Monday, September 30, 2019

Care Plan Essay

Medical Diagnosis: sickle cell anemia with vaso-occlusive crisis Nursing Diagnosis List 1.Impaired Comfort related to sickle cell anemia as evidenced by acute vaso-occlusive crisis. The patient’s pain should take precedence as the nursing diagnosis, because it is in all-encompassing factor that affects the client’s ability to function within the other areas of Maslow’s hierarchy of physiological needs, such as breathing and sleeping. The pain from the vaso-occlusion makes it difficult for the client to become comfortable enough to rest in addition to other factors that affect sleep patterns. The pain caused by the client’s chest pain also makes it difficult to for her to take deep, adequate breathes and to assess her lung sounds. 2.Ineffective Breathing Pattern related to acute chest syndrome secondary to sickle cell anemia as evidenced by alterations in depth of breathing. Breathing should be prioritized as the secondary nursing diagnosis, because the patient’s sickle cell anemia is presenting her with diminished lung sounds in the lo wer right lung. Since the primary nursing diagnosis is associated with vaso-occlusion, the client is not getting proper oxygenation to parts of their body, and interventions may include administering analgesics to treat the discomfort, of which an adverse effect may include an altered breathing pattern, it is especially important to pay attention to and assess respiratory functioning in order to treat the effects of smoking and administration of analgesics on respiratory function and assure adequate oxygenation. 3.Disturbed Sleep Pattern related to excessive noise as evidenced by reports of being awakened all night. Disturbed sleep pattern should be prioritized third, because lack of adequate rest can cause fatigue, further discomfort, and decreased ability to function and perform ADL’s which is important to a client’s self-esteem and independence. Nursing Diagnosis: Acute Pain related to vaso-occlusive crisis secondary to sickle cell anemia as manifested by grimacing and verbalization of pain Outcome/Short Term Patient Centered GoalsPlanning/Interventions ImplementationRationale for interventions/Evaluation Short-Term Desired Outcomes The client will â€Å"perform appropriate interventions, with or without significant others, to improve and/or maintain acceptable comfort level,† a 5 or less on a 0-10 pain scale, by the end of the day (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). Long-Term Desired Outcomes The client will â€Å"identify strategies, with or without significant others, to improve and/or maintain comfort level† by the time of discharge (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013).1. â€Å"Assess pain intensity level in a client† every hour utilizing a 0-10 pain scale (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). 2. â€Å"Describe the adverse effects of unrelieved pain† every hour along with each pain assessment until patient verbalizes understanding (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). 3. Teach the client about prescribed medications (oxycodone, for pain), such as how to use it, how often to take it, how much at once, and the desired and adverse effects of it. 4. â€Å"Ask the client to report side effects, such as nausea and pruritus, and to describe appetite, bowel elimination, and ability to rest and sleep† by performing an interview every hour while assessing pain level (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). 1.†The first step in pain assessment is to determine if the client can provide self-report† (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). 2. â€Å"Ineffective management of acute pain has the potential for†¦neuronal remodelin, an impact on immune function, and long-lasting physiological, psychological, and emotional distress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). 3. â€Å"Instruct the client and family on prescribed medications and therapies that improve comfort† (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). 4. â€Å"Constipation is one of the most common side effects of opioid therapy and can become a significant problem in pain management† (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013).Short-Term Desired Outcomes The client is able to properly utilize the prescribed oxycodone in their therapy to achieve a comfort level of 5 by the end of the day. Verbalizing an understanding of adverse effects of unrelieved pain helped patient understand the importance of reporting an accurate pain score whenever  experiencing discomfort. Goal Met. Nursing interventions for this goal were effective to help the patient achieve a more comfortable state. Long-Term Desired Outcomes The client is able to identify and report the side effects of the oxycodone, so that they can report any nausea, constipation, or abnormal sleep patterns to a nurse or physician. Goal met.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Carter’s Economic Policies Led to Savings and Loan Failure

The Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s cost approximately $160 billion, out of which the American taxpayer shouldered in excess of $120 billion in Government bailout measures. The huge budget deficits that resulted can only be compared to the current global economic crisis. However, the genesis of the S & L crisis can be traced back to the failed economic policies of President Jimmy Carter. When Jimmy Carter took over as president in 1979, he inherited an economy in recession. Oil prices were high, unemployment and incomes were low. In order to stimulate the economy, he proposed to increase government spending and introduce tax cuts, but withdrew the former and vetoed the latter when interest rates continued to rise. Instead, when inflation peaked in 1978, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Paul Volcker, initiated policies to tame inflation by reducing the money supply and increasing interest rates. However, these measures had a negative effect and inflation skyrocketed, unemployment reached 11 percent, accompanied by a prime rate of 21. 5 percent (Federal Deposit Insurance Coorporation, 2006). In this climate, the savings and loan institutions could not survive. They were now confronted with asset-liability-mismatches where the costs they were incurring on short term funding were higher than the returns they were getting on fixed-rate-mortgages. Additionally, the passage of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act, introduced risks and opportunities which the S & L’S were not qualified to administer. Inevitably, many S & L’s began to go under. In retrospect, Jimmy Carter’s policies should have focused on lowering interest rates and possibly left the money markets as they were. Read also Analyze the Ways in Which British Imperial Policies References Federal Deposit Insurance Coorporation (2006, February). The 1970’s. Retrieved on July 27, 2009 from http://www.fdic.gov/about/learn/learning/when/1970s.html

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Deming & Quality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deming & Quality - Term Paper Example Gitlow &Gitlow (1987), points out that in determining customers’ needs, it is important that the future be brought into the equation, because such needs can change, and companies should be well prepared for it. The need for the prototypes to fit certain specifications, are also worth considering, especially with regards to the suppliers of the raw materials (Gitlow & Gitlow 1987). According to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987), the extent to which a firm and its suppliers are able to surpass the design specifications and meet the customers need, is really what quality conformance is all about. However the quality of performance can only be determined through research and sales, and service call analysis to determine how well the firm’s goods and services are doing in the market place (Gitlow & Gitlow 1987). Feedback from the quality of performance surveys, may lead to changes in design and in redesigning, thereby facilitate the continuity of the quality cycle. The 14 point method of Deming incorporates the use of statistical tools, and significant changes in the corporate culture of organizations intent on achieving a quality program, according to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987); it provides a framework for action as well as giving management bases from which they can formulate plans for which they may even lack the necessary experience. Organization leaders who embrace the 14 point system of quality have to back up that strategy with a commitment to change in their thinking and behavior patterns. The 14 Points entails, according to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987), A motivated worker is one that is doing his or her job willingly and well. However, for this to happen, managers must provide both intrinsic and extrinsic forms to their workers. Most of our behaviors according to Jung, are evaluated or judged on some criterion of quality and excellence of performance, and some of the incentive for the dedicated pursuit of achievement comes from social

Friday, September 27, 2019

Global Warming and how it effects he world in a negative way and how Essay

Global Warming and how it effects he world in a negative way and how it must be stopped - Essay Example The outcomes are very severe like those of glacier’s melting as the internal environment of the globe heats up, which can cause an increase in sea level which would eventually be disastrous for coastal cities round the globe. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Third Assessment Report projected various emission outcomes, under which North America, over the next century could warm at 1-3˚C in under low emissions, or 3.5-7.5˚C in a high emissions scenario (Gupta 41). Every other country is suffering from the effects of global warming and it has become a big environment opponent. But a big issue in stopping global warming is that the emission of carbon dioxide guaranty increased economic activity and hence, it cannot be slowed down or diminished completely. A wise solution is that ethanol must be used in automobiles as a fuel since it is renewable and does not cause as much green house effect as caused by burning of other fossil fuels. No doubt the concep t of global warming swallowing the whole earth has greatly mobilized the people and they are trying any possible means to reduce its effect like performing recycling and using alternative fuels (ethanol fuel

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Aristotle - Essay Example e confronts new situations and develops innovative responses and those spontaneous overflows of powerful feelings energise his creative channels through art forms. An artist is born, but the process of his excellence goes on by continuous application. The unstoppable urge in the inner world of a human being is the inspirational fountain of art. What one thinks as artist’s imitation is in reality is his inner urge, not an exercise of trying to just copy what one sees and experiences. His contribution to the process of creating art is active and his inspiration to imitate is the pivotal point. He articulates three explicit methods for categorising art as an imitation of life. The first method relates to the art known in the most popular form, like a creation of color on canvas relating to a particular scenic beauty. Music also falls in this category. Acting is an important aspect of imitation of human moods and activities. Literature, both prose and poetry, are considered as a f orm of art. Aristotle provides particular definitions for these forms of art. He sees unity and harmony in these diverse forms of art. In the second method he mentions about the particular type of excellence of the art from in discussion. He terms this as virtue. For example, a comedy drama needs to highlight happiness and love and the tragedy must relate to the dark incidents of human life. The third method is to discuss art on the basis of theories. While articulating about the attributes of art, Socrates emerges as a philosopher with profound thinking and mentions about the essential traits of a thing and the method of distinguishing them from each other. Trait in this context has a comprehensive meaning and demands analysis and he shows his fondness for definitions to enable one to arrive at appropriate meanings. Some of the attributes in literature are: Genre and gender attributes: Aristotle tries to evolve and defend his definitions on the basis of some of the famous epics. For

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Testing and analyzing the windows of airbus airplanes and why it does Research Paper

Testing and analyzing the windows of airbus airplanes and why it does not affect by the high voltage lighting in the sky - Research Paper Example Therefore, while designing and developing plane preventive measures are taken to cope with such unpleasant situations before time. High voltage lightning within the atmosphere(Naidu and Kamaraju); negatively affect the planes and birds during flight. Below is the exhaustive list of dangers suspected as a result of high voltage lightning. Lightning strokes result in the production of immense heat energy and high intensity magnetic forces. This heat energy is directly produced at the surface of the body which is in contact with the lightning strike. The extent of this generated is too high to vaporize the sap of a tree if it travels across it. This vaporization would result in the generation of immense steam which may result in the bursting of the tree trunk. If this steam is allowed to pass through soil, it may cause plasma channels to melt down forming fulgurites. Any sort of contact with humans or other loving things may even result in spontaneous deaths. Therefore, while designing sophisticated systems, lightning protection systems needs to be introduced in order to keep the system protected in unpleasant situations as well. Lightning is always accompanied by a thunder sound. This is not only a sound we hear but it is actually a very dangerous compression wave which is high in intensity as well as speed and can badly affect anything during its flight. Chemistry of thunder is that the electrostatic discharge produces lightning which is having high temperatures that heats the air and converts it to plasma. This process takes place along the discharge channel. Production of plasma raises the pressure within the cloud area resulting in sudden expansion of molecules outwards the area. This expansion is accompanied by the production of shockwave with immense energy. This energy can really affect the flight of the plane flying through the cloudy area. Lightning is one of the most common source of natural disaster and fatalities after flood and each year

