Descriptive and Prescriptive Schools of Thought Assignment

Descriptive and Prescriptive Schools of Thought - Assignment Example Henry Mintzberg is the major focus of this particular study and his works on the same topic will be put into the account. Â  The first to describe is the descriptive school of the process of strategy making and then the study will move to the prescriptive. The various schools under the descriptive school are going to be put into the vivid observation of the study. The work of Henry Mintzberg is to be the main contributor to this. To this front Cognitive school, which falls under the descriptive school of formation of the strategy focuses on the things happening in the head of a human being which helps him/her manage a strategy. The entrepreneurial school portrays the process of making of strategy as visionary and that calls for a leader who is strong. The power school has its concentration on the exploitation of power and conflict alike. Learning school seeks a strategy to get into a process of learning in a collective manner. The environmental school has an opinion that the formation of strategy happens as a passive reaction to forces emanating from external sources. Lastly, the cultural school puts i nto consideration the cooperative and collective view of the process of strategy making. (Mintzberg, 1994 pp3, 4) Â  There are about nine thought schools for strategic management and which do not agree in their tackling of this topic. This is according to Mintzberg, Henry. They approach the whole issue differently. The presumptions of all of these schools are worlds apart. For example, the prescriptive school’s design school is the sole school to identify with when it comes to the SWOT analysis developing.

Principles of General Surgery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of General Surgery - Essay Example In a diagnostic laparotomy, the nature of the disease is unknown, and laparotomy is deemed the best way to identify the cause. In therapeutic laparotomy, a cause has been identified (e.g. peptic ulcer, colon cancer) and laparotomy is required for its therapy. Usually, only diagnostic laparotomy is referred to as a surgical operation by itself; and when a specific operation is already planned, laparotomy is considered merely the first step of the procedure. Depending on incision placement, it may give access to any abdominal organ or space, and is the first step in any major diagnostic or therapeutic surgical procedure of these organs, which include the lower part of the digestive tract (the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon), the liver, pancreas and spleen, the bladder, the female reproductive organs (the uterus and ovaries) and the retroperitoneum (the kidneys, the aorta, abdominal lymph nodes) The most common incision for laparotomy is the midline incision, a vertical incision which follows the linea alba. The upper midline incision usually extends from the xiphoid process to the umbilicus, while a typical lower midline incision is limited by the umbilicus superiorly and by the pubic symphysis inferiorly. Sometimes a single incision extending from xiphoid process to pubic symphysis is employed, especially in trauma surgery. Midline incisions are particularly favored in diagnostic laparotomy, as they allow wide access to most of the abdominal cavity.

Bic Corporation Marketing Strategies

Bic Corporation Marketing Strategies Introduction A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. Now a days, smile is being lost in this competitive world thus Bic Corporation is back with an innovation in toothbrush cum tooth paste know as Joy-Top. Dental hygiene is the most important part of dental care. This preserves the charming smile in most efficient manner. Primarily, good dental hygiene is essential to the health of the mouth which can be maintained by brushing teeth twice a day. It is also essential in a cosmetic manner. Pleasant, healthy smile makes a personality look more confident and thus makes them feel healthier while interacting with people. Bic Corporations, leading manufacturers of disposal pens, lighters and shavers. Manufacturing facilities are extensive in north and South America including Toronto, Canada, Milford, Connecticut, Clearwater, Saint.petersberg, Florida, Guatemala city and Mexico. Their products are low cost plastic items. The most affordable in their category are pens, lighter and shavers. Half of the companys production, sales and earnings lie on pens. The most prominent product is Clear plastic ball point Bics lighter is top seller in North America. It also makes correction fluid and pens and has acquired a premium pen manufacturing position. Joy-Top Bic Corporations focuses on low cost, good quality, disposable items, and innovations. So as to develop the product line of the company a new product called Joy-Top toothbrush cum paste has been taken into consideration. Pens, lighter, shavers are the daily used commodity for a common people so Joy-Top also appears in the same lane to these products. Whats new in Joy-Top? Joy-Top is a toothbrush which consists of head of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle which includes paste. The toothpaste contains fluoride which helps in increasing the effectiveness of brushing. When the bristles are pressed against teeth, in a required proportion of paste appears on the bristles internally. On an average the paste can be used for about 15-20 times. Features:- Brush head gives a great clean. The multilevel layer bristles in which the top layer act as a dental floss. As it cleans by improving gum health. Never brush too hard again when the bristles are pressed a bit hard against the teeth the paste appears internally in the bristles. If pressed more