A Competitive And Strategic Corporate Analysis Marketing Essay

A Competitive And Strategic Corporate Analysis Marketing Essay Introduction The airline industry is one of the most difficult business sectors where competition has proven to be extremely difficult among the many different competing airline services available around the world. Many airline services in the past have experienced disastrous business cycle, timeliness and overcapacity issues. Moreover, the different airline services also complain of their experienced difficulty in differentiating themselves from competition. These airline services also maintain such high-risk profiles because of such high expectations from their customers (Wirt, Heracleous Pangarkar, 2007). Singapore Airlines, one of the strongest and famous airline service providers, remains to be one of the most profitable airline companies in the world today. Several reasons can be attributed to the huge success that Singapore Airlines enjoys today. One is its strong brand management strategies driven mainly by its excellent line-up of top-management and boardroom employees. Singapore Airlines is composed of many dedicated and professional employees both in its front and back-end office who serve as the drivers of its solid brand strategy (Roll, M. 2010). Singapore Airlines is truly a global and diversified organization unified by one aim of delivering excellent quality and service to its customers. What separates this airline from other airline service companies is its heavy investment in building and maintaining its solid brand equity. The Singapore Airlines brand is known for its consistency in delivering its primary message to its consumers which is Singapore Airlines- A great way to fly coupled with its dedicated and honest delivery of that communication message to its consumers (Roll, M. 2010). The brand strategy of the Singapore Airlines is centered on its world-class in-flight experience: the warmth and hospitality of the Singapore Girl, its excellent service and its focus on the customer. Whereas other competing airline services also tried to pursue the path that Singapore Airlines has taken, no other airline has matched Singapore Airlines in terms of its honest commitment and consistency in delivering its brand promise to its consumers (Roll, M. 2010). As a result, the Singapore Airlines brand managed to deliver excellent financial results through its three-fold strategy: a.) Avoiding knee-jerk reactionary behaviors on any price changes and consistently deliver the brand benefits in order to maintain a high revenue b.) Cut down the costs by pursuing ownership of the best yet most cost-efficient aircrafts and properly responding to increases in fuel prices and c.) Remaining true to the brand in terms of consistency in delivering service to drive up profits (Roll, M. 2010). Background This report-based paper on the Competitive and Strategic Corporate Analysis of the Singapore Airlines aims to evaluate the Singapore Airlines actual application of the various analytical and planning tools in Strategic Management. This paper will also discuss the overall strategic posture of Singapore Airlines at the corporate level, that is, whether it is pursuing a global strategy, multi-domestic strategy, international strategy or transnational strategy. Also, this paper will also evaluate whether the companys management structure and philosophy is aligned with its overall strategic posture. Finally, this paper will come up with a list of recommendations with regard to the companys strategic focus. Several recommendations will be presented in order for the company to improve and maintain its competitive position. In order to achieve these objectives, the author of this paper will gather certain company documents such as its annual report in order to evaluate Singapore Airlines current financial position. Then the current growth efforts and focus of the company will be carefully looked into as well, that is, whether the company initiated some organizational and cultural changes in the past decade as part of its growth strategies. Major Sections A. To which extent does the annual report or other company documentation reflect the implicit or explicit  application of analytical and planning tools from the discipline of  strategic management? The 2009 Annual Report of Singapore Airlines reflected the overall financial performance of the company from the year 2008-2009. The financial report indicated a total of $1,062 million net profit which, based on the report, could have been higher and better if not for the global economic crisis that caused the airline to underperform financially on the last quarter of 2009 (SIA Annual Report 2008/09, 2010). Nevertheless, despite these financial challenges that the company experienced in the latter part of 2009, Singapore Airlines still continued to consistently deliver excellent products and services. It managed to build new lie-flat seats in the Business Class section which were designed for medium-haul and regional routes. It also managed to install iPod connectivity in some of its aircrafts (SIA Annual Report 2008/09, 2010). Moreover, the company remained its high focus on cost management to keep its balance sheet strongly stable. But instead of cutting costs when it comes to