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Do people choose whom they are attracted to Essay - 1

Do people choose whom they are attracted to - Essay Example People favor what they like, and are apathetic to what they do not like. We all make our own categories, in a very detailed manner. These vary from person to person. For example, when you ask a girl her preferences in a man she would not give you a single adjective. Instead she would say something like â€Å"she likes a guy who is over 6-feet and 5-inches tall; bald; wears glasses; and looks intelligent.† As she walks along she will turn her head towards men having these characteristics. She would give a guy who is over this height a glance. She would give him another look if she sees that he is bald and further attention when she notices him reading a Nature magazine. She might remember his face clearly until the end of a day. However, if the guys she meets do not fit in these categories, she would not remember anyone of them. Another example is a director in department store. His/her expectations of a good employee is someone who comes to work 15 minutes early, does not show her cleavage, smiles at all times, and does not carry her/his cell phone during working hours. The director would most likely look at an employee’s name badge if he/she comes to work early or possesses any of the above characteristics. If an employee meets the expectations of the director, that employee gives a really good impression on the director. The director will remember that employee come promotion time and would recommend him for a promotion. People pay attention to someone whom they are attracted to. This attraction is based on characteristics that they like and dislike. For this reason, two people who walk side by side the halls of the Pasadena City College will meet the same people but would later remember not the same set of people. They will remember different people, people having characteristics fitting their own likes and dislike, or

Monday, September 23, 2019

Oakland, Illinois - a Typical American Town Statistics Project

Oakland, Illinois - a Typical American Town - Statistics Project Example The ethnic composition of the Oakland city is 98.20% Whites, 1.20% African American, 0.50% Native American, and 0.10% from other races. Latino or Hispanic of any race was just 0.90% of the entire populace (American Towns 1). The mean income for a family unit in the metropolis was US$ 38,167, and the mean income for a household was US$ 34,038. Men have a mean income of US$ 29,342 against $20,577 for women (American Towns 1). The â€Å"per head† income for the metropolitan was $15,964. Roughly 8.8% of households along with 10.8% of the population were underneath the poverty line, comprising of also 20.2% of those below age 18, as well as 7.6% of those above the age 65 (American Towns 1).The city, which was platted, in 1833, is a very small, like most, with a post office, high priced grocery stores, and gas stations being the majority of businesses. The filling stations mostly cater to travelers who pass by to fill their vehicles although the town citizens are also frequent clien ts. The city has a total of five grocery stores. The only good thing concerning these grocery stores is that they sell food, which is produced from the state alone. Oakland is one of those towns where everyone knows everyone, and there are no secrets between individuals. It can, in reality, be a good thing when everyone knows you, but also a bad thing when everyone is in your business. It takes away the privacy of someone. Another thing that can be seen in Oakland is the small schools and also the small classroom sizes. Even if, the populace of the town is small, at least the government should consider increasing the size of their classrooms in order for their children to learn properly. These classes feel literary like confinement (American Towns 1).

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Case study 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case study 4 - Assignment Example cool, fun and objects that can be used for reading different materials, Apple was able to appeal to a segment of consumers who were ready to spend lots of money for such features. The three most important factors of success in Apple are investment on innovation, strategic market segmentation and emphasis on customer satisfaction. First, Apple spends 2.5 billion on developers to create a range of applications for is products. Second, Apple focuses on one section of the market by fulfilling their needs and requirements, and in turn they do not hesitate to spend on the products. Last, Apple practices excellent customer service, in addition to a variety of quality products and services, which satisfies needs of customers and earns their loyalty. Steve Jobs played a crucial role in steering the company to heights of success, and the company can respond by upholding his strategies. I think the company will still be successful because the growth and prosperity lies not only on leadership, but also on strategic ventures, which Steve Jobs left behind. Therefore, I would be willing to invest in Apple because the company still maintains her strategic decisions and market ventures. Microsoft was not able to achieve success like Apple because of failure to design attractive products, focus on the general market instead of creating differentiation with a profitable segment, lack of strategic leadership and decision making, poor innovation and customer satisfaction and finally, lack of product

Saturday, September 21, 2019

CanGo Analysis Essay Example for Free

CanGo Analysis Essay 1. CanGo has too many activities without having specific goals or setting priorities. As they find something that needs to be accomplished, it is always as soon as possible without setting definite time deadlines. Setting priorities is one way to insure that the tasks which need immediate attention are worked on first, while other task can be delayed because they are not as important. Being able to schedule people to complete specific task requires careful planning while know what resources are available. According to the Business Dictionary, a resource is â€Å"an economic or productive factor required to accomplish an activity† (Resource, 2013). CanGo needs to make a chart showing what its resources are which includes how much time each employee is able to work, how much money they can spend or invest, and what needs to be done by when. This can be accomplished in a number of different methods depending on the personnel who will be responsible for compiling the data. As shown on the Adaptive Path website, one method would be to use a spreadsheet which shows three major criteria and then apply a scale to them graphing the results. Equally important, once the priorities are determined, is setting specific deadlines for completion of task so that the employees know exactly when a report is needed, or when another department needs a specific resource if a resources needs to be shared or allocated, such as an employee working on multiple tasks. When setting the times, it is also important to know if one task needs to be completed before another on starts or if tasks can be worked on by different employees concurrently.  Setting up a written schedule or calendar, for example in Microsoft Outlook which everyone can view would be a good tool so each employee knows who is working on what and when it needs to be done. 2. CanGo needs to find out their customer base so that they can market to current customers and bring in new customers. There are a few ways to find their customer base. This first step to help find a customer base is to make the company a brand name. They need to make the company known to everyone for the great services and products offered. This will make the company more noticeable on any search engine or social media. Another step to finding the base would be to use onsite analytics. Google is the best known option for this. This will analyze the sites traffic patterns. It shows what websites they come from, how long they stay on your site and each individual page. This can even determine what page the customers get to and then leave (Staff Editor). If there is a certain page that customers’ get to and then leave the site, than this is the page that needs to be looked over and re-done. CanGo should also take advantage of social media. If CanGo used a social media outlet such as Facebook, their fans could leave comments and say what they like and dislike about the company. This can help fix any problems within the company. The final step in reaching a good customer base is to make sure their website is user friendly. Make sure the homepage has the most important content on it and that it has easy to understand menus for the customers to navigate. The company should also make sure to look at the reviews both good and bad and leave all of them on there. By showing that you are not trying to hide anything the customers will have more respect for the company. . CanGo wants to implement a new technology that involves a new layout that incorporates barcoding and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). Jack is proposing this new implementation by contrasting the new technology versus CanGo’s current technology. Jack assures Juan that every cost has been included in the detailed analysis, but when Juan asks about how they are going to deal with the IT department, Jack replies that they need to make sure that the entire department is focus about 70 % of their time to this project in multiple locations. He also remarks that the department has to be pulled off from their current projects, so this implementation can be a priority. Prior to make the final decision of purchasing ASRS technology, there needs to be some deeper discussion as to what would happen to the security of the company’s network if the IT department had to spend more time on data integration. According to Ehow website, â€Å"the information technology department in an organization is responsible for the architecture, hardware, software and networking of computers† meaning that putting the IT department full time on the implementation of ASRS technology, can cause improper function of the mainly IT department functions, for instance, server maintenance (Kelchner, n. d. ). Agreeing to Wisegeek website statement, â€Å"if maintenance is not conducted on a computer network, regardless of whether the network is small or large, pplication software usually will not run as well as expected. In some cases, a network may even experience total or partial network failure if proper maintenance is not conducted. † Jack’s proposal can cause CanGo extra costs that have not been accountable for and put the entire company’s network at risk (server maintenance, n. d. ). In other to make this analysis effective, Jack should meet up with the IT department first and discuss how the implementation of this new technology will impact IT’s current work schedule. Jack and the IT department need to come with a plan that includes a work schedule for the new implementation without interrupting current projects. Therefore, if extra hours are demanded to complete the implementation whether CanGo will pay overtime to the IT department employees or temporary IT employees will be hired, this cost has to be added to the analysis. When choosing a strategy, every single department that is involved in the implementation should be contacted and informed about the project prior to present the final analysis.  It seems that Jack didn’t contact or discuss the implementation of ASRS technology with the IT department. 4. CanGo consumer buying process is in question when one of CanGo’s employee shares an elevated statistic that reveals over 75% of online shoppers don’t end up buying the products that they have selected in the website; as a result, Andrew replies that CanGo’s website mirrors the consumers choice by applying product recognition, informative search, alternating evaluation, etc. It seems that CanGo does not have an ongoing method for tracking hits vs. purchases on their website. The problem is that CanGo is not evaluating their consumer buying process properly. Andrew clearly wonders if that high statistic applies to CanGo clients. According to Aspire website, â€Å"using website metrics and tracking your leads and conversions should play a vital role in measuring what’s working and what’s not on your company’s website. Building up a history of metrics will enable you to identify trends and opportunities, analyze your traffic data to consistently improve your site’s effectiveness, and monitor your lead generation process, conversion rates, and your return on investment. CanGo should invest in website metrics because this will allow CanGo to conduct proper follow up that will confirm if the implemented consumer buying process is satisfactory (Website metrics, n. d. ). 5. CanGo needs to monitor the changes in purchases so that they can modify their marketing strategy. There are a few ways that CanGo can monitor changes. The company should start using web bugs on their site. A web bug is a graphic in a website or a graphic-enabled e-mail message. The Web bug can confirm when the message or page is viewed and record the IP address of the viewer (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse). This can help determine how many people are viewing their homepage and any other page on their site. CanGo can also apply direct marketing to their site. Direct marketing is a sales pitch targeted to a person based on prior consumer choices (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse). An example would be if the customer buys a romantic novel, then there will be suggestions for other romantic novels in a similar nature. Another method CanGo can use is behavioral marketing. Behavioral Marketing is the practice of collecting and compiling a record of individuals online activities, interests, preferences, and/or communications over time. Companies engaged in behavioral targeting routinely monitor individuals, the searches they make, the pages they visit, the content they view, their interactions on social networking sites, and the products and services they purchase (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse). After they have done the tracking they are able to show advertisements to the customers based on their behavior. This type of marketing is used through cookies, flash cookies, device fingerprinting and many other technologies. Whenever the customer goes to websites or social media that have advertisements on the side, the company’s ad would be there if the services were something that interested the customer. 6. CanGo seems to lack knowledge of unfamiliar territory. Since the online entertainment market is becoming saturated with entrepreneurs entering the industry, CanGo can definitely benefit from researching this particular market before they enter it. There are many reasons for any company that’s entering a new market to research it first. One reason is because it’s a way of keeping up with market trends, and in today’s fast paced world it’s paramount to stay on top of the industry and business trends. Lacking knowledge of unfamiliar territory can be extremely costly to an organization. Expanding into a new market involves a great deal of market research in addition to target customers. CanGo needs to develop an in-depth understanding of market growth rates, forecasted demand, competitors, and potential barriers to entry. CanGo isn’t entering a relatively undefined market, however, its new territory for the company. Needless to say maintaining a competitive edge is an important aspect of management today because organizations exist in a more global environment than in the past. Within most industries organizations compete with other companies that are able to provide the same goods and services. According to Steve Jobs, â€Å"Some people say, ‘give the customers what they want. ’ But that’s not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, ‘if I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, ‘A faster horse! ’’ People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. That’s why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page. † This was a pretty controversial quote but it was how he actually felt. Unfortunately, although he was extremely successful and considered a genius by many there we’re times in his career where understanding customers’ wants could have led to even more success, such as with his computing company NeXT. There are both and cons to researching a market before entering but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. researching your market is also very vital to understanding your target market and increasing sales. There are many reasons for CanGo to conduct research on a market they’re entering, for instance, identifying potential customers. It’s important who will be using your product or service. Are they male or female? How old they are? and so on. It’s also important to understand CanGo’s existing customers such as; why would customers choose their product over their competition. A market should be prioritized based on the strategic fit and the ability for CanGo to serve them. CanGo should be able to answer questions like: Are there gaps in this marketplace that can be filled? If so can they do better than their competitors? What value can they deliver to this market and how much are they willing to pay for it? (Isaacson, 2011).