than once there will be excess of paste which can be harmful for the teeth. It is best suitable for travelers. Thus Joy-Top promises long term care. Comfort grip. Soft bristles Developing Marketing Strategies and Plan Mission statement: To provide dental health of superior quality and value which will improve the lives of the worlds consumers, as a result they will reward us with never ending smile and happiness. SWOT analysis: Strength Strong brand. Focuses on innovation. Price, Quality, Value. Marketing- Distribution, Awareness, Reach. Capabilities. Development of new technologies. Global advantages. Weaknesses Less competitive power. Low budget product. Customer service staff requires training. Drawbacks of proposition. Opportunities Development of new products. Competitors can be surprised. Business can be exceeded to overseas. Positive response from end users to new ideas. Good profit margin. Huge potential to rise in emerging markets. Variations according to season weather and fashion. Lifestyle trends. Threats Distraction from core business. High competition in the market. Unfavorable conditions due to environmental effects. High competition in the market. Global economic condition. Litigation (2011, Business balls) Summary SWOT analysis is a tool which is commonly used to provide useful information. So from the above we can say that the company is holding a strong position in todays world, keeping aside all weaknesses and threats this company can produce a product with long lasting future and considering some of the factors which are given below: Low cost Reliability Innovation Disposability Objective Objectives are the basis of policy and performance appraisal. They bind entire organization together. Objectives can also be explained as mission, purpose, which can be achieved within the expected time frame and with the available resources. (Business dictionary) Marketing objectives Target customer. Effectiveness and practical use. Research over hardness/Softness of bristles. Type of grip and general structure of toothbrush. Customer satisfaction. Product quality to be maintained in accordance with low cost. Word of mouth. Packaging to be done so as to attract maximum customers. Advertisement (Visual, Audio, Print media). Financial objectives To achieve growth in revenue of 10% per year. To increase earnings by 15% annually. To increase dividend per share by 5% per year. To increase in net profit margin 2-4% per year. Stable earnings during the period of recession. Gathering information and scanning the environment Secondary data: It is been collected by individuals or agencies for purposes other than primary research. Internet sources:- Internet search tools like Google and yahoo can help to find specific sites which are rich in information. Discussion groups, post to a chat room or news groups can help to find secondary data. Wikipedia: It helps in quick and easy search of relevant information through a bunch of Google searches. It is great for finding out basic explanation of something very important. Scribd:-It is worlds largest social reading and publishing company. Information and original written content are shared across the web and mobile devices. Non internet sources:- Library:-Periodicals (Magazines, Journals and Newspaper) art materials which are published at regular intervals. Questionnaire: They are very cost effective as compare to face to face interviews. These are easy to analyze. Wikipedia helps in collection of quantitative data which can be helpful in market research. As Scribed connects people with the information online market research will be helpful for market planning. Library contains current information which helps to translate trends into marketing opportunities. Questionnaire reduces biasness. And thus Wikipedia and Scribed helps in providing necessary information and questionnaire and library serves a way towards the research and therefore these sources becomes the important aspects in drawing marketing plan. Technological Funds for research. Potential of innovative ideas. Communication and information. Communication across the globe. Buying mechanism of end users. Demographic Lifestyle Advertisement and sales promotion Consumer buying patterns. Brand, Company image. Difference in consumer opinions. Media views. Age. Level of education. Social class. Family. Economy Industry factors. Issues regarding money/International trade. Exchange and interest rates. Trends from home economy. Market cycle (2011, Business balls) Conducting marketing research and forecasting demand Future demand Toothbrush being a daily commodity needs special attention. Bic Corporation has decided to perform and experiment in the form of a new product Joy-Top. Brushing are teeth twice a day is a major part of our daily lives, everyone wants to have a beautiful smile but brushing teeth twice a day does not mean any difference so Joy-Top with enormous features estimates the capacity of 150 million toothbrushes to be sold per annum.. Thus estimating a production of 12.5 millions monthly. Marketing effectiveness It is the quality of the marketers to go to the market with the goal to achieve good results for both short term as well as long term. An increase sale is a goal of marketing but it is a measurement of the effectiveness of the entire company. Awareness:-Effectiveness can be through website visits, traditional media mentions, and social media mentions etc. Loyalty marketing:-Customer satisfaction, retention etc. These can be effective measurements to marketing efforts Creating customer value, satisfaction and loyalty Customer satisfaction is a measurement of product and services supplied by the company to meet end user satisfaction. Measurement provides an indication of the organization