Simulation Report Of Practical Experience As A Manager Formulating Strategic Decisions Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1866 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? In almost all the parts of the world I have been through, across the 7 continents, transportation facilities is an issue. There are very many forms of modes of transportation. This happened to be and will still be of high concern to particular society in an effort to build-up their economies and improve their livelihood. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Simulation Report Of Practical Experience As A Manager Formulating Strategic Decisions Business Essay" essay for you Create order I and my friends were given the tasks of managing firms which had to run the motor vehicle manufacturing companies in the StratSim industry. When we started, there has been 7 firms which were supposed to compete so as to make more income is achieved, big market share and maximise shareholder return. To achieve the objectives mentioned earlier, each had to make the best strategies which will make them reach the intended goals together as a team. Almost in every category, such as marketing, pricing, production, selling distribution and further developments a set of clear of strategies are needed so as to lead any firm in the right direction. Therefore, Strategy is defined as, The action steps by which an organization intends to attain its strategic goals. (Daft, 2000: pg.210) Good about this, from my point of view, there wasnt any kind of favours from the start of the game due to the reason that all the 7 firms had been positioned at the same levels of finances, market share, market value and all other items. During the course of the game, the smart group will stand on top by considering its performance in general. 2.0 Final Simulation Results (A full copy of the results can be found in the Appendix) The final year simulation results were as follows: Performance Summary for firm C Sales for the year: $19.03 billion Market value: $1.14 billion Sales in units: 1.16 million Return on sales: -33.6% Net income: $-6.4 billion Return on assets: -19.0% Cumulative net income: $-1 trillion Debt: $4.16 trillion Stock price: $2.28 million Ending Cash: $638 million Firm C was performing poorly with negative incomes which prove that it was having full of debts to cover to its various stakeholders. Poor returns on sales and assets were noted. It wasnt really at success but problems. 3.0 Strategy Thinking To begin, let define the term strategy. Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. (Johnson et al 2009, p.3) Strategic thinking from my understanding is concerned with knowing the intentions of a firm and trying hard to make sure how and when they are going to be met. Henceforth, to make this happen, a firm should come with a mission statement that addresses to its stakeholders its reason of existence and a vision statement that tells straight-away the future plans of such a firm. Knowledge of the two statements will allow even Firm C employees to work actively and also feel a shared sense of belonging. These are real statements likely to move the organisation in good direction. Strategically, from the layout given by StratSim Management it was upon every firm to come with strategies that will help it to pick from the foundation which was equally laid to all the 7 firms. For my firm it was very important to maintain the position it started with and if possible grow firmly but the opposite could be a sign of danger. Likewise, firm C thought of the idea of increasing the market it had before by making improvements such as styling, safety, quality and interior which will create more value to its customers. Once value delivery is high, it means so many customers will turn for such motor vehicles. 3.1 Strategic Analysis Before deciding on anything, I think the best way for any firm is to not just implement any strategy which they are not sure of. Instead it is important to have a proper understanding of the environment the business is surrounded by so as understand on various scenarios and their implications. I wont forget something I learnt long time ago that people or organisations depend upon one another for their presence to be meaningful. Firm C like any other operates its car business in a dynamic environment which is determined by forces of demand and supply. So this analysis is greatly expected to reveal the varying requirements of the motor vehicle customers. A careful analysis will save a company from just carrying out production which later on turns to be unsold. If watched carefully, a firm would lose market share and a continuous defeat by competitors in the StartSim industry. 3.1.1 Mission Vision Mission A mission is a general expression of the overall purpose of the organisation, which ideally, is in line with the values and expectations of major stakeholders and concerned with the scope and boundaries of the organisation. (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2005, p 13) Firm C mission is to; Meet stakeholder expectations in this dynamic world so as to play part in modernising life through automobiles. Vision This is a statement which must be established in the first place so as to tell the firm stakeholders where it stands, where and how it would reach its objectives in a near future. Firm C vision would be; To find everyone in good automobiles and boost development without destroying our beautiful environment. 