Position Paper on The Applicability of the KouzesPosner Model of Essay

Position Paper on The Applicability of the KouzesPosner Model of Leadership - Essay Example While this may be true, it is often in an extreme crisis situation that leadership is ultimately tested. They have developed a framework identifying five specific practices critical to effective leadership in organizations. These include the following: Includes actions like seeking challenging opportunities for themselves and employees in pursuit of company goals, pushing new approaches inside the company, looking for ways to improve, experimenting and taking appropriate risks, creating a learning environment inside the work units, exercising initiative to overcome obstacles. The search for opportunity begins when leaders take on meaningful challenges, and thus experience conditions that test their capabilities. Leaders should be able to assess and take risks. From those experiences, they can learn to lead a team to accomplish extraordinary achievements (Kouzes and Posner 2002). The CEO of Dell Michael Dell challenged the processes used to sell computers to consumers Michael Dell definitely broke the rules and continues to do so. He was able to bring others into accepting his vision of a better way to sell computers. He was the first to sell directly to the end-user and he was the first to use the Internet so effectively to sell his computers. Focuses on talking about future trends, c... He was able to bring others into accepting his vision of a better way to sell computers. He was the first to sell directly to the end-user and he was the first to use the Internet so effectively to sell his computers. b) Inspiring a Shared Vision Focuses on talking about future trends, communicating a positive view of the future, appealing to others to share in their vision of the future, demonstrating to others how future interests can be reached through the company, being enthusiastic and positive about the future, speaking with positive conviction about the meaning of work. To enlist the support of a team for a common purpose, leaders must effectively convey their own vision. Furthermore, leaders need to cultivate a shared sense of ownership of that vision; only then will team members mobilize for the greater good of the team and its common goal (Kouzes and Posner 2002) ExampleA good example of this is Milton Stewart now represents Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP as the director of business development. Along with managing over 400 attorneys, his responsibilities in the firm include forecasting, planning and communication with his clients. Milton has been able to inspire a shared vision by being consistent and staying on message. He truly believes that you can win at business ethically thus this is one of the visions he shares with his employees, and thus wants them to be ethical in their dealings. Milton hates to leave things unfinished, never leaving the ball in his court. Milton responds to every email, letter, or phone call, exemplifying his belief that who you are and what you do, are one in the same. Mr. Stewart another vision which he shares with his

Code of Ethics Paper Essay Example for Free

Code of Ethics Paper Essay The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a well-known government based facility that presents a web site that keeps its customer base well informed on a wide variety of topics. Providing and gathering knowledge for doctors and patients, this facility and website serve as an investigator. This ranges from heath issues to the medicine used to treat. The NIH has been a part of history ranging from advances in penicillin to machines used such as the MRI. Also, NIH has funded and researched thousands of drugs and physicians to find cures and treatment. As a team we believe that the NIH has social, ethical issues, as well as goals that are met every day as a part of their social responsibility. â€Å"NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.† (USA.Gov, 2013) NIH’s goals and their ethical principles If everyone were afraid about unethical research, nobody will participate or volunteer. Without the research subjects, developing new medicine and treatments would be impossible. Because millions of selfless and generous research volunteers, the world has benefited from an array of medical advances in used today. Furthermore, Effective chemotherapy and radiation treatments have cured millions of people with cancer, such as breast, thyroid, pancreatic, and cervical cancer to name a few. Additionally, we have also benefited from numerous vaccines that protect from deadly disease, for instance, polio, measles, chicken pox, and the seasonal flu. Moreover, these medical advances have made it possible to increase awareness about nutrition and health lifestyles (NIH, 2013). The National Health Institute’s goals are to cultivate and promote â€Å"fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies and their application as a basis for ultimately protecting and improving h ealth† (NIH, 2013, para. 1). In addition, their goals are also for helping support, and â€Å"renew scientific human and physical resources that will safeguard the Nation competency to prevent disease† (NIH, 2013, para. 1) Furthermore, they work tirelessly to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"expand the knowledge base in medical and sciences to enhance the Nation’s economic well-being and guarantee a continued high return on the public investment in research† (NIH, 2013, para. 1). According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), before any research is started there are seven ethical