been good at providing products/services to the market. (2011, En.wikipedia) Measurement 1Reliability Performance Product range 2 Quality of communication Quality of offering Flexibility Reaction time Repairing quality Information, support Availability Quality of delivery service Quality of order handling 4 3 Analyzing Consumer Market The process of selection buying using disposing of ideas, services, and goods in order to satisfy needs and wants by individuals, groups and organization is consumer behavior. (2011, scribd) Factors affecting Joy-Top Cultural factors Culture: There are different taste and manners which are being seen throughout the world. Toothbrush, the daily routine commodity is used by one and all. Now the people residing in various parts may prefer to use different paste which may or may not be suitable for our product. Subculture: This culture mainly helps in segmenting the market into various small proportions. It consists of different religions, geographic regions, racial groups etc. The needs of this particular group depend upon their lifestyle. Thus local advertisement will affect the buying behavior for Joy-Top. Social class: These are the people determined by occupation, income, education, family background and location. The buying behavior of them will be according to their piece of earning. They may prefer spending their single penny for other useful things. Social factors Reference groups: These are the people pursuing special talent to convince people for the particular product so as to increase the customers. Thus by providing practical benefit of Joy-Top can help to increase the influence. Family:-The member of the family is most influential thus the role of the members are very important for example- If the buying decision of a particular product is influenced by elderly people then the advertisement will be targeted on them. Roles and status:-There are different roles and status of a person in the society for example- A man working in the organization as a manager will play the role of manager as well as a father therefore buying decisions will be influenced according to his role and status. Personal factors Age:-Joy-Top is basically for youngster and above. Consumer changes the purchase of goods and services with the passage of time. Thus as the age increases there will be different consumers within the range. Occupation:-Joy-Top is best suitable for travelers and people having high lifestyle. Economic situation:-This trendy toothbrush focuses on all people having different economic situations Lifestyle: Joy-Top is a product which will help person to express their style in the surrounding. Personality:-Different features like self confidence, dominance etc can help to buy our product. Psychological factors Motivation:-Joy-Top can be a motivating factor so as to satisfy the needs of the consumer. Perception:-To set a better perception customer attention is necessary towards the product. Beliefs and attitude:-By launching special campaigns, customers attitude can be made positive. (2011, Business.ezinemark) Research tools The different research tools are as: Online marketing service:-Online study becomes premier data collection method for customer satisfaction research. Online research surveys are generally appropriate for customer satisfaction because data collected is quality as well as quantitative. Focus group research:-It is useful as a way to personally connect with buyers and observing their expressions and body language as they speak about the product and brand name. Competitive intelligence:-This is any information about competitors which is helpful for obtaining their strategies, strength, weakness and resources. Go to market plan:-This plan includes live market test, advertisement campaign which helps in understanding buyers attitude and behavior. Consumer buying roles Consumer buying roles relevant for Joy-Top are: Influencer: Helps in viewing influence between buyers and deciders. Buyer: Holds formal authority to select their products. User:-User of the product. Gatekeeper:-Controls information s and helps influencer and buyer. (2011, provenmodels) Stages of buying process Need:-Low cost and sales promotions like coupons, product samples can create the high need for the product. Collection of information:-Information can be collected through the sources as People (Friends, relatives, family etc) Product (details) Advertisements(Print ads, television etc ) Experiment(Using the product) Purchase decision:-Price, product, public relations can be the factors which can be consider while having buying decision. Post decision:-Physical evidence and price can be the market activity so as to confirm satisfaction to the consumers (2011, openlearningworld) Identifying market segments and targets Market segmentation:-This helps in identifying small portion the market which is different from one another. It helps customer satisfying their need. Consumer market segmentation:-Psychographic or behavioralistic are the most suitable variables to segment our consumer market. Psychographic segmentation:-In this segmentation customers are group according to different lifestyles. Variation in interest, activities, attitude, values, opinions etc helps to choose product differently Behavioralistic segmentation:-Customer behavior towards product varies due to usage rate brand loyalty readiness to buy occasions this is direct starting point for market segmentation. Business market segmentation:-The market customers are fewer in number and purchase larger quantities. There decision process involves more than one person like manufacturers, government, institutions etc. Behavioral characteristics:-This is suitable as it includes different buying status, purchase procedure and usage