Transnational Strategy of Levi Strauss Coursework

Transnational Strategy of Levi Strauss - Coursework Example Since Levis is considered a status symbol and commands a premium from European and Asian consumers, wherein the U.S. its status has been eroded by the competitors like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, it motivates Levis to sell its products in the global market. Levis also has to customize its offering as per local taste as different markets have varied needs in terms of size, color etc i.e. achieve national responsiveness and also has to take advantage of low-cost raw material, production facilities where ever they are available i.e. global integration. A transnational strategy seeks to achieve high levels of both national responsiveness and global integration simultaneously by overcoming the tradeoff between the conflicting demands of the two pressures (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1991). Thus Levis has employed the transnational strategy by allowing its foreign subsidiaries to customize the jeans as per local taste with variety of colors and sizes for greater local/national responsiveness - achieving external flexibility and keeping the production facility centralized, at the most cost-effective places, procuring the raw material from the cheapest suppliers and supplying them throughout and transferring of learning from one market to other markets ensures global integration - the internal efficiency. For example, marketing knowledge learned on Decker’s in the U.S. was transferred to Europe. An organization’s structure is determined by the strategy it pursues. Levis follows a transnational strategy to achieve its goals, which requires a strategic combination of global standardization and local customization i.e. dynamic flexibility. The centralization/decentralization required by a firm depends on demand for global integration and local responsiveness.  

Similarities and differences of Domestic Human Resources and Essay

Similarities and differences of Domestic Human Resources and Multinational Human Resource policies and practices - Essay Example y The third step would entail the differences between the two The fourth step would comprise of the evaluating assessment The final will provide a conclusion and sum up of overall report and the learning outcome from the entire work. Defining the two concepts: Prior to defining the two major types, it is important understanding and defining the generic manner and purpose for which human resource operations are undertaken. Human resource practices have been in voyage ever since there crept in a realization for the rights of workers and improving the overall working environment that would facilitate more benefits to the organization in terms of profits, customers’ relationship and employees well being (Ehnert, et al., 2013, 119). While each associates to handling and manoeuvring of the manpower and the resources at hand, the two differ with regard to their scope, applicability, resources, practices and outputs desired. These differences may come up in a tangible or intangible ma nner. Differences between the two modes of Human Resource Management practices: Tangible Differentiating factors: Apart from the scope of each, there are certain specific and tangible differences between the two kinds of human resource practices (Regis, 2008, 163). Multinational practices entail involvement of more than two partners. These partners are most across different set of region and geographical locality. Extent of cluster: The level of subsidiaries between the two icons differ in number with multinational resources involving more complex outlook and more extended subsidized pattern. Geographical consideration: The geographical consideration and factor is of value and distinction between the two forms, for multinational human resource practices, it is vital to understand and implement... Trainings are an essential component of the global Human resource management processes. Without it any mission is bound to fail based on the lack of experience and firsthand knowledge. Training allows equipping one’s self and mind towards the upcoming challenges, new scenarios, and new circumstance and this in turn, enables successful operations. Investing more in the training domain and providing training on all fronts ranging from technical to non and physical to psychological will help to save a lot of time and money that is otherwise spent on processes that may not yield any substantial output. It is the key and secret to the success of productive global HRM strategies and outcomes. All the major organizations that are operating at mass level across multiple countries and continents have training techniques and procedures in practice that allow the accomplishment of goals in the most desired manner.

The Disadvantages of Using Facebook Among Students Essay Example for Free

The Disadvantages of Using Facebook Among Students Essay A very good morning to Miss Shirly and my fellow friends. Today, I, Shaatmi Batumalai, will be delivering a speech titled ‘The disadvantages of using the Facebook among students’. As we all know, today’s world is full of modern technologies, especially in the field of communication. No one can deny the efficiency of these tools, such as Twitter, Skype, Friendster, and so many more. Unfortunately, if wrongly used, these brilliant inventions can also bring disadvantages for its young users. Hence, let me bring your attention again towards the title of my speech, ‘The disadvantages of using the Facebook among students’. First and foremost I would like to enlighten on the issue of Facebook’s bad influences on students results. Students who are addicted to Facebook tend to lose their concentration on their studies. This is mainly caused by the students’ uncontrolled time spent being on-line. They become too wrapped up with their activities, and fail to complete their school tasks, and finally fail to cope up with their studies. Next, students are unaware of the company they keep through their accounts. They are fascinated by the activity of chatting with strangers who might appear attractive or interesting. They don’t even realize that, sometimes this may even cause serious problems such as arguments or even gang fights which can damage a student’s peaceful life. Last but not least, students may also face health problems with excessive Facebook usage. This makes them to not to have enough sleep. So when they go to school the next morning, they just sleep on their desks and make their teachers to be angry with them. Besides, students may also experience short-sightedness with too much of Facebook. Based on my opinion, the Facebook is like an addictive drug for its users. It is quite challenging to stay away from the exciting life but as matured students we must try to concentrate on our studies. As a conclusion, it is up to the individual to choose the right ways of using these technologies for their own benefits. With this, I end my speech. Thank you for listening.