people development and management efforts, it kept investing on building and improving its internal infrastructures and systems as well as in developing and training its people (SIA Annual Report 2008/09, 2010). To a large extent, the annual report of the Singapore Airlines for 2009 explicitly reflected the various analytical and planning strategic management tools that the company utilized in order to achieve its organizational goals. For one, Singapore Airlines managed to analyze its own strengths and weaknesses vis-à  -vis its competitors and the top management keenly identified which value chain elements are important for the company and which ones are dispensable (Rigby, D. 2009). Despite the financial challenges the company experienced in 2009 such as the fuel price increases brought about by the economic crisis, the company remained true to its prudent fuel hedging strategy. As a result, the company incurred huge losses which the company regained immediately by implementing strict measures in cost management (SIA Annual Report 2008/09, 2010). Nevertheless, the company continued its focus on executing dynamic pricing strategies, providing more value-added promotions and packages which are still designed to earn the loyalty and trust of their customers. All these efforts, being at the core of the strategic management tools Singapore Airlines utilized, is what maintained the strong position of the company in the year 2009. B. Would you encourage the company to focus on growth efforts on emerging markets bearing in mind her organizaton culture and the changes that have occurred in the industry in the last decade? Yes. Singapore Airlines must redirect its growth efforts on emerging markets as it is already an established airline service brand, known around the world for its world-class products and services. In fact, today, this is the strategic route that Singapore Airlines must already be taking. According to Ng, M. (2010), the emerging markets in Asia, for instance, are expected to increase in terms of travel growth in the year 2010. There is a continuously growing opportunity for low-cost airline service brands to tap the increasing demand of emerging Asian markets for low-cost carriers. Given this demand, this is also an opportunity for Singapore Airlines to tap the travel opportunities of the emerging Asian market. In the past five years, the trend is increasingly shifting to practicability in travelling rather than luxury. In fact, the emerging markets need and demand is not really a luxurious means of travelling but more on a practical one, i.e., moving from one destination to another. At most, the needs of the consumers from the emerging markets are safety and comfort that is at par with other high-cost carriers. In tapping this huge number of consumers from the emerging market, Singapore Airlines can introduce its very first low-cost carrier carrying its brand name and its excellent service minus some consumer perks. C. How would you describe the companys strategic posture at the corporate level? Is it pursuing a global strategy, a multi-domestic strategy, an international strategy, or a transnational strategy? Based on the definition provided by Zwass, V. (1998) on what transnational strategy means, an organization which applies transnational strategy is focused both on its domestic/local and the global strategies. The strategies in the local or domestic level are directly tied in or in line with the overall global strategies of the entire organization. An organization which utilizes transnational strategy applies an integration of its global business activities with its domestic or local activities. Currently, the Singapore Airlines is not only focusing its efforts on its global strategies, specifically its vital strategies in maintaining its position in the international scene, but also in its local strategies. Furthermore, Singapore Airlines is also considered a transnational organization because of its consistent adaptation to various environmental and economic situations and its capitalization in knowledge and value-added information (Zwass, V. 1998). Singapore Airlines also entered into several strategic alliances with its suppliers, customers and some business partners like for instance, iPod connectivity which was recently installed in some airbuses of Singapore Airlines. This strategic partnership resulted to value-added services and additional competencies which served as the companys competitive edge versus its competitors. D. Does the companys management structure and philosophy aligned with her overall strategic posture? Singapore Airlines management structure and philosophy are closely aligned with the companys overall strategic posture. As defined by Zwass, V. (1998), transnational strategy is a specific management approach wherein the global business activities of the company are integrated with the domestic strategies. This management approach is applied through maintaining an interdependence and close cooperation with partners, subsidiaries and customers. Moreover, a transnational organization is highly collaborating with other independent, potential partner firms in order to deliver certain services and products in the market. This is what Singapore Airlines is continually trying to achieve when it comes