rate. Company type:-Company type includes industry, company size, and decision making unit. (2011, netmba) Evaluation of attractiveness of market segmentation Attractiveness will be evaluated as follows: Segment competition. Brand loyalty. Number of customers. Customers growth rate. Expected profit Target market selection Bic Company pursues selective specialization as this is multiple segment strategy for example- Lighters, shavers mainly target youth and above while stationary are targeted to all segments similarly Joy-Top targets youth and above. (2011, netmba) Dealing with competition Strategic group Big business is the strategic group for Bic Corporation. It includes business men, managers, employees, workers and many other similar groups in Bic Corporation. (2011, slideshare) Best companies in the manufacturing of toothbrush Butler gum Breath remedy Colgate Crest Dentek Dr. Fresh Glide Gripit Johnson Johnson Mentadent Oral B Plak smacker Reach Sonicare Sulcabrush Oral B is a worldwide market leader which targets children and adults. Their brushes are used by most of the dentist worldwide. (2011, Oralb) Objectives The main objective is to provide superior quality and services which improves the life of worlds consumers. Thus consumer will reward them with leadership sales profit and value creation. (2011, pg) Strength It focuses on five core strength: Understanding consumers-Fulfills the need of consumers. Innovation-Translates desire into new product. Brand building-Shapes purpose inspired brands. Go to market capabilities-Reaches consumers, retailers at the right time, at the right place. Scale-Drives consumer value and efficiency. Competitive intelligence Competitive intelligence is defining, gathering, analyzing about products, customers and competitors. Additional competitive intelligence which is required to have the complete knowledge of market leaders are: Competitors Ads-Clipping competitors ads will be helpful in collecting market material used by competitors. Competitors brochures-This helps to check out the marketing strategies, format, special offers, pricing, the key benefits and clues to the marketing segment which may be underserved. Mystery shop-Mystery shop is actually to buy their products r services so as to experience the purchases process. Internet-Major search engines can help in gathering information about them. This also helps in visiting their websites which can give important clues. (2011, Gordon) Newspapers-Newspapers can also provide major information about the market leader. Competitive strategy Bic Corporation being the market challenger needs to gain the market share and become the leader. This can be done by attacking the market leader, other firms of the same size, smaller firms. Frontal attack strategy will be the most effective for Bic Corporation by providing quality, price with low cost. Setting product strategy Core benefits Core benefits are the benefits which are being enjoyed internally as well as externally some of them are as follows: Joy-Top can provide long term care. It is flexible as well as durable. Joy-Top provides oral hygiene in low cost. It helps in avoiding gum diseases. Outer case of the toothbrush will avoid contact with germs as it is a germ free case. Joy-Top is a toothbrush cum toothpaste. So travelers need not to take paste along with them. Augmented product Bic Click one of the New Zealands favorite retractable ball pen. Sturdy pocket clip. 1.0 mm medium ball diameter. Ridges on barrel for better writing Available in colors Blue, Black, Green, Red. (2011, au.bicworld) Developing pricing strategies and programs Pricing objectives To maximize long run profit as toothbrush is never ending demand. To obtain a target rate of return on sales so as to achieve profit. To get competitive advantage. To enhance the image of Bic Corporation. To increase sales volume. As toothbrush being easily available commodity customers are not likely to be price sensitive. As Joy-Top is a low cost product demands will be elastic. Pricing decisions Internal factors: Product pricing depends heavily on the productivity of operating facilities. Increasing productivity can reduce the cost of production of each product and thus allows the marketer to lower the product price. External factors:-There are number of influencing factors which are not controlled by the company but will have the impact on pricing decision. Pricing decisions changes due to following: Elasticity of demand Customer expectation Government regulation Competition and other products (2011, know this) Promotional pricing like 20% less of the actual price would be adapted by Bic Corporations. Designing and managing value networks and channels Marketing flows Physical flow-In physical flow manufacturer, transporters, and warehouses will directly deal to customers. Title flow-Title flows from supplier to the manufacturer then dealers and finally to the customers. Payment flow-Payment is received by customers then to banks-dealers-banks-manufacturer-banks and finally to suppliers. Information flow-Information flow from suppliers to transporters, warehouses, banks to manufacturers and from manufacturers to transporters, warehouses, banks-dealers-transporters, banks-customers and vice-versa. Promotion flow- It flows from suppliers-advertising agency-manufacturers-advertising agency-dealers-customers. Selective distribution is the most appropriate distribution as it works in normal pattern where sellers stock the product in consumer as well as in business market. Managing retailing, Wholesaling, Logistics Types of retailers The most appropriate retailers are: Departmental stores:-They bear a resemblance to a collection of specialty stores and offer considerable customer service. Advantages:- 1. Cheaper price than of special shops because of bulk buying. 