Literature Review On Swimming Physical Education Essay

Literature Review On Swimming Physical Education Essay As in many sports, swimming technique is most important to performance. The smooth and perfect in the process of movement, whether stroking through the water, lifting weights or swinging a club, relates to enhanced performance and decrease in change of injury. (Riewald 2003). To swim fast, a swimmer must engage in a constant battle of trying to maximize the propulsive force he experiences. Swimmers adopt many different techniques in an attempt to accomplish this feat; sometimes these techniques are good, other times not so good. Technique also plays a role in injury prevention, as poor mechanics often place stresses on joints and structures in the body that they were not meant to handle. (Riewald 2003) 2.2 Components of Swim Performance The factors that can influence swimming performance can be classified into three categories which are the psychological factor, physiological and biomechanical factor. The psychological is the main factor that contributes to swim enhancement of performance. The field of physiological and biomechanical also makes up a huge portion to influence swim performance. These complex areas are important to be study in order to establish a meaningful relationship of speed and power in swim performance. 2.3 Physiology of Swimming For the past 30 years, the physiology of swimming has been explored extensively. Many areas of the physiology contribute to several studies. Swimming, like other forms of exercise, involves the muscle contraction that results in a desired motor output. In order to produce a movement, skeletal muscles must stimulate via nervous impulse. Muscular contraction causes by this impulse. While the movement of the joint results from the muscle pull on bone structures. In swimming, these movements if often occur especially among competitive swimmers (McArdle 2003). The studies of physiology on competitive swimmers become popular after the 1960à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s (Lavoie, 2004). The study begins to focus on association between energy expenditure and velocity. At that time, it belief that a exponential relationship existed within energy cost and swimming velocity. Later, Montpetit (2001) discover that this is actually a linear relationship. Lacour (2003) reported that the energy cost of swimming is closely depended on swimming technique, body size, swimming velocity and level of performance. It concludes that as resistance increases, swimming velocity will also increase. This major discover demonstrates that the importance to overcome resistance physically over a given distance in a certain period of time. Nervous system and muscular force is other physiological factors that important to swimming performance. The nervous system plays an important role in swimming performance because it helps to determine how quickly and forcefully a movement takes place. It is also the precursor of the movement. As a swimmers practice the same movement repeatedly, it become an adaptation and the movement pattern is remembered by the brain. The result or the end of the practice is an increase in the efficiency of the movement. Due training, it can improve the force of movement by causing an increase in the recruitment of motor units (Katch 2006). The larger motor units recruited, the more muscle fibers will be contracted. Contracting muscle fibers will increase systematically as the muscle force increases. Training can cause increased innervations to a group of muscles which can improve speed of contraction and recruitment of muscles (Maglischo 2003). Proper nervous stimulation and size of the muscle will produce the muscular force. Specific type of training can cause increase the size of the muscle or better known as hypertrophy and thus more powerful strength can be produce via motor output. This absolute strength is determined by its cross sectional area (Zatsiorsky 2005). The larger the muscle, the greater the force produced. However, increase in the muscle size and muscle mass also can have adverse effects on biomechanical of the swimmer which by the increasing contractile force at certain level. It is a serious matter to look upon when considering the training especially to the competitive swimmers, to well known of how much strength that increases will be beneficial and not beneficial to them. Since the two components of power are strength and speed, it is vital focus to improve strength in order to create potential of more power. 2.4 Biomechanics of Swimming Biomechanics is interesting area of study because this area of study shows much potential to enhance the swim performance. 