to providing value-adding products and services into the market. For instance, Singapore Airlines is a partner of Star Alliance Network, in order to deliver certain perks and benefits to certain customers which availed of that service. Any Star Alliance Gold Member who rode in Singapore Airlines, will be granted a priority passage, priority waitlisting, priority check-in and boarding, priority airport standby and extra baggage allowance (Singapore Airlines, 2010). The different strategic alliances that the company engages in and the overall management structure that Singapore Airlines currently has is one proof that it is a certified transnational organization that is directly in line with achieving its corporate philosophy. E. Make specific recommendations for the company either to maintain her position or improve her position  without undermining the environmental changes and her competitive position. Singapore Airlines must maintain its current strategic posture, that is, its application of transnational strategies because that is the primary reason for its top position and market leadership in the airline industry. What separates Singapore Airlines from other directly competing airline companies is its responsiveness both in the international or global pressures and the demands of the local and domestic market. In order to improve its current position however, Singapore Airlines must continue to improve its current management structure and make it more flexible so that the facilitation and passing on of critical information from one unit to another is smooth-flowing. Also, Singapore Airlines must focus and redirect its growth efforts into eyeing and looking into other market expansion opportunities which provide them the opportunity to expand not only internationally but also domestically. One possible source of market expansion for Singapore Airlines is the increasing travel growth demand in emerging Asian markets. For the past years, Singapore Airlines has been focusing on tapping international markets in Europe but today, it must redirect its efforts into tapping other emerging markets which demand low-cost carriers. Conclusion Singapore Airlines remains to be one of the strongest and most profitable airline service providers in the world today because of a number of reasons. One is its strong brand management strategies mainly driven by its dedicated and professional employees both in its front and back-end office. Another reason is because of the companys unique management structure that is in line with the achievement of its corporate philosophy which is service excellence and consumer focus. The third and possibly the main reason for the companys huge success is its application of the transnational strategy. Defined as the specific management approach wherein the global business activities of the company are integrated with the domestic strategies, Singapore Airlines has so successfully utilized this strategy in order to gain strategic prominence in the airline industry. Because of Singapore Airlines application of this specific management approach, it gained a strong network of alliances and cooperative network of alliances from among various types partner firms, subsidiaries, and even suppliers. As a result of Singapore Airlines openness for collaboration and partnership with other independent firms and suppliers, it was able to successfully deliver certain services and products which became value-adding for their own customers. Merely responding to the needs of the global market is not enough to achieve strategic success and prominence today, without the aid and support of other independent firms and subsidiaries and forming strategic alliances with them, Singapore Airlines could not possibly make it as a truly global leader in the airline industry. Recommendations In order to retain the strong global position and market leadership of Singapore Airlines, the company must fully embrace its application of the transnational strategies. The fact that Singapore Airlines is a transnational organization was the primary reason for its top position and market leadership in the airline industry. Being the transnational organization that Singapore Airlines is now, it gave the company a broader strategic and competitive advantage compared to other directly competing airline service provider that is why it must retain and improve further its application of this specific management approach and strategy. First, Singapore Airlines must continue to improve its current management structure and transform it into a full-blown transnational organization consisting of flexible units/departments and subsidiaries in order to allow a smoother facilitation of critical information which is important for a company occupying the top position. Second, Singapore Airlines must focus and redirect its growth efforts into tapping other market opportunities not only internationally but also domestically. One possible source of this market expansion is the increasing travel growth demand in emerging Asian markets whose demand is centered on practicality over luxury travelling. In order to broaden its existing market, Singapore Airlines must offer low-cost carriers which would cater specifically to the growing and fast-emerging Asian market of travelers.