2. Large range of goods Disadvantages:- Lower quality of service as compared to special shops. Supermarkets:-Supermarkets sell mostly daily products as well as food products. Advantages:- Sometimes cheaper than other shops. Quality is often assured here Disadvantages:- Generally prices are higher. Variety stores:-These offer extremely low cost goods with limited selection. Advantages:- Convenient Able to compare product price and features. No pressure to buy. Disadvantages:- No enjoyment of retail shopping. Privacy and security issues. Product category risk. Too many choices. Wholesalers They are the people selling service to the third party who in turn sells the products to their customers. Wholesalers are referred as decision support system for production and distribution. They propose an optimization model to satisfy the best service at low cost. There decision support system is developed to build different aspects and suitable models for selling. (2011, article alley) Market logistic issues The product has to be delivering at the right time for the right place in right condition. Outsourcing and considerable values are the functions to be performed by logistics. A thorough knowledge of materials, foreign exchange, custom regulations, purchasing, transportation, and information technology and supply chain management is required. (2011, bestlogisticsguide) Designing and managing integrated market communications Audience targeted Bic Corporations would target unintended audience as Joy-Top is a daily routine commodity and is used by one and all. (2011, everything2) Image Bic Corporations need to attract more customers and client. Thus Bic Corporations is focusing on trustworthy business image. Although, Bic is successful in maintaining trustworthy image through the products like pens, shavers, lighters, thus they tend to serve more customers. (2011, sbinfocanada) Objective of communication campaign The basic objective of the campaign is to educate the public. The goal of the campaign is to build peoples confidence in dental hygiene and to ensure a smooth product. The campaign would consist of free dental check-ups and thus the need of Joy-Top will be shown. Campaigning would consist of distribution of brochures, free samples and promotional products. Promotional tools In Store promotion:-This influences the consumer decision making process at the particular moment. A lot of purchases are made by impulse buying. Trade fairs:-This tool helps in export promotion and also an expensive tool. Advertising:-Advertising is directly targeted to the big audience and end users. It is also targeting the players in distribution channels, importers and wholesalers. Internet:-Internet offers display possibilities and advertisement space. Catalogues, brochures, company profile can be digitalize and put on the web. It is an economic and flexible option. The corporate brochure:-Material and print used are of superior quality and thus A3 sizes of papers are used to provide required information. (2011, infomipyme) Marketing communications budget The budgeting process helps in determination of the realistic plan for profit margin; 10-20% gross revenue is projected to marketing and communications. 4% on the purchase of advertisement and promotion media including internet, TV, newspaper. + 2% producing and printing all communications including newsletters, brochures etc. + 1.5% producing special events. + 2% promotional products + 3.5% salaries, consultants and independence. = 13% Total percentage of Bic budget going to communications and market (2011, getting attention) Managing mass communication: Advertising, sales promotion, event and public relations Joy-Top being a new product needs attention in the market. Advertisements will help the consumers to know about the product and the services without advertisement there are chances of bad word of mouth and fake visual clues. (2011, financialcrisis2009) Advertising goals Goals are very specific. Generally advertising goals are made to increase sales. It increases knowledge and awareness. Thus advertising goals are: Target market to achieve Corporate image Emphasis on Joy-Top Monetary expenditure Right time of advertisement Smile to the fullest and make this world a better place to live in -a message with Joy-Top reveals. Television and internet are most appropriate media as these media are the best ways to express this message. Promotion Consumer promotion is to stimulate sales by influencing the end consumers. Bic Corporations mainly focuses in serving end users. Thus consumer promotion is the best option. Promotion of public relation Bic Corporations being a brand name already sustains a good corporate image in the market. Promotions are being done using advertisements rather than public relations. Managing personal communications: Direct marketing and personal selling Direct selling Direct selling is basically marketing and selling products, directed to customers from fixed retail location. Bic Corporations prefer direct selling force as it has its own advantages which are as follows: There are more opportunities to meet new people. Internet helps in increasing sales tremendously An unlimited amount of money is been expected to be earned (2011, improvingyourworld) Selling activities should focus on professional sales people who are well trained and ethically responsible. Sales objective To develop a strong personnel relationship with the customer in order to be successful. A special skill which is not generally seen in common people. Role of E-marketing Internet plays a very important role in every aspect of product life cycle. It delivers the highest value during the growth and maturity. The medium of searching