10% increase in swimming technique provided increase over a range of performance rather than maximal aerobic and anaerobic power (Toussaint and Hollander 2004). Toussaint and Beek (2002) reported that the success for competitive swimmers relies on swimmers aptitude to produce force and to decrease resistance which to encountered during forward movement in the water. Logically, water is denser than air. Therefore, swimmers will encounter more resistance when attempting the movement. Besides that, as the rate of velocity decreases, there is a proportional decrease in the resistance of the water. Resistance of the water is at the top area of the swimmers that against water as the body move through it. Drag, is the motion of resistance to the swimmers. (Malinlisho 2003). There are two type of drag which are passive and active drag. Passive drag is described as the resistance on the swimmers body in a static position (Chatard 2000). While active drag is the resistance of water that against the moving body. Measurement of the active drag is reported slightly higher than passive drag (Kolmogorov, Rumyantseva, Gordon Cappaert 2007). It is important to note that of the two types of drag, passive drag cannot be altered and it is constant speed, but increases a higher velocity. Passive drag is an important factor in the speed of the swimmer from a start or a turn off of a wall. The less passive drag a swimmer has, the more slowly they will lose momentum. Passive drag is related to the frontal surface area of an individual. Passive drag has been reported to be a factor that can contribute to the prediction of swimming performance (Chatard and Lacour 2000). Velocity of swimming has been associated with drag, power input and power output (Toussaint Beek 2002). Active drag can be modified on efficiency based on technique of swimming action (Toussaint 2002). Clarys (2003) stated that predominant factor in active drag was the swimming technique. It also stated that measurements of active drag on elite swimmers are lower than non- elite swimmers. While study by Kolmogorov (2007) reported that active drag for freestyle was less compared to breastroke swimming. It also reported that mechanical power output for skilled swimmer is lesser than mechanical power output in less skilled swimmers. This assumed because of the cost of swimming for an elite swimmer is much lower than a non-elite swimmer. The more biomechanically efficient a swimmer is, the less energy requires swimming at faster rate of speed (Toussaint 2002). Further, as increase in velocity, the resistance of the water will also increase. Swimmers with more active drag have to produce more force on the water to go a certain speed and vice versa. (Maglischo 2003). The level of the athletes, anthropometric measures, velocity and swimming efficiency are related to the cost of swimming. These costs are similar either in men neither women that given similar relative measures (Chatard 2001) Chatard (2000) also stated that passive drag is determining by the frontal body area which can influence performance. Other factor that is related to the biomechanics of swimming is the length of the swimmer. Larsen, Yanchen and Baer (2000) reported that, having length is one of the reasons why successful competitive swimmer is taller in height compared to others. Length of the swimmer will lesser their drag in the water. Further, successful swimmers achieve greater distance per stroke than less skilled swimmers (Craig 2005). Distance per stroke and stroke rate somehow is controlled by swimming velocity. Distance per stroke is best defined as the distance traveled in the water by a swimmer with each arm pull. And stroke rate is frequency of how fast the arms can move. Faster swimmers in freestyle had a longer distance per stroke and maintaining a slower stroke rate (Craig and colleagues 2005). An experience swimmer can control their speed by maintaining certain distance per stroke in increasing stroke rate or in maintaining stage. It has been described above that the length of a swimmer having less drag is apparent with the longer distance per stroke also spent more time with their arms outstretched. This action will influence drag for a short period of time due to increase of the swimmer length. Furthermore, it is important to know that power is an important determinant in enhancement of swimming performance. There are two components of power which are the speed and force. Swimmer will not have the ability to produce as much force on water if they move their arms too quickly. It clearly shows the relationship between stroke rate and the optimal distance per stroke. 2.5 The Relationship of Power to Swim Performance Power is classified as one of five determinants of swimming performance, and the others are metabolism (power input), drag, propelling efficiency and gross efficiency (Toussaint 2002). Specifically, power can be defined as Power = Force x Velocity (Harman 2004). Many investigators have noted the importance of power that demonstrated a positive relationship between power and sprint swim performance (Bradshaw Hoyle, 2003). Christensen and smith (2007) reported that power measured is a significant contributor to swimming performance and that sprint speed that is related to stroking arm force. Sprint swimming performance influences by the ability to produce power in an efficient manner and utilization of power specifically in the swimming action. (Costill 2003). Costill (2005) later discover that improvements in swimming were found strongly related with power production, both in