Kangaroo and Feature Female Kangaroos Essay Example for Free

Kangaroo and Feature Female Kangaroos Essay Kangaroo Kangaroos are the multicellular animals and they are complex one because they are mammals. As we all know they are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of locomotion and they also hop really fast. The comfortable hopping speed for red kangaroo is about 20–25 km/h (13–16 mph), but speeds of up to 70 km/h (44 mph) can be attained, over short distances, while it can sustain a speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) for nearly. They are also adept swimmers ,and often flee into waterways if threatened by a predator. From the picture we can see kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Because of the different area to adapt the environment ,there are four kinds of kangaroos. The first one is the red kangaroo which  is the largest surviving marsupial anywhere in the world. A large male can be 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 90 kg (200 lb). The second one is eastern grey kangaroo which is the most common one . The last two kinds of kangaroos are The western grey kangaroo and The antilopine kangaroo. For eating kangaroos are autotroph and they have chambered stomachs similar to those of cattle and sheep They regurgitate the vegetation they have eaten, chew it as cud , and then swallow it again for final digestion. Because of its grazing, kangaroos have developed specialised teeth. Its incisors are able to crop grass close to the ground, and its molars chop and grind the grass. For produce a new bay they need to choose correct days because during a dry period, males will not produce sperm, and females will only conceive if there has been enough rain to produce a large quantity of green vegetation. And about kangaroos most special feature female kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys complete postnatal development.

Effect of Buprenorphine on Postoperative Pain Levels

Effect of Buprenorphine on Postoperative Pain Levels Katelyn Shultz Nurse Anesthesia ABSTRACT In recent years, buprenorphine has become an increasingly popular choice for managing opioid dependence; however, buprenorphine’s unique mechanism of action can make treating acute pain more complicated. In opioid-dependent patients managed with buprenorphine, would continuing buprenorphine therapy during the perioperative period affect postoperative pain levels? The research method for this study is a formal literature review. I predict that continuing buprenorphine throughout the perioperative period will improve postoperative pain levels in opioid-dependent patients maintained on buprenorphine. INTRODUCTION In recent years, buprenorphine has become an increasingly popular choice in the treatment of opioid dependence. Even though it is a partial mu agonist, buprenorphine is known to have high mu-receptor affinity. When buprenorphine is continued throughout the perioperative period, this property may reduce the effectiveness of other full mu agonist opioids. As a result, this pharmacological trait introduces an obstacle for successful treatment of acute surgical pain in the patient taking chronic buprenorphine. The clinician must choose the best option for this patient, to continue or discontinue buprenorphine therapy during the perioperative period. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE It is imperative to establish evidence-based practice guidelines regarding the best method of acute pain management for patients taking chronic buprenorphine. As buprenorphine use increases, healthcare providers will encounter opioid-dependent patients taking chronic buprenorphine with higher frequency in the surgical setting.1 Although the positive outcomes of buprenorphine use are comprehensively researched and well documented, the evidence regarding the perioperative continuation or suspension of buprenorphine is limited and inconsistent. As a result, prescribers may avoid buprenorphine altogether, ultimately preventing more patients from receiving a potentially superior treatment. Perioperative is defined as the phase immediately prior, during, and immediately after a surgical procedure. Postoperative period is defined as the phase after a surgical procedure is performed. Buprenorphine maintenance therapy (BMT) is defined as a sustained dose of buprenorphine taken by an opioid-dependent patient for an indefinite period of time. Methadone maintenance therapy (BMT) is defined as a sustained dose of methadone taken by an opioid-dependent patient for an indefinite period of time. Full mu opioid agonists activate mu receptors until a maximum effect is reached or the receptor is fully activated. Methadone, morphine, and oxycodone are examples of full mu agonists. Partial mu opioid agonists bind to receptors and partially activate them, but not to the same degree as do full agonists. Partial mu agonists can also displace full mu agonists from receptors. Buprenorphine is a partial mu agonist. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is any method of allowing a person in pai n to administer their own pain relief. METHODS The research method for this study was a formal literature review. The purpose of this study was to answer the question, in opioid-dependent patients managed with buprenorphine, would continuing buprenorphine therapy during the perioperative period affect postoperative pain levels? I searched the database SuperSearch. The key terms for this search were (pain management OR treatment), buprenorphine, and (perioperative OR intraoperative OR postoperative) using the Boolean operator AND. I limited results to peer-reviewed academic journal articles published in English from 2004-2014. Initial results were refined using the inclusion criteria of patients maintained on buprenorphine therapy prior to surgery and perioperative pain management, and the exclusion criteria of animal studies and buprenorphine administration techniques: epidural, intrathecal, perineural, subcutaneous, and transdermal. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The purpose of these studies is to examine perioperative acute pain management in opioid-tolerant patients taking BMT. The type of studies include a retrospective cohort study, literature reviews, and case reports examining a population of people taking chronic buprenorphine. Buprenorphine may be a more preferable method than methadone for chronic opioid replacement therapy. The use of buprenorphine has been associated with improvement in education, social life, and toxicological conditions when compared to methadone.1 Buprenorphine is also perceived to have less adverse effects and social stigma than methadone.2 In addition, buprenorphine’s full opioid agonist effects are lower compared to methadone, improving its safety profile.3 Buprenorphine may also induce less hyperalgesia than full agonists, although this has yet to be confirmed.2 In support of this statement, however, Koppert et al4 found that the antihyperalgesic effects of buprenorphine were stronger and of longer duration as compared with the pure mu receptor agonist studied in the same model. Though some researchers recommend a transition from buprenorphine to a full mu agonist preoperatively, an interruption in BMT is not ideal. A drug holiday or transition to other chronic opioids, such as methadone, prior to surgery may lead to simplified sedation techniques; however, it is time consuming and unnecessary, and alternatives should be considered.1 It is best that patients with opioid dependence be in some