3.1.2 External Environment (Including Industry) This is mainly concerned with the situation outside the organisation. There are strong forces present in the outside environment likely to influence an organisation due to the changes occurring. The changes can be traced through the following macro-environment factors: Political The government is expected to have in place laws and regulations that safeguard the society despite the efforts of car manufacturers and dealers to maximise sales. For instance, environmental issue had been a great concern due to the air pollution by the motor vehicles emissions. I suppose laws which tie up a manufacturer who dont obey this have been enacted. Also, the government is the place where the go ahead is issued which means a particular firm has met all the fulfilments. Without the government interference, no business like automobiles will prevail because it acts as peace moderator which guarantees the business people with safety and support. Economical This can be highly controll ed or planned one to areas of which free market is more important. It seems at StratSim, the economic system wasnt a problem in terms of exchange rates, currency fluctuation and rising or falling prices because as days went by the sales of the motor vehicles went higher and higher. This industry was a great one to conduct automobile business operations. Social This is pressure exerted by the society in relation to their demands. Some society members were influenced by famous icons or the known to reflect their lives through similar kinds of vehicles possessed by them. My analysis proves this in the great demand of family class cars in all firms than any other class of automobiles. Technological Refers to how far the production processes has progressed, levels in knowledge advancement and the pace of applying that knowledge to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. At my firm, this was aimed at producing more appealing motor vehicles and also reducing resource wastage. The business environment is surrounded by layers which are: The organisation itself example could firm C The macro-environment analysed through PEST above Industry (sector) the StratSim where different firms are competing Competitors markets areas or spheres where a competitor aspires to take their products. Industry (sector) This is a collection of firms doing the same business like automobiles. At StratSim, all the firms had the similar starting points but only unique firm names and motor vehicles. It required upon each firm management to make strategies that will support its objectives and how activities will be carried on. Honestly, the industry was highly competitive to the extent of requiring maximum attention of the mangers so as to make proper decisions. To me it was like being in a real world trying to ensure that our vehicles are built in with specifications and desired customers attributes. Automobile industry has every reason to perform better in the StratSim world because despite transport being a major concern, it is thought as one that reflects individuals lives. It is difficult for a new entrant to come into automobile industry as it requires massive inflows of capital to start a company making vehicles. As if it is not enough, Research and Development (RD) is the worst involvin g lots of cash. Firms in an industry are likely to imitate things like the vehicle attributes such as interior designs and styles. This is attracts substitutes to the present customers in case they are not satisfied by the first car manufacturer. 3.1.3 Internal Environment In this, analysis is carried out by going through the Strengths and Weaknesses of the company. Internal environment is within the control of the organisation itself. Being effective in the internal affairs, the future of an organisation can be determined. Strengths refer to areas where a company is good at by having competences which make it stand firmly in front of other firms. From what I experienced in firm C, there were a few strengths to mention compared to the weaknesses. The weaknesses involve poor performance, bad financial control and inability to make use of the marketing tools and techniques. 4.0 Decision Making (and personal learning) In my group, I took part together with other members to form decisions for the good of our company, firm C. Decisions on how should our firm move were done every week before the deadline was on. Before making any decision, I and my friends had to check the previous results including of our competitors so as to keep track of business progression. The decisions had been critically studied before final posting because the consequences might be very serious if it wasnt carefully done. To my thought, this wasnt tough because most of us in our group were already managers at places of work. At work I took part in hard decisions which ate my brains. I learned more than so much due to the reason that I had been used to only theory in class. This time I got an opportunity to transform what I learned in the classroom environment into practical. Also, I gathered an understanding that a successful company or firm is that which comes with unique strategies than its competitors. Furthermore, I made myself believe that managers deserve to get more than they do due to the difficult decisions they are required to make and implement most of the times. 5.0 Conclusion Arriving nearly to an end, I thought better to accept that, a business without a strategy is like a ship without radar. From the beginning towards the end, it was all about strategies made use so as to differ from close competitors. There are so many strategies in the course of managing a business but not all could best because the choice of strategies will depend on the needs and desires of a firm. To add on, I had really enjoyed the teamwork which made my group not on top but rather competitive to some extent.

