The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft

â€Å"The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ On the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† Submitted By: SANUSI SANI BUHARI Student No: 200922R7018 The Dissertation has been submitted to the Skyline University College In partial Fulfillment of the Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration (International Business) December-2012 Acknowledgement The writing of this dissertation has been one of the most significant academic challenges I have ever had to face. Without the support, patience and guidance of the following people, this study would not have been completed.It is to them that I owe my deepest gratitude. * Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al Saed, who undertook to act as my supervisor despite his many other academic and professional commitments. His wisdom, knowledge and commitment to the highest standards inspired and motivated me. * My friends and whoever directly or indirectly helped me to during the course of the dissertation. * The authors of the various books and web sit es as well as the facilities and university library that helped me gain various information for this dissertation. AbstractThis research paper describes the buying decisions of ‘consumers’, as to whether they prefer Microsoft or Apple products. People have different choice according to needs. Business organizations and telecommunication sectors judge product on usability. Data analysis suggests many important elements impact the buying decision of an individual or any specific company. Data analysis also suggests Microsoft and Apple continue to push the envelope when it comes to developing software and hardware. The main objective of this research is- which product do people prefer?To find answers to the research questions of this research, data analysis and descriptive study has been used, because it involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way. This method is used to obtain a general overview of the subject, and answers who, what, and why of the study. The two giants pride themselves for producing cutting edge consumer and business products, and are leading the developments in software and hardware. But what about their websites how do they both compare, and more important, which one is better and more usable?This study will help reader to find all this answer. Chapter No. | Particulars| Pg No. | 1| Introduction * Aims of Independent Study * Objectives| 6-7| 2| Literature Review| 8-29| 3| Research Methodology| 30-32| | * Research Design| 31| | * Research Approach| 31| | * Research Instrument| 32| | * Sampling Design| 32| 4| Data Analysis| 33-37| 5| Conclusion| 38-40| | Bibliography | 41-42| | Appendixes | 43-46| Aims of the Study Technology has slowly started to rule our lives. No matter where we are, we have access to some sort of technological appliance such as cell phones, computers or televisions.Anything one could think of that might, in even the slightest way, make our lives easier is now av ailable. So many different types of devices have been conceived and developed that is has become a complicated and confusing decision when trying to choose the right product. Computers and other forms of technology impact our lives daily. We encounter computers in stores, restaurants, and other retail establishments. We use computers and the Internet regularly to obtain information, experience online entertainment, buy product and services as well as communicating with others.Most of us carry a computer or a mobile phone with us at all times so we can remain in touch with others on a continual basis and can access internet information by the touch of a button. Businesses use computers to keep track of bank transactions, inventories, sales, credit card purchases and also provide business executives up to date information to make important decisions. Government’s use computers to support our nation’s defense system, for space exploration, for storing and organizing vital information of citizens, and other important tasks. Computers are used everywhere, and is a vital tool in one’s life.When you turn to your computer, it’s nice to think you’re in control. There’s the trusty computer mouse, which you can move anywhere on the screen, summoning up your music library or the internet browser by one click. Although it’s easy to feel like the director in front of your own desktop or laptop, there’s a lot going on inside, and the real man behind all these operations is the ‘Operating System’. The purpose of an operating system is to organize and control hardware and software so that the device it lives in behaves in a flexible but predictable way.Most desktop or laptop PCs come pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows. Macintosh computers come pre-loaded with Mac OS X. The operating system (OS) is the first thing loaded onto the computer. Without the operating system, a computer is useless. When it comes to co mputer technology, the two biggest giants are ‘Microsoft’ and ‘Apple’. Microsoft and Apple are by and large the biggest producers in cutting edge consumer and business products. Between the two companies, they continue to push the envelope when it comes to developing software and hardware.Question is, which do people prefer? Prior to this, I’ve decided to base my study on ‘†¦ The buying decisions of consumers’, as to whether they prefer Microsoft or Apple products†¦ ’ Research Objectives Research Objectives ascertains specific points that may aid in gathering information related to the main objective. The purpose of this research will be: * To know the factors that affect the buying decisions of customers * To determine the products and services provided to customers Literature ReviewAs stated by (Allan 2001), Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions. While jointly developing a new Operating System (OS), working alongside IBM, Microsoft released Microsoft Windows. On February 26th 1986, moved its headquarters to Redmond, and decided to make the company go public.Microsoft worked closely with Apple during the development of Apple's Macintosh computer, which was introduced in 1984. Revolutionary in its design, the Mac featured a graphical user interface based on icons rather than the typed commands used by the IBM PC, making its programs simple to use and easy to learn, even by computer novices. ( Iceboat, Daniel, and Susan L. Knepper 1991 p. 304) Apple INC was established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977; the company was previously named Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30 years, but removed the word â€Å"Computer† on January 9, 2007, to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. (Price 1987) On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer important of the Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Jonathan Ive, who would later design the iPod and the iPhone. The iMac featured modern technology and a unique design. It sold close to 800,000 units in its first five months.Through this period, Apple purchased several companies to create a portfolio of professional and consumer-oriented digital production software. On May 19, 2001, Apple opened the first official Apple Retail Stores in Virginia and California. Later on July 9 they bought Spruce Technologies, a DVD authoring company. The same year, Apple introduced the iPod portable digital audio player. The product was phenomenally successful  Ã¢â‚¬â€ over 100 million units were sold within six years. In 2003, Apple's iTunes Store was introduced, offering online music downloads for $0. 99 a song and combination with the iPod.The service quickly became the market leader in online music services, with over 5 billion downloads by June 19, 2008. It can understandably be said that when it comes to computer technology, the two biggest names are ‘Microsoft’ and ‘Apple’. (Suhail 2009) It success has become so immense that a customer’s choice can either be one of the two. Other competitors are too far off, but what do these two giants give in return to society? To most people, Microsoft represents computing. Those with a dynamic interest in technology usually believe that Microsoft Windows is the computer.This kind of brand association you won’t see in other companies, which makes it a very powerful source in the world of technology. Apple computers have grown very popular in the last few years, and its simplicity and user-friendly attributes is what keeps customers capti vated. Historically, Microsoft began the personal computer revolution with their Windows Operating System, which offered people a different platform for their computer needs. Apple also introduced, with their own line of Macintosh computers and devices, though it did have it ups and downs.Microsoft followed a general policy by marketing their computers with non-expensive hardware and software parts which allowed every house to have a PC (personal computer). People can afford their computers with no restrictions on the type of hardware. Apple had a different mind frame whereby they went for exclusivity and decided to sell their products at a much higher price than Microsoft PC’s. Its elite hardware and software is what makes it more expensive. (Admin 2010) Although where Apple has the upper hand over Microsoft is related to security. Apple Mac computers are generally more secure because of its OSX operating system. Suhail 2009) It has more protection built in against malware a nd viruses. Customers want to feel comfortable and safe, knowing that the product they are purchasing is protected against threat at all times. Windows (operating system of Microsoft) is more prone to malware and viruses, and requires expensive protection software to make the PC more secure. Another advantage of Apple computers is they are more efficient when it comes to graphics acceleration and games. Microsoft has problems with that. If one would buy a Microsoft based PC, they would need to spend an additional amount to handle graphics of that scale.On the other hand, Microsoft is committed in making its products and services easier for everyone to use. The Windows operating system has many in-built accessibility features that are useful for individuals who have difficulty in typing, using the mouse, seeing or hearing difficulties. Microsoft also produces other computer hardware’s such as Xbox, Zune, Xbox 360 and MSN TV. (MSJ 1986) Apple also offers a wide variety of produ cts such as the iPhone, iPod, Apple TV and the newly introduced iPad. Factors affecting buying decision HomepageThe homepage is one of the most important pages of the whole site because it’s the first, and in many cases the only chance you get to impress the visitor enough to keep them browsing. You’ve got a few seconds to convince them that the site has enough value for them to keep using it, because if it doesn’t, the visitors will leave. Apple’s approach to the homepage has been consistent throughout all the years that the site has been running. They use this page as a kind of advertising board that always shows a big ad of their latest product, followed by 3 other ads to another 3 products or news that is important at the moment.If you’re not interested in any of the 4 suggested items, you can use the large navigation bar at the top, which is split into their core businesses: Mac, iPod and iPhone, followed by a couple of other important links, such as the online store and support pages. The navigation bar also incorporates a search field. (Dmitry Fadeyev) One other thing to note is the lack of content. You’re not distracted by sidebars, notices or extra navigation items — there are only a few items on the page, focusing your attention and making the decision of where to go next easier. Microsoft has a different approach to their homepage.Firstly, they feature a similar style of ad at the top, designed to be attention grabbing. These are large images, but only one out of 3 ads is shown at a time — you have to hover over the other two to expand them. This focuses attention, but may potentially weaken the effectiveness of the two hidden ads since the visitor has to work to see them right at the top of the page is the navigation, together with search. Flow All of the content of Microsoft is extremely monotonous, especially the â€Å"Learn More† box with a list of 8 links. The dry presentation gives the user less incentive to click around.Some Microsoft sites use better layout to direct the flow of attention, but they generally all suffer from the same illness: too much content. When you present the user with too many choices, you make them work — they have to think about what they want and they have to process more information. By reducing choice, Apple directs the users through a more carefully designed funnel, which generally delivers a better experience. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Navigation Apple’s website has a large navigation bar at the top, which remains there consistently whichever section of the site you go to.The options available show the main sections split by its lines of business as well as a couple of essentials, such as support and the store. The bar also integrates search and branding as the home button displays the Apple logo instead of a label. Any extra sub-navigation is located on individual site pages and is placed within the context of that page, w hether on a sidebar, or as a horizontal bar at the top. Microsoft has a similar navigation bar on the homepage, but that navigation bar is not consistent across the site. Actually, all of the sub-pages tend to use their own navigation bar, in style and in content.The homepage navigation thus acts as a site map to the rest of the Microsoft website sections. In a lot of the navigation bars, including the one on the homepage, Microsoft uses drop-down menus — unlike Apple. They don’t just use drop-down menus — they use huge drop-down menus. In some cases, the menu even has a scrollbar (in Firefox): Is this good or bad? In a recent Alertbox entry, Jakob Nielsen, a well known usability guru, has written that mega drop-down menus can work. They work because they present a lot of choices in groups, so they allow for easier scanning as you can jump to the group that you want and scan the items inside them.You have to get certain things right though, like the order of the groups and only mentioning each element once, for them to work well. In this case, it makes sense for Microsoft to go the route of the drop-down menus, but feel that they may have gone a little too far. For example, some options point to the same thing, like the ‘Office’ drop down and ‘Office’ option in the ‘All Products’ drop down. The drop-down also blocks the content below, so if you accidentally moused over the menu, you have to mouse off from it again to get to the content below — all the while being careful not to hover over other items.There are also a lot of options under each group — sometimes showing about 13 items, which makes processing the options much more difficult. Also, the inconsistency of navigation across the different sections makes it much harder to jump from one area of the site to another, e. g from the Office site to the Xbox site. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Readability Because most of the content on the sites is t ext, it’s vital to ensure that everything is readable and legible. Here are the main things to consider when working on readability of your site’s content: * Make the text large enough so that it’s easy to see and read. Ensure that there is enough contrast between the text and background. * Provide enough white space around the text to keep other content and graphics from distracting the reader. * Provide plenty of headings or highlighted/bold text to allow users to quickly scan the content for key information. * Add images and icons to make it easier to focus on individual sections of the text, i. e. product or feature descriptions. * Keep the text short and to the point. Apple does a great job of keeping everything easy to read.The text is generally small, but never too small so as to be a problem. Headings are set in heavier type and stand out, allowing you to quickly get the gist of each section. Apple also makes heavy use of white space to separate everythi ng apart and adds images to make each text blurb more interesting. It follows the general usability guidelines by breaking things down into small bite size pieces of text that are easy to digest. It looks a lot busier than the Apple site because there is more content on one page and there are many different treatments for headings and highlighted words. Dmitry Fadeyev) Too much variety causes visual chaos on the page, with each different colored or bold item competing for your attention. In this case, the page really needs to be simplified to make it easier for the viewer to process. Search Apple’s search is integrated into the navigation bar. When you type something in the search box you actually get live search results with AJAX, by way of a little box which pops up, showing you the results as you type. It’s very well done — there is no lag when typing, the results are grouped in categories and are fetched very quickly, usually before you finish typing your fu ll query.If you want to see more results you can just hit Enter when you’ve finished typing and you’ll be taken to the standard search results page. It’s very clean and organized by categories. You can drill the results further down by category, selectable from the menu on the right. It’s functional and clean, and works well when you’re trying to find any products that they sell. Aesthetics Apple’s website aesthetics closely mirrors that of its product line. The navigation bar looks like it’s crafted out of aluminium and features gentle gradients and indented text. There are also plenty of reflections and minimalist design elements.Apple has always worked on unifying the look and feel of its interface across its entire product line, from the hardware to software, and their website is no exception. Do aesthetics have anything to do with usability? Actually, they do. Research shows that people perceive better looking interfaces as more usable. The site follows a faint Windows theme with the light blue clouds, but there is little else to say that this is a page for Internet Explorer or Windows. The look and feel is very generic and doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself or build a coherent brand.The designs are overall pretty good, but pretty good just isn’t enough. There are plenty of inconsistencies and a lack of polish, which puts Apple ahead in this area. Consistency Consistency is important because it allows you to develop usage patterns. This basically means that if your site has a consistent interface throughout, your visitors will quickly learn how it works and will be able to use this knowledge in any of the new pages that they visit, since they’ll all be using the same, or very similar, interface. Apple does a great job of keeping the interface consistent.All of the product pages feature very similar aesthetics and are structured in the same way. The whole site looks and feels the same throughout and the global navigation bar at the top is always there, on every page. This means that the entire experience is very unified and coherent — you know you’re on the same website wherever you go. Could you tell that this is a Microsoft page if you took away their logo? Custom graphics, styles and colour palettes across all the Microsoft sections help little to maintain a coherent brand image on the web. Microsoft really struggles here.There are many different sections across Microsoft. com and they all feature their own look and feel, including their own navigation. So once you go to a section on their site, be it the Microsoft store, the Office site, or the Security pages, they will all look and feel like separate websites. What’s worse, the global navigation bar is also gone, meaning that you have to go back to the homepage, or the site map, to see an overview of all of their sites. It’s really an ecosystem of websites hosted under the sa me domain and therefore it doesn’t get the benefit of consistency that Apple has.The brand image is also terribly fragmented making it impossible to define what a Microsoft site looks like. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Marketing Nobody will argue that Apple is the kind of viral marketing. You might find some PC ads/commercials on local magazines and newspapers, but you will not find great â€Å"Mac vs PC† / â€Å"Get a Mac† / â€Å"Buy a Mac† / â€Å"Hello, I am a Mac, and I am a PC† commercials like Apple produces. Security When it comes to Mac vs. PC security concerns, many experts think that Windows has caught up with Apple.Before Microsoft Windows 7, we have all heard that Windows operating system is a targeted platform for malicious attacks. Of course it is true, but the question is. Does the operating system has the right tools to defend itself? With Mac computers, you won't need to worry about viruses as you do in Windows operating system. The real prob lem is not only about viruses, but about security breaches that allow hackers to penetrate into your computer, and steal your valuable art works, photographs and important (and sometimes secret) media assets.It was proven that both Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard have their own glitches. DailyTech. com posted an article, saying that one prominent Mac hacker has pointed out that Mac OS X Snow Leopard is less secured than Microsoft Windows 7 OS. Well, if a Celeb hacker says so, we should probably take it pretty seriously. So it seems, at least when making a business decision, that you shouldn't pick a Macintosh over a PC, just because people are telling you that Macintosh doesn't have viruses, or they are more secure. Apple OS X Snow Leopard is based on the UNIX core.That fact alone doesn't make it more secure than Windows 7 as you can see. We just couldn't ignore the fact that viruses are real pain in the axe. As a power PC user, with all those pop-out windows saying â€Å"You h ave been infected with a Virus†¦ † I would probably be very happy knowing that I can work quietly, without worrying about viruses and all that crux horrors that the Internet brings with it. You just can't blame Windows operating system for being more popular. Financial Analysis It's important to step back and examine just how close each of these companies really are in terms of revenue and earnings.Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Apple to report approximately $2. 85 billion in net income ($3. 07 in EPS) on about $14. 62 billion in revenue when it releases its results. Yet, it's well known that Apple regularly beats consensus estimates by quite a large margin and that actual results will come in well above the consensus. Just last quarter, Apple not only beat revenue estimates by over $1 billion, but it annihilated EPS estimates by reporting $0. 88 above the $2. 45 consensus – a 36% beat.In fact, Apple has regularly beaten consensus estimates by well over 35% each quarter over the past year. (Andy M. Zaky) Financial Alchemist's Turley Muller, who is currently the most accurate analyst on Apple, offers a more realistic view of the company. Muller believes that Apple will report about $3. 1 billion in net income on ($3. 35 in EPS) on $15. 15 billion in revenue. And while I think Muller has left some room for upside surprise, it's clearly best to use his numbers rather than the consensus as a measure of comparison. Microsoft, on the other hand, is expected to earn $4. billion in net income ($0. 46 in EPS) on $15. 26 billion in revenue when it releases its results – just a hair above Muller's revenue estimates for Apple. And while Microsoft regularly reports upside surprises itself, the gap between consensus estimates and Microsoft's actual results is nowhere near as wide as it is with Apple's results. Thus, if Apple reports at the higher end of Muller's estimates, and if Microsoft reports closer to the consensus, it's quite possi ble that Apple might have a shot to beat Microsoft in revenue for the first time in its history this quarter.The chart (Appendix 2(A) details a quarterly revenue comparison of Apple and Microsoft over the past few years. As one can see from the chart, Apple is within striking distance of surpassing Microsoft's quarterly revenue. Since Microsoft and Apple are on a different fiscal year, the chart realigns their results based on the calendar year. (Andy M. Zaky) So the big story in tech earnings is whether history will be made in the decades-long battle between Apple and Microsoft, or whether Microsoft will postpone the inevitable and maintain its dominance over Apple for at least one more quarter.Even if Apple doesn't beat Microsoft in sales this quarter, it will almost certainly do so next quarter and by quite a large margin. For the September quarter, analysts expect Apple to generate approximately $16. 81 billion in revenue compared to a projected $15. 16 billion in revenue for Mi crosoft. So even conservative estimates, which have yet to be adjusted to account for iPad sales, already put Apple ahead of Microsoft by nearly $1. 2 billion next quarter. My estimates put Apple ahead by $3. 2 billion as I expect Apple to record nearly $18. 9 billion in revenue.What's even more surprising is that Apple will likely far surpass Microsoft in revenue for the entire 2012 fiscal year (Appendix 2(B). I'm looking for Apple to record $81. 6 billion in revenue, well above the $70 billion I'm expecting out of Microsoft for the year. You can view my track record on Apple at Philip Elmer-DeWitt's column Apple 2. 