The Factors Influencing Strategy Implementation Management Essay

The Factors Influencing Strategy Implementation Management Essay The aim of this module is to produce a 4000 word research proposal that would be capable for supporting the preparation of a Masters dissertation. The project report would include an introduction including a title, which would highlight the content of this business document providing a background, informing the reader of the problem / issue at hand and the context of the situation that would be discussed. The research issue would be provided highlighting the importance of the issue in todays ever-changing and competitive, cut-throat business environment. Adequate linkages would be provided to co-relate the research aims, research objectives, research questions and the hypothesis as such generated. A coherent and critical literature review would follow demonstrating the knowledge of the literature available and linking it to the situation which would be investigated. A research design and methodology would be adopted to investigate the concerned issue providing a rationale as to how the research objectives are to be accomplished explaining the selection of the research paradigm. The research design would include the methods of data capture, the data access issues, the analysis and the interpretation means that would be used to assess the situation and appropriate reasons would be provided for the choice of research tools used. Relevant ethical issues underpinning the research objectives would also be discussed along-with the resources required to complete the research proposal. The last part of this management report would include a timetable that would provide the time that it took to complete each part of the research proposal along-with a list of references utilized to complete the report. INTRODUCTION TITLE: FACTORS INFLUENCING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION BACKGROUND The title of this research proposal is factors influencing strategy implementation. Before we discuss the issue and highlight the importance of the issue in the context of the report it is of prime importance to understand the concept of strategy implementation itself. It is the process by which the business strategy formulated is put into action. It includes the design and management of organizational systems to achieve the best integration of people and structure, allocating resources, managing human resources and developing information and decision processes to achieve organizational objectives. Pierce and Robinson  note that to effectively direct and control the use of the firms resources, mechanisms such as organizational structure, information systems, leadership styles, assignment of key managers, budgeting, rewards, and control systems are essential strategy implementation ingredients. After the creative and analytical aspects of the corporate strategy have been formulated the priority of the management is to convert the strategy into operationally effective action. A strategy is never complete, until it gains a commitment of the firms resources and becomes embodied in its organizational structure. Strategy implementation is an iterative process of implementing strategies, policies, programs and action plans that allows a firm to utilize its resources to take advantage of opportunities in the competitive environment (Harrington, 2006). There is no one definition of strategy implementation as seen from the above citations but for the purpose of this report, taking into consideration the definitions above we can define strategy implementation as an iterative, dynamic and a complex process, which comprises of series of decisions and activities by the management and the administration those affected by many interrelated internal and external factors, to turn strategic plans into reality in order to achieve the objectives of the firm. RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY This part of the report would highlight the aim and the objectives of the research, discussing the issue chosen and its importance by proposing a research question and providing an answer to it in the literature review. Many studies have acknowledged that business strategies often fail not because of inadequate strategy formulation, but because of an inappropriate implementation strategy. This report would study the factors that enable or impede effective strategy implementation. This report would highlight how strategy implementation has been researched so far and how this field may be moved forward so as to help in effective execution of a business strategy. As a result of the literature review undertaken, the report has found nine critical factors for strategy implementation that will be discussed further in the literature. Formulation of an effective strategy, making the strategy work and implementing it throughout the company is a difficult task (Hrebiniak, 2006). Many factors potentially affect the process by which strategic plans are turned into organizational action. Unlike strategy formulation, strategy implementation is more of a craft, rather than a science. After successful formulation of the business strategy, difficulties usually arise during the subsequent implementation process. If the business strategy formulated is not applied correctly to all the aspects of the organisational structure the business model would fail, thus harming the organisation in many aspects, the major being the financial capability of the firm, which would take a huge blow. It is of prime importance to get the implementation right otherwise there would be huge losses for the firm. Noble (1999b) notes, the best-formulated strategies may fail to produce superior performance for the firm if they are not successfully implemented. This issue is of utmost importance in todays day and age because of the cut-throat competition in the ever-changing business world where each firm needs to keep re-modelling their policies and procedures to keep up with the change in the external and internal business environment. There are combination of issues that influence the success of strategy implementation, ranging from the people who communicate or implement the strategy to the systems or mechanisms in place for co-ordination and control. How can we better understand these issues and their importance for successful strategy implementation? In this report we try to respond to this question by the critical analysis of the existing research on the factors that influence strategy implementation. An analysis has been conducted of the most widely used literature databases to identify key factors influencing the process of strategy implementation, to surface current areas of agreement and disagreement on the topic. LITERATURE REVIEW In the following section, the report would review the study sources and assess their research context, theoretical bases, their main