Bio100 Midterm Study Guide

7 properties of Life |Description/Examples | | Order |All living things exhibit complex but ordered organization; structure of a pinecone | |Regulation |The environment outside of the organism may change drastically, but the organism can adjust its internal | | |environment keeping it within appropriate limits; temperature (shivering and sweating) | |Growth & Development |Information carried by genes controls the growth and development in all organisms | |Energy Utilization |Organisms take in energy and use it to perform all of life’s activities; Puffin eating fish to have energy| | |to swim | |Response to the |All organisms respond to environmental stimuli; Venus fly trap shutting when a fly touches its hairs | |environment | | |Reproduction |Organisms reproduce their own kind; hippos only reproduce hippos | |Evolution |Reproduction underlies the capacity to evolve over time; a bug changes over time to camouflage to its | | |environment | Levels of organization in the livin g world: 1. Biosphere 2. Ecosystem6. Organs-Organ Systems 3. Communities7. Tissues 4. Population8. Cells 5. Organism9. Organelles 10. Molecules and Atoms Homeostasis- The steady state of body functioning; the tendency to maintain relatively constant conditions in the internal environment even when the external environment changes. Homeostasis is dependent on negative feedback to give it signals to regulate; when a thermostat recognizes the temp has dropped it cues the heater to kick on.In negative feedback, a change in a specific variable triggers a mechanism that will reverse the change. Ecosystem Nutrients are recycled; water, minerals, carbon dioxide and decomposed organisms are used and recycled back in to the ecosystem Energy flows through; sunlight is used for photosynthesis which produces 02 Producers are photo synthesizers. Producers convert the sun’s energy to chemical energy of sugars and complex molecules. The sun enters as light and is converted to heat which is r eleased back into the ecosystem. Taxonomy- the branch of biology that identifies names and classifies species. Names are 2 parts (binomial), genus and species. Closely related species are grouped into a genus.Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells |Characteristics |Prokaryotic Cells |Eukaryotic Cells | |Nucleus |No |Yes | |Cell Size |Very small |Larger | |Complexity (organelles) |Low complexity |Many | |Examples of organisms with these cells |Bacteria, archaea |Animals, humans, plants, fungus, protists | Domain Characteristics- 3 domains Domains |Archaea |Bacteria |Eukarya | |Distinguishing |Exist in extreme conditions |No nucleus |Nucleus | |characteristics |No nucleus |Cell walls contain |Unique rRNA to Eukarya| | |Single celled |peptidoglycan | | | |Cell walls contain no peptidoglycan |Unique rRNA to Bacteria | | | |Unique rRNA to Archaea | | | | |Cell membrane is made of branched hydrocarbon chains | | | | |attached to glycerol by ether links | | | |Examples of organisms |Pyrolobus fu marii, methanogens |e. Coli |Protists, plants, | |found in this domain | | |fungi, animals | Plantae- plants are photosyntheticProtist- unicellular organisms Cell structures common to both plant and animal cells: Ribosomes, golgi apparatus, plasma membrane, nucleus Unique to plants- chloroplasts, cell walls, central vacuole Unique to animals- centriole, lysosome, flagellum Evolution Evolution is the changing of organisms to produce the best offspring and have the best traits, leading to a better species of the organism; responsible for the unity and diversity in life. Darwin’s main point: Modern species descended from ancestral species, and organisms evolve by natural selection. Artificial selection accounts for the different breeds of domesticated dogs. (selective breeding)Natural Selection (mechanism of Evolution) |Observation/deduction |What does it say? | | |What does it mean? | |Observation1- Overproduction and competition |There are only so many resources available for species to live | | |on. When they over produce they will have to compete for the | | |resources; the strongest will survive | |Observation 2- Individual variation |Each ndividual within a species is different, with different | | |traits. Stronger, weaker, smarter, faster, slower. | |Conclusion- Unequal reproductive Success |The individuals with the best traits will be the ones to get the | | |resources and survive and be able to pass on these traits through| | |their offspring, leading to a species better adapted to their | | |environment. | Hypothesis driven science Scientific Process |Definition/Description |Example from rat experiment in Lab 1 lesson| | | |page | |Observation |Observing something |Rats at local pet store seem to all run in | | | |a clockwise direction on their wheels | |Questioning |Questioning that observation |Do all rats prefer to run in a clockwise | | | |direction? | |Hypothesis |A proposed explanation for a set of |There is no difference in preferen ce by | | |observations |rats as to which direction (clockwise or | | | |counterclockwise) they run on an exercise | | | |wheel. |Testing |Experiment |A sample of 100 rats (minimum sample size | | | |is 30) were selected at random for the | | | |experiment. They were split into different | | | |groups (control and experimental). The | | | |experiment was conducted multiple times by | | | |several researchers to ensure that the | | | |results were reproducible.Every rat in | | | |both groups was observed to run in a | | | |clockwise direction and therefore, the null| | | |hypothesis was rejected. | |Explanation |Conclusion to the experiment results-proven|Rats do have a preference as to the | | |or disproving the hypothesis |direction in which they run on the exercise| | | |wheel; they prefer to run clockwise. | Theory vs. Hypothesis- a theory must be supported by evidence. A good hypothesis must be falsifiable. Measurements | |Prefix |Symbol |Relation to base unit | |A. kilo |k |x 1 ,000 (1 k = 1,000 m) | |B. |centi |c |1/100 (1 cm = 0. 01 m) | |C. |milli |m |1/1000 (1 ml = 0. 001 l) | |D. |micro | µ |1/1,000,000 | |E. |nano |n |1/1,000,000,000 | The following are thus equivalent: 575 nm, 0. 575  µm, 0. 000575 mm, 0. 0000575 cm, 0. 000000575 m, and 0. 000000000575 km. Likewise 4. 63 kg is equal to 4,630 g and 463,000 cg. Temperature is usually recorded in degrees Celsius ( °C). On the Celsius scale, the boiling point of water is 100 ° and the freezing point of water is 0 °.The common temperature conversion formulae are:  °C = ( °F – 32) x 5/9 and  °F = ( °C x 9/5) + 32 Electrons- subatomic particles with a single unit of negative electric charge that play the greatest role in cellular chemical reactions and determine the chemical properties of an atom or molecule. Innermost shell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons. One or more electrons move around the nucleus of an atom. Source of energy that pumps hydrogen ions across the inner mitocho ndrial membrane Atom- the structural unit that retains the properties of an element. Becomes an ion when it gains or loses electrons. Composed of protons, electrons and neutrons.Proton- subatomic particle w/ a single unit of positive electrical charge. Electron- subatomic particle w/ a single unit of negative electrical charge. Neutron- Electrically neutral The number of electrons in the outermost shell determines the chemical properties of an atom. Atoms whose outer shells are not full tend to interact with other atoms- that is, to participate in chemical reactions. The innermost shells is full with only 2 electrons, while the second and third shells can each hold up to 8 electrons. Molecule- A group of two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds. Isotopes differ in their mass number 3CO? is three molecules of carbon dioxide.Carbon is organic |Type of Bond |How they form |Examples | |Ionic |Transfer of electrons that happen through |Table salt | | |the attraction of oppositel y charges ions | | | |such as positive calcium and negative | | | |fluoride. | | |Covalent |When one atom shares its electrons with |Methane | | |another atom. | | |Hydrogen |Occurs in water between a hydrogen and |Water | | |oxygen atom in a different molecule.A type| | | |of weak chemical bond formed when a | | | |partially positive hydrogen atom from one | | | |polar molecule is attracted to the | | | |partially negative atom in another molecule| | | |(or in another part of the same molecule). | | Water- 2 hydrogen atoms, 1 oxygen atom- is an important solvent in life because it forms hydrogen bonds. pH 7 because it is neither acidic or basic. Cohesion- The tendency of water molecules of the same kind to stick together.The strength of hydrogen bonds between water molecules allows for surface tension (spider walking on water) pH- 0 is acidic- greater H+ concentration, water is 7- equal H+ and OH+ concentration (neutral) and 14 is Basic- lower H+ concentration.. Carbon is an import ant molecule for life because it can form chemical bonds with a maximum of 4 other atoms. 4 electrons in its outermost shell (can hold 8), needs 8 to be stable and it gets the electrons by covalent bond Centrioles – Every animal-like cell has two small organelles. They are there to help the cell when it comes time to divide. They are put to work in both the process of mitosis and the process of meiosis.You will usually find them near the nucleus but they cannot be seen when the cell is not dividing. Made of Microtubules. Hydrocarbon- the simplest organic compounds which contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms. Hydrolysis- breaking of a long chain compound into its subunits by adding water to the structure between its subunits. Adding a water molecule to split two sugars apart. Consumes water. Changes polymer to monomer Dehydration reaction- A chemical process in which a polymer forms when monomers are linked by the removal of water molecules. One molecule of water is removed f or each pair of monomers linked. A dehydration reaction is the opposite of a hydrolysis reaction.Carbohydrate monomers are united into a polymer by means of dehydration synthesis Carbohydrate- A biological molecule consisting of simple single-monomer sugars (monosaccharide), two-monomer sugars (disaccharides), and other multi-unit sugars (polysaccharides). Proteins- made of amino acids. Hair and muscle. Act as enzymes. Proteins function depends on its shape Lipids-fats (oils) and steroids (cholesterols. Stores energy and produces other steroids. Fat is made of glycerol with 3 fatty acid molecules (triglycerides). Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell. They are organelles that act like a digestive system that takes in nutrients, breaks them down, and creates energy for the cell. Nucleic acids- DNA and RNA, provides the directions for building proteins. Made of nucleotides.A>T and G>C Polysaccharides- sugars Soften a fat- create more double bonds with carbon atoms in t he fatty acid chains. More hydrogen atoms in saturated fats make them remain solid at room temp. Enzyme- may contain the organic molecule –NH?. Special type of protein that causes metabolic reactions to proceed at a much greater rate than they normally would. Their function depends upon their three-dimensional shape. Three factors that can affect the observance of enzymes is temperature, pH and the presence of catalase. A protein that serves as a biological catalyst, changing the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being changed in the process. DNA- made up of nucleotides.DNA makes RNA; RNA makes protein Benedict’s test- reducing sugars, green, yellow, red is positive. Blue is negative Sudan III test- testing for fat, red spot is positive Biuret test- protein, pink or purple is positive Iodine test- starch, positive is dark brown or black Hydrogen Peroxide- enzyme activity (liver, lunch meat) bubbles are positive Robert Hooke- first to use the term cell to descr ibe the basic unit of life. Surface to Volume ratio (Surface area / Volume)- a small cell has a larger sa>v ration than a larger cell. When the outside surface area is smaller than the inside volume the cell cannot pass material in and out as effectively as when the surface area is larger than the volume | CUBE 1 |CUBE 2 | |Surface Area: |1cm x 1cm x 6 sides = 6cm2 |10cm x 10cm x 6 sides = 600cm2 | |Volume: |1cm x 1cm x 1cm = 1cm3 |10cm x 10cm x 10cm = 1000cm3 | |SA/V: |6cm2/1cm3 = 6. 0 cm2/cm3 |600cm2/1000cm3 = . 6cm2/cm3 | |Rf = |Distance the pigment traveled | |   |Distance the solvent traveled | | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  (solvent front will be near the paper clip) | For example, if the solvent travels 10 cm, and the pigment travels 3 cm, the Rf value for that pigment would be: 3 cm/10 cm = 0. 3000 (four decimal places) Ribosomes- found on the surface of Rough ER. Synthesizes protein Nucleus- contains and replicates DNANuclear membrane- the â€Å"envelope† there is pores and spaces for RNA and proteins to pass through while the nuclear envelope keeps all of the chromatin and nucleolus inside. Cytoskeleton- maintains cell shape, anchors organelles, and moves parts of the cell. A meshwork of fine fibers in the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell; includes microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cell walls; plant cell walls are composed of cellulose. A protective layer external to the plasma membrane in plant cells, bacteria, fungi, and some protists; protects the cell and helps maintain its shape. Cell membranes are composed of lipids and proteins; it separates the cell from its surroundings.Called the Fluid Mosaic† because molecules can move freely past one another and mosaic because of the diversity of proteins that float like icebergs in a phospholipids sea. Cytoplasm- Everything inside a eukaryotic cell between the plasma membrane and the nucleus; consists of a semi fluid medium and organelles; can also refer to the interior of a prokaryo tic cell. Chloroplasts- the organelles that perform photosynthesis in plant cells and some protists. Located in the cytoplasm within the plasma membrane. Enclosed by two concentric membranes, a chloroplast absorbs sunlight and uses it to power the synthesis of organic food molecules (sugars).Chlorophyll- A green pigment in chloroplasts that participates directly in the light reactions. Chlorophyll a-the chlorophyll that is used during light reaction and is in the reaction center of the photosystem Chlorophyll b- broadens the range of light a plant can use Carotenoids- absorbs extra light that could damage the chlorophyll Anthocyanin- protects the plant from UV damage Genes- Chromosomes are made up of DNA. Segments of DNA in specific patterns are called genes. Your genes make you who you are. You will find the chromosomes and genetic material in the nucleus of a cell. In prokaryotes, DNA floats in the cytoplasm in an area called the nucleoid. Lysosome- aids is digestion Plasma membra ne- major lips are phospholipids.The thin layer of lipids and proteins that sets a cell off from its surroundings and acts as a selective barrier to the passage of ions and molecules into and out of the cell; consists of a phospholipid bilayer in which proteins are embedded. Golgi apparatus- protein modification. An organelle in eukaryotic cells consisting of stacks of membranous sacs that modify, store, and ship products of the endoplasmic reticulum. Central vacuole- A membrane-enclosed sac occupying most of the interior of a mature plant cell, having diverse roles in reproduction, growth, and development. Aids in storage Microtubules- cell shape Nucleolus- The nucleolus is a non-membrane bound structure [composed of proteins and nucleic acids found within the nucleus. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is transcribed and assembled within the nucleolus.Cilia- hair-like structures on the outside of a cell that create movement through a back and forth motion Flagella- tail-like structure on the ou tside of the cell that helps move the cell along Food vacuole- sac that buds from the plasma membrane to help the lysosome release enzymes that digest the food molecules that provides energy to the cell. Cellular respiration- conversion of the energy stored in food molecules to energy stored in ATP. Glucose is used as food and carbon dioxide is produced as waste. Formula is 6CO2 + 6H2O =C6H12O6+6O2 (6 molecules carbon dioxide + 6 molecules water=1 molecule sugar + 6 molecules oxygen). Cellular respiration varies from breathing because it is required to share 2 gases with its surroundings and breathing shares 2 gases between blood and surroundings. Stages are Glycolysis, Citric Acid Cycle and Electron Transport Aerobic= 4, anerobic= 34Cellular responses involve transduction of an external signal Paramecium- single celled organism (Protist) with a nucleus (eukaryotic cell) and small hair-like structures (cilia) Osmosis- water moves from the lower solute concentration to the higher sol ute concentration. A type of passive diffusion where water moves down the concentration gradient through a semi-permeable membrane. Hypertonic- In comparing two solutions, referring to the one with the greater concentration of solutes. Hypotonic- In comparing two solutions, referring to the one with the lower concentration of solutes. If a cell is placed in it, water will move into the cell from the surrounding solution. Energy- capacity to perform workKinetic energy- energy of motion (muscle moving) potential energy- Energy that something has because of its location. A rock on the top of the mountain contains potential energy entropy- the measure of the amount of disorder or randomness in a situation Principles of conservation of energy- it is not possible to create or destroy energy. Can only be converted from one form to another. ATP molecules- main energy carriers in cells. ATP synthesis occurs in the mitochondrion Active transport requires ATP, passive does not. Facilitated tra nsport occurs by means of transport proteins Diffusing molecules move down their concentration gradients until they are evenly distributed.If a human cell were placed in water, it sells because water is diffusing across the plasma membrane from a region of high concentration outside the cell to a region of low concentration inside the cell. Endocytosis- The movement of materials in to the cell Exocytosis- The movement of materials of out the cytoplasm of a cell via membranous vesicles or vacuoles Phagocytosis is a type of endocytosis in which a cell engulfs another cell. A cell engulfs a particle by wrapping pseudopodia around it and packaging it within the vacuole Pinocytosis- cellular drinking Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis – the movement of specific molecules into the cell by inward budding vesicles. The vesicles contain proteins with receptor sites specific to the molecules being taken in.Polypeptide- a chain of amino acids that have been linked together by dehydration syn thesis Light reactions take place in the thylakoid membrane. Source of electrons is H? O. The first of two stages in photosynthesis, the steps in which solar energy is absorbed and converted to chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH. The light reactions power the sugar-producing Calvin cycle but produce no sugar themselves. Photosynthesis- light excites the electrons in chlorophyll to a higher energy state. Energy is released and used to create ATP when electrons are passed down the energy hill during the light dependant reactions. The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria transform light energy to chemical energy stored in the bonds of sugars made from carbon dioxide and water. CO2 + 6H2O =C6H12O6+6O2 (6 molecules carbon dioxide + 6 molecules water=1 molecule sugar + 6 molecules oxygen) Calvin Cycle- makes sugars during photosynthesis in the Stroma. The Calvin Cycle uses the products of the light reactions (which are ATP and NADPH) to power the production of sugar from carbon dioxide. The enzymes in the Calvin cycle are dissolved in the Stroma, the thick fluid within the chloroplast. ATP generated by the light reactions provides the energy for sugar synthesis. And the NADPH produced by the light reactions provides the high-energy electrons for the reduction of carbon dioxide to Glucose. Thus, the Calvin cycle indirectly depends on light produce sugar because it requires the supply of ATP and NADPH produced by the light reactions.Energy transfer- pigment molecules>chlorophyll a> primary electron acceptor Electron transport train- electrons pass from one carrier to another, releasing a little energy at each step Photosystem- A light-harvesting unit of a chloroplast's thylakoid membrane; consists of several hundred antenna molecules, a reaction-center chlorophyll, and a primary electron acceptor. Rough ER was mentioned in the section on ribosomes. They are very important in the synthesis and packaging of proteins. Some of those proteins might b e used in the cell and some are sent out. The ribosomes are attached to the membrane of the ER. As the ribosome builds the amino acid chain, the chain is pushed into the ER. When the protein is complete, the rough ER pinches off a vesicle. That vesicle, a small membrane bubble, can move to the cell membrane or the Golgi apparatus. Smooth ER- has its purpose in the cell. It acts as a storage organelle. It is important in the creation and storage of steroids.It also stores ions in solution that the cell may need at a later time. vesicle is a bubble of liquid within another liquid, a supramolecular assembly made up of many different molecules. More technically, a vesicle is a small membrane-enclosed sack that can store or transport substances. Vesicles can form naturally because of the properties of lipid membranes (see micelle), or they may be prepared. Artificially prepared vesicles are known as liposomes. Most vesicles have specialized functions depending on what materials they cont ain. Water-splitting photosystem when oxygen is produced Osmoregulation- animal’s ability to survive if its cells are exposed to hypertonic or hypotonic environment