0. Even the analyst consensus puts Apple well ahead of Microsoft next year, with revenue estimates of $72. 6 billion (AAPL) versus $67 billion (MSFT). The chart below compares Apple and Microsoft's annual fiscal revenue for the past several years.While quarterly data must be compared on the calendar year to show a side by side comparison over a particular 3-month period , yearly data can be analyzed on the fiscal year. And, what about other metrics? Net income growth, total net income, total net cash, cash flow, book value, total assets and the economic sensitivity of each company's primary operations are just a few of the other key factors to consider when comparing the two companies. While Apple will surpass Microsoft in revenue in the near future, that doesn't necessarily mean that Apple automatically deserves a larger market capitalization.But it does appear that Apple will not only record more revenue than Microsoft, it will also eventually (within the next few years) earn more in net income, generate a larger amount of cash, and outpace Microsoft in terms of growth in net income and revenue. The earnings beat won't come easy for Apple. Due to Microsoft's extraordinarily high operating margin, the only way Apple will beat Microsoft in earnings is by simply outpacing it in sales. Since Microsoft pushes more of its revenue to the bottom line, Ap ple will have to significantly outpace Microsoft in revenue to win on the net income front.The chart below compares Apple and Microsoft's net income for the last several fiscal years (Appendix 2(C). Though these two companies no longer really operate in the same space as they once did with Apple turning its focus on the consumer and Microsoft on enterprise spending, both companies are dominating their respective industries. Update 7/20: As expected, Apple has once again crushed the consensus estimates on the top line, beating analyst revenue expectations by over well $1 billion when it reported $15. 7 billion in revenue Tuesday afternoon. In fact, Apple even surpassed my lofty expectations of $15. billion by $100 million in sales. Unless Microsoft far surpasses analyst expectations of $15. 24 billion in revenue, it appears that Apple has already won the race. Microsoft primarily makes its profits from business to business, which mainly consists of selling licenses to its operating s ystem to computer manufacturers and office suites for enterprises. That’s not to say that they don’t sell to consumers — they do, and they have consumer only product lines as well, such as the Xbox gaming console, and of course home users also buy Windows and Office.This means that their business targets pretty much everyone, from home computer owners to developers and enterprises; which in turn stretches the purpose of their website to try and serve everyone. On the other hand, Apple is primarily a consumer company, and makes most of its profit selling hardware, like its iPod music players and Mac computers. This makes the target of Apple’s site much clearer — marketing, selling and providing support for its products to consumers.They don’t have to worry about selling licenses to manufacturers because they’re the only manufacturer, so the key purpose of the website would be to advertise and promote their multiple product lines, as we ll as selling them through their online store. (Andy M. Zaky) Cost Analysis Other factor that affects buying decision is cost. People have been arguing online about how much more expensive Macs are than PCs — or not — for more than a decade (and in print for years before that). These discussions usually involve some hard facts but also some persistent myths. As a longtime Windows guy who has recently migrated to the Mac, I think I'm in a retty good position to try and sort out reality from fiction. Let's take a look at what you can really get for your money these days. Hardware For those of you who are left, what I have found in my research is that neither side has a lock on good value. If you start with Apple's relatively short list of SKUs (three or four model variations for each of its lines, such as MacBook Pro, MacBook, and iMac) and then look for comparable Windows machines, you'll find that Apple bests the competition in some ways and not in others, but the pric ing, overall, is surprisingly on par.Only a few years ago, it seemed like a no-brainer that Windows hardware was much cheaper. But if you're talking name-brand hardware, that's just no longer the case. On the other hand, if you search the Windows side first, you'll quickly discover machines that — in features and price — fit in between the Mac SKUs. And in those niches, they represent very good values. So there's one answer to the question of whether Macs or Windows represent a better value: If one of those â€Å"in between† PCs suits your needs best, you'd be paying an unnecessary premium to get a Mac instead.Let's look at some hard numbers. I started my research with top-of-the-line notebooks — I spent an hour on Dell's site trying to find the cheapest notebook that offered everything Apple's $2,799 MacBook Pro 17 provides. That includes: * Glossy 17-in. screen with 1,680-by-1,050-pixel resolution (optional 1,920-by-1,200 resolution for $100 more) * 2. 4-GHz Core 2 Duo processor * 2GB of RAM (upgradeable to 4GB) * 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT video * 160GB 5,400-rpm SATA hard drive * 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD ±RW/CD-RW) Gigabit Ethernet port * 54Mbps a/b/g/Draft n Wi-Fi * Bluetooth 2. 0+EDR, Express Card/34 card slot * Three USB ports * One FireWire 800 port * One FireWire 400 port * DVI port * Built-in insight video camera * One-year warranty (upgradeable to three years) I continued my comparisons with a visit to Circuit City last weekend to take a look at high-end 17-in. notebook PCs. Like Dell, Sony has one with every conceivable bell and whistle selling for more than $3,000 — the Vaio VGN-AR390E, which goes for $3,150.Like all the other Windows models available at Circuit City, the processor is a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, slower than the one in the MacBook Pro. On the other hand, the Vaio comes through with 1,920-by-1,200-pixel screen resolution, a 5,400 rpm 240GB hard drive, and a whopping 527MB of video memory. Like the D ell, though, at 8. 4 lb. , the Vaio makes the 6. 8 lb. MacBook Pro look like a lightweight. Moving downscale a little, both Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba have models in the $2,000 range that approximate the MacBook Pro's equipment.The HP Pavilion DV9260US comes with the Intel Core 2 Duo 2-GHz processor, a 240GB 5,400 rpm drive, Windows Vista Ultimate, and a 17-in. screen whose maximum resolution is only 1,440 by 900 pixels (a major drawback). Circuit City's price is $2,000. Bottom line: Assuming that you want a high-end notebook PC designed to work, play, and be your everyday machine with style, the MacBook Pro is a surprisingly good value. The models that I compared it with, the Sony and the Dell, had some extras here and there, but they were also more expensive.The key to the perception that Macs are more expensive is that Apple offers very few in-between models. A graph showing the market capitalization between ‘Apple’ and ‘Microsoft’ conducted by (T3 2009 ) shows that in the year 2000, Microsoft had a huge upper hand over Apple, and did so for a long period. It wasn’t until March 2005 that Apple started to rise and actually started to have a competing chance. Research Methodology Research Design The research paper design conducted is a descriptive one because it involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way.This method is used to obtain a general overview of the subject, and answers who, what, and why of the study. It is also useful where it is not possible to test and measure the large number of samples needed for more quantitative types of experimentation. They are often used by market researchers to judge the habits of customers, or by companies wishing to judge the morale of staff. The results from a descriptive research can in no way be used as a definite answer or to disapprove a hypothesis but, if the limitations are understood, they can still be a useful tool in many area s of scientific research. JA Maxwell – 2005) Research Approach As the research design is descriptive, the research approach would be a ‘qualitative’ one. Qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. (Creswell 2003) A qualitative study indicates that no statistical tools will be applied within the research. Methods such as surveys, questionnaires and interviews can be done when dealing with a qualitative research approach. Research InstrumentResearchers have decided to carry out ‘interviews’ to obtain the responses they need for study. (See Appendix 1 for interview questions) A set of questions will be asked to the interviewee, and their answers will be dealt accordingly. The interview questions will be structured; as there are specific questions the researchers will ask the respondents. Qualitative nature of stud y contains independent variables along with various assumptions. Sampling Design A ‘non-probability’ sampling technique will be used in this study. This method of sampling is non-random and subjective.Each respondent does not have a known nonzero chance of being included. A ‘convenience’ sampling method will be applied. The researchers will choose freely those respondents who are the most convenient. The researchers will interview people from I. T departments in areas of Telecommunication Centers (mainly concentrating on consumers). Data Analysis Being a qualitative study, descriptive statistics would be used to produce data and evaluate results. The data that is generated, from the interview (See Appendix 1 for interview questions) technique will be analyzed qualitatively.This would be followed by physically reading the miscellaneous number of responses and then concluding to which company people prefer. A little less than a year ago, Wall Street reached a Microsoft vs. Apple milestone: for the first time, Apple’s corporate value surpassed Microsoft’s. And Apple’s market cap (the total value of all of its shares) topped Microsoft’s even though the latter company had more revenue and double the profit margins. Clearly, Wall Street was looking at growth potential, not current income statements and balance sheets, in anointing Apple the more compelling buy.What has happened since? With Apple due to report its latest quarterly earnings  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Microsoft reports its numbers next week – we look at some recent numbers, as well as data over time. Market cap While total values for Microsoft and Apple were close last spring, that’s no longer the case. Since May 26, 2011, when Apple first inched ahead of Microsoft, Apple’s market capitalization has risen from US$223 billion to more than US$306 billion (as of April 14). Microsoft’s, meanwhile, has slipped from US$219 billion to US$212 b illion. Sharon Machlis) Bottom line: Wall Street currently thinks more highly of Apple’s growth potential and overall prospects than it does of Microsoft’s. Investors were right last year, but only time can tell whether that outlook is still justified, given the company’s high stock price. Market share Beyond Wall Street, how do the companies stack up in the battle for tech users? Microsoft maintained an overwhelming lead in the desktop operating system business, keeping a roughly 92 percent share of the market from 2005 to 2009 (the last figures available from IDC).Mac OS X’s share has varied between just 3. 5 percent and 4. 0 percent. Apple took a significant lead in the Smartphone race, capturing 15. 7 percent of the worldwide market last year, compared with just 4. 2 percent for Microsoft. However, both Gartner and IDC predict Microsoft’s Windows Phone will beat out Apple’s iOS for mobile market share by 2015, with Gartner expecting a 19 . 5 percent share for Microsoft and 17. 2 percent for Apple. In addition, Apple had a commanding 87. 4 percent share of the worldwide tablet market last year, according to IDC.Gartner predicts Apple will keep a 69 percent share this year and will still have 47 percent by 2015. Windows doesn’t show up in that forecast. Bottom line: In one high-growth area, smartphones, several influential analysts believe Microsoft will eventually come out on top. In another, tablets, it’s getting crushed. However, Microsoft has maintained its enormous lead on the desktop. Investment value over time If you invested US$1,000 in each company’s stock on Jan. 3, 2000, what would you have ended up with in April 2011?Accounting for stock splits and, in Microsoft’s case, dividends, but excluding taxes and broker’s fees, you would have US$2,072 from Microsoft stock and US$13,294 from Apple stock. And if you had invested US$1,000 in each company on May 26 last year, your App le stock would have been worth US$1,427 in mid-April, compared with US$1,033 for your Microsoft stock. Bottom line: Apple has been by far the superior investment over the past decade. Revenue Microsoft’s fiscal year 2006 revenue was more than double Apple’s FY ’06 revenue: US$44. 