Pie Chart

Presentation Notes Cameron, highlighted in blue are things that need to be added to the powerpoint. Slide 1 – Landing Page (Sarah) †¢   UFC graphics Logo Slogan †¢   Consulting Firm Name & Slogan – †¢   Group Members Slide 2 – Background (Sarah) †¢   Ultimate Fighting Championship ® (UFC ®), started in 1993 as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. †¢ In 2001 UFC was purchased by Zuffa and restructured MMA into a highly organized and controlled combat sport †¢ Response to the UFC brand of MMA has been tremendous, resulting in a growing fan base that has developed steadily through the years.Slide 3- Background (Sarah) †¢   UFC is the worldwide benchmark for Fight Entertainment industry †¢   They lead the global mixed martial arts industry with 90% of market share Insert graphic here of MMA market share Slide 4- Market Share (Sarah) Insert PPV Breakdown chart here ADD PIE CHART HERE * UFC has de clined in PPV market share (within the fight entertainment industry) from 57% in 2010 to 51% in 2011. What to say: Slide 2: Background The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was created in 1993 as a medium to display multiple forms of martial arts and classify the most effective fighting style in a real life fight.Mainstream exposure damaged consumer perception of the product due to the violent and â€Å"no-rules† nature of the sport; and as exposure languished, so did profits. The company struggled to gain television exposure and found itself competing with professional wrestling, which is staged fighting, and traditional fighting programming such as boxing and martial arts tournaments. However, by 2003, UFC came under new management who wanted to change the strategic course of the company. Management saw the opportunity to rebrand itself from a sport to a sports entertainment organization categorized as â€Å"fighting†.It installed a new set of rules – elimi nating hair pulling, head butting, groin strikes and other dangerous maneuvers from the matches. Zuffa the parent company of UFC has given consumers an innovative option for fight entertainment. UFC blends the athleticism of boxing and mixed martial arts, the production value and character creation of professional wrestling, along with the drama of reality television into one unique product. Response to UFC has been very successful and fan base has been consistently growing for the past several years.Slide 3: Background The results have been very visible. UFC has now become a billion dollar empire that reaps profits from PPV, merchandise, and live events. It has grown progressively and through acquisitions it has become the industry leader and benchmark in the fight entertainment industry. By 2009, it was estimated that the UFC had captured 90% market share of mixed-martial arts entertainment. Slide 4: Market Share Even though UFC holds the majority of the MMA market share it barely contributes over half when talking about the PPV industry.Like the term â€Å"pay-per-view† suggest, you pay to view an event whether it be a live event or movie. Live events are segmented into more narrow of categories such as concerts, professional sports and college sports. UFC is listed under MMA PPV, which is considered as a fight entertainment, a sub-category of professional sports. In 2010 UFC held strong with having 57% of the market share of PPV in the fight entertainment industry. However one year later in 2011 it dropped to only having 51% of the PPV market share within the fight entertainment industry.

Utilization of Marigold Extract as Household Insecticide

UTILIZATION OF MARIGOLD EXTRACT (Tagestes erecta L. ) AND CIGARETTE BUTTS AS HOUSEHOLD INSECTICIDE INTRODUCTION Most insecticides effective for household use are inorganic which tend to be harmful to the user and to the environment. Recent statistics show that 75% of households use some form of insecticide, with much of this being used indoors. They are used to kill ants and roaches, mosquitoes, flea and tick. By design these products are all intended to be lethal – to insects that is! People can be affected to some degree as all. Thus, this study aimed to develop an alternative household insecticide utilizing the Extract from Marigold Plant (Tagetes erecta L. ) and recycled cigarette butts as highly economic, environmentally safe and user friendly insecticide preparation with no cost. Marigold Plant is said to contain an active ingredient, phototoxin Alpha-terthienyl which functions as a nematicide. It is more effective when it is being exposed to sunlight since it generates its phototoxin which makes an interesting natural insecticide. Statement of the Problem: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of Marigold Extract as an alternative household insecticide. Specifically the study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the active chemical components found on Marigold Extract making it ideal as an insecticide alternative? 2. Is there a significant difference on the effect of different Marigold Extract Concentrations on the mortality rate of the insects? 3. Is the use of Marigold Extract feasible as a household insecticide? Significance of the Study The quality of the environment in which people work, live or play, the health of individuals, the quality of certain goods such as food products can all be affected by insects of different kinds. From time to time, it happens that new kinds of diseases even appear in our environment which are spread around by insects imported from remote areas together with goods. Insecticides can help to address these cases of emergencies. This study aimed to develop an alternative household insecticide utilizing the Extract from Marigold Plant (Tagetes erecta L. ) and recycled cigarette butts as highly economic, environmentally safe and user friendly insecticide preparation with no cost. The result of the study is expected to give information and knowledge to widely addressed the growing demand of ridding these irritating insects out of our sights at the expense of those materials that we could actually found inside our household. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS Cigarette butts – are the residue bottom part of a cigarette containing alkaloid nicotine. Extract – obtain something from source: to obtain something from a source, usually by separating it out from other material Insects – are a  class  of living creatures that have a  three-part body three pairs of jointed   and two  antennae. Just like mosquitoes, cockroaches, tick, fleas. Insecticides- An  insecticide  is a  pesticide  used against  insects. They include ovicides and  larvicides  used against the  eggs  and  larvae  of insects respectively. Marigold – is an erect, smooth, branched, rank-smelling herb, o. 3 to 0. 8 meters high. Leaves are 4 to 7 cm long, deeply pinnatifid with linear-lanceolate segments. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Marigold (Tagetes erecta L. ) is an erect, smooth, branched, rank-smelling herb, o. 3 to 0. 8 meters high. Leaves are 4 to 7 cm long, deeply pinnatifid with linear-lanceolate segments. Heads are solitary, 1. 5 to 2 cm in diameter, borne on long peduncles, which are thickened upward. Flowers are pale to deep yellow, sometimes red. Flowers yield a yellow crystalline substance, quercetagetine. The dye was found several shades browner than quercetin. (http://www. primaryinfo. com/industry/tagetes-oil. htm) Marigold Plant is said to contain an active ingredient, phototoxin Alpha-terthienyl which functions as a nematicide. It is more effective when it is being exposed to sunlight since it generates its phototoxin which makes an interesting natural insecticide. Study of roots, leaves and flowers yielded thiophenes, steroidal and terpenoidal type constituents. And these secretions coming from the extracted part provides an insecticidal effect on the soil, against nematodes and keeled slugs and insects. (http://www. homeremedycentral. com) While marigolds (Tagetes species) are typically grown for ornamental purposes as bedding plants, studies have found that they can be highly toxic to plant-parasitic nematodes and are capable of suppressing a wide range (up to 14 genera) of nematode pests. Marigold plants produce a number of potentially bioactive compounds, among which ? therthienyl is recognized as one of the most toxic. This sulfur-containing compound is abundant in marigold tissues, including roots. It has nematicidal, insecticidal, fungicidal, antiviral, and cytotoxic activities, and it is believed to be the main compound responsible for the nematicidal activity of marigold. (Topp, E. , S. Miller, H. Bork, and M. Welsh. 1998. ) The contr ol of insect populations  is the reason for the use of insecticides. The suffix ‘-cide' refers to killing. The term may refer to sprays that are chemical, homemade, or organic. The more powerful insecticides have the capability of almost totally eliminating an insect population from a specified area. The less powerful may require several appliations before the desired effects become obvious. (http://wiki. answers. com) METHODOLOGY Inventions have evolved and continue to evolve such that after several years of study, research and experimentation reach great developments. With continuing efforts to investigate the constituents of Philippine plants, we have pursued investigation of the feasibility of Marigold Extract as an ideal component for a household insecticide. Marigold plant parts (Flowers and leaves) were gathered, ground and squeezed and extracted. Extracting the Plant and Cigarette Butts 1. Gather  and collect 3 partitions of (75 grams, 50 grams and 25 grams) of Marigold Plants and leaves. 2. Wash the parts and pound separately with the use of mortar and pestle. 3. Placed the pounded parts into a cheesecloth to squeezed the extract. 4. Gather three, 25 grams of cigarette butts. Remove the cigarette wrappers to expose the tobacco. 5. Pound the tobacco to fine powder using mortar and pestle. 6. Passed the powdered tobacco through a mesh sieve. Preparing the Insecticide Concentrations For Set-up 1: 1. Combined the 75 grams extracted Marigold Plant with 25 grams pounded tobacco from cigarette butts. 2. Add 100 ml of water and 1. 5 grams of detergent powder as surface active agent. 3. Filter the mixture with a cheesecloth. 4. Label the product and let it stay for 2 hours before using. For Set-up 2: 1. Combined 50 grams of extracted Marigold Plant with 25 gram pounded cigarette butts. 2. Do the same procedure with that of Set-up 1. For Set-up 3: 1. Combined 25 grams of Extracted Marigold Plant with 25 gram pounded cigarette butts. . Do the same procedure with that of the 2 Set-ups. 3. Label the product and ready for use as an insecticide spray. Statistical Tools Used After the data were all gathered, it was tabulated and interpreted using the following statistical tools. A. Percentage – is used in ranking the mortality rate of each sample insects using the different set-ups. X where x= mortality rate % = n (100) n = tot al number of observation B. Mean is used to determine whether there exists significant relationship among the variables. fo where fo = total number of observed samples x= n n = no. of set-ups RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter presents the results, analyzes and interprets the findings in accordance with the specific problems of the study. The main concern of the study is to determine the feasibility of Marigold Extract as an active component for household insecticide. Table 1. Effect of Marigold Concentrations on the Mortality of Insects |Set-ups |No. of Mosquitoes |Percentage (%) |No. of Cockroaches |Percentage (%) | |. 10 |100 |10 |100 | |Set-up 1 | | | | | |Set-up 2 |8 |80 |7 |70 | |Set-up 3 |8 |80 |6 | 60 | |Total |26 |87% |23 |77% | |Mean |8. 7 | |7. 66 | | Based on the table above, results showed that Set-up 1 got the highest mortality rate in both Mosquito and Cockroaches Sample. Out of 10 Mosquitoes and Cockroaches, Set-up 1 got a 100% mortality rate. It was then followed b y the concentration of Set-up 2 with 80% mortality rate for mosquito samples and 70% for cockroaches. Lastly Set-up 3 got 80% mortality rate for mosquito sample and 60% for cockroaches sample respectively. Table 2. The Frequency of Spray Concentration on Mortality of Insects |Set-ups |Frequency of Spray | | |Mosquito |Cockroach | |Set-up 1 |6 |10 | |Set-up 2 |9 |12 | |Set-up 3 |12 |15 | |Mean |9 |12. 33 | Table 2 shows the Frequency of Spray for each Set-up concentrations towards mortality of insect samples. Set-up 1 got the least number of sprays required for the insect to totally rid. Followed by Set-up 2 and Set-up 3 respectively. The three Set-ups got a Mean of 9 sprays for Mosquito samples and 12 sprays for Cockroach samples. FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter presents the summary of the findings of the study regarding the feasibility of Marigold Extract and Cigarette butts as Household Insecticide. Conclusions drawn from the results gathered as well as the possible recommendation of researchers are presented in this chapter. Summary of Findings Results of the study revealed the following findings: 1. Among the three set-ups being introduced, Set-up 1 (75 g Marigold Extract Concentration) got the highest mortality rate among insect samples. Out of 10 insect samples, Set-up 1 got 100% mortality rate. 2. Among the three set-ups, Set-up 1 (w/ 75 g Marigold Extract) got the least number of frequency needed in spraying the insects to totally rid them. Conclusions: Based from the summary of findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. The greater is the concentration of Marigold Extract, the greater also is the mortality rate of the insect samples. 2. The greater is the concentration of Marigold Extract, the least number of spray is needed to totally rid those insect samples. 3. There is a significant difference between the concentration of Marigold extract and its effect towards the Mortality rate of insects. 4. Marigold Extract can be utilized as an active component for an alternative household insecticide. Although its shelf life is short. The formulations lasted five days before molds were observed. Recommendations: 1. Future studies will be conducted to enhance or lengthen the utilization period (expiry period) of the insecticide. 2. Another active ingredients can be added to the mixture to enhance its feasibility as household insecticide. 3. Essential Oils can be added to avoid the stingy-irritating odor of insecticide. BIBLIOGRAPHY Leopold, A. Carl. (1994). Plant Growth and Development: Pest Control. USA:McGraw Hill Inc. pp 327-336. Topp, E. , S. Miller, H. Bork, and M. Welsh. (1998. ) Botany: Wonders of Marigold. New York: Harper and Row, Publishing Inc. pp. 301 – 315. Miller, H. Bork, and M. Welsh. 1998. Effects of marigold (Tagetes sp. ) roots on soil Microorganisms. Biology and Fertility of Soils 27: 149–154 http://www. primaryinfo. com/industry/tagetes-oil. htm http://www. homeremedycentral. com http://wiki. answers. com

