How to Spend Your Free Time Essay

You know those periods of time you’re all done with classes and have no reading to do? Well there are many things that can be done to pass the time. To keep your body healthy we can do some exercise and sports activities like badminton, soccer, hockey or swimming. Those who love challenging activities can join paintball, rock climbing, flying fox and mountain climbing. We can do many activities. Get a gym membership or try a new bike trail. Met up with other joggers and run through various part. Good health can make all other aspects in your life better including your work. So we should have a healthy lifestyle. We can take a vacation or picnic with family or friends during holiday. We can go to recreational park, beach or island. It feels more relax to see the beautiful scenary of nature if you go to an island or beach. Why don’t you try scuba diving. It is realy interesting to travel the marine life and see the nature under the sea. If you are an avid reader, then you could spend your free time catching up those book that you haven’t finished yet. Fun does not always mean fuss. You can find relaxation and entertainment with books that capture your interest. It doesn’t mean that you have to buy it. You can go to library and have unlimited books there. Those who have a digital camera can take photograph of scenary, people, birds and many more. Just head out your camera to anywhere and enjoy the art of nature. During our free time we can surf the internet. The internet is full of fun and interesting things. Visit your favourite website and learn new things. Catch up your favourite blogs and social sites like facebook or twitter. I know all of you have a facebook account right. As for me, I love listening to music and watching Korean drama. I bet many of you love k-pop right? I’m sorry if I’m wrong. Make sure to limit that activity to one particular day or time. This way, you will have more time to do your other tasks when you have set time to take care of your need for entertainment . It’s okay for you to do what ever you want as long as you can control it. Don’t be to fond with something and forget your study. We should use our time wisely and have a good and happy lifestyle.

Legal Issues for Business Essay

Sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business with one owner who pays personal income tax on profits from the business. The benefit of the sole proprietorship is the tax advantage. The disadvantage of a sole proprietorship is obtaining capital funding. * Liability – As the owner of a sole proprietorship, one is personally liable for all business debts, creditors may sue you personally to satisfy the debt. * Income taxes – As a sole proprietor you must report all business income or losses on your personal income tax return; the business itself is not taxed separately. * Longevity – Longevity depends on the owner and their ability to operate the business; this can be significantly affected if the owner becomes sick or dies. * Control – The owner is in complete control of the business, It is the owners responsibility for all decisions pertaining to business operations * Profit retention – The owner has 100% control of profit retention. They may cho ose to invest their profits or use it for personal use. * Convenience/Burden – Sole proprietorships are convenient and easy to start up since there are no governing laws. A burden of the business is the decisions made may affect the businesses success are the sole responsibility of the owner. GENERAL PARTNERSHIP: An agreement formed by two or more persons. They are simple and inexpensive to create and operate, but the owners are all personally liable for any debts or legal actions * Liability – The liability is shared by all partners. If one partner does something negligent, all partners can be held liable. * Income taxes – All partners are responsible to report their earnings on their own personal tax returns. * Longevity – general partnerships longevity is based on the agreement between partners, they can agree to end their partnership as easily as they formed it. With a partnership between more than two partners, the person leaving can agree to sell their portion of the business. * Control – Control of a general partnership is shared between all parties involved. * Profit retention – All profits of the general partnership belong to the owners. * Convenience/Burden –A general partnership has the convenience of an easy start-up, all partners have a personal interest in the partnership and all profits belong to the partners.  A main burden with a general partnership is the personal liability of all debts and legalities. LIMITED PARTNERSHIP: Limited partnership is similar to a shareholder of a general partnership, being only liable for the amount of investment one has contributed. Limited partners have no management authority. * Liability – A limited partner is only liable for the investments they have contributed, no more no less. * Income taxes – A limited partner reports their share of capital gains and losses on their personal income tax returns. * Longevity – The longevity of a limited partner is based solely on the amount of investment one contributes and their continuation on their investment. * Control – Limited partners generally do not have any control of a general partnership other than their investment. * Profit retention – The amount of profit a limited partner will receive is based on the amount of investment into the company. * Convenience/Burden – The convenience of a limited partnership is one get to share in the profits and losses, but they do not have to partic ipate in the business itself. A limited partners liability is only limited to the investment they have contributed. A burden of limited partnership can be the lack of involvement for the investment one has contributed, C-CORPORATION: Is a legal way that businesses can organize to limit the owner’s financial and legal liability. C-corporations are taxed separately from the owners. Though they are taxed separately, c-corps have the disadvantage of double taxation, being taxed on the corporate level as well as the shareholder level. * Liability – C-corporations provide limited liability to owners, therefore, owners are not usually responsible for the corporations debts and liabilities. * Income taxes – C-corporations are taxed as a separate entity under corporate tax rates for any business income, any profits made to owners are then taxed again at the personal income tax level. * Longevity – The life of a C-corporation can exist indefinitely based on the shareholders, by selling of stocks, unlimited number of owners and transfer of ownership. * Control – Control of a C-corporation is held by its shareholders, but may be delegated to a board of directors. * Profit retention -Because a C-corporation’s income is taxed twice, paying taxes on its income and the shareholder’s also paying personal taxes on the dividend  income received from the corporation, there is less profit retention than that of a general partnership. * Convenience/Burden – C-corporations have the convenience of unlimited shareholders, as well as no restrictions on who is allowed to become a shareholder. The double taxation of a C-corporation can be a burden to shareholders based on profit retention. S-CORPORATION: A corporation that does not pay federal taxes. All corporate income and losses are passed through to the shareholders and claimed on their personal income taxes. * Liability – Shareholders of an S- corporation are offered limited liability for the corporation’s debt. * Income taxes – S-corporations do not pay income taxes, instead, income passes through to the shareholders and is claimed on their personal income taxes. * Longevity – Similar to a C-corporation, an S-corporation can exist indefinitely, though S-corporations have regulatory restrictions on the number of shareholders it may have. * Control – The control of an S-corporation is held by its shareholders, but may be delegated to a board of directors. * Profit retention – An S-corporation allows its shareholders to keep more of the earned profits by passing through its income taxes directly to its shareholders unlike a C-corporation which is double taxed. * Convenience/Burden – S-corporations have the convenience of retaining more of its profits by passing through its income taxes directly to its shareholders, avoiding the double taxation of a C- corporation. S-corporations have the burden of regulatory restrictions, including limiting the number of shareholders; shareholders cannot be corporations and must be U.S. citizens. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY: A Limited liability company (LLC) is a business entity that offers its owners limited liability. Owners are not personally liable for any debt other than their investment. * Liability – owners of a LLC have limited liability; they are only liable for their investment. * Income taxes – A LLC is not a taxable entity, income taxes are passed through to the owners and their personal income taxes. * Longevity – Limited liability companies can exist indefinitely, they have the option of transferring ownership without restriction. * Control – The control of a LLC can be based on the number of owners as well as the amount of investment one has in the company. * Profit retention – Profits of a LLC is passed through to the owners and is  taxed at their personal tax rate, allowing owners to pay less in taxes and retain more profit. * Convenience/Burden – Limited liability companies have the convenience of pass through taxation, allowing the owners lar ger profits. LLC’s have the burden of varying restrictions from state to state, there are different renewal fees and franchise taxes that must be paid and LLC’s must pay self-employment taxes.

Organizations and Terms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizations and Terms - Essay Example In this case, I shall examine the group known as the Al Shabaab militia. Al-Shabaab`s headquarters is situated in the coastal city of Kismayo, Somalia with several bases of operations in southern Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda. Al-Shabaab got designated a terrorist organization by the Federal Bureau of Investigations after the bombing of the World Trade Center by Al-Qaeda (Kelley 36). The name Al-Shabaab means ’’youth’’ in Arabic. Al-Shabaab. Other names used to refer to it include, Ash-Shabaab or Hizbul Shabaab, which means a party of the youth. It belongs to a much larger group known as HSM that stands for â€Å"Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahidden.† Al-Shabaab originated from a faction that broke off from the Islamic Courts Union, following its defeat in 2006 by the joint forces of the Somali transitional government and their Ethiopian allies. The federal bureau of investigations had listed Somalia as failed state for almost twenty years due to the lack of peace due to the civil war. In 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigations officially recognized Al-Shabaab as a terrorist organization they attacked the United State`s embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Prior to these attacks, their fellow brothers in arms the Al -Qaeda had bombed the World Trade Center in September 2001. This was in retaliation for the United States had invaded the Middle East to quell the Taliban insurgency. Since Al-Shabaab is closest to both countries, carrying out these simultaneous attacks was rather easy. The Federal Bureau of Investigations states that for an organization to be classified as a terrorist organization, it must have crossed a few thresholds. Such as having weapons of mass destruction, have a few thousand followers, and it has to be well connected. Al-Shabaab also has ties with most of the other terrorist organizations all over the world. For

International Human resources Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Human resources Management - Essay Example This shift is reflected in the differences in training and development (T&D) practices with respect to 1) the purpose of T&D, 2) the focus of T&D, 3) strategies and methods of training, and 4) training content. MULTINATIONAL STRATEGY. The main purpose of training and development is for managers to develop a cognitive understanding of many possible issues and problems that includes such as cost reduction, sources of relative production efficiency, interpretation of roles, policies and rules and also to maintain the normal situation such as to enhance the efficiency of existing operations (Tichy, 1993). Training is the same as the Human resource function where it serves as a backup support to the main controls such as financial controls and making budgets, organizational design and structure and making of a strategic plan that works. The training and development is concentrated on local and regional efforts (Briscoe, 1995; Dowling, Schuler & Welch, 1994). The scarceness of money is made available for more globally complete, and also very expensive, training costs. The more extensive global training opportunities will be focused on the financial control managers, those auditors and controllers in order to monitor costs and revenue flows in many subsidiaries in manycountries (Lessard, 1997). Strategies and Methods. The multinational firms will concentrate its trainings by providing relatively discrete training investments and actions for individuals or small groups over time periods that are short. The training includes applying low-risk simulation activities to enact behavior changes on such a superficial range, the strategic manager will seek to develop skills relevant to the main cultures of interest (Tichy, 1993).Therefore, multinational trainings and developments are shown with extensive use of case-studies or simulations in environments within the classroom, country handbooks, language training, the company internal counseling on legal and finance subjects. This includes meetings with many repatriated managers and others(Briscoe, 1995; Tichy, 1993). Content. Trainings and developments include marketing, distribution,budgeting, manufacturing, headcount, dominate multinational training curricula, finances, etc., (Tichy, 1993, p.210).Because of the cost containment and rationalization emphasis here, efficiency of operation is at a premium. TRANSNATIONAL STRATEGY. Purpose. The main objectives of the firm are very complex and also very challenging as compared to the multinational firm. The main benchmark is to identify and develop a select group of managers who can define and answer brilliantly major organizational problems and also they must transform significant organizational systems and processes(Tichy, 1993). The transnational mind makes it a requirement to be structural and planning forms of control under the multinational strategy. The managers must be collaborative, multi