3 billion to US$19. 3 billion. What has happened since?Apple’s revenues have more than tripled, while Microsoft’s have grown by less than 50 percent. Bottom line: Apple’s fiscal year 2010 revenue edged Microsoft’s, US$65. 2 billion to US$62. 5 billion. (Note: Microsoft’s fiscal year is July through June, and Apple’s is October through September. ) Profits Microsoft’s profits were six times larger than Apple’s in their respective 2006 fiscal years. Apple’s net income has subsequently grown sevenfold, while Microsoft’s has increased roughly 50 percent. (Sharon Machlis) Bottom line: While Microsoft still generates more p rofits than Apple, the gap has narrowed significantly.If current trends continued – a big if – Apple would likely top Microsoft’s profits in a couple of years. Number of employees Microsoft still employs substantially more people than Apple does, although the size of Microsoft’s workforce has dropped a bit, from 93,000 in 2009 to 89,000 in 2010. Apple’s reported headcount has been rising, with a significant jump from 34,300 in 2009 to 46,600 in 2010. Bottom line: Apple’s revenue per employee at the end of its 2010 fiscal year was substantially higher than Microsoft’s: US$1. 4 million versus US$702,000.Likewise, Apple’s profits per employee were US$300,429, compared with US$211,236 for Microsoft. So how do they stack up overall? Opinions aside, Apple has impressed investors much more than Microsoft has, despite the latter’s considerably larger size and continued dominance on the desktop. Apple’s recent ability to c reate category-changing (or category-creating) devices such as the iPhone and the iPad –as it did with the iPod several years earlier – appears to carry much more weight than Microsoft’s assured, steady income stream from a maturing market.However, experts do expect Microsoft to overtake Apple in the Smartphone market. Bottom line: Those of us who thought a year ago that Apple might be overvalued have been proven wrong †¦ so far. Conclusion Which Company do people prefer? After all the analysis it can be understood from this study that a lot of reason and authentic facts impact on specific company and buyer’s decision. There is always a continuous rivalry between the two companies, but the most important thing to consider before buying a computer is the purpose it will serve.Microsoft primarily makes its profits from business to business, which mainly consists of selling licenses to its operating system to computer manufacturers and office suites for enterprises. On the other hand, Apple is primarily a consumer company, and makes most of its profit selling hardware, like its iPod music players and Mac computers. This makes the target of Apple’s site much clearer — marketing, selling and providing support for its products to consumers. (Andy M. Zaky) If you’re looking at usability alone, Apple comes out ahead.They have a better designed homepage that offers less choice, which means the user needs to think less. They have consistent navigation across all of their pages. They use a lot of white space and sub-headings to make everything more readable, yet they keep things simple by not overusing too many different text treatments. The Apple site is generally more user friendly and offers a much better experience to consumers who use it to check out Apple’s latest products. Having said this, the Apple website is much smaller in scale than Microsoft’s site.Unlike Apple, Microsoft hosts many differen t sites and sections under the Microsoft. com brand, creating a whole ecosystem of sub-sites. Each site is packed with information and the live powered search that Microsoft offers tends to yield good results. The biggest problem for Microsoft is consistency. (Dmitry Fadeyev). In a nutshell, both companies need some area to improve to fit for customer wants, to give customers master product and to provide consistency in telecommunication originations. BIBLIOGRAPHY WEBSITES Suhail M (2009)-Apple vs Pc: What is better?Available: http://ezinearticles. com/? Apple-Vs-PC—What-is-Better? &id=4337642 visited: 25th September 2011 Admin (2010)-Why Do People Like Apple Computers So Much? Available: http://www. asiaosc. org/why-do-people-like-apple-computers-so-much. html visited: 3rd october 2012 Dmitry Fadeyev (2009)-Apple vs. Microsoft: A website usability study. Available: http://www. webdesignerdepot. com/2009/05/apple-vs-microsoft-a-website-usability-study/ visited: 28th October 2 012 Andy M. Zaky (2010)- Apple closes in on Microsoft revenue race. Available: http://tech. fortune. cnn. om/2010/07/19/apple-closes-in-on-microsoft-in-revenue-race/ visited: 28th October 2012 Sharon Machils (2011)- Analysis: Apple versus Microsoft – by the numbers. Available: http://www. macworld. com. au/blogs/analysis-apple-versus-microsoft-by-the-numbers-28800/ visited: 29th November 2012 Journals Thurrott P. (2005) – Microsoft: The inside Story (Penton Media) Furgason N. (2009) (Feb) – T3: Tomorows Technology Today (issue 48) ISSN-1364-2640 MSJ – Microsoft System Journal Publisher: Microsoft (1986) Books Allan Roy A. (2001) A History of The Personnel Computer Allan Publishing ISBN 0968910807 Iceboat, Daniel, and Susan L.Knepper, (1991) The Making of Microsoft: How Bill Gates and His Team Created the World's Most Successful Software Company, Rocklin, Calif. : Prima Publishing, p. 304 Price R. (1987). So Far: The First Ten Years of a Vision. Apple Comp uter. ISBN-  978-1-55693-974-7. Creswell J. W. (2003) Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. APPENDIX-1 Interview Questions The following questions will be asked by the interviewer to the respondent, which will aid study in finding out which of two companies’ most people prefer. Which company do you prefer, Microsoft or Apple? * Why do you prefer the company you have chosen? * What are the advantages and disadvantages of the company you have selected? * In your opinion, which company has a greater market share? * Which product do you widely use in your environment? * Have you ever faced major barriers in your company? Explain. * Who are your major competitors? * What advice would you give to weaker companies? How can they improve in order to attract customers, regain lost customers and retain present customers? APPENDIX 2(A) APPENDIX 2(B) APPENDIX 2(C)

Understanding Theories

In addition, this essay examines different stakeholder perspectives in relation to the harries and their issues, and it concluded by focusing on what type of knowledge, capability, and skills a manager requires in order to deal with these specific issues. Coca Cola was founded during the year 1887, by Doctor John Phenomenon, a pharmacist from Atlanta. John established a company which immediately began building its global network, he was known as the man who achieved a â€Å"global success through an intelligent risk†.Over the years, the company's success rate continuously increased, and the deep emotional bond between Coca-Cola and its consumers grew even more powerful and more global (Coca Cola, 2014). In 2014, Coca-Cola advised that the previous year $2. 8 billion in stock was purchased, however they had planned to increase that amount to between $3. 0 billion and $3. 5 billion for the full year, due to positive sales, this is a clear indication of the company's success (Reu ters, 2013).The Coca-Cola Company, is the world's largest beverage company, operating in more than 200 countries, across America, Europe, Eurasia, Africa and the Pacific. This multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non- alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (Coca Cola, 2014). The secondary sector, international organization, has not been owned by a single individual in almost 100 years. It is a public company that trades its shares on the New York stock exchange – meaning it is ‘owned' by thousands of shareholders and investors worldwide (Coca Cola, 2014).Coca Cola is known as one of the world most successful beverage companies to date, currently operating with over 700 000 employees across the globe, including Mutter Kent; the chairman of the board and chief executive officer (Coca Cola, 2014). The agency and contingency theory are both of significance to Coca Cola. The Contingency theory is a class of behavioral theory that claims that there is no â€Å"one best way' to lead an organization, organize a corporation or make a decision. Instead, the appropriate organizational structure depends on the contingencies facing the organization (Travis Spread, 2012).Coca cola does not have control over the contingencies that are continuously arising within its internal and external environment; this includes political changes, such as the increased health standards for bottling. The contingency theory was chosen as it typifies that implementation of the appropriate organizational structures, depending on the contingencies the organization is facing, will result in business success. The managers at Coca Cola are aware that companies whose characteristics fit with the contingencies in the current situation will perform more effectively compared to an organization whose characteristics do not.Hence, implementation of this theory has allowed managers to adopt certain characteri stics of the organization, such as the structure, to suit contingencies within their environment. The agency theory is concerned with resolving problems that can exist in agency relationships; that is, between principals and agents of the principals (Investigated, 2013). Generally, in large companies, with managers acting on behalf of their owners, many issues will arise in relation to the principle and the agent. Managers tend to misbehave if the interests of them and the company owners diverge (Eisenhower, K.M, 1989, page 58). The agency theory is of crucial importance to this study, as it highlights ethical and commercial issues which arise from an agent/principal relationship. As seen with Coca Cola, 2013 entailed substantial pay cuts to most top executives, due to over one fourth of the shareholders voting against them. As a result, many executives became denominated to work in favor of shareholders, who they believed were only acting in their own self-interests. In the article â€Å"Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure† Jensen, M.C & Neckline state that if both parties to the relationship are utility maximizes, it is almost certain that the agent will not act in the best interests of the principal Nonsense, M. C & Neckline. W. H, 1976, Page 5). The authors propose that many complications can arise as a result of a number of costs, including monitoring costs, in such a relationship. Jensen and Neckline then typify, that the principal may limit these divergences by implementing appropriate incentives for the agents and â€Å"and by incurring monitoring costs designed to limit the aberrant activities of the agent† Nonsense, M.C & Neckline. W. H, 1976). â€Å"The Academy of Management Review' by Kathleen M. Eisenhower, is a second study on agency theory, which states that there are two main problems that the agency heron is concerned with resolving. The first problem is the problem of risk sharing, whic h is the problems that arise when the principal and agent have different attitudes towards taking risk (Eisenhower, K. M, 1989, page 64). Due to different risk tolerances, the principal and agent may each be inclined to take different actions, which will result in the â€Å"agency problem†.The second problem, known as the agency problem, is the problems which arise, when the goals of the principle and the agent are not aligned. These problems both arise as a result of ‘information asymmetry. Eisenhower highlights these problems in order to remind us that regardless of what we think, organizational life is based on individuals acting in their own self-interest (Eisenhower, K. M, 1989, page 64). Leg Donaldson, in his 2001 paper ‘The contingency theory of organizational design', provides a comprehensive, in depth analysis of the contingency theory.He states that a successful organization is not one that adopts the maximum level, but instead, the appropriate level of structural variables, that depend on some level of the contingency variable (Donaldson, 2001). He then proceeds with explaining that a company may only increase its performance levels by adopting strategies depending on the contingencies the organization is facing (Donaldson, 2001). Similarly, in his paper, ‘Complex Organizations: A critical essay, Charles Proper also stresses the importance of the contingency theory within organizations.According to Proper, organizations should adopt organic structures, based on the internal and external contingencies the company is faced with (Proper, 1979). He states that business structures should be developed according to each individual organization, rather than upon some universal principles or procedures (Proper, 1979). Proper strongly believes that complying with the contingency theory will result in the business achieving utmost success. A number of issues in relation to management and the organization have been raised, as a result o f the agency and contingency theories.The agency theory was initially designed in order to assist in the understanding of the agent/principle relationship. Williamson (1985) identified opportunistic behavior as a norm within organizations, stating that agency problems are more than likely to occur. He specified that managers often act opportunistically, and that trustworthiness is no longer common. Jensen and Neckline (1976), supported Williamson claim, they believe it is generally impossible that management will act in favor of the principle, as their main focus is to maximize their own wealth.Coca Cola proved this to be true in 2013, when Californian managers were sued for underpaying their employees in order to reduce expenses (D. Blackburn. 