early withdrawal before initiating treatment with buprenorphine.5 As a result, when a patient transitioned to methadone prior to surgery returns to their previous dose of buprenorphine postoperatively, withdrawal may occur.1 Additionally, for patients switched from BMT to MMT preoperatively, methadone must be ceased for at least 36 hours and the patient should experience mild withdrawal symptoms before buprenorphine is restarted.6 In contrast to these recommendations, the retention of buprenorphine was found to be better in heroin addicts with less morbidity if buprenorp hine was not rapidly withdrawn, but continued for up to 350 days.5 When chronic buprenorphine doses were continued throughout perioperative period, patients were able to achieve good pain control with additional opioids and/or additional buprenorphine doses. In a small series of 5 patients, adequate pain control was achieved when other full mu agonist opioids were given as needed in addition to the patient’s usual daily dose of buprenorphine.7 In another study,8 the patient achieved adequate pain control on postoperative day 1 and 2 with a total daily buprenorphine dose of 72 mg, and was able to successfully and comfortable taper to her baseline dose of 24 mg/d by day 11. Furthermore, Jones et al9 reported the buprenorphine-managed patient scored 0 out of 10 on all 6 post morphine-PCA pain assessments, and 0 to 5 out of 10 on all post discharge pain assessments while taking buprenorphine and oxycodone/acetaminophen. Only 1 study10 reported severe postoperative pain control with the continuation of buprenorphine during the perioperative period. The study10 highlighted a case report for one patient with Type I Chiari malformation receiving buprenorphine for chronic pain who underwent two identical surgical procedures. For the first procedure, the patient’s usual dose of buprenorphine was continued throughout the perioperative period, and a full mu agonist was used for postoperative pain.10 The patient reported severe postoperative pain after this procedure.10 This information is limited, however, by self-report. No documentation was obtained from the outside hospital where the first procedure was performed.10 The author is a representative for the hospital where the second procedure was performed.10 For the second procedure, the patient’s buprenorphine was discontinued 5 days prior to surgery, and the patient was transitioned to a full opioid agonsist.10 Again, the patient’s p ostoperative pain was managed with a full opioid receptor agonist.10 Though the patient reported acceptable pain control on postoperative day 1, the patient’s pain was reported at 7 to 8/10 immediately after surgery.10 Although some researchers suggest that buprenorphine decreases full mu agonist opioid’s effectiveness, many found the addition of full mu agonists in the perioperative setting to be beneficial for buprenorphine-maintained patients. Buprenorphine’s long half-life, high opioid receptor affinity, partial agonist activity, and slow dissociation from the mu receptor may reduce analgesic effectiveness of full mu opioid agonists; however, the data does not support the commonly held belief that high dose BMT will interfere with the activity of full mu agonist opioids given for the relief of postoperative pain.6 Morphine has been shown to be an effective breakthrough medication to control postoperative pain in buprenorphine-maintained patients.11 In a retrospective cohort study, Macintyre et al6 confirmed BMT patients who were not given buprenorphine the day after surgery had significantly higher (P=.02) PCA morphine equivalent requirements in the first 24 hours after surgery co mpared with those who were given their usual dose of buprenorphine. In another uncontrolled comparison of BMT and MMT groups, researchers12 found that the first 24 hour postoperative PCA opioid requirements were lower for BMT and MMT groups when maintenance drugs were continued compared with BMT and MMT groups whose maintenance drugs had been ceased perioperatively. Despite the fact that one report6 showed a reduction in whole brain mu receptor availability with high doses of buprenorphine, several studies demonstrated that there is no ceiling effect for the analgesic properties of buprenorphine, only for an opioid’s euphoric effects and respiratory depression. It has been shown that buprenorphine attenuates the effects of additional opioid agonists rather than exert an absolute ceiling effect, and this minimizes euphoric properties of concurrently administered opioids and discourages the likelihood of ongoing opioid abuse.2 Macintyre et al6 also revealed that PCA opioid requirements were lower when BMT was continued after surgery, implying that buprenorphine may still have analgesic effects. Walsh et al13 documented no ceiling effect for analgesia in patients that received sublingual buprenorphine up to 32 mg. As there are no additional opioid effects with escalating doses, this property limits abuse potential and minimizes respiratory d epression with high doses.2 In a study of 20 volunteers, Dahan et al14 confirmed buprenorphine’s ceiling effect on respiratory depression, but not on its analgesic effects. As buprenorphine demonstrates a ceiling effect for respiratory depression, it is safe for outpatient use in high doses; however, when used in conjunction with sedatives, a synergistic effect in respiratory depression may occur. One case report8 verified that a high daily dose of buprenorphine (72 mg) was safely used as an outpatient dose, though no other respiratory depressants were used. Combining benzodiazepines with buprenorphine can exert a synergistic effect on the central nervous system resulting in sedation and respiratory depression.11 Deaths from buprenorphine have been reported, but it has been suggested that these deaths predominantly occurred as a result of prolonged respiratory depression when administered with sedatives, particularly benzodiazepines.2 There is no consensus on recommendations regarding acute pain management for buprenorphine-maintained patients presenting to the perioperative setting and more research is needed. Some articles2,5,11 recommend the cessation of buprenorphine preoperatively and conversion to a full opioid agonist throughout the perioperative period. Conversely, others1,2,5,8 demonstrate successful pain management in the acute pain setting with divided daily and/or additional doses of buprenorphine. The majority of researchers,2,3,5,9,11,15 however, support the continuation of usual buprenorphine maintenance therapy with the addition of full mu agonist opioid analgesics for effective perioperative pain control. There are no recommendations based on high level evidence,15 and data is sparse regarding the best method of treatment for pain in the opioid-dependent population.5 Regardless of point of view, most studies agree that additional research regarding acute pain management for patients taking chronic buprenorphine is urgently needed.5,10,11 DISCUSSION It is clear that buprenorphine is a better alternative than methadone for the treatment of opioid dependence. Associated with less respiratory depression and a lower abuse profile, buprenorphine is a safer medication than methadone and can be used without difficulty in outpatient therapy. With a long half-life and slow dissociation time, buprenorphine can also be dosed less frequently. Buprenorphine has also been known to cause less side effects than methadone. All of these features can increase adherence to opioid replacement therapy by allowing the