Pluralist Model and the Instrumentalist Model Essay

Pluralist Model and the Instrumentalist Model - Essay Example Jerry Kloby in his book Inequality, Power, and Development, he discusses two theories to explain the modern world, the pluralist and the instrumentalist model, the pluralist model indicates that power in the society is not held by a few people while the instrumentalist model indicates that power is held by only a few people and therefore high levels of inequality. This model focuses on the relationships that exist between the state and society, it focuses on the various important ways in which citizens control their leaders and also shape public policies. Citizens therefore are involved in public policy making, to this model power is possessed by the society as a whole, power is considered as a resource in society in attainment of goals. This model argues that bureaucrats, capitalist and political leaders are unified into a single group by their common origin, lifestyles and values, public policies are made through the networks that exist between these groups. According to this model power in the society is only held by a few individuals who use it to further their own interests, therefore public policies are made by the ones who have institutional, political and economic power. In the society we live it is true that power is only held by a few people, they will shape the societies policies for their own interest and not the interest of the people. The instrumental

Why life insurance is or is not appropriate in Islamic countries Research Paper

Why life insurance is or is not appropriate in Islamic countries - Research Paper Example The first one of the view that insurance of any kind is prohibited because it is an agreement based on doubts, it is against God’s commands and insurance business is based on interest. Life insurance is used to cover financial loss happening from death. It is impossible to define life insurance in a single definition as there are different ways to explain it. In simple words life insurance is a tool to safeguard against natural calamities. The aim of every individual is to secure his family from future risks. Every person dreams for prosperous life for his near and dear ones, a bright future for their children and self without depending on others. The life insurance guarantees materializing these aims by paying them in terms of money. There was a time when necessities of life were fulfilled by government or charity organizations. As the population increases the resources are shrinking day by day. World is being governed by man-made laws and lust for power and corruption is multiplying in every walk of life. Basic necessities like food, shelter, education and social services are no more available. Even fresh and unpolluted breathing is no more. It seems difficult to make both ends meet. Individual earning in a family when meets with any misfortune like natural death, Job termination, disability etc than one can imagine how he will cope with all this. Here life insurance is the only option available to avail in this situation. Life insurance is a vast subject if studied it will give you a short- cut to fulfill above mentioned noble commitments. After collecting large sum of money from the public the insurance company with the government’s assistance can run various projects at national level. Through all this government uses this cash for various schemes such as power generation, special education, employment generation etc. In return government pays suitable interest so that public should get their maximum profit at

Patent and Trademarks in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Patent and Trademarks in the UK - Essay Example The first test is whether modifying the invention has a significant effect on the performance of the patented invention. The second test is whether an expert in that particular field of the invention would consider the language describing the patent as the strict essential for distinguishing the invention. Finally, there is a consideration whether it would not have have been obvious to an expert in a related field that the modification made on the invention would not have any effect on the patented invention. Later, these principles were affirmed in the case of Kirin-Amgen Inc and Others v. Hoechst Marion Roussel Limited and Others. 7 Crown, The Patents Rules and fees 2007 (as amended) Patents Legal Section, (2014). accessed 16th April 2015. 14 Thompson Reuters Legal Solution, Patents, trademarks, copyright and designs in the UK (England and Wales): overview Accessed 16th April 2015. 14 Ainurul R & Birgitte A, Are There "Institutional Failures" in Intellectual Property Marketplaces? Evidence from Information and Communication Technology Firms, (International Journal of Management, 2013) 723. 15 Mercer J, A mark of distinction: Branding and trademark law in the UK from the 1860s Business History 2010 52(1) 17. Accessed 16th April 2015. 16 The effects of globalization, technological advancement, and the ensuing business competition necessitate the need for individuals and businesses to protect their intellectual property against infringement.1 The legislation provides qualifications and procedure for registering patents and trademarks, as well as remedies for the proprietor in case of violation of right. This document focuses on the patent and trademark registration process. This study focuses on the situation in which the registrar may decline the registration of patents and trademarks if previous similar inventions or signs are available at the filing date.

Analysis of Movie Posters (Pirates of the Caribbean) Essay

Analysis of Movie Posters (Pirates of the Caribbean) - Essay Example The main poster for Pirates of the Caribbean is very amazing. This poster was designed specifically to announce the debut of the movie and the first screening. This poster was created in the US to help create awareness of the new movie. The poster is a typical representation of movies of this genre characterized with a lot of graphic images. Its design, the use of color and images is completely attractive and persuasive for one to go see the movie. The most standing out features of the poster include the title, which has been written in a large artistic font at the bottom of the poster; names of the main actors placed at the top of the poster, a large image in the foreground of one of the main actors and a background image of a ship in stormy water. The date of the movie, which is written in red color at the bottom left corner of the poster and the name of the institution behind the movie as well as the available formats for the movie are also outstanding and give the audience someth ing to look forward to. The poster has mainly used dark colors such as black and grey in the background to create a psychological effect of war (Noble 135). The background image of the ship in a stormy sea represents a scene in the movie that takes place when the ship is attacked. This image has been used to create an urge among the viewers to go to movie theatres to watch what exactly happens in the scene. The date for showing the movie has been written in red color for it to stand out. ... Its design, the use of color and images is completely attractive and persuasive for one to go see the movie. The most standing out features of the poster include the title, which has been written in a large artistic font at the bottom of the poster; names of the main actors placed at the top of the poster, a large image in the foreground of one of the main actors and a background image of a ship in stormy water. The date of the movie, which is written in red color at the bottom left corner of the poster and the name of the institution behind the movie as well as the available formats for the movie are also outstanding and give the audience something to look forward to. The poster has mainly used dark colors such as black and grey in the background to create a psychological effect of war (Noble 135). The background image of the ship in a stormy sea represents a scene in the movie that takes place when the ship is attacked. This image has been used to create an urge among the viewers t o go to movie theatres to watch what exactly happens in the scene. The date for showing the movie has been written in red color for it to stand out. This would enable people o easily know when the movie will be showing. It is the only red color on the poster and could also have the psychological effect of expressing danger thus indicating the extent of violence in the movie. The formats of the movie such as digital 3D and Imax 3D have been written in large font at the bottom of the poster to inform the viewers of the various forms of the movie so that they can decide on their preferred option. The title of the movie stands out as having the largest artistic font together with an image of a human skull with two swords to

Wisdom Tradition and how life is best lived Essay

Wisdom Tradition and how life is best lived - Essay Example They determine whether one lived his or her life the best way or not. This has always been the way of life for communities that have been guided by the teachings of their religious books. Besides, clergymen can be used to teach a number of people in the field to bring about the desired final effect. Plato and Augustine observed that all religions in the world did share number of specific truths. Among them are the wisdom books and teachings that are used to guide the respective folders. Through the perennialism theory, the various religious groups in the world have various truths that take care of their flock’s social, intellectual, and psychological needs of a given culture over a period. A number of people that include the founders of the various religions, prophets, and philosophers have further echoed this. Despite the fact that the scriptures might oppose each other superficially, one can distinguish a common doctrine for the final purpose of human life (Brown, 88). Through Socrates and Augustine, a number of philosophers have gained insight on what is meant by wisdom tradition that has been of the great contribution to the development of the field. Plato had a clear picture of what wisdom is. He defines it as the best thing in life. Essentially, he comes up with three platonic images of wisdom to make his wisdom perception clear. The icon of leaving the cave depicts wisdom as a factor that enlightens and illuminates the mind and the nation. With its possession, one is at the verge of having a new dimension of life. The second iconic point is wisdom as the tool that cares for the heart. Primarily, it does insist on ensuring that the knowledge is put into practice (Brown, 89). Most significantly, he professes that to mean that he is ever willing to learn. One must remain committed to learn and satisfy the intrinsic

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages Essay Example for Free

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages Essay Scientific evidence that some products are not healthy Effect people with heart arrhythmias and insomnia Mix with alcohol Relaxed Drink Niche – abuse with prescription cough syrup As we look at this SWOT analysis of the alternative beverage industry we notice that there are some opportunities that they have created and are able to use in the future. Consumers’ choices are changing from the standard soft drink to alternative beverages. The key is to be sustainable by building up these products. The main opportunity to help with sustainability is to build brand loyalty. Try building up the knowledge and uses of your brands will help you gain the skills needed to continue building the brand. Porter’s five-forces model reveals that the overall alternative beverage industry attractiveness is high. Some beverage companies, such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have mastered the art of brand building in the alternativebeverage market and have been rewarded with rapid growth rates. The rising population of health conscious consumers is increasingly leaning towards alternative beverages that are believed to offer greater health benefits. The strongest competitive force, or most important to strategy formulation, is the threat of entry of new competitors. Competitive pressure from rival sellers is high in the alternative beverage industry. The number of brands competing in sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverage segments of the alternative beverage industry continue to grow each year. Both large and small vendors are launching new products and fighting for minimal retail shelf space. More and more consumers are moving away from traditional soft drinks to healthier alternative drinks. Demand is expected to grow worldwide as consumer purchasing power increases. Another strong competitive force is buyer bargaining power. Convenience stores and grocery stores have substantial leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers due to the large quantity of their purchase. Newer brands are very vulnerable to buyer power because of limited space on store shelves. Top brands like Red Bull are almost always guaranteed space. This competitive force does not affect Coca-Cola or PepsiCo as much due to the variety of beverages the stores want to offer to the customer. As a result of this certain appeal, the two companies’ alternative beverage brands can almost always be found shelf space in grocery/convenience stores. Distributors, like restaurants, have less ability to negotiate for deep pricing discounts because of quantity limitations.