2013). Jensen and Neckline (1976) also believe that the agency theory may also initiate moral issues between the agent and other takeovers, such as the public. As seen with Coca Cola, India, 2002 entailed an agency issue between management an d the public. Communities across India living around Coca-Cola's bottling plants experienced severe water shortages, as a result of Coca-Cola's massive extraction of water from the common groundwater resource.The public criticized the company, stating that Coca Cola is willing to damage the nation, for their own â€Å"self-interest† of cost cutting. The company refused to amend their procedures until they were forced to by government. (Blackburn, 2013 ) Drain and Van De Even (1985) believe that environmental uncertainty can occur as a result of the contingency theory. They believe that an issue with the theory is that there are no pre-developed structures that an organization can adopt if internal and external contingencies, unexpectedly occur.In order to avoid these issues, Drain and Van De Even (1985) state that an organization must develop structures that it can quickly implement if internal and external contingencies, unexpectedly occur. In 1981, Coca cola began to lose m arket share to Pepsi, as the company had developed a new racketing procedure, which did not appeal to the public. Coca Cola failed to develop alternate plans if contingencies within the external market, such as increased competition occur. As a result, by 1983, Coca Cola's market shared, decreased to an all-time low of Just below 24%.Due to this disastrous situation, Roberto Goutiest, Coca Cola's chairman at the time, decided that in the future, the company will rule out all contingencies and possibilities, and have further plans, if their current procedures fail. In his article â€Å"Contingency theory: Science or Technology' Stephen C. Beets insinuates that over the years, many criticisms/limitations of the contingency theory have developed. He states that one criticism of the contingency theory is that â€Å"the causation of certain contingencies are assumed, but not explained† (Beets, 2011).The assumption is that because a set of environmental conditions and organization al design characteristics were found to be correlated that this is the best fit (Beets, 2011). Stephen (2011) then continues to explain that decisions should not be made based on this assumption, instead informed decisions must be made, based on glacial reasoning of each unique situation. Morehouse (2007), believes that the theory fails to explain why some people are more effective leaders in some situations than others.Shah (1979) adds on to Northerners claim, he states that the theory has not identified what an organization should do, when there is a mismatch between the managers and the current situation within the workplace. Similarly, in his text ‘Management and organizational theory, Jeffery A. Miles makes aware many limitations of the agency theory. Miles suggests that empirical research as failed to support basic tenets of the theory, including ways to mitigate the agency problem (Miles, 2012). Hence, researchers are now asking for re-examination of the theory so that research can move into new and different directions.Miles (2012), made reference to Proper (1986) who claimed that the agency theory does not clearly address any organizational problems, as well as Hirsch and Friedman (1986) who invited agency theory as excessively narrow, focusing primarily on organizational stock price. Different stakeholders have different views regarding the contingency ND agency theories. Assassinates (1989), highlights that perspectives will differ amongst all stakeholders, regarding risk sharing, which is one of the main problems within the agency theory.Assassinates (1989) stated that managers tend to avoid taking risks, as they fear the possibility of failure, which may result in damaging the organization. On the other hand, other stakeholders, such as shareholders of the company, may support the idea of ‘risk sharing, as certain risks may result in increased profits for the company, hence, maximizing their shares. As stated prior, Jensen, M. C and Ne ckline (1976) believe that managers (agent) tend to make decisions that will result in maximizing their own utility. In doing this, agents will significantly benefit, as their own wealth may substantially increase.On the other hand, shareholders of the company (principles) will generally oppose these decisions, as they fear that they aren't receiving a fair share and getting the best possible investment from the company. Similarly, Woolworth, being the agent of Coca Cola, attempted to boost its own profit margin, by decreasing Coca Cola's prices, before lacing them on the shelves. Woolworth attempted to maximize their own utility, by decreasing costs of Coca Cola, with the intention of gaining more customers, hence improving their market share.Coca Cola felt as though Woolworth breached their contract terms, as they were gaining an unfair leverage http://www. Afar. Com/p/ business/companies/clash_of_the_titans_woolies_coke_KJLlpFFlJfabEGgdeAnswO . Similarly to the agency theory, sta keholders also have opposing views in relation to the contingency theory and its issue of ‘environmental uncertainty. Managers may appreciate the idea of environmental uncertainty, as it creates a spontaneous environment, which may work in their favor. Managers are able to adopt the business strategies that they know will be effective, due to past experiences.On the other hand, other stakeholders, such as employees may not appreciate environmental uncertainty, as continuously changing management structures, may require employees to attain new skills. Hence, employees will be required to spend more time in the training and development process, thus, resulting in increased costs for the business, meaning less pay and/ or benefits for employees. In earlier years, Coca Cola in India saw that environmental contingencies, such as economic decline, were forcing other Indian companies to change their employee pay rates.As a result, Coca Cola changed their employee pay rates, in line w ith the other Indian companies. The Indian companies' success rates began to increase due to cost cutting, however Coca cola experienced a significant level of employee's voluntarily leaving the company, as they became denominated and felt mistreated (Coca Cola, 2012). Managers/leaders must ensure that prior to managing an organization; they have an understating that perspectives will differ, amongst all stakeholders within the company.Managers must ensure that they reason logically and fairly rather than emotionally, this will guarantee that they do not act in their own â€Å"self-interest'. Therefore, they must pay attention to his/her personal as well as other people's assumptions, perspectives, and biases. This process should be approached with integrity, open-mindedness, honesty, and accuracy. It is also important for a leader/ manager to uphold ethical and moral standards, in doing so employees with feel as Hough they are being treated Justly.As a result, managers are not onl y increasing efficiency, but also nurturing skills, developing talent, inspiring results, and erasing all employee concerns regarding any issues of mistreatment, such as underpay. Further to this, managers must not only treat employees fairly, but also, all other stakeholders within their company, such as shareholders, customers, suppliers, and so on. In doing so, leaders will ensure that they gain positive relationships, which will result in improving the market share of the company, hence, gaining a significant nominative advantage.

Blasted Wabbitt Essay Research Paper Insomnia is

Blasted Wabbitt Essay, Research Paper Insomnia is the perceptual experience or ailment of unequal or poor-quality slumber because of one or more of the followers: 1.difficulty falling asleep 2 ) waking up often during the dark with trouble returning to kip 3 ) waking up to early in the forenoon 4 ) unrefreshing slumber. Insomnia is non defined by the figure of hours of slumber a individual gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Persons vary usually in their demand for, and their satisfaction with, slumber. Insomnia may do jobs during the daylight, such as fatigue, a deficiency of energy, trouble concentrating, and crossness. A bout 15 % of grownups study severe or frequent insomnia, and another 15 % complain of mild or occasional insomnia ( Bootzin, 1993pg.191 ) . I interviewed a friend of mine who had this job, insomnia, his name was Guy. He told me that he found him self-falling in to the 15 % of grownups who are enduring from insomnia. In his first-year twelvemonth of college here in Akron University. When he started school he told him self that he would analyze on the weekdays and non party until the weekend, so he can acquire good grads and sleep well. His program lasted for approximately two hebdomads, because he started a new occupation and he had to work from 7:00p.m until 11:30p.m. the occupation gave him, a batch of emphasis, because it was a telemarketing occupation ; every twenty-four hours he would travel to work and seek to sell recognition cards to people. Every twenty-four hours he would acquire screamed at by costumiers on the phone. He wasn # 8217 ; Ts pleased with his occupation, it was giving him a batch of emphasis, but he had to work, so he can pay for his rent and some of his measures. He told me that the lone ground he stayed in teleselling is because it pays truly good. After work every twenty-four hours he and some of his crow workers would travel to downtown, to the bars to acquire some int oxicant drinks and after word he goes back to kip at 3 :00a.m and weak up 7:30a.m to travel to school. That agenda affected his surveies a batch and his hall life, his household dishonored him because of his bad grads, he started to experience stressed all the clip, so one twenty-four hours he decided to non travel to the bars any more, and to work different displacements so he can analyze and kip good. When he started his new agenda he couldn’t sleep any more because his organic structure intestine used to kip tardily and he felt that he has insomnia, so he went to a physician to give him pills so he can travel back to kip as normal, the physician told him that he has chronic insomnia, that caused by depression and imbibing intoxicant before traveling to bed. The physician gave him kiping pills to assist him to better his kiping wonts. He besides has to see a doctor to closely measure effectivity and minimise side effects. He besides tried some of relaxation therapy, sleep limitation therapy. It helped him a batch to better in hi s life and his surveies. Now he is making great at school and his life is acquiring better now. A batch of inquiries were asked from people for illustration: Who gets insomnia? and how is it diagnosed? And how is it treated? Insomnia is found in males and females of all age groups, although it seems to be more common in females than males ( particularly after climacteric ) and in the aged. The ability to kip, instead than the demand for slumber, appears to diminish with forward age. Patients with insomnia are evaluated with the aid of a medical history and a sleep history. A batch of insomnia like transient and intermittent may non necessitate intervention since episodes last merely a few yearss at a clip. A batch of people think that they have insomnia, but the lab work proofed that some people go to kip truly good in the lab. They imagine them self that they are traveling about in bed but they are really sleep.