results and the research methods used as well as the analytical techniques which are employed for the study. The examined organizational levels and organizational types are the two elements of the research context. The core of the literature review, would concentrate on the nine factors identified through rigorous analysis of the study sources, that play a role in influencing strategy implementation success, as well as the frameworks or models that aggregate or relate the relevant factors to each other. This is followed by the discussion of the theoretical bases of the reviewed studies. Finally, the research methods and analytical techniques adopted will be reviewed to see which methods are still underutilized in the context of strategy implementation. By carrying out a literature review of the existing studies, the report found two types of strategy implementation studies: one that highlight the importance of the individual factors for strategy implementation and the second that emphasize the big pictureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ of how the single factors interrelate and form a strategic implementation environment. The research would highlight nine recurring, individual factors that influence strategy implementation. They are namely the strategy formulation process, the strategy executors (managers, employees), the organizational structure, the communication activities, the level of commitment for the strategy, the consensus regarding the strategy, the relationships among different units/departments and different strategy levels, the employed implementation tactics, and the administrative system in place. THE NINE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE STARTEGY IMPLEMENTATION 1. Strategy Formulation If the corporate strategy drafted by the business is a poor or a vague strategy, then it can limit the implementation efforts dramatically. Good execution cannot overcome the shortcomings of a bad strategy or a poor strategic planning effort (Hrebiniak, 2006). Several studies mention the fact that the kind of strategy that is developed (Alexander, 1985; Allio, 2005) and the actual process of strategy formulation, namely, how a strategy is developed (KimMauborgne, 1993; Singh, 1998) will influence the effect of implementation. Alexander (1985) believes that the need to start with a formulated strategy that involves a good idea or concept is the most crucial and critical factor which helps promoting its successful implementation. As Allio notes, good implementation naturally starts with good strategic input: the soup is only as good as the ingredients (Allio, 2005). 2. Relationships among different departments and different strategy levels Many studies in the concerned field have stressed that the institutional relationships among different units/departments and different strategy levels play a major role in the outcome of strategy implementation (Walker Ruekert, 1987; Gupta, 1987; Slater Olson, 2001; Chimhanzi, 2004; Chimhanzi Morgan, 2005). Walker Ruekert note that marketing policies, inter-functional structures and processes, corporate-business unit relationships and processes are a major influence on business strategy implementation. In addition, allocation of resources, functional competencies, inter-functional conflict, decision-making participation and influence, and coordination also have different effects on the implementation of various kinds of business strategies. Implementation effectiveness is negatively affected by conflict and positively affected by interpersonal communication and not written. Such interdepartmental dynamics are affected by senior management support informal integration and joint re ward systems. Other relationships that have received attention to a lesser extent include finance, manufacturing, engineering, quality, marketing, accounting, and sales. 3. Executors Executors comprise the top management, middle management, lower management and non-management. Effectiveness of strategy implementation is, at least in part, affected by the quality of people involved in the process (Govindarajan, 1989). The quality refers to the capabilities, experience, skills, attitudes, and other characteristics of people required by a specific position (Peng Litteljohn, 2001). Findings indicate that strategy implementation effectiveness, critically depends on the human or people side of project management, and less on organization and systems related factors. Top management refers to the senior-level leaders including presidents, owners, and other high ranking executives (CEO, CFO, COO etc.) and senior-level managers. Hrebiniak and Snow (1982) report that the level of interaction and participation among the top management team typically leads to greater commitment to the firms goals and strategies. This, in turn ensures the successful implementation of the strategy. Gupta and Govindarajan (1984) note that greater the marketing and sales experience of middle managers, the greater would be their willingness to take risk and successfully implement the strategy. Heracleous (2000) also finds that if middle management do not agree with the strategy, or do not feel that they have the skill set to implement it, then they would sabotage its implementation. Middle managers expect the direction from the top management but frequently feel that they are in a better position to start and evaluate alternative courses of action. Also, the lack of shared knowledge with lower-level management and non-management employees would create a barrier to successful strategy implementation. 4. Communication Many researchers have emphasized the importance of adequate communication channels for the process of strategy implementation. Alexander (1985) notes that communication is mentioned more frequently than any other single item that promotes successful strategy implementation. Communication includes explaining what new responsibilities, tasks, and duties need to be performed by the employees in order to implement the strategy. It answers the why behind the changed job activities, and explains the reasons why the new strategic decision was made. Rapert and Wren (1998) find that organizations where employees have easy access to management through open and supportive communication channels outperform those with more restrictive communication environments. Effective communication is a fundamental requirement for any effective strategy implementation. Organizational communication plays an important role in training, knowledge acquisition and applied learning during the process of implementation. In fact, communication is vital in every aspect of strategy implementation, as it relates in to the organizational context, organizing processes and the implementation objectives. 