Effect of Mineral Deficiency on Plant Growth

Effect of Mineral Deficiency on Plant Growth Aim To investigate the effect of mineral deficiencies towards the growth of Lemna sp Introduction Plants need water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to synthesise carbohydrates during photosynthesis. To synthesise nutrients and other organic substances, plants need additional elements. Mineral elements are one of the essential chemical elements required by plants in order to achieve optimal growth and development. Mineral elements are mostly obtained in the form of inorganic ions from the soil through their roots. Most of the time, the mineral ions in soil water are present only in low concentration, often lower than that in cytoplasm of root cells. So, in order to obtain mineral ions into the cells, they are taken up selectively against the concentration gradient by active transport, using energy from the respiration of plants.The uptake process occurs with the help of the specific protein pumps in the plasma membrane of the root cells. This usually results in accumulation of mineral ions in the root cells. The mineral ions are then carried in the apoplast or symplast pathway until they reach the endodermis containing impermeable Casparian strip.They then enter the cytoplasm of cells either by diffusion or active transport and reach the xylem of the plant to be transported in the water that moves up continuously in the transpiration stream. Once the mineral ions reach the tissues where they are needed, they move out of the xylem into the cells either by diffusion or active transport, depending on the permeability of cell membranes and relative concentrations of ions inside and outside the cells. Generally, mineral elements required by plants can be divided into two categories, macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients can be broken into two more groups: primary and secondary nutrients. The primary nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). These major nutrients usually are lacking from the soil first because plants use large amounts for their growth and survival. The secondary nutrients are calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). There are usually enough of these nutrients in the soil so fertilization is not always needed. Also, large amounts of Calcium and Magnesium are added when lime is applied to acidic soils. Sulfur is usually found in sufficient amounts from to slow decomposition of soil organic matter, an important reason for not throwing out grass clippings and leaves.Nitrogen is a part of all living cells and is a necessary part of all proteins, enzymes and metabolic processes involved in the synthesis and transfer of energy. Nitrogen is a part of chlorophyll, the green pigment of the plant that is responsible for photosynthesis.Helps plants with rapid growth, increasing seed and fruit production and improving the quality of leaf and forage crops. Nitrogen often comes from fertilizer application and from the air (legumes get their N from the atmosphere, water or rainfall contributes very little nitrogen). Like nitrogen, phosphorus (P) is an essential part of the process of photosynthesis. Involved in the formation of all oils, sugars, starches, etc. Helps with the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy; proper plant maturation; withstanding stress. Effects rapid growth. Encourages blooming and root growth. Phosphorus often comes from fertilizer, bone meal, and superphosphate. Potassium is absorbed by plants in larger amounts than any other mineral element except nitrogen and, in some cases, calcium. Helps in the building of protein, photosynthesis, fruit quality and reduction of diseases. Potassium is supplied to plants by soil minerals, organic materials, and fertilizer. Calcium, an essential part of plant cell wall structure, provides for normal transport and retention of other elements as well as strength in the plant. It is also thought to counteract the effect of alkali salts and organic acids within a plant. Sources of calcium are dolomitic lime, gypsum, and superph osphate. Magnesium is part of the chlorophyll in all green plants and essential for photosynthesis. It also helps activate many plant enzymes needed for growth. Soil minerals, organic material, fertilizers, and dolomitic limestone are sources of magnesium for plants. Sulfur is essential plant food for production of protein. Promotes activity and development of enzymes and vitamins. Helps in chlorophyll formation. Improves root growth and seed production. Helps with vigorous plant growth and resistance to cold. Sulfur may be supplied to the soil from rainwater. It is also added in some fertilizers as an impurity, especially the lower grade fertilizers. Lemna is a genus of free-floating aquatic plants from the duckweed family. These rapidly-growing plants have found uses as a model system for studies in community ecology, basic plant biology, in ecotoxicology, in production of biopharmaceuticals, and as a source of animal feeds for agriculture and aquaculture. The duckweeds have been classified as a separate family, the Lemnaceae, but some researchers (the AGP II) consider the duckweeds members of the Araceae.Lemna species grow as simple free-floating thalli on or just beneath the water surface. Most are small, not exceeding 5 mm in length, except Lemna trisulca which is elongated and has a branched structure. Lemna thalli have a single root, which distinguishes them from related genera Spirodela and Landoltia. The plants grow mainly by vegetative reproduction: two daughter plants bud off from the adult plant. This form of growth allows very rapid colonisation of new water. Duckweeds are flowering plants, and nearly all of them are known to reproduce sexually, flowering and producing seed under appropriate conditions. Certain duckweeds (e.g. L. gibba) are long day plants, while others (e.g. L. minor) are short day plants.When Lemna invades a waterway, it can be removed mechanically, by the addition of herbivorous fish (e.g. grass carp) or treated with a herbicide.The rapid growth of duckweeds finds application in bioremediation of polluted waters and as test organisms for environmental studies. It is also being used as an expression system for economical production of complex biopharmaceuticals. Duckweed meal (dried duckweed) is a good cattle feed. It contains 25-45% proteins (depending on the growth conditions), 4.4% fat, and 8-10% fibre, measured by dry weight. Lemna has been transformed by molecular biologists to express proteins of pharmaceutical interest. Expression constructs were engineered to cause Lemna to secrete the transformed proteins into the growth medium at high yield. Since the Lemna is grown on a simple medium, this substantially reduces the burden of protein purification in preparing such proteins for medical use, promising substantial reductions in manufacturing costs. In addition, the host Lemna can be engineered to cause secretion of proteins with human patterns of glycosylation, an improvement over conventional plant gene-expression systems. Several such products are being developed, including monoclonal antibodies. Problem Statement: How do the deficiencies of minerals affect the growth of Lemna sp ? Hypothesis: Lemna plants grow healthily in complete culture solution. When there is deficiency of certain minerals, Lemna plants will show the symptoms of deficiency of that particular minerals. Variables Manipulated: Type of mineral deficiencies Responding: The growth of Lemna sp Fixed: Intensity of sunlight, type,size and number of Lemna plants used, concentration of carbon dioxide and volume of solution Apparatus Petri dishes Petri dishes cover forceps measuring cylinder droppers. Materials A range of solutions including solutions with all solutions present lacking nitrogen, NO3- lacking phosphate, PO43- lacing potassium, K+ lacking magnesium, Mg2+ lacking calcium, Ca2+ lacking zinc, Zn2+ lacking iron, Fe2+ Lemna Stickers Tissue paper Procedures One petri dish and its cover is washed using water and dried using tissue paper. Four pairs of Lemna sp are picked out using a forceps and placed inside the clean petri dish. This step is done with extra care as to minimise the damage done to the Lemna sp. Step 1 and 2 are repeated 8 times to prepare 8 petri dishes , each containing 4 pair of Lemna sp. The culture solutions are measured at 15ml using a measuring cylinder. Every petri dish is then filled with different culture solutions with different mineral deficiencies, NO3-,PO43-,K+,Mg2+,Ca2+,Zn2+,Fe2. The last petri dish is filled with perfect culture solution in which all the minerals are present. All the petri dishes are placed at a spot where light intensity is just sufficient for the Lemna sp to grow. The Lemna sp are observed carefully for a full 10days of study. The Lemna sp. are observed for the number of leaves ,the colour of leaves and the number of plants with roots. The observations or data are recorded into a table. Results Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  10 Number of plants with roots:  1 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 4 Number of live plants:  6 Number of green leaves:  17 Number of plants with roots:  3 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 6 Number of live plants:  12 Number of green leaves:  28 Number of plants with roots:  6 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 8 Number of live plants:  15 Number of green leaves:  36 Number of plants with roots:  11 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 10 Number of live plants:  20 Number of green leaves:  57 Number of plants with roots:  13 Growth abnormalities:  None Table 1 Data for normal culture solution (Control experiment) Number of live plants:   Number of green leaves:   Number of plants with roots:   Growth abnormalities:   Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  8 Number of plants with roots:  21 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 4 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  11 Number of plants with roots:  2 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green Day 6 Number of live plants:  6 Number of green leaves:  17 Number of plants with roots:  4 Growth abnormalities:   Growth of root stunted Leaves turn yellowish Day 8 Number of live plants:  7 Number of green leaves:  22 Number of plants with roots:  5 Growth abnormalities:   Growth stunted Leaves turn paler and yellowish Day 10 Number of live plants:  8 Number of green leaves:  27 Number of plants with roots:  6 Growth abnormalities:   Growth of root stunted Leaves turn very pale green or yellowish Table 2 Data for culture solution lacking nitrate ions Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  8 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 4 Number of live plants:  6 Number of green leaves:  13 Number of plants with roots:  1 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 6 Number of live plants:  7 Number of green leaves:  16 Number of plants with roots:  2 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green Day 8 Number of live plants:  9 Number of green leaves:  20 Number of plants with roots:  4 Growth abnormalities:   Leaves turn pale green and yellowish Some leaves appear to be twisted Day 10 Number of live plants:  11 Number of green leaves:  24 Number of plants with roots:  6 Growth abnormalities:   Most leaves turn yellowish Some leaves bleached Table 3 Data for culture solution lacking of sulphate ions Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  8 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  Edges of leaves turn yellow Day 4 Number of live plants:  5 Number of green leaves:  10 Number of plants with roots:  1 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn yellow Day 6 Number of live plants:  7 Number of green leaves:  15 Number of plants with roots:  2 Growth abnormalities:  Some leaves curl and crinkle Day 8 Number of live plants:  9 Number of green leaves:  19 Number of plants with roots:  3 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn yellow Day 10 Number of live plants:  10 Number of green leaves:  22 Number of plants with roots:  5 Growth abnormalities:   Leaves turn yellow Some leaves decompose Table 4 Data for culture solution lacking of potassium ions Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  8 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 4 Number of live plants:  5 Number of green leaves:  10 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green Day 6 Number of live plants:  7 Number of green leaves:  19 Number of plants with roots:  1 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green or yellowish Day 8 Number of live plants:  8 Number of green leaves:  22 Number of plants with roots:  2 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn white and yellowish Day 10 Number of live plants:  9 Number of green leaves:  25 Number of plants with roots:  4 Growth abnormalities:  Almost all leaves yellow or bleached Table 5 Data for culture solution lacking of magnesium ions Day 2 Number of live plants:  2 Number of green leaves:  4 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:   All plants die Areas between leaf veins turn yellow Day 4 Number of live plants:  0 Number of green leaves:  0 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn white Day 6 Number of live plants:  0 Number of green leaves:  0 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn white Day 8 Number of live plants:  0 Number of green leaves:  0 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn white and disintegrate Day 10 Number of live plants:  0 Number of green leaves:  0 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves disintegrate Table 6 Data for culture solution lacking of calcium ions Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  9 Number of plants with roots:  0 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 4 Number of live plants:  6 Number of green leaves:  17 Number of plants with roots:  2 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn yellowish Day 6 Number of live plants:  9 Number of green leaves:  23 Number of plants with roots:  6 Growth abnormalities:  Some leaves turn pale green Day 8 Number of live plants:  13 Number of green leaves:  30 Number of plants with roots:  11 Growth abnormalities:  Some leaves turn dark green with red or purple spots Day 10 Number of live plants:  15 Number of green leaves:  34 Number of plants with roots:  12 Growth abnormalities:   Stunted growth Roots grow poorly Table 7 Data for culture solution lacking of phosphate ions Day 2 Number of live plants:  4 Number of green leaves:  8 Number of plants with roots:  1 Growth abnormalities:  None Day 4 Number of live plants:  7 Number of green leaves:  16 Number of plants with roots:  4 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green Day 6 Number of live plants:  11 Number of green leaves:  29 Number of plants with roots:  7 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green or yellow Day 8 Number of live plants:  14 Number of green leaves:  32 Number of plants with roots:  10 Growth abnormalities:  Some leaves completely bleached Day 10 Number of live plants:  18 Number of green leaves:  41 Number of plants with roots:  14 Growth abnormalities:  Leaves turn pale green or yellow or completely bleached Table 8 Data for culture solution lacking of iron ions Discussion In this experiment, we are determining the effect of minerals deficiencies on the growth of Lemna  sp. The manipulated variable used is the type of minerals deficiencies. The culture solutions used in  this experiment have different minerals deficiencies which are Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfate, Phosphate, Nitrate, Iron, and Potassium ions. There is a solution which does not have any minerals deficiencies. It is a perfect culture solution. This culture solution is used as a control in this experiment to compare the effect of different minerals deficiencies with the perfect culture solution. The conditions of Lemna sp. in other culturesolutions with minerals deficiencies are compared with the Lemna sp. in the control solution. The responding variable is growth of the Lemna sp. where we count the number of leaves and observe the colour of leaves at the end of experiment. Lemna sp. is used because they are easy to find, observe and count the number of leaves. The number and colour of t he leaves are recorded into a table. The fixed variable used is the amount of sunlight and air obtained. The petri dishes which are involved in the experiment are placed on a spot where sunlight can reach them. This situation is fixed so that it will not affect the result which is the number and colour of the leaves. Besides, volume of culture solution is also one of the fixed variable. This is an important fixed variable because different volume of culture solution will affect the rate of growth of Lemna sp. moreover, different volume of culture solution will also affect the number of leaves at the end of experiment. Thus, constant or fixed volume of each culture solution is needed so that it will give a valid result for the data. Last but not least, type of plant used is also another fixed variable. Different plants have different growth rate. Therefore, Lemna sp. is used because it is easy to find and observe. Every petri dishes need to be synchronised together by using Lemna sp. Interpretation of Data The analysis of data can be done by tabulating the data from Table 1. Table 1 show the observations obtained on the growth of Lemna plants after ten days of investigation. Based on the results obtained, it can be seen that the absence of different mineral elements has different effects on growth of Lemna plants. Lemna plants grow into healthy plants in complete culture solution. Their growth increases rapidly as seen from the table with number of live plants increases from 4 to 20, number of green leaves increases from 10 to 57 and number of plants with roots increases from 1 to 13. There is no growth abnormality. This is because normal culture solution provides them with all the necessary mineral. ions at appropriate concentrations for optimal growth. In culture solution deficient of nitrogen ions, chlorosis takes place as the leaves turn pale, due to lack of chlorophyll as it plays a role as a major component of chlorophyll. Nitrate ion is needed for the formation of amino acid, enzymes and plant hormones. Lacking of nitrate ion causes no amino acids, enzymes and plant hormones produced at all. Photosynthetic enzymes and hormones which is essential for the metabolism of plant cell cannot be made. Therefore, the growth is stunted with only minor increase of number of live plants from 4 to 8, and increase in number of green leaves until the end of experiment with a difference of 5 and a notable decrease in number of plants with roots from 21 to 6. Sulphate ions deficiency affects the production of chlorophyll leading to an overall chlorosis of the leaves with general yellowing of leaves observed. This is observed with a steady increase in number of green leaves, with difference of 4 at the end of experiment, indicating that more leaves are turning yellow. Some leaves appear to be twisted and brittle. Stunted root growth is also observed as towards the end of the experiment, the root growth is constant with difference of 2 plants with roots observed every 2 days. Potassium ions deficiency shows first in marginal chlorosis, that is yellowing at the edges of the leaves as observed on Day 2. It is also observed that the number of live plants and green leaves increases with a decreasing rate with the leaves curl and being crinkly. Some parts of the plants decompose as seen on Day 10 as premature death occurs because lack of potassium affects various activities of plants such as protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, enzymatic activities and others. Potassium ion is needed for the active transport in the guard cells. Guard cells actively pumps in potassium ion so that the stoma will open as water flow by osmosis from low solute concentration region to high solute concentration region. Lacking of potassium ion causes the stoma to close. This eventually affect the rate of photosynthesis. Sugars cannot be made and the metabolism of plant cells is affected. Therefore, the growth rate is affected and the number of leaves at the end of experiment i s reduced. As magnesium is an essential part of the chlorophyll molecule, plants lacking of magnesium show chlorosis in which all the leaves turn yellow and eventually die. In the absence of magnesium, the synthesis of the chlorophyll is inhibited. This is shown with the small and decreasing difference in number of live plants and green leaves towards the end of the experiment, illustrating that number of leaves turning yellow or white increases, because of chlorosis. In culture solution deficient of calcium ions , areas between leaf veins become yellow are observed on second day. The leaves have distorted shape. Growth of the leaves is stunted and the growing points die back too as lack of calcium affects plant cell growth and enzymatic reactions. This is shown with no more living Lemna plants from Day 4 onwards as all the leaves turn white and disintegrate. This happens because calcium ion is needed for the formation of cell wall during cell division. Lacking of calcium ion will cause no cell division occur as calcium pectate cannot be formed. Permeability of the cell is also affected. Lacking of calcium causes the cell sap and the cytosol diffuse out of the cell. This will cause the death of cells. Phosphorus deficiency results the leaves turning to dark green color with red or purple spots on them surfacing on the day 8 of the experiment. They grow slowly and their roots grow poorly as compared to others with only difference of 1 plant with root between Day 8 and 10. This happens because phosphorus is necessary in almost all aspects of growth and metabolism in plants. In culture solution deficient of iron, there is chlorosis (yellowing of leaves) at the base of the leaves, leading to some completely bleached leaves. Deficiency in iron leads to decrease in chlorophyll molecules, causing chlorosis. However, in this experiment, the number of lives plants, green leaves and plants with roots generally increases instead of decreases. Ferum ion is needed for the formation of chlorophyll. Lacking of ferum ion causes no synthesis of chlorophyll. No production of chlorophyll will cause the colour of leaves to change as the colour of chlorophyll is green. Source of errors and ways to overcome these error: Errors are present when the experiment is being conducted, leading to discrepancy and inaccuracy in results obtained. No measurement is exact. All types of measurement will have some degree of error or uncertainty. Generally, errors can be divided into systematic errors and random errors. Systematic errors are cumulative errors that can be corrected, if known. Random errors are errors arise from unknown and unpredictable variations in condition while carrying out the experiment. Random errors may be due to human limitations, lack of sensitivity, natural environment and use of wrong technique of measurement. Random errors are present in this experiment. Thus, it is best to be minimized by repeating the experiment a couple of times. Parallax error is one example of random errors. It is an error in reading an instrument when the observers eyes are not in a line perpendicular to the plane of the scale of measuring instrument. For this experiment, the culture solution placed into each petri dish may not be exactly 15cm3. This happens when the position of the eyes is not directly perpendicular to the meniscus of the culture solution in the 10cm3 measuring cylinder. Varying volume of culture solution in different petri dishes may slightly affect the growth of the Lemna plants as the higher the volume of culture solution, the higher the amount of mineral nutrients present, the higher the rate of growth of Lemna plants. Thus, to improve the accuracy of data, parallax error should be avoided while taking any measurement in the experiment. Furthermore, human errors like being too harsh when handling the Lemna plants is also one of the sources. This may do damage to the plants and greatly affects the survival rate and the growth of the plant. The observers may also wrongly count the number of leaves leading to unreliable results being produced. Limitations: The impurities found in the culture solution will affect the validity of the result. This occurs when the culture solution is being prepared. The impurities contained inside the water will enter the culture solution and hence contaminate the solution. This varies the amount of minerals found within each solution and this may affects the growth of Lemna sp. In addition, there is also limitation from the visual method of diagnosis used in obtaining results of the experiment. This is because symptoms of certain mineral deficiencies may be suppressed by others factor besides lack of certain mineral elements. For example, the weather conditions such as light illumination. Light illumination to which the Lemna plants are exposed to may vary when a few petri dishes are placed too close together or on top of another, blocking each other, affecting the amount of light received by the Lemna plants in the petri dishes. All these may lead to wrong results and conclusions being obtained. Thus, we ather conditions should be ensured being one of the constant variables in this investigation too. Besides, the disease-causing microorganisms will cause the death of the Lemna sp. indirectly. This will also affect the number of leaves at the end of experiment obtained and the observers may be ignorant for this fact and attribute the death of the Lemna plants to the deficiencies of certain minerals. Intraspecific competition is also present among the Lemna plants. They may compete for all the known necessities, like water, air sunlight as well as minerals. Those that failed to compete maybe wiped out and hence lead to death. This point also points out that the death in number of Lemna plants may not be completely due to the deficiencies of minerals in plants. Human limitation is one of the limitation and random errors in this experiment. The results of the experiment may have been affected due to the limitation in the observers observation skills when observing the growth of plants. Although the deficiency symptoms shown by Lemna plants for each mineral elements investigated are quite visually distinct, mistakes can still occur especially when they are viewed by different observers. For example, different observers may misidentify and count different number of Lemna leaves in a petri dish. Besides that, observer may also mixed up between different deficiency symptoms shown by Lemna plants especially those complicated ones, leading to inaccuracy of results. To minimize such error, the observations on the Lemna plants should be carried