measures of power in the water and on land. Sharp (2006) suggested that the ability to produce power plays a positive role in swimming performance if swimmer undergo specific training that can increase power. The peak swimming power is significantly correlated with sprint swimming velocity (Boelk 2007). Powerful Swimmer is often faster (Malischo 2003). He suggested that swimming with specific training technique will increase power. These technique, are performing in short duration with high intensity bouts of swimming where the focus on producing the most powerful movement with the correct form. For some swimmers, power training may be beneficial and most important type of training (Bompa 1993). He concludes this by establishing a relationship between power and the importance of being able to maintain the increased power throughout the race. 2.5 Methods to Increase Power Plenty types of training that can be employed to improve power. Most of the swim coaches use specific swimming exercises, such as all-out sprints for a short distance to improve swimming power (Maglischo 2003). Other types of training that have shown increased power production include dry land exercises such as weight training and plyometric training (Bompa 1993). In contemporary swim training, the training program for competitive swimmers often includes dry land exercises. In comparison to the load during actual swimming these exercises should provide a greater resistance to the working muscles and hence increase maximal power output more effectively. However, as indicated earlier, the body adapts to adequately cope with the specific forms of exercise stress applied. This adaptive process is rather specific requiring for example that movement pattern during the strength training is similar to that during competitive swimming. It is known for quite some time that the movement patterns of the different swimming strokes are difficult to reproduce outside the water and thus any training effect may only partially, if at all, carry over to the competitive performance (Toussaint 2007) Propelling muscle is where the power output delivered by swimmer. In this propelling muscle, mechanical power are converted from the aerobic and anaerobic power input. (Toussaint and Beek 1992)

Why Is Vatican Ii So Significant In The Modern Church? :: essays research papers fc

Why is Vatican II so Significant in the Modern Church? INTRODUCTION: VATICAN II Vatican II was the 21st ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic church, which became the symbol of the church's openness to the modern world. The council was announced by Pope John XXIII on January 25, 1959, and held 178 meetings in the autumn of each of four successive years. The first gathering was on October 11, 1962, and the last on December 8, 1965. Of 2908 bishops and others eligible to attend, 2540 from all parts of the world participated in the opening meeting. The U.S. delegation of 241 members was second in size only to that of Italy. Asian and African bishops played a prominent role in the council's deliberations. Only Communist nations were sparsely represented, the result of government pressures. The average attendance at the meetings was 2200. ESSAY Vatican II, as we can clearly see from the above information, was a very large and important meeting in the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican II has altered the Roman Catholic Church more that any other council that took place. It has great significance as it made the church more reasonable and realistic. The Church, after the council, was much more down-to-earth and open-minded. One of Vatican II's changes that took place was that Mass became vernacular. This change was very important because it made people feel more at a personal level when mass was held seeing as though the priest was speaking their language. It made them feel more at home and increased their understanding and ability to respond. Another very major and important change that took place due to Vatican II was the relationship with the Church and the world. "The Church is a human organization steered by the Holy Spirit and composed of the gifts and talents of its members. It is acknowledged that at this time the Church community has not yet reached its highest potential and is faced with the limitations and of human shortcomings and temporal constrictions. With an understanding of its abilities and its boundaries, the Church seeks to work with the world community to come closer to the life to which God calls the world." As this quote from one of the Documents in Vatican II states, the Church need have a relationship with the "outside world" as the Church itself is comprised of humans. And that the Church having a good relationship with the outside world is necessary for the Church to reach its highest potential. These are some of the changes that took place in Vatican II and naming

Movie The Matrix Essay example -- Movie Film Matrix Films Essays