Friday, September 20, 2019

A Case Study About Healthcare Leadership

A Case Study About Healthcare Leadership Effective leadership is essential in health care organisations as in other organisations. It is necessary for driving innovation, effective patient care, patient safety, improving working within clinical teams, sorting out issues within emergency context and other aspects necessary for effective and efficient running of healthcare organisations. Transformational leadership has often been prescribed as the gold standard of healthcare leadership(Gopee and Galloway 2009).This essay sets out to: briefly discuss the concept of leadership; highlight why leadership is important in healthcare; make a distinction between the closely-related concepts of leadership and management; briefly highlight how power relates to leadership; describe some leadership approaches applicable within the context of healthcare organisations; describe leadership styles visible in healthcare; present a case study set in a teaching hospital practice setting in Africa ; critically assess the leadership approaches operating within the setting and its effect on organisational performance ;and make recommendations on improving leadership practice within the specified setting. What is leadership? Leadership can be defined as the ability of an individual to influence a group of people to achieve a goal(Bryman 1992).It is also noted that leadership can have four possible meanings, namely: the activity of leading; the body of people who lead a group; the status of the leader; and the ability to lead'(Gopee and Galloway 2009). Kouzes and Posner (2007) suggest some characteristics of an effective leader namely to: be more effective in meeting job-related demands; be more successful in representing their units in upper management; create higher performing teams; foster renewed loyalty and commitment; increase motivational levels and willingness to work hard; and possess high degree of personal integrity. Why leadership in healthcare? Effective leadership and management has been found to contribute to efficiency of health care services, performance (McColl-Kennedy and Anderson 2002) and satisfaction of staff employed within them.(Bradley and Alimo-Metcalfe 2008) researched the causal relationship between leadership behaviours and the performance and productivity of staff and found that engaging leadership improved employee engagement and performance. (Morrison, Jones et al. 1997) studied the relationship between leadership style, empowerment, and job satisfaction on nursing staff at a regional medical centre. They used Basss Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire to measure leadership style, items from Spreitzers Psychological Empowerment instrument to measure empowerment, and the Warr, Cook, and Walls job satisfaction questionnaire to measure job satisfaction. The authors found that both transformational and transactional leadership were positively associated with job satisfaction. Some other researchers reported that good leadership skills impacted on patient safety and quality of care (Corrigan, Lickey et al. 2000; Firth-Cozens and Mowbray 2001; Mohr, Abelson et al. 2002).Furthermore, leadership skills are essential in the world of public health policy and leadership is one of the core competencies required of public health trainees(Faculty of Public Health 2010). Leadership versus management Relevant to this discourse is making a distinction between leadership and management. They are two similar but distinct concepts. Management is seen as seeking order and maintaining stability while leadership is seen as seeking adaptive and constructive change. Leadership in the healthcare context aims to influence practitioners towards the achievement of the common goal of quality patient care. On the other hand, management as a process coordinates and directs the activities of an organisation to ensure it achieves its set objectives. Management ensures healthcare resources (human such as doctors, nurses and clerical staff and non-human resources like medical devices and consumables) are utilised in an efficient way whilst delivering effective healthcare service(Gopee and Galloway 2009). However, leadership is known to be complementary to management (Kotter 1999; Zaleznik 2004). Leadership theories and styles in healthcare A number of theoretical leadership approaches can be applied within healthcare .However, not all aspects fit in perfectly into healthcare, and thus some adaptation may be required. Transformational leadership Transformational leadership is a widely advocated approach for healthcare. Transformational leadership is one of the contemporary leadership approaches that are concerned with how an individual influences others in a group in other to achieve a common goal .Transformational leaders seek to accomplish greater pursuits within an organisation by inspiring other members of the group to share their vision for the organisation. Transformational leaders motivate and raise the morality of their followers and help them reach their fullest potential. Mohandas Gandhi Nelson Mandela have been cited as transformational leaders(Northouse 2007). In an organisational context, a transformational leader is one who attempts to change the organisations values in order to portray a standard of fairness and justice while in the process emerging with a better set of moral values. Transformational leadership is about the collective good of an organisation; it is expected to bring about organisational change .It aims to inspire commitment to the organisations vision and ideals .In healthcare, teams of health care professionals are inspired to achieve the highest quality of patient care irrespective of limiting situations (Gopee and Galloway 2009). The concept of transformational approach of leadership was popularised by the political sociologist, leadership expert, and presidential biographer- James Macgregor Burns in his seminal work Leadership written in 1978. In this book, he described the leadership styles of some political leaders. Bernard Bass widely cited in leadership literature built on the work of Burns and argued that leadership is an influence process which motivates followers to perform above their expected output by raising the followers level of consciousness about the importance and values of the shared goals, operating beyond their self-interests and addressing higher level needs'(Bass 1985). He also suggested that transformational and transactional leadership models where a continuum rather than mutually exclusive entities. Four qualities or behavioural have been widely cited as the leadership factors which are an integral part of transformational leadership- the 4 IS(Bass 1985; Avolio, Waldman et al. 1991) namely: idealised influence-describes the ability of the leader to act as role model s whose followers emulate. This factor is sometimes mentioned as being the same as charisma; inspirational motivation-the ability to inspire the members of the group to become integrated with the vision of the organisation while transcending their own self-interest ; intellectual stimulation-the stimulation of creativity and innovation in the followers so that they are able to discover and develop new ways of sorting out issues within the organisation as they arise; and individualised consideration-portrays the need for leaders to recognise the strength and weakness of each member of the group foster on the development of followers and help each in the achievement of goals through personal development. Transactional leadership, on the other hand, is one based on reward for performance. A transactional leader is described by (Bass 1985)as one who prefers a leader-member exchange relationship, in which the leader meets the needs of the followers in exchange for meeting basic expectations. In essence, a transactional leader has a penchant for avoiding risks and is able to build confidence in subordinates to allow them to achieve goals. The transactional leadership construct has three components: Contingent reward -clarifies what is expected from followers and what they will receive if they meet expectations. Active management by exception- focuses on monitoring tasks and arising problems and correcting these to maintain current performance. Passive -Avoidant Leadership-reacts only after problems become serious and often avoids decision-making(Avolio, Bass et al. 1999). Connective leadership is a theory based on the premise that establishing alliance with other organisations via networking is essential to the success of an organisation. Collaboration between different clinical teams within a hospital and with other health care organisations and service industry exemplifies this.(Klakovich 1994) suggests that empowering staff at all levels facilitates the collaboration and synergism needed in the reformed health care environment of the future. Distributed leadership Clinical leadership Leading change in the University College Hospital Ibadan: a failed effort in transformation? Healthcare in Nigeria is faced with enormous challenges. The University College Hospital Ibadan was established in 1948 is the foremost tertiary hospital in Nigeria. It is basically organised as a public sector organisation whose primary goal is to provide the best available healthcare service in the western region and the country as a whole. Funding is from the Federal Government and its activities are regulated by the Federal Ministry of Health which is also responsible for the implementing healthcare policies. However, a private section of the hospital was established recently modelling the prevalence of internal markets currently prevailing within healthcare. Currently, the University College Hospital produces 1 in every 5 physician in the nation. It was initially commissioned with 500 bed spaces but has now grown to a 850 bed hospital. The current average bed occupancy ranges from 60-70%. The hospital board of management comprises: the Chairman the Chief Medical Director; the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee; the Secretary of the Board; representatives of public interest; representative of the Nigerian Medical Association; representative of the State Government; representative of the University of Ibadan Senate; representative of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan; and the Provost of the College of Medicine. The organisation has three principal officers but the day -to -day running of the hospital falls on the Chief Medical Director who demonstrates some attributes of transformational leadership in order to bring about change . Vision To be the flagship tertiary health care institution in the  West Africa  sub-region, offering world-class training, research and services, and the first choice for seeking specialist health care in a conducive atmosphere, renowned for a culture of continuing and compassionate care'(University College Hospital Ibadan 2009). Mission Statement Rendering excellent, prompt, affordable, and accessible health care in an environment that promotes hope and dignity, irrespective of status, and developing high quality health personnel in an atmosphere that stimulates excellent and relevant research. (University College Hospital Ibadan 2009). The Chief Medical Director is an assigned leader-one whose leadership is based on formal position and legitimate authority .His appointment by the Federal Government in 2003 was proposed to be vital contribute to the improvement of the hospital. A trained obstetrician, he participates actively in the care of pregnant women. With increasing satisfaction of healthcare staff, patient satisfaction rates began increase. A new magnetic resonance imaging ,centre, cancer treatment and research centre.new innovationsthe bank to collect..Satellite pharmacies were established in order to reduce the time and effort spent by staff in getting patient medications. staff development through exchange programmes, establishment of day care centres.shows his entrepreneurial qualities. Despite it all, mortality rates remain high, medical errors are frequent, post operative patients developed infections frequently and physicians were verbally and physically abused by patient relatives. Private patients get more attention from the junior doctors and other specialist consultants. It has now been found wanting in serving the needs of the local population. Repeated nurses strike ,junior workers strike .. SWOT analysis of the University College Hospital Ibadan Strengths Weaknesses Fairly well-equipped operating theatres Large newly renovated and well-built hospital blocks Excellent medical microbiology services, including HIV testing Residential accommodation for house officers and other specialist trainees Strong alliance with international organisations for infectious diseases research Expensive laboratory services Relative shortage of medical staff Politicisation of board of management appointments Weak administrative set-up Expensive pharmacy services Inadequate funding Delay in staff remuneration Few opportunities for exchange programmes for students and residents Inadequate supply of electricity Opportunities Threats Federal Governments commitment to the development of tertiary care More research funding Competition from existing private and missionary hospitals Incessant industrial actions embarked upon by nursing staff, physicians and support staff Critical analysis of the leadership approach in Despite recognition that transformational leadership has some positive benefits, it is particularly difficult to act out within public services organizations Frederickson 1996 cited in (Currie 2005).Though with its own merits, the view that transformational leadership is the solution for healthcare leadership has been criticised. While there are advantages of using the transformational approach, it is not a universal panacea. Transformational leadership alone cannot account for effective outcomes in this health care organisation. Other aspects like of organisational behaviour such as management practices, knowledge management, and organisational culture are also key determinants. A US study of 370 hospitals explored the relationship between leadership, quality and knowledge management and found that transformational leadership is fully mediated by knowledge responsiveness in its effect on organisational performance (Gowen, Henagan et al. 2009). Effective knowledge management is thus strong confounder in the relationship between leadership and organisational performance. In relation to organisational culture, there is also a link between hospital and ward culture with patient outcomes. Research has shown that hospitals with a strong hand-washing policy and practice recorded fewer infections. Transformational leadership, while focusing on change, may not be in consonance with performance management needed for accountability in healthcare(Firth-Cozens and Mowbray 2001). The context in which a leadership style operates is also a key determinant on outcome irrespective of leadership style. Studies have shown the relationship physician working hours, stress, and burnout on quality of care and patient outcomes (Firth-Cozens and Cording 2004; Landrigan, Rothschild et al. 2004).Tackling job stress is thus a key avenue for improving quality of care. The Chief Medical Director needs to understand the complexity within which healthcare is delivered and translate it to his practice setting rather than trying to adopt a prescribed process. Conclusion This essay has highlighted a number of leadership theories, skills, style leadership in healthcare has been assessed. There is no perfect style or approach to leadership and healthcare organisations pose a complex setting. Several approaches may operate simultaneously. Context, political environment and social factors will affect leadership styles and approach. Clarifying the situation of a practise and flexibility is very important. Numerous challenges face healthcare organisations in Nigeria. The ability to deliver safe, effective, high quality care within organisations with the right cultures, the best systems, and the most highly skilled and motivated work forces will be the key to meeting this challenge. Conflicts still exist as to what constitutes good practice in leadership and there is no perfect set of prescriptions for effective leadership. All the existing theories merely provide a framework for which practise can be based. Healthcare organisations are a complex setting and to achieve efficiency and effectiveness, healthcare leaders need to be very flexible in their leadership .The University College Hospital should adopt an blend of different theories and styles in practice. Recommendations Leadership can be taught (Parks 2005)and improved through organising leadership development programme. It is also noted that leadership development programmes improved efficiency and quality in healthcare(McAlearney 2008). Top management and clinical staff can take these.(Kotter 1990) suggests that organisations can nurture and grow their own leaders while adapting to constant changes(Parks 2005) There appears a need for leadership approaches that are sensitive to a context in which there are significant professional and moral concerns graeme.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Teenage Mothers :: Teen Pregnancy

