Importance of Strategic Planning and Management

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management Strategic management involves decisions concerning what a company might do, given the opportunities in its environment; what it can do, given the resources at its disposal; what it wants to do, given the personal values and aspirations of key decision makers; and what it should do, given the ethical and legal context in which it is operating (Dobson). Organizations need to know where they are heading to and a firm concept of the kind of business it is in. An organizations product-market scope specifies the particular products or services of the organization and the growth vector is the direction the organization is moving in terms of its current product-market scope. Strategic management is an art and science that must be studied by top management and it involves formulating, implementing and evaluating the cross-functional decisions that have been created so that an organization can achieve its objectives. The organization identifies its objectives, acquire the resources needed to i mplement the policies and strategies to achieve its goals. In order to be successful, strategic management synthesizes the activities of the different sectors of the business such as sales, marketing, production, etc. so that organizational goals can be achieved. Also, strategic management is a continuous process of assessing the business, the industry it belongs, its competitors, for the improvement of the organization. According to Carter McNamara, Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how its going to get there. (McNamara 2008). The strategic planning process is organization-wide, or it can be focused on a major function. The major activities of the strategic planning process include strategic analysis; setting strategic direction; and action planning. Small business owners need strategic planning because it involves figuring out where the business is going with the aim of achieving overall success and at the same time, pinpoint strategic objectives. Owners of small businesses must give time to look for ways to grow and increase turnover. Most big businesses have used strategic planning when they were still new and small businesses. Strategic planning and business strategy are essential to achieve the goals of the business and without strategic planning and decision making, no business can head forward over the long term. Strategic demands the owners own thoughts and ideas and owners must make it as a major concern. His/Her personal investment in strategic planning is essential and fundamental to make the business to grow and improve the way the business operates and without strategic planning, the business will likely stumble into one problem to another. Therefore, small business owners must consider strategic planning frequently and regularly as it is essential to long term success. The four functions of management in relation to the creation and implementation of an organizations strategic plan are as follows: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This paper is going to analyze an external IT company that has been assigned and contracted to take over the internal IT functions of an organization, particularly, the desktop support department. The goal of the external IT Company is to offer the highest quality service with an equally high financial return rate. In the planning stage, the company has to analyze the needs of the organization in terms of technology such as hardware types to support, peripherals, and other various office related equipment. The number of customers impacts the number of support staff needed and the skill levels required. The next phase is organizing and the company is going to reduce the number of their desk side support team for the purpose of minimizing expenses but they have to assign a technician to build an operating syst em, customize it so that the security needs and standards of the organization are met. The next phase is leading and its purpose is to channel the behavior of the personnel so that the organizations mission and objectives are accomplished. In the IT Company, they need to establish good relationship with their staff, give good compensation and benefits, provide them with the best training, promotion, and others so that they will be motivated and become more effective and contribute to the success of the organization. The last function is controlling which refers to the process of establishing the performance standards according to the companys objectives, comparing and taking preventive or corrective action as necessary. The controlling function involves evaluating and reporting the actual job performance of their staff. It is important that these points be studied and further corrective and preventive actions can be decided. In solving performance problems, there is a need for manag ement to higher their standards, speak to the employee on any problem that hinders him/her to work excellently, and check any other problems that may affect performance. Effective and efficient management leads to success, the success where it attains the objectives and goals of the organizations. (Pakhare, J. 2007). In achieving the ultimate goal, management has to be creative in solving problems in all the four functions. References http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_chapter/140511181X/Dobson_strategic%20management_sample%20chapter.pdf http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Definition-Strategic-Management/127324 http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/basics.htm http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Importance-of-Business-Strategy-Planning/156896 http://www.articlesbase.com/strategic-planning-articles/four-functions-of-management-outsource-technology-377102.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070510055850AAFFm0y http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html

Abortion in context: What was the fate of an unwanted or orphaned child in the nineteenth century? :: Essays Papers