Global Human Capital Management Trends

Change is never easy. Casino X has been working with the same mindset for many years. In the past this was a profitable company but with the globalization of culture and the marketplace, due in part to the technology growth and the internet, they cannot successfully work with an outdated human resource system. The casinos have had a transactional style of leadership; believing that the primary purpose of a subordinate is to do their jobs, create clear work requirements, and expect the job to be done without question and immediately.The leaders have a realist view of thinking and use their expertise as their source of power (IAAP Administrative Professionals Week Event, 2009). National boundaries are less important, and multinational companies treat the world as one market. Through technology smaller countries are finding bigger markets for their goods and services, creating more competition for older managed businesses (McAdams, Neslund, & Zucker, 2012). The best way to ease these co ncepts into the corporate mind is through: example, presenting them analytical data, and real word examples of how changing their views of human capital has worked for other companies.This may help them see how they can make changes. Insuring that they do not feel they must be at the highest level of the People Capability Maturity Model (CMM) tomorrow will also help with the transition to a mature workforce. There are no legal penalties for not improving the cultural climate of the corporation, but the continued loss of productivity and revenue should be of some influence. Initially, the leadership must be made to see the influence of globalization on the workforce in the country and then to understand how it affects other companies and then their company.They will then be able to understand that the benefits of treating their employees as individual assets under the People CMM will insure they can be competitive in the marketplace. A major global human capital management problem in the country is the greater number of immigrant workers; not since the turn of the century has there been a greater influx of non-European peoples. This influx has created cultural conflicts in the United States. Developing cultural understanding is required to prevent cross-cultural conflicts.There needs  to be a consistent emphasis of the value on diversity in communication, vision and strategic planning (Lankau, 2013). The leadership needs understand how that emphasis will improve the bottom line of Casino X and improve the bottom line of Casino X Macau. The leadership of the corporation will be introduced to the four cultural dimensions to illustrate how culture can affect the financial health of the company. These are: collectivism vs. individualism, power distance, orientation towards nature, and communication content (Milliman, Taylor, & Czaplewski, 2002).The United States is seen as individualist nation, primarily depending on individual task completion. Many other countri es prefer a collectivistic view, they care about the group and depend on relationships to complete projects. Understanding that view can improve communication with employees, suppliers and the customers. High power cultures have distinct structure, accepting unequal power and deference to superiors, while in the United States, a low power distance culture, all people are considered to have equal power.An American attitude is that we can control everything in nature, giving us a personal stake in all we do while those with an orientation towards an uncontrolled nature feel that failure or success is out of their hands. Communication is the fourth topic that the leadership of Casino X must realize about the cultures of other countries, most take into account the context of communication; they take into account all of the things surrounding the message: not only what is said but the surrounding context, what was said before and after, if only through email how it is said, body language , if the communication is in person.Knowing the cultural make-up of the employee base will help this leadership improve its communication with their employees. Understanding the cultural differences in communication will assist in the improvement of employee relationships and increase productivity. The introduction to the cultural distinctions and world views of employees and overseas companies will make the People CMM more understandable, and possibly increase the buy-in to the People CMM program. To achieve success with the People CMM, Casino X must first decide on which level their company’s maturity falls into.By surveying their employees they can get an overall picture of where they stand on the People CMM ladder. Then by going through each description they can realistically figure out what they need to do to improve the financial bottom line. The Initial Level will be shown to have inconsistent workplace practices, no clear policy and an emotionally detached workforce. This does not describe Casino X. The Managed Level shows an implementation of policy, but shows signs of overwork, distractions, unclear objectives poor communication and a low morale.It is imperative to emphasize corporate-wide improvement programs to identify critical skills and improve management skills at this level. This is the level at which Casino X falls. Their employees are accomplishing the job, but have no pride in it, and no organizational loyalty. Because of this they have no innovative thinking and Casino X is spending a great deal of money and time retraining employees instead of improving them. The next level of maturity is the Defined Level, they are working better but are now missing key opportunities because of a lack of talent.They will need to work on workforce competency and more strategic thinking. Level 4 is called the Predictable Level of maturity in a company. They are following all policies and completing all requirements with full trust of management. Now is the time to innovate information technology, introduce new programs and training. At maturity level 5, The Optimizing Level, there is accountability and measured improvement in the way the company works, the employees have high morale, and the financial outlook is good (Curtis, Hefley, & Miller, 2010). This is the level, the attainable star, that Casino X needs to shoot for.By showing them the tools and insuring they realize that it is a process and they do not have to get there overnight (nor should they try) they can overcome the global human capital problems they face with predictable changes and understanding. The management styles of Casino X must be improved to obtain the employee improvement and eventual profit there is to gain in the operation of the casino. Motivating these managers to work together may be a challenge. The best approach to creating change is to work with them; when you work with your employees, they will be happier to work with management.This works wel l when people want to collaborate but are struggling to adjust to the situation, i. e. a merging of companies, and achieve the goals of change. This may help to instill a feeling of responsibility in the importance of the completion of this project and how they are the key may give them an incentive for success. Involving them in working together intellectually the employees may become more involved emotionally which may persuade them that it is the right thing to do, to follow the new vision of the casino (Changing Minds, 2012-2013).To appeal to the preceding issues the following memorandum was submitted to the leadership of Casino X: The casino industry has been managed in the same fashion for several years. The autocratic management style is quite firmly entrenched drawing from the fact that the industry began as an illegal activity. In addition, the gaming industry has been clouded by an atmosphere of distrust as evidenced by constant supervision of personnel activities, such as video surveillance of all gaming tables. The industry is also heavily unionized. This unionization has fostered an anti-management mentality (Reimann, 1993).With the influx of multinational employees it has become more evident, by a high turnover in staff and lost profits that changes need to be made. Over the past several years competition has increased as well. This competition is from video, internet, and riverboat gambling, as well as gaming on Indian reservations (Reimann, 1993) and competition from other overseas establishments. Because of all this competition the employee base is becoming more diverse, and while Casino X is trying to maximize their profits, they must also recognize the potential profit in their human capital.To do this they must insure that the exchange between the casino and the employees of the casino are mutually beneficial (Chen & Chuang, 2013). Therefore, the use of change management by organizational development is even more important for a profitable evolution in management. As you have realized, you have a problem with the lack of employee loyalty and high turnover. You have taken the first steps in the process of Organizational Development in that you have found what needs to change and have retained me to assist you in the matter.We next discussed the underlying reasons: a lack of understanding the cultural differences and globalization of your competition and employee base (French & Bell, 1995). I informed you through a prior memorandum of what we learned from the data we collected. Now we need to discuss the root causes and remedies for your dilemma (Rooney & Vanden Heuval, 2004). We need to invest in the human capital of your employees; they need to feel that they are a part of the Casino, not just working for a supervisor who works for the Casino.We need them to be motivated and inspired to work. This will reflect on how they deal with your customers, and will show return in investment in repeat customer loyalty and, in t urn, profit. I recommend starting with training the management teams in cultural diversity; this would also serve you well in customer relations, as there is an increase in foreign travel to Las Vegas. The management needs to understand how to relate to other cultures and ethics systems so they can identify ways to improve communications with employees and employee communication with customers.Most important, as the Casino leadership you need to have a vision of how you want your Casino perceived: as an entertainment location or a gambling establishment. Your vision needs to be clearly articulated to your employees and should serve to inspire your management teams. Your vision should set an example your employees want to follow. I also suggest giving your employees a voice in improving customer relations and improving their working processes, both of which can be achieved by creating a team concept. These teams would consist of employees working in the same environment with rotation of team leadership.Team leaders would bring suggestions for improvement to management. An important goal in this process would state that employees could not bring a problem to the employee team’s attention without bringing a proposed solution. Keep in mind that in larger hospitality organizations an entrepreneurial spirit is more easily sustained when shared visions of management styles are part of the organization rather than only a process (Agrusa & Lema, 2007). Once we get the organization processes in action we will monitor the progress.Everyone who contributed information should have an opportunity to learn about the findings of this assessment process, maintaining confidentiality. The feedback should start with the Casino Leadership and the Management teams. It will be processed down through the employee teams to reach all who have participated. This provides an opportunity for the organization's people to become involved in the change process, to learn about how diff erent parts of the organization affect each other, and to participate in selecting appropriate change interventions (French & Bell, 1995).We will then make changes as through the creation of an implementation plan developed based on the assessment data; logically organized, results-oriented, measurable and rewarded. This will be a continuous process and done at regular intervals. This will not work without your full support and cooperation. You, as the Casino Leadership, are the example to the entire company and without your support this will be an empty attempt at progress; the employees will know that their input in not valued and you will be right back to square one.The next step is to plan for a participative decision-making process for implementing the changes. Leadership must remain flexible enough to modify the process as the organization changes and as new information emerges (IAAP Adminstrative Professionals Week Event, 2009). You must emphasize to your employees that the c hanges they wish to make must be of equal or greater quality to the customer and the work environment. The human capital change management process is important to obtain a profitable success.You must remember that your employees who are doing the jobs know best how to do those tasks; they are an asset to the positive changes you wish to make. They are also the greatest resource you have for knowing which changes will be of the greatest benefit to the customer, the employees, and the bottom line. You should leave problem solving and decision making to the lowest levels possible; this will empower your employees. Expect the best of your employees; they will only rise to the level expected from them.If they are empowered and inspired to do so, your employees can perform at consistently higher levels (Reimann, 1993). These are the recommendations and guidance we provide to the leadership of Casino X. The movement to overseas casino operations has begun in your operation, and is already established in the city of Macau in the Philippines. There are many global staffing theories available to your organization; a review of these theories will assist in the development of your company to a higher management maturity level and greater profit margin.Global staffing is the function of the human resources department to fill key positions at an international level. There are more employees willing to take on the challenge of working in a different country, to expatriate, this gives them more experience and they may possibly gain better positions far more quickly than those who remain in the home location. Companies benefit from being a multinational organization by being able to attract a greater talent base. â€Å"The overall global staffing strategy must be inclusive of methods to motivate employees to attract them to their organization† (Scullion & Collings, 2006).A popular Global management theory is performance management; this method emphasizes the excellence of each person or teams process in the organization, it is said to motivate employees through holistic evaluations and to strengthen the link between company accomplishments and employee rewards (Gliddon, HRMT 620 Class Notes 6, 2013). This management process has had some problems in the host countries local population managers, or inpatriate managers (Maley, 2011). You must insure that the inpatriate managers are developed as much as your in-country managers are if they are to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.The performance appraisals written for your inpatriate managers must be reflective of the cultural norms of their country and still keep the performance to the standards your company requires. This form of management has been shown to be difficult for many organizations (Maley, 2011) although it has worked well in other casinos in Macau. The aligning of employee needs and organizational needs can be seen in job satisfaction and internal service quality. It is necessary to have positive employee relationships with organizational commitment, which is extremely important to hospitality companies, such as casinos, for competitive advantage.With respect to the impact of job satisfaction on turnover, many studies conclude that highly satisfied employees are less likely to seek new employment. The most important link to job satisfaction, especially in other countries, are â€Å"hygiene factors† linked to work environment and work conditions. In a casino environment, job stress can typically result from constantly changing work shifts and being closely watched by players and surveillance cameras; this should be closely monitored. Macau casino employees have a greater problem with job stress. Stress has been shown to lead to job dissatisfaction and may lower customer service quality.Minimizing job stress is an important aspect of job satisfaction for casino workers (Gu, Siu, & Chi, 2009). The most important part of performance management is the lin king of the individual performance with the objectives of the business (Stiles , et al. , 