Access X-Stream from Home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Access X-Stream from Home - Essay Example The visual technology with rich animated graphics helps the learners to understand better. Teachers and students can discuss the lectures and suggestions on forums making a virtual learning environment. Students can participate online by uploading their suggestions on a particular topic and at the same time sharing the videos and suggestions with the peers. Evaluation of the students is also conducted by E learning, which is an added feature which is beneficial for the instructors. ‘Distance learning’ is the process to commence learning from a computing interface rather than face-to-face. The reason is the distance between the learner and the educator. It is the only possible way the learner has access to education. This approach existed long before the Internet in the form of correspondence courses indoor via television. The current technology has expanded its horizons, increased speed and efficiency. It also enabled many potential learners to access the distance educat ion programs. Furthermore, ‘Flexible learning’ is the learner’s preference of learning either in a traditional face-to-face approach or via another medium, TV, CD-ROM or distance learning all with equal standing in terms of course conclusion and gratitude. Before the advent of the web, this approach was available but technology has made it possible to manage and deliver these choices more efficiently to provide a broad range of learners. This technology also facilitates to learners who do not have access to the campuses and cannot attend classes. ‘Blended learning’ is the process of learning by compound and mandated modes of deliverance. Mandated is the key element and is not optional. This means that a component of a learning application need to be commence in digital forms other than face-to-face, i.e., World Wide Web, Compact Disc , remoteness, etc. Blended learning is often related to flexible deliverance of the presentation. Moreover, ‘Onl ine learning’ is almost certainly the most often used phrase when explaining ‘Online learning’. The core concept is the learning via World Wide Web. Online learning does not have a general definition other than access to learning via the Internet. X-Stream System X stream is a virtual learning environment with a sole purpose of enhancing learning techniques. It is a virtual learning environment that can be accessed via Internet. Every user is provided with credentials to ‘login’ to the virtual learning system. In fact, there are different protocols associated to accomplish a remote session. For instance, a user wants to connect X-stream from home, various computational processes are conducted in order to establish a remote session. Moreover, Internet connectivity is the prime requirement for establishing a session. Creating a Session When a user wants to connect to X-stream virtual learning environment, user open the web browser and enters ‘www .x-stream.com’, in order to access the website. The host accepts the request that is forwarded by hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP). However, due to strict security issues, HTTPS is deployed, abbreviated as ‘Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure’. Furthermore, after the arrival of the request, website is presented for the user’s web browser. Authorization and Authentication is required for getting access to the system. This procedure normally involves credentials including ‘User ID’ and ‘Password’. When the user authenticates him or her, permission is granted to access all the resources of the virtual learning web based system. However, the authentication server matches the

OSHA Fact sheet Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OSHA Fact sheet - Case Study Example To avoid illness, good hygiene must be maintained during cleanup, including washing hands well with soap and clean water. Assume all water is unsafe unless explicitly told otherwise. If no clean water is available, use bottled water or water that has been boiled for 10+ minutes. Water can also be disinfected by using 5 drops of liquid bleach per gallon of water and leaving for 30+ minutes. Use protective clothing and goggles to deal with chemical contamination in floodwater, including rubber gloves and boots. Protect against mosquitos using insect repellent and minimizing exposed skin. One of the most important parts of the writing process is the planning. I make sure I have all the available information ready, and that I know how long the piece of writing needs to be. I make sure that I know what information needs to be covered and write this down in bullet points and check them off as I write. This is a type of organizing and drafting which makes it easier to understand what needs to be included in the work and what can be left out to meet the word or page count. After the planning and first outline is done, I write the paper out including all the information I need. After this is written, I try to leave it for a while and come back to it with a fresh head, and then I will try and work on the spelling, punctuation and grammar to make it sound as good as possible. I also make sure that the work has the style that I want, and that it is appropriate for the audience. In this case, I could use scientific terms as they would likely be understood by cleanup workers who have worked with flooding in the past. Additionally, a lot of writing can sound robotic so it is important to ensure that sentences flow well. After this, I sometimes get someone to look over the work and tell me if there are any errors, which I will then edit out. This again is similar to what occurs in the five stage process. However, the designing step is not always necessary

Operation Management in Mitsubishi Company Essay

Operation Management in Mitsubishi Company - Essay Example The company’s management also appears negligent towards the variously reported defects within their cars. The company appears not to have a clear strategy towards solving the acceleration problems reported with their cars. From the case study, the company’s management appears to cover up the reported malfunctions in their car. The Mitsubishi case study reveals the need for maintaining and ensuring the quality of products. The product developed by Mitsubishi appears to fail to satisfy it's stated and or implied need. As per the user-based quality, various customers of the car have complained about the car’s sudden acceleration problems. Customers have voiced their complaints and dissatisfaction about the Mitsubishi Diamante’s malfunctioning system. The product does not to conform to its design specification. Meanwhile, the company’s management fails to engage its engineers comprehensively so that they can address the malfunctions. As a result of the flailing quality associated with their car, the Mitsubishi Company’s reputation has received a knockdown (WSJ 2000, p.1). This is evident through its slumps in sales. The Mitsubishi Company also appears to flack on its service quality. The company fails itself on various dimensions of service quality (Jones & Robinson 2012, p.69). The company’s management does not appear dedicated to resolving the customers’ complains about the acceleration problem reliably. The company’s management does not appear to be responsive in addressing the issues raised by the customer but instead engage in the cover up mechanisms. The company is not assuring. It does not convey trust and confidence to its clients. Company executives have termed Toyoda who is their customer as rude and a liar for making complaints about their car. The company has proceeded to file lawsuits against Toyoda who went online to register support for the complaint against the accelerated problem (Kunii 2000, p.1). This appears rude and intimidating for customers who may want to make similar complaints to the company in future.  Ã‚  

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Proposal - Essay Example Online transactions are fast. E-coin being an online transaction technology, is, therefore, fast (Raszl, para.1). I am suggesting that Goldman should consider investing in E-coin technology. The reason is that Goldman’s may experience the threat of competition from its competitors who may use this technology and take way Goldman, existing customers. Goldman should do the implementation of the technology for the customers so that it may deter the loss of customers to its competitors (Thomas, p.9). The first benefit is that; many of the currencies worldwide lose value with time. With E-coin, it is slowly growing. There are only about twenty million E-coins globally. E-coin is not at the risk of losing the value like the currencies. A significant number of the user across the globe has adopted the E-coin technology. In fact, there are more than twenty million users of E-Coin worldwide. On top of that, there are many transactions done via E-Coin (About 120,000 operations per day) as by March, 2015 by those numerous users of E-Coin investment. Due to that reason, Goldman Sachs should introduce the technology to fly over its competitors by getting customers who are using E-coin. E-coin is also fast to use. Transacting with E-coin is faster since any customer can make payment of goods and services with no need of to visit the Goldman. An individual just need to make payment for the comfort of his/ her place. The speed of this online transaction makes E-coin more convenient. Due to a high rate growth of E-Coin various components, any business ought to react towards it (Thomas, pp.9-12). Many investment company executives are studying the E-Coin technology in order to see whether it is economically feasible to be in their company. It is, therefore, crucial for Goldman Sachs to take action before its competitors and get more customers just local. Since E-coin is not taxable by