Abortion in context: What was the fate of an unwanted or orphaned child in the nineteenth century? For as much as has been written about the crime of abortion and infanticide, equally much as been said against forced maternity, marital rape, and woman’s lack of control over her own body, all circumstances resulting in unwanted pregnancy and unwanted children. Such circumstances all stemmed from unique family, social, or health issues, with no one cause resulting in the abandonment of a child. A lack of knowledge about both sanitation and about women’s health resulted in the deaths of mothers during birth. General poverty and migration from farms to city centers made large families more difficult to support financially. Giving up a child because it could not be economically supported by its family was a common occurrence. As abortion became more stigmatized and criminalized, children who were the product of rape or wedlock were also abandoned. Deaths related to the Civil War also dramatically increased the numbers of orphaned children. Within the pages of The Revoluti on, it is asked: â€Å"Women who are in the last stages of consumption, who know that their offspring must be puny, suffering, neglected orphans, are still compelled to submit to maternity, and dying in childbirth, are their husbands ever condemned? Oh, no!† (2) Stemming from models developed in Rome under Marcus Aurelius and Florence’s Innocenti, orphans were first nursed by peasant women, then adopted or apprenticed by the time they were seven or eight years old (Simpson 136). Care of the orphans (and also the sick, the poor, the elderly, and the mentally ill) was first the responsibility of the church, but with increased legislation, the responsibility gradually fell under the state (Simpson 137). Pennsylvania passed such a â€Å"poor law† in 1705, establishing an â€Å"Overseer of the Poor† for each township. Each overseer was responsible for finding funds for children and more commonly, for finding positions of servitude or apprenticeship (7). Such a model of short-term care followed by adoption, apprenticeship, or indentured servitude became the standard for dealing with orphaned children. The development of specific orphanages or child asylums, however, did not come until later in the nineteenth century. Orphaned children were first treated in almshouses, first established in Philadelphia in 1731 (7). Poorhouses, workhouses, and almshouses, all essentially the same institution, housed both adults and children without homes. Residents were seen as nearly free sources of labor, working in sweatshops or nearby mines in the case of several British poorhouses (5).

An Insight into Academic Writing Essay

Authors Gerald Graff and Cathy Berkenstein claim in their book, They Say, I Say, that academic writing is not about â€Å"playing it safe and†¦ piling up truths and bits of knowledge,† like many people assume. Rather, it is about the dynamic interaction between other people’s points of view and the author’s response to those perspectives. In chapter one of Graff and Berkenstein’s book they emphasize the necessity of balance when implementing certain writing â€Å"moves,† specifically, when introducing a counter-view, summarizing other’s arguments, and when quoting someone else’s words. Graff and Berkenstein contend that by opening an argument with an explanation of what the thesis is responding to–introducing a counter-view–gives the main point clarity and relevance. They encourage stating the opposing view or assumption initially so that it will define and explain what the thesis is addressing. But, they also caution the writer not to bloat their introduction with extraneous information for fear of losing the audience’s focus and engagement. What Graff and Berkenstein suggest, then, is that â€Å"as soon as possible you state your own position and the one it’s responding to together, and that you think of the two as a unit. † Basically, they insist that the best way to give a â€Å"genuine response to other’s views† during academic writing is to have a balance between introducing what â€Å"They Say† (the opposing point of view) and what â€Å"I Say† (the writer’s response). If being in a constant dialogue with others’ positions is essential to arguing persuasively, as Graff and Berkenstein claim, â€Å"then summarizing others’ arguments is central to [the writer’s] arsenal of basic moves. † All too often during a summary, writers will provide their own opinions on an article’s topic rather than revealing what the article is actually stating. On the opposite extreme, there are the writers who â€Å"do nothing but summarize,† which dilutes their own views in an ocean of someone else’s ideas. Graff and Berkenstein remind us that a â€Å"good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus. † In other words, an exceptional summary contains the perspective of the original author, while emphasizing the points the responding author wants to address. One of the best ways to initiate an effective argument is not only to summarize what they say, but to quote their exact words. According to Graff and Berkenstein, â€Å"Quoting someone else’s words gives a tremendous amount of credibility to your summary and helps ensure that it is fair and accurate. † By quoting someone else’s exact statement it serves as a proof of evidence that you are not just fabricating another’s claim, but that you are disclosing their true ideas. Like introducing a counter-view and summarizing, quoting requires that you find an ideal balance between the quantity of quotes and content of commentary. A common issue with quoting is when the author assumes the quote speaks for itself. As Graff and Berkenstein, quotes are like literary orphans that have been taken from their original context, â€Å"they need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings. † In simpler terms, a quote needs to be introduced, interpreted, and then connected to the central idea. I found chapter one of Graff and Berkenstein’s book, â€Å"They Say,† to be extremely interesting and useful. The way they tied all their information to a central idea, while explaining how to do just that fascinated me. I felt like their writing had a constant flow from introduction of a move, to implementing balance, to common problems, how to fix those problems, and then to exercises that would reinforce their primary concepts. Their style and content kept me engaged and focused. Also, I learned a handful of writing tactics, like introducing a counter-view, summarizing, and inserting quotes, that I was not one-hundred percent sure on how to do prior to the reading. Overall, I found the chapter to be engaging, informative, and beneficial to me and my writing style.

Free Essays on Greek Discipline

One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline. A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability. A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more... Free Essays on Greek Discipline Free Essays on Greek Discipline One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline. A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability. A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more...