Information Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information Security - Essay Example Thus, it becomes must for an organization to safeguard and make certain about the security of all the stored data. The intention of the policy in relation to information security is to defend the privacy, dependability and ease of admission of the systems as well as the information’s (CMS, 2006). The organization OUMC Edmond checks with the security policies regarding the information security as how developed and effective they are by reviewing them occasionally and also by updating them. The organization also monitors that whether the employees are abiding by the policies or not. They keep a check that whether any unlawful access is being taking place or not. This is how the organization makes sure about the development and effectiveness of its policies regarding the safety of the data. There are numerous policies that can be implemented by organizations to make certain of the privacy, accessibility and dependability of the data. OUMC Edmond sets its security policies in order to protect the information. The organization applies specific security policies such as data ownership, security and classification, usage of password, cryptography, data content, physical security, and mail ownership in electronic form, measures to manage and prevent virus, accountability regarding the end user as well as acceptable use, security awareness, backup and even preservation of the records among others. The above mentioned policies can be observed as the measures to prevent unlawful access to the information. The organization implements data content, data ownership, data classification and data security to deal with the stated issues. These are the security policies that are applied by OUMC Edmond so as to make sure of the confidentiality, accessibility and dependability of the da ta (Weise & Martin, 2001). An organization can protect itself from the loss of its data with the help of the Data Protection Act. In order to abide by this act, an

LESSONS FROM THE CRISES IN COTE D'IVOIRE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LESSONS FROM THE CRISES IN COTE D'IVOIRE - Essay Example the investment policies of foreign countries the Industrial sector shows high growth rate .Other fast growing sectors are automotives, food and beverages, infrastructure, oil and gas, medical, telecommunications and IT. But now the country is facing the problem of underdevelopment and financial crisis. In 1979, Ivory Coast rated one of the highest rates of economic growth among the developing countries and it was considered as an economic hotspot with limited state intervention in economy. To identify the cause of the crisis in Ivory Coast, one must go back to the socio-political settings. Arthur B. Dennis observes that, â€Å"The crisis in Ivory Coast is a drama of political leaders playing the xenophobia card to divide the tribes and rule.† (Dennis 2007). The greed of the political leaders resulted in the civil war and to the division of the country into two. In 1843, Ivory Coast became a French settlement and its history is closely related to colonization. Ivory Coast became a Republic in 1958 and in 1960 the leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), Felix Huaphonet Boigny became the President. Here begins the era of single party system in Ivory Coast and this party ruled till 1993. Moreover, the authoritarian rule under Felix Huaphonet Boigny resulted in large scale protest from the side of the people. Foreign interest and economic dependency of the rulers, political greed of leaders and the rebellious groups also act as the main factors of the crisis. A. Ekissi points out the severe ness of the civil war, â€Å"Beginning on Thursday November 4, 2004, the war resumed with aerial bombardments carried out by the loyalist army on the rebel-controlled zones† (Ekissi 2004) which describes the involvement of foreign forces in the affairs of the country. The key issue of the conflict is the question of national identity among the foreigners who had settled in Ivory Coast. The policies of the government resulted in economic depression and other problems

Anti Drinking Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anti Drinking Campaign - Essay Example The purpose of the college is to develop all round persons through following the college’s core values such as excellence and efficiency, responsiveness, positive collaborations, hard work, teamwork, diversity as well as honesty and adherence to ethical practices. This paper presents an anti-drinking campaign proposal for Kings College board of directors regarding the college’s reputation for being a party college notorious for underage drinking for so long. Underage drinking remains a leading problem in Kings College as well as a public health problem in America. About five thousand young people under twenty one years of age die each year as a result of underage drinking from alcohol related poisoning, car crushes, suicides, injuries and homicides. Besides being illegal, underage drinking remains widespread with youths within age 12-20 reported to undertake binge drinking in a 2009 underage drinking statistics representing 10.4 million youths in the United States. It c ould be attributed to, but not limited to, peer pressure, stress and the desire for or increased independence. The observed signs of underage drinking in Kings College encompass behavioral and academic problems in school, less care in physical appearance and/or interest in college activities, coordination problems and varying groups of friends. In addition, college students have problems relating to slurred speech, memory and concentration, mood swipes, little energy levels as well as getting a scent of alcohol on their breath and finding alcohol in their belongings. The dangers of underage drinking include impaired judgment, serious injuries, increased risks of sexual and physical assault, interference with brain development, increased risks of future alcohol related problems, the use of other drugs and trouble with the law and in school (NIAAA, 2012; Hanes, 2012). This ant-drinking campaign hailed as ‘Underage Drinking!!! Think Again’ remains an impactful advertisemen t which intends to stimulate personal review of drinking conduct and resilient condemnation of public drunkenness that could cause both emotional and physical harm, especially of innocent persons. The ‘Underage Drinking!!! Think Again’ campaign became well-versed by extensive consultation and research about how underage students feel about the deep-rooted cultural insights existing in America regarding alcohol consumption, public drunkenness and excessive drinking. The campaign builds on the positive comebacks to the successful drinking awareness campaigns. It would establish an innovative thought and meaning in relation to a certain aspects of alcohol consumption among underage college students, that is, to emphasize the disadvantage of losing control of one’s sense of self, a widely held drinking myth in contemporary American society. The advertisement campaign features taped laughter, reflecting the point that lots of underage college students do regard certai n drunken tricks as being rather funny. Then it progresses to a dramatic end where the laughter discontinues, and the viewer becomes challenged through a question: â€Å"Are you honest with yourself?†. The ‘Underage Drinking!!! Think Again’ campaign would go on for the next one year. The CCTV based advertisement would run on the college’

Reflection on the Group work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection on the Group work - Essay Example We were exposed to worldviews and discover alternatives in getting the work done. Extensive discussions and shared of opinions helped to improve our slides and understanding on the topic. In addition, we were able to share our responsibilities and the combination of abilities and skills allowed us to learn from each other and facilitated efficiency and productivity in delivering a quality work. Besides that, we had learnt to respect and understand people from different countries and behaviours thus developing our interpersonal and listening skills. Team spirit which is not available in an individual work has been a great motivation for us to drive our presentation to success and meet the submission dateline. All in all, it fostered our relationship while working together. Nevertheless, communication breakdown occurred occasionally due to difference in language and not all group members were native speakers. There was misunderstanding on allocation of work at the start of the project due to insufficient communication but was quickly resolved through explanations. On the other hand, conflicts were unavoidable for example the choice of research country as each team members favour home countries which they are familiar with. However, we were able to reach a consensus and all members showed their work commitments and provided constructive comments throughout the project. Lastly, it can be time consuming to work as a group as individuals have to come together at an agreed time and there would be free talk among group members which might not be relevant to our assigned task. Additional time spent on resolving conflicts and explaining views had significantly reduced our group efficiency and made it a slow process compared to working individually. I would be more confident in overcoming the difficulties in working in a multicultural group and breakdown the barriers such as stereotypes and prejudices. Additionally, I see communication as the main obstacle thus I would ma ke effort to be more patient and have high tolerance rather than being aggressive. Two-way communication and positive feedbacks are critical to resolve disputes and promote mutual understanding and respect. Besides that, I would be a good team player offering my skills, giving suggestions, be more co-operative and provide assistance to other team members when required. One of the personal weaknesses identified is that I do not have quick adaption to the change in environment or situation. I faced difficulties in communicating and expressing my views to my team members from diverse culture at the initial stage as I used to stay in my comfort zone. Also, there is lack of experience in dealing and handling conflicts and contradictions. My other negative trait would be that I tend to be a perfectionist. I like to work in an organized way and often get frustrated when other group members do not portray the same level of effort that I do. I have set a personal goal seek to overcome my wea knesses. I have decided to join societies and clubs in order to widen my circle of friends with different nationalities and countries to enhance my soft skills and develop my confidence in building relationships. The people skills will nevertheless be useful for conflict resolution enabling me to calm and control the situation besides developing problem solving skills. On the other hand, I would display more patience and accept the fact that all individuals are

Math Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Math Hero - Essay Example Math is not left to interpretation but rather is either right or wrong. Furthermore, it is often too easy to become confused by sequences of numbers which ultimately lead to an answer which is also merely a set or group of more numbers. When one who is truly gifted in the area of Mathematics as well as the area of teaching mathematics is able to take arbitrary numbers and problems and turn them into an applied question leading to a specific answer, one can truly be said to be a math hero. This is truly the key to bridging the gap between the vast abyss of numbers and formulas, and the rest of the world as well as the universe. One way in which a math hero may achieve creating an interesting way of making math comprehensive to their students, is through visual aids such as props which are tangible, (eg. A mini composite of our universe, quantities of small objects and so on). It is one thing to count on one’s hand or copy numbers on to a blackboard but it is altogether something else to illustrate to students in a very tangible manner, how numbers and mathematics work. All of the answers to the world in which we live as well as the infinite riddles of the universe, is found in math. As complicated as this sounds, it is still reassuring to know that virtually every answer that we may possibly seek, is available in the proper mathematical application or formula. A math hero may in fact utilize the very data of the universe to help students better understand how to arrive at a quantitative solution. A math hero will also bare in mind that by teaching mathematics effectively to students, they are provid ing those students with endless future possibilities. An example of this is perhaps a student struggling desperately with the concept of algebra. A math hero will take this into consideration by using multiple analogies to convey the concept of the unknown figure is simple the employment of all other information provided within the