Movie The Matrix In 2002, Brent Staples communicated with Jean Baudrillard about the use of his philosophy in The Matrix (1999), a film written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Staples wrote, â€Å"He [Baudrillard] noted that the film’s â€Å"borrowings† from his work â€Å"stemmed mostly from misunderstandings† and suggested that no movie could ever do justice to the themes of this book†. In this paper, I will argue that the Wachowski Brothers did not want to â€Å"do justice to the themes of this book†; they wanted to adapt Baudrillard’s theories about the blurring of the real and unreal, and the eventual extermination of the real, into a story that provides hope for humans wanting to escape the suffocation of the â€Å"hyperreal†. The â€Å"hyperreal† was first coined by Baudrillard in his book, Simulacra and Simulations (1983); it is the product of the distortions of the real through endless simulations of it in radio, newspaper, te levision, and film. In The Matrix, Morpheus offers Neo one more opportunity to accept the â€Å"hyperreal† in the form of a blue pill which alludes to a world of fantasy, a world that has imprisoned the real—this world is known as the matrix. Many people, like Neo, might ask "what is the matrix?" Whether they would be ready, or not, Morpheus will tell them, â€Å"The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth†. The truth â€Å"that you are a slave†, â€Å"like everyone else you were born into bondage, into a prison that you can’t smell, or taste, or touch; a prison for your mind†. This prison is built not necessarily to keep you from being free, but to keep you from the real. The prison’s simulations of the real are so precise that they fool thousands of people in The Matrix. However, there... ... the matrix. Neo speaks of a simulation that produces redundancy, a simulation that fears change and evolution, and finally a system that allows no progression of human thought. Neo and his band of revolutionaries are now set on awakening as many people as possible from this banal, fake existence. An existence that has produced the stagnation that the Wachowskis feel humans have been born into. There is meaning to be found in life, and for the renegades in The Matrix, meaning is reality. The Wachowskis, and those liberated from the programmed world, see the perpetual simulations and the machines responsible for them as enemies. The enemies of reality are accountable for the traditional cultural suffocation of the real, progress, inspiration, dreams, and individuality. The Matrix and its creators take the position that no amount of this suppression is acceptable. Movie The Matrix Essay example -- Movie Film Matrix Films Essays Movie The Matrix In 2002, Brent Staples communicated with Jean Baudrillard about the use of his philosophy in The Matrix (1999), a film written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Staples wrote, â€Å"He [Baudrillard] noted that the film’s â€Å"borrowings† from his work â€Å"stemmed mostly from misunderstandings† and suggested that no movie could ever do justice to the themes of this book†. In this paper, I will argue that the Wachowski Brothers did not want to â€Å"do justice to the themes of this book†; they wanted to adapt Baudrillard’s theories about the blurring of the real and unreal, and the eventual extermination of the real, into a story that provides hope for humans wanting to escape the suffocation of the â€Å"hyperreal†. The â€Å"hyperreal† was first coined by Baudrillard in his book, Simulacra and Simulations (1983); it is the product of the distortions of the real through endless simulations of it in radio, newspaper, te levision, and film. In The Matrix, Morpheus offers Neo one more opportunity to accept the â€Å"hyperreal† in the form of a blue pill which alludes to a world of fantasy, a world that has imprisoned the real—this world is known as the matrix. Many people, like Neo, might ask "what is the matrix?" Whether they would be ready, or not, Morpheus will tell them, â€Å"The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth†. The truth â€Å"that you are a slave†, â€Å"like everyone else you were born into bondage, into a prison that you can’t smell, or taste, or touch; a prison for your mind†. This prison is built not necessarily to keep you from being free, but to keep you from the real. The prison’s simulations of the real are so precise that they fool thousands of people in The Matrix. However, there... ... the matrix. Neo speaks of a simulation that produces redundancy, a simulation that fears change and evolution, and finally a system that allows no progression of human thought. Neo and his band of revolutionaries are now set on awakening as many people as possible from this banal, fake existence. An existence that has produced the stagnation that the Wachowskis feel humans have been born into. There is meaning to be found in life, and for the renegades in The Matrix, meaning is reality. The Wachowskis, and those liberated from the programmed world, see the perpetual simulations and the machines responsible for them as enemies. The enemies of reality are accountable for the traditional cultural suffocation of the real, progress, inspiration, dreams, and individuality. The Matrix and its creators take the position that no amount of this suppression is acceptable.