5. Implementation Tactics Nutt (1986) stipulates four types of implementation tactics used by managers in making planned changes: intervention, participation, persuasion, and edict. Intervention refers to strategy adjustments made during the implementation stage by introducing new practices and norms. Participation includes formulating strategic goals and nominating a task force that can develop and propose the corresponding implementation options. Persuasion is the tactic which uses involved parties to convince the employees about the desired course of actions. The issuing of directives is the main focus of the implementation tactic edict. Lehner (2004) considers the implementation tactics as genuine organizational behaviour based on the assumption that implementation in general is dependent on the environment, and various strategic and corporate variables. 6. Consensus Nielsen (1983) notes that firms must achieve consensus both within and outside their organization in order to successfully implement business strategies. The consensus about a firms strategy may differ across the operation channels within the company. If the employees of the company are not on the same information level or if information passes through many layers in the organization, a lower level of consensus would result. This lack of shared understanding may create obstacles to successful strategy implementation.(Noble, 1999b). Floyd and Wooldridge (1992a) label the gulf between strategies conceived by top management and awareness at lower levels as implementation gap. Strategic consensus is the agreement between the top, middle, and lower-level managers on the fundamental policies of the organization. Strategic decisions are initiated by a team of top managers and then mandated to the rest of the organization, overlooking the importance of securing consensus with and commitment to the organizational strategy with the lower level employees, which is a big barrier for effective strategy implementation. 7. Commitment Strategy implementation process may fail if the strategy does not achieve support and commitment by the majority of employees and the middle management. Shared understanding without commitment would result in counter effort and may negatively affect the organisational performance. The understanding between middle management and those at the operational level to that of the top management teams strategic goals is of prime importance to successful implementation. Noble Mokwa (1999) have put forward three dimensions of commitment that are central factors which directly influence strategic outcomes: organizational commitment, strategy commitment and role commitment. Organizational commitment is the extent to which a manager identifies with and works toward organization-related goals and values. Strategy commitment is the extent to which a manager comprehends and supports the goals and objectives of an implementation strategy. Role commitment is the extent to which a manager is determine d to perform his individual implementation responsibilities, regardless of his personal beliefs about the overall strategy. 8. Organisational Structure The type of strategy adopted could differ in many ways and have different requirements regarding an adequate organizational structure. Factors relating to the organizational structure are the second most important implementation barrier according to Heide Grà ¸nhaug Johannessens (2002) study. Drazin and Howard (1984) stipulate that a proper alignment of the strategy with the organisational structure is an important pre-requisite for successful implementation of a corporate business strategy (Noble, 1999b). They note that changes in the competitive environment require adjustments to the organizational structure. If an organisations realignment strategies are lacking, it may exhibit poor performance and be at a major competitive disadvantage. 9. Administrative Systems Roth, Schweiger Morrison (1991) study suggests that organisational business units make use of three administrative mechanisms which are formalization, integrating mechanisms, and centralization, to create operational capabilities of configuration, managerial philosophy and coordination, to support business strategy implementation. Some researchers have also focused on the control systems which are one of important ingredients of administrative systems (Drazin Howard, 1984; Nilsson Rapp, 1999). Drazin and Howard (1984) discuss about the role of formal control system in the process of strategy implementation, and suggest that the fluidity of control system contribute to strategy implementation (Noble, 1999b). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY This part of the project report would focus on the research design and methodology adopted to carry out the research of the issue chosen which is the factors influencing strategy implementation. The following literature would highlight the components of the research paradigm chosen to accomplish the study. This section of the project report would provide a detailed rationale on how the study would achieve the research objective put forth in the title. This part would explain the methods of data capture used and the issues which would arise in gathering the required information along with the analysis and the interpretation techniques employed to achieve the research aim. Limitations would be included in the following report to make the reader aware of the shortcomings of the chosen methodology; the relevant ethical issues would also be discussed in the proposed research design along-with the resources required to complete the proposed research. The choice for the research methodology adopted is in congruence with the strategic issue chosen for the research proposal. The selection criteria to choose articles for inclusion in the research analysis: The articles which contain the keywords strategy implementation or strategy execution have been included in the literature .From this; further articles were identified using the references sections of the previously retrieved articles. In this way, the report also includes the articles which treat strategy implementation as one of the major subjects even if their title or keywords did not include the terms strategy implementation or strategy execution. As a final selection criterion it was checked whether the articles explicitly discuss factors impeding or enabling strategy implementation success. Data Collection Secondary Sources In order to identify the factors that enable or impede effective strategy implementation, the report has analysed relevant academic, peer reviewed journals such as the Strategic Management Journal, the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Management Studies, Long Range Planning, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Executive, Human Relations, Sloan Management Review, Journal of Marketing, etc. using the literature databases of EBSCO Host, ProQuest ABI, Science Direct, JSTOR and Wiley Interscience. Information has also been sourced from Google Scholar and