College Life :: essays research papers

When I came to Reinhardt College, I had to meet new people. I had to meet new teachers, coaches, and students. One coach who stood out to me is coach Jonathan Lenarz. He is the Reinhardt soccer coach and teaches Reinahardt Orientation and Wellness. There are many things that I can say about Jonathan Lenarz, like he is a careing, understanding, and intelligent person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caring is a great way to decribe a coach because he looks out for players on his team and also anyone who is around him. Coach Lenarz is the kind of person who tries to help students in anyway that he can. He is always giving a helping hand. In fact, Coach always tells the guys on the team that if they need someone to talk to they can always go talk to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, Coach is the kind of person that one can talk to about anything that is going on in one's life. He will not make juddgemants, even if it is something that is pretty bad. After talking to Coach, it seems like he always knows just what to say and when.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Coach is a very intelligent person. He always knows how to explain directions to everyone. Explaining directions is not always easy, because not everyone understands the first time. For example we have many foriegn players on our team this season and not all of them can speak nor understand English very well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another instructer that I have meet since I have been at Reinhardt College is my Western Civilization teacher, Sean Martin. Dr. Martin is very intelligent, but sometimes that can be a great thing and a bad thing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Martin is one of the smartest teachers that I have ever had . A student could probably ask him any question about history, and he would know the answer. I believe that it very important for a teacher to know what he is talking about. Then there is another side to being too intelligent. One reason that it is not always a great thing is because a very intelligent teacher can go way to fast for some people.