Company Case ESPN Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Company ESPN - Case Study Example In essence, ESPN’s product is the availability of sports knowledge, discussion as well as video and audios of live games, across a wide variety of platforms. At its heart ESPN is a 24-hour cable network that focuses on sports and entertainment based content for television, however the cable network is only one piece of the entire ESPN brand. The brand now contains more than 50 different businesses. Product wise, the brand consists of six cable channels which are home to many important sporting events such as the IndyCar Series and NBA finals, a sports radio network, ESPN The Magazine and a website that offers streaming video and audio as well as downloadable pods casts. ESPN’s augmented product is its ability to provide accurate and up to date information and commentary about all areas of the sports industry and its delivery of this information across many different media types 4. ESPN has strong brand equity. Its name is immediately associated with sports, and the easy access to information that the brand provides across its many different platforms ensures wide recognition from consumers. There is a strong relationship between the brand equity of ESPN and its brand value. The value of its brand can be seen by large number of products and media that ESPN is present on, the continued growth of the company and its longevity. The cable network alone earns close to twice the amount per subscriber each month than the next most profitable network, Fox Sports ($2.91 and $1.67 respectively). Benefits: This association has resulted in the acquisition of many new viewers and gave the network the ability to host key sporting events, and types of sporting events that they did not previously have access to. Possible risks: ESPN has little control over the quality of the merchandise that is produced, and any negative responses to the cobranded

Company stock profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company stock profile - Essay Example The success on foretelling harmful geological disasters aids in determining future contracts and payments. The second division includes the Division of Resources, which aids in the exploration and extraction of mineral, water and rock for profit. GEO updated its monetary report for the whole year of 2014 and issued a guidance report for investors towards the second quarter of the year. The organization expects its net income to rise from $1.78 to $1.86 per share. Secondly, it also anticipates the annual revenue to range between $i.60 billion and $ 1.62 billion. The enterprise also increased its Net Operation Income to an array of $452 million to $458 million. For the second part of the 2014 financial year, the total amount of diluted shares aims at increasing at a range of $55 million to $57 million. Additionally, the expected revenue for the second quarter of the year is bound to range between $404 and $409 million. The organization’s expenses are low contrast to the revenues making it gain profits rather than lose (The Geo Group 3). For the GeoHazard division, the department secured a number of insurance contracts in order to develop electronic monitoring devices that aid in the prediction of geological catastrophes. The step improved the company’s detection and mitigation skills allowing it to manage its future risks hence aiding in securing future contracts and payments. Furthermore, its ability to predict future occurrences enables it to facilitate its operation services. The Geo Energy Resource Division reports a return to profitability with a net profit of $0.1 million compared to a previous loss of $0.9 million experienced in 2013. The gross profit margin shows a gradual improvement compared to the year 2013 with an raise of $7.2 million, and the company expects an increase towards the second quarter of the year. Generally the profitability and performance levels of the