Marked women by appearance article

Marked women by appearance article MARKED WOMEN In the Article â€Å"marked women†, Deborah Tannen explains the social way of judging women by their appearance or other factors, but not judging men for the same reasons. Tannen uses her observation during a conference meeting of four women and eight men to analyze how each woman in the meeting was marked while men were not. Again Deborah points out the issue of how one gender writing about the other is either portrayed as prejudiced or sexist. ADD MORE POINTS The author explains that men have the freedom to wear what they want without much meaning being read from their clothes, but for a woman every style has a meaning. In the article Deborah Tannen says â€Å"There is no womans hair style that can be called standard, that says nothing about her† further supporting her point. The author uses the different clothing styles of three ladies in her conference meeting as examples when she tries to attribute them? to their respective personalities. However, she noticed that the men were all dressed alike because they had the freedom to. In my opinion, the authors evaluation is restricted. Tannen did not consider the formal setting of her case study so to say.In such settings, men are often restricted to corporate outfits and a plain haircut just like the ones she observed in her male colleagues in the article (page #) . For instance, it is inappropriate for a man to go job hunting or for an interview in a pair of shorts and plain T shirt , but in a casual place like a bar he has more freedom in his choice of outfits. This example shows that men are only unmarked in certain situations and settings. Further on, Deborah also claims that every womans style has an implied meaning. In paragraph 12 she says â€Å"Each of the women at the conference had to make decisions about hair, clothing, makeup and accessories, and each decision had a carried meaning†. She insinuates that a woman can hardly dress without judgment being passed on her dress. For example, if a woman wears a revealing or tight dress then she is viewed as attention seeking or available. I believe that the Deborah Tannens point here is true because from my experience, a persons appearance is the first criteria for judgment it makes your first impression of the person. I dont completely agree with Deborah attributing this social evaluation to just women since a man can also be judged by how he dresses. His dressing says a lot about his personality, fashion choices, occupation, wealth and even his sexual orientation. You dont need anyone to tell you that a man who dresses in suits everyday works in a firm or some business outfit while the man in overalls and hard hat is a construction worker. Next, the article makes a case about some words in the English language that are marked. Deborah Tannen describes that adding suffixes to some nouns to make them feminine (or about the female gender) seems to infer a sense of a sense of un-seriousness. In Deborahs example adding -ette to the Doctor to form â€Å"Doctorette† shows inferiority to a certain degree . In my opinion the author was myopic in her evaluation. She bases her case on the English language only, in making a general argument about women. Some languages use the same words or completely different words for both genders. in French language â€Å"ilâ€Å" is used for the masculine gender and â€Å"elle† for the feminine gender and â€Å"ils† for plural â€Å"they†. It should be noted that these suffixes are just added to show grammatical differentiation in gender and not for social gender classification. The author cited an expert source Dr. Ralph Fasold in his book, ().†. According to her citation, Dr. Fasold stressed that â€Å"language and culture are particularly unfair in treating women as the marked case because biologically it is the male that is marked† (paragraph 24, line 2). So with respect to this citation, in her opinion men should be the marked ones. This logic seems to be biased and irrelevant to the argument about the women being marked and men unmarked, not which gender should. I believe it was a good citation but for the wrong argument. The article introduces a secondary argument about the societys view of one gender writing about the other. A woman writing about the man is viewed by the society as a prejudiced person. This is true; in my opinion a female writing about a male is sexist. I feel a woman writing about for instance the flaws of the male character is sexist because both genders have flaws and why should only one gender be put to question. In conclusion, I think the author Deborah Tannen had a reasonable argument but her supporting evidence were somewhat biased and they were not strong enough to fully support the arguments. Moreover, she did introduce opposing opinions; she just looked at the argument from a womans point of view. As far as my opinion goes women are judged a little more than men, but that does not mean men are free this societal evaluation.