Analysis of Strategy Formation Essay

Strategy is difficult to define. There are many popular and debated definitions available. One idea is that strategy is top management’s plan to attain outcomes consistent with the organization’s mission and goals (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, & Lambel, 1998). Another definition is that strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions designed to exploit core competencies and gain a competitive advantage (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson 2013). Some argue that strategy cannot be defined at all because many professionals including researchers, practitioners, and theorists all have different thoughts on what strategy is, how it is formulated, and how it is implemented (Dewit & Meyer, 2010). However, all of these ideas have something in common: a strategy is a roadmap for getting from here to there. It is important to understand that strategy is not a single concept, but rather a process made up of many pieces. For this paper, I will define strategy as a roadmap or blueprint for obtaining a competitive advantage. In this analysis of strategy formation I will examine the most important issues involved in strategy formation and explain why they are important, define how corporate-level strategies relate to business-level strategies and functional-area tactics and how these pieces support each other, and finally, I will outline the primary inputs to strategy formulation in a firm. But, before we answer these questions it is important to share a brief history of strategy. The word strategy originated from the Greek work strategos. Strategos was coined when Kleisthenis developed a fresh set of organizational structure in ancient Greece in order to promote a better army. The direct definition of the singular stratos means to lead (DeWit &Meyer, 2010). Essentially the concept is derived directly from a need for a higher organizational structure, change and leadership development. Warfare was pas the point of simply winning a battle but instead was focused upon the coordination of units and tactical approaches to battle (DeWit & Meyer, 2010). When we look at how strategy is formed today we also see a parallel in that firms must coordinate corporate-level, business-level and functional-level tactical issues in order to successful formulate a strategy. By coordinating the approach a strategy helps to gain a competitive advantage for firms just as it does for armies on the battlefield. Now that we understand the history behind strategy formation we will discuss the most important points of strategy formation and discuss what makes them important. Strategy formation can be arduous because planners love to plan out every single details of a plan and press everything into an orderly, mechanistic process (DeWit & Meyer, 2010). It is critical for strategies to follow a mechanistic process with vision and end goal in mind while having a big picture mentality that takes change management and flexibility into account as the unknowns’ surface. Without a proper plan to learn and address needed adjustments the plan can become easily outdated and ineffective. Strategy formation is described as being a new way to understand old problems, however, strategic planning and formation can lead to analysis paralysis if overly complex and planned out (DeWit & Meyer, 2010). Flexibility is an important piece of strategy formation and as strategists we must avoid being married to a specific set of ideas, but rather be open to learning, experimentation, balancing risks and rewards while working towards to vision that creates a competitive advantage. This pattern in a stream of decisions works to get a company to its strategic goal and vision (Dewit & Meyer, 2010). A good approach to this is letting the strategies emerge in the process, rather than focusing on the strategy formation in the beginning. Outside of recognizing the importance of change and emergence there are many other important variables in strategy formation. For example, many organizations develop strategies based on rigid changes like their core competencies, resources, demographics, and market demand. But, there are also many other softer pieces can be equally important when formulating a strategy. According to DeWit and Meyer the most cited key issues in strategy formation are: 1) overall organization structure of its basic management style; 2) relationships with the government or other external interest groups; 3) acquisition, divestiture, or divisional control practices; 4) international posture and relationships; 5) innovative capabilities or personnel motivations as affected by growth; 6) worker and professional relationships reflecting changed social expectations and values nd 7) past or anticipated technological environments (DeWit and Meyer, 2010). These key components help give us a good framework for the most important parts of strategy formation, but they don’t make up everything. Many managers are comfortable with the planning piece of strategy formation, but lag when it comes to actually putting the plan into action (Hrebiniak, 2005). For many organizations putting the strategy in place is the easy part and creating a winning strategy doesn’t actually get you from here to there. A solid planned, documented and even inspiring plan of action doesn’t gain a competitive advantage in and of itself. It is the execution of that strategy that makes all the difference in the company achieving that completive advantage. Here are some key challenges that corporations face when executing on a strategy: 1) the culture of the organization and how it was not appropriate for the