Legal interpretations of murder - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1763 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Essay any type Tags: Murder Essay Did you like this example? Question: â€Å"Moreover, over a period of twelve years since Nedrick, the test of foresight of virtual certainty has apparently caused no practical difficulties. It is simple and clear. It is true that it may exclude a conviction of murder in the often cited terrorist example where a member of a bomb disposal team is killed. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Legal interpretations of murder" essay for you Create order In such a case it may realistically be said that the terrorist did not forsee the killing of a member of the bomb disposal team as a virtual certainty. That may be a consequence of not framing the principle in terms of risk taking. Such cases ought to cause no substantial difficulty since immediately below murder there is available a verdict of manslaughter which may attract the discretion of the court a life sentence.† Per Lord Steyn, ‘Woollin’ (1998) Discuss critically. Answer: THE MODERN INTERPRETATION OF INTENTION – IS IT REALLY CLEAR? â€Å"Intention† is not a legal term of art. Arguably, that is the most palatable reason for the perennial problems surrounding the interpretation of what is tantamount to intention. This paper seeks to examine the modern interpretation of intention especially in light of Lord Steyn’s prophetic utterances during the judgment of the House of Lords in the seminal case of R. v. Woollin.[1] Lord Steyn has suggested that the present formulation of inferred intention (his reference to the ‘test of foresight of virtual certainty’) for the purposes of substantiating murder has caused no practical difficulties it is simple and clear. Moreover the writer will analyse whether the availability of manslaughter as an alternative charge is sufficient juristically to address any shortcomings that the present formulation may pose. What exactly is intention? For legal purposes, ‘intention’ loosely connotes the requirement on the part of the accused to perform the action and create the ultimate consequences for which he has been charged. Ergo, when an accused loads a gun, removes the gun’s safety attachment, points the gun at another individual, takes aim, informs that he is going to shoot that person and fires at that person; the accused’s intention is presumed to have been to shoot the individual. As in the above example, it is comparatively easy to make a determination of intention where the individual has expressed that intention and it is unequivocal what he intended to do. This may be termed ‘direct intention’. The problem, juristically, arises relative to the instances where the accused has not made any such admission and the jury is left to infer from the accused’s actions, the jury’s own understanding of the realities of the world, their own moral compasses and the ult imate consequences of the accused’s actions, whether the accused intended the murder with which he is charged. This may be called ‘inferred intention’. Legislative Genesis of the Modern Position The earliest stated standard equated foresight of the natural and probable consequences of an action with the intention to elicit the consequences.[2] The Criminal Justice Act of 1967 drew upon this interpretation in permitting the jury to draw the reasonable determinations of intention from all the evidence at their disposal. Wein J [3]. noted the mischief that the Criminal Justice Act, 1967 enabled. He suggested that although the evidence may lead to a finding of foresight and even recklessness, this was not in itself sufficient to justify a finding of intent. Essentially then, his submission was that intent was a rule of law and not one of evidence. In the controversial suit of R v. Maloney [4] the Court adopted a radical view suggesting that intent was in actuality based on the law of evidence, where if an accused forsaw that the death was a natural consequence of his act then this was sufficient for a finding of intent. In the ensuing case of R v. Hancock and Shank land[5] the Court sought to elucidate intention by noting that the higher the probability of an outcome, the likelier that it was foreseeable – the more likely that it was foreseeable, the more convincing that it was intended. The seminal case of R v. Nedrick[6] elevated the standard to its modern height. In that case the rather ‘a little likelier than even’ probability was ditched in preference of the standard that the accused’s recognition must have been of virtually certain death or serious injury. R v. Woollin[7] confirmed the high standard as espoused in R. v. Nedrick[8] of recognition of virtual certainty of death or serious injury in substantiating a finding of intent. The Clarity Debate In the wake of the finding of the House of Lords in the case of R v. Woollin[9] , as juidicially affirmed in the following suit of R v. Matthews and Alleyne[10] , the present standard remains that of accused recognition of virtual certainty of death or serious injury. Legal jurists propose that the ruling in R v. Woolin represented â€Å"†¦(that) the meaning of intention in the criminal law is cogent and stable and the