makes internet an ideal platform for informing sharing and educating. Primary goal of internet during launch is to create awareness, encourage trial and build a brand. Online brand building and awareness can be cost effective to serve consumers because the target audience can be naturally drawn to specific online information (2011, lewis) Sales Representative The biggest challenge for a sales representative is time and territory management. Some strategy requires selling Joy-Top is: They should have complete knowledge of Bic Corporations and their product. The person should be a good communicator and influencer. The representative must know the product. The representative must maintain customer contacts in order to get feedbacks, to know new trends and to have new customers request. (2011, llc) Executive summary Bic Corporations is a manufacturing company dedicated to low cost, innovative and disposable product. The company has production line as pen, lighter, shaver. The company was formed in 1945 and has 2700 employees. The company intends to become a manufacturer leader by expanding and adding to its product line. Thus a new daily base commodity (Toothbrush) has come into consideration. Referencing Anonymous., 2011. SWOT analysis method and examples [Online] Available at: http://businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm [Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Develop specific financial goals and objectives [Online] Available at: http://www.e-channelnews.com/ec_storydetail.php?ref=411299 [Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Objective [Online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/objective.html [Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Finding the perfect toothbrush [Online] Available at: http://yogizilla.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/finding-the-perfect-toothbrush-a-lesson-in-marketing [Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Secondary objective [Online] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18789047/Secondary-Data-Sources[Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Pest analysis [Online] Available at: http://businessballs.com/pestanalysisfreetemplate.htm[Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 How to achieve total customer satisfaction [Online] Available at: http://www.businessknowledgesource.com/marketing/how_to_achieve_total_customer_satisfaction_027879.html [Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 How many ways can a toothbrush be improved [Online] Available at: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100218095845AA8jZHp[Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Factors affecting consumer behavior [Online] Available at: http://business.ezinemark.com/factors-affecting-consumer-behavior-50fc758b3b5.html[Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Oral b toothbrush 9900 review [Online] Available at: http://oralbtoothbrush.org/oral-b-toothbrush-9900-review[Accessed 2 February 2011] Anonymous., 2011 Toothbrush background [Online] Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Toothbrush.aspx[Acce

Cuba and Tourism Essay example -- Latin America

Cuba and Tourism Ernest Hemingway was no tourist, but his attraction to Cuba was much like that of the rest of America. The beautiful beaches and tropical climate helped him write novels, but he also loved the daiquiris at the Floridita, the fishing, and the adventurous bootleggers from Florida. Cuba has its beautiful beaches and fish-filled waters, but part of the attraction as well has historically been the plentiful rum and the "anything goes" atmosphere. The casinos and nightclubs frequented by tourists bring with them an unsavory element in the form of organized crime and prostitution. Tourism has its benefits, but in Cuba it is a clear reminder of the island's dependence on wealthy foreign nations for its survival, and the disparity in income between Cubans and their neighbors to the north. The dollar-based society a tourist economy creates is deeply stratified, and conflicts with the ideals of the Castro's socialist revolution. Yet in recent years it has proven to be a good source of hard curr ency for the struggling economy, and efforts are being made to expand the industry. By promoting tourism, Cuba is taking advantage of its beauty, but is opening itself to unfortunate exploitation. The Playground for North Americans In his essay Tourism Development in Cuba, historian Derek R. Hall describes Cuba in the early 1900's as "a playground for North Americans." Just ninety miles from the coast of Florida, Cuba's close proximity and near-perfect weather made it the premier attraction in the Caribbean for American tourists. Americans had always traveled to Cuba, even when it was still a Spanish colonial possession. Businesses in the United States had invested extensively in Cuba, and the two were big trading partners. Cu... ...om Tourism & The Less Developed Countries, Harrison, David, editor. Belhaven Press, London, 1992. Page 110. 14. Eckstein, Page 39. (handout) 15. Ibid, Page 67-68. 16. Hall, Derek R., Tourism Development in Cuba, from Tourism & The Less Developed Countries, Harrison, David, editor. Belhaven Press, London, 1992. Page 113. 17. Grossman, Cathy Lynn. Sea change for tourism in Cuba: Visitors find island in flux, USA Today, January 19, 1996, page 5D. 18. Benesch, Susan. Angling for tourists, Cuba hosts "Playboy", St. Petersburg Times, January 31, 1991, Page 19A. 19. Boudreaux, Richard., Cuba Hopes Its Doctors Can Cure the Economy, Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1991, Page 4, Column 1. 20. Lapper, Richard., It’s back on the road to prosperity: Tourism. Financial Times (London), March 24, 1999, Page 3. 21. Ibid, Page 3.