2006). Performance management also requires periodic coaching and advising to maintain motivation and organizational vision. Another theory is reward management; this would attract highly skilled employees by using pay incentives to align employee interest with the business and the stakeholders’ interests.Rather than acting as a guiding tool, reward management can remove fixed costs in employee wage. Operating based on mutuality, and typically emphasizing the notion of shared responsibility, employees stand to do well if the firm performs well and vice versa. There is also an increasing view of companies to view talent effectively as a strategic priority. Talent management theory uses recruitment practices that follow a talent pool strategy where the company first recruits the best people and then places them into positions rather than trying to recruit specific people for specific posit ions (Gu, Siu, & Chi, 2009).This process need a large applicant pool to draw from and therefore this would not be an effective method for Casino X’s global resource management team to use, as there are not enough specifically qualified people in your host country to generate a sufficient pool of talent from which to draw. Total Quality Management (TQM) is the most well-known management theory; the most appealing part of TQM is that it is not stagnant. TQM is an evolving and changing management system that works by fitting the company, the employees and the ever-changing market.This would be the best way to manage your business. TQM works by using the concept of â€Å"improvement through transformation† (Gliddon, HRMT 620 Class Notes 5, 2013). One of the major factors you must consider when using TQM from a management standpoint is how much commitment are you willing to give to change, realizing that if the management is not a part of the change the employees will not f ollow. Also, remember that the process is not a short-term solution it is a long-term commitment to success (Chen & Chuang, 2013).You must understand that the impact on how your managers perform their jobs is directly affected by how you distribute the information regarding changes you make and the results of those changes. Your employees will be more concerned with being rewarded. Leadership in regards to change should understand that rewarding employees for their efforts and change in behavior during and after the change event is important and has a direct impact to how they perform their jobs. Casino X’s leadership must realize that the support of a large number of resources including the employees is necessary to implement their change program (Peterson, 2010).Above all there will need to be orientation training, learning about the cultures of the employees and the host country. Learning is a continuous process, and global learning is the ability of an organization to rev iew its progress continuously, to learn from its experiences, and to transfer the knowledge and expertise developed in each part of its global network to all other parts worldwide (Ling & Jaw, 2006). Casino X Macau must have a first-class casino labor force to be competitive.Presently there are only a few things that need to be done to improve the casino employees' work performance. The most important of these is to improve employees' interpersonal skills and to strengthen the person-to-person interactions of Macao casinos' customer service practices. Additionally, employees' language ability should be enhanced for both Mandarin fluency and English knowledge so that Casino X Macau can meet the demand of an expanding Mainland Chinese market and the need for becoming a more internationalized market and workplace (Gu, Siu, & Chi, 2009).High-performing companies have integrated their core values into the human capital resource process: how they attract, hire, and develop talent; manage performance; compensate employees; and so on. Methods for developing and maintaining a strong culture should be systematically used. These methods should focus on attitudes and cultural fit in the selection process, on secondary socialization and training, and performance management.The methods that Casino X should use are built around company core values and use both symbolic and values-based leadership (Stiles , et al. , 2006). Training programs need to be established that create a foundation upon which to base continuing training. A multinational organization needs the ability to train cross-cultural teams. These teams will ensure high levels of collaboration and performance. However, before you decide how to train your employees you must consider how you will recruit them.The socialization process begins with recruitment in that the organization is likely to select new members who already have the â€Å"right† set of attitudes, beliefs, and values (Stiles , et al. , 2006) . It was found that high-performing companies have instilled their core values into every process. Their vision is instilled in how they attract, hire, and develop their employee base, how the company manages performance, and how they compensate employees. Casino X needs to focus on attitudes and cultural fit in the selection process with an emphasis on secondary socialization and  training.Leadership must insure that the performance management and compensation & benefits systems are built around company core vision and that they are the example of the symbolic and values-based leadership. All levels of the company have a role in the hiring and keeping of quality employees. The human resource department should be responsible for developing the strategy, policy and basic infrastructure of the hiring process. They will also need to provide translation and coordination of global issues in Macau.The closer to the country you are working in the more detailed your human resources depart ment should be, locally in country, they should deal with national polices and locally specific policies. It is not good enough to adopt a best practice policy without considering the cultural implications, United States best practice will not always work in other countries. Casino X Macau will have to insure that their recruiting practices align with all level of their business needs and insure they are complying with all local and country laws and policies.As I have previously noted in our discussions, it is quality of leadership that is ultimately responsible for ensuring congruence between the various aspects of the organization, its environment, and strategies (Stiles , et al. , 2006). Part of that responsibility will be the training of your employees. When hiring expatriates it is imperative that you do some sort of cultural training, and would be more productive if you conduct cross training, so that both the expatriate employees and the host country employees can learn about each other in a controlled environment.Commonly used techniques to develop cross-cultural teams are the cognitive approach and the experiential approach. These approaches to cross training focus on building a greater level of understanding and respect between employees of different cultures. Encouraging your employees in the process of discussing variations in each other’s culture will help in increasing their level of cooperation and enhance their ability to get the work done in a profitable manner.Additionally you can add training to enhance other leadership qualities such as communications, listening skills, conflict resolution, negotiation skills, and problem solving (Scullion & Collings, 2006). As for the original Casino X, I again recommend cultural sensitivity training, due to the large influx of Mexican immigrants to the area. The Mexican culture is much more relationship based than that of the United States. Research shows that Mexicans form loyalties to individuals versus companies. Much of their impressions about the new company will be formed at orientation.I would also recommend that the orientations include time with the departments they are working with, it has been shown that starting the employees with face-to-face contact with those they will work with will provide a better employee base (Carrillo, 2006). Remember that change is difficult for many people, but in the end is very profitable if managed correctly. â€Å"Strong resistance to change is often rooted in deeply conditioned or historically reinforced feelings. Patience and tolerance are required to help people in these situations to see things differently (Chapman, 2012). † Global Human Capital Management Trends Change is never easy. Casino X has been working with the same mindset for many years. In the past this was a profitable company but with the globalization of culture and the marketplace, due in part to the technology growth and the internet, they cannot successfully work with an outdated human resource system. The casinos have had a transactional style of leadership; believing that the primary purpose of a subordinate is to do their jobs, create clear work requirements, and expect the job to be done without question and immediately.The leaders have a realist view of thinking and use their expertise as their source of power (IAAP Administrative Professionals Week Event, 2009). National boundaries are less important, and multinational companies treat the world as one market. Through technology smaller countries are finding bigger markets for their goods and services, creating more competition for older managed businesses (McAdams, Neslund, & Zucker, 2012). The best way to ease these co ncepts into the corporate mind is through: example, presenting them analytical data, and real word examples of how changing their views of human capital has worked for other companies.This may help them see how they can make changes. Insuring that they do not feel they must be at the highest level of the People Capability Maturity Model (CMM) tomorrow will also help with the transition to a mature workforce. There are no legal penalties for not improving the cultural climate of the corporation, but the continued loss of productivity and revenue should be of some influence. Initially, the leadership must be made to see the influence of globalization on the workforce in the country and then to understand how it affects other companies and then their company.They will then be able to understand that the benefits of treating their employees as individual assets under the People CMM will insure they can be competitive in the marketplace. A major global human capital management problem in the country is the greater number of immigrant workers; not since the turn of the century has there been a greater influx of non-European peoples. This influx has created cultural conflicts in the United States. Developing cultural understanding is required to prevent cross-cultural conflicts.There needs  to be a consistent emphasis of the value on diversity in communication, vision and strategic planning (Lankau, 2013). The leadership needs understand how that emphasis will improve the bottom line of Casino X and improve the bottom line of Casino X Macau. The leadership of the corporation will be introduced to the four cultural dimensions to illustrate how culture can affect the financial health of the company. These are: collectivism vs. individualism, power distance, orientation towards nature, and communication content (Milliman, Taylor, & Czaplewski, 2002).The United States is seen as individualist nation, primarily depending on individual task completion. Many other countri es prefer a collectivistic view, they care about the group and depend on relationships to complete projects. Understanding that view can improve communication with employees, suppliers and the customers. High power cultures have distinct structure, accepting unequal power and deference to superiors, while in the United States, a low power distance culture, all people are considered to have equal power.An American attitude is that we can control everything in nature, giving us a personal stake in all we do while those with an orientation towards an uncontrolled nature feel that failure or success is out of their hands. Communication is the fourth topic that the leadership of Casino X must realize about the cultures of other countries, most take into account the context of communication; they take into account all of the things surrounding the message: not only what is said but the surrounding context, what was said before and after, if only through email how it is said, body language , if the communication is in person.Knowing the cultural make-up of the employee base will help this leadership improve its communication with their employees. Understanding the cultural differences in communication will assist in the improvement of employee relationships and increase productivity. The introduction to the cultural distinctions and world views of employees and overseas companies will make the People CMM more understandable, and possibly increase the buy-in to the People CMM program. To achieve success with the People CMM, Casino X must first decide on which level their company’s maturity falls into.By surveying their employees they can get an overall picture of where they stand on the People CMM ladder. Then by going through each description they can realistically figure out what they need to do to improve the financial bottom line. The Initial Level will be shown to have inconsistent workplace practices, no clear policy and an emotionally detached workforce. This does not describe Casino X. The Managed Level shows an implementation of policy, but shows signs of overwork, distractions, unclear objectives poor communication and a low morale.It is imperative to emphasize corporate-wide improvement programs to identify critical skills and improve management skills at this level. This is the level at which Casino X falls. Their employees are accomplishing the job, but have no pride in it, and no organizational loyalty. Because of this they have no innovative thinking and Casino X is spending a great deal of money and time retraining employees instead of improving them. The next level of maturity is the Defined Level, they are working better but are now missing key opportunities because of a lack of talent.They will need to work on workforce competency and more strategic thinking. Level 4 is called the Predictable Level of maturity in a company. They are following all policies and completing all requirements with full trust of management. Now is the time to innovate information technology, introduce new programs and training. At maturity level 5, The Optimizing Level, there is accountability and measured improvement in the way the company works, the employees have high morale, and the financial outlook is good (Curtis, Hefley, & Miller, 2010). This is the level, the attainable star, that Casino X needs to shoot for.By showing them the tools and insuring they realize that it is a process and they do not have to get there overnight (nor should they try) they can overcome the global human capital problems they face with predictable changes and understanding. The management styles of Casino X must be improved to obtain the employee improvement and eventual profit there is to gain in the operation of the casino. Motivating these managers to work together may be a challenge. The best approach to creating change is to work with them; when you work with your employees, they will be happier to work with management.This works wel l when people want to collaborate but are struggling to adjust to the situation, i. e. a merging of companies, and achieve the goals of change. This may help to instill a feeling of responsibility in the importance of the completion of this project and how they are the key may give them an incentive for success. Involving them in working together intellectually the employees may become more involved emotionally which may persuade them that it is the right thing to do, to follow the new vision of the casino (Changing Minds, 2012-2013).To appeal to the preceding issues the following memorandum was submitted to the leadership of Casino X: The casino industry has been managed in the same fashion for several years. The autocratic management style is quite firmly entrenched drawing from the fact that the industry began as an illegal activity. In addition, the gaming industry has been clouded by an atmosphere of distrust as evidenced by constant supervision of personnel activities, such as video surveillance of all gaming tables. The industry is also heavily unionized. This unionization has fostered an anti-management mentality (Reimann, 1993).With the influx of multinational employees it has become more evident, by a high turnover in staff and lost profits that changes need to be made. Over the past several years competition has increased as well. This competition is from video, internet, and riverboat gambling, as well as gaming on Indian reservations (Reimann, 1993) and competition from other