Not Everyone Can Be a Servant Leader Essay -- Servant Leadership

There are ten characteristics of a servant leader: listening (communication between leaders and followers as an interactive process that includes sending and receiving messages), empathy (â€Å"standing in the shoes† of another person and seeing the world from their point of view), healing (to make whole by caring about the well-being of their followers), awareness (being acutely attuned and receptive to physical, social and political environments), persuasion (clear and persistent communication that convinces someone to change), conceptualization (ability to be a visionary for an organization and providing a clear sense of its goals and direction), foresight (ability to know the future and predict what is coming based on what is happening now and what has occurred in the past), stewardship (taking responsibility for the leadership role and accepting responsibility to carefully mange the people and organization), commitment to the growth of people (helping each person grow per sonally and professionally), and building community (fostering the development of the community), (Spears, 2002 as cited in Northouse 2013). I think that most people are probably capable to be servant leaders; however, I do not agree that everyone can learn to be a servant leader or even desire to be a servant leader. A servant leader as stated above has to have certain characteristics. Not everyone has all of these characteristics nor do I think these characteristics can be learned. It seems to me, either you have them or you don’t. If you don’t have all these characteristics, it would seem to me that servant leadership wouldn’t be as effective and therefore, would have greater chance of failure on both the leader and the follower. For example, some people sim... ...ply don’t want to put forth such a tremendous amount of behavior that is required to be a servant leader. I think that if the right type of individual is selected, servant leadership can produce very good results not only for the leader, but also the follower and ultimately the organization. As Norhouse (2013), explains, servant leadership has been used in a variety of organizations including Starbucks, AT&T, Southwest and more. It has also been taught at many colleges and universities as well. I think that with the right individual and the right training, it is a very successful type of leadership; however, I still don’t agree that everyone can learn to be a servant leader. References: Northouse, P.G. (2013). Servant Leadership. In L.C. Shaw & P. Quinlin (Eds.), Leadership theory and practice (6th ed.) (pp.219-252). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Agricultural Genetic Engineering Essay -- Genes Farming Science Agricu

Agricultural Genetic Engineering The ability to directly modify living organisms is a novel human technology. Since the discovery of the DNA molecule the field of genetics has grown at an astounding rate. We now have the ability to alter organisms to fit our needs. This prospect offers the possibility of solving problems that have plagued humanity for thousands of years. In recent years genetically modified organisms have found many practical applications, particularly in the agricultural sector. Genetically modified organisms in this area, called transgenic crops (TC) are already being implemented on a considerably large scale. The possible benefits of utilizing TC has caused us avoid addressing important moral and ethical issues; commercialization of genetic technology is allowing premature mainstream adoption. It is imperative that we ask ourselves, is it ethical to implement TCs? Background: Some foundational understanding of the technology underlying TC production is necessary to adequately consider the issues at hand. To modify crops biologist use recombinant DNA (rDNA). This consists of extracting a gene producing a desirable trait from one organism and inserting it into the organism to be modified. Taking a gene for a desirable trait from a plant and amplifying its effect is also a method of genetic engineering using rDNA. The sources of genetic material to insert are almost boundless, crossing bounds between species and even forms of life. (1) Production of TC is similar to the practice of hybridization by selective breeding. This method of selecting desirable crop traits has been practiced since the domestication of plants to improve yields. (15p62) TC is a significantly more efficient way to achieve a s... .... Accepts Labeling Rules" Wall Street Journal 10/8/2001 <http://www.biotech-info.net/lift_moratorium.html> (12) "FDA'S Policy for Foods Developed by Biotechnology ", U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 1995 <http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/biopolcy.html#label> (13a) " Monsant vs Schmeiser" 5/22/2002 <http://www.percyschmeiser.com/> (13b) Court Transcript , "Monsanto Canada inc. and Monsanto Company vs Percy schmeiser and Schmeiser enterprises Ltd." 2001 <http://www.percyschmeiser.com/T1593-98-%20Decision.pdf> (14) Lambrecht, Bill , Dinner At the New Gene Cafe St. Martins Press, 2001 (15) McHughen, Alean, Pandora's Picnic Basket Ocford University Press, 2000 (p1)<http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops/animation.html> (p2)<http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops/images/cotton.jpg>