books, newspapers, trade journals, industry portals, government agencies, trade associations, monitoring industry news and developments. The research data would be collected in different organisations or units of an organisation. The organisations were mainly professional service organisations, from both public and private sector. For example, finance, insurance and telecommunications companies, and government departments would be included. The size of the units under study would be 100 to 500 employees. The study would be qualitative in nature, main research method being semi-structured interviews. Primary Sources and Sampling In each organisation or unit, representatives would form three groups, namely the top management, middle management, and lower level personnel, would be interviewed using the questionnaire provided below. Altogether twenty-five interviewees per organisation would be randomly chosen: 2-5 persons representing the top management level, 4-13 persons the middle management level, and 8-17 persons from the lower level personnel. The interviewees would be chosen randomly, ensuring however that different tasks, work groups, and departments were represented equitably. The general topic of the interviews would be strategy implementation. During the interviews, the interviewees would fill out questionnaires, in which they would evaluate the various problem statements. The questionnaire has been given below: Q1. How do you define the concept of strategy implementation? Q2. What kind of issues would you associate strategy implementation with? Q3. How do you participate in the strategy implementation process? Q4. How are the policies pertaining to strategy implementation communicated within the different levels of the organization? Q5. Describe your own role in the process of strategy implementation. Q6. Evaluate the degree of the strategy implementation problems in your organisation. Data Access Issues Some data access issues might arise in the research journey, which could be the unwillingness of the employees to participate in the planned interviews hampering the information gathering capabilities of the subsequent research report along-with lack of co-operation from concerned companies which might not give permission to carry out interviews with its employees fearing a possible leak of its corporate strategy to its competitors. Also finances required for the successful completion of the information gathering process might not be adequate. Data Analysis The results of the questionnaires would be assessed, as well as the comments of the interviewees for the statements would be analysed. The main data analysis method employed would be content analysis of the interviews. The transcribed interviews would be coded accordingly to the central issues of the research. The analysis method would include historical trend analysis and linear regression analysis using software tools, judgmental forecasting, and conjoint analysis. Limitations of the Research Design The approach in conducting the literature review has shortcomings which should be acknowledged. The following are the limitations in the methodology adopted. Collection of articles has been carried out by relying on the databases of EBSCO Host, Science Direct, JSTOR, Wiley Inter Science and ProQuest ABI and the report thus may have overlooked some critical viewpoints on strategy implementation included in monographs or specialists books. Some selective articles in the review, however, rely heavily on concepts from advanced books on corporate strategy thus making up for the shortcoming to a certain extent. The articles have been located using the keywords strategy implementation and strategy execution. This procedure of gathering articles may omit some important articles. The report also excludes some very specific strategy implementation contexts, such as post-merger integration implementation. The research has discovered that most of the conducted studies in the subject focus on the influence of middle managers on strategy implementation. There is no special research relating to lower management and non-management, even if several authors have stated that it is important to consider their effects on strategy implementation as well. Another major research challenge incudes, a lack of understanding between the relationships among the nine reviewed factors, for example, there are major disagreements about the relationship between the variables of communication, commitment and consensus which the report fails to highlight. Also a limiting factor is that there are very few studies that systematically examine how different organizational units and strategy levels can influence strategy implementation, which the report has not included. Strategy implementation involves many theories including agency theory, social learning theory, expectancy theory, organization theory and social system theory. Because of the limited word count it was not feasible to include such theories in the text presented which is also a shortcoming. The lists of journal articles selected are not comprehensive enough, as many other issues could potentially affect strategy implementation. Such other factors, however, are less mentioned or not analysed in-depth, as many of them are also hard to control and modify. Research Ethics For research to be carried out successfully there are many ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration. It is very important to secure the permission and interests of all the people involved in the study. The people involved would be given assurance that any information obtained during the interview process would not be misused as this is the moral responsibility which would be maintained towards the participants. It is the duty of this research to protect the rights of the participants of the study as well as their privacy and sensitivity. The confidentiality of those involved in the observation would be maintained at all times, keeping their anonymity and privacy secure. Resources required for effective research The resources required to carry out the proposed research would require the support and co-operation of the supervisor in charge so as to provide guidance for submitting an effective research analysis report. Also would require permission from the industries chosen for the study of the research issue and the co-operation of its employees for conducting interviews. Adequate financial support would also be required to assist in the completion of the proposed research analysis report to cover the cost of commuting and resultant transportation fares. TIMETABLE TASK SELECTION OF INDUSTRIES FOR RESEARCH FOCUS DAYS 1-5 6-10 10-15 16-20 21-25 25-30 LITERATURE REVIEW/ CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY SOURCES OF DATA INTERVIEWING PROCESS INDEPTH STUDY OF VARIOUS SOURCES ASSESSING RESOURCE FOR CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK COLLECTION OF