Becoming a parent permanently and profoundly alters a teenager's life. Most of the girls forget about their dreams of happy marriage, college is almost always out of the question, graduating High School becomes a goal most teenage moms don't achieve. Young girls having babies isn't new, as a matter of fact, teenage parenthood was higher in the 1950 then it is today, but things were different. Most of the girls were eighteen or nineteen and many of them already married. Only a few of single mothers actually kept their babies. Today many mothers are fifteen or sixteen years old. Some are even as young as twelve. Fathers contribute little or nothing to the care of the baby, therefore it's even harder for the mother. All of a sudden the girl is thrown into the world of responsibilities and duties, where the baby's needs come before her own. She is expected to balance her school or a job with the full time task of raising a baby. Her world is changed from her world of dates, parties, sleepovers and waiting for a Saturday so you can sleep late, to the world of doctor appointments, diapers, baby formulas, bills, and day care. Experts say that girls have babies from lack of self-esteem. "Too often, adolescent pregnancy is what happens to poor kids," says psychologist Judith Musick. "It can be a symptom of having no better options." They need someone to love and someone to love them back. What's cuddlier and cuter than a baby is? A baby gives them something to look forward to and something that gives meaning to their life. Studies show that a lot of teenage mothers come from poverty and some of them don't know any better. There's definitely a lack of education but it doesn't have a direct relationship to race or ethnic background. A lot of teenage moms don't think that they have anything to lose by having a baby. Communities and Governments have tried to help out teenage mothers but sometimes what they do just isn't enough. There is After-School Care for young adolescents and there are community learning centers. In 1984 about 8.7 million girls were living with a baby and without the father. Only 58% of those girls have been awarded child support. Of those who were supposed to get child support in 1983, only half received the amount due.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Look at Todays Whaling Essay -- Fishing Ocean Papers

A Look at Today's Whaling â€Å" The story of the whale is so remarkable, that were there not so many witnesses, I would not venture to tell it, lest I be accused of exaggeration.† -J.D.B Stillman, aboard the ship Plymouth, November 1850 (Stewart, 1995) There is no doubt that humans have always been intrigued with the majestic beauty of the large giants found in all of the world’s oceans. Whales and people have had a long history together, marked by many turns of events. Long ago, native tribes, from many places in the world, depended largely on whales for protein in their diets. They were also able to use much of the whale for oil, thus began a tradition of whaling. The first documented whaling expedition occurred in South Korea around 6000 BC (Bryant, 2000). Whaling began with smaller whales, since humans had only small boats and weapons, such as spears. However, as humans developed larger, more powerful weapons and built bigger boats, they also attained the ability to hunt larger whales. At this time, whaling became an industry, rather than a method of obtaining nutrition and oil when needed. As the whaling industry gained popularity the whale populations began to decline. Whalers moved from one species to another as their numbers decreased to a population size that was no longer economical to hunt. This strain on the whale populations was the heaviest with the creation of whole whaling fleets. It is apparent, that although whaling has important economic value, providing oil and meat, it also has a devastating affect on the whale populations that are targeted. Conservation and sustainability of whale populations has been ignored for a long period of time, leading to possible extinction for many species. Whaling ... ...eo retrieved November 20, 2004, from the following website: http://www.orcaconservancy.org/captivity Horvath, Beth. Gray whales. Lecture given on July 27, 2004 during a Marine Mammals class through AuSable Institute. International Whaling Commission (2004). Aboriginal subsistence whaling. Retrieved November 20, 2004, from the following website: http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/aboriginal.htm Marine mammal protection act of 1972. Retrieved October 3, 2004, from the following website: http://laws.fws.gov/lawsdigest/marmam.html Melville, Herman (1952). Moby-Dick. New York, NY: Hendricks House, Inc. Misaki, Shigeko (2000). Media wars on whales and whaling. Retrieved November 21, 2004, from the following website: http://luna.pos.to/whale/gen_mis_media.html Stewart, Frank (1995). The presence of whales. Seattle, WA: Alaska Northwest Books. A Look at Today's Whaling Essay -- Fishing Ocean Papers A Look at Today's Whaling â€Å" The story of the whale is so remarkable, that were there not so many witnesses, I would not venture to tell it, lest I be accused of exaggeration.† -J.D.B Stillman, aboard the ship Plymouth, November 1850 (Stewart, 1995) There is no doubt that humans have always been intrigued with the majestic beauty of the large giants found in all of the world’s oceans. Whales and people have had a long history together, marked by many turns of events. Long ago, native tribes, from many places in the world, depended largely on whales for protein in their diets. They were also able to use much of the whale for oil, thus began a tradition of whaling. The first documented whaling expedition occurred in South Korea around 6000 BC (Bryant, 2000). Whaling began with smaller whales, since humans had only small boats and weapons, such as spears. However, as humans developed larger, more powerful weapons and built bigger boats, they also attained the ability to hunt larger whales. At this time, whaling became an industry, rather than a method of obtaining nutrition and oil when needed. As the whaling industry gained popularity the whale populations began to decline. Whalers moved from one species to another as their numbers decreased to a population size that was no longer economical to hunt. This strain on the whale populations was the heaviest with the creation of whole whaling fleets. It is apparent, that although whaling has important economic value, providing oil and meat, it also has a devastating affect on the whale populations that are targeted. Conservation and sustainability of whale populations has been ignored for a long period of time, leading to possible extinction for many species. Whaling ... ...eo retrieved November 20, 2004, from the following website: http://www.orcaconservancy.org/captivity Horvath, Beth. Gray whales. Lecture given on July 27, 2004 during a Marine Mammals class through AuSable Institute. International Whaling Commission (2004). Aboriginal subsistence whaling. Retrieved November 20, 2004, from the following website: http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/aboriginal.htm Marine mammal protection act of 1972. Retrieved October 3, 2004, from the following website: http://laws.fws.gov/lawsdigest/marmam.html Melville, Herman (1952). Moby-Dick. New York, NY: Hendricks House, Inc. Misaki, Shigeko (2000). Media wars on whales and whaling. Retrieved November 21, 2004, from the following website: http://luna.pos.to/whale/gen_mis_media.html Stewart, Frank (1995). The presence of whales. Seattle, WA: Alaska Northwest Books.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

What Christmas Means To Me :: essays research papers

Christmas to me is a celebration, which includes spending time with my family, decorating the entire house, inside and out, and shopping, for the people I love. Doing this with the people I love is what means the most to me. Spending Christmas with my family is very important to me. We usually gather and celebrate at my parent’s house, in East Tennessee. My husband, our three children, and myself travel from California. My two sisters, their husbands, and children come from a nearby town, for our celebration. We spend the day baking cookies, making fudge and preparing a big Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings. The children love to see each other. They spend the day playing games and sharing their new gifts and toys that Santa Claus brought for each of them. They get so eager to decorate, that it is hard to restrain them.Decorating for Christmas is so much fun. My father always draws a new background scenery, for the Nativity scene, that he displays, every year. He, my brother-in-laws and my husband start with the decorations for the outside of the house and the front yard. Every year, my parents add a little more to the outside decorations. My mom, sisters, our children and myself decorate the inside of the house. My mom has so many indoor decorations that they can not all possibly be displayed. We try to change the decorations, which we put out every year. The men finish up just about the same time as, we women and then it is time to decorate the tree together. The children love this the most. The tree is always real, and is usually six to seven feet tall. Most of the ornaments have been collected over the years and are very old. They have become real family treasures. We all have a favorite one that we each put on the tree. All the children put their First Christmas ornament on the tree, that I brought, as a gift.I am not usually a shopper, but during the Christmas season, I actually enjoy shopping. I rarely go into department stores, but during the Christmas season, I love to shop. The stores are so beautifully decorated and very festive. I can easily get carried away, with spending so much money. I must admit the thought of spending too much money hardly comes to mind.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Professional Development Plan Essay