Gcse Arab Israeli Conflict Que :: essays research papers

1. Looking at where this source came from, (a history book), my primary opinion would be that the author should place no blame at all on either parties detailed in his writings. The purpose of a history book is not to put forward the opinions of the writer, but to display the facts and events of the time period in question. However, as is most common nowadays, books such as these can be used by governments as propaganda, and for all I know the author could be extremely biased. Then, the date should give a further clue before any of the material in question has even been read. Although written nine years after the Six Day War of June 1967, this extract can hardly be deemed to have been written in ‘hind sight’, as the hostility between the Arabs and Israelis was still present at the time of its publication. If the author was someone who was not totally impartial, perhaps they had relatives on one of the opposing factions or were themselves members, then in such a time of heated emotions, ones anger might begin to affect the impartiality of your writing, whether deliberate or subconsciously. Upon reading the article, you notice that it is very fairly set out into two sections, the Israelis reasons for going to war, and the Arabs. You are told in the first paragraph that â€Å"the Arab powers were threatening her (Israel) with destruction and were ready to attack her† as well as â€Å"Egypt had already closed the Gulf of Akaba which she knew Israel would regard as an act of war†. Also, the writer states â€Å"Israel could not afford to let the Arabs strike first for she was too weak and too vulnerable†. In the second paragraph, that for the reasons of the Arabs, you are told, â€Å"The Arabs say that Israel should not have been in existence at all†, and that â€Å"Israel had to go to war to save its economy and to ward off political instability†. This all seems very diplomatic, but the first thing that struck me was that Israel had roughly three reasons put forward, as opposed to the Arabs two. The writer says that â€Å"it comes down to whether†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in the first paragraph, implying that you should draw your own opinion from the information that he has put forward in his book. I believe that he is trying to sway your opinion to the side of the Israelis by means of clever wording.

Killing :: essays research papers

Last night In the still of the night Santiago’s crying cut sharply like a knife. His crying was relentless, as though it would never end but then, a child of three knows no other way to express his horror. Abraham Naser walked down the narrow street made of hardened earth and nothing more. His dress was pure class, white blazer and pants with matching wide brimmed hat. Lost in thought he rolled his cigar between his lips, then, as if in a motion as natural to him as his tendency to smile at beautiful women, he adjusted his gun stuffed tightly in the back of his waist bond. It was then when Abraham ran into the women he knew would change his life; the women who would be his wife Arabic coffee tasted for the first tome is surpassing and strong, but soon, it turns soothing and sweet. Placida Linero’s head snapped back at her first taste, and they both laughed. Their eyes spore of there long future from across the small round table. The cafà © had been Abraham’s idea, but it w as now Placida who didn’t want the moment to end, ever. Walking down the isle had been Placida dream since she was a little girl. In Spain girls are brought up to make mariace a priority. For Abraham, on the other hand, an Arab male of wealth turn of the century Spain, life had always meant just the opposite. A man of festivities, of party and celebration, Abraham loved his boos, cigars, and women. And not necessary in that order. He felt and, not a beginning to his life. Placida was a spark of light, beauty able to contain her joy news spilled like a flood. Abraham finds he is happier than he had ever been, but battle with the confession of his changing life. In his excitement, Abraham rushed out to the baby store. There, a beautiful radon haired young women, eyes blue then the sea, assists him in selecting a crib of finished wood and white lace. The celebration that night will be remembered for all time. The drinking, the smoking, the guilt, the self-loathing and the broken promise. He could not explain even to himself how another chance meeting ¾with the young women from the baby store ¾ now stood to destroy his life. How could he have been so foolish he asked himself?