And They Didnt Die essays

And They Didnt Die essays In her novel And They Didnt Die, Lauretta Ngcobo gives us a glimpse of the life of a South African woman during the Apartheid Era (1950s-1980s). The human rights efforts of African women had a long lasting and far-reaching effect on the future cultural climate of South Africa. They fought back against the unjust laws that had permeated their country. Were they successful? What price did they pay? Ngcobo attempts to answer these questions in her novel. In order to understand the struggles of Jezile and other South Africans, it is necessary to know the history of their country. Discrimination against nonwhites was inherent in South African society from the earliest days. With the South Africa Act of 1910 the British parliament established the dominion of the Union of South Africa, with four colonies as its provinces. South African blacks had a low status in the white-dominated state. Urban blacks lived in segregated areas and could not hold office. They had no viable unions, and technical and administrative positions were closed to them. In 1914 the National Party was founded, which emphasized Afrikaner language and culture. By 1948 the all-white National Party came to power. Segregation and inequality between races had existed as a matter of custom and practice in South Africa, but after 1948 they were enshrined in law. The National Party won the general election that year in a coalition with the smaller Afrikaner Party. The United Party became the official opposition. The United Party mainly had an urban base with substantial support from English-speaking South Africans, while the National Party's support was drawn almost entirely from Afrikaans-speaking South Africans. At the heart of the National Party's legislative agenda was apartheid, Afrikaans for separateness, a doctrine of white supremacy promoted as a program of separate development. Once in power, the National Party extended and legaliz...

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

Anti-Globalization - Essay Example Globalization is portrayed as a positive thing from which undeveloped countries can benefit. However an alternative view suggests something else. Some people are of the view that through the excuse of globalization the developed countries are exploiting the weak economies. They are making the undeveloped countries dependant on themselves and would eventually result in making them their slaves. The theory behind the movement was so strong and convincing that it brought together the ideological school of thoughts who believed in anarchism and communism, and the activists who have a much pragmatic approach to life. Before this movement nothing had worked in order to unite these two opposite forces. The ideology behind the movement is as I have previously mentioned, strong economies use the excuse of globalization to further strengthen their economies and in the process drain the weak economies. Basically, globalization is giving rise to accumulation of wealth and power. The strong are getting stronger and the weak weaker. The undeveloped countries have started becoming increasingly dependant on the developed nations and thus the developed countries are in a position to make or break them. One of the ba... They do not understand the basic value systems. For instance Pakistan's electricity company has been taken over by a Saudi company and now Pakistan is facing the worse electricity crisis ever. According to Noreena Hertz, in her book 'The silent takeover' "Corporations have become behemoths, huge global giants that wield immense political power" and in the process of their evolution, "justice, equity, rights, the environment, and even issues of national security fall by the wayside." This as we can see is very true. Another major issue is that anti-globalization activists believe that the concept of intellectual property has been overly dramatized and stretched. Now information and intellectual property which used to be possessed collectively by a country or an ethnic group is being retained by a smaller portion of people. Thus sharing of resources has finished. The people cling on to their intellectual property and share very little of it with others. Thus weaker people can not benefit from it and are at a loss. Generally they are the big companies who have retained this kind of intellectual property thus their market concentration increases. Labor issues are also a major back bone of the movement. Referring back to the privatization of Pakistan electric company we see that the developed countries are influencing the developing countries to privatize their businesses. This is because in their opinion privatization is a good thing and therefore they are forcing others to go for it too. However privatization causes unemployment for many of the employees. There have been many influential works seen in the movement. Examples of them include Naomi Klien's book 'NO Logo'. This book talks about the unethical side of the production processes of the multi

Right to Confrontation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to Confrontation - Article Example They didnt call the examiners as witnesses. The respondent ought to have the capacity to get his conviction upset dependent upon Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, the decision from last June, which held, by a 5-to-4 vote, that utilizing lab reports without calling the experts maltreats the Sixth Amendment. The revisions encounter provision ensures litigants the right to see indictment witnesses in individual and to interrogate them, unless they are genuinely inaccessible. In cases that include medicates, and numerous that dont, lab examiners work could be a discriminating some piece of the indictments case. On the off chance that the prosecutors need to utilize the reports, they ought to be obliged to call the examiners as witnesses. It is not clear why the Supreme Court is racing to reexamine this issue. There are a few contrasts in the guidelines on witnesses between Virginia and Massachusetts. In any case it may be that with Justice Sonia Sotomayor having supplanted Justice David Souter, the nonconformists accept they have a fifth vote to disintegrate or undiscovered last Junes decision. As a previous associate area lawyer, some court examiners contend, she may be more thoughtful to the trouble on prosecutors. As a circuit court judge, Justice Sotomayor did regularly run for the administration in criminal cases, however making forecasts of this sort is hazardous. In the event that the court changes the tenet, it might be a noteworthy setback for common freedoms, and not simply in cases including lab confirmation. Prosecutors may utilize the choice to legitimize offering various kinds of affirmations, recorded proclamations and other confirmation from missing