Discipline, Suspension & Termination

Terminating is not anything to lose sleep over nor is it a rocket science if you have done your job. There are many reasons behind termination of an employee for example theft, gross insubordination, and severe economic difficulties. When an organization let’s some one go because of their poor performance, they tend to avoid the situation as long as they can. When finally they do talk to the individual after agonizing endlessly ultimately deliver the bad news. In the end even the organization’s management feels guilty and angry and so is the employee all angry and confused.In my opinion, the organization handled the situation in a very unprofessional manner. As even the vice president did not even bother to comment on the case of Peter Oiler. The right procedure was to sit and discuss with the employee first, as he was an hard working individual who did his job thoroughly, but it was due to his misconduct after work for which he was terminated. And this led to job insec urity among the other employees of the organization, because now they would think that if they can terminate san employee so easily, it might be their turn next.The organization did win in the court of law but they did lose in the court of public and employee opinion. But, then again the organization did stick to its decision of terminating the employee and they followed through it even though they had no support of the public or the employees. The organization should have had a proper disciplinary policy, clearly stating the off duty behaviour that can lead to termination, this would have definitely made their decision easier and also would have helped them in court.The employee should always be given a second chance and if they still don’t improve or don’t change their behavior then the organization has the right to terminate an employee. But all employees of the organization should be provided with a copy of the disciplinary policy which includes the on duty and off duty behaviour and if they act against it the organization definitely has all the right to terminate the employee. Not only should appropriate steps be taken during the course of termination, but before and after as well.Make sure the employee is being terminated for the right reasons. The reasons for terminating an employee must always be legally defensible one. For example if an employee’s job performance is sub-par or they have engaged in improper behavior, a termination decision would be legitimate. As long as the organization has documentation to support their decision, they are in the clear. Secondly, before discharging an employee make sure that the organization has fully documented their history of poor performance or conduct.This will help in defending legal claims easier. An organization should always consider the alternatives to termination. In some cases of course termination is necessary, but if work quality issues, work relationships, or outside personal proble ms appear to be the source of an employee’s poor performance or misconduct considers alternatives such as reassignment or counseling. It is never easy to decide what to do in matters which involve off duty conduct. There is no right or wrong answer for that.What HR can provide is fair policies that should be strictly followed. Although terminating an employee is an unpleasant task, not to mention tricky, following the few guidelines listed above will definitely help to simplify the process and defend the organization from any legal liability. Putting some extra effort and thought into the decision, as well as indoctrinating your managers with proper termination procedures, will go a long way in ensuring that the termination procedure goes efficiently.

Development Education Essay

Individuals in society, as they grow in their respective environments, in an endeavor to fulfill their needs, encounter many challenges: environmental, social, economic, political and cultural. In everyday life therefore, they have to participate voluntarily or otherwise to overcome them, otherwise they are bound to remain in the same state or dwindle even further. As such, there is need for individuals to participate actively in the development of their communities, their nations and the world as a whole with a special reference to social, economic and political awareness. Kenyans are not facing any different situations. For example, in the education sector, progress towards attaining universal primary education, which was initiated by the incumbent government in 2003, has had the effect of increasing the enrolment by two million children. Recent enrolment gains have benefited the girls, resulting in near gender parity. Despite these gains, regional inequalities are pronounced, particularly in the enrolment of girls in the arid and semi-arid regions (Child, 2006). This initiative has had positive impact whereby the economic ability of the parents is not an excuse for failure to access basic education for their children. As the government endeavors to make this a reality, glaring issues should not be ignored. For example, the student-teacher ratio has increased, hence hampering delivery of quality education. There is dire need therefore to employ more teachers. Resources in the schools; such as text books, laboratory materials, computers among others are limited. What lingers in the minds of many is whether the introduction of free primary education was timely. Were economic issues such as the ability of the government to meet its obligation considered? If yes, would the education budgetary allocation cripple other pillar sectors of the economy such as Roads and Transport or Agriculture? May be the government would have to resort to external funding to finance its budget deficit, but with what implications? My own experience is that, the growing numbers of students in the public schools have been unmanageable with the available resources being stretched to the limit. Mature students have joined primary schools causing social tensions within the school environment. Since adult education programme is in place, such students would have been encouraged to enroll in that programme. It is possible that this was a political move to show the whole world how our government is ‘committed’ to providing education to all. Cultural issues have been a major impediment to provision of education to all. Some communities in Kenya do not encourage girls to take up education opportunities. Or even if they do, women are to play a specific role in society: to do household chores, bring up the children and take care of their spouses. It is no wonder, therefore, that early marriages are still rampant in certain communities. Some young girls fail to complete primary or secondary education because of early pregnancies. With such situations, realizing development is almost futile. The question is whether the government or the communities themselves have been or are committed. If yes, to what extent, and if no, then why and what are the implications? A case in point is in my home village, among the Giriama tribe in Kilifi District, Coast Province. Early pregnancies and marriages for the girls are rampant with little being done to the culprits. Those responsible for these ills in most cases are male adults, who are of sound mind. Hence, the noble effort of free primary education is not appreciated. In my opinion, the effort of the government and the local leaders in designing and implementing educational programmes for the citizens should involve the whole community. The adults could act as good examples, but they have to be sensitized on the importance of education to all. If the adults embrace change, and they actively participate in implementing it, less or no young girls will fall victim to these unfortunate circumstances. Social development in Kenya has also been hampered by diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The current rate of infection for HIV/AIDS is 6. 