overseas establishments. Because of all this competition the employee base is becoming more diverse, and while Casino X is trying to maximize their profits, they must also recognize the potential profit in their human capital.To do this they must insure that the exchange between the casino and the employees of the casino are mutually beneficial (Chen & Chuang, 2013). Therefore, the use of change management by organizational development is even more important for a profitable evolution in management. As you have realized, you have a problem with the lack of employee loyalty and high turnover. You have taken the first steps in the process of Organizational Development in that you have found what needs to change and have retained me to assist you in the matter.We next discussed the underlying reasons: a lack of understanding the cultural differences and globalization of your competition and employee base (French & Bell, 1995). I informed you through a prior memorandum of what we learned from the data we collected. Now we need to discuss the root causes and remedies for your dilemma (Rooney & Vanden Heuval, 2004). We need to invest in the human capital of your employees; they need to feel that they are a part of the Casino, not just working for a supervisor who works for the Casino.We need them to be motivated and inspired to work. This will reflect on how they deal with your customers, and will show return in investment in repeat customer loyalty and, in t urn, profit. I recommend starting with training the management teams in cultural diversity; this would also serve you well in customer relations, as there is an increase in foreign travel to Las Vegas. The management needs to understand how to relate to other cultures and ethics systems so they can identify ways to improve communications with employees and employee communication with customers.Most important, as the Casino leadership you need to have a vision of how you want your Casino perceived: as an entertainment location or a gambling establishment. Your vision needs to be clearly articulated to your employees and should serve to inspire your management teams. Your vision should set an example your employees want to follow. I also suggest giving your employees a voice in improving customer relations and improving their working processes, both of which can be achieved by creating a team concept. These teams would consist of employees working in the same environment with rotation of team leadership.Team leaders would bring suggestions for improvement to management. An important goal in this process would state that employees could not bring a problem to the employee team’s attention without bringing a proposed solution. Keep in mind that in larger hospitality organizations an entrepreneurial spirit is more easily sustained when shared visions of management styles are part of the organization rather than only a process (Agrusa & Lema, 2007). Once we get the organization processes in action we will monitor the progress.Everyone who contributed information should have an opportunity to learn about the findings of this assessment process, maintaining confidentiality. The feedback should start with the Casino Leadership and the Management teams. It will be processed down through the employee teams to reach all who have participated. This provides an opportunity for the organization's people to become involved in the change process, to learn about how diff erent parts of the organization affect each other, and to participate in selecting appropriate change interventions (French & Bell, 1995).We will then make changes as through the creation of an implementation plan developed based on the assessment data; logically organized, results-oriented, measurable and rewarded. This will be a continuous process and done at regular intervals. This will not work without your full support and cooperation. You, as the Casino Leadership, are the example to the entire company and without your support this will be an empty attempt at progress; the employees will know that their input in not valued and you will be right back to square one.The next step is to plan for a participative decision-making process for implementing the changes. Leadership must remain flexible enough to modify the process as the organization changes and as new information emerges (IAAP Adminstrative Professionals Week Event, 2009). You must emphasize to your employees that the c hanges they wish to make must be of equal or greater quality to the customer and the work environment. The human capital change management process is important to obtain a profitable success.You must remember that your employees who are doing the jobs know best how to do those tasks; they are an asset to the positive changes you wish to make. They are also the greatest resource you have for knowing which changes will be of the greatest benefit to the customer, the employees, and the bottom line. You should leave problem solving and decision making to the lowest levels possible; this will empower your employees. Expect the best of your employees; they will only rise to the level expected from them.If they are empowered and inspired to do so, your employees can perform at consistently higher levels (Reimann, 1993). These are the recommendations and guidance we provide to the leadership of Casino X. The movement to overseas casino operations has begun in your operation, and is already established in the city of Macau in the Philippines. There are many global staffing theories available to your organization; a review of these theories will assist in the development of your company to a higher management maturity level and greater profit margin.Global staffing is the function of the human resources department to fill key positions at an international level. There are more employees willing to take on the challenge of working in a different country, to expatriate, this gives them more experience and they may possibly gain better positions far more quickly than those who remain in the home location. Companies benefit from being a multinational organization by being able to attract a greater talent base. â€Å"The overall global staffing strategy must be inclusive of methods to motivate employees to attract them to their organization† (Scullion & Collings, 2006).A popular Global management theory is performance management; this method emphasizes the excellence of each person or teams process in the organization, it is said to motivate employees through holistic evaluations and to strengthen the link between company accomplishments and employee rewards (Gliddon, HRMT 620 Class Notes 6, 2013). This management process has had some problems in the host countries local population managers, or inpatriate managers (Maley, 2011). You must insure that the inpatriate managers are developed as much as your in-country managers are if they are to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.The performance appraisals written for your inpatriate managers must be reflective of the cultural norms of their country and still keep the performance to the standards your company requires. This form of management has been shown to be difficult for many organizations (Maley, 2011) although it has worked well in other casinos in Macau. The aligning of employee needs and organizational needs can be seen in job satisfaction and internal service quality. It is necessary to have positive employee relationships with organizational commitment, which is extremely important to hospitality companies, such as casinos, for competitive advantage.With respect to the impact of job satisfaction on turnover, many studies conclude that highly satisfied employees are less likely to seek new employment. The most important link to job satisfaction, especially in other countries, are â€Å"hygiene factors† linked to work environment and work conditions. In a casino environment, job stress can typically result from constantly changing work shifts and being closely watched by players and surveillance cameras; this should be closely monitored. Macau casino employees have a greater problem with job stress. Stress has been shown to lead to job dissatisfaction and may lower customer service quality.Minimizing job stress is an important aspect of job satisfaction for casino workers (Gu, Siu, & Chi, 2009). The most important part of performance management is the lin king of the individual performance with the objectives of the business (Stiles , et al. , 2006). Performance management also requires periodic coaching and advising to maintain motivation and organizational vision. Another theory is reward management; this would attract highly skilled employees by using pay incentives to align employee interest with the business and the stakeholders’ interests.Rather than acting as a guiding tool, reward management can remove fixed costs in employee wage. Operating based on mutuality, and typically emphasizing the notion of shared responsibility, employees stand to do well if the firm performs well and vice versa. There is also an increasing view of companies to view talent effectively as a strategic priority. Talent management theory uses recruitment practices that follow a talent pool strategy where the company first recruits the best people and then places them into positions rather than trying to recruit specific people for specific posit ions (Gu, Siu, & Chi, 2009).This process need a large applicant pool to draw from and therefore this would not be an effective method for Casino X’s global resource management team to use, as there are not enough specifically qualified people in your host country to generate a sufficient pool of talent from which to draw. Total Quality Management (TQM) is the most well-known management theory; the most appealing part of TQM is that it is not stagnant. TQM is an evolving and changing management system that works by fitting the company, the employees and the ever-changing market.This would be the best way to manage your business. TQM works by using the concept of â€Å"improvement through transformation† (Gliddon, HRMT 620 Class Notes 5, 2013). One of the major factors you must consider when using TQM from a management standpoint is how much commitment are you willing to give to change, realizing that if the management is not a part of the change the employees will not f ollow. Also, remember that the process is not a short-term solution it is a long-term commitment to success (Chen & Chuang, 2013).You must understand that the impact on how your managers perform their jobs is directly affected by how you distribute the information regarding changes you make and the results of those changes. Your employees will be more concerned with being rewarded. Leadership in regards to change should understand that rewarding employees for their efforts and change in behavior during and after the change event is important and has a direct impact to how they perform their jobs. Casino X’s leadership must realize that the support of a large number of resources including the employees is necessary to implement their change program (Peterson, 2010).Above all there will need to be orientation training, learning about the cultures of the employees and the host country. Learning is a continuous process, and global learning is the ability of an organization to rev iew its progress continuously, to learn from its experiences, and to transfer the knowledge and expertise developed in each part of its global network to all other parts worldwide (Ling & Jaw, 2006). Casino X Macau must have a first-class casino labor force to be competitive.Presently there are only a few things that need to be done to improve the casino employees' work performance. The most important of these is to improve employees' interpersonal skills and to strengthen the person-to-person interactions of Macao casinos' customer service practices. Additionally, employees' language ability should be enhanced for both Mandarin fluency and English knowledge so that Casino X Macau can meet the demand of an expanding Mainland Chinese market and the need for becoming a more internationalized market and workplace (Gu, Siu, & Chi, 2009).High-performing companies have integrated their core values into the human capital resource process: how they attract, hire, and develop talent; manage performance; compensate employees; and so on. Methods for developing and maintaining a strong culture should be systematically used. These methods should focus on attitudes and cultural fit in the selection process, on secondary socialization and training, and performance management.The methods that Casino X should use are built around company core values and use both symbolic and values-based leadership (Stiles , et al. , 2006). Training programs need to be established that create a foundation upon which to base continuing training. A multinational organization needs the ability to train cross-cultural teams. These teams will ensure high levels of collaboration and performance. However, before you decide how to train your employees you must consider how you will recruit them.The socialization process begins with recruitment in that the organization is likely to select new members who already have the â€Å"right† set of attitudes, beliefs, and values (Stiles , et al. , 2006) . It was found that high-performing companies have instilled their core values into every process. Their vision is instilled in how they attract, hire, and develop their employee base, how the company manages performance, and how they compensate employees. Casino X needs to focus on attitudes and cultural fit in the selection process with an emphasis on secondary socialization andtraining. Leadership must insure that the performance management and compensation & benefits systems are built around company core vision and that they are the example of the symbolic and values-based leadership. All levels of the company have a role in the hiring and keeping of quality employees. The human resource department should be responsible for developing the strategy, policy and basic infrastructure of the hiring process. They will also need to provide translation and coordination of global issues in Macau.The closer to the country you are working in the more detailed your human resources departmen t should be, locally in country, they should deal with national polices and locally specific policies. It is not good enough to adopt a best practice policy without considering the cultural implications, United States best practice will not always work in other countries. Casino X Macau will have to insure that their recruiting practices align with all level of their business needs and insure they are complying with all local and country laws and policies.As I have previously noted in our discussions, it is quality of leadership that is ultimately responsible for ensuring congruence between the various aspects of the organization, its environment, and strategies (Stiles , et al. , 2006). Part of that responsibility will be the training of your employees. When hiring expatriates it is imperative that you do some sort of cultural training, and would be more productive if you conduct cross training, so that both the expatriate employees and the host country employees can learn about ea ch other in a controlled environment.Commonly used techniques to develop cross-cultural teams are the cognitive approach and the experiential approach. These approaches to cross training focus on building a greater level of understanding and respect between employees of different cultures. Encouraging your employees in the process of discussing variations in each other’s culture will help in increasing their level of cooperation and enhance their ability to get the work done in a profitable manner.Additionally you can add training to enhance other leadership qualities such as communications, listening skills, conflict resolution, negotiation skills, and problem solving (Scullion & Collings, 2006). As for the original Casino X, I again recommend cultural sensitivity training, due to the large influx of Mexican immigrants to the area. The Mexican culture is much more relationship based than that of the United States. Research shows that Mexicans form loyalties to individuals ve rsus companies. Much of their impressions about the new company will be formed at orientation.I would also recommend that the orientations include time with the departments they are working with, it has been shown that starting the employees with face-to-face contact with those they will work with will provide a better employee base (Carrillo, 2006). Remember that change is difficult for many people, but in the end is very profitable if managed correctly. â€Å"Strong resistance to change is often rooted in deeply conditioned or historically reinforced feelings. Patience and tolerance are required to help people in these situations to see things differently (Chapman, 2012). †