principles the researchers must comply with. These principles help to clarify meticulously a coherent framework for assessing the ethics of any clinical research studies: (1) social value- the research or study must define how are peoples health or well-being will improve; (2) scientific validity- the research must have a hypothesis to be tested, and controlled; (3) fair subject sel ection- an abroad group of people must be selected , including age (over 18), gender, and race, not vulnerable or privileged; (4)favorable risk-benefit ratio- the research shows that the riskier the study the more ethical it is considered; (5) independent review- an external group must review the research and will approve it or denied it. This practice makes people believe the study is more ethical and unbiased. Also, this will minimize potential conflicts of interest; (6) inform consent- the subject must be mentally capable to understand the full disclosure of the research, the decision must be voluntary; (7) respect for the enrolled subject- the volunteers privacy must be protected, withdrawal from the study cannot be denied, and their health must always be monitored. The researchers have the obligation to treat everyone who volunteers in an experiment ethically and respectfully (Emanuel, Wendler, Grady, 2000; NIH Clinical Center Department of Bioethics, 2012). NIH’s culture and ethical decision making The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one of the largest organizations in the world with regard to researching advancements in medicine and the improvement in delivery of health care. Culturally speaking, the NIH is as diverse as the population it provides services to. Therefore, the NIH encourages health care providers to become more culturally competent in order to assist them in improving the quality of services they provide. According to the NIH, (2013) â€Å"Cultural competency is critical to reducing health disparities and improving access to high-quality health care; health care that is respectful of and responsive to the needs of diverse patients† (par. 3). Possessing a better knowledge of the cultures  a health care provider delivers services to will allow him or her the ability to provide a higher quality of care and enable him or her to remain ethical when critical decisions need to be made. Currently, the NIH is collaboration with other groups and organizati ons to help health care providers become more aware of the cultures they serve, which in turn, will provide better quality of care to all Americans (NIH, 2013). End of life is an area of health care the NIH suggests is especially critical with regard to culture and making ethical decisions (NIH, 2013). There are many different cultures in the United States that do not share the same point of view when it comes to a family members’ last wishes. An article called â€Å"Diverse decisions. How culture affects ethical decision making†, written by Wright, Cohen, and Caroselli explains the importance of cultural competence and ethical decision making at the point of a patients’ end of life. This crucial aspect of health care can be especially challenging to health care providers if they are not familiar with their patient’s cultural preferences. If not treated with the sensitivity a family requires culturally, the health care provider will likely encounter probl ems in assisting the family in arriving at an ethical decision that best helps the patient. As stated by Wright, Cohen, and Caroselli, (1997) â€Å"When these difficulties are coupled with ineffective communication related to cultural insensitivity or unawareness, the effects can be devastating† (par. 1). Few moments in life present as many challenges as the end of a family members’ life. Therefore, the NIH not only challenges its organization to become more culturally competent, it also encourages and assists health care providers to do the same, especially when assisting patients and their families in making the appropriate ethical decision. NIH’s ethical values supporting our ethical values The NIH has clearly stated that â€Å"turning discovery into health† is part of their mission statement. Supporting this ethical decision in the United States alone there are many individuals with chronic diseases or health issues. Therefore, it is safe to say that because the mission of the NIH is to find cures and treatments to better our nation is in correspondence with most. According to the NIH, (2013) â€Å"Nearly half of all Americans have a chronic medical condition. NIH research makes significant strides toward  treating and preventing these long-term illnesses.† Along with promoting wellness, the NIH develops new technological tools to treat any or most ailments in the USA. They are always looking for bright and positive new recruits to help research and enlighten the NIH to provide answers to thousands of individuals who have questions. The NIH has conducted research and found that cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease is on the decline bec ause of the research they have contributed to society. Because of their code of ethics they are helping babies that are born today live to a common age of 79, a vast improvement from the last 100 years. NIH believes it â€Å"invests over $30.9* billion annually in medical research for the American people.