SECONDARY SOURCES OF DATA DEVELOPMENT OF RATIONALE FOR STUDY FINALLY FORMULATED RESEAERCH PROPOSAL REFRENCES Saunders, M., P. Lewis and A. Thornhill (2007) Research methods for business students, Harlow: FT, Prentice Hall (4th ed.) Blumberg, B., D.R.Cooper and Pamela S. Schindler (2008), Business Research Methods, London: McGraw Hill (second ed.) Wilson, J. 2010, Essentials of Business Research A Guide To Doing Your Research Project London: Sage Allio, M.K. (2005). A Short, Practical Guide to Implementing Strategy. Journal of Business Strategy, 26, 12-21. Beer, M., and Eisenstat, R.A(2000). The Silent Killers of Strategy Implementation and Learning Sloan Management Review, Summer, 29-42. Bourgeois à Ã‚ ¨, L. J., and Brodwin D.R. (1984). Strategic Implementation: Five Approaches to an Elusive Phenomenon. Strategic Management Journal, 5, 241-264 Govindarajan,V., and Fisher.J. (1990). Strategy, Control systems, and resource sharing: effects on business-Unit Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 259-285. Heracleous, L. (2000). The Role of Strategy Implementation in Organization Development Organization Development Journal, 18, 75-86. Higgins, J.M. (2005). The Eight à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Sà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s of Successful Strategy Execution. Journal of Change Management, 5, 3-13. Lehner, J. (2004). Strategy Implementation Tactics as Response to Organizational, Strategic, and Environmental Imperatives. Management Revue, 15, 460-480 Noble, C.H. (1999a). Building the Strategy Implementation Network. Business Horizons, 19-27. Nutt, P.C. (1986). Tactics of Implementation. Academy of Management Journal. 29, 230-261. Nutt, P.C. (1989). Selecting Tactics to Implement Strategic Plans. Strategic Management

Essay on Swifts Gullivers Travels and Orwells 1984 :: comparison compare contrast essays

Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Orwell's 1984  Ã‚     Ã‚   Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and George Orwell's 1984, two of English literature's most important and pervasive political criticisms, have helped to mold world opinion by offering new viewpoints and attitudes, yet these two novels differ in their means of conveying their satire of human nature. Whereas Gulliver's Travels touches humanity with a humorous note and absurd situations, in order to reveal the public's hypocrisy and society's reprehensible behavior, 1984, in contrast to Gulliver's Travels, presents dismal and depressing circumstances which forebode a heinous future and threaten human existence.    On his quest to reveal the inconsistencies and follies of humankind, Swift first offers the readers an opportunity to laugh at themselves (disguised as a Lilliputians), yet later, the readers find these humorous portrayals underscored with scorching and harsh social and moral satire. Observing the Lilliputians struggle for power in the little wars that they fight, Gulliver laughs at what he considers a joke, but in reality he laughs at human beings and their petty disagreements as well as their obsessions. "There is a good deal of fun in Lilliput, and with Gulliver we are able to assume a certain superior detachment and amusement at the ways of the pigmies" (Davis 86). Another instance of entertainment for the bystander and reader occurs when the Emperor of Lilliput attempts to conquer the entire "world" (obviously not cognizant of a world much larger than his Lilliputo-centric sphere), and to overtake the navy of his mortal enemy. Still laughing and unsuspecting, Gulliver initially follows blindly during his stay, and completes all the tasks assigned to him, for he believes in the goodness of the princes. Not until Gulliver's disillusionment with the iniquity of the princes and emperor, and hence with human beings, does he refuse to follow orders. These initial feelings of blind trust seem comparable to the party members' unquestionable devotion towards Big Brother in the novel 1984. At the moment that the Emperor of Lilliput accuses Gulliver of treachery, Swift clarifies his satire, that the Lilliputians merely represent miniature humans. (Davis 87). Words, then, that the Emperor and his staff had previously used, such as "degenerate nature of man, the great laws of nature, the miseries of human life" break the mold of the Lilliputian world and apply universally to the state of all humans (Davis 90). This short-lived humorous storytelling, offers a glimpse at the ultimate misanthropic messages and subtleties, which underlie the novel.

America and Muslims

Undoubtedly, the relationship between America and the Islam world has been on the wane. This continues to worsen with claims that anti terror agents are spreading a stereotype that targets Muslims especially of Arab origin. The relationship that America has with the Middle Eastern countries has changed rapidly and is now characterized by mutual acrimony and suspicion.With the coming in of the newly elected president, Barrack Obama and with a promise of revamping Americas foreign policy is being viewed with a glimmer of hope and renewed ties with the Muslim world, indeed this is the message communicated to the world by the recent visit to Turkey. With the war on terror still on, a significant proportion of Americans believe that extending an olive branch towards the Muslim countries is the wrong approach, instead, they belief that he should carry on with Bush policies and eliminate terrorism through force.However, this paper maintains that to change the prevalent perception that the t hat the world has with the United States and also to erase suspicions over the blanket condemnation with Islam, America needs to re-initiate foreign ties and extend an olive branch to the Muslim world. The hostility characterizing the relationship between America and Muslim can be traced to the events of the September 11, 2001 attack. It is important to recognize that the 2001 terrorist attack was a big blow to the United States and hit at the core of its emotions and continues to evoke anger to date.With this being the worst atrocity ever meted out on Americans in their own soil, it was bound to evoke all manner of responses both from the public and the ruling elite. The fact that the attack was masterminded and executed by the al Qaeda, a, Muslim extremist group was possible to evoke anti Islam sentiments amongst the Americans. This ushered an era of suspicion and poor relations between Islam and America. This situation was ultimately compounded by the response and the policies of President Bush.Bush responded with a decisive precision that has become a characteristic of America’s response to perceived aggression from outside. His policies and approach to attack the core of terrorism was interpreted to mean that he was out to attack Muslims (Rabasa et al 43). It has to be pointed out that after the onset of the attack, many Muslim leaders came out publicly to condemn the attack, â€Å"many Muslim leaders abroad were as keen to distance themselves from the terrorism of September 11 as were Muslim leaders in the United States.