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Most important role of marketing - Essay Example Marketing is mostly seen by many people as only advertising and selling of a product or a service. But real marketing is not only considered as an art of selling, but it is also considered as the art where an organization gains market leadership by understanding the customers wants and needs and making sure that those wants and needs are fulfilled and which will satisfy the customer. For example, if customer value and satisfaction are missing from a product or a service, then any kind of advertising or selling will not be able to compensate or help the company with keeping a profitable relationship with their customers and the company will be able to become a leader in its market. Simply stated, the aim of marketing is to create and build and manage profitable customer relationships. Marketers study customer needs and wants, select target markets that they think they will serve best, design products and services and programs to serve the select markets. Marketers are the ones who hav e to attract new customers by making sure that customers are given superior value so that the current customers and the potential customers are satisfied with their product and they remain loyal with the company. Marketers throughout the organizations need to know how to define and segment markets, develop attractive value propositions and to build strongly positioned brands for their company. The marketers must know how to price their company's product and to make them attractive and affordable. They need to know how to advertise and promote products to customers and they must know how to adapt to their marketing strategies and management to a host of new technological and global realities. Clearly need a broad range of skills in order to build profitable relationships with their customers. Consumer/Market Analysis and Targeting Market Analysis When we talk about market analysis, the company needs to have thorough knowledge of their market and need to decide upon their market's size, growth rate, profitability, trends, the success factors and distribution channels etc. The rapid technological change, global competition and the diversity of the buyers preferences in many markets require the constant attention of market watchers to identify promising business opportunities, see the shifting requirements of buyers, evaluate changes in competitive positioning and guide the choice of which buyers to target and how to position a product or service. Mapping the entire market is considered very important for the company to understand and anticipate market changes and competitive threats. Understanding the markets and how they are going to change in the future indefinitely, are considered very important elements to market driven strategies for a company like Orange Crush of Dr Pepper Snapple, which is an orange soft drink. The importance of forming a vision about the future is highlighted by the changes occurring in the beverage market. The key strategic issue for Orange Crush and other beverage companies competing in this market is anticipating the nature and the scope of the impact of the introduction of