Hellen Nellie Mcclung: A Canadian Feminist :: essays research papers fc

Hellen Nellie McClung: A Canadian Feminist Helen "Nellie" Laetitia Mooney was born October 20, 1873 in a log cabin on Garafraxa Road, two kilometers from Chatsworth, Ontario. She and her family moved to Manitoba when she was six years old. One of Nellie's best influences was her mother. Her family's influence was no doubt the reason she became an activist. Her mother thought that every child had the right to an education, and her whole family encouraged her to learn all she could. (9, Wright) Nellie at age ten, went to school at Northfield School. This is where her education started. Nellie's dream was to be a teacher like her sister Hannah. Teaching was one of the few jobs open to women. She started her 'voyage' at age fifteen by passing the Second Class Teachers' Examination. She went on to earn a higher teaching certificate at Winnipeg Collegiate in 1893. She went on to teach at Hazel Public School near Manitou, Manitoba. We study Nellie McClung because she was an internationally celebrated feminist and social activist. Her success as a platform speaker was legendary. Her earliest success was achieved as a writer, and during her lengthy career she authored four novels, two novellas, three collections of short stories, a two- volume autobiography and various collections of speeches, articles and wartime writing, to a total of sixteen volumes. Two of her most famous books are: Clearing In The West and The Stream Runs Fast. All this served as a "pulpit" from which McClung could preach her gospel of feminist activism and social transformation. She was convinced that God's intention for creation was a "Fair Deal" for everyone; and that Canada, particularly the prairie West, was a perfect place to begin to bring that about. Women's suffrage, temperance and the ordination of women were keystones in the battle - engaged. In contrast to contemporary stereotypes, with a wit and compelling humor that won over enemies as it delighted her allies. Nellie was a curious girl, she was always asking questions. This was not commonly seen among girls in her time. As a small child she would want to participate in sports with the boys, although she was always told she wasn't allowed. "I was hoping there would be a race for girls under ten, or that girls might enter with the boys. But the whole question of girls competing in races was frowned on. Skirts would fly upward and legs would show! And it was not nice for little girls, or big ones either, to show their legs."(2, Wright) As many great philosophers do, Nellie would always ask: Why?

Dr. Martin Luther Kings “I Have a Dream” Overview

â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† continues to resonate with people all ever the world. These are the reasons why: 1 . We're getting there, but the work is far from done People of all races still strive for equality. As far as we've come, we still have a long way to go. The speech never gets old, instilling in us the powerful idea of brotherhood and that as diverse as we are, we are one. 2. A lesson In leadership Through his words, MILK Jar. Gave voice to the voiceless. Through his deeds he gave courage to the faint of heart. Through it all, he taught us the power of love and humanity. . We yearn for unwavering examples of human integrity MILK Jar. Endured the humiliation of arrest, the loneliness of a prison cell, and constant threats to his life which was ultimately sacrificed. In an era of false heroes and the all-too-common occurrence of being let down by those we once held In high esteem, we need people to look up to, to aspire to be and who make us say, â€Å"l want to be Li ke them!. † 4. Motivation to Inspire others The way King went about affecting change is a leadership and linguistic lesson in how to move mountains.The speech is one of the greatest examples of what we can do when we act on our hearts, and it gave us a benchmark to strive for: a country that acts on its own ideals and measures itself against how it treats its least fortunate. 5. A shining example of how one person can move others to action The speech reinforces that change begins with us and that any one of us can help transform the world. Martin Luther King, Jar. , one man, did nothing less than Inspire a nation to transform itself and begin living up to the meaning of its creed. 6. Economic injustices still exist Much is said about today's economic â€Å"winners and losers. MILK,Jar. Deplored the idea that businesses should exploit workers by failing to pay a decent wage or laying off dedicated employees to squeeze more profits. Today's Occupy Wall Street Movement Is one ex ample of Just how passionate people still are about these Issues. 7. We have large-scale unemployment King believed human dignity could be restored with federal works programs that trained and placed unemployed workers. This thinking still informs our current dilemma about what it will take to restore people's livelihoods and dignity amidst the longest, deepest, global recession in a generations. . A reminder to serve others We too can strive to be better, serving our nation and our fellow brothers. It Is easy to implicated society. Martin Luther King, Jar. Inspired us to reach out to others in greater need. 9. Serves as a powerful presentation to our children about prejudice The speech is an influential classroom tool that still resonates with children today. Kids aren't huge fans of black and white video clips, but it doesn't take long for the magnificent words and charisma of King to transcend the limitations of any media. 