Retail Book Industry in Nz Essay

The aim of this report is to analyse and outline the business perspectives for opening a new independent book store in the Auckland region. The report analyses the current book retail industry and specifically discusses a new book shop’s viability highlighting the internal and external risks and opportunities as well as strengths and shortcomings. To assess the book retail competitive environment elements of SWOT and Porters’ Five Forces analysis tools were utilised (Needle, 2000). The major strengths of a new book shop which could be turned into a competitive advantage are the independency and local governance, relationship with publishers and closeness to customers. The major threats to and weaknesses of the new venture are attributable to low bargaining power with publishers (Needle, 2000), to lack of resources, and high market competition. The report’s conclusion is that anyone intending to enter the book retail market by opening a new store is advised to be mindful of the industry’s risks and challenges in order to mitigate those on the one hand, and to fully capitalise on the opportunities offered by the industry by turning its strengths to a competitive advantage, on the other hand. Table of Contents Executive Summary2 Table of Contents3 1. Introduction4 2. Discussion5 2. 1 Competitive Environment5 2. 1. 1 Whitcoulls Group5 2. 1. 2 Paper Plus6 2. 1. 3 Dymocks8 2. 1. 4 Independent Booksellers9 2. 2 Risk Assessment11 2. 2. 1 Low Bargaining Power with Publishers11 2. 2. 2 Lack of Resources12 2. 2. 3 Market Competition13 2. 3 Opportunities14 2. 3. 1 Independency and local governance14 2. 3. 2 Closeness to Publishers and Customers15 3. Conclusion17 References18 1. Introduction The given report is commissioned by Susan and Michael Clarke to be completed by 27 August 2009. The report’s main objective is to provide an independent analysis of the book retail industry including potential risks and opportunities of opening a new independent book store in the Auckland area. In order to assess the current business environment, the market competitiveness in which a new proposed book store would be operating is analysed including such main industry players as Whitcoulls, Dymocks and Paper Plus on the one hand, and a number of independent book stores on the other hand. Elements of the Porter’s Five Forces’ (Needle, 2000) were incorporated to analyse the competitive environment of the book retail industry. The findings from the analysis of the competitive environment were then utilised to identify and analyse strengths and weaknesses of as well as opportunities and threats for the proposed new independent book store (Samson & Daft, 2005). 2. Discussion Bookselling is a big industry in New Zealand. According to (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008), starting from 2007 the annual books spending in New Zealand has not gone below $1 billion. Books have always been perceived as a lucrative retail business due to high margins[1] and book value that has not changed much over time (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). 2. 1 Competitive Environment There are two main groups operating in the New Zealand book retail market being chain retailers and independent stores. Historically, the book retail market has always been dominated by a few book retail chains occupying almost 90% of the book retail market, leaving the local independent book stores with no more than 10% of market share (â€Å"Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding†, 2007). The main book retail chains operating in New Zealand are Whitcoulls, Paper Plus and Dymocks. 2. 1. 1 Whitcoulls Group The A&R Whitcoulls Group (Whitcoulls Group) is the largest retail chain in New Zealand presented by the Whitcoulls, Borders and Bennetts Tertiary stores (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007). The group is also internationally operating in Australia and Singapore with more than 130 Angus & Robertson and Borders stores (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). After acquiring the Australasian and New Zealand businesses of the second-largest United States bookstore chain Borders[2] (â€Å"Whitcoulls’ Borders bid cleared†, 2009) in 2008 the Whitcoulls Group obtained access to a high demographic serious books market niche (â€Å"Whitcoulls widens†, 2008). As a result, the Whitcoulls Group operates 90 stores across New Zealand (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007) accounting for up to 45% of the book  retail market (â€Å"Whitcoulls widens†, 2008). Further to the existing dominance in all the CBD areas, Whitcoulls is planning to expand into small-town areas starting from Te Awamutu, Richmond and Ashburton (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). The recent recession prompted the group to seek cost cuts by merging its Australasian retail operations’ support offices into one division located in Australia (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The group is also looking into opening the online selling operations in August (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). 2. 1. 2 Paper Plus The Paper Plus chain being fully New Zealand-owned is the second-largest book retailer in New Zealand (â€Å"New look†, 2008). The company operates as a franchise system and has been around for more than 25 years (â€Å"New look†, 2008). Historically Paper Plus has been a strong player in a stationary business[3] whereas its role in bookselling was not taken seriously by the industry[4]. This is one of the reasons why Paper Plus is currently outperformed by Whitcoulls when it comes to bookselling (â€Å"New look†, 2008). However, Paper Plus has recently become an aggressive player in the book retail market announcing an ambitious goal to become number one book retailer in New Zealand[5]. Paper Plus has recently refitted all their 105 stores as booklovers’ destinations (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009) aimed at improving store layout and putting more emphasis on books (â€Å"New look†, 2008). In the meantime, the television and radio celebrity Kerre Woodham was signed up as a frontwoman to do book reviews by hosting the â€Å"books and bubbles† events (â€Å"New look†, 2008). The company’s marketing position is further strengthened by participating in the Fly Buys programme and the agreement with New Zealand Post to host Post Shop and Kiwibank services in Paper Plus stores (â€Å"New look†, 2008). As a result, the company manages to gain a competitive edge by not only targeting the niche of traditional booklovers but also those people who do not have a clear intention to buy books but visit the shops for Post Shop or Kiwibank services. On the management side, Paper Plus has promoted a strong support policy to its franchise stores including effective training by the local support office[6]. In the meantime, Paper Plus has been focusing on the relationship with local publishers as well as has considerably increased spending on advertising raising customer awareness about its products[7]. This all has enabled the company to enter the recession with a very strong financial and marketing position. 2. 1. 3 Dymocks Dymocks is Australian-owned and has been around for over 130 years opening its first store in Auckland in 1994 (www. dymocks. co. nz). Dymocks operates as a franchise system running more than 80 stores in Oceania including six New Zealand stores located in the North Island (www. dymocks. co. nz). Dymocks has been operating with the â€Å"love of books† concept having a reputation as a serious bookseller only without expending their product range to stationary, music and movies (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The company offers their customers more of a contemporary bookbuying experience through the â€Å"Booklover† Rewards Programme (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The company focuses on the New Zealand books being historically in the top 10 sellers. Dymocks have been experiencing a sustainable growth opening four new stores over two last years with further plans to expand into the South Island (www. dymocks. co. nz). However, the recession has almost reversed this growth as Dymocks had to close three stores in two months: two in Auckland and one in Wellington[8]. The main causes for these closures were very high rents, bad locations, no street frontage or through traffic and high competition from Borders (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). In addition to this Dymocks had to resort to centralise administration in Australia by closing its New Zealand support office. As such, out of the three main book retail chains, Dymocks has been weakened by the recession the most and is more concerned with a struggle to retain its existing six stores. 2. 1. 4 Independent Booksellers In contrast to the recession-linked problems faced by the book chains the independent booksellers[9] do not seem to suffer any recession at all (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). Despite some loss of customers choosing to go to library instead of buying books, the recent recession helped books products gain a momentum in the gift market[10]. The books’ popularity and affordability merits attribute to the people’s preference of a good book or dictionary gift over a $300 vase or duvet blanket (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). According to an industry expert[11] it is because the book chains have not been putting sufficient effort and resources into the customer relationship side, while independent stores have managed to develop a very loyal customer base by their excellent customer service, professionalism and personal approach (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). As such, the independent book stores see the recession times as a good opportunity to pull new customers from the book chains which due to their large size and lack of knowledgeable staff cannot compete with independent stores on the professional advice, recommendation and customer service sides (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). The competitiveness of the book retail market is further strained by online booksellers, which have experienced a considerable growth over the last few years in some cases almost doubling their sales each year[12]. Taking into consideration the competitive environment analysis above, the book retail market can be defined as highly competitive. Whitcoulls, Paper Plus and Dymocks were found to be the main competitors due to their market dominance on the one hand, and high bargaining power with book publishers on the other hand (Needle, 2000). 2. 2 Risk Assessment Taking into consideration the above analysis of the book retail industry’s competitive environment the following could be identified as risks and threats for a new independent book store. 2. 2. 1 Low Bargaining Power with Publishers Upstream of the value chain (Samson & Daft, 2005) a new independent shop would have a challenge to sign book publishers and authors in to obtain the rights to sell their books. The authors and publishers would likely be inclined to work with big retail chains or strong independent stores as being representative of better channels for promoting and distributing the books. Bookshops would usually compete over the right to sell quality books in order to win the customers’ preference and loyalty. The industry experience shows that it is not the large stock but rather a good book range and quality that enable a shop to be preferred by customers over its competitors (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). Therefore, bearing in mind the tight economic conditions and high market competitiveness, a new independent shop would have a risk of not being able to obtain a competitive book range due to insufficient bargaining power with publishers (Needle, 2000). 2. 2. 2 Lack of Resources Opening a new store would require significant spending starting from hiring or buying the store to paying professional staff competitive wages. The Dymocks example with closing two Auckland stores (one of which after only a few months after opening) showed how much a store location mistake can cost to a shop regardless of its reputation, product range and popularity (Refer 2. 1). Thus, a company wishing to enter a book market would face not only the challenge of funding to open a new store but also to be able match the location trade advantages with costs. The downstream of the value chain (Samson & Daft, 2005) such as advertising and promotion as well as customer relations would also require significant funding. The Paper Plus and independent book stores examples show that investing in advertising and building customer relationships are one of the most effective and powerful means to sustain and further gain market share in the current competitive environment (Refer 2. 1). The independent stores’ achievement of being able to build loyal customer base is due to having professional sales people on floor capable of providing good service along with knowledgeable advice to the customers (Refer 2. 1). Therefore, the lack of resources both material and human would be a weakness of a new shop when entering the book retail market populated with rich chain retailers and professional independent stores. 2. 2. 3 Market Competition New Zealand has a very high number of book shops per capita in comparison to other countries (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). Thus, a new book store would be entering the market which according to some industry experts is already overpopulated[13] with such strong players as Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Dymocks not mentioning about independent stores and online sellers experiencing a significant growth in recession (Refer 2.1). Whitcoulls has considerably improved its marketing position through acquiring the Borders operations whereas Paper Plus, being strengthened by combining its services with Post Office and Kiwi Bank, has put a comprehensive action plan in place to fight for number one bookseller in New Zealand. In the meantime, the independent shops are gaining a recession momentum to strengthen their current position by capitalising on the inability of big chains to provide competitive books range, on the one hand, and appropriate level of customer service and support, on the other hand. Taking into consideration the above facts, the book market could be classified as mature where there is no unoccupied market niche (Samson & Daft, 2005) left for a new book store to capitalise on. As a result, for a new store to become successful it will literally mean fighting for other shops’ customers. The implication for a new book store is that it will be very hard to compete with the current industry players that have a very high customer loyalty and market reputation for providing exceptional customer service on the one hand and significant resources, aggressive advertising and market dominance, on the other hand. 2. 3 Opportunities This section discusses the main strengths of and opportunities for a new book store in the current business environment. 2. 3. 1 Independency and local governance The centralisation of the stores support and governance is a common move for many in pursuit of cutting costs. However, experience shows that under the current level of competition store problems are timelier and more effectively resolved if there is local governance in place (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The main competitors of the proposed book store are strategically and operationally managed from overseas[14] making these shops quite inflexible and not quick enough to react to market changes as someone in Australia decides how many copies of a particular New Zealand book the stores should stock. In the meantime, the independent book stores have not felt the recession and are thereby able to respond quicker and serve customers’ needs better by preferring to have better books range over larger stock of out of date books (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). Therefore, the independency of a new shop would put the company in a better position in regards to timely reacting to industry changes and thereby avoiding unnecessary losses usually resulted from poor decisions made. 2. 3. 2 Closeness to Publishers and Customers Independent governance makes a proposed new book store closer to local publishers and customers. The New Zealand Book Publishers Association consisting of 95 local publishers is not satisfied with the current â€Å"super market† store running model used by the chains[15]. The main disadvantages are: the decreased books range printed as bulk purchases are made at cost of the books diversity[16], the chains often abuse their bargaining power with publishers[17] and the central display system with ineffective books categorisation[18] (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). As such, the New Zealand publishers are naturally more inclined to work with small independent stores who will have less bargaining power but more flexibility of buying and distributing books. On the other side of the value chain, a new store would have an opportunity to capitalise on the chains’ clumsiness and lack of personal touch when dealing with customers. The main lesson learnt from chains’ struggle in the current recession is that customer satisfaction and loyalty could on its own determine the book retailer’s commercial future. Independent stores, in turn, have put a particular emphasis in implementing effective customer loyalty programs and achieving loyal customer base. Therefore, despite the high market competition, there is a good opportunity for a new book store to win the book chains’ customers by offering better books range, more professional service and personal approach. 3. Conclusion Taking into account the above analysis, the opening of a new independent book store can be classified as a â€Å"Question† according to the BCG strategic tool (Samson & Daft, 2005). On the one hand, the independence, local governance, good relationships with publishers and closeness to customers could enable a  new book store to become a successful venture, thereby shifting to the â€Å"Star† BCG section distinguished by quick growth and expansion. On the other hand, if the new venture has not managed to establish a strong market presence by providing sufficient funding, professional staff and developing effective strategic relationships with publishers, entering the current highly competitive book retail market could result in a commercial failure. The book retail market can be classified as very mature and highly competitive. As such, it would be quite challenging for a new independent book store with limited resources, on the one hand, and the low bargaining power with the publishers, on the other hand, to compete with the book retail chains as well as with a number of other well established independent bookshops and online booksellers in the Auckland region. In the meantime, the fact that a new book store is going to be independent and locally run provides a competitive advantage of knowing its publishers and customers better and, thereby reacting to industry changes quicker and more effectively. The final success of the new proposed book store would be mostly dependent on its ability to cope with high market competitiveness and mitigating its weaknesses on the one hand and capitalising on its strengths and opportunities currently present in the book industry. References Needle, D. (2000). Business in context: An introduction to business and its environment (3ed. ). London: Thomson Learning. Samson, D and Daft, R. (2005). Management, 2nd Pacific rim edition. Australia: Thomson Learning. Big boys’ books. (2009, January 1), The Press, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/150420/Big-boys-books#share Booksellers ready to write new chapter. (2008, July 14), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3&objectid=10521367 Boutique booksellers boom. (2009, August 13), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/dominion-post/wellington/2743304/ Dymocks’ official website. www. dymocks. co. nz. How the book trade is turning a page. (2009, June 13), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz. ezproxy. auckland. ac. nz/business/news/article. cfm?cid=3&objectid=10578175&pnum=2 New look for ‘friendly’ book chain. (2008, June 21), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/497996 Whitcoulls’ Borders bid cleared. (2009, January 1), NZPA, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/130168 Whitcoulls finally picks up NZ Borders stores. (2007, June 07). The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3&objectid=10514932 Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding by the book in Borders’ buy-out. (2007, November 22), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www.nzherald. co. nz/shopping/news/article. cfm? c_id=318&objectid=10477609 Whitcoulls widens its Borders in $137m deal. (2008, July 7), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/477324 ———————– [1] According to industry experts books margins vary from 40% to 50% out of total price (â€Å"Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding†, 2007). [2]The group A&R Whitcoulls group acquired 30 Borders stores as well as exclusive rights to the Borders trademark in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore worth $NZD137 million (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007). The New Zealand Borders operation acquired included five stores: three in Auckland and one in each Christchurch and Wellington (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [3] The recent achievement of Paper Plus is being recognised as the top seller of greeting cards (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [4] Historically only six out of 105 Paper Plus stores were positioned as serious booksellers (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [5] The company’s growth strategy is supported by the strong financial position improved from the loss of $401,000 in 2007 to profit of $748,000 in 2008 (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [6] Paper Plus has purchased a new 500 square metre store in Auckland’s Sylvia Park to be used for training the franchisees how to implement an effective store layout and design to boost books sales (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [7] Whitcoulls admitted in the past that their loss of market share was directly caused by Paper Plus increasing its advertising spending (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [8] The Auckland Smales Farm franchise store and the company-owned Queen Street store went into liquidation in May and June 2009 and Wellington Lambton Quay shop closed in May 2009 (â€Å"How the book trade†, 20). [9] The most popular independent book stores include Unity Books (Auckland and Wellington), Scorpio (Christchurch) in Christchurch, Vic Books (Wellington), Dear Reader (Auckland), The Booklover (Auckland) and of Cambridge’s Wrights Bookshop (Auckland) (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [10] According to the owners of ‘The Children’s Bookshop’, a book shop in Kilbirnie, last year the store has experienced a 12% increase in revenue mainly driven by the parents preferring books for gift for their children (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). [11] Tom Beran owning independent stores in Grey Lynn (Dear Reader) and Takapuna (The Booklover) (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). [12] For example, the New Zealand online seller www. fishpond. co. nz starting in 2004 expanded to Australia in 2006 and in 2007 was recognised in the Deloitte/Unlimited Fast 50 list noting the fastest-growing companies (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). [13] According to Dymocks CEO, Don Grover the New Zealand bookselling market is already over-supplied (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). [14] Among the book retail chains occupying 90% of the market only Paper Plus is locally supported, whereas Whitcoulls and Dymocks are both owned and governed by Australian companies (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [15] That was evidently expressed in the open opposition from the Book Publishers Association of Whitcoulls’ bid to purchase Borders’ stores as they know that it will result in a decrease of the books range bought by the chain (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [16] For example, a book offered by a small publisher could be of a particular interest to smaller towns’ readers. However, a local chain store is unable to make a purchasing decision instead having to sell the books decided in the support office across the Tasman (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [17] For example, Whitcoulls is viewed by the industry as a tough negotiator with inflexible buying policies demanding from publishers at least 50% discount (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [18] Compared to chain stores that cannot add or change the central display system, the independent stores have much more flexibility in deciding how their stock should be grouped and displayed on the floor (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009).