† (USA.Gov, 2013) and posted under NIH budget they write â€Å"Research for the People†, a clear message that this company is high in ethical values. They plan on widening the research capacity of our country and foster exploration. For any individual finding treatment for loved ones or ones’ self goes hand in hand with the ethical beliefs of the NIH. Social responsibility for NIH in the community NIH has proven itself to be socially responsible for not only the community but the entire population. They have done research and contributed a vast amount of information that physician’s, staff, and patients alike use on a daily basis for personal or practice knowledge. For example, the NIH has provided hundreds of thousands of jobs to research new technology and to find cures ever the past years. In addition, â€Å"to directly supporting research, NIH funding spurs an impressive amount of spin-off economic growth in our communities, ranging from scientific equipment suppliers to biotech firms to businesses offering food and lodging.† (USA.Gov, 2013) So not only has it contributed to health of the population, but is has proved financial contributions to the population. It has contributed more than $62 billion in revenue. Because of NIH’s research it will have not only short term effects but long term ones as well. Employing over one million employees to do rese arch and development, the NIH has made a vast contribution for jobs to those who do not have one. Providing tours and other means to understand what they do to the public, they encourage public awareness. Providing funds for over 130 Nobel prize winners that have created such instruments like the MRI, NIH scientists have paved the way for many and future scientists. The  NIH expects â€Å"to expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nations economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research.† (USA.Gov, 2013) Providing leadership for this frontier in medical research, NIH is constantly making new advancements. Keeping archives of all research done in the past 100 years, the NIH keeps these records so future generations can learn. In conclusion, the goals of the NIH are to provide medical research, for the population of the USA. Their goal is to find cure and increase the wellness of the surro unding population. Also, the NIH is made up of a culturally diverse population making it successful in finding, curing or preventing most or all ailments. Encouraging physicians to be more culturally diverse, is one of the NIH’s main goals because of the background in genetics and their diseases. Their ethical values support ours because we are all in the same country. Where thousands if not hundreds of thousands diseases are present every day, and as part of the population most would like to see research and treatments available. â€Å"Our practical wisdom must balance the shifting demands and possibilities that our changing circumstances present.† (Fremgan, 2009) Knowing our past is important as knowing our future. And the NIH has provided a sanctuary for both. As a team we believe that the NIH has social, ethical issues, as well as goals that are met every day as a part of their social responsibility. References National Institutes of Health, (2013). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/about/FAQ.htm USA.Gov. (2013). National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/ Wright, F., Cohen, S., Caroselli, C., (1997). Diverse decisions. How culture affects ethical Decision making. Division of Nursing, New York University, New York. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9136346 Fremgan, B. (2009). Medical Law and Ethics (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

English Based Idioms English Language Essay

English Based Idioms English Language Essay Introduction Language is a major feature of a nation. English language has developed hundreds of thousands of idioms. It has been estimated that about 7,000 idioms are used by a native speakers per week (Cooper, 1999, p. 249). At the same time, grasping idioms can be a great asset to learners in acquiring a new language (Celce-Murcia Larsen-Freeman, 1999, p.36). Idioms are extraordinarily difficult for their flexible structures and figurative meanings (Liu, 2003, p.675). For example, the meaning of high horse has nothing to do with high and horse but means an arrogant people. According to the surface meaning, second language learners can hardly tell its meanings. Also, Language is the most important communication tool. People use language to preserve and transmit human civilization, that is, language conveys the culture. Sapir (1921) observed that culture can be defined as what a human community does and thinks. The function of language is to explain what a thought is. Therefore, language does not exist alone. It is rooted in national culture and reflects national institutions. If culture is regarded as the cradle of language, animal idioms can be seen as the crystallization of culture. Animal idioms are plentiful in English. They prominently reflect English culture. For a long period, studies on animal idioms mainly focus on translation, cross-cultural comparison, literature, etc., such as On the Validity of the Communicative Translation in Idiom Translation from a Cultural Perspective (Wang, 2006), On the Untranslatability in English-Chinese Idiom Translation (Zhao, 2010). However, there are few studies on English animal idioms acquisition linking to British culture. For example, On the Integrated Teaching of Language and Culture in the British and American Literature Courses (Chen, 2009). Animal idioms, like a mirror, can clearly reflect the characteristics of a national culture. Generally speaking, culture is divided into three levels by anthropologists: high culture, popular culture, deep culture. High culture includes philosophy, literature, art and religion. Popular culture refers to customs, etiquette and the interpersonal aspects of