Special Education Strategy Notebook Essay Example for Free

Special Education Strategy Notebook Essay Self monitoring is a strategy that is often used in classrooms with children who have trouble staying on task and focusing. It is a method that involves a student taking responsibility of themselves academically and behaviorally and recording when they find themselves not on task. In essence, a sheet of paper is given to a child and a noise is made at certain intervals during the class day. This noise could be something that only the specific child hears (such as in an ear piece) or it could be something that is heard by the entire class. Either way, the student who is participating in self monitoring simply puts a tally mark in a column for â€Å"on task† or â€Å"off task† on their sheet of paper every time the noise sounds off and at the end of the day both student and teacher can see how many times the student found him or herself off task. This helps put into perspective for the student how much he or she pays attention in a regular day and typically causes them to try harder to remain on task even more the following day. It is important that a teacher lets the student know exactly what is meant by â€Å"on task† and â€Å"off task† so that the student understands 100% what is expected of him or her, and it is also important that the sound itself not be distracting from the lesson. Eventually, a student can be weaned off the external cues of the sound, and will begin self monitoring without it, which is ideal. B. How do we know that self monitoring works? Put simply, we know that self monitoring works because it has been studied over and over by numerous researchers and has been proven effective at least the majority of those times. These studies confirm that this strategy helps manage students who are off task in the classroom due to various disruptive, learning related and social behaviors. Children of many ages were tested, ranging from ages as young as 4 to kids who are in high school, and the findings were consistent. In nearly all of the tests described in the article I researched, self-monitoring was said to have â€Å"decreased off task behaviors dramatically† or â€Å"decreased inappropriate behaviors† or â€Å"decrease talking out behavior,† etc (Hallahan, D. P. Husdon, K. ). C. When should a teacher use self monitoring? As a strategy in a school setting, self monitoring typically works best for students who have problems primarily in attention. This is not a strategy that actually helps a student learn anything in particular, so the skills for learning material has to be already within a students capability but who cannot focus or remain on task long enough to apply these said skills. In laments terms, self monitoring works best when used for applying skills not when being introduced to new ones. Self monitoring can be used successfully for students with attentional tasks in really any classroom setting. It works great for â€Å"seat work†, when a child is assigned independent work that they must take sole responsibility for finishing but can also work in a group. Group work often has other students who keep the self monitor on task, but if this were not the case self monitoring would still be helpful. D. What does a teacher need to do to implement self monitoring? It is important that a teacher use each part of the procedure of self monitoring, including tones, recording sheets and training. Before implementing all of these procedures, a student needs to be introduced to the idea. It is imperative that a student have a good explanation of why they are required to keep record of their behavior when other students are not. A child needs to be given explicit instructions as to what he or she needs to do; this includes a description of what on task and off task are in the teacher’s terms, what the tone or sound will be, and how often the sound will go off, etc. Once the directions have been given to the child it is also important to go over the recording sheet with him or her and give examples of what will happen during class when he or she is to be recording their behavior. Once a child seemingly understands what is expected, feedback becomes very important. If he or she gets off task, the teacher needs to correct the behavior and then move on. At the same time, if a student has very good behavior it is also important to praise that. After the student gets used to this procedure, a teacher can begin to wean him or her off having to hear the tone to monitor their behavior. This is the ideal situation because then a student simply checks himself without a reminder and will continue to do so. E. How does a teacher know if self monitoring is working? Evaluating whether this strategy is working for a particular student is very important because if it is not, then there could actually be harm coming from trying to use it. Evaluating also leaves room for modifications that could help different students at different times. The basic way to see if self monitoring is working is to simply gather data on the student’s attention to a task before using the strategy and then compare that data with what you find after the student has begun to self monitor. To collect data before introducing self monitoring, a teacher can simply do the monitoring herself; use a tone and record the attentiveness of that child at each sound. A good practice to collect the original data would be to compare the target student and a student with average attentiveness. If the comparison shows that the level of attention seems to have improved after the strategy is implemented, it has probably worked and vice versa. F. Where can a teacher find more information on self monitoring? There are numerous ways to find out more information on self monitoring from articles, websites, books, etc. Here is a list of multiple sources where more information can be found (Hallahan, D. P. Hudson, K. ) Blick, D. W. , Test, D. W. (1987). Effects of self-recording on high-school students’ on-task behavior. Hallahan, D. P. , Lloyd, J. W. , Stoller, L. (1982). Improving attention with self-monitoring: A manual for teachers. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Learning Disabilities Research Institute. Hallahan, D. P. , Marshall, K. J. , Lloyd, J. W. (1981). Self-recording during group instruction: Effects on attention to task. Learning Disability Quarterly, 4, 407-413. G. Self Monitoring Bibliography. Hallahan, D. P. , Hudson, K. G. (2002). Teaching tutorial 2: Self monitoring of attention. Retrieved from www. teachingLD. org Shimabukuro, S. M. , Prater, M. A. , Jenkins, A. , Edelen-Smith, P. (1999). The effects of self-monitoring of academic performance on students with learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD. Education and Treatment of Children, 22, 397- 414. Webber, J. , Scheuermann, B. , McCall, C. , Coleman, M. (1993). Research on self-monitoring as a behavior management technique in special education classrooms: A descriptive review. Remedial and Special Education, 14, 38-56. Workman, E. A., Helton, G. B. , Watson, P. J. (1982). Self-monitoring effects in a four-year-old child:An ecological behavior analysis. Journal of School Psychology, 20, 57-64. II. Time Delay A. What is time delay? Time delay is a strategy that focuses on weaning the use of prompts during teaching and educational practices and is most often used with students who have Autism Spectrum disorders. When instructing someone who has a particular learning disability, sometimes he or she needs additional prompting right after the material has been presented; this could include least-to-most prompting, simultaneous prompting, etc. There are two types of time delay; progressive and constant. Progressive time delay takes the immediate additional help given to particular students and lessens it each time material is taught. The time in between the original presentation and the additional help is lengthened as a child gets more comfortable learning and proficient. Constant time delay occurs when a teacher gives no time between the original instruction and the added prompt, then continually lengthens that amount of time when proficiency strengthens (Neitzel, J). B. How do we know that Time Delay is effective? In order to be used in schools for students with Autism Spectrum disorders, time delay had to be researched numerous times and found to be an evidence based practice. The National Professional Development Center on ASD has defined what they mean by â€Å"evidence based practice† to mean that it includes â€Å"randomized design studies, single-subject design studies, and combination of evidence. † Randomized design studies must include two experimental group design studies and they must be conducted by highly qualified researchers. Three separate investigators must have also conducted five high quality single-subject design studies. Once this is all done, the evidence from both must be combined to see allow researchers to see if time delay works in real life settings with ASD (Time Delay). C. When should a teacher use time delay? Time delay is a great strategy for a teacher to use when a student in her class has an Autism Spectrum disorder. It has been found that it is most effective when used with children and youth rather than older students, regardless of cognitive level and expressive abilities. According to the evidence listed above, time delay is very effective during the specific ages of 6-11. Teachers can instruct these specific students effectively on a variety of material using time delay such as academics, play/leisure, language/communication, and also social skills. It is important that all of this teaching be done in clinical environments, though, because that was where the studies were done and showed improvement (Neitzel, J) . D. What does a teacher need to do to implement Time Delay? There are multiple steps that a teacher must work his or way through in order to implement the time delay strategy. Both progressive and constant time delay procedures involve the same three steps of implementation; a cue and target stimulus, learner response, and feedback or consequence. Without all three of these components, time delay cannot be an effective strategy to use in the classroom while teaching students with Autism Spectrum disorders. The target stimulus, also called the antecedent, is what a teacher wants the student to respond by doing when posed with the cue. The cue is a signal that helps the student figure out what behaviors he or she should be exhibiting. When trying out the time delay strategy, it is important to keep the cues consistent so that the student knows what is expected of him or her during every activity. Learner response, the second necessary component of time delay, is the behavior that teachers want the student to pick up on. The feedback is the reinforcement of a behavior. Positive feedback when a student does something correctly is essential for that behavior to become consistent. On the opposite end, negative feedback when something is done incorrectly is just as important so a student knows to try to behave a different way. This â€Å"negative feedback† is known as a correction procedure and involves a constant repetition of the cue and prompts necessary for the student to exhibit the correct behavior (Neitzel, J Worley, M). Knowing the broad steps for implementing time delay, a teacher must also know the specifics. There are multiple steps that one must go through in order to effectively use the strategy. Step one is identifying the skill or behavior and define them in an observable measure and identify it as wither a discrete task or a chained task. A teacher must also then define learner response behaviors so that they can easily be identified as either correct or incorrect. Next, a teacher needs to determine a students current skills. After this is determined and recorded, an educator must select the target stimulus and cue and clearly explain this to the child, and then do the same with the controlling prompt. Next, reinforces must be identified and the response interval should be decided upon (Neitzel, J. Worley, M). E. How does a teacher know if Time Delay is working? Just as with any teaching strategy, the way to tell if Time Delay is working is to compare student ability before and after the delay is implemented. Before a student is introduced to this strategy a teacher can instruct a student on anything in particular and record the amount of correct and incorrect responses. After this data is recorded, it would be important to introduce time delay and instruct the child on the correct responses, stimuli, etc. Once that is all introduced, the teacher could teach material and again keep track of correct and incorrect responses. If the amount of incorrect responses decreases and the amount of correct responses increases, there is a very good chance this change is due to the implementation of time delay. F. Where can a teacher find more information on Time Delay? Odom, S. L. , Brantlinger, E. , Gersten, R. , Horner, R. D. , Thompson, B. , Harris, K. (2004). Quality indicators for research in special education and guidelines for evidence-based practices: Executive summary. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children Division for Research. Rogers, S. J. , Vismara, L. A. (2008). Evidence based comprehensive treatments for early autism. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 8-38. Ledford, J. R. , Gast, D. L. , Luscre, D. , Ayres, K. M. (2008). Observational and incidental learning by children with autism during small group instruction. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 86-103. Liber, D. B. , Frea, W. D. , Symon, J. B. G. (2008). Using time delay to improve social play skills with peers for children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 312-323. G. Time Delay Bibliography. Neitzel, J. (2009). Overview of time delay. Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina. Neitzel, J. , Wolery, M. (2009). Steps for implementation: Time delay. Chapel Hill, NC: The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina. Time delay. (2010). National Professional Development Center on ASD, Retrieved from http://autismpdc.fpg. unc. edu/sites/autismpdc. fpg. unc. edu/files/TimeDelay_Steps_0. pdf Mnemonics A. What is Mnemonics? Mnemonics are devices used to help people remember and recall things that are somewhat hard to remember on their own. Put simply, the job of a mnemonic is to make the difficult task of memorization a little bit simpler. Using mnemonics helps to combine a presentation a person is comfortable with information that needs to be remembered; the association between the presentation and the information makes recall easier (Bringham, R Bringham, M). There is a link between new information and prior knowledge in the presentation of a mnemonic, and often they employ both visual and acoustic cues. There are many different types of mnemonics. The keyword method works very well with new information, and is directly tied to something that a student already knows. For example, if there is a vocabulary word that a student is trying to learn that sounds like a word they are already familiar with, they can associate the two words together to remember the one they do not know. This association can be made with a picture, or just by memory. Another mnemonic method is the peg-word method. Peg words are similar to keywords but they are known for their rhyming proxies for numbers to help students remember numbered or ordered information. A third mnemonic is known as letter strategies, including acronyms and acrostics. An acronym is a words whose individual letters can represent elements in lists of information. Acrostics are sentences whose first letters represent the information that needs to be remembered (Scruggs Mastropieri, 2002). There are also mnemonics for remembered how to spell, such as pictures with specific letters decorated. B. How do we know that Mnemonics are effective? There have been numerous evidence based research studies done to prove the effectiveness of mnemonics. These studies have shown that students taught material mnemonically have had a significant amount of more success than those students who were not taught in tis way. A specific study was done by Forness, Kavale, Blum and Lloyd in 1997 that concluded that for special education students, instruction using mnemonics showed the most positive results (Forness, S. R. , Kavale, K. A. , Blum, I. M. , Lloyd, J. W. 1997). Building off of these findings, other studies on special education have been compiled and summarized to show that the average child with a learning disability scored 43% correct, while the average mnemonically taught student scored 75% correct (Mastropieri Scruggs, 1989). Also, classroom teacher applications of mnemonic techniques have suggested that these strategies are very effective in inclusive classrooms, in some cases raising the performance of students with learning disabilities to that of the normally achieving students (Mastropieri, Sweda, Scruggs; 2000; Uberti, Scruggs, Mastropieri, in press). C. When should Mnemonics be used? The fantastic thing about mnemonics is that they can virtually be used whenever, with any student in any subject. This strategy has been experimentally validated in english vocabulary, foreign language vocabulary, earth science, physical science, U. S. history, world history, letter recognition, math facts, and spelling. Moreover, it has been experimentally validated that mnemonics not only works in all of these subject areas for average students buy for students with learning disabilities as well. Mnemonics are also appropriate to use with students of any age, ranging from Kindergarten to college. Younger students typically do not have to recall the same amount of facts that are required of those older than them, but they are still useful in learning things such as the alphabet (Levin, 1993). Thus, this strategy is a great one for teachers to use frequently whenever large amounts of information are presented that must be remembered or recalled (Bringham, R. Bringham M. 2001). D. What does a teacher need to do to implement Mnemonics? Mnemonics should be used by all teachers when introducing information that must be remembered and there are certain ways to go about doing so. At first, the teacher should be the leader of mnemonics and should directly guide the students into coming up with specific ways to remember information. When a teacher is directly involved with every step of creating a mnemonic it is called maximum support. As students become more proficient in using mnemonics, though, it is important for the teacher to take a few steps back and let them go on their own. Once a certain level of proficiency is met, a teacher moves on to intermediate supports. Now, a teacher is still there if needed but most of the responsibility is turned over to the students and their peers to create and use mnemonics. After this step, a teacher can allow students to work on mnemonics independently. Following these steps help to not overwhelm students, and to help them to learn how to use the strategy on their own so that when they move to a different class or school they can take their knowledge of mnemonics with them and continue to use them. E. How does a teacher know if Mnemonics are working? The purpose of mnemonics is memorization so the best way to test if the strategy is working is to frequently question and test students on the information that they are supposed to be learning using the mnemonics. Some students might already know the information or might have guessed, so it is also important to ask them how they remembered the answer they gave. This way, a teacher can easily see if it is the mnemonic helping them recall the information or if it is something else entirely. Students, too, can alert a teacher as to whether or not the strategy is working by simply saying mnemonics are helpful to them specifically or not. F. Where can a teacher find more information about Mnemonics? Mastropieri, M. A. , Scruggs, T. E. (2000). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction. Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall/Merrill. (Chapter 8, Attention and Memory) Mastropieri, M. A. , Scruggs, T. E. (1991). Teaching students ways to remember: Strategies for learning mnemonically. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books. Brigham, F. J. , Scruggs, T. E. , Mastropieri, M. A. (1995). Elaborative maps for enhanced learning of historical information: Uniting spatial, verbal, and imaginal information. Journal of Special Education, 28, 440-460. Bulgren, J. A. , Schumaker, J. B. , Deshler, D. D. (1994). The effects of a recall enhancement routine on the test performance of secondary students with and without learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research Practice, 9, 2-11. G. Mnemonics Bibliography Bringham, R. , Bringham, M. (n. d. ). A focus on mnemonic instruction. (2001). Current Practice Alerts, (5), Retrieved from www. dldcec. org/alerts/ Scruggs, T. , Mastropieri, M. (n. d. ). Teaching tutorial: Mnemonic instruction. (2002). Division for Learning Disabilities , 1-26. Retrieved from www. teachingLD. org Mastropieri, M. A. , Scruggs, T. E. (1989a). Constructing more meaningful relationships: Mnemonic instruction for special populations. Educational Psychology Review, 1, 83-111. Forness, S. R. , Kavale, K. A. , Blum, I. M. , Lloyd, J. W. (1997). Mega-analysis of meta-analysis: What works in special education and related services. Teaching Exceptional Children, 29(6), 4-9. Mastropieri, M. A. , Sweda, J. , Scruggs, T. E. (2000). Teacher use of mnemonic strategy instruction. Learning Disabilities Research Practice, 15, 69-74. Levin, J. R. (1993). Mnemonic strategies and classroom learning: A twenty-year report card. The Elementary School Journal, 94(2), 235-244. Task Analysis A. What is task analysis? Task analysis is a learning strategy that involved breaking a learnable skill into smaller steps that are more manageable for students who need it (Franzone 2009). This strategy is something that is used by every single person at least once in their life, even if done so unconsciously. It is the only way to ever really learn complete processes, for example you have to walk before you can run. By breaking skills into smaller chunks, we all eventually learn specific tasks as if they are second nature and learn to not have to follow the original steps posed. It is necessary, though, to express the different parts that make up the whole (the skill being learned) until absolute mastery has been achieved (Grove 2012). B. How do we know that task analysis is effective? There are certain criterion that strategies have to meet before they can be used in schools, including in the special ed classroom. Task analysis meets these requirements and has been tested and proven in numerous evidence based practices. To be considered evidence based practice for people with Autism Spectrum disorder, efficacy must be established through peer-reviewed research in scientific journals using randomized or quasi-experimental design studies, single-subject design studies, and then a combination of evidence. High quality randomized design studies are categorized by the absence of critical design flaws that create confounds and the demonstration of experimental control at least three times in each study (Horner, Nathan, Odom, Rogers) . When should a teacher use task analysis? Task analysis is a strategy that can be used very effectively with children who have an autism spectrum disorder, no matter their cognitive level and expressive communicative skills. Children from preschool age to high school age have shown through studies that task analysis works and is an effective practice for older learners as well. It is also a good practice to use when teaching educators how to interact and teach their students with autism spectrum disorders. Task analysis has been proven to help all of these students in multiple areas. There are ways to use task analysis to teach in a school setting, in a classroom (inclusive or not). Also, there is evidence that it works in home and community settings. For instance, teaching a child with a significant disability how to complete regular everyday tasks such as brushing teeth, brushing hair, showering, etc becomes more easily possible if you employ task analysis (Franzone 2009). D. What does a teacher need to do to implement Task Analysis? In order to implement a task analysis in a particular classroom, a teacher must follow a set of steps. Step one is to identify the target skill. This step involves targeting a specific skill that is to be learned by the student with Autism Spectrum disorder. To do this, an educator must use the learner’s Individual Education Plan/Individual Family Service Plan goals. The skill should consist a series of discrete steps, so as to make learning it a bit easier. For example, washing dishes is an acceptable skill to target. Turning on a sink or preparing, serving and cleaning up dinner would be either too simple or too hard. Step two involves identifying the prerequisite skills of the learner and the materials needed to teach the task. Step three is breaking the skill into components. This is the step where true task analysis really begins; where the skills are actually broken up into steps. Next, a teacher needs to confirm that the task is completely analyzed in order to sure no step is left out because it would compromise the entire activity. Step five involves determining how the teacher will actually teach the skill. Last, intervention must be implemented and progress must be monitored so that changes can be made if need be. E. How does a teacher know if Task Analysis is working? Before task analysis is implemented, it is important for teachers to closely monitor the student in question to see the skills they have the most trouble with. Keeping record of this will help to see if any bounds in learning have been made once the strategy has been put in place. Observation is key, before and after implementation, and if it is done carefully and cautiously enough a teacher can directly see the impact of the strategy after a student has learned the skill he or she was asked to learn. F. Where can a teacher find more information on task analysis? Alcantara, P. R. (1994). Effects of videotape instructional package on purchasing skills of children with autism. Exceptional Children, 61(1), 40-55. Browder, D. , Trela, K. , Jimenez, B. (2007). Training teachers to follow a task analysis to engage middle school students with moderate and severe developmental disabilities in grade appropriate literacy. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 22(4), 206-219. Hagopian, L. , Farrell, D. , Amari, A. (1996). Treating total liquid refusal with backward chaining and fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29(4), 573-575. Liber, D. , Frea, W. , Symon, J. (2008). Using time-delay to improve social play skills with peers for children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 312-323. Luscre, D. , Center, D. (1996). Procedures for reducing dental fear in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26(5), 547-556. G. Task Analysis Bibliography Franzone, E. (2009). Overview of task analysis. Madison, WI: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin. Grove, A. (2013, August 08). Bright hub: Task analysis in special education. Retrieved from http://www. brighthubeducation. com/special-ed-learning-disorders/25800-how-task-analysis- Horner, R. , Carr, E. , Halle, J. , McGee, G. , Odom, S. , Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 165-180. Nathan, P. , Gorman, J. M. (2002). A guide to treatments that work. NY: Oxford University Press. Odom, S. L. , Brantlinger, E. , Gersten, R. , Horner, R. D. , Thompson, B. , Harris, K. (2004). Quality indicators for research in special education and guidelines for evidence-based practices: Executive summary. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children Division for Research. Rogers, S. J. , Vismara, L. A. (2008). Evidence based comprehensive treatments for early autism. Journal of Clinical Child Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 8-38. Szidon, K. , Franzone, E. (2009). Task Analysis. Madison, WI: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin. Functional Behavior Analysis What is functional behavior analysis? A functional behavior analysis is a variety of methods to identify and define behaviors that need to be changed. It is the process of gathering and analyzing information about a specific student’s behavior and accompanying circumstances in order to determine reasons behind certain behaviors. These strategies help teachers identify interventions that will help to reduce these behaviors and help develop appropriate ones to fill the place of the ones being reduced. Functional behavior analysis relies on a number of techniques and strategies to identify the reasons behind each behavior and to help IEP teams select the interventions that are to be used. It should be integrated throughout the process of developing, reviewing, and revising a student’s Individualized Education Plan (McIntyre, 2001). How do we know that Functional Behavior Analysis is effective? Functional behavior analysis has been researched multiple times by different qualified researchers and has been found to show promising results in student achievement the vast majority of the time. Studies have been conducted multiple times to rule out any researcher error and students have shown drastic differences from before the strategy was implemented to after it was done. It is also important to note that Functional Behavior Assessment has obviously been proven effected in that it has become a part of national legislature, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. As stated in the act, it is mandatory that a student with known behavior problems be supported with this strategy (Jordan, 2006). When should a teacher use Functional Behavior Analysis Often times Functional Behavior Analysis is implemented on students with severe cognitive or communication disabilities such as autism (McIntyre, 2001). Even though this is so, ff ever there is a time that teachers become concerned about particular student with a disability, it is required by law (IDEA) to implement the functional behavior assessment process so that they can determine why the child in question is acting in such a way. This strategy helps to identify why a particular behavior occurred, and in determining this, a teacher can then begin to create interventions that will help the student avert from that negative behavior and replace it with a good behavior. It is important that teachers intervene with positive behavioral actions before the problem behaviors occur if at all possible. What does a teacher need to do to implement Functional Behavior Analysis? IDEA does not ever specifically define how a functional behavior analysis should be implemented, and often it depends on the needs of every specific child. There are, though, very specific steps that must occur in order for the strategy to work. First, a teacher must identify the behaviors that need to be changed, or at least the most serious of multiple strategies. In identifying the behaviors it is imperative to determine when and where they occur and when and where they do not. This will allow a teacher to try to determine the triggers for that specific student. After the behavior(s) are identified, a teacher must collect data on the specific child’s performance in many different ways, and have as many sources possible. After all of this data is collected and recorded a hypothesis needs to be developed as to what could be the cause of these specific behaviors based on the data collected. This helps predict where the teacher needs to target the change that will be made. Next, as with any other experiment, the hypothesis must be tested. Using positive interventions, the child’s specific team makes changes as needed to there Individualized Education Plan or Behavior Intervention Plan. After all of this is done the interventions need to be evalua.