0. We require reminders that make us look into our souls The United States believes it is a land in which strength is defined not simply by the capacity to wage war but by the determination to forge peace. The speech forces us to face these ideals and is still helpful today as we look in the mirror to determine if we like what we see. 11. It helps the rest of the world fight discrimination Fighting for what is right and Just are basic human impulses, yet oftentimes they are difficult to act on.The world has a long way to go before eradicating racial hatred, discrimination, segregation and ethnic strife. Anything that inspires people to action is a plus, let alone such a shining example as the â€Å"l Have a Dream† speech. 12. Powerfully reinforces the notion that progress is possible It is so easy to become assassinated, discouraged, disengaged and even depressed with the state of affairs in our society, our government and our world. Voter apathy is rampant. We need the â€Å"l Have a Dream Speech† to remind us of our better selves and all that we still aspire to be.Correct Scott King said â€Å"all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice,† including against sexual orientation. She institutionalized Martin Luther King's â€Å"philosophy, his principles of nonviolence and his methodology of social change,† and helped push it forward. These worthy causes still exist today. Progress is being made, but it is up to each one of us to carry them forward, no matter how small or how large the gestures. We are busy, time is short and for most of us, the daily challenges are great.But we all must do our part. Why does Martin Luther King Jar have a holiday? Doctor King led the civil rights movement in the US. Taking his philosophy from Gandhi, he determined that the movement would be nonviolent†¦ At least from the point of the African American point. You see, in those times the Jim Crow laws were in effect. Schools were b lack and white, bus stops were segregated, even drinking fountains were labeled â€Å"white† and â€Å"colored†. While the Civil War had officially ended slavery, the black citizens were treated as second class citizens.They had to pay to vote, get up on a bus when a white passenger wanted their seat, wait to eat if there were not enough seats labeled â€Å"colored† at a lunch counter, in essence they were still treated as slaves. In the US, the laws had changed, but the attitudes had not. There was a small minority who still thought that people of color were not equal. They had been slaves, were stupid, and did not deserve the rights that white people had. Of the other people, most Just never thought about it. They lived their lives and didn't think about how the black person felt trying to raise his/her family in dignity. Ere public and then pointed out that these people were war heroes, entertainers, and public servants. In short, he made white people face th e very real fact that they were no better or worse than the African Americans and that they needed to change the laws†¦ And attitudes. It was a very troubling time in the US. There was news coverage from the national television services showing peaceful African Americans protesting and being attacked by the police with water cannon, dogs, and the police themselves. We saw the footage from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and were outraged. When Dry.King was assassinated, the country was shocked and dismayed. Laws were changed in short order, and the nation became more aware how it treated it's citizens. Some short years later, the unofficial celebration of Dry. King's birthday became a national holiday. The reason is that his was the most influential contribution to civil rights in the US in the 20th century. We remember his contributions on that day, and celebrate the man ho had the courage to speak out against laws which made second class citizens of a large minority of US citi zens. Thoughts: In this persuasive speech which may be the best speech ever given.There are so many powerful points. The two things that stick out to me the most are the quotes â€Å"l have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be Judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. † Also, the quote â€Å"And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able o speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to Join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, â€Å"Free at last! Ere at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! † (Martin Luther King Jar. ) The pure eulogy, rhetorical use, intellectuality, and genuine thoughts were conveyed in such a way throughout the speech that a person could not help, bu t take notice and be at the mercy of the history that was made that day. Dry. King said they were going to cash a check. This was not a check in the literal means, but the metaphorical representation of something that was promised to them, and that promise was not fulfilled.