life. Deep culture conta ins the meaning of beauty and ugliness, time orientation, problem-solving methods. They believe that these three levels of culture are closely linked. High culture and popular culture are rooted in the deep culture, while deep culture reflects the popular culture by a kind of custom or life style and reflects the high culture by certain forms of art or literary theme. Growing up in a culture has naturally inherited its deep culture and popular culture (Yin Han, 2007). High culture and popular culture belong to low context culture; deep culture belongs to high context culture. In this thesis, the key point is to investigate whether the Chinese English learners can understand the low context culture by examining the command of animal idioms. High context culture is out of the scope of this project. Literature Review Culture and Language There are a large number of definitions in culture, but a few of them can be reviewed. The most classical definition of culture is made by Edward B. Tylor, the father of cultural anthropology. The definition describes the culture as a center of society, which is regarded as the first important anthropological theory about culture. Tylor(1873, p.10) provided that culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society. He believed that culture is shared by all humankind, all community. Then, following the definitions of sociologists, they believe that culture refers to human attitudes, institutions, and beliefs etc. Reflecting the life of a human community is the key point in culture. Samovar et al (2000) observe that culture is a group (which may be a nation, corporate or family) to form thought, behavior, custom, etc. within certain amount of time and cultural consciousne ss is radiated from all activities. They think that culture describes the ways of a person or a group of peoples existence. The society, country and nationality are an important platform for peoples existence in generations. That is to say, culture explains the way of thinking, speaking, communicating during the existence. Also, Deng and Liu (2007) point out that culture illustrates the ways of a people, that is to say, culture refers to the entire way of life of a society. The language stems from certain social life and production and is the carrier of certain culture which contains peoples daily life. It inevitably reflects this nationalitys social reality and receives the constraint of this nationalitys custom, thinking mode, moral rule, value orientation, and political idea (Yang, 2007). Each language is a living fossil to a nation. Language as the main material has the most direct and close contact to build a culture. Furthermore, language is used for communication. It is impossible to use a language without awareness of its culture. That is to say, language can be a signal to identify different cultures. When language used by particular speakers, it conveys certain context which is how words be chosen, why to choose it, what meaning can be expressed. Language cannot exist without carrying culture meaning. Given the arguments above, the relationship between language and culture can be described as follows: language come from culture and culture embodies the entire way of life of a society. Using language can promotes cultural spread and culture can promote language development. Language and culture work closely and influence each other. Expressing facts, ideas, or events and reflecting the peoples attitudes, beliefs etc. are the most important function of a language. Language exchange actually is cultural communication. Learning a language well must be aware of its culture. Studies on Idioms Makkais Idiom Structure in English, an extended version of his doctorial thesis (1965), identifies two major types of idioms: one is encoding; another is decoding. Makkai finds a rationale to explain this division. The headword listed in the (OED) (1970) is sense 3a, which also appears in an identical form in the OED (1989): A form of expression grammatical construction, phrase etc., peculiar to a language; a peculiarity of phraseology approved by the usage of a language, and often having significance other than its grammatical or logical one (quoted from Fernando C., 1996, p.3-4). According to Moon (1998, p.4), narrower uses restrict idiom to a particular kind of unit: one is fixed and semantically opaque or metaphorical, for examples, as white as a sheet or cold shoulder. In broader uses, idiom is a general term for many kinds of multiword item, no matter semantically opaque or not. For animal idioms, the form is usually loose, and it mainly focuses on figurative meanings rather than literal meaning, for examples, put the cart before the horse, or straight from the horses mouth. According to Nunberg et al. (1994, p.498), idioms may differ along three orthogonal semantic dimensions: compositionality, conventionality, and transparency. Compositionality refers to the degree to which the phrasal meaning, once known, can be analyzed in terms of the contributions of the idioms parts; conventionality refers to the degree to which idiomatic meanings are not predictable based upon knowledge of the word components in isolation, and knowledge of the conventions of a particular language environment; finally, transparency refers to the degree to which the original motivation of these phrases is immediately accessible (see Titone and Conine, 1999:1663-1664). Wang (2010) mentions in English idioms feature and pragmatics that English idioms with the strong feature of rhetoric are formed from long-tem use and their structures are unique and have fixed expression. It contains