Children cant be disciples so they cant be Christians either Essay Example for Free

Children cant be disciples so they cant be Christians either Essay I believe this statement has many argues for and against this view, I will be looking at both sides of this argument and producing my view. It is very hard when discussing Christianity and in which the age of someone is defined a child or adult, in the Christian world, is a child judged as an adult at the young age of 5 or 6? When a child is confirmed at the age of 14 or 15? Or is when you are legally classified as an adult at the age of 18? But who can put the boundaries on faith, religion and your own personal beliefs? In Marks Gospel we learn that we should have child like qualities, this is telling us that child like qualities is what we need to be a good Christian, Honesty, enthusiasm, trust no matter what the case may be but then on the other hand they may not be spiritually and intellectually developed yet and be able to understand the aspects of being a Christian and disciple of Jesus, they believe in such things as Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny Rabbit and the tooth fairy their beliefs for that is strong. They have faith in these and great enthusiasm but to their knowledge all of this is real not make belief therefore they can not have the complete commitment and understanding of being a Christian but they can learn and develop into one. Some may say that Children are more like Christians then anyone because they disciplined, they attended church, say there prayers and tend not to commit crimes and obey by the 10 commandments as adults tend to be able to do that more. Children such as babys cannot make a commitment for life and decide for themselves so they can be baptised and Godparents and parents will help guide you to Jesus until you can make your own decision and choose to get confirmed which is a positive response. A faith of a child can come from their parents who have faith but then how can these young people be able to understand it unless you have experienced something to believe it, which is the case in many stories, so then When children have had a life changing experience are they criticised for not knowing how to be a Christian? Children may be selfish as they need a lot of care and it is all about themselves but they can do kind deeds spend time with disabled people and do kind gestures which is all about being a disciple of Jesus and following the nature of discipleship in the beginning in Marks Gospel. Based on these arguments I believe to an extent that children can be disciples of Jesus and good Christians because as long as they believe and act as a Christian they have hope and faith in God, and in time their knowledge will grow as they follow the foot steps of Jesus.