Kitsch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kitsch - Essay Example This is, in fact, etymologically correct, as the term comes from the German word "kitschen" which refers to the action of collecting rubbish from the street. There are various definitions of kitsch, most of them designating it as a bad art or even as non-art. Jean Baudrillard is quite harsh in his conception of kitsch. He defines it as "an army of trashy objects" (Baudrillard, 109) made out of plaster of Paris or an imitation of it, "a gallery of cheap-junk accessories, folksy knickknacks, souvenirs, lampshades or fake African masks- which proliferate everywhere, especially in resort areas"(110). In his opinion, "to the aesthetics of beauty and originality, kitsch opposes its aesthetics of simulation: it everywhere reproduces objects smaller or larger than life; it imitates materials (in plaster, plastic, etc.); it apes forms or combines them discordantly; it repeats fashion without having been part of the experience of fashion."(111) According to Matei Calinescu, who studies this subject extensively, kitsch is a result of romanticist. The theorist gives two reasons for his opinion: the first refers to the fact that the romantic revolution brought about an almost complete relativization of taste, the second reason is connected to romanticist's promotion of a sentimentalist type and view of art.(237) He says that "the desire to escape from adverse or simply dull reality is perhaps the main reason for the wide appeal of kitsch." (237) So we have two views; the first of them is a harsh criticism of kitsch, the second constitutes itself in an explanation of its appearance. Each point of view is relevant in producing the image of the contemporary kitsch and in identifying its features. A kitsch is, thus, a imitation, something that lacks originality. It is so spread throughout the world and to be found in all cultures as a result of man's need to escape and people's tendency of being sentimental when dealing with art as well as to their tendency of disregarding established values. Kitsch is present in different forms in all the fields of human creation. It is to be seen in art, clothing, home decoration, children's toys, and architecture. It is so ubiquitous that there has even been created a dictionary of kitsch objects. There are kitsch cars, kitsch clocks, kitsch dolls and furniture, kitsch lamps, kitsch tents and there are a multitude of such examples. At the level of interior design, kitsch is produced either by the choice of decoration objects or by the combination of decorative elements. Some interiors, or designer's creations can be shocking at first sight because of the explosion of colors and forms or because of the combination of objects that lack value or originality, with objects with valuable and stylish works of art. It is difficult to decide nowadays where the border between a real kitsch and a trendy interior is. This border seems to have dissolved in world where a plastic imitation of a stylish candelabrum doesn't surprise anyone anymore. Kitsch is a copy without value, or in today's design, a re-taking or a conceptualization of clisheistic lines. The glamorous style is inspired by the Hollywood world where everything is appearance. A neoclassic villa is a home made out of cartoon and gypsum, a poque chair has got the mark of time a day ago, plastic can imitate elaborate forms. A porcelain, the decoration object present in many

Development of a Web-Based Student Information System for Secondary Schools in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Development of a Web-Based Student Information System for Secondary Schools in Nigeria Essay School Management System In most Nigeria secondary schools, the storage, access and management of information is very poor. Information regarding students, their respective classes, and subjects taught in these classes, performance assessment records, grade entry and other forms of data manipulation are generally carried out manually using pen and booklets, in rare cases Microsoft Excel. Access to information can be cumbersome, irritating and frustrating due to poor storage and inaccessibility. Parents, officials and staff of these schools find it very difficult to get certain information that could enhance their decision-making and completion of an assigned task. I was asked by my instructor to analyze, design, develop and implement a practical solution that will alleviate these problems in a typical secondary school. The purpose of this report is to: 1) Provide details on the functional requirements and design specification of a typical solution. 2) Demonstrate that the requirement that will be stated in (1) above have been satisfied by implementing the solution. ) Provide details of the development process and critically appraise the solution. The objective of this project is to design, develop and implement a computerized system that will enhance access, storage, processing and management of information regarding E-Student Management System student, their studies, teachers and subjects including student performance assessment records. I have designed, developed and implemented a web-based system using technologies in Microsoft . Net framework 4. 0 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 software. A brief detail description of theories and techniques of the design and development of this solution is appraised in this report. Furthermore, an attached appendix explains the models, workflow and the architecture of the application. Users will be able to have access from any computer that has a browser and is connected to the internet. With a graphical user interface, this system is simple, user friendly and intuitive to use. It is not uncommon to find that many learning institutions in Nigeria, including secondary schools, still keep records in files and tucked them away in filling cabinets where they accumulate dust. Many of these files are often eaten up by rodents and cockroaches thus rendering them irretrievable. A great deal of routine administrative work in schools is still done manually with the state and the Federal government, including the administrators of this institutions showing little or no interest in embracing ICT. The administrative drudgery in secondary school institutions an be better managed through ICT. Secondary education administrative functions include a wide variety of activities such as educational governance, supervision, support services, infrastructure, 5 E-School Management System finance, budgeting, accounting, personnel selection and training system monitoring and evaluation, facilities procurement and management, equipment maintenance, and so on (Thomas, 1987). In most N igerian schools, officials and staff still go through the laborious exercise of manually registering students, maintaining records of students? erformance, keeping inventory list of supplies, doing cost accounting, paying bills and printing reports. The huge man-hour spent on these exercises can be drastically reduced with IT technologies to enhance overall management procedure. Thomas (1987), said that â€Å"Computers bring great speed and accuracy to each of these tasks, along with the convenience of storing large quantities of information on „small disks or tapes? (P. 5). For the purpose of this project, problems related to the management of information regarding student and their academic work, including teachers and subjects is the matter of concern.

Assess The Role Of Key Stakeholder Commerce Essay

Assess The Role Of Key Stakeholder Commerce Essay BUPA was established in 1947 by the combination of a quantity of provident not for profit associations, subsequent the creation of the NHS. BUPA stands for the British United Provident Association the name itself explains it. The brightness of those well meaning people forming the NHS that the UKs total healthcare requirements could be centrally given proved to be ill founded and the 1970s and 1980s saw the PMI industry grow rapidly in size, with BUPA predominant. An organization is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals, controls its own performance, and has a boundary separating it from its environment. Stakeholders are all those people of organisation that have a stake in the intervention. Government Customers Community Shareholders Board of directors Management Employees Source adapted from freeman et al managerial model, hieratical view -managing for stakeholder The evaluation of primary stakeholders must include a determination of their direct relationship to health care Group; specifically, their influence on development as well as the organisation objective in its relationship with them. Managing stakeholders is a very important part of Health care organizational success. Primary stakeholders include the Health care Group board of directors, senior managers, functional managers, patient, employees and shareholders; just to name a few. A correct evaluation of stakeholders will determine levels of authority, responsibility, influence their ability to determine if that influence is negative or positive, their strengths and weaknesses, stakeholder strategy and risk tolerance. This evaluation will provide the information needed to prioritize the needs and wants of the stakeholders in order to meet their expectations. Factors that will impact on the organisation and its vision: Market Analysis Macro Environment-PESTEL Political: Ever since in 1985 the introduction of Medibank, there has been a decrease in the number of private healthcare insurance. In order to stop the declining rates, the government stepped in they offered 38 registered health insurers the option to all citizens for private funding of their medical treatments. This allows private health insurance to subsidies full or partial medical fees in either private or public hospitals. With the help of the government, insurers would slowly see an increase in the publics interest to buy private health insurance . Economic: As customers are getting more highly educated and this leads to highly paid jobs. There is a trend that as their personal income increases, so does the private insurance coverage. Therefore insurance companies like Bupa should customise premium polices for the high income individuals and yet have policies that are value for money catered to the lower income group. Socio cultural: The new generation of UK are moving towards a more health conscious lifestyle. They are more concern about their diet and their overall wellbeing. As medical technology advances, so does the cost of medical coverage increases. This makes UK more interested to buy health and life insurance so as to lessen their financial burdens. Technological: Technological advances has not just let to information to be widely and readily available, it has also been constantly shaping our lives. It helps to improve our way of communication and increases the number of communication channels that companies could use to connect with their target audiences. Companies also benefit from improving technology as it helps to speeds up processes and cut cost (Kotler et al., 2009). Therefore insurance companies like Bupa UK are able to reach out to their target audience through new media like the website, Facebook and Twitter. Environmental: One environmental problem that would affect the insurance industry is when there is a natural disaster. The government had to step in to allow insurers who may not be able to meet their regular standards to come up with suitable solutions to respond to their customers with compassion and professionalism Create a vision for an organisation A vision facilitates goal setting and planning. Creating a vision to help direct the change effort and developing strategies for achieving that idea. Vision is a common statement about the direction of health care wishes to take and the needed end outcome once it gets there. It stands for an aim that is driven by and evokes passion. Vision might or might not be successful. A vision is useless unless it is implemented. The organisation should have plans or strategy to implement the vision. It depends on whether everything else happens according to a firms strategy. It provides a fundamental report of a company values, aspirations and goals. It may contain a slogan, diagram or picture. When building a vision it is significant to believe simplicity. While a vision must clearly present assured key values in defining and the relating organization, it must not be so difficult that it is complex to communicate. The most important difficulty often related with vision statements is that they are wide, hoping to cover entire factors of the organisation or health care principles and values. These visions end up being complex to communicate to staffs, consumers and clients. Vision statements must be clear and brief. Finally, approval of a vision statement by those concerned cannot occur unless the completely recognize it. A good mission must address each principal theme and must communicate why an organisation is special and different. A firms mission may change when competitive situation radically modify or the firm is faced with new threats or opportunities. Mission statement and objectives should be: Measurable: that is able to measure progress Specific: Gives a clear communication as to what requirements to be accomplished. Appropriate: be consistent with the vision of the organisation. Realistic: should be a reachable target given the organisations opportunities and capabilities in the environment. Timely: needs a time frame for accomplishing the objective. Its mission statement mentions that people come first after all people have created this empathetic persona that BUPA illustrates in its key objectives which was planned to give more services than the NHS system in Britain presented. It has supported itself as having no shareholders and existing only for its members. Primarily, BUPA was a UK health insurance provider, contribution policies to business, individuals, and other organisations. BUPA is a brand truly guided by its mission statement: Taking care of the lives in our hands. Its well-defined values guide its business and brand behaviour. 