proverbs, sayings, slangs, and allusions, etc. There are two important characteristics of idioms: one is semantic unity, that is, the overall meaning cannot be tracked from each word. For example, dog doesnt eat dog. It means that people of same profession, school, etc. never make trouble for one another instead of the surface meaning. Another is the structure of fixity, that is, its structure cannot be altered arbitrarily, for example, kick the bucket. It cannot say kick the pail or be used in the passive voice- the bucket is kicked. Animal idioms and British culture There is a close relationship between animals and peoples lives. On the one hand, animal is the main source of food and clothing for human; the other hand, kinds of animals represent certain images which people pay homage to them. These animals reflect human thought and contain certain national culture. Liao (2000) has defined that there are three bases to make animal vocabularies to cause cultural meanings. First, derive from animals appearances, physical structure, mentality, behavior. Second, come from cultural content such as fables, legends, religions, physical geography, and customs. Third, be created by association, that is to say, animals are associated with another things which relate to potential cultural psychology. In the perspective of linguistics, animal images used in idioms have figurative meaning. Idioms linked to animals usually contain metaphors. Animals denote and connote supposed qualities. These qualities are applied to people and human situations. There is a ph enomenon that no idiom database contains animal or insect, although many contain hyponyms such as cat, dog, or horse. The reason may be that general words such as animal are too neutral to cause these kinds of institutionalized metaphors, despite the fact that both animal and insect are used in other contexts with metaphorical meanings (Moon, R., 1998, p.196). In the meantime, the formation of animal idioms relies on culture. According to the arguments mentioned above, culture refers to all aspects of a people such as geographical situation, the style of production, and literature etc. In the history, Great Britain was the overlord in the sea. Despite the Europe, other continents were the British colonies. Therefore, British nation could contact with many animal species. Britain is surrounded by islands. Due to the abundant resources from physical geography, animal idioms flourished in the early years of that century. Thereby, English idioms have close contact with sea and fishing, for example, hook ones fish. Comparing with China, Great Britain is filled with small mountains and strait lands. In ancient Britain, horses are main tillable force. The function of horses is above all. Thus, there is particularly large number of horse-related idioms, such as horse of another color, an iron horse, or horse sense etc. In ancient China, the cattle played a significant role. That is why so many idioms related to cattle in China, for examples, niu qi chong tian  ¼Ã…’feng ma niu bu xiang ji etc. These cattle and horses have been portrayed by cultural connotation. In addition, some animal images come from Greek and Roman mythology or Bible, like serpent which means Satan in Bible (Zhao, 2010). Animal idioms related studies In the second language learning, correctly using idioms has always been regarded as a tough problem. A learner must recognize the fix structures and given meaning, not only the literal meaning but also the figurative meaning. Figurative meaning refers to metaphors which have close relationship with culture. Whats more, animal idioms are more flexible and oral orientation. It is not easy for second language learners to breach the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic barriers in idiom learning. Blasko and Connine (2002) made an experiment in comparing Malay and English to investigate second language figurative proficiency. They found two results as follows: First, figurative expressions with an equivalent conceptual basis and linguistic form are the easiest; Second, figurative expressions with an equivalent linguistic form but a different conceptual basis are the most difficult. Lin Weiyan (2003) designed a project to investigate English idiom learning in different cultural background. H e observes that English idioms with same figurative meaning as Chinese are easy to understand comparing with different figurative meaning as Chinese. That is to say, if the English idioms are similar to Chinese ones in expression and meaning, mother tongue will make effectively transfer; if not, mother tongue will make negative transfer. Wu Xudong and Chen Bin (2006) quickly came to the conclusion that the process of conceptual and cultural transfer is the process of comprehending English animal idioms, and Chinese English learners has low capability to comprehend English animal idioms with different metaphors. From the presented studies above, it can be concluded that commanding idioms, especially animal idioms is one of the big obstacles in second language learning. Chinese English learners have the advantage and disadvantage of understanding animal idioms, because there are some similar figurative meanings. But due to the learning environment, Chinese English learners have low capabilities to command animal idioms. Research Question Can the command of English animal idioms greatly influence Chinese English Learners to understand British culture? Hypothesis Due to the relationship with language, animal idioms and culture, command of English animal idioms can greatly influence Chinese English Learners to understand British culture.