Learning Team Deliverable Essay

The assignment for this week focuses on the team’s understanding of the goals and objectives of training program development and delivery. Team C summarizes the following highlights of this week’s discussions: determining organizational development theories and applications; differentiating between mentoring and executive coaching; identifying the major components of employee training; and comparing career development strategies. Organizational Development Theories and Applications Organizational development (OD) focuses on the research, theory, and practices committed to increasing the knowledge and effectiveness of individuals to achieve positive and successful organizational transformations. OD is the continuous process of planning, implementing, and evaluating the goals of the company by the way of â€Å"transferring knowledge and skills to organizations to improve their capacity for solving problems and managing future change† (Organizational development theory, n.d.). The beginning of OD came from studies from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s where the realization arisen about how the structure of the organization and its processes helped shape an employee’s performance and drive. In recent years, OD is helping companies align with the changes occurring in the new business environment. Key to organizational development theories and applications is the organization’s climate, culture, and strategies. The Difference between Mentoring and Executive Coaching Many companies are now beginning to grasp the significance of mentoring and coaching their employees. Although many entry-level jobs do require a college education and a few years’ experience, it is crucial to provide the necessary tools and training to those employees interested in climbing the corporate ladder into managerial or supervisory positions. Now more than ever, companies are realizing the need to provide leadership advancement opportunities to its employees so as to motivate them, stay competitive and productive, which in turn positively impacts the bottom line of the business. Mentoring and coaching programs are now habitually used in many organizations to improve leadership qualities (Watt, 2004). The Major Components of Employee Training Employee training is essential to the both individual and companywide success. Training improves productivity and profitability, promotes a safe and healthy work environment, ensures compliance with laws and regulations, and creates opportunities for career development. There are several major components that should be included in an effective training program, and those components include performing a job analysis and needs assessment, establishing training objectives, conducting a training program, and evaluating training outcomes. Performing a job analysis involves formatting a detailed study of necessary job requirements including skills needed to complete the job and required employee qualifications. A needs assessment identifies training activities that are required in order to achieve company objectives. Before training, an employer must determine what will be accomplished as a result of the training. Training objectives are terms that describe the intended outcome of a training program. The objectives allow for the measurement of success as there are predetermined skill levels and conditions that should be achieved. In order to meet company objectives, the employer must conduct a training program. Training can be carried out through on-the-job training, job rotation, apprenticeship training, classroom training, and many other methods. Regardless of the method(s) of training implemented meeting training objectives should be the focus. It may be necessary to use more than one method of training or revise training if results are not being achieved. In order to determine the effectiveness,  the training outcome must be evaluated. The evaluation of training consists of a reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Results determine how much the trainee liked the program. Learning outlines what facts and concepts were learned. Behavior determines if the program had an effect on the behavior(s) of the trainees. And results highlight what was accomplished as a result of the program, i.e. reduction of turnover or cost. Evaluating a training program allows for an employer to identify and correct areas in which improvement is needed. In order accomplish company goals employees must be trained effectively. Training cannot be an afterthought; it should be planned and implemented correctly. Career Development Strategies Career development is comprised of three main objectives. The first objective is to meet human resource needs in a timely manner throughout the life of the business. The second objective is to provide information about open positions and opportunity for growth to the organization’s employees. The last objective is to use existing programs to develop and manage employee careers to match organizational plans and goals. Three different parties are responsible for professional development within the organization: the employee, the employee’s manager, and the organization itself. Various strategies exist to succeed in the development process. One strategy human resources may use is career pathing. For example, an existing employee would like to apply for a higher position within the company. To acquire the required skills, the employee may work with management and the human resource department to develop a blueprint of the steps required to achieve the necessary skill set or certification. Some organizations offer specialized education or training classes to their employees. Another strategy tool in career development is career counseling. Through career counseling, human resource managers can communication with the employee and the organization’s managers, while â€Å"employees explore career goals and opportunities in the organization† (ExploreHR.org, 2014). Conclusion Organizational development is an essential component in the success of an organization. As discussed above there are various OD theories and  applications that can be utilize to improve the overall effectiveness of company processes and operation. Mentoring and executive coaching are similar methods both used to improve employee performance or correct damaging behaviors. Employee training includes a number of components including, performing a job analysis and needs assessment, establishing training objectives, conducting a training program, and evaluating training outcomes. The primary strategies for career development are meeting human resource needs, providing information about opportunity for growth, and developing and managing employee careers. The above mentioned strategies and methods can be used in conjunction to improve company success. References Elements of Career Planning Programs. (2014). Retrieved on November 30, 2014 from http://www.explorehr.org/articles/Career_Management/Elements_of_Career_Planning_Programs.html Organizational development theory. Retrieved from http://www.med.upenn.edu/hbhe4/part4-ch15-organizational-development-theory.shtml Watt, L. (2004). Mentoring and coaching in the workplace: an insight into two leading leadership development programs in organizations. Canadian Manager.