† (Crockatt 74) With the exception of Iraq, majority of Islam states also condemned the attack. In his congressional address, Bush reiterated his stand on terrorism maintaining that he did not share in the perception that Islam was fuelling terrorism. However, the situation on the ground and indeed at the international politics coupled with the war against terrorism was different, the fateful events of the 9/11 created tensi ons not only in America but internationally, â€Å"Muslim feel that even though they had nothing to do with those involved with terrorism, they are being targeted and profiled by government agencies.† (Khan 57) Bush’s policies and actions did nothing to change this but on the contrary reinforced it, his clarions call of you are either with the terrorists or against us meant there was no middle ground and was lumping Muslims together with the terrorists. His concentration on the Middle East as the base to fight terrorism also was an indication that he believed the Middle East, the epicenter of Islam, was behind terrorism and this is the main perception held by many Americans today. Cenap Cakmak Zaman in his article titled: What does Obama’s visit say about future Turkish-American relations?, he has examined this relationship, looking at how the recent visit to turkey by Obama will change the perception in the Muslim world. Obama is faced with an uphill task of ch anging this perception and also rooting it out terrorism. His popularity and positive ratings world wide lies on his message of hope and change, the change we need clarion call may have been intended for domestic affairs in Washington but the position of the United States as a global leader means that it has a huge stake in global politics.His change message hence has to be duplicated internationally and in the Middle East is where it should commence. As Cakmak maintains, â€Å"the damage done by George W. Bush to American foreign policy was extensive. Reliance on a political design similar to the Bush style would surely make the damage irreparable and US foreign policy unsustainable†. The recent Obama’s visit to Turkey can be said to be well thought out and indeed timely. The Obama’s administration in its bid to woo Muslims into the mainstream should start with Turkey because of two reasons.Geopolitically, Turkey lies in one of the most important location, bord ering Iraq and also having its foot in Europe. Turkey is both crucial to the advancement of Obama’s policies in the Middle East and also in NATO. Cakmak has appreciated this by maintaining that â€Å"Obama’s administration appreciates how Turkey is indispensable in its Middle Eastern policies and actions. † Core logic behind establishing good ties with Turkey lies in the fact that it is comprised of a majority Muslims. Although secular by nature, Turkey has a huge Muslim population.Acceptance of America amongst the Turkish leadership, which has been vocal in its criticism of Bush’s reign, will go along way in thawing the existing tension and impasse with the Muslim world (Journal of Turkish Weekly). Obamas current approach represents a radical shift from the Bush’s administration which failed to recognize the strategic importance of Turkey. It is important to point out that although Turkey is crucial if easing tension with Muslims is to be achieved , it may not necessarily be an authority in the region.Due to its secularism and westernization, Turkey is not fully regarded as an Islamic state, despite its huge Islamic population. However, the recent visit may work in Obama’s favor and install Turkey as a regional leader. A prudent analysis of this visit indicates that it meant to provide a new thinking and goes a long way in reassuring Muslims world wide of the United States commitment towards re-establishing the much needed good relations with Muslims. It re-emphasizes the need for multilateral approach to global problems and might provide the needed impetus towards the fight against terrorism.A continuation of Bush’s policies will be counterproductive as it was the cause of the existing tension. For his administration to emerge credible, it must denounce unilateral approach that characterized Bush’s administration. In this way, America will be seen as working with the Muslims but not against them. Works C ited Crockatt, Richard. After 9/11: cultural dimensions of American global power. Routledge, 2007, 74 Khan, Arshad. Islam, Muslims, and America: understanding the basis of their conflict. Algora Publishing, 2003, 57 Rabasa A. , Benard C. , Chalk P., Fair C. The Muslim world after 9/11. Rand Corporation, 2004, 43 USAK Experts and Researchers Assessed Obama's Visit to Turkey. Journal of Turkish Weekly. 8 April 2009. Retrieved on April 26, 2009 from http://www. turkishweekly. net/news/71215/usak-experts-and-researchers- assessed-obama-39-s-visit-to-turkey. html Zaman, Cakmak. What does Obama’s visit say about future Turkish-American relations? New York community media alliance. 9 April 2009. Retrieved on April 26, 2009 from http://www. indypressny. org/nycma/voices/368/editorials/editorials_2/

Christian life Essay

Father Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) presents a deeply spiritual and insight book with Reach Out. He presents a Christian approach to living with a systematic form of spiritual life, occurring in three defined steps; loneliness to solitude; hostility to hospitality; and illusion to prayer. Through each step Nouwen encourages a person to question themselves, and to seek an â€Å"ascent† to a higher way of being that achieves unity with God. His presentation of his message however is not an attempt to â€Å"bible bash† the reader, rather he uses the Bible as a filter to draw analogies to his interpretation of a meaningful life. Nouwen’s defined categories distinguishes the stages of the journey of Christian life as he sees it, basically reaching out to; the innermost self, to the rest of humankind; and to God. In itself the book is a beautiful rendition of a way of living that focuses on humankind as a community, and as sharing in their experiences of emotional states. It provides the reader with practical methods to apply change to their lifestyle that will cultivate a greater sense of peace and contentment. The phrasing and choice of words in titles and headings has been carefully considered and in themselves transports the reader to a place of reflection and prayer. The strength of Nouwen’s book is his ability to question his own values, decision-making and actions. He has gone to places of hardship in his experiences of loneliness, hostility and illusion and returned with treasures to share. Nouwen uses the movement between emotional states to provide a systematic process for the living the