Brutus and Mark Antony in the play Julius Caesar :: William Shakespeare

The Empire of Deceit In the play Julius Caesar, written by the playwright William Shakespeare, the characters Brutus and Mark Antony each recite a speech in the market place after Caesar’s death. These speeches, exemplifying parallelism, verbal irony, and witty use rhetoric, expose the true intentions of these characters. From these speeches, the reader can understand the true intentions of these characters and thus conclude for themselves whether or not the slaying of Caesar was one of justice or one of greed. Corruption is always apparent in every society. No matter what time, age, or government, every man or women always has a second intention. In murdering Caesar, Brutus hoped that he could gain power. His intentions also presented a scenario in which the plebeians were pleased with his course of action. Why? With the logic that states that all Roman people were or would become the slaves of Caesar due to his immense power. Thus, in Brutus’s mind, he is the liberator of the Roman people. Trying to woo the simple plebeians in the marketplace, he asks them to invest trust in him. Brutus makes clever rhetoric such as his emphasis and emotion on powerful words to convey his message. But what the reader must understand is that this man is nothing more than a corrupt politician. Brutus uses language in his favor, stating he killed Caesar not out of hate, but in fact because of his love of the Roman people. If one truly understands the key principles of all language and philosophy, the n one must be able to tell that Brutus is doing nothing more than using a â€Å"double-talk† kind of approach towards the common man. Reality can be controlled. The reason behind this statement is simple- reality is controlled by keepers of the records. What this statement means is that any situation can be manipulated in order to favor one side or another. In the speech by Antony, the tide of reality pulls sharply out, exposing a beach of discontent and deceit. Antony starts his speech by saying that he is not there to praise the late emperor, but in fact accept the fact that Brutus is a praiseworthy man. However, Antony’s speech begins to pull the tide of Brutus’s reality once Antony mentions that Caesar was his friend. It is this simple notion that changes Rome’s future forever. Antony goes on to state that Caesar had triumphed over many enemies, thus bringing power to the Romans and bringing much fortune.

Scenario planning – Industry scenarios

Before embarking on the discussion, there is one question or so we need to ask ourselves. What is a scenario? What is scenario planning all about? What constitutes industry scenario planning? Straight away, a scenario is a story or a descriptive narrative about the future which aims at sketching the boundaries of the probable and it is assembled on a methodical scrutiny of various factors bearing in mind those alternatives which are credible and somewhat measurable. These factors are: – social, political, economic, environmental and technological. Future environment of a given business, region or policy area could be shaped by these very factors. According to the World Economic Forum, the scenarios explore three or four dissimilar eventualities of how the world might look if the most uncertain and important drivers unfold in different ways. The same source elaborates further that good scenarios are not just dry, analytical descriptions of possible future outcomes. No matter how meticulous they are constructed, they should also be well inspired and highly compelling enough to engage the imagination. They challenge postulations wile at the same time raising awareness of fundamental factors and inspire participants into fresh thinking about what could happen and what it would mean for them. They offer both a new perspective on events and a scaffold for positive deliberations. Scenario planning on the other hand can be used by distributors as a tool of management to predict and benefit from change. In this article, we shall briefly introduce scenario planning, its relevance in connection to distributors and we shall also look at its application as a valuable tool in the industrial sense. As we have said above, that when we think of scenario planning, one great point that has to cross our minds is that a range of alternative futures has to be put into consideration, each of which is considerably diverse and varied from the present operating atmosphere. It would be better to compare and contrast alternative views on how the industry may evolve rather than pinning ourselves on a single forecast which we have assumed to be most probable. Scenario planning is externally oriented and therefore very effective at identifying growth strategies for the company as well as impending threats to its market positions. Scenarios can also help us identify the specific external industry changes that might be causing the company to lose market share or margins. In his article, Scenario Planning Basics for Distributors, Fein Adam presents ways in which distributors are using scenario planning to the betterment of the company. Distributors, he says, should make sure that the management of their company does not erroneously presuppose that changes will not place in the future. In other words, they should explore all the possibilities the company can face and, not only that but, come up with viable alternatives. In connection to this point, they should also assist the management to identify and understand possible threats comprehensively. They should point out growth strategies for the company and test the success of its current strategy in