opioid-dependent patient a less restrictive lifestyle. There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the best method for treating acute surgical pain in patients taking chronic buprenorphine. There are multiple recommendations regarding perioperative pain management and BMT; however, most methods are developed from the results of uncontrolled studies with very small sampling sizes. Consequently, few are able to establish actual significance in their findings. Without concrete evidence, concise standard recommendations are difficult to establish. CONCLUSION Based on the literature, the continuation of BMT during the perioperative period with the addition of short acting full mu opioids and/or additional buprenorphine doses is the best approach to treating acute surgical pain. For future research, more controlled studies with larger sample sizes are needed in order to confirm the best method of acute pain management in the surgical setting for patient’s taking chronic buprenorphine. References Wasson M, Beirne O. Buprenorphine therapy: an increasing challenge in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013;(2):142. Available from: Academic OneFile, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Roberts D, Meyer-Witting M. High-dose buprenorphine: perioperative precautions and management strategies. Anaesth Intensive Care. February 2005;33(1):17-25. Available from: MEDLINE, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 10, 2014. Bryson E, Lipson S, Gevirtz C. Anesthesia for Patients on Buprenorphine. Anesthesiol Clin. January 1, 2010;28(Perioperative Pharmacotherapy):611-617. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Koppert W, Ihmsen H, Korber N, et al. Different profiles of buprenorphineinduced analgesia and antihyperalgesia in a human pain model. Pain 2005;118(1–2):15–22. Cited by: Vadivelu N, Anwar M. Buprenorphine in Postoperative Pain Management. Anesthesiol Clin. January 1, 2010;28(Perioperative Pharmacotherapy):601-609. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Vadivelu N, Mitra S, Kaye A, Urman R. Perioperative analgesia and challenges in the drug-addicted and drug-dependent patient. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. March 2014;28(1):91. Available from: Supplemental Index, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 10, 2014. Macintyre P, Russell R, Usher K, Gaughwin M, Huxtable C. Pain relief and opioid requirements in the first 24 hours after surgery in patients taking buprenorphine and methadone opioid substitution therapy. Anaesth Intensive Care. March 2013;41(2):222-230. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Kornfield H, Manfredi L. Effectiveness of full agonist opioids in patients stabilized on buprenorphine undergoing major surgery: a case series. Am J Ther 2010;17:523-528. Cited by: Huxtable C, Roberts L, Somogyi A, Macintyre P. Acute pain management in opioid-tolerant patients: a growing challenge. Anaesth Intensive Care. September 2011;39(5):804-823. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Book S, Myrick H, Malcolm R, Strain E. Buprenorphine for postoperative pain following general surgery in a buprenorphine-maintained patient. Am J Psychiatry. June 2007;164(6)Available from: PsycINFO, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Jones H, Johnson R, Milio L. Post-cesarean pain management of patients maintained on methadone or buprenorphine. Am J Addict. May 2006;15(3):258-259. Available from: MEDLINE, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Chern S, Isserman R, Chen L, Ashburn M, Liu R. Perioperative Pain Management for Patients on Chronic Buprenorphine: A Case Report. J Anesth Clin Res. October 2012;3(10):1. Available from: Supplemental Index, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Vadivelu N, Anwar M. Buprenorphine in Postoperative Pain Management. Anesthesiol Clin. January 1, 2010;28(Perioperative Pharmacotherapy):601-609. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Russell R, Usher K, Macintyre PE. A comparison of postoperative opioid requirements and effectiveness in methadone- and buprenorphine-maintained patients. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2011;39:726-727. Cited by: Huxtable C, Roberts L, Somogyi A, Macintyre P. Acute pain management in opioid-tolerant patients: a growing challenge. Anaesth Intensive Care. September 2011;39(5):804-823. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Walsh SL, Preston KL, Stitzer ML, et al. Clinical pharmacology of buprenorphine: ceiling effects at high doses. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1994;55(5):569–80. Cited by: Vadivelu N, Anwar M. Buprenorphine in Postoperative Pain Management. Anesthesiol Clin. January 1, 2010;28(Perioperative Pharmacotherapy):601-609. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Dahan A, Yassen A, Romberg R, et al. Buprenorphine induces ceiling in respiratory depression but not in analgesia. Br J Anaesth. 2006;96(5):627–32. Cited by: Vadivelu N, Anwar M. Buprenorphine in Postoperative Pain Management. Anesthesiol Clin. January 1, 2010;28(Perioperative Pharmacotherapy):601-609. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. Huxtable C, Roberts L, Somogyi A, Macintyre P. Acute pain management in opioid-tolerant patients: a growing challenge. Anaesth Intensive Care. September 2011;39(5):804-823. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 3, 2014. 1

Report of Strategic Management Process practiced at Jusco

Report of Strategic Management Process practiced at Jusco The strategic management process aims at delineating the organizations strategy. It is defined as the process by which managers make a choice of a set of strategies for the organization to achieve efficient functioning and higher accomplishments. It is a continuous process that appraises the business and industries where organization is involved, evaluates its competitors, defines targets to meet all the present and future challenges and finally assesses each strategy periodically  [1]  . Strategic management is a particular course of action that is meant to achieve a corporate goal. By and large, the owners, founders of the company take the first step of the process. They lay down the structure responsible for carrying out several functions such as providing direction and guidance to the employees, setting up measurable goals with defined time spans and designated duties. Planning, budgeting, acquiring resources, maintaining resources and using follow-up techniques to resolve key issues are key elements for managers to know in the strategic management process. Strategic planning came into being years ago as an alternative to then popular tradition of long-range planning. Long-range planning was based on pooling historical data and several market assumptions to chart the direction that an organization should take. Strategic planning on the other hand is more leadership driven and vision-based; leaders decide on principles that guide the organization toward established goals  [2]  . Strategic management process is defined by four major steps which can be defined as follows  [3]  : Environmental Scanning-  Environmental scanning refers to a process of collecting, scrutinizing and providing information for strategic purposes, analysing the internal and external factors influencing the organization. After gathering the required data, management evaluates it on a continuous basis and strives to improve its resource database. Strategy Formulation-  Strategy formulation is the process of deciding best course of action for