Bajaj Auto Limited | Analysis

Bajaj Auto Limited | Analysis The global economy and the market are growing faster than ever. The current business situation is in a state where they need to reshape their ideas constantly. The change has become so inevitable that without it a company couldnt survive in this competitive world. Change is the process of taking a company from current position (state) to a desired or expected position (state) and at the same time dealing with the problems that arise in the process, then change is about the management. (Gill, 2003). Change is something that cannot force upon, it is a gradual process of transformation that can affect the entire structure. Change management is an organized, methodical application of the knowledge, tools, and resources of change that provides organizations with a key development to achieve their business strategy. But change management is not a distinct discipline with rigid and clearly defined boundaries (Burnes, 2004). Organisations may not get their desired outcome if the change management is not effective. With effective management of change we can easily achieve a better turnover, expand the business, reduce cost of sales, maximise profit and even retain the same employee satisfaction. There are two angles in which a change can be viewed one from the management who are implementing it and another form the employees who undergo it. In the past, the affect of change agents on a business organization was very small but as and when the business transactions started to happen on global basis, the agents that could lead into organizational change also increased. The affect of a change can be felt in global way just like the current financial crunch that is happening around world. Brief History of Bajaj Auto Limited The Bajaj Group is one of the top 10 business organisations in India. The Bajaj Group has a wide range of industries such as, Bajaj Auto Ltd, home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance. But the groups main focus is Bajaj Auto which is ranked as the worlds fourth largest two- and three- wheeler manufacturer and is well-known in over a dozen countries in Europe, Latin America, the US and Asia. Jamnalal Bajaj founded Bajaj Auto Ltd in the year 1926, which did mainly import and sell two or three wheelers. In the year 1959, the company secured a license from the government of India to manufacture two and three wheelers. From this license, the company started to grow and in the same year, it went in collaboration with Piaggio to manufacture scooters and marketed under the brand name Vespa. By the end of the 10 year agreement with Piaggio, the company started manufacturing its own scooters under the brand name Chetak which pushed the Indian market to top boom and stayed as market leaders in scooter industry for a long period in India. The scooter made a strong brand image among people especially the middle class families who longed to have their own transport which was economical, durable and easy to maintain which was the key factor for their dominancy in market. The cost of motorcycles was 30% high when compared with scooters, so common people prefer it. Another factor for the market dominancy was the restriction for international brands in the Indian market. Hence the company faced no much competition. After the effect of globalisation when international organisation started to enter the Indian market, the competition faced by Bajaj was severe. The international companies had invested a lot in Research and developments and had better features and fuel efficiencies and this started to trouble the Bajas rule over the Indian market. When the price gap between motorcycles and scooters narrowed consumers started to shift to motorcycles because they were more able to travel on a terrain and had much greater ground clearance. When banks started to give loans to own vehicles it was a dream come true for most of the Indians and thus the consumer preference shifted to motorcycles rather than scooters. To conclude the situation created because of the companys lack of interest in RD, the turn over market dominancy and overall market value of the company starts declining constantly. (Source: www.bajajauto.com) Changing Scenario In the early 1990s, the market saw a great recession in the Indian two wheeler sector; overall sales of two-wheelers declined by 15% in 1991 and 8% in 1992. This period also saw a steep rise in fuel prices, which resulted in consumers placing greater emphasis on fuel efficiency when purchasing a new two wheeler. Fuel efficiency of scooters were comparatively less with motorcycles. When banks started financing for buying new vehicles common people shifted to motorcycles which can save a fortune in fuel. Japanese companies like Honda motor co. ltd (Honda), Suzuki and Yamaha started their operations in India through joint ventures with Indian companies like hero Cycles ltd, TVS, Escorts, etc. All these joint ventures were in the motorcycle segment. The foreign firms came with the latest technology and efficient production systems, which dramatically improved the quality of motorcycles available in the Indian market. Soon the foreign companies started introducing more new models with contemporary technology, styling and greater fuel efficiency. Then, the entire Indian market witnessed a change that was not at all foreseen by the company. The consumer preference shifted from scooters to motorcycles, which affected the company drastically in a much big way. This was because the difference in the ratio of youngsters and mature adults. In addition the motorcycles became cheaper, more fuel-efficient and was capable to ride with ease in any terrain. The arch rivals, Hero Honda was the company the Bajaj had to compete, but it was in vain as Bajaj had not once thought of modifying their scooters or thought of bringing new motorcycles into market and ultimately Bajaj had to give up its throne of the largest two wheeler company. The model Bajaj was rolling out of the company was a geared scooter. In the year 2005-06 with the entry of gearless scooters Bajaj lost its dominance over the Indian market to the gearless scooter named Activa from Honda, which was more comfortable for old people as well as women and even men have started to use Activa for their short errands because of its ease of use. Forces of Change Organisational change is triggered by performance falling below expectations or aspiration levels (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006) or change is initiated by disconfirmation. Forces of change can be two types: the external and the internal. External Forces Consumer preference In the 1990s, the Indian two wheeler market witnessed a shift in consumer preferences. License Raj The private investment was extensively regulated by the government through licensing. All the important business decisions like the entry of a firm into an industry, capacity expansion, choice of product, capacity mix and the technology were controlled by the government in an attempt to prevent concentration of economic power. This was referred as License Raj. Also there was a change in emission norms. Poor conditions of the road The conditions were really bad at that time. The consumers need a vehicle with strong reliability and fuel efficient. Poor conditions of the transport system The suppliers had a hard time for supplying materials. Also the growth was partly attributed to the inefficient public transport systems in the countrys towns and cities, which led to a greater demand for personal transport. Internal Forces Companys inability to force the market and shift in the trend patterns BAL had been slow in reading the demand pattern and how to cater to the changing consumer tastes and preferences. Company was not interested in RD It was believed that the dramatic shift happened because BAL did not pay sufficient attention to design, research and development and consumer satisfaction. No additional features Motorcycles with better ground clearance, stronger suspensions, and larger wheel bases, performed well on the village roads. Also the fuel economy was an added bonus No other brand of scooters No young and fresh minds in the companys management Change Models The format and the procedure by which a change has been made in a particular scenario is known as the change model. Change models are tools for driving change forces in an organization. Managing the complex process of change mainly involves managing a set of activities, in which each of the activity is crucial for the overall success of change. The change process involves translating the need for change into a desire for change, and deciding who will manage the change and creating a effective workable relationship. Change Model applied in Bajaj Auto Ltd Change Models provided by Kurt Lewin (1951) and V. Nilakant S. Ramnarayan (2006) is one of the prominent change models followed in the present world. The best model suited for the current scenario is the combination of both of these models by above authors. It can be divided into three phases: The first phase involves preparing the people for change with the focus on getting them to let go of what is familiar. The second phase involves taking the steps that actually implement the change. The last phase involves returning the organization to a stable state again based on the new culture. The first stage according to Kurt Lewin, in order to implement a change is Unfreezing and most of the cases it will be done by the change agent. In this scenario, Rahul Bajaj, the chairperson of the company is the change agent and this stage involves alerting and communicating the problems, performance gap and need for change to the internal customers/employees. It is basically modifying the current situation in order to achieve the proposed change by proper communication and understanding to the restrainers of change which helps to reduce the resistance and it is the best strategy for change. The second stage involves the application of the change model provided by V. Nilakant and S. Ramnarayan. It mainly highlights the importance of leadership in the process of change. The task of appreciating change requires the leader to understand the forces of change and prevailing mindset inside the organisation, where as task of mobilising support require leaders to facilitate the idea of change. In the same model, task of executing change involves creating the right structure and processes in an organisation, which is crucial and very important for the vertical and horizontal communication within the organisation, which ensures that employees are highly focused during the change process. Building Change capability involves empowering employees and making them believe in their own abilities to face new challenges; undertake and complete new tasks. Above all, high emphasises is placed on leadership in the organisation which is the driving force of the above tasks, which also plays a vital role in creating and sustaining change within an organisation. Managed Change, is a data-driven process that guides the project teams, internal change agents and sponsors to follow as they just need to follow guidelines through simple projects or complex initiatives. The third stage is refreezing stage which stabilizes the organisation at a new state of equilibrium. The main point about this stage is that new behaviour must be, to some degree, congruent with the rest of the behaviour, personality and environment of the learner or it will simply lead to a new round of disconfirmation (Schein, 1996). In organisational terms, refreezing often requires changes to organisational culture, norms, policies and practices. (Cummings and Huse, 1989) (Source: Bernard Burnes (2004) Managing Change (Fourth Edition) Prentice Hall) Application of change model in Bajaj Auto Ltd Unfreezing Stage: After dominating the Indian two wheeler market for three decades by the end of 1999 BAL realised the change in consumer preference from scooter to motorcycles with four stroke engines and predictions was that this trend will continue in a higher scale. There was a 41% fall in scooter sale in 2001 which was a real threat for the existence of BAL. Also a new set of emission norms (equivalent to Euro II emission norms) came into effect in 2000 for petrol two stroke engines. As a result, scooters with two-stroke engines fell out of favour. Applying the change model proposed above, Bajaj Autos was losing its market share due to change in consumer preferences, development of new market segments and availability of better products and scooters manufactured by their competitors. In first step, Chairman of company Rahul Bajaj which is change agent as well identified the need for change as suggested by Kurt Lewin, he unfreeze the current situation by making employees aware of problems, performance gap and need for change. Simultaneously, he empowered and provided new leadership roles to younger generation such as Rajiv Bajaj (Managing Director). In an attempt to regain market share, the company increased its production of motorcycles by 67.6% in 2001 even as the production of geared scooters fell by 44%. By 2001, the company was manufacturing as many motorcycles as geared scoters. Moving/Changing Stage: This is the stage where the leadership qualities of a change agent play an important role in success of the change. Change agent in our scenario Rahul Bajaj who is the chair person of the company analysed the present market environment and figure out the importance of change to retain the market share and to bring the company back in the path of success. He figured out the customer demands through surveys and categorised the production in different segments such as executive segment, cruiser segment, premium segment etc. He also introduced youngsters into the company and gave them more authority in order to create innovative ideas which were very important for the competitive market. He also invested a huge amount in RD and also for design. This completely changed the product portfolio of Bajaj Auto Ltd. Within a short time after these changes new version motorcycles launched in every segment such as Boxer and Caliber in executive segment, Eliminator in cruiser segment and Pulser Ave nger and Discover in premium segment which was a huge success in the Indian motorcycles industry. This transformation of Bajaj from scooters to motorcycles created a huge impact on the mind set of the public especially the new generation who were looking for more performance and stylish bikes. The turning point in this change process was the introduction of the product Pulsar and DTSi technology which help them to capture the two wheeler market under their name and to overcome their rival Hero Honda. They also tried to resurrect scooter sales. While sale of geared scooters were falling, the gearless scooter has been growing. The purchasers of gearless scooters were mainly teenagers, women and older people. So they started production of gearless scooters in 2000 under the name Saffire which was a great success with its new technology and design from Tokyo RD a Japanese design firm. They also give great importance to improve the mileage because it was an important specification for choosing a new model in the market. As per the model suggested the change agent was successful in motivating people, engaging people and developing the capabilities in an economical way rather than going for a complete reconstruction of the organisation. They appreciated the change happened in the organisation, build up the change capabilities, mobilise support and execute the change in the right time and right manner. Refreezing Stage: This is the stage where the company returns to a stable state based on the new culture. It mainly deals with changes to organisational culture, norms, policies and practices to cope up with the change for a smooth running of the day to day routine of the organisation. When Bajajs motorcycles were becoming popular the scooter sales were really down because of the competition in market. They analysed the market deeply and made apt changes. Meetings and sessions were arranged to discuss the unpleasant fact about new competition and flat earnings. So they were forced to phase out several models including the Spirit, the Sunny Spice, the Legend NXT 2 and the Bravo. The Saffire, suffered from several technical problems. Its sales too failed to pick up so they did modifications and was replaced by the Wave in 2005. In 2004, they also upgraded their old model Chetak with a new four stroke, 125cc engine, with a promise of greater comfort, superior performance, and better mileage. In June 2006, the company announced its plans to raise production capacity from 3.5 million units to 5.1 million units a year by 2009, of which the capacity for two-wheelers was to be 4.6 million units. According to their plans, they recently launched a 220cc variant of it popular Pulsar motorcycle. In 2004 Bajaj auto changed their old logo and created a new logo and brand line to renew its new brand identity. This proves that a vision says something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move (Kotter, 2007). These visions and their accomplishments stabilised the organisation at a new state of equilibrium. Change Agent The person who has the handed the management of the change is known as the change agent. The facilitator who is in-charge of the change in particular section where the change is needed is known as the change agent. (Mc Calman and Paton 1992). Their task also includes circulate information, identify problems, strategy development, monitor the progress and problems and reporting to the management. To introduce a change the change agent must have a vision and direction and the capability to make people to follow their direction and understand their vision. (Clarke, 1994). In this case study, the chair person of Bajaj Auto Limited Mr. Rahul Bajaj is the change agent who proved to have a great compassion towards changes in market conditions. He also proved to be an efficient change agent by handling different difficult situation easily. According to the changes in market conditions he changed the brand names to make them more localised and classified the motorcycles in different sections so they can penetrate the market more easily. His adherent Rajiv Bajaj also played a very important role in this change scenario who had a major role in designing and marketing their icon model Pulsar which help the company to acquire a major share in market. Pulsar was selected as Bike of the year for continuous 4 years and he was selected as the Automotive man of the year 2005 by Auto car Professional, bike India and NDTV India respectively. Timely actions taken by change agent like implementation of changes in policies, production and technology and final stage of in tegration help them to achieve the worlds 4th and Indias 1st largest producer of two and three wheelers. Analysis and Recommendations: In this scenario Bajaj Auto Ltd handled this particular situation incredibly but there were certain instances where they could have done even better. The Indian two wheeler market was dominated by scooters till 1990s and motorcycles came as new favourites. Bajaj was the market leaders till that time later their sales declined because they did not pay attention to design, R D and customer preference. They also didnt give much importance to marketing while the competitors were keen in increasing the sales through advertisements. Rahul Bajaj later admitted that they had been slow in reading the demand pattern and failed to anticipate customer behaviour. They also didnt participate in any social responsibilities and failed to build a trusting relationship with customers, employees and society. But they handled the whole situation sensibly with the proper implementation of change models and the powerful leadership under the change agent Rahul Bajaj. Conclusion This scenario clearly shows that change is a continuous process and a proper identification and implementation of a change results in organisational growth. Success of change depends on choosing the perfect change model with fewer resources and can create maximum outcome. An organisation should anticipate the need for change, utilise the resources effectively to attain this mission and must integrate this effort into the planning process. Change agent also has an important role where the desired result depends on how he manages the particular change. To conclude change is an essential aspect in growth and development and the overall success depends on how we tackle the change effectively. References: Bernard Burnes (2004) Managing Change (Fourth Edition) Prentice Hall Bob Hamlin (2001) Organisational Change and Development (First Edition) Prentice Hall B.L Marquis C.J Huson (2003) Leadership Roles and Management (Fourth Edition) Philadelphia, Lippincott Colin Carnall (2007) Managing Change in Organisations (Fifth Edition) Prentice Hall John Hayes (2007) the Theory and Practice of Change Management (Second Edition) Palgrave Macmillan, New York L. B. Fossum M. G. Crisp (1989) Understanding Organizational Change: Converting Theory to Practice (First Edition) Thomson Crisp Learning R. Woolfe W. Dryden (1996) Handbook of Counselling Psychology (First Edition) Sage Publications T.G Cummings C. G. Worley (2001) Organisation Development and Change (Sixth Edition) South Western College Publishing, Ohio V. Nilakant S. Ramnarayan (2007) Change Management (Second Edition) Sage Publications, India http://www.bajajauto.com/1024/aboutbajaj/awards.asp (Electronically Accessed on November 14th 2008). http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_b/bajaj_auto/20060313_invest.html (Electronically Accessed on December 06th 2008). http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_b/bajaj_auto/20050201_growth.html (Electronically Accessed on November 24th 2008). http://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/default.asp (Electronically Accessed on December 16th 2008). http://www.india-today.com/btoday/20010916/cover.html (Electronically Accessed on January 04th 2009). http://news.moneycontrol.com/india/news/management/bajajautobajajgroup/howhamarabajajbecamesignindependentindia/market/stocks/article/230375 (Electronically Accessed on November 03rd 2008). http://www.rediff.com/business/2000/jan/18bajaj.htm (Electronically Accessed on November 28th 2008). http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14579309 (Electronically Accessed on January 08th 2009). http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2004/08/05/stories/2004080500020100.htm (Electronically Accessed on October 29th 2008). http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020422/biz.htm (Electronically Accessed on December 11th 2008).