various possible futures. Lastly, they should understand and appropriately react to new customer buying behavior since the customer is the basic unit of the industry and the satisfaction of the customer should be the prime objective of any decision made by the company. Facing the Forces of Change has suggestions of four possible scenarios for distributors to consider. The first scenario is that which stretches into the future and here distributors have entirely incorporated technology into their companies. Given the high level of information development, customers expect distributors to work with them impeccably across numerous communication interfaces. Distributors have effectively achieved this due to rapid rates of developments. These distributors still remain the prime route to market for manufacturers. Coordinated Channels is another scenario where customers seek more information directly from manufacturers. Here, manufacturer Web sites give existing product specifications, comprehensive technical data and also appropriate product feature are selected by the customers who want such information. This information can be accessed by the customers both directly and indirectly. Directly they get connected to the manufacturer Web site and indirectly through an allied distributor’s Web site. Product collaboration between manufacturers and distributors is undertaken on the internet with marketing and inventory management also being done in the channel. However, it still remains the role of the distributors to provide information back to the manufacturer and ensure new performance qualifications are met The third scenario is the one describing a world where consumers and producers pay for the specific conduit activities they may be in need of. This Unbundled Supply Chain has distributors competing directly with supply chain organizations and intermediaries in this scenario are rewarded according to their rate of activity performance. That is, what they have done on behalf of their customers and producers. In the fourth scenario, there is a world with a cluster of consumers forming open and non-profit online exchanges. These common platforms handle the data among supply chain partners. Scenario planning requires a few guidelines to be followed. One must establish a core planning team because analysis of the strategic implications is best in groups. Secondly, a cross section of expertise should be availed, and this includes the heads of the all functional areas of the company. Bringing the ideas of the thinkers the company is endowed with is such a feat worth the take. It is worthwhile to include the outside people by incorporating information gathered from them into the whole system. The focus here should be on infusing appealing and challenging perspectives into the discussion. Outsiders include customers, suppliers, consultants and competitors who hold a vital position in the success of the company. There should be great care in selecting the person to facilitate the scenario planning strategy. An employee of the company should not be part of the choice, neither the senior executive officers. This is because the facilitator should be someone who is focused on planning processes and the two do not appear in this category. Implications scenario planning, just as other forms of business planning, needs an extensive spending of resources from all the individuals of the company. Therefore, the support of top management is a very important determinant of success the company’s planning capability. What this implies is that there should be readiness from every corner of the company in order for this planning strategy to work in the success and goodwill of the company. An honest assessment must be carried out to ascertain as to whether the senior decision makers in the company are not only involved but also dedicated to the scenario planning process. Should the company be unready to work with the process, then even the most sophisticated techniques of a manual or outside consultant are destined to fail. In addition, if the company is faced with a threat of financial insolvency, then it must suspend the identification of long-term threats and other prospects until business stabilizes because this kind of planning is not suited with survival planning. Disruptive innovation is one of the revolutionary theories of technological change used to describe the impact of new technologies on firm’s existence. (Nauosa Hirotta). Combining scenario planning with disruptive innovation is unavoidable in this era of high level of technological embrace. It is sure and straight that a company which does not embrace technology in its strategic plan is left behind. Disruptive technology which initiates the advent of disruptive innovations for example e-marketing is a vital tool but has to be fused with industry scenario so that the company does not lose its clients for the companies. Summary There must be clear repercussions for the company and its strategy if at all scenarios planning is intended to be meaningful. Each scenario can be viewed as a playing ground in which the company finds itself competing in the future and this allows us to apply all of the apparatus of competitive analysis within a given industry setting. The same tools can then be applied in a totally different future. For us to have the best out of scenario planning, a scrutiny of the company’s position must be known. The company may be one which can manipulate how the future evolves by virtue of actions and investments of its members. On the other hand, if it is too small or insufficiently influential, it becomes a scenario taker and in this case its must carefully examine its line of trade and customers so that it is prepared to react and adjust quickly to changes. Such scenario takers will find it wise to rapidly imitate and adopt to survive; they must do what good companies do. Bibliography: Olaisen J, A Johannessen, B Olsen, – International Journal of Information Management, 1999 – Elsevier Page 15 Fein Adam. â€Å"Scenario Planning Basics for Distributors† Accessed last on February 27, 2008 from URL: Accessed last on February 27, 2008 from URL: International Journal of Information Management, Volume 19, Issue 4, August 1999, Pages 263-275 Jon-arild Johannessen, Johan Olaisen and Bjà ¸rn Olsen Disruptive Technology May 3, 2007, Accessed on February 28, 2008 from URL:

Facts About Prostate Cancer †Research Paper Outline Rough Draft

Facts About Prostate Cancer – Research Paper Outline Rough Draft Free Online Research Papers Facts About Prostate Cancer Research Paper Outline Rough Draft Background Information Second most common type of cancer in American men(400 000 men will die this year) Most people not die from it but with it Prostate is gland the size of an egg sandwiched between the bladder and rectum, protected by capsule(thin covering) Produces sperm 96% of cases are of men who are over the age of 55 Cancer Information Cause unknown Survival rate has increased drastically in the last 20 years, from 67% to 92% Growth of cancer cells is stimulated by male hormones, especially testosterone Begins when one or more normal cells transform into cancer cells Tends to grow slowly Stage 1(a.k.a. Stage A or T1) Tumour in prostate only, can’t be felt by DRE Stage 2(a.k.a. Stage B or T2) Still in Prostate, can be felt by DRE Stage 3(a.k.a. Stage C or T3) Tumour spreads to immediate surrounding tissue Stage 4(a.k.a. Stage D2 or M1) Tumour spreads to other parts of the body Symptoms Early cancer usually has no symptoms Can resemble BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia), which can be confusing Non-cancerous enlargement is common in men over 40 Some symptoms include: Blood in urine/semen Frequent urination or inability to urinate Pain during urination/ejaculation Bone pain Diagnosis DRE (Digital Rectal Examination) Doctor inserts gloved and lubricated hand into rectum to feel shape and size of prostate Not entire prostate felt, but enough to determine tumours PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) PSA produced by both cancerous and normal cells, but only prostate cells produce them When cancer develops and grows, PSA level usually increases Biopsy Only way to actually diagnose cancer Small tissue of prostate obtained and examined Treatment Options/ Recent Findings Treatment usually depends on the stage of cancer and its growth speed Radiation Therapy High energy rays used to kill prostate cancer cells, shrink tumours Uses sophisticated computer programs and 3-D images to accurately target the tumour(s) Conformal Proton Beam Radiation Therapy ? Newer form of radiation therapy ? Uses protons instead of energy rays ? A number of side effects that usually disappear when therapy is over Hormone Therapy Try and decrease production of male hormones or block effect on cancer cells Cannot cure cancer, but used to slow growth and reduce size of tumours Options include surgical removal of testes, and antiandrogens – drugs that prevent production of male hormones Estrogen Therapy ? Administration of estrogen that lowers production of testosterone LH-RH Therapy ? Leutenizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone that lowers levels testosterone Radical Prostatectory Surgical removal of prostate New nerve-sparing techniques have reduced side effects ? Lymph nodes that are sometimes removed are left alone if possible, using new techniques Brachytherapy Form of radiation treatment where tiny pellets containing radioactive material are implanted into the prostate, where they kill cancer cells Exact ultrasound guidance helps the implant ProstRcision Excision of prostate by irradiation Similar to radical prostatectory in concept, but no cutting involved Part 1: seeds implanted into prostate that carry radioactive material to treat cells by radiation Part 2: conformal beam radiation irradiates around the prostate Cyrosurgery Treats localized cancer by freezing/destroying prostate New interest in this technique due to improvements in technology Freezing process may damage nerves, as temperatures can drop to -195? C Chemotherapy Use of strong drugs to destroy cancer cells Drugs destroy any cells that divide rapidly Can affect normal body cells Firefly glow Scientists succeeded in tracking spread of prostate cancer in mice by using firefly proteins to light up tumours Virus-vector developed to target cancer cells based on expression of PSA Contain firefly genes that produce glowing protein in presence of PSA In mice, cancer cells glowed Using this vector, toxic genes could be delivered to cancer cells, but problems still need to be solved for human testing New Genetic Marker New test for diagnosing cancer, as PSA testing is still largely unreliable Researchers identified 20 genes that are overexpressed in cancer cells Roughly 95% of more than 300 prostate tissue samples contained a specific protein ( a-methyl-CoA racemase : AMACR) AMACR may be a useful addition to current diagnosing tools Also found AMACR in breast, bladder and lung cancer, suggesting that AMACR could be used in diagnosing those types of cancer Research Papers on Facts About Prostate Cancer - Research Paper Outline Rough DraftGenetic EngineeringPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThree Concepts of PsychodynamicBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part One