Dyspraxia

The term dyspraxia derives from the Greek work praxis, meaning â€Å"movement process† (Dworkin, 2005). It is a disorder that affects motor skill development. People with dyspraxia have trouble planning and completing fine motor tasks. This can vary from simple motor tasks such as waving goodbye to more complex tasks like brushing teeth. Throughout the years, dyspraxia has also been called congenital maladriotness, developmental coordination disorder, clumsy child syndrome and sensory integration disorder (Hamilton, 2011). The first documented research in â€Å"poor muscular coordination in children† was in 1926 by Louisa Lippitt.She developed a manual for corrective gymnastics for women to help correct coordination problems. Lippitt felt that the coordination issues were a condition of the nervous system and was one of the first to want to treat it with therapeutic measures (Cermak & Larkin, 2002). The term Dyspraxia was first documented and given a name in 1937 in the U. K. by Samuel T. Orton, who called it developmental dyspraxia. He was a neurologist and he felt that dyspraxia was caused by lesions in the brain, especially to the dominate hemisphere of the brain.The technology available at the time could not prove or disprove his theories. Most scientists since have discounted his view, and instead believe it to be a problem with neural connections. Even so, his work was important because he was the first to note that dyspraxia caused problems with complex movement and could involve speech as well as body movements (Platt, 2011). In the USA, dyspraxia was first given recognition in 1947, through the work of Strauss and Lehtinen. They published research and were considered pioneers in the observation of behavioral characteristics of what they termed â€Å"the brain injured child†.Lehtinen was actually one of the first to use the term â€Å"learning disabilities† (Kass & Maddux, 2005). In 1975, people began to call it â€Å"Clumsy Child Syndrome† and children who had the disorder were called â€Å"Clumsy Children†. This term is now considered inappropriate, as it describes the child and not the movement and has negative connotations (Hamilton, 2011). There are four categories of dyspraxia. They include ideomotor dyspraxia, ideational dyspraxia, oromotor dyspraxia and constructional dyspraxia. Ideaomotor dyspraxia is the inability to complete single step motor tasks like waving goodbye or brushing one’s hair.Ideational dyspraxia is difficulty with multi-step tasks like making a bed or buttoning and zipping pants. Oromotor dyspraxia has to do with speech in that it presents itself as a difficulty coordinating the muscle movements needed to say words. Lastly, constructional dyspraxia is difficulty with spatial relationships like moving objects from one place to another (NCLD Editorial Staff, 2010). Dyspraxia also presents itself differently in different age groups. In babies and young childr en, it can be seen as a difficulty learning to walk or jump.It can also show as a difficulty in speaking and being understood. Also, some young children will be slow to establish left or right handedness. Young children with dyspraxia may seem clumsy and frequently bump into things. Babies and children may be easily irritated by touch, like the feeling of some fabrics on their skin (NCLD Editorial Staff, 2010). In school aged children, dyspraxia looks a bit different. Students will have trouble with fine motor skills and it exhibits itself as difficulty holding a pencil or holding scissors.These students will also have trouble with sports or gym class due to poor coordination. If they have oromotor issues, they may have slow or difficult to understand speech. These issues often cause social withdrawal because these students feel embarrassed and awkward. This is the age in which students begin to have psychological issues in addition to their dyspraxia (NCLD Editorial Staff, 2010). I n adults, dyspraxia looks similar, with some slight differences. Adults with oromotor issues will still have speech issues, but it is generally problems with volume, articulation and pitch.Some adults with dyspraxia will have difficulty writing. They may not be able to drive and are still very clumsy. It can also become evident when an adult has difficulty with personal grooming due to motor skill issues. They also continue to have texture issues and sensitivity to touch (NCLD Editorial Staff, 2010). References Cermak, S. A. & Larkin, D. (2002). Developmental Coordination Disorder. Albany, NY. Delmar, a Division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Dworkin, J. (2005). Apraxia. Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders. Retrieved from http://www. encyclopedia. com/topic/Apraxia. spx. Hamilton, S. S. (2011). Overview of Developmental Coordination Disorder. Retrieved from http://www. uptodate. com/contents/overview-of-developmental-coordination-disorder. Kass, C. E. and Maddux, C. D. (2005) A H uman Development View of Learning Disabilities: From Theory to Practice. Springfield, IL. Charles C Thomas Publisher, LTD. NCLD Editorial Staff. (2010). What is Dyspraxia? Retrieved from http://www. ncld. org/ld-basics/ld-aamp-language/writing/dyspraxia. Platt, G. (2011). Beating Dyspraxia With a Hop, Skip and a Jump. Philadelphia, PA. Jessica Kinglsey Publishers.