mens rea for murder is as close as the common law is likely to get in providing a bright line between the culpability associated with this crime in contrast with manslaughter†[11] But is this really so? The example of the terrorist may prove instructive at this juncture. Let us take for example a terrorist who hijacks a commercial airliner, changes the flight plan, holds the passengers hostage, informs the hostages and the authorities that he intends to crash the airplane into a specified destination, as retribution for perceived government al wrongs. What if then, the target lay in the middle of a populated metropolis with schools, hospitals and workplaces as its immediate neighbors? Could one satisfy oneself that the terrorist had really had the intention of killing the schoolchildren, hospital occupants and persons in the vicinity? According to the test of ‘Woollin’ a person is guilty of homicide where it is his intention either to cause the specific outcome or where he recognizes that in the ordinary course (without the interruption of some factor which is completely unforeseeable or unknown) the virtually certain outcome of his actions is death or serious injury. Applying the ‘Woollin’ finding to the present example, the terrorist would have indubitably been guilty of crimes, but do those crimes include murder? In hijacking the airplane, imprisoning the occupants thereof and taking control of the flight, the hijacker demonstrated the intention of committing serious crimes, assuredly . However, how is one to reconcile this with the death of those in the vicinity of the target? The answer, according to ‘Woollin’ lies in whether the actions undertaken by the terrorist were done with the understanding that in hijacking the plane and crashing it, there will morally certainly be deaths. In undertaking his actions the terrorist recognized that death would have been the sure result of what he had set about to do? Is it reasonable to assume that the terrorist knew that crashing a plane would certainly have led to death or serious injury? Suppose his intention had to been to crash the airplane into the top of the building harming only himself in the process? Were the deaths of others then a virtual certainty? Reason dictates that it is extremely probable that in crashing an airplane into a building in a metropolis would result in death. But the virtually certain element is arguably not there. The terrorists act, legally then, may have been very r eckless to substantiate a finding of manslaughter, but presumably not of sufficiency for a finding of murder. In the post ‘Woollin’ era, it is clear that the degree of foresight needed is that of virtual moral certainty. Moreover, the judge may not direct the jury to infer intention from the foresight of a probable result. It is submitted here, that it is only from drawing inferences on the probability that death would have occurred as a result of his intention to crash the airplane at its target, that a finding of murder could have been substantiated on these facts. As Lord Steyn noted in the quote stated at the introduction of this piece, the new standard would appear to exculpate those, like our terrorist, who may have been proven to have acted with extreme recklessness, but for whom the intention mantle cannot be affixed. Does this represent clarity in the development of the law of homicide? Or is it regression? Conclusion Lord Steyn suggests that life sentence under a finding of manslaughter is sufficient to sate one’s desire for justice where acts of terrorism are concerned. The writer is genuinely surprised by the honorable Lord’s finding in this respect. Society requires justice to be done. Societal perception is that murder is much more heinous than its ‘excusable killing’ counterpart of manslaughter. Are we then to accept that due to the anomalous development of the law of intention that those whose actions would have in all likelihood resulted in death or serious injury be excused because, as with our example the hijacking and crashing of the airplane was not virtually sure to have ended in death, when reason teaches us that it probably would have. It is indeed a sad day when the legal fraternity absolves itself from the requirement to mete out appropriate sanction to those deserving of it. Where the accused’s intention is to have caused mayhem and de struction in a situation where the actions would have in all likelihood resulted in death, is murder not appropriate? Manslaughter is not murder. Legally accepting the lesser is not a sufficient replacement for the greater. Bibliography Allen M., Textbook on Criminal Law, (OUP, London, 9th ed., 2007) DPP v. Smith [1961] AC 290 Law Commission, Legislating the Criminal Code: Offences Against the Person and General Principles No. 218, (HMSO, London, 1993) Norrie, A., Oblique Intent and Legal Politics [1989] Crim L R 793 Omerod D, Smith and Hogan Criminal Law (OUP, London, 11th ed., 2005) Pedain A., Intention and the Terrorist Example, [2003] Crim L R 579 R v. Belfon [1976] 3 All E R 46 R v. Hancock and Shankland [1986] 1 All E R 641 R v. Maloney [1985] 1 All E R 1025 R v. Matthews and Alleyne [2004] 1 All E R 148 R v. Nedrick (1986) 83 Crim App Rep 267 R v. Woollin [1998] 4 All E R 103 Wilson, W, Doctrinal Rationality after Woollin, Modern Law Review (Volume 62, 1999), 448 1 Footnotes [1] R. v. Woollin (1998) 4 All E R 103 [2] DPP v. Smith [1961] AC 290 [3] R v. Belfon (1976) 3 All E R 46 [4] R v. Maloney (1985) 1 All E R 1025 [5] R v. Hancock and Shankland (1986) 1 All E R 641 [6] R v. Nedrick (1986) 83 Crim App Rep 267 [7] R v. Woollin (1998) 4 All E R 103 [8] R v. Nedrick, n.(6) [9] R v. Woollin , n.(7) [10] R v. Matthews and Alleyne (2004) 1 All E R 148 [11] Wilson, William, Doctrinal Rationality after Woollin, Modern Law Review (Volume 62, 1999), 448