Double Reckoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Double Reckoning - Essay Example The cracking of early morning light, darkness has enveloped the ship. And because we have been sailing for God knows how long, the men are becoming more irritable and anxious. The Captain has to do all that he could, for morale and for avoiding mutiny. It started as a low rumble at first. That was a sound difficult to understand, for it is coming from the hearts of overjoyed men. This emotion was almost alien to all on board for it seems to be only yesterday when all hope is lost. It seems just a few nights ago when everybody seemed so sure that this was a lost cause. The journey it seems is staggering like drunken seamen moving at a very slow pace. It was confusing and disheartening that some had questioned the accuracy of the instruments and the calculations. Aided only by the faint light from the moon it was unmistakable that we saw hills, trees and wild flowers that bloom. The area is rugged and strong but we have come for this and we will rise to the challenge of the last remain ing obstacle. This is it. Yet a glance sideways to the Captain revealed an unexpected sight. He seemed subdued and poised. He seemed not wanting to join the spontaneous party on board. This is the end of all desire for this voyage. When it seems so close it seems the vision before him knocked the breath out of him. But it was only temporary. ... It was confusing and disheartening that some had questioned the accuracy of the instruments and the calculations. Yet when everybody seemed to drown their sorrow in sleep, it was the time when the watchman bellowed a scream of pure delight. Ahoy! Land! And the officers took turns in peering through the scope as they themselves could not believe that the fate of the mission has suddenly turned into something good and great. Aided only by the faint light from the moon it was unmistakable that we saw hills, trees and wild flowers that bloom. The area is rugged and strong but we have come for this and we will rise to the challenge of the last remaining obstacle. This is it. Yet a glance sideways to the Captain revealed an unexpected sight. He seemed subdued and poised. He seemed not wanting to join the spontaneous party on board. This is the end of all desire for this voyage. When it seems so close it seems the vision before him knocked the breath out of him. But it was only temporary. At the crack of dawn, when everything is clear, when the new world is in full view, the heart is ready to do battle. Here is a new world to be shaped according to the patron's desire. Here is a new world needing a helping hand to be civilized and indoctrinated. Right before their eyes is all that they expected and more. Do they have what it takes Sooner than later the shores will be filled with natives. On whether they will welcome us with open arms or raise it with poisoned arrows only time can tell. As the ships approach these are buoyed not only from the fresh swells but the lightness of feeling as well. Then we begin to focus on the task on hand. The new world is not yet paradise it has to be subdued first and

The Health of Women in Japan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Health of Women in Japan - Research Paper Example Incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections also identifies higher risks and worse symptoms in women than in men (MedlinePlus 1). Consequently, human health is significant and should be investigated for populations and subopulations and results compared for decisions and initiatives that can help in improving women’s health. This paper discusses the health of women in Japan and argues that the sub population enjoys good health standard. Sexuality is one of the major factors to health, and women’s health in particular. The fact that women are more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases than men are, based on reports by MedlinePlus (1), therefore indicates significance of sexual behavior on women’s health. in japan, women have shunned down the use of contraceptives and this has direct implications on their health. The women prefer other birth control alternatives and condom use is the most significant, accounting for up to 80 percent of birth control initiatives while only 1.3 of the country’s women uses pills. This is far less that pill usage in the United States in which more that 15 percent of women uses pills. Use of pills however substitute condom usage and its implication of unprotected sex means exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. Consequently, fewer of Japanese women are exposed to sexually transmitted diseases than women from other regions are and this suggest better womenâ €™s health in Japan. Effects of some sexually ransmitted diseases such as HIV are examples and are therefore minimized in Japanese women though use of condoms instead of pills as contraceptives. Decreasing trends in teenage pregnancies in the country as well as lower abortion rates in Japan also suggest increasing effective uses of the predominant birth control mechanisms, use of condom being predominant, and this indicate healthy sexual behavior towards better

Reading Log 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Log 2 - Assignment Example Do the fast food industry companies truly care about the children and their amusement or are they simply using the innocence of the children to make themselves wealthier at the expense of the health of the children and the parents’ income? This question is challenging because it raises the pros and cons of these playgrounds and fast food advertisements and movie characters and the children. Children become happy as a result but what about their health for future and the increase in obesity in America due to the rise of these fast foods. Incorporating the sports personnel and Hollywood into the fast food industry increases more customers hence more profits. The idea of playground with supervision from adults even if they spend a lot of money is safe and more fun for the kids. Lastly is the idea of having children included in the formulation of new menus and characters as they get to feel part of the decision making and this boosts self-esteem and