JetBlue Airways & Organizational Development: Partners for Change Essay

This is a case of an effective partnership of Jet Blue Airways and Organizational Development. In the airline business with an unpredictable environment, Jet blue forged a partnership with the Organizational Development (OD) team and JetBlue University (the airlines centralized learning group). From this berthed the Systems Operations Center (SOC) which is the heart of the airline – the epicenter where effective decision making, communication, teamwork, and leadership are critical to ensure crewmembers are able to meet and exceed customer needs (Dennnison, 2007). This case study covers the four general models of planned change which are entering and contracting; diagnosis; planning and implementing; and evaluating and institutionalizing change (Cummings & Worley, 2009). All interventions applied were carefully developed as they interpret the diagnosis of the operations of JetBlue. And as it progress you will see that the key element on making this a successful and effective OD is the  involvement of all the employees and their buy in from the top down management. As you will see that not only that they have implemented the interventions which greatly enhanced the company’s success, it has also institutionalized the changes they have adapted and on On June 8, 2011, JetBlue ranked ‘Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low Cost Carriers in North America’ by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the seventh year in a row.they were awarded they are the number one (Article, 2011). Introduction JetBlue has an impressive and effective partnership with the Organizational Development Team. This is one of the success stories on how to effectively apply and OD Intervention within a company. They have established and institutionalized the process of OD within their business system. The four processes namely: Entering and contacting; diagnosis; planning and implementing; and evaluating and institutionalizing were properly managed and executed. The foundation was set correctly and the shifting of the change concept was embedded in the JetBlue culture. All JetBlue employees are involved and are aware on how OD interventions are applied and how it works. The foundation of the OD intervention is solid and any new interventions that are applied as long as it is carefully reviewed and agreed is flawless. My approach for this case study as an OD practitioner is to review, diagnose, and analyze what the OD practitioner have accomplished and make any changes and recommendations that I beli eve will further enhance the effectiveness of the OD intervention. I will apply the four model of planned change as I review and/or come up with any additional intervention for the company. Stage 1 – Entering and Contracting The OD team did not have a hard time entering into this business contract with JetBlue. All the factors I read in this case study are all in their side. The key concept that is very positive for this intervention is that JetBlue’s organizational culture is that they embrace change. This resulted the decision to help the SOC continuously improve was supported by all within the department and the whole organization. They have implemented an  ideal and perfect approach for entering and contracting. Their realization that tomorrow’s operating environment will look very different. They are treating each flight as a different case and they do not base their assumption on old data but always plan for the latest information for each flight. A comprehensive contract was developed by JetBlue and OD team. Both internal and external SOC stakeholders are engaged for this contracting. Their process is flawless and what they call a progressive company that embraces intervention as p ositive. They have developed a comprehensive contract that outlined the scope of work and established clear roles and expectations. Both sides have agreed on the contract, they will then proceed to the planning process. Recommended change/addition Upon reviewing Exhibit A, my recommended change is that the SVP of the SOC should be less involved on with the SOC operations. All the key elements are already identified and they have developed a process on how to enter and develop a contract. The stakeholders are already onboard with the OD program and in fact embraced the concept of OD so they should empower the OD team on changes and directly apply to the SOC with stakeholders getting an updated interventions being implemented. They should decentralize this tasking with the SOC, OD team and the crewmembers. By doing this, SVP and stakeholders can focus more on their bigger tasking and responsibilities by projecting and planning for the future of the company. The effectiveness of the Entering and Contracting stage is also apparent in eliminating or planning a course of action on taking out most of the â€Å"red flags† such as insufficient level of commitment, resistance or opposition by major stockholders, lack of power or influence and client’s desire to manipulate the consultant. These potential â€Å"red flags† were all addressed and resolved (Mitchell, 2006). It will also be cost effective if they will establish their internal OD team. By having a dedicated team, they will be more focus on the progress of the company. OD is already developed and more than likely, only minor interventions will be implemented to adapt in the ever growing and changing innovation of the global environment. During contracting, there were no specific goals identified by JetBlue but only to look â€Å"under the hood†. I believe the OD approached this as an Organizational process for their plans. Although the contract covered the scope of work, established their respective roles and responsibilities, they have not covered the estimated time needed that is devoted solely for the OD process. They might have missed this step because of the total buy in of JetBlue with change. But the issue might rise if the cost will start escalating or even the timeframe gets extended. Stage 2 – Diagnosis This is one of the pivotal areas that OD practitioners should be keen in identifying the relevant issues gathered on all data. Obtaining an updated and current data is needed in this ever changing global market. They also have covered this stage as you will read on the case study that they are branded as progressive company which means that they constantly strive for change. Exhibit A if you notice that they added a planning stage on how the intervention will be approached. A thorough data collection will be created as one of the tools to diagnose and approach an intervention. Exhibit B is the Denison Leadership Development Survey that was used and you can see the positive quantitative results that they have increased their scores in four key areas within eight months of implementation. Summarizing the information captured from the Denison Organizational Culture survey, focus groups and interviews, the OD team came up with five key themes for the company’s strategy development and culture change. The OD consultant also stresses to the leadership team that focusing on a few relevant areas was much more effective which I also totally agree. Recommended change/addition This case study mentioned that 40 interviews and focus groups were done to gain insight. I would increase the interviews to at least 50% of each division of the company to have a better data analysis on where the top strengths and weaknesses are. I will also make a two to three day session to interpret the data to come up with a more viable and acceptable hypothesis on identifying the themes for the company. The Denison Model gave a quantitative measure of the organizations status. It addressed and  identified the two strengths and two weaknesses of the company. And from that diagnosis, coupled with the 40 interviews and focus groups, they have come up with viable goals. Goals that are derived and interpreted from the data they have gathered. Recommended change/addition If I was the OD practitioner, I would also add questionnaires for the customers, observation and unobtrusive measures. My questionnaires will be designed solely for the customer satisfaction. This is your main business for the company. This is a key factor in increasing your market shares. I would design the questionnaire to draw out what can be improved and any innovative ideas that they want to see what JetBlue can offer. I will focus it on differentiation which will make JetBlue unique from other airlines. This will be a very strong intervention once applied because it directly affects the customers (Kabra, 2006). On my observations, I will be staging some observation sites at the tarmac, ticket counter, customer service, and other key areas of the business. We will observe the people on how they work, how long they work and the conditions on where they work will be some of the factors we will observe. By performing observations, you will witness the actual things that are happeni ng during the operations of the company. There are a lot of different divisions that makes up an airline business. The crewmembers each have different area of expertise such as stewardess, baggers, pilots, etc. It is very diverse and you need to collect data on all areas. I will also perform unobtrusive measures and study the current structure of the company’s organization and see if we are utilizing and maximizing all the skills, knowledge and abilities of all our crewmembers. From here I will define a benchmark and see what is our competitive edge compared to other airlines. I will also apply unobtrusive measure and establish a benchmark for both internal and external part of the company. This will give me a better approach and measure on what is the real status of the company and you can project stretch goals since this company embraces changes. A challenging and achievable goal for them will be ideal. By applying more measures on Data gathering, you will come up with a better conclusive strengths and weaknesses o f the company. You will diagnose and compare your data analysis and strategize a pattern and conclusive evidence that supports each type of data analysis you collected. Stage 3 – Planning  and Implementing This is the crucial stage of the OD process intervention. The critical analysis of the date gathered was thoroughly researched on this project. The planning stage was very effective as they have come up with a strategic approach to achieve their goals. As they OD practitioner finished the strategy, they were able to communicate the strategy to key leaders of the company (Lunenberg, 2010). I agree with the OD team on what happened after the data collection and goal setting. Meetings on each member of the SOC team were held and they were educated on what will be their roles during the intervention. They have minimized the people’s natural reaction on resistance to change. All five themes they came up were communicated effectively throughout the organization. An extensive weekly meeting for the first month was implemented. This is a carefully planned and well executed plan and implantation stage of the OD practitioner. This is a well thought of process that the OD team have cover ed all the interventions and each goal were further identified with a detailed plan of action of what are the steps needed for the achievement of their goal. And the key for this step by step procedure is the constant meetings and progress check to see how the intervention needs any adjustments or they are within their target goals. The OD practitioner is very well educated and approached this stage strategically. Recommended change/addition The two things I would add for the implementation change is the award system and stretch goals. They have instilled the intrinsic rewards for the crewmembers as the OD practitioner came up with an intervention that each crewmember are part of the changes that is happening as they have the quantitative measure of their goal they are achieving. The empowerment was placed with the crewmembers. Adding an extrinsic award system such a Employee of the month, cash bonus, etc., will only reinforce and encouraged each crewmembers for the success of the business. I believe with the buy in of all JetBlue employees, stretch goals for the directors and make it a competitive but friendly approach of stretching the goals for each department/division will not hurt since the culture of the company embraces  change. Stage 4 – Evaluating and Institutionalizing This is a success OD intervention from start to end. The evaluation process was impressive as you can see the success rate of the company. I believe that they have institutionalized the change and they made the OD a part of the company’s culture. They have achieved the OD intervention and as you can see, it has been decentralized and it is now at the lowest level of management. The success of the JetBlue and OD practitioner is evident because of the foundation it has set. You will see that they have accepted this intervention as a new way of doing business. And they even avoided the sense of complacency by having a Culture Change Monitor Survey and a bi-weekly working sessions to execute the plan. They applied the Denison Organizational Culture Survey to assess their strengths and weaknesses. You can see the evidence by having a good foundation and structure on the start of any OD intervention. It will follow a smooth transition from each phase. As you can see that the company was just transitioning from each phase of the OD process and as they evaluate the interventions, all the stakeholders are onboard and willing to improve the company as it is very evident as you read the case study. Institutionalizing it as you will read is also successful. From the start as the company embraces change, the company and the OD have transitioned change as a norm in their crewmembers view. They look all the changes as a philosophy in their culture that the success and development of their company can only be achieved through continuous improvement. Recommended change/addition The things I will add on this are annual get together, and recommend new survey system. By having an annual get together, I will implement a banquet type with key speaker to encourage the crewmember and have achievement awards with different categories. This will definitely encourage each crewmember to give their best every time they work. I would recommend another survey to replace the Denison Organizational Culture Survey in the next two years. Having the same survey yearly might create complacency and over familiarity of the survey. But if you give them a different survey, they will be able to look at it on a different perspective ad will pay more attention. I would review the current innovation, global market, benchmark the airline business, and their own. I will select and recommend an ideal survey based on the current data gathering I collected. Conclusion This is a success story of an OD intervention process. Ad JetBlue have embraced the changes, careful planning by the OD team as they enter the contracting was very effective. It is a very effective approach as they have identified almost all of the requirements to enter a contract. Data gathering and analysis have resulted in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the company. Goals were derived from the weaknesses and step by step approach designed to achieve each goal. Communication is evident as the key factor on the planning and implementation change. Each key leader are involved and updated on the planned intervention. All crewmembers that were involved were trained, educated, and made aware of what’s the plan and how will it be implemented. The empowerment were correctly applied which in my opinion is pivotal for their success. Evaluation and institutionalization is already evident as you read the case study that it was a continuous process that their company has embraced. They have the system set in place and monitoring was in place to ensure upward progress is tracked. I can find no other way to conclude the success of this OD intervention but to quote the case study verbatim â€Å"the case study states as follows â€Å"The SOC leadership team owns the process and the culture of the department, making the OD team’s involvement very low and leadership’s involvement very high. No longer is the kind of work that resulted from this project considered additional duties that leadership â€Å"must† perform. Because the OD consultant set the foundation from the beginning by delegating key tasks to stakeholders, having clear sponsorship and having responsible leaders, a mindset shift has occurred – the idea that creating a high performing culture is part of every leader’s job.à ¢â‚¬  As an OD, this should always be the ultimate goal on all your interventions. Exhibit A – Project Overview Exhibit B – Denison Leadership Development Survey Exhibit C – Changes over Time Exhibit D – JetBlue Airways & Organizational Development: Partners for Change Bibliography Cummings, G., Worley C.G., (2009). Organizational Development and Change. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Dennison consulting, (2007, Jun). JetBlue Airways & Organizational Development: Partners for Change. Retrieved from http://www.denisonconsulting.com/Libraries/Resources/CS-2007-JetBlue-System-Operations.sflb.ashx JetBlue Airways, (2011, June). JetBlue Awarded Seventh Consecutive Customer Satisfaction J.D. Power and Associates Honor. Retrieved from http://blog.jetblue.com/index.php/2011/06/08/jetblue-awarded-seventh-consecutive-customer-satisfaction-j-d-power-and-associates-honor/ Mitchell, R.C., (2006, July). Model of the Organization Development Process. Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/~hfmgt001/odmodel.htm Kabra, R., (2006, September). Virgin Atlantic – Gap Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/public-relations-management/6928-virgin-atlantic-gap-analysis.html Lunenberg, F. C., (2010, November). Organizational Development: Implementin g Planned Change. Retrieved from http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C.%20Organizational%20Development%20Implementing%20Planned%20Change%20IJMBA,%20V13%20N1%202010.pdf