accomplishing organizational objectives and hence achieving organizational purpose. After conducting environment scanning, managers at this stage formulate corporate, business and functional strategies. Strategy Implementation-  Strategy implementation implies making the strategy work as intended or putting the organizations chosen strategy into action. Strategy implementation encompasses designing the organizations structure, distributing resources, developing decision making process, and managing human resources. Strategy Evaluation-  Strategy evaluation is the final step of strategy management process. The key strategy evaluation activities are: appraising internal and external factors that are the root of present strategies, measuring performance, and taking remedial / corrective actions. Evaluation makes sure that the organizational strategy as well as its implementation meets the organizational objectives. These components are chronologically carried steps while creating a new strategic management plan. Firms with existing plan in use revert to these steps as per the situations requirement, so as to make essential changes. Components of Strategic Management Process Components of Strategic Management Process 1.1 Environmental Scanning: Internal External Environment Organizational environment consists of both external and internal factors which need to be continually monitored to determine development and forecasts of factors that will influence organizational success.  Environmental scanning refers to possession and utilization of information about occasions, patterns, trends, and relationships within an organizations internal and external environment  [4]  . It helps the managers to decide the future path of the organization. Scanning must comprehensively identify the threats and opportunities existing in the environment such that efficient strategy which takes advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats can be formulated. Internal analysis of the environment  is the first step of environment scanning. This primarily includes interaction of employees with other employees, management, manager interaction with other managers and shareholders, access to natural resources, brand awareness, organizational structure, main staff, operational potential, etc  [5]  . Internal environment analysis helps identify strengths and weaknesses within the organization. Most commonly used instruments used for assessment include interviews, surveys, discussions etc. While in  external analysis, three correlated environment are studied and analysed Immediate / Industry environment National environment Broader socio-economic environment / Macro-environment Examining the  industry environment  involves survey of the competitive structure of the organizations industry, emphasising competitive position of the organization with respect to its main rivals. This includes assessment of the nature, stage, dynamics, history of the industry and the effect of globalisation on competition within the industry. Analysing the  national environment  involves appraisal of efficacy of national framework in achieving competitive advantage in the global environment  [6]  . Macro-environment  analysis includes exploring macro-economic, social, government, legal, technological and international factors that may influence the environment. The analysis of organizations external environment reveals opportunities and threats for the organization  [7]  . As business becomes more competitive, external environment fluctuates rapidly hence, information from external environment adds crucial elements to the effectiveness of long-term goals and strategies. It becomes indispensable to identify competitors moves and actions in the dynamic environment such that organizations can amend their core competencies and internal environment as per external environment. Strategic managers must not only recognize the present state of the environment and their industry but also be able to predict its future positions. 1.2 Strategy Formulation Strategy formulation refers to the process of choosing the most appropriate course of action for the realization of organizational goals and objectives to fulfil organizational vision.  The process of strategy formulation involves six main steps which can rationally be followed in the following order  [8]  : Setting Organizations objectives   The key component of any strategy statement is to set the long-term objectives of the organization. Objectives specify the desired end state while strategy stresses upon the means of achieving it. Strategy encompasses both fixation of objectives and definition of the medium to be used to realize those objectives. Thus, strategy is an extensive word which is based on manner of deployment of resources to achieve desired goals. While fixing the organizational objectives, it is essential that the factors which influence the selection of objectives must be analysed before the selection of objectives. Evaluating the Organizational Environment   The next step is to evaluate the general economic and industrial environment in which the organization operates highlighting its competitive position. This generally involves a qualitative and quantitative review of organizations existing product line.  [9]  The aim is to ensure that factors important for competitive success in the market can be discovered such that management can identify and exploit its strengths and weaknesses against those of its competitors. Setting Quantitative Targets   In this step, an organization must fix desired quantitative target values for certain objectives. The idea behind this is to compare with long term customers, so as to evaluate the contribution that might be made by various product zones or operating departments. Aiming in context with the divisional plans   In this step, the contributions made by each department, division, product category within the organization is identified and accordingly strategic planning is done for each sub-unit. This requires a careful analysis of macroeconomic trends. Performance Analysis   Performance analysis includes discovering and analysing the gap between the planned and desired performance. A critical evaluation of the organizations past performance, present condition and the desired future conditions must be done by the organization. This critical evaluation identifies the degree of gap that persists between the actual reality and the long-term aspirations of the organization. An attempt is made by the organization to estimate its probable future condition if the current trends persist. Choice of Strategy   This is the ultimate step in Strategy Formulation where the best course of action is selected after considering organizational goals, organizational strengths, potential and limitations as well as the external opportunities. 