Nursing as a career is about providing quality care while upholding the people involved with dignity. Nurses are thought to offer quality care to all regardless their tribe, race, gender, religion or social status in the society. Nurses are called to serve others. As a nurse I want to be the patient’s advocate and do all within my powers to see to it that I put a smile on the patient’s faces. I will offer a patient centered care and the interests of the patient will come first. (Delaney C. and Piscopo B, 2002) A person’s health is affected by many factors including emotional needs, physical needs, spiritual needs and cultural needs. Addressing these needs will be offering quality care as they all work for the well being of the whole person. I personally value caring for others and this will be easy for me. Â  Nursing entails or comprises of three parties for it to proceed successfully. These are the environment, the patient and health. The patient includes the sick person, his or her family members and the community as a whole. A nurse is responsible in ensuring that quality care is offered. This is only achievable if an all inclusive approach is used. I would incorporate the patient and his family in the decision making so that our relationship with the patient and his family is not dead. Failure to include all parties calls for negative appraisal by the patient or his relatives. The environmental factors include internal and external factors and they comprise the social, economic, political, legal and ethical perspectives. Â  A better understanding of people’s cultural backgrounds and spiritual aspects explains why some regard health the way they do. Patient’s satisfaction levels will be higher if their needs are well addressed. A baccalaureate prepared nurse has developed from a generalist nurse to a complex nurse who exercises leadership in disease prevention or illnesses. He or she is an instrument of change who can invent creativity in ensuring that nursing incorporates emerging health needs an addresses them amicably. Such nurses are leaders and change agents. On completion of the degree course one can advance by taking a masters program. The nurse will be able to better handle prevention of diseases and thus works to see a healthy community. Â  The nurse will provide a patient advocate care where care will be through collaborative interactions between the patient and other care givers. He or she will be an advocate of change and will work tirelessly innovating new concepts or ideas that will improve the current predicaments in health care provision. Such a nurse has the capacity to make clinical judgments in all areas be they industries or hospitals. They are qualified for community health nursing. Options of where such a nurse can pursue include in home care, community based health agencies, nursing homes, government and industries. A baccalaureate nurse provides competent care and is a good teacher who can organize transcultural nursing care for all parties in the community. He or she is able to use critical thinking in providing therapeutic care. Communication with other health care givers should be effective and he ought to be at the fore front in advocating for positive changes in the health system. He will be able to manage care for all parties and provide preventive care measures like educating the masses on the critical issues. He will adopt an all inclusive approach in care giving in meeting the health needs. The nurse should read, well interpret and analyze nursing practices. He should be keen in the society and he should follow the professional growth and hence a member of a nursing organization that offers such supportive background. Such a nurse will offer competent care while respecting beliefs and values of patients. (Archer A, 2000) Role transition from acquisition of the BSN will work to increased skills or attributes like unique skills, know how and nursing expertise through learning. It will equip me with appropriate skills. The BSN will help me advance in my career. My thinking capacity will be replenished through the program and critical thinking in sensitive issues will be possible. I will be able to come up with other measures that ensure that quality community health is attained. I will improve my self awareness which will be an important step in enabling me to produce culturally sensitive care. (Eckhardt et al, 2002) My short term goals will be to improve on the quality of care I offer. Acquisition of necessary skills will equip me in achieving this cause. I also want to better understand myself so that I can better understand others. I would also like to advance my leadership skills and communication skills to better link with parties in the health care facilities. My long term professional goals are to be among the policy makers so that I can better advocate for the patients. I want to be contributing in the designing and implementation of quality community health care programs. I also want to pursue a master’s degree to enhance my skills and this will see me move to becoming a nurse manager in the community health department. To achieve the desired professional development I will graduate from a RN to BSN or Baccalaureate nurse and achieve a master’s degree. I will also join an organization that will work to enriching my skills by providing a conducive environment. Advancing in education is crucial as it translates to acquisition of more skills and thus becoming better qualified to perform tasks at hand. Continued education enables one perpetuates his or expertise thus making people better of in their areas of specialization. Mentorship programs are very crucial for all nurses regardless their gender or area of specialization. Mentors help one to learn the tricks in the career or how to go about challenges that are bound to occur. (Eckhardt et al, 2002) Nursing entails a lot of challenges that see many quit. Male nurses are quite vulnerable in quitting due to the discrimination that they face. Introduction of mentors and support systems will encourage them to persevere despite the challenges. Achieving the set goal will entail a lot of studying and one must be committed to multitask between the studies and the practical lessons for instance the research on the fields. Critical thinking will only be achieved through serious concentration and losing such focus will hinder attainment of the goals. Financial constraints could also threaten attainment of the goals as one need to pay for the masters program which is expensive. Intrapersonal and cultural factors encourage pursue the program while racism poses a threat to the effective establishment of baccalaureate nursing programs. Time frame for the steps on the development plan will entail approximately 10 years. Qualifying as a registered nurse or RN with a baccalaureate will take 4 to 5 years 3 of which will entail attaining diploma education and 2 in acquiring an associate degree. Transition from RN to BSN will take 2 to 3 years and from BSN to MSN will take 2 years. References: Eckhardt A, Anderson M, Campbell E Clarke E., Pavlish L. 2002: A theoretical framework for RN to BSN education. Nursing Education Perspectives. Archer A.2000. Fundamentals of nursing. There really is a Difference: Nurses’ Experiences with Transitioning from RNs to BSNs. Springhouse. Delaney C. and Piscopo B. 2002. Journal of Professional Nursing, Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 167-173.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Church & Dwight: Time to Rethink the Portfolio? A case report prepared for MG 495 Business Policy Essay