How is national identity constructed in everyday life Essay

How is national identity constructed in everyday life - Essay Example First of all it is necessary for us to make clear the definition of our subject and its obvious connection with day-to-day life of an individual. In other words it is significant for our study to systematize our definition of a national identity and parts from which it consists. National identity consists of and develops with a help of almost everything that surrounds person during his or her daily activities. Of course we are going to talk about this in general and exclusions like in cases of immigration or living in exile are not among the topics of our research. Every day person deals with problems and issues that guarantee this person’s further existence. All people except maybe some monks in mountains identify themselves with and depend on the country in which they live. These national borders do not always remain final and non-arguable but in most cases for now countries all around the world stay in more or less stable condition. This allows us to talk about formed national identity except maybe for those people who live in regions like Middle East or post-Soviet Union regions where nationality is not formed at all or not formed well. Everyday life consists of our co-existing with all kinds of political, social, cultural, religious and other ideological and traditional ideas and concepts. I suggest to pay each of them attention which they deserve as parts of a basis of our question. Geographical position and ethnic roots predispose the origin of nations. After people became a group the psychological and ideological formation of an identity has been developing and evolving. So the location acts as a starting point for the further establishment of a national character and this evolution of a savage into a civilized citizen is influenced by different factors (Henslin, 2011). Politics and political consciousness of an individual are one of the most important details in the

Experiment with acetic acid chloride, ethanol Essay Example for Free

Experiment with acetic acid chloride, ethanol Essay Experiment 1: Bromination of Acetanilide1 Precautions: Ethanol is flammable Sodium hypochlorite is an oxidizing agent and releases toxic fumes (handle in fume hood) Acetic acid is corrosive, harmful if inhaled, flammable and can cause burns (handle in fume hood) Gloves are recommended to avoid chemical contact with skin Reaction Scheme: Conversion of acetanilide to p-bromoacetanilide Procedure: To a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask containing a mixture of 95% ethanol (6 mL) and acetic acid (5 mL), dissolve acetanilide (7.4 mmol) and sodium bromide (1.8 g). Place the reaction flask in an ice bath (at least 5oC) for 5 minutes (keep this reaction in the hood). Add sodium hypochlorite (8.3 mmol) by addition of household bleach; leave the reaction flask in the ice bath 5 min. After removing the flask from the ice bath and placing a watch glass over the opening, allow the reaction mixture to come to room temperature over 15 minutes. Place the reaction flask into the ice bath and quench the unreacted bromine by addition of both 5 mL of sodium thiosulfate solution (1 g/5 mL) and 5 mL sodium hydroxide solution(1 g/5 mL ); collect the product by suction filtration. Recrystalllize the brominated product from a minimum amount of solvent. You will need to select a solvent from water, 50% ethanol or 95% ethanol. To identify the best solvent, use what you have learned in Organic I Chemistry Lab, hint: think about what properties makes a good recrystallization solvent. Test your recrystallization solvent in test tubes using the tip of a spatula of your compound. Remember to use a water bath to heat organic solvents. NEVER heat organic solvents directl y on a hot plate-always use a hot water bath! Dry the product and obtain melting point range (one fast and one slow) and an IR spectrum. Be sure to record observations in your laboratory notebook. 1 From â€Å"A Multistep Synthesis Incorporating a Green Bromination of an Aromatic Ring† J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89, 1063 Prelab: In your lab notebook, write: 1. Date, Title of lab, Purpose and Mechanism of Reaction 2. Copy the following tables into your laboratory notebook and fill in MM 3. Write a brief description (bullet points) of the procedure Substance Acetanilide Sodium Bromide Sodium Hypochlorite 95% Ethanol Acetic Acid MM (g/mol) mmol g mL Product Data MM (g/mol) mmol g before recrystallization recrystallization solvent mL recrystallization solvent g after recrystallization % Recovery Theoretical Yield, g Percent yield Melting point range fast Melting point range slow Literature Mp Value Reference for Lit. Mp Value p-bromoacetanilide Waste Disposal: Place the filtrate from the reaction in the basic halogenated waste. Place the filtrate from recrystallization in the halogenated waste (as it may contain some p-bromoacetanilide). For your lab report: Continue in your lab notebook from the prelab. Complete the tables and show all calculations (clearly label where each calculation is in the notebook by providing each calculation with a title). Finally write a conclusion that includes a discussion of results and attach the IR (assign peaks) and the 1H NMR (be sure to assign all peaks on the NMR). Hand in the original of the carbonless copy pages as your lab report.

Urban Life in Local Neighborhood Essay Example for Free

Urban Life in Local Neighborhood Essay Community Board 3 of Manhattan is a part of Chinatown, covering the Lower East Side of the town. It is a largely diverse community, with variety of races, languages, culture, and customs protecting the uniqueness of the district. Today, economy remains to be a major concern. Portion of the population thrive on assistance, others are homeless, and most of what makes up the population are of immigrant status. The district was a foundation on mixed cultures through the many immigrants who settled in the area. This is not surprising though. It is a frontier to immigration, an entryway. Therefore, it is not surprising if immigrants would opt to stay. Population Then and Now The population of the community is in a constant rise. In 1980, the recorded population is 154, 848. With this figure as a base rate, there was a 4. 4% increase in 1990 where the population recorded increased to 161,617. In the turn of the millennium in 2000, Manhattan Community Board 3 is home to 164,407 people, a 1. 7% increase from the 1990 figure. (Manhattan Community District 3, nd) Between 2000 and 2004, an interesting tabulation of births, deaths, and infant mortality has been recorded. In 2000, 14. 1 (2,320) per 1000 are being born. The rate decreased in 2004 where there are only 13. 7 (2,255) births in every 1000. In terms of death, the statistics were not too far apart. There were 7. 9 deaths in every 1000 in 2000, while there were 7. 7 incidences per 1000 in 2004. (Manhattan Community District 3, nd) Alarmingly, infant mortality is on a rise. In 2004, there were eight incidences of infant mortality. This embodies 3. 4 in every 1000 infants. In 2004, there became 13 deaths. This shows that there are 5. 8 deaths for every 1000 infants in the area. (Manhattan Community District 3, nd) Neighborhood Amenities The community offers several income support to its constituents. In 2000, there were more than 8,000 aids given as public assistance. There were more than 5,000 last year. Medicaid use increased from 16,012 cases to a whopping 54,727. The income support of the community has helped 23. 4 of the total population in 2000. In 2006, 74,609 or 45. 4%, almost half of the population, received help. (Manhattan Community District 3, nd) The community also features structural amenities for its constituents. It has about seven schools offering public education for elementary and secondary school students. There are more than 15 private and parochial schools for elementary and high school as well. There are also two college or post-secondary institutions. Apart from this education structures, the community also has libraries, museums, parks, playgrounds and other cultural spots. The community also enjoys hospital services, nursing homes, and other patient health services. Mental health institutions also exist in the community. The same goes with special treatment facility such as special children services and daycare services. Public safety is also not overlooked. Precincts, fire stations, narcotics unit, and battalion forces are available for the service of the people in Community District 3. Most especially, alcohol and drug abuse is being watched as the community knows that it can pose serious risks to the safety and interest of their people. Neighborhood changes Manhattan Community District 3 is a diverse community. Today, the community is undergoing a shift in its environment, dubbed as gentrification. As the community maintained a small locale atmosphere, many small establishments mostly owned by families have started closing down. They were replaced with bars and restaurants which were bigger or plainly just more commercialized. The changes in the environment still reap fruits. Nightlife has drastically increased, bringing jobs to many. (Manhattan Community District 3, nd) Neighborhood needs A primary problem in the community is homelessness. While prosperity is evident at some point, Manhattan Community Board 3 still is on the edge of everyday survival. As an example, many people were being displaced off their homes because the rents were becoming to high to afford. Alcohol is also fast becoming a problem. As more people get chances of frolicking, more establishments are acquiring licenses to sell alcoholic drinks. On the other hand, licensing is not strictly monitored. (District needs, n. d. ) Residential spaces are also fast becoming commercialized. Thus, the community needs stricter zoning monitoring and regulations. In effect, the authorities should also protect the smaller economy. The community also needs better transport system. Bus and subway systems of the community are pathetic. Traffic itself is bad with illegal parkings, sidewalk disturbances and reroutings. Sanitation is likewise unacceptable at some point as there is no real comprehensive recycling program in the area. (District needs, n. d. ) References Manhattan community district 3.. n. d. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://nyc. gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/mn3profile. pdf District needs. n. d. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://www. nyc. gov/html/mancb3/html/district/needs. shtml

Report of Strategic Management Process practiced at Jusco

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