1.4 Determine the strategic direction for an organisation: Strategic direction is the strategy utilized by a management which recognizes the direction it aim to framework and the move for action by which it aim to get there, Stone (2010). The HR manager plays an important role in connecting the company most important of human resource to the strategic direction of the company and does so throughout the employ of strategic HRM practices and policies. Strategic direction is the direction in which an organisation intends to aim for through the use of a strategy which establishes the framework for actions involved in achieving competitive advantage for the organisation and its stakeholders. According to Chung et al (2008) wrote that an organisations strategy must be appropriate for its resources, environmental circumstances, and core objectives and the processes involved must match the companys strategic advantage to the business environment as current to the organisation. By doing so the organisation will achieve one of its corporate strategy o bjective, this will hold them in a position to effectively and efficiently carry out the organisations mission and objectives. Chung et al 2008 states that an organisations strategic focus will be determined by which of the three types of strategy be it prospector, defender or analyser it places the most emphasis on. So what responsibility do SHRM play in the strategic direction of a company. 2.1 Analyse methods to communicate the vision to engage and inspire others within the organisation: Organizations include establishing it to be supportive to ask every efficient area to identify how they contribute to achieving the entire strategic plan (efficient area selecting whatever natural units are real in the organization-functions, geographies, business units, etc.). Armed with the operational definitions, strategic map, and the entire company performance measures it strategic, each efficient area builds their own map of achievement and describes their own specific performance measures. Threats in the present and future market were identified by using the SWOT assessment process. How the competition is situated comparative to the opportunities for development that have been recognized, and how are they situated comparative to the companys strengths and weaknesses. Through this information, company may confirm their strategy by creating a mission statement, explaining the vision, and recognizing their competitive advantages. The strategy will need a clear consistent message for the communication. It is a perfect time for the management to operationally describe every critical area of the plan to make sure commitment and agreement. Important stakeholders have to include in the development. Requesting their effort is often a valuable aide in implementation. 2.2 Build support for the vision within the organisation An effective change strategy and vision will recognize the areas of change, afford clear and realistic targets for measuring achievement, and request to the durable interests of organizational stakeholders. The change strategy and vision provide the organization how the opportunity looks like after the alteration is implemented. It needs to communicate the organizational stakeholders why they have to work hard, let go of the past, and sacrifice in the current and in future follow the senior leadership. In the future it generates an appealing and sensible picture, and it gives guidance for decision-making for organization. Appealing and Sensible are significant. Employees and managers particularly will desire to identify that the planned change is feasible and desirable. If both are missing, they will not squeeze the change. It is not in staffs and top level management best interests to create the essential sacrifices now for a future that is worse than the present. Top management and the conducing coalition should improve a compelling message that will communicate employees and managers that the future is an enviable place to go. The support of strategic intent linkage is to ensure the career development, performance management and reward systems must be reviewed 2.3 Communicating the vision to external stakeholders Stakeholder report the routine communication with the internal and external members and partners was most important to keep stakeholder focussed on the success of the health care initiative. To communicate the vision, health care leader need to follow different strategies, including discussion and presentation and interagency meetings and using websites, newsletter, internal and external e-mail communication. Leader need to share the community the initiatives vision at community functions and meeting. Leader opted to communicate their messages regarding the new strategic direction multiple times through various channels. 3.2 Vision can be embedded within the organisation Inspired by our tradition, Health care will be renowned by an insistent focus on clinical and service results as we seek to make excellence in the care experience. Healthcare will become the important trusted health partner for life. The important Vision focuses on: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A dedication to our finding purpose of health care to strengthen à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An importance on giving a personal care experience in our Organization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The significance of creating trusting relationships with all of our constituencies: patients, associates, physicians and communities The Strategy Design For an organization the strategy design is one way that will be able to plan and fulfil its vision. According to Distelzweig and Clark (2008) the best way is to have a section of the strategic formulation that deals with preliminary layout of the detailed paths in order for the organization to realize the goal and complete its vision and mission. The four major elements step involves: the determination of the required culture, classification of strategic thrusts to pursue, identification of the major lines of business (LOBs), and establishment of critical success indicators (CSIs). Moreover, they defined that a line of business is an activity that produces both significantly different services and products or that are geared towards various markets. While in view the accumulation of a new line of business, it must be based on active core competencies of the company, its possible contribution to the bottom line, and its fit with the company value system 3.3 Translate the vision into organisational objectives to set the strategic direction. Leader at organisation levels are need to set the direction for action by their constituent units, contents and the nature of these directions changes qualitatively at various levels. At the top of the organisation, leader direction making generally takes the form of improving a board, long-term and often ambiguous vision. Top managers translate this vision into more specific organisational strategies and propagate them to unit at lower organisational level. Our vision is greater respect, less poverty, and better care. Healthcare management are impatient to do in good health and hold ourselves responsible for continuous improvement in the services we provide. The Vision and Mission Formulation The mission and vision formulation is linked as the foundation of the entire plan. The planning process is actually laid upon the vision and mission formulation thereby making this part of the process the generally important aspect of the plan. According to Swayne, Duncan and Ginter, (2008) assert that a vision is a statement that identifies and defines an organizations goals and aspirations and how the organization can accomplish these goals and aspirations in the future. A vision functions to offer an organisation with directionality, justification and quantification of resources, stress management, motivation, standards, enhancement of professional growth, and succession planning. As point out by Porrus and Collins (1996), that well-conceived vision includes two important components: the envisioned future and a core ideology. The strategic outcomes of a well created vision include the endurance of the company, vitality through the alignment of the individual employees, the focus on productive effort, and the company as a complete, and, ultimately, success. Once vision is implemented upon agreement, it is time to move on to the creation of a mission statement Distelzweig and Clark (2008), states that an explicit mission statement ensures the unanimity of purpose, provides the basis for resource allocation, guides organizational culture and climate, facilitates accountability, establishes organizational boundaries, and facilitates control of time, performance and cost . When creating a statement for mission, it is important that it states six particular elements, including the basic product or service, primary market(s), employee orientation, principle technologies, customer orientation, and standards of quality. Through all of these elements integrated, a mission statement must still remain memorable and short. The statement of mission as follows: Mission We serve together for the Health Distelzweig and Clark (2008) mentioned that there are other diverse functions of a mission statement such as setting the bounds for improvement of an organisation philosophy, justifying business operations; values, aspirations, and priorities; creating a positive public image; and provide a corporate uniqueness for external and internal stakeholders. The developing conception is that understanding and identification of the needs and wants of stakeholders is important to strategic management. In health care there are various different organisation levels. As there are various stakeholders in organisation it is considered one of the most important measures when the success is assessed. In health care the social values and identification of the resources that act as a token for social values are significant in determining the success or failure of the plan. Our Health care has a well crafted vision that meets all the above criteria. 3.4 Outline the strategic planning process for an organisation: Our healthcare looks for the poor and underserved as a particular centre. It is those without income of their own who required us generally. Through our health care and our persistent advocacy looks to serve the underserved and poor of our communities. We look to concern not only for their urgent requirements but also to change the structures that keep them in inhumane conditions and unhealthy environments. Every administrator needs to have a strong skill of analyzing how the business is supposed to be executed, especially if they are to go by strategic planning process. The analysis processes makes it easy for the administrator to know the strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities and thereby making it imperative to plan wisely and draft a strong strategic management plan. The implementation plan is somewhat complicated and yet it is loaded with vital details of successful leadership. The strategic planning requires a fair allocation of basic resources. This could be a fourth component, but it is intertwined in the three phase process. The allocation of limited capital resources is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions health care administrators have to make. The need for new equipment, renovations and maintenance and the demand for new service lines and facilities all come with merit. In order to win, there needs to be a determination as to which appeal will engender t he good returns for the health care. In order to succeed on the strategies, Healthcare is faced with integrating strategic and financial planning in order to operate in the best way as a health care organization that is fiscally responsible. It has put in place an accurate vision of their community and the needs and wants of their customers before started the costly project of a new facility. The plans will need to be reviewed and be updated with new goals and objectives on regular basis to determine if the organization is remaining on track or is able to meet the projections set annually. This helps the healthcare to seize all opportunities and stand strong in dealing with threats and weaknesses.