 to be completely realized, it is essential that the organizers understand and comprehend the developments happening within the GSP. Under this facet, we need to know the truths surrounding education and the current legislation that outlines public education funding. This is relevant because it helps us integrate new policies in-line with specific standards and objectives mandated by law. Another significant element that needs to be considered is the cost of study in Pennsylvania. Its importance revolves around the capability to make budget estimates in proposed initiatives to actively create adequate funding to support and help students in public education. Lastly, there needs to be an understanding on what programs are in place that the GSP provides the citizenry. By synthesizing these programs, it can create an active environment wherein it can be changed, renewed or developed to suite the needs of members, potential members and target contributors. Dwelling into the first facet, it can be seen that Pennsylvania has undergone several legislative changes that had improved the way budget is allocated. This has been brought about by the realities and scenarios that public education has faced in the region. Good Schools Pennsylvania argues that in â€Å"2005, nearly 50 percent of Pennsylvania’s eleventh graders scored below proficient in math and 35 percent of eleventh grade students scored below proficient in reading on the state’s standardized tests† (p. 2) At the same time, there has been disparities in the way schools have been addressing the way they had adhered to the objectives mandated by NCLB of 2001. Likewise, these statistics also denote increased risk among students of getting pregnant, imprisoned or engaging into substance abuse (Good Schools Pennsylvania, 2006). In response to this, the government has adopted several policies and amendments that sought to address these realities. For example, in 2004, Governor Rendell â€Å"appropriated funding for the first time to support early childhood education – both through the first ever state funding to expand the General Head Start pre-kindergarten program, and through an Accountability Block Grant Program that allowed school districts to target money to educational practices with a huge track record of helping students to achieve academic standards† (p. 3). This has been considered a first step towards realizing the states role in pursuing public education that is equitable and responsible in nature. Another significant change was made in 2006 when a formal budget was introduced and implemented together with a defining the cost associated with public education. Good Schools Pennsylvania mentions that the â€Å"2006-2007 budget includes a first-time appropriation of $650,000 to fund a comprehensive study of the educational resources and associated costs of providing each student an education that is line with academic standards† (p. 3). These have been significant because it can address an equal measurement of how much student needs in order to actively achieve education under mandated standards. Operating on the second element, it is crucial to decipher the numbers associated with public education because it can determine the budget that shall be allocated per district depending on the ratio and student population within a specific area. Looking at the current research, considerable development has been seen in determining the costing-out study of Pennsylvanian students. Good Schools Pennsylvania mentions that â€Å"by understanding these costs the state can adjust its funding system to close the gap between high-spending and low-spending school districts† (p. 1). Upon careful consideration and research, it sees that for a student to actively achieve the given state standards, an average amount of $11, 926 must be provided (Good Schools Pennsylvania, 2007). This formula has been instrumental in determining the appropriation needed to sustain the further needs of students. Lastly, looking at the projects GSP is engaged in, it can be argued that they comprise of different models geared towards addressing the needs of its target audiences. These initiatives center on (1) engaging into legislative awareness and debate, (2) fostering community involvement, and (3) speaking out in different ways possible (Good Schools Pennsylvania, 2007). These three main facets cover a myriad of initiatives and programs that outlines the significant arenas wherein each actor can actively take part. By allowing and integrating these diverse ways of addressing the issue of public education and funding, each one can contribute and provide help in each ones capacity. Seeing all these facets, the development of 2010 programs revolve around intensifying on these three relevant ideas. Though these findings have been supplemental in carrying out objectives in the previous years, it is also necessary that further studies be conducted on these issues. This is relevant because it can seek to determine the potential challenges that public education may face amidst these new developments. For example, the formula for computing the cost of student may change over a period of a year for it is dependent on factors such as inflation, increasing expenditures, and other elements that are relevant to its computation. That is why further research on these topics remains to be an important concern to consider. III. Opposition Research It can be seen that the GSP has made significant progress since its inception in creating the consensus about creating drastic changes in the legislative level as far as addressing public education is concerned. Though this may prove to be a valid analysis, there are still setbacks that continue to hinder the organization from functioning according to its prescribed goals and objectives. Seeing this, it is essential that the organization recognize its shortcomings and try to incorporate new methods to increase the possibility of adapting to the