1% of the adult population down from a prevalence rate of 16% in urban areas and 8% in rural areas in the late 1990’s. This is an encouraging situation with support from the government and its agencies, such as the national Aids Control Council and STDs Control Programme (NASCOP). (Child, 2006). What should not be ignored is about the victims themselves. How does the society engage them in economic, social and political growth of the country? There have been reported cases of stigma at the work place, in schools, religious circles and political arenas. With the availability of Antiretroviral drug therapy, infected individuals can almost live their full lives. It is therefore important for individuals to know their HIV status and be proactive in prevention of its spread. In Sub- Saharan Africa, Kenya has been placed 15th out of the 48 countries on good governance and economic management with an overall index of 59. 3. This index was pegged on the five pillars of good governance: safety and security, rule of law transparency and corruption, participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity and human development. (Otieno, 2001). This could be true; however, the index used the 2005 data as the baseline hence it is subject to a variety of opinions presently. As much as we would like to appreciate this growth, the ordinary citizen is still facing enormous challenges. 60% of the Kenyan population is still surviving on less than 2 dollars per day. The Kenyan government has defined the poverty line as 17 dollars per month in the rural areas and 36 dollars in the urban areas. The country lacks robust food production and is vulnerable to unstable rain patterns. (Child, 2006). With these statistics, the country cannot boast of excellent economic growth. It is not surprising therefore that the government’s domestic debt is growing twice as fast this year to seek more funds to finance social expenditure. At the community level, joblessness is still on the rise. As restructuring of government and private entities increases, more Kenyans are retrenched, rendering most of them poorer than they were before. Change is inevitable as companies struggle to stay afloat in the market. However,  alternative sources of income have to be provided or sought by the individuals themselves. For example, the government, through the Ministry of Local Government, has initiated the Rural Poverty Reduction and Local Government Support Programme (RPRLGSP) in providing clean drinking water, construction of schools, modern slaughter houses, solid waste management and rehabilitation (Ongwae, 2007). Some of these projects at the community level have provided a way of livelihood to the people. Citizens should not wait for government initiatives to participate in development. However, they need to be critically aware of the resources available within their environments and how to utilize them for their benefit. For example, instead of retired civil servants depending on their children for financial support, they can come together, identify joint projects and may access loans from financial institutions to start them off. Political structures on the other hand are a cornerstone to social and economic growth. Since independence in 1963, Kenya has had three heads of state. Political turbulences have been evident as the country struggles to embrace democracy. The state has witnessed a transition from a one party to a multi party system of government. Government officials have been associated with grand scale corruption malpractices taking the country to economic oblivion. A good example is the Anglo Leasing Scandal, where it was claimed that billions of shillings were paid to dubious companies within and abroad. The perpetrators of this vice have not been brought to book to date. It has been assumed that the law makers always enact laws to protect themselves. A bill was passed in parliament recently to stop the Kenya Anti –Corruption Authority from investigating and prosecuting the individuals with pending corruption cases before 2003, when the current government came into force. Evidently, the members of parliament may be protecting themselves. This therefore is a big challenge to the electorate as campaigns for elections due in December this year are in top gear. Politicians are shifting political alliances by the day and forming new ones. The current government was formed under a coalition of parties. As politicians are criss-crossing the country to secure civic and parliamentary seats, many more parties are finding common grounds to merge. This could be seen as a practice of demonstrating their democratic rights, though many questions linger about the seriousness of these individuals. Hence, should the electorate vote for the individuals by virtue of their political parties or the individuals’ ability to initiate development agendas? What of the politicians who give hand outs during campaign time? Do they realize that the citizens have problems only during the election year? Many promises have been made before by the same or other aspiring candidates. The performance of most of them has been dismal or at all. When they pass bills to reward themselves handsomely in salaries and allowances, who stands to benefit, them or the citizens? Is the economy stable enough to accommodate such hefty wage bill? The Kenyan politician in essence, has been known to be selfish to a larger extent. The electorate has to come to terms with this and cast a vote for a ‘new’ politician who is likely to initiate social, economic and political change. The citizen has to be critical in this political process and participate in the voting process wisely come the December elections. It is clear from this discussion therefore, that it is the citizen who has to participate actively to initiate social, economic and political change. This has to be done with a critical analysis of all the forces in place. It could take time, development could be gradual, but finally, every citizen will take responsibility for their actions and become agents of change for a better future for the generations to come. References: CHILD, K. (2006) The OneWorld Kenya Guide [Online] http://uk. oneworld. net/guides/Kenya/development? gclid=CIHot73j3o4CFRtAgQodkThZPQ [accessed on 18. 09. 07] ONGWAE, E. (2007) Initiative helps improve standards of life. Daily Nation 26 September 2007: p. 35 OTIENO, J. (2007) Kenya in League of 20 states, Daily Nation. [Online]. 26 September 2007. Available from: http://www. nationmedia. com/dailynation/printpage. asp? newsid=107244. [Accessed 29 September 2007] Isaac Oyugi Samwel.