Essay --

These days, all the new technologies and new media made people’s life easier but also it made it stressful so before we define happiness we need to understand the actual situation of our modern life. Researchers agreed that modern life especially in big cities such as London or New York has created a new type of living and working. However, this new lifestyle brought stress as well, due to long working hours, traffic jams and fewer hours to relax. Psychologists admit that in recent years more people living in big cities are taking anti-stress medication. Furthermore, the number of depressed, unhappy and anxious people has multiplied. So making people find happiness became an important task in our modern life. So at first, what is happiness? All the great thinkers and philosophers throughout history have debated about the meaning of happiness. Moreover, psychologists have effectively advanced to this debate by analyzing numerous of researches to determine happiness. In spite of these efforts made until this day, we do not have a proper definition of happiness. Aristotle (2011, 1098a13...

Gypsies Essay -- essays research papers

Gypsies: The last nomads, the free-spirited, passionate bohemians with their mysterious rituals and powers. This romanticism is nearly as unfair as the fear and hate distracting us from recognizing the hardships and persecution these â€Å"carefree† people have undergone for centuries. In Europe, the Roma (as they wish to be call) have been cast out, burned at the stake, sterilized, ghettoized, forced to give up their traditional way of life, caught in other people’s wars, and more than half a million were slaughtered in the Holocaust. Roma misfortune can be attributed to the vicious cycle of poverty that paralyzes so many minorities situated in an unforgiving society. This cycle of poverty began and still exists today due to the discrimination that the Roma face because of, among other things, their skin color and unorthodox ways of making a living. Through out history the largest complaint about the Roma, however, has been their wandering lifestyle. What is interesting though, is that the Rom are no longer nomads. The few that do move from place to place are migrant and are forced across boarders by the very authorities that complain about their way of life. While some sources speculate that gypsies originally migrated from Egypt, it is usually agreed upon by most scholars that the gypsies came from India to Eastern Europe about a thousand years ago. The true reason for this move remains a mystery but many theories exist that they my have moved as a result of changes in the government, the economic situation or perhaps they have always been wonderers. Whatever the reason for their move, we will probably never know the truth. One gypsy lady learned during her childhood that â€Å"We were being punished for stealing the fourth nail that was needed in Christ’s crucifixion. That’s why his feet are crossed and nailed together. We were forced into wondering for taking this nail.† Whether gypsies were responsible for Christ’s missing nail one thing is certain: the gypsy’s dark Indian skin has made them the subject of ridicule for centuries; for it has been a European tradition to detest the non-ayrean. The Persian poet Firdausi is said to have written, â€Å"No washing ever whitens the black gypsy.† Even within religion the gypsies are not free from contempt. In his writings a German monk described gypsies as having â€Å"the most ugly faces, black like those of Tartars.† A... ... in the making,† most of the Roma feel that to exist in a ghetto is preferable to expulsion. As with non-European citizens in Italy, Roma have been given the label of extraexcommunitari, meaning they come from outside of the European Union, although most Roma have lived within the Union all their lives. The reason for this title is because the government still considers them nomadic. â€Å"Not even my grandfather was part of the traveling culture,† say Luigi Lusi a Rom. â€Å"It is obvious that we no longer harness up the horse and move from place to place daily,† he continued. Forcing gypsies to integrate has always failed because it is impossible to force a group of people who have spent their entire lives on the fringes of society to adapt to new educational and social environments, especially when they are very poor. Aside from their dark skin, the gypsy life that many Europeans find distasteful stems almost completely from the poverty that they have forced the gypsies into. The government will never receive their desired results from education programs and housing projects unless the deeply rooted discrimination against the Roma stops—something that will be very difficult to undo.