Church & Dwight is a major manufacturer of household and personal products, including the popular Arm & Hammer brand along with well-known labels like Aim, Brillo, Nair, Oxi-Clean, and much more. Their trusted A & H trademark appears on a broad range of consumer and specialty products sold around the world. In 2011, the Company achieved a total sales revenue of 35%. Over the past decade, the Company delivered an annual TSR of approximately 19% to its shareholders, significantly better than the 1% TSR of the S & P 500 stock index during the same period, (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). However with the entrance of other companies wanting the same market share, Church & Dwight is facing some market competition issues. The biggest challenge, which the company is facing is maintaining constant growth. The company expanded consumer products portfolio over 70 brands into the existing corporate structure while†¨continuing to scout for new avenues for growth. This is no easy task as it competes for market share with such formidable consumer products powerhouses as Colgate-Palmolive, Clorox, and Procter & Gamble, commanding combined sales revenue of over $100 billion. As the world’s largest producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate-based products, Church & Dwight had, until recently, achieved consistent growth in sales and earnings. The core business of the company being the production of sodium bicarbonate. The company tried to expand its other products lines, which is not an easy task. Despite the challenging business environment, the company envisioned that in 2012 they will deliver 9-10% earnings per share growth through continued relentless focus on the 10 key areas that contributed to their outstanding TSR results over the past 10 years. In order to achieve their goal, they targeted, organic sales growth of 3-4%, 25-50 basis points of gross margin expansion, maintaining strong marketing spending at approximately 13% of net revenue, and continued tight management overhead costs. The company believes that organic sales growth will be driven by the outstanding pipeline of new products and continued strong market support of Power Brands. THE SITUATION John Dwight founded Church & Dwight Inc. Co. and now is one of the most successful companies that produces and manufactures personal care products. When the company was formed, it was not as big as it is now; however, the growth of the company has been slow and steady. The product line of Church & Dwight is diversified and consists of the personal care products. This has helped it to compete with companies like Unilever and P & G. Although the growth of the company has been slow and steady, the company has faced a few problems to succeed and this is the reason that the competition by the company has not been up to par (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). The competitors of Church & Dwight are Unilever and P&G. These two are the giants in the industry and in order to compete with them; Church & Dwight will have to gear up and ensure that the reputation and awareness of the company is created. The company can attribute much of its success to the fact that it had concentrated on the production and sales of sodium bicarbonate. Strong family control has shielded management from the problems of defending the company from takeover attempts. The company has successfully taken a commodity chemical, branded it, and marketed it to the point where it dominates the market. It has subsequently capitalized on consumer recognition and loyalty to the ARM & HAMMER brand by introducing multiple consumer products under this logo. As the dominant producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate products, Church & Dwight has faced limited competition in its primary markets and successfully entered the markets with other consumer products using a low price strategy with limited advertising expenditures. The company has gained a steady growth over the years and have to expand several consumer products. They have several company acquisitions due to its huge revenues over the years. But Church and Dwight just like other companies face several challenges along the way. A challenge against leveraged buy-outs and hostile takeovers is eminent. It is also experiencing head on collision with giant competitors such as Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive. In spite of all of these challenges it transformed into much larger competitor not only across a broader range of products but also in geographic territory. As a result, in order to maintain its continuous growth in both domestic and international arena the company needs to have the best strategy in place.†¨ Author: Cook, Roy A. pp, 35-1-12: II. ANALYSIS A. Analysis of the situation Management – Church & Dwight Company has continued a tradition of slow and steady leadership with a solid focus on long-term goals. The stability of the company’s leadership can be attributed to the fact that 25 percent of outstanding common stock is owned by descendants of the company’s original cofounders, a tradition that continues even today. In addition, the management of the company over the past 160 years has been handed down from generation-to-generation until recently when Dwight C. Minton passed on the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1995 to an outsider, Mr. Robert A. Davies, III (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). Being focused on their leadership style has enabled Church & Dwight to overcome potential leveraged buy-outs and hostile takeovers with a series of calculated actions and savvy business decisions. These actions allowed the board of directors and management to amend the company’s charter and allowed shareholders four votes per share. The board of directors was also re-structured into classes, in which each class serves staggered three-year terms (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-3). In addition to staggering the tenure of the directors, the company initiated employee severance agreements with key officials, providing a severance package agreement to provide some type of security in the event a board member position is terminated by a hostile takeover or leveraged buy-out by an unwanted owner. By providing these lucrative packages for senior management, many were able to stay with Church & Dwight. In applying the The Boston Consulting Group Growth Share Matrix, the company can be classified as a â€Å"Cash Cow† (wordpress.com) because according to the financial statements of Church & Dwight’s from 2007 to 2009, net sales and profits continued to grow relative to the many acquisitions made by of the company. In October 2004, Church & Dwight purchased four brands from Unilever, it completed the acquisition of Carter-Wallace’s consumer brands. While SPINBRUSH was purchased from Procter & Gamble in 2005. Furthermore, when compared to its major competitors, the company realized higher sales growth rates from 2003 to 2005. 2. Operations – Church & Dwight’s growth strategy relied on finding new uses for sodium bicarbonate. Prior to the acquisition spree, the company’s profits were derived from this product. The company soon began using an overall family branding strategy to penetrate the consumer markets place in the United States and Canada. Also, 85% of the baking soda market was controlled by the Arm and Hammer brand, â€Å"By capitalizing on its easily recognizable brand name, logo, and established marketing channels, Church & Dwight moved into such related products as laundry detergent, carpet cleaners and deodorizers, air deodorizers, toothpaste, and deodorant/antiperspirants.† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-6). Rivalry among existing firms (competitors), is inevitable as competitors try to achieve greater market shares to grow potential profit shares. To reduce industry competition, Church & Dwight â€Å"also have a very solid core of specialty products† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p 35-9). The Growth of an analyzer normally occurs through market penetration. Church & Dwight Inc. can be classified as an analyzer organization because according to Miles and Snow’s Cellular Organization model the company operates in two types of product-market domains, one relatively stable, the other changing, (referenceforbusiness.com).This strategy worked very well in allowing the company to promote a variety of products using only one brand name. 3. Marketing – With established US and western European markets reaching saturation, manufacturers are actively pursuing growth overseas. Church & Dwight Inc. sales are concentrated in United States and Canada where funnel it through mass merchandisers such as Walt-Mart, supermarkets, wholesale clubs and drugstores (Wheelen & Hunger, 2102, pp.35-7). Even-though the company’s marketing expenses for 2009 were $353.6 million, an increase of $59.5 million or 20% as compared to 2008, Church & Dwight are bent on reaching a wide range of people. This wide range of customers allows them to develop more and more organic products and services with large scale agreements to satisfy those demographics. As the company expands globally, markets for one region could also be satisfied by other regions as production opportunities allowed greater cost-effectiveness. Having new stable consumer products and expanded detergent offerings they found themselves in direct competition with the big players in the market. Church & Dwight wants to move into the international market but have been met with limited success. Two possible reasons for this are 1) lack of name recognition, and 2) recognition problem. The GE Business Screen – used to perform business portfolio analysis on the strategic business units can be of great use in order to boost the company’s market share, (marketingmixhub.com). Therefore, as the company expands and acquires more product lines bearing the Arm & Hammer brand, the potential for substandard quality or customer dissatisfaction could cause negative impact on sales. Therefore, product marketing is essential to reinforce brand name recognition so consumers never forget the value and quality of a company’s name and its product lines. Finance – The financial health of Church & Dwight can be characterized as being a mixed picture. Investors earnings in the report increased to 23%† and dividends on investments increased by 35%. It is highlighted by the strong upward trend in net profit margins and return on equity. However,when attention is turned to other key ratios, the picture becomes cloudy. Both the current and quick ratios have drifted downward. In addition, the inventory turnover ratio, after showing some improvement, has also drifted downward. Overall, a brief review of the financial ratios listed indicates that there continues to be room for improvement. However, the â€Å"five domestic and international consumer product brands acquired during the 2008 Del Laboratories transaction† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-5) . According to the BCG Growth-Share Matrix, the characteristics of Stars are high-share, high-growth, but limited cash flow due to investment required to maintain growth, however, successful Stars go on to become Cash Cows – business/product that have a high share but slow growth. They tend to generate a very positive cash flow, most of which can be used to develop other businesses/products, (strategicmanagementinsight.com), which will be beneficial for a company like Church & Dwight. Being the world’s largest producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate-based products, Church & Dwight Co. Inc was able to maintain a steady growth in both sales and earnings. For the past 30 years, the average company sales have increased by 10-15% annually (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-3 – 5). It is safe to conclude that since the CEO remains focused on â€Å"building a portfolio of strong brands with sustainable competitive advantages† and the â€Å"long-term objective is to maintain the company’s track record of delivering outstanding TSR (Total Shareholder Return) relative to that of the S&P 500† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2), the financial status of Church & Dwight continues to grow as it has historically achieved modest gains from year to year, with hopes of even greater revenue and sales. 5. Administration, especially Human Resources – The Company’s leadership at the top has remained a significant hallmark of the company. The Boards of directors are structured into three classes with four directors in each class serving staggered period of three year term (Wheelen & Hunger, pp.35-2). This strategy has given the board the needed control to maximize the its output to benefit the shareholders. Because of its continuous exposure to would-be suitors the company has entered into an employee severance agreement with key officials. It provides pay up to two times the individual’s highest salary and bonus plus benefits for two years. As the company widens its coverage into the consumer products in early 2000s, the changes in its key personnel was noticeable by injected a pool of executives with wide range of experience in marketing and international background from known organizations such as Spalding Sports World wide, Johnson & Johnson, FMC and Carter-Wallace (Wheelen Hunger, pp.35-3). The composition of its board of directors did not escape the changes that the company has implemented on its management. On the 10-member board, four have served for 10 years or more and six members served for five years or less. Two women served on the board with age ranging from 50 to 74 and the other six members are younger than 60 (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-3). 6. SWOT a. Strengths – Church & Dwight Company has many strengths with brand recognition being the top of the list. It is also the only producer of ammonium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate in the US. Another strength is that it has an in-house marketing strategy which very effective in marketing majority of its consumer products. Almost 25 percent of the outstanding shares of common stock are owned by descendants of the company’s cofounders. The company controls approximately 75 percent of the sodium bicarbonate production in the US. They control 85% of the baking soda market. Extensive consumer brand name recognition and loyalty (in 95 percent of U.S. households) which allows the company to promote multiple products using a single brand name. C & D has an awesome anti-takeover defenses including board of directors with staggered terms of office and voting rights that are weighted in favor of long-term shareholders. The Controlling of the production of raw materials, the manufacturing and processing facilities, and the primary marketing functions allows the company to price its products below those of competitors – thus creating a barrier to entry. And last but not the least they have the ability to build value by effectively implementing cost savings strategies when acquiring other company’s consumer brands. b. Weaknesses – Church & Dwight’s major weakness is overextended in their branding of the Arm and Hammer products. Even-though the company enjoyed success domestically, â€Å"in the international arena where growth was more product driven and less marking sensitive, the company was less experienced,† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-7), showing a slight lack of financial strength in their balance sheet, hindered expansions internationally. The primary focus on the Arm & Hammer brand name has left the company with a void in product promotion experience that may be needed in a highly competitive consumer products field or international expansion. Also, their inability to determine the strategic fit for Specialty Products Division into overall company operations is hurting the company. Top management turnover was also a problem for the company. C. Opportunities – The potential expansion into international markets is of great importance. If stricter laws are enacted it will favor the company as expanded uses of company’s basic raw materials for pollution control and potable water applications will be closely monitored. In addition, there is the possibilities of using paint as a stripping compound and an industrial cleaner based on the low abrasion qualities and environmental safety of sodium bicarbonate. The diversification of product line to include other related consumer products using both the Arm & Hammer brand as well as other brand names similar to The Dial Corp. acquisitions can also be explored. The company should expand the use of sodium bicarbonate-based products to meet demands for environmental safety. The acquisitions of consumer product brands and/or companies. Expand use of sodium bicarbonate for automotive parts cleaning systems to repl ace current solvent based systems. d. Threats – Some threats includes competitors with greater marketing and financial strength entering the company’s traditional markets. Operating in many mature markets with limited growth potential. New or increased domestic production of the company’s basic raw materials by other potential producers. The issue of potential consumer confusion through overuse of the family branding line extension strategy which could eventually weaken the Arm & Hammer brand name. Also, retaliatory competitor reactions as the company enters into new consumer product markets that have been dominated by major players such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, etc. And the substitutes for current product constitutes threats for Church & Dwight company. e. Products or Services – Church & Dwight consists of several acquisitions that cater to almost 95% of all US Households. It has types of products the household and personal care products. The company has several Brand names, Arm & Hammer, Trojan, Oxiclean, SPINBRUSH, First Response, Nair, ORAJEL, XTRA, to name a few. These products range from dentifrice, chemical agent to absorb or neutralize odors and acidity, a kidney dialysis element, a blast media, an environmentally friendly cleaning agent, a swimming pool pH stabilizer, and pollution control agent (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-7/9). B. Problem Definition The problems presented in this case study is evident that Church & Dwight really needs to make changes especially in the area of its expanded consumer products. The acquisition of several companies may have brought huge revenues but having several line of product might have a huge negative impact. Potential marketing problem may arise when company own products will be placed along with its well-known brand name and confuse consumers. This situation can also lead to a loss of marketing pull. The company’s overall corporate objectives were: (1) to maintain a steady growth by staying focus on long term goals; (2) to provide best result to shareholders; (3) to continue seeking new uses of its core products (4) to maintain and keep cost under control; (5) to enter the international market and continually seeking for opportunity for growth. If the goals cannot be met then Church and Dwight Co. Inc. may be always vulnerable buyouts and takeovers. It can also lead to loss of market share both from domestic and international market.†¨2. If the problems are corrected and done properly then the leadership in the market will be maintained and possible loss of revenue will be prevented. The objective of entering the international market may offer a better opportunity for continuous growth.†¨3. There are several reasons that this problem is eminent. First is that every market has its saturation point where products matures after reaching its peak. The company must al ways be ready on adapting to this continuous cycle of change. The search for new uses of its products must never stops. It should always explore better ways of improving the life of the consumers while maintaining and protecting the environment. Second, new product and competitor will always emerge and will not be taken down easily without a good fight. The company should always maintain their effective marketing strategy to be able to survive the continued battle for market share. Third is that limitless opportunity for growth in international market will not come easy as battle there would be unpredictable. The focus for long-term goals should always be on the mind of its key executives for this will be the foundation of their success. III. SYNTHESIS A. ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS The alternative solutions are that the company should tow the family branding line extension strategy in order to introduce new products (especially sodium bicarbonate-based products) such as skin care, soaps, mouthwashes, lotions, and antacids in order to gain increased market exposure and economies of scale. Recent launches of products such as chewing gum with baking soda are testing this strategy. Expand the limited advertising program for current niche market products to retain and gain market share. Promote products carrying the Arm & Hammer logo as being environmentally safe. Resources should be directed to testing and developing new brands to lessen dependence on the Arm & Hammer brand due to the possibility of loss of its present customer appeal. Since the company’s consumer products are competing in mature markets with limited growth potential, the opportunities available although the environmental safety of its chemical products should be tapped. For example, pollution control, water purification, circuit board cleaning, and industrial paint stripping. Generate new chemical product applications requiring minimal promotional support while offering opportunities for rapid sales growth. Explore the opportunity of forming joint ventures with foreign companies to gain access to the necessary experience and capital to succeed in international markets. Select targeted international locations to successfully penetrate and use as a laboratory for refining international growth opportunities. Continue to lower costs of production and distribution to counter competitive threats from new entries in the low-cost end of product offerings such as detergents. Acquire company consumer products/brands in order to gain access to international markets and the marketing expertise. B. RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS The best solution for C & D company is to retain the best products within its umbrella while considering the best projection of revenue that it can generate. Time factor for the company should also be considered for them to know when to retain or let go of a non-core asset. Timely decision making of its top management will be a factor in maintaining its annual revenue at steady growth. The key decision makers would play a vital role in this area. The continuous seeking of new uses sodium bicarbonate will still be very effective for the company in years to come that is why the focus on this should never be lost. The present global market is offering a much bigger area to be explored especially in Asian countries. Therefore, further recommendations for Church & Dwight for would be to implement the first alternative, delving into new product lines both in domestic markets and even greater exploration of international markets.The injection of key decision makers with extensive marketing experience abroad would be important in penetrating the global market. This option would be advantageous because of the limited financial investment required to grow already established footholds in foreign countries to manufacture and transport new product lines. Church & Dwight will be continuously challenged due to new entrants. To minimize this they should always be ahead all the time. Environmental issues will also be a major factor for them. Therefore complying with existing environmental rules and regulations while promoting its products is a very good strategy. †¨In conclusion the ultimate goal of achieving huge revenue while maintaining cost of operation as low as possible has always foremost with Church and Dwight Co. Inc. This company, backed with 160 years of marketing and production experience will have a much clear brighter path of success as long as they continue to focus on their long term goals. Understanding various cultures and overcoming societal barriers will help satisfy any shortcomings in this solution, it is further recommended that Church & Dwight initiate an aggressive marketing strategy incorporating foreign experts in business and marketing development to identify focus groups to better understand cultural differences and expectations in product innovations. And finally, this recommendation provides a potential solution to increase sales while growing market share and staying ahead of the competition. Reference: GE-McKinsey Matrix. (2013). Retrieved from http://marketingmixhub.com/ge-mckinsey-http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/tools/bcg-matrix-growth-share.htm Lindblad, M. (2013). What Is the Importance of the Strategic Audit? Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-strategic-audit-13057.html†http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-strategic-audit-13057.html Management Innovations. (2010). Strategic Formulation: BCG Growth-Share Matrix Model. Retrieved from â€Å"http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/strategy-formulation-bcg-â€Å"http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/ 2010/06/10/strategy-formulation-bcg- â€Å"http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/strategy-formulation-bcg-growth-share-matrix-model/†growth-share-matrix-model/ Miles, R. E., & Snow, C. C. (1978). Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process. New