Christian life, which completes modern day values of systems thought, and critical analysis. However, the writer presents his material also in a highly capitalistic manner, in that emotional states are basically divided into two distinct forms: positive (winning) and negative (losing) and ignores the possibility that each state may not actually be so absolute; a milestone on the continuum of what it is to be human. The dichotomy he sets up may in itself be the cause of internal conflict for people, as Western societies value distinct black and white boxes in which to place information; Nouwen maintains this cultural value in his differentiation of distinct categories, and the application of a model of â€Å"ascent† for emotional states. The book is richly spiritual and helpful in learning to cope with loneliness, anger and misperceptions, and Nouwen’s voice tends to be presented as one of experience, that has gone to the depths of each of these states. His approach implies that all people feel loneliness, illusion or hostility and that â€Å"you like to stay away from†. The Bible describes many experiences of Jesus, prophets and other of the Lord’s people being tested, polished like jewels, or smelted like pure gold and other metals. The message is that if we are not prepared to undergo hardship how can we expect to lose ourselves of that which is not important? Nouwen encourages the reader to cultivate their faith and sense of hope by allowing ourselves to experience a forward movement into a more spiritual and subsequently balanced life. 2. Concrete Responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of confinement that implies that Nouwen has really been there himself. I imagined the soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about what it is to be alone and to have something happening to you beyond your control; a life threatening experience. Another heading, Between Competition and Togetherness, cam across to me as being very Zen, as the juxtaposition of words threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. Not unlike those silhouette pictures of the vase which is a face, or is it the other way around! The phrase further implies that there is a point between the two which each of us are at; though this point is unlikely to be static-given the human experience and we are dynamic beings. Nouwen encourages the reader to find a point of balance between these two concepts, and in my minds eye I saw a see-saw and a set of scales, and wondered to myself whereabouts on the continuum I was today (N. B. , near the competitive edge as I have a game of bingo in an hour). I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself, and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change, as well as harmony and balance. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what is important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I am also a writer and sometime poet and delight in the juxtaposition of words and the images that they provide which take me to places within myself that may have ever undiscovered. And the use of words in new ways helps me to see the world from another perspective, which is always a discovery. 2. Concrete responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of a time for me when I felt confined by my problems and unable to reach out for concrete help from others – no one seemed to understand where I was, what I was trying to communicate to them. I imagined at the time my soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about those times when I have felt absolutely alone and separated from all others, and that life was completely beyond your control; a life threatening experience. The juxtaposition of words in the chapter heading threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what’s important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I have in the past drawn on Bible accounts of suffering and grief to understand the experiences of difficulty I have (do) have. The phrasing of many of the Biblical passages, such as those in Proverbs, are easy to â€Å"write upon one’s heart† and Nouwen’s voice has a similar effect in his blending and weaving of words and phrases. 3. Reflection I wonder why the author portrays loneliness as a negative and unwanted state, particularly as he is a Christian. Many verses in the Bible, in fact the whole book of Job, contends that pain such as that felt in loneliness is necessary to â€Å"remove the dross† form a person’s soul. Going into the crucible of fire, such as the suffering of loneliness may cultivate, is a way that many mystics, monks, prophets and medicine women and men claim is the path to become more the person that â€Å"God†/we want us to be. Loneliness is an emotion, and so by virtue of the Christian teachings that emotion is also God, as our emotions are the flux of hormones, neurotransmitters and bioelectric currents, tangible substances which omnipotent God intrinsically exists within; God is everywhere at once. Also, God created all, so all emotions can be sourced from God; humans are made in his image, suggesting that God has knowledge of what loneliness is. It perplexes me that a state of loneliness is seen by Father Nouwen as the â€Å"bottom rung† in his ascent model; John the Baptist lived in the desert and has been often described as experiencing intense loneliness; Jesus spent 40 days and nights alone in the desert; Moses was alone with his â€Å"crazy† dream of the chosen people, and Mary mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene suffered deep loneliness many times during their lives. 4. Action I will facilitate a counselee to find more functional ways to experience loneliness and to keep on going and not give up on themselves or humankind. I will also encourage them to consider the concept of living a more spiritual life and achieving a union with God; for me God is the unity of all things (omega and beta) so that I am never truly alone as all is from God and in God. So that loneliness for me is a temporary state when one forgets that we are all interconnected. Alternatively, Nouwen approaches loneliness, hostility and illusion as purely negative states and provides of all things an â€Å"evolutionary† model to explain â€Å"developing from† each state to another state. Firstly, I do not agree with this form of development as it certainly implies ascent from a lesser (primitive) quality to a higher (civilized) quality. Instead I would encourage the counselee to embrace their diversity and variability in experiencing their emotions. Movement away from a particular emotion is illusory, as our emotions are a continuum like a circle or a ring; we can move to another state but all are parallel, none higher or lower than others. I intend to start a reflective journal of my values, interpretations, decision-making and actions to learn more about myself, and to find the balance across my emotional states.