Starbucks Planning

One thing that all managers do is plan. The planning they do may be extensive or it may be limited. It might be for the next week or month or it might be for the next couple of years. It might cover a work group or it might cover an entire division. No matter what type or extent of planning a manager does, the important thing is that planning takes place. Without planning, there would be nothing for managers to organize, lead, or control. Based on the numerous accomplishments that Starbucks has achieved through the efforts of its employees, managers, no doubt, have done their planning. Company Goals As of April 2006, Starbucks had 11,377 stores in 37 countries. During the 30 weeks that ended April 30, the company opened 755 new stores in the United States and 381 new stores overseas. However, that's a far cry from where the company wants and intends to be someday. CEO Jim Donald says Starbucks' long-term goal is 15,000 U. S. stores and 30,000 stores globally. For 2006, the company's goal is to open approximately 1,800 new stores globally and to reach about $7. 6 billion in revenues. Goals for the next 3 to 5 years include attaining total net revenue growth of 20 percent and earnings per share growth between 20 to 25 percent. In addition to its financial and other growth goals, Starbucks has an even â€Å"glitzier† goal. It wants to have a hand in helping define society’s pop culture menu. Although this goal takes Starbucks beyond its coffee roots, it seems to fit well with the unconventional approach to business that Howard Schultz has followed from the beginning. Company Strategies Starbucks has been called the most dynamic retail brand conceived over the last 2 decades. It has been able to rise above the commodity nature of its product and become a global brand leader by reinventing the coffee experience. Millions of times each week, a customer receives a drink from a Starbucks barista. It’s a reflection of the success that Howard Schultz has had in creating something that never really existed in the United States—cafe life. And in so doing, he created a cultural phenomenon. Starbucks is changing what we eat and drink. It’s altering where we work and play. It’s shaping how we spend time and money. No one is more surprised by this cultural impact than Howard Schultz. He says, â€Å"It amazes all of us how we've become part of popular culture. Our customers have given us permission to extend the experience. † Starbucks has found a way to appeal to practically every customer demographic as its customers cover a broad base. It’s not just the affluent or the urban professionals and it's not just the intellectuals or the creative types who frequent Starbucks. You'll find soccer moms, construction workers, bank tellers, and clerical assistants at Starbucks. And despite the high price of its products, customers pay it because they think it's worth it. What they get for that price is some of the finest coffee available commercially, custom preparation, and, of course, that Starbucks ambiance——the music, the comfy chairs, the aromas, the hissing steam from the espresso machine—all invoking that warm feeling of community and connection that Schultz experienced on his first business trip to Italy and knew instinctively could work elsewhere. There's no hiding the fact that Starbucks’ broad strategy is to grow into a global empire. Howard Schultz says, â€Å"We are in the second inning of a 9-inning game. We are just beginning to tap into all sorts of new markets, new customers, and new products. But any growth that Starbucks pursues is done so with great care and planning. CEO Jim Donald says that all company growth is governed by whether quality can be maintained. If there is any uncertainty about quality, a new strategy won’t fly, no matter how good it might seem. Starbucks has designed its growth strategies to exploit the customer connections it has so carefully nurtured and the brand equity it has so masterfully built. And company executives have taken the company in new directions even while continuing to grow store numbers and locations and increasing same—store sales. As the world’s number-one specialty coffee retailer, Starbucks sells coffee drinks, food items, coffee beans, and coffee—related accessories and equipment. In addition, Starbucks sells whole bean coffees through a specialty sales group and grocery stores. Starbucks has grown beyond coffee into related businesses such as coffee—flavored ice cream and ready-to-drink coffee beverages. These Starbucks branded products have been developed with other companies. For instance, its Frappuccino and DoubleShot coffee drinks were developed with Pepsi-Cola. Its Starbucks Ice Cream was developed with Dreyer's. In early 2006, Starbucks launched its ready-to-drink coffee drink, Starbucks Iced Coffee, through a joint venture with Pepsi-Cola. The company extended its success at brand extensions to selected global markets when it launched a fresh Starbucks-branded premium ready-to-drink chilled coffee called Starbucks Discoveries in convenience stores in Taiwan and Japan. This product was enthusiastically embraced by customers immediately. In addition, Starbucks markets a selection of premium tea products since its acquisition of Tazo, LLC. Starbucks has also pursued other strategic initiatives to enhance its core business. For instance, in November 2001, the company launched the Starbucks prepaid card. Since that time, more than 77 million prepaid cards have been activated and loaded with more than $1 billion. The director of Starbucks global card services says, â€Å"We've been pleasantly surprised by the card business, by how fast it's grown in percentage of tender, and how people use the card. It offers so many opportunities to grow from there. It's one of our fastest-growing channels. Industry experts say that part of the reason for its success is its dual use–as gift cards and for customer loyalty. Also important to its success, however; is the fact that the company has made it easy to purchase, reload, and use. The company is on the leading edge in finding innovative ways to get the prepaid cards into potential customers' hands such as parent—student cards, gift-card malls, and business gifts and i ncentives. Having conquered the coffee business, one of the company’s most interesting brand extensions has been music. Selling music at Starbucks began when a store manager made tapes for his store. These tapes proved to be so popular that the company began licensing music compilation CDs for sale. Initially, Howard Schultz had to be persuaded about this product and recalls, â€Å"I began to understand that our customers looked to Starbucks as kind of editor. It was like . . . we trust you. Help us choose. † And it you think about it, music has always been part of the cafe or coffeehouse experience. In addition to selling its private—label CDs, the company launched the HearMusic Cafe in Santa Monica, California, in March 2004. At these stores, customers burn their own compilation CDs. After sampling selections, if they choose to buy, customers can walk up to a music â€Å"bar† and order a custom CD with any variation of songs and have it delivered to their table when it’s completed. Based on the success Starbucks has had with music, it decided to selectively link the Starbucks brand with certain kinds of movies, the first being Akeelah and the Bee. The president of Starbucks Entertainment division says, â€Å"Movies are a very important part of our entertainment strategy. The thought was to start with music, build some success, establish credibility, and then move into films. Eventually, the company wants to be a destination not just for java but also for music, movies, books, and more. Not everything that Starbucks touches turns to gold. One of its big flops was a magazine called Joe launched by the company and Time. It lasted three issues before being called off. A carbonated coffee beverage product called Mazagran, developed with Pepsi—Col a, never made it to market. Too, Starbucks decided to close its Torrefazione Italia cafes when they didn't meet the goals set for them. What about the core industry Starbucks is in? How is it doing? The hot drinks market continues to sizzle. It's forecasted to increase 10. 9 percent between now and 2010. In addition, the 2006 National Coffee Drinking Trends report of the National Coffee Association of the United States says that coffee tied soft drinks in daily market penetration for the first time since 1990. And Starbucks wants to remain at the forefront of the industry. Some 24 percent of Starbucks customers visit 16 times per month—a number that no other fast—food chain even comes close to. There's no doubt that Howard Schultz has built and continues to build Starbucks to be big. Growth has been funded through cash flow, not by selling stock or by using debt financing. Some of the new ideas to be implemented include an aggressive roll-out of drive-through windows, which now number more than 1,000 U. S. locations and 35 Canadian sites; a co-branded Web site between Yahoo! and Starbucks where online daters can arrange to meet and drink free coffee; a partnership between Starbucks and Kellogg that created a hot breakfast product; and two new banana-based blended drinks. Discussion Questions 1. Starbucks has some pretty specific goals it wants to achieve. Given this, do you think managers would be more likely to make rational decisions, bounded rationality decisions, or intuitive decisions? Explain. 2. Give examples of decisions that Starbucks managers might make under conditions of certainty. Under conditions of risk. Under conditions of uncertainty. 3. Make a list of Starbucks’ goals. Describe what type of goal each is. Then, describe how that stated goal might affect, how the following employees do their jobs: (a) a part-time store employee-—a barista—in Omaha; (b) a quality assurance technician at the company's roasting plant in Carson City, Nevada; (c) a regional sales manager; (d) the senior vice president of new markets; and (e) the CEO. . Discuss the types of growth strategies that Starbucks has used. Be specific. 5. Evaluate the growth strategies Starbucks is using. What do you think it will take for these strategies to be successful? 6. What competitive advantage(s) do you think Starbucks has? What will it have to do to maintain that (those) competitive advantage(s)? 7. Do you think the Starbucks brand can become too saturated ·Ã¢â‚¬â€t hat is, extended to too many different products? Why or why not? 8. What companies might be good benchmarks for Starbucks? Why? What companies might want to benchmark Starbucks? Why? 9. Describe how the following Starbucks managers might use forecasting, budgeting, and scheduling (be specific): (a) a retail store manager; (b) a regional marketing manager; (c) the manager of global trends; and (d) the CEO. 10. Describe Howard Schultz as a strategic leader. 11. Is Starbucks â€Å"living† its mission? Explain. (You can find the company mission on its Web site, www. starbucks. com or in the continuing case found at the end of Part 2. 12. Do a brief SWOT analysis of Starbucks.