Promotional and Advertising Strategies Essay

The author comes from Iran, with an ideological and religious fanatic government which owns and controls all of economical and industrial activities with an armed to teeth minority. In such countries they can produce and sell any low quality with any prices that they want, and actually customers have not many choices, and almost all of promotional techniques and strategies are meaningless! So here we are talking about free trade and free market countries like US. This paper review and scrutiny the circumstances surrounding the promotional and advertising Strategies for two automotive companies: TOYATA and HUNDAI. The author is very curious about those companies, because HUNDAI (1967) began car production almost 32 years after TOYOTA (1935)! But now, in all aspects both companies are equal in quality, branding, marketing, price and customer service, even HUNDAI is further! HMC (Hyundai Motor Company) was unknown brand with low quality and cheap price cars, but after it came in the US market converted its products to high quality and luxury quickly and stealing loyal customers away from many industry pioneers! But how was this late-moving car maker able to gain an advantage in this extremely competitive market? (Graf B, 2013) Introduction Definition of Advertising: The term â€Å"Advertising† first appeared in the 17th century. It has its root in the Latin word â€Å"advertere,† which means, â€Å"to make people notice or know. † It can be roughly explained as â€Å"to extensively notify the public. † According to the Dictionary of Chinese Etymology, the Chinese definition of advertising means, â€Å"openly announce to the public,† with the annotation of â€Å"such as putting up notices or publishing advertisements in newspapers. † (Yan Boqin, 1978) Definition of Marketing: â€Å"Marketing† is an economic term meaning promotion and distribution. Originally applied in agriculture, it drew more and more attention after the 19th century and spread rapidly. From economic, social, business and customers’ angles, the property of its definition can be determined (Li Zongru, 2004). For highlighting the brand in the eyes of public and attracting new customers, product promotion is one of the essentials. There are many channels to promote a product or service. Successful promotions strongly depends on believe and culture of people, style of living, income level, government policies and economical and industrial infrastructures. Some firms use multiple methods, while others may use different methods for various marketing purposes. Irrespective of the type of service or product, a strong group of promotional strategies can help position the company in a favorable light with not only current customers but new ones as well. The following are top ten promotional strategies: â€Å"1- Contests, 2-Social Media, 3-Mail Order Marketing 4-Product Giveaways, 5-Point-of-Sale Promotion and End-Cap Marketing, 6-Customer Referral Incentive Program, 7-Causes and Charity, 8-Branded Promotional Gifts, 9-Customer Appreciation Events, 10-After-Sale Customer Surveys† (Carl Hose. 2014; Small businesses; Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/top-ten-promotional-strategies-10193. html) Comparing the promotional strategies used by Toyota and Hyundai for a similar product Today almost all of carmakers have a lot of experiences and they have access to modern and new technologies. So they can produce good quality and good design cars and also offer good services to customers, especially in US, there is no way to sell any products with low quality and low customer service. In result the best promotional strategies are those that involve culture, attitudes and beliefs of the people. The following are some examples of such strategies. Green Environment: Increasing public awareness about environmental protection, governments forced to implement hard regulation and criteria for automobile firms. Toyota published on its website: 1. Diversifying energy sources: â€Å"Toyota is developing various new technologies from the perspective of energy saving and diversifying energy sources. Environment has been first and most important issue in priorities of Toyota and working toward creating a prosperous society and clean world. † 2. Fuel Cell: â€Å"By generating electricity from hydrogen, Toyota’s fuel cell vehicles are not only environmentally friendly they’re also highly energy efficient. With such eco-friendly characteristics, Fuel Cell Vehicles are the next step toward achieving sustainable mobility. † 3. Plug-In Hybrid: â€Å"Introducing the next step for eco-friendly cars; a combination of the proven engineering of current hybrids with home recharging. It has an increased electric range and produces lower emissions. † 4. Measuring environmental issues surrounding vehicles: â€Å"For more improvements in efficiency, Toyota proactively manages power train efficiency, reduces vehicle load, and controls energy management by integration of fuel-saving technologies such as charge control, idling stop, etc. † 5. Various vehicles: â€Å"Along with our emphasis of conventional vehicles and hybrid vehicles as fundamental core technology while pursuing further advancement. † 6. Alternative fuels: â€Å"Based on these core technologies, Toyota will develop next-generation vehicles utilizing alternative fuels such as gas fuel, electricity and hydrogen. † (Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://www. toyota-global. com/innovation/environmental _technology/) Hyundai published on its website: 1. Blue Drive: Our Blue Drive ® technology gives you lower pollution and higher performance. Blue Drive is a philosophy that guides Hyundai in its effort to become the automotive leader in sustainability. It’s helped focus our engineers and designers on creating lighter vehicles, developing more efficient power trains and even inventing proprietary hybrid technologies. 2. Plug-in and zero-emission: In the future, Blue Drive will expand to include plug-in hybrid vehicles, zero-emission electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles that run entirely on hydrogen. Their only emission is water. 3. Electric hybrid: Hyundai introduced the first electric hybrid with electrifying performance. Our engineers have invented the industry’s most advanced hybrid vehicle. 4. New battery: Unlike other hybrids on the market, ours uses a patented Lithium Polymer battery. It has 40% less volume; it’s 25% lighter and 10% more efficient. The battery also has a longer life-span-it comes with a lifetime warranty guarantee. So you can feel good about preserving the environment for the life of your vehicle. (Retrieved December 2, 2014 from https://www. hyundaiusa. com/new-thinking/environment. aspx) Slogan: â€Å"An advertising slogan is usually a short tagline – less than five words — that tells potential customers the benefits they can expect when choosing your product or service, or establishes your company brand. † (Kristen Hamlin, 2014; Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/ importance-ad-slogans-31343. html) 1. Toyota’s ownership slogans: marketing efforts in North America have focused on emphasizing the positive experiences of ownership and vehicle quality. The ownership experience has been targeted in slogans such as â€Å"You asked for it! You got it! † (1975–1979); â€Å"Oh, what a feeling! † (1979 – September 1985, in the US); â€Å"Who could ask for anything more? † (September 1985 – 1989); â€Å"I love what you do for me, Toyota! † (1989–1997); â€Å"Everyday† (1997–2001); â€Å"Get the feeling! † (2001–2004); â€Å"Moving Forward† (2004–2012); and â€Å"Let’s Go Places† (2012–present). 2. Hyundai’s Brand slogan: â€Å"NEW THINKING. NEW POSSIBILITIES. †; reflects the will of Hyundai Motor Company to create new possibilities to benefit the world and its people by encouraging and developing new thinking. All members of Hyundai have the brand slogan deeply engraved in their hearts as they move forward in their effort to provide new values and experiences desired by today’s customers through innovative ways that are unique to the brand, driven by new thinking about customers and cars. ( Retrieved December 3, 2014 from http://worldwide . hyundai. com/WW/Corporate/Corporate Information/BrandSlogan/index. html) New Compact Vehicle Strategy: According to the Ford India President, compact car sales are expected to double by 2018 from around one million units in 2013. This surge in demand in expected to be fueled by rising disposable incomes in the second most populous country in the world, and also owing to the increasing demand for fuel-efficient smaller cars due to rising fuel prices. ( Trefis Team ,2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014 from http://www. forbes.com/sites /greatspeculations/2014/06/13/tata-motors-looks-to-improve-passenger-car-sales-by-penetrating-the-compact-segment/) 1. Toyota: The automobile market in emerging markets is growing each year in tandem with the economic growth of each country. Within those markets, there has been marked growth in the sales of compact vehicles, so Toyota is promoting a new compact vehicle strategy that emphasizes the compact vehicle lineup and seeks to meet the needs of consumers in emerging markets. 2. Hyundai: The South Korean automaker ranked seventh among mass-market brands in the this year’s U. S. Initial Quality Study by J. D. Power and Associates, topping such brands as Toyota, Infiniti, Audi and Lincoln. Hyundai’s Accent compact and Elantra small car were named among the top three cars in their segments. (Hans Greimel, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://www. autonews. com/article /20101206/RETAIL03/ 312069982/hyundai-plans-new-brand-strategy) Financial Services Strategy: Every year, millions of people around the world transition out of poverty in any number of ways—by adopting new farming technologies, investing in new business opportunities, or finding new jobs, for example. Effective tools for saving, sending, and borrowing money and mitigating financial risks can help people weather setbacks and achieve greater financial stability over the long term. (Retrieved December 4, 2014 from http://www. gatesfoundation. org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Financial-Services-for-the-Poor) 1. Toyota: Toyota Financial Services has constructed a global network that covers approximately 90% of the markets in which Toyota sells its vehicles. Mainly concentrated on auto loans, leases and Toyota dealer floor plan requirements, TFS provides auto sales financing to approximately 5. 4 million customers. Thus effectively helping them in making their own cars more affordable to their potential consumers all around the world. Again being a strategy that helps them a stronger competitor in the market. 