challenges ahead; 2) incentives and how people have been rewarded for seniority or â€Å"getting older† and not for performance or competitive achievement (the sacred cows); 3) the need to overcome problems with traditional functional â€Å"silos† in the organizational structure and 4) the challenges inherent in managing change as the division adapted to new competitive conditions (Hrebiniak, 2005). Actually getting the strategy to produce the desired results can clearly be more difficult that forming it in the first place. Execution is not the last important point of strategy formation to discuss; the stakeholders also play a fundamental role in the formation of a strategy. A stakeholder is any individuals, groups or organizations that can affect the firm’s vision and mission, are affected by the strategic outcomes achieved, and have enforceable claims on the firm’s performance (Hitt, Ireland, & Hosskisson, 2010). These stakeholders can be divided into categories. Capital Market Stakeholders are the banking partner and suppliers of capital. Product Market Stakeholders are customers, suppliers, host communities, and union groups. Lastly, are the Organizations Stakeholders, which are comprised of employees, manager, and non-managers. These categories are divided from top to bottom in order of importance, which means that Capital Market Stakeholders have the highest level of influence and the Organizational stakeholders have the least. All takeholders are not created equal. The more critical and valued a stakeholder’s participation, the greater the firm’s dependency on it; greater dependence, in turn, gives the stakeholder more potential influence over a firm’s commitments, decisions, and actions (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2008). A shift to more emergent characteristics in the strategy making process combining stakeholder considerations and strategic conversations during s trategy formation with select stakeholders is what makes the difference in a balanced strategy (Booth and Segon, 2008). The key point is the degree to which the stakeholder’s goals align with each other, and how those aligned elements are being addressed by the strategists in the organization. Strategic leaders are responsible and accountable for realizing the expectations of each of the many stakeholders. This accountability to the stakeholders plays an important part in developing the strategy. It can also impact the expectations of each of the stakeholders. For example, the vision and mission of the strategic leaders is shared with all of the stakeholders and their confidence or lack of confidence is a direct result of those strategic leaders. The expectations and composition of our stakeholders has a significant and direct affect in our organizations strategic formation. Of course, without security and surprise, a solid plan, execution strategy, flexibility, clear objectives, concentration, and coordinated and committed leadership, a strategy can still fail. Surprise strategy must make use of speed, secrecy and intelligence to attack unprepared opponents at unexpected time, while forcing the opponent to react to your company and not the other way around (Concept Paper #1). Security addresses keeping the core competencies, operations points and resource safe from the competition. For example, if our strategy is based on the talent of our human capital, we must work to keep the working conditions safe and happy so the competition doesn’t work to recruit our talent for their own strategy. We have outlined the most important points of strategy formation and discussed what makes them important, so now it is now time to define how corporate-level strategies relate to business-level strategies and functional-area tactics, and how these pieces support each other. Functional-area tactics are short-term activities each functional area within the firm undertakes to implement the grand strategy (Pierce & Robinson, 2012). Pierce offers three characteristics that differentiate functional area tactics from business-level and corporate-level tactics: 1) time horizon, focus on immediate activities; 2) specificity, business strategies provide general direction, functional area tactics specify activities and how they are expected to be achieved and 3) participants, general managers are responsible for business strategies, operating managers establish short-term objectives and functional tactics that lead to business-level success (Pierce & Robinson, 2012). These activities are put in place as a means of achieving a business-level strategy and so their relationship is one of vision versus direct action to achieve that vision. . A business level strategy is a carefully designed methodology that aids companies in implementing and carrying through with actions designed to meet the financial and other goals set by that business (wiseGEEK, 2013). Whether a firm has a competitive advantage or not, depends on the business system or business-level strategy that is has developed to relate itself to its business environment and if the configuration of resources (inputs), activities (throughput) and product/service offerings (output) intended to create value for its customers – it is the way a firm conducts its business (Dewit & Meyer, 2010). Business strategy can be further understood as the decisions a firm makes about its alternatives when competing in a specific market and how those alternatives works to bring their core competencies to the surface through cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated leadership/differentiation. According to Hitt et. l, the risks associated with cost leadership are 1) loss of competitive advantage to