1.3 Strategy Implementation Strategy implementation is the translation of chosen strategy into organizational action so as to achieve strategic goals and objectives. Strategy implementation is also defined as the manner in which an organization should develop, utilize, and amalgamate organizational structure, control systems, and culture to follow strategies that lead to competitive advantage and a better performance. Organizational structure allocates special value developing tasks and roles to the employees and states how these tasks and roles can be correlated so as maximize efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction-the pillars of competitive advantage  [10]  . But, organizational structure is not sufficient in itself to motivate the employees. An organizational control system is also required. This control system equips managers with motivational incentives for employees as well as feedback on employees and organizational performance. Organizational culture refers to the specialized collection of values, attitudes, norms and beliefs shared by organizational members and groups. Following are the main  steps in implementing a strategy  [11]  : Developing an organization having potential of carrying out strategy successfully Disbursement of abundant resources to strategy-essential activities Creating strategy-encouraging policies Employing best policies and programs for constant improvement Linking reward structure to accomplishment of results Making use of strategic leadership Excellently formulated strategies fail if not properly implemented. Also, it is essential to possess stability between strategy and each organizational dimension such as organizational structure, reward structure, resource-allocation process, etc to ensure efficient strategy implementation. Strategy implementation poses a threat to many managers and employees in an organization as new power relationships are predicted and achieved. New groups (formal as well as informal) are formed whose values, attitudes, beliefs and concerns may not be known. With the change in power and status roles, the managers and employees may employ confrontation behaviour  [12]  . Following are the main differences between Strategy Formulation and Strategy Implementation  [13]   Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation Strategy Formulation includes planning and decision-making involved in developing organizations strategic goals and plans. Strategy Implementation involves all those means related to executing the strategic plans. In short, Strategy Formulation is  placing the Forces before the action. In short, Strategy Implementation is  managing forces during the action. Strategy Formulation is an  Entrepreneurial Activity  based on strategic decision-making Strategic Implementation is mainly an  Administrative Task  based on strategic and operational decisions Strategy Formulation emphasizes on  effectiveness. Strategy Implementation emphasizes on  efficiency. Strategy Formulation is a  rational process. Strategy Implementation is basically an  operational process. Strategy Formulation requires co-ordination among few individuals. Strategy Implementation requires co-ordination among many individuals. Strategy Formulation requires a great deal of  initiative and logical skills. Strategy Implementation requires specific  motivational and leadership traits. Strategic Formulation precedes Strategy Implementation. Strategy Implementation follows Strategy Formulation. 1.4 Strategy Evaluation Strategic Evaluation is the final phase of  strategic management. Strategy Evaluation throws light on the efficiency and effectiveness of the comprehensive plans in achieving the desired results as stated during strategy formulation. The management assesses the validity of current strategy in existing environment with respect to dynamic socio-economic, political and technological innovations. The significance of strategy evaluation lies in its capacity to co-ordinate the task performed by managers, groups, departments etc, through control of performance. Strategic Evaluation is significant because of various factors such as developing inputs for new strategic planning, the urge for feedback, appraisal and reward, development of the strategic management process, judging the validity of strategic choice etc  [14]  . The process of Strategy Evaluation consists of following steps  [15]  : Fixing benchmark of performance   While fixing the benchmark, strategists answer questions such as what benchmarks to set, how to set them and how to express them. In order to determine the benchmark performance to be set, it is essential to discover the special requirements for performing the main task. The performance indicator that best identify and express the special requirements might then be determined to be used for evaluation. The organization can use both quantitative and qualitative criteria for comprehensive assessment of performance. Quantitative criteria include determination of net profit, ROI, earning per share, cost of production, rate of employee turnover etc. Among the Qualitative factors are subjective evaluating factors such as skills and competencies, risk taking potential, flexibility etc. Measurement of performance   The standard performance is a bench mark with which the actual performance is compared. The reporting and communication system help in measuring the performance. If appropriate means are available for measuring the performance and if the standards are set in the right manner, strategy evaluation becomes easier. But various factors such as managers contribution are difficult to measure. Similarly divisional performance is sometimes difficult to measure as compared to individual performance. Thus, variable objectives must be created against which measurement of performance can be done. The measurement must be done at right time for evaluation to meet its purpose. For measuring the performance, financial statements like balance sheet, profit and loss account must be prepared on an annual basis. Analysing Variance   While measuring the actual performance and comparing it with standard performance there may be variances which are further analysed. The strategists must mention the degree of tolerance limits between which the variance between actual and standard performance may be accepted. The positive deviation indicates a better performance but it is quite unusual exceeding the target always. The negative deviation is an issue of concern because it indicates a shortfall in performance. Thus in this case the strategists must discover the causes of deviation and must take corrective action to overcome it. Taking Corrective Action   Once the deviation in performance is identified, it is essential to plan for a corrective action. If the performance is consistently less than the desired performance, the strategists must carry a detailed analysis of the factors responsible for such performance. If the strategists discover that the organizational potential does not match with the performance requirements, then the standards must be lowered. Another rare and drastic corrective action is reformulating the strategy which requires going back to the process of strategic management, reframing of plans according to new resource allocation trend and consequent means going to the beginning point of strategic management process. 