2. Hyundai: Through our service brands, Hyundai Motor Finance and Kia Motors Finance, we provide financial products tailored to meet the needs of Hyundai and Kia dealerships nationwide, including dealer inventory and facility financing. And, through these dealerships, we provide indirect vehicle financing and leasing solutions to over 1 million retail customers. Our subsidiary, Hyundai Protection Plan, Inc.offers vehicle service contracts and other vehicle protection products under the Hyundai Protection Plan and Power Protect brands. (Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://www. Hyundaicapital america. com/hca. aspx) Two uses for consumer-oriented promotions that could assist a company in both the short and long term for the carmaker companies What are consumer-oriented sales promotions? There are two points of view: 1- Retail Promotions consist of inducements offered by retailers to consumers includes retail coupons, price discounts, double coupons, special displays, features etc. 2- Consumer Promotions consist of inducements offered by manufacturers to consumers includes manufacturer’s premiums, bonus packs, coupons, samples, rebates, etc. There are some reasons for the importance of the sales promotion. First, the growth of retailer power in distribution channels has led to an excess in consumer promotions. Sometimes, manufacturers make special offers to consumers because a powerful retailer insisted that they do so. Another time, as a way of neutralizing retailer power by intensification the bonds of loyalty consumers may feel toward the brand. Either way, retailers frequently serve as the driving force behind consumer promotions. Second, the type of competition has converted significantly during recent years resulting in ever greater consumer price sensitivity. The growing of brands and brand extensions, intensity segmented consumer markets, and lower brand loyalty have combined to make consumers much more aware of price given that many product categories are populated by several competitors. Third, price deals have become the rule rather than the exception for many products. Rebates on certain brands of automobiles, department store sales, and coupons on many grocery items are only a few areas where consumers have grown to expect price breaks. Indeed, the expectation is more than, when possible, many consumers will wait for promotional offers rather than buy with no deal. Fourth, advertising clutter has forced marketers to find new ways of getting consumer attention. Product benefits alone frequently prove insufficient to prompt consumer action much less get their attention. Thus, marketers increasingly look to sales promotion to find ways of breaking through to customers who face a constant bombardment of promotional messages. Eventually increasing of consumer promotion can also be attributed to more pressure on marketing management for short-term results. Investors want to immediate bottom-line results rather than the long-term health or stability of the companies in which they invest. Sales promotions are tools to increase near term sales. However, as their use becomes more common, their costs become regular and recurring and therefore potentially self-defeating. (Retrieved December 5, 2014 from www. udayton. edu/†¦ /Consumer%2520Promotion. p) The strategic manner in which the leading car company has made its pricing decisions by using one or more of the four pricing objectives â€Å"The four Ps of marketing is the combination of product, price, place (distribution), and promotion. Marketers develop strategies around these four areas in marketing to enhance branding, sales, and profitability. â€Å" (Ross Gittell, 2014, Retrieved December 5, 2014 from http://catalog. flatworldknowledge. com/bookhub/reader/3157? e=gittell_1. 0-ch06_s02#). Price is the only revenue generating element amongst the 4ps, the rest being cost centers. Pricing objectives or goals give the company direction to the whole pricing process and consider the following: 1- Survival; 2- Get competitive advantage; 3- Financial, marketing, and strategic objectives of the company; 4- Enhance image of the firm, product or brand; 5- Hold price leadership; 6- Increase market share; 7- Consumer price point and elasticity; 8- Available resources; 9- Catch target of return of investment and sales; 10- Prevent new entrants; 11- Match competitors prices. Toyota gets credit for being the most known brand on the market; however the Corolla comes up nowhere in the competitor charts in terms of price, model distinction, or performance (TrueTrends, 2012). Providing a competitive advantage for the Corolla requires differentiating the car in pricing, quality, service, innovation, brand, convenience, and anywhere else that makes it more desirable over its competition (McCrimmon, 2008). How Toyota as a leading company can offer lowest prices? i. e. $89 a month for lease! The answer is: by maintaining its lowest costs. Along with differentiation Toyota also uses low cost to try and gain a competitive advantage in the automotive industry. â€Å"Toyota is (or was at the time) the low cost producer in the industry. Toyota achieves its cost leadership strategy by adopting lean production, careful choice and control of suppliers, efficient distribution, and low servicing costs from a quality product. †(Michael E. Porter, 2013) This quote from Michael Porter sums up how Toyota achieves this low cost strategy. Through research, it is evident that Toyota is still the low cost leader in the automotive industry. Societal trends have moved away from an individualistic culture—which identified social status and hierarchy based on material possessions—to an environmentally aware society (Grewal & Levy, 2012). With consumers’ minds wrapped around things like fuel mileage, cleaner emissions, and hybrid technology we find them moving further away from SUVs and trucks (Farooq, 2012). However, the 2013 Corolla is foreshadowed to be outshined by the Dodge Dart, as it loses some of its competitive edge in pricing and other award winning features (TrueTrends, 2012). By 2012 Toyota is planning to have more than 20 models that use batteries to extend fuel economy just like their Prius (Krolicki). Although they have not been as aggressive in the electric car market recently, like their competitors, they are planning to release a rechargeable version of their Prius by June 2012 (Krolicki). This re-chargeable version will position Toyota to attempt to take over as a low cost leader of hybrid technologies within the market, which supports Toyota’s overall strategy of low cost (Krolicki). Two actions that other car companies may take in order to differentiate themselves and gain a competitive advantage Hyundai rightly understood the consumer motivations to create magnetic products, price them strategically, position them sharply and keep making the magnetism more potent. Having understood the finer differences in consumer motivations, it opted for sharp arrow ‘reasons-to-buy’ differentiation over the ‘blanket-all approach’ taken by most of the other players. It is an aggressive marketer. It focuses on medium and low price products. Hyundai has also started premium products range to capture the growing market. (Anshuman goyal, pricing strategy of Hyundai, 2007; Retrieved December 9, 2014 from www. hyundai. com) The segments are based on type of customer like age group, attitude, end use of product, demographic behavior and purchasing power, status of the people of the region. Each competitor has its own strong point and value and position there product so as to attract maximum number of customers. (Kottler, Keller, Jha, Koshy, 2007, Marketing Management) Hyundai brand continues to dominate the market for premium cars, despite increasing competition. The firm should first consider the competitors price. If the company i. e. Hyundai contains features not offered by the nearest competitor, it should evaluate their worth to the customer and that value to the competitor price. Competitors are more likely to react when there is high competition. In case of Hyundai, many products are there such as Sonata, Santro, Hyundai i10, Accent etc. Hyundai continues to provide stiff competition to Honda in all the segments and poses an even bigger threat to expansion plans of Hyundai. (Anshuman goyal, pricing strategy of Hyundai, 2007; Retrieved December 9, 2014 from www. honda. com) Two examples of the most effective advertising medium for a Car company The TV advertising have been having the largest audiences in all ages, but car buyers are specific ages who have not enough time to watching TV even less than one hour per day, because they are too busy in today competitive era. Instead the internet via smart phones and computers is like a ghost became as a inseparable part of their life, at any time more than 15 hours a day, and even when they are eating, showering, walking, sporting, biking, swimming, and in any place even in high mountains and deep forests, roads and villages! Another reason for effectiveness of internet rather than TV is: new intelligence algorithms via data mining analyze the behavior of customers and put proper Ads to the web pages related to the target customers with very lower advertising costs. As a most important subject which advertisers should also pay attention to it is cultural differences, they have to be careful since cultures vary in different countries, they must understand the local audience culture before releasing new commercials, in order to avoid any misunderstanding. Another internet related way for advertising can be the online promotional games, such as Toyota’s use of MSN commercial games to promote its products, for instance. There are two interactive contents focusing on entertainment: fun activities and downloads. Both of them were found in about one third of the 100 web sites, respectively. Fun activities were also utilized to promote the brand in the sites and they are not related to scores or performance. Activities for fun included virtual test drive (www. gmc. com), virtual plant tour (www. cocacola . com), virtual auto show (www. lexus. com), e-cards (www. saturn. com), a coloring sheet (www. wendys. com), a virtual skin beauty analysis (www. neutrogena. com), and so forth. Downloads promoting and affiliated with the company’s brand were also analyzed. Desktop images such as wallpaper and icons were the most offered downloads, followed by music (Seounmi Youn, 2001, Retrieved December 9, 2014 from http://list. msu. edu/cgi-bin/wa? A3=ind0209c&L=AEJMC&E =0&P=3326464&B=†¦ _&T=text%2Fplain;%20charset=us-ascii) For the carmakers, another impressive promotion method is â€Å"complete test ride†. The buyers are very keen to getting experience to drive with a brand new car and having the opportunity to really feel its advantages and disadvantages. For encouraging the customers to more participating in test drive activities, offering some gifts can always increase the interest and willingness of then. Getting the best result always does not correspond with the cost of the advertising. So carmakers should choose their advertising media in accordance with today era. However as always, inviting stars to speak for different models with different appeals will have so effectiveness to increasing the public awareness. Conclusion Some observers suspect that Hyundai’s recent successes may be anomalies, abetted by the difficulties that the company’s U. S. and Japanese competitors faced after the global economic crisis, the rise in the yen’s value, Toyota’s wave of recalls, and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and Fukushima nuclear disaster. Others say that the company’s highly protected home market has enabled its growth, allowing Hyundai to establish a global presence while its domestic competitors restrict themselves to tiny slivers of the Korean market. But the single factor that has made the most difference is the company’s own interest in building world-class capabilities. Starting in 1998, Hyundai’s leaders set out to develop the kind of prowess the company would need to become a global automobile powerhouse, able to hold its own in the United States and other fiercely competitive markets. Early on, that meant offering a comprehensive warranty and taking specific steps to dramatically improve its quality ratings. Once customers were convinced of the brand’s reliability, Hyundai added other capabilities, such as design, which led to a more diversified product line and more stylish features. Meanwhile, it developed a knack for getting the word out through clever, consistent marketing. The result is a coherent mix of quality improvement, design, and marketing that gives Hyundai a clear advantage over its industry competitors. Although these are required capabilities at all automakers, Hyundai has excelled at combining them over the past decade, and its sales numbers reflect this success. The company’s effort to become a world-class automaker is beginning to pay off, and it’s far enough along that its story can be credibly told. (Source: Strategy & Business. February 26, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://www. strategy-business.com/article/00162? pg=all). 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A3=ind0209c&L=AEJMC&E =0&P=3326464&B=†¦ _&T=text%2Fplain;%20charset=us-ascii Strategy & Business. February 26, 2013. http://www. strategy-business. com/article/00162? pg=all.