trends of 21st century education. Looking at one institutional obstacle that hinders its capabilities is the presence of other organizations that have the same objectives and purpose. Though at a glance this may seem to be rather significant in further elaborating the needs of public education in Pennsylvania, it also denotes the limited functions associated with GSP. Being unable to synchronize its relevant goals and actions towards its counterparts would mean alienating itself with the potential of further collaboration and cooperation. Examples of these institutions that cater the same agenda as the GSP include: Education Law Center and ACCESS. These institutions in turn have overlapping objectives and ideals that are similar and related to the standpoint of GSP. Another setback that is relevant in the GSP is its dependency on contributors and benefactors. Even if its members had shown significant improvement and effort through the years in gaining potential donors, it cannot guarantee its existence primarily on this. They must have a significant support and foundation that will make them adaptable even in times of little contribution or monetary support. By allowing this scenario to occur, they shall not solely depend on these contributions but can continue to develop on new ways in continuing to promote its specific goals and objectives. Recognizing the setback in the previous section, it can be also observed that GSP is also susceptible to economic downturns. Since its continued existence revolved around contributions among benefactors, having a slow economy can slow and hamper its capability of recognizing its objectives. Seeing this, the organization has to constantly double its efforts and adapt new strategies that can intensify and implement new approaches for change. Similarly, during these periods of slowdown, the organization refocuses its approach and center on programs that creates limited budget but with increasing results. Such case only results in a limited scope in both application and practice. IV. Our Plan After reviewing the relevant history and studies associated with GSP, it is now relevant to point out and outline the scope and objectives for the plan in 2010. Among the core elements of this proposal is to (1) Effectively get our message out to prospective and current members as well as potential contributors in the community, (2) facilitate active communication among different parties and (3) Intensify the efforts brought about by the Who-Ville Presentation. These three objectives can be recognized and incorporated by including them within the scope and parameters of each specified initiative. Under these specific objectives, the proposal shall outline detailed ways wherein these approaches can be realized and achieved. In the first objective, it seeks to cater on ways wherein advertising can be made and integrating the cause and how it can contribute to the needs of the organization. While on the second facet, it outlines the communicative patterns that can maximize the potential of each project and provides new approaches that can realize the specified goals and objectives. The last part deals with seeking new opportunities that will further recognize the contribution of Who-Vile in addressing the needs of today’s public education as well as the tenets promoted by GSP. With these objectives in place, the next part involves pointing out several programs that can be applied in the year 2010. Under this framework, three proposals shall be given and denoted by the current trends present in the target year. These include (1) period of net gain, (2) period of stasis, and (3) period of net loss. The formation of these three initiatives is one important aspect to make the program feasible in any scenario that the state may face during the prescribed year. At the same time, it moves to adapt to the existing trends that may come along in the selected time frame. The formulation of these three facets can minimize the setbacks that may be incurred in the timeline provided. Good School Pennsylvania (GSP) is a non-profit organization that is based upon membership as well as the employment of competent personnel that fit the requirements of the specific position of the job that they are looking for. In relation to this, GSP is also regarded as a grassroots campaign that is affiliated with other non-governmental organizations such as: the Public Education Network, the National Council of Churches, and the Children’s Defense Fund, and the Children’s Defense Fund. Even though GSP is not regarded as an organization that is solely based upon membership, this factor still plays an important role in its overall operation. The GSP has an active membership as they have devised many ways by which people all over the state could be able to participate in the attainment of the organizations objectives. Some of the means that the organization implemented in order to influence the people participate is by convincing to take action by writing to their legislators, speaking out through various mediums like essays and photo contest, and by connecting to their community that could help in furthering the cause of GSP (Good Schools Pennsylvania). Active membership in this organization involves helping in the offices throughout the state. GSP need active volunteers that would help them with mailings, database maintenance, and other administrative functions. In connection to these, the organization also benefit a lot from members that could help them in the next phase of their work, which involves sustaining and expanding the state policy reforms with regards to enhancing the quality and equality of education among the students in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, active members also entail aiding them in supporting the local stakeholders in making various schools accountable in the equal and effective distribution and utilization of resources (Good Schools Pennsylvania).