2. Strategic Planning Vs Strategic Thinking There has been a lot of research done on strategic planning and strategic thinking but seldom is the contrast explained well enough. Strategic thinking is about coming up with the next big idea. This is not the sole responsibility of any one person. Everybody in the organization from the salesperson who suddenly discovers an untapped market for the product to the business level head who can come up with product modifications and product innovations should ideally be a part of strategic planning process. This process involves intuition and understanding about the process. The outcome more often than not is a vision of direction and not a concrete plan. The strategic planning is a natural progression step after this as explained below. Strategic Planning is articulation, elaboration of strategies that already exist. Planning essentially breaks down an idea or a broad vision into smaller more concrete and clear steps that can be implemented almost automatically. Formal planning is very analytical and depends on rearrangement of established strategies, products and structures. Too much reliance on planning impedes organizational change. We then begin to experience only incremental changes and will miss out on many good opportunities. As a result people have become disillusioned with Planning. Also planning tends to impose too many restrictions on the working of lower level managers by defining everything very precisely. These factors along with the ones listed below led to downfall of strategic planning in its current form. Deterministic Framework Planning borders on being an exact science. It assumes many simplifying assumptions which generally do not hold true in real life. The planning process requires estimates within a very narrow band for it to have any considerable accuracy. But in todays fast changing world it is the one luxury that we do not have. There are too many factors that are changing ranging from technological breakthroughs to governmental regulations to entry of new and powerful competitors. The Silo Syndrome Strategic Planning was generally carried out in the management by exception mode. The top management basically got information from the ground level and developed strategies without consulting anybody at the ground level. This approach generally lacked the soft insights that people in the field develop when they deal with the product which are far more valuable than general theories espoused by the management. The other drawback was the resistance it faced from the lower levels of the organization. They felt that these decisions were being forced on them by the top management and did not like the autocratic form of decision making. Formalization Fallacy Formalization implies a rational sequence from analysis through administrative procedure to eventual action. But good strategies are not always formulated in that order. Most of the radical ideas were stumbled upon by accident. Many times we try things and those experiments that work gradually converge into viable patterns that become strategies. Formal procedures will never be able to predict discontinuities or create novel strategies. These shortcomings led to the decline in popularity for the practice in this form. 2.1 Modus Operandi Based on the above discussion we can broadly divide strategy formulation into two parts namely strategic thinking and strategic planning. The business level managers are ideally positioned to take up the role of strategic thinking because they have the access to soft information from informal sources mostly like grapevine, informal talks with the people on the field. They also have the suitable authority derived from their position to take decisions and provide directions. Once the rough plan has been outlined the planners can take over. This method has some distinct advantages. The planner has the analytical tools and the abilities to give proper shape and form to the outline. The manager also does not generally have the time to break down a plan into finer and actionable sub-plans. 2.2 Advantages of highly evolved plans A well articulated plan can ensure coordination among the various parties involved. This will also help clarifying the roles, responsibilities and interdependencies present. These plans can also be used to gain tangible support from outsiders. Written plans can also be used to inform financiers, government and other stakeholders about the current state of the company. 2.3 Roles of Planners Strategy Finders It is basically the responsibility of the mangers to find out and formulate new strategies. Planners can help the mangers in this regard. Planners can snoop around places to find patterns while eliminating the noise from the data. They could discover new ways of doing things like finding out new markets and also coming up with new products for the existing markets. Analysts Planners also have the responsibility of carrying out analyses of specific issues. Planners are an obvious choice for studying hard data and ensuring that managers consider the results in strategy-making process. This may include industry analyses, competitive analyses, and internal analyses among other things. Catalysts When the planners are donning the role of catalysts they are not a part of the decision making process but they ensure that the right kind of people line managers, business level managers are in charge of this process. Planners in this role help mangers get out of ruts and help them think out of the box. This could be achieved by challenging the conventional wisdom and practices by asking uncomfortable questions about the status quo. Overall strategic management is a process by which the managers along with planners come up with new ideas that help the firms chart their future course of action and stay ahead of the curve. 3. Strategy Development Process at JUSCO The Strategic Planning Process (SPP) at JUSCO is led by the Managing Director along with Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the purpose of which is to collectively establish directions for future success through: Evolving analysis-based Long Term/Short Term plans Setting measurable goals Setting review mechanism to monitor progress and take corrective action SPP has a flow which is aimed at ensuring focus and action ability of strategy. SPP is an enterprise level process comprising of four basic steps: Plan-Develop-Deploy-Review (shown in figure on next page along with the key steps, participants, outputs and timelines). The process includes revisiting Vision, identification of Strategic Direction / Challenges / Advantages / Objectives and Long Term / Short Term plans followed by deployment through Balanced Score Card (BSC) and review. It is supported by data / information gathering and analysis including comparisons with benchmarks / competitors / past performance / targets. Strategy development is a continuous process with strategic directions being reviewed by the Board. In order to formalize directions, SPP is followed annually with inputs, schedule and participation across levels. SPP utilizes inputs from promoters expectations, external environment, other stakeholders, strategic challenges and advantages identified by each businesses / functions, aspirations for each business, process reviews and feedback of internal and external assessments. Through collective discussion in strategy workshops involving SLT, corporate level strategic challenges and advantages are identified. Challenges posed to the organization by various stakeholders are identified collectively in the strategic planning sessions. From the list, strategic challenges are identified which are likely to exert most decisive influence on companys future success. Principle Success Factors (PSF) are then identified which can help the company overcome the strategic challenges. From list of PSFs, competitive differentiators, strategic advantages, core competencies and likely future core competencies. As part of SPP, formulated strategy is syndicated with strategic advisors, consultants and sectorial experts. Strategy is also presented to the Board for its inputs and approval. This brings external perspective, utilizes market standards and helps in validation of potential blind spots identified during SPP. Short-term and long-term planning horizons are 1 year and 4 years respectively. JUSCOs major businesses (Water Services, Power Services, Municipal Solid Waste Management, etc.) are primarily in domain of government and semi government bodies. Reforms have begun in these sectors and are expected to translate into business opportunities. In such a reforming sector, a 4-year time frame allows appropriate assessment of ever-changing market and evolving regulations. First years plan of 4-year horizon is the short term plan, which forms the basis for Annual Business Plan (ABP), thus integrating short-term and long-term planning horizons. These time horizons are reviewed continuously for their adequacy in addressing needs of planning process. SPP has undergone several rounds of Evaluation Improvement (EI) based on the changing environment and needs of the organization. 