Nutrition Practices Free Essays

Receiving proper nutrition to satisfy the physiological needs of man is a general knowledge that everyone is aware of. The food that we eat is necessary not only to fulfill the biological urge to satisfy hunger, but also to nurture the human body in order to withstand illnesses and diseases for a longer and healthier life. Although this is a common goal for nations, particularly of the United States, as manifested in health care services and policies granted to their citizens, other external factors seem to influence how individuals perceive nutrition. We will write a custom essay sample on Nutrition Practices or any similar topic only for you Order Now One major factor which affects the nutritional decisions and influences of individuals is their culture, for one’s racial or ethnic roots or backgrounds are attributed to nutrition practices. This fact may be observed in hundreds of individuals who belong to various racial and ethnic groups residing in the US. The evaluation or assessment of the nutrition practices undertaken by these individuals reveal that they are at high risk for experiencing health and nutritional deficiencies. For instance, the Prima Indians were found out to be at great risk for contracting diabetes primarily fueled by obesity. However, in this case, aside from the nutrition practices, the genetic make-up of this ethnic group also influences their health and wellbeing. Another case is the implication of the exclusion of milk, and other dairy products in the diet of Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008) This is because studies have shown that these particular ethnic groups are more prone to lactose intolerance which leads them to remove dairy products from their nutrition practices or diet (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008), consequently leading to Vitamin A, B12, D, and Calcium deficiencies (â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals,† 2008) Other health and nutritional deficiencies that are most common in the US for racial or ethnic groups include lack of Omega 3 fats, Copper, and dietary fiber. For the male populations belonging to African American and American Indian ethnic groups, they are most at risk for Vitamin A deficiency. This is because it has been observed that they refuse to consume vegetables in their diet. Some vegetables that are essential parts of the American diet contain beta-carotene which is a valuable substance present in them from which Vitamin A is taken from. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008*) Aside from the minor influences of physical and genetic features or characters, one component of racial or ethnic culture also influences nutrition practices. Religion plays a major role in dictating what kind of diets individuals will be implementing. For instance, individuals who are Jewish refrain from eating the common types of meat such as beef and pork and prefer meat from sheep, goat, etc. instead. This religious belief has something to do with the distinction of the clean and unclean meats. Moslems on the other hand are not allowed to consume pork and alcohol. In addition, some Islamic festivals require that they practice fasting which refrain them from consuming food and drinks at a particular time during the day. This particular cultural and religious practice affects the health and wellbeing of Moslems. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008) From the various, but limited, examples provided in this text of the various cultural nutrition practices that racial and ethnic groups observe, the influence of such practices are perceived to be detrimental to their health and wellbeing. In addition, resolving the issue of ethnic disparities in terms of health care and nutrition is quite difficult to resolve since it would be far-fetched to reverse a culture that has long existed. Moreover, the influence of physical and genetic factors is unavoidable. The challenge presented within this text now is how cultural differences and the standards and guidelines of health and nutrition are to be reconciled in order to come up with a cohesive society that is consciously aware of the need to promote health and nutrition for the betterment of human life. References â€Å"Ethnic Traditions.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The World’s Healthiest Foods. Website: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=specialneeddbid=11 â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The Vegetarian Society of United Kingdom. Website: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/vitmineral.html    How to cite Nutrition Practices, Papers