4. Inputs to Strategic Planning Process Environment Analysis: Environment scanning is done throughout the year, which incorporates analysis conducted by businesses/functions and discussions in reviews. Performance reviews, ABP sessions and Business Excellence assessment feedback help in identifying industry attractiveness, companys SWOT and competitors strength and weaknesses which are used to modify strategies, BSCs and targets. SPP captures information on various factors from internal as well as external sources. Strengths and weaknesses: Gaps in capabilities of resources are assessed to identify training and development, recruitment and organization change needs, IT initiatives, new business opportunities, procurement of equipment, etc. JUSCOs major strength lies in its ability to manage water on river-to-river basis, its understanding of municipal water market which helps in taking risk in emerging market and bidding competitively, urban power distribution and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management. These strengths are used in SPP to identify competitive position leading to direction for growth. Changes in Regulatory Environment: The sectors JUSCO operates in are expected to be under continuous regulatory scrutiny at all times. Interaction with regulatory bodies and consultants, participation in conferences, legal and internal audits help in identifying statutory shifts and legal requirements and ensuring compliance. At the business levels, changes in regulations are closely monitored to enable quick reaction. Opportunities and threats: SPP captures information on emerging opportunities and threats while deciding strategic challenges and accordingly plans are made for timely preparation of organization and capturing these opportunities. Opportunities arising out of reforms in power sector had been exploited by JUSCO previously by acquiring license for Saraikela-Kharsawan district as first parallel power distributor in the country and more such future endeavors are planned. Major shift in Markets Customer preferences: These are identified through interaction with potential customers during business development, industry meets, conferences, customer satisfaction surveys, customer feedbacks, etc. Analysis of marketplace shifts provides inputs for innovating business models, identifying strategic objectives and Long Term/Short Term plans e.g. identifying partners, targeting new market segments and geographies, etc. PPM and SWOT analysis deal with customer, market needs, expectations and opportunities. At business/ functional level, inputs from Customer Complaint Handling Process (CCHP), Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) and Customer Visit Report (CVR) are used to evaluate and improve operational effectiveness parameters like cycle time, response time and service quality and also to align capabilities like IT system, HR skills, etc. Major shift in Competitive Environment: As integral part of SPP, information on competition is captured through internal market surveys, win loss analysis, various professional bodies, conferences, publications etc. Information is analyzed to assess competitive strengths, weaknesses, strategies and capabilities and prepare pricing and positioning strategies. This information is also utilized to identify new opportunities and partnership requirements. Major Technological shifts: At corporate level, SPP utilizes analysis of technological shifts to enhance competitiveness, improve services, and identify partnership and competency needs. Recent significant shifts in technologies have been reuse of waste water and desalination of sea water for potable needs. At business/functional level current performance is evaluated for potential improvements through technological up gradation. IT infrastructure improvement/up gradation is based on scalability, responsiveness, accessibility, productivity improvement, etc. Human resource capabilities: HR strengths and weaknesses are evaluated through analysis of employee mix, engagement survey results, leadership perception survey results, skill gap, attrition, etc. Redeploying resources, creation of bench strength, Rewa

Dances With Wolves Essay -- Movies Native Americans History Papers

Dances With Wolves No matter how you choose to categorize human beings, whether by race or religion, nationality or gender, the resultant categories will display at least one immutable constant. Each group, no matter how diverse their beliefs or how dissimilar their behaviors, will contain men of honest and peaceful natures as well as men of divisive and violent natures. In the film Dances With Wolves, we are exposed to two distinct categories of people inhabiting post civil war America, the white man and the Native American. We, most likely, begin the movie with defined ideas as to which group contains honest, peaceful men and which group contains violent and savage men. We are, however, exposed to behaviors which are in opposition to the accepted stereotypes associated with these groups. As we move through the film we are taken from the comfortable starting point of our existing stereotypes into new territory, both literally and philosophically. The film accomplishes this by allowing us to journey wi th John Dunbar, a man who is as open minded and free of preconceived notions as the originally empty journal on which his new ideas and understandings are written. Through his experiences we are exposed to the sharp contrast between the violent and crude, as well as the peaceful and thoughtful natures of men. With every exposure we are purposefully moved further and further away from what may have been our preconceived notions regarding these groups of people. Through John's eyes we are first exposed to the world of the white man embroiled in the carnage and butchery of the Civil War. The gruesome hospital scene only emphasizes the fact that life in the "civilized" world can be anything but. A brief contrast is made when the... ...bar, separate ourselves from them. The film Dances with Wolves provides us with an opportunity to journey out of a comfortable world which may be founded on hastily established stereotypes, into a world of truth. It begs us to deal with people from a position of knowledge and understanding, rather than one of ignorance clothed in superiority. It shows us enough of our own shortcomings to make us see that we could also be the victims of generalizations made by others based on the behaviors of the few. It presents us with a poignant example of what can be lost when people become what they claim to be fighting. It is a message that is as applicable today as it was in the time of the American West. Works Cited: Costner, Kevin, dir. Dances with Wolves. Perf. Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A. Grant. 1990. Videocassette. Orion, 1991.

The Prejudiced Message of Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Prejudiced Message of Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice portrays a prejudiced message. This is first evident in Act one when Shylock openly says to himself, "I hate him because he is a Christian....May my people be cursed if I forgive him!" All throughout the book the Christians are battling with the Jews and neither of them will listen to the other because their hearts are filled with intense prejudice. Antonio proves that he is unwilling to change his feelings toward Shylock when he says, "I'm likely to call you names again, spit on you again, and shun you again." They don't seem to realize that their prejudiced attitudes could get someone (Antonio) killed. There are different times during the play that Shylock could be viewed as a villain and other times that he could be seen as a sympathetic character. When he doesn't allow his daughter, Jessica to marry Lorenzo just because he's a Christian, that's when we start to think that Shylock just isn't a very nice guy. But he was also the target of a lot of prejudice himself. Antonio didn't like him because he was a Jew, and he let Shylock know his feelings. However, two wrongs don't make a right. In other words, just because Antonio hated Shylock and spit in his face, there's no reason why Shylock couldn't just show Antonio love or just stay away from him. Shylock chose to get revenge, so he probably would be viewed as a villain. Prejudice doesn't get anyone anywhere.

Alternatives to High Fructose Corn Syrup Essay -- Artificial Sweetener

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Alternatives/Prevention Abstract: This report presents alternative foods to replace the ones with the dangerous sugar, high fructose corn syrup. The effects of high fructose corn syrup consumption were researched to find alternative methods of obtaining the same types of foods without the nasty effects. Alternative foods that ranged from diet bars to cough syrup were found. These foods don’t contribute to the rise in obesity and diabetes type II and taste just as good at the ones that do contribute to obesity and diabetes type II. It was also observed that the foods that are eaten on the Atkins diet are good alternatives because of the low carbohydrate intake. High carbohydrate foods are the prime source of high fructose corn syrup. Alternatives and Prevention Nobody thinks of sugar when they see a field of corn, but most of us would find that most of the sweeteners that sweeten our food are made with corn rather than sugar. High fructose corn syrup is made by processing corn starch to yield glucose, then processing the glucose to yield a high percentage of fructose. This fructose may be cheaper than using glucose as a sweetener, but it has horrible effects on the body. There are tests when rats were fed high fructose corn syrup for a period of time, which yielded disastrous results. The rats all developed high cholesterol, anemia, and hypertrophy, which means that their hearts grew until they exploded! As for humans, diabetes and obesity skyrocketed when high fructose corn syrup was released (Linda Forristal, 2001). High fructose corn syrup is found in an abundance of foods. It is found in foods that one would use on a daily basis. For example, high fructose corn syrup is found in the crumbs used ... ... Sources Forristal, Linda Joyce. â€Å"The Murky World of High Fructose Corn Syrup.† http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html. 2003. Weston A. Price Foundation. 25 July 2006. Hopkins, Kate. â€Å"Foods and Products Containing HFCS.† http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/06/09/ foods_and_products_containing_high_fruct. 2005. 25 July 2006. Adams, Mike. â€Å"Consumption of soft drinks and high-fructose corn syrup linked to obesity and diabetes.† http://www.newstarget.com/003002.html. 2004. 25 July 2006. Dimas, Jennifer. â€Å"GROUNDBREAKING DIABETES AND OBESITY PREVENTION PROGRAM AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION.† http://newsinfo.colostate.edu/index.asp?page=news_item_display&news_item_id=220682550. 2005. Colorado State University. 25 July 2006 Anonymous. â€Å"Atkin’s Diet and Low-Carb News.† http://www.lowcarb.ca/. 2006. 25 July 2006.

Effective Advisory Committee

Establishing an advisory committee: In the early stages of development, the organization tends to engage more or less organically with stakeholder groups. It's not uncommon for representatives from such groups to occupy voting seats on the governing board of early-stage businesses. At the growth stage, investors often call for changes to the composition of boards, and In some cases, this may mean stakeholders lose their board positions to be replaced with â€Å"independent† directors approved by the investors. This process can contribute to a loss of what was once a natural connection between the organization and its stakeholders, and it can contribute to an erosion of mission focus at the board level of an organization (Ramani, 2015). Social entrepreneurships can counteract the harmful effects of this change by establishing an advisory committee or advisory board that includes stakeholders. Non-profit organizations frequently use this approach to involve beneficiary groups, clients and other stakeholders in strategy formation without giving them voting positions on the governing board (Achleitner et al., 2012). An advisory committee can help the organization gather information, keep in touch with impacts, and test stakeholder views while avoiding the trap of creating a board that's too big or one whose members lack strategic skills.Advisory boards can also offer a way to tap into specialist expertise that may be missing from the main board group. Advisory bodies convened temporarily around a specific project or issue can feed findings back to the larger board and help shape strategic decisions (Ferrari, 2014). Angel investors who don't insist on a voting seat on the board may contribute insight and strategic expertise through participation an advisory committee (Achleitner et al. 2012). To work effectively, advisory bodies need to form part of the overall governance strategy established at the highest board level. This means that they must be formally set, provided with a chair and a written brief, as well as criteria and processes for recruiting appropriate stakeholders. Safeguards need to be put in place to ensure the independence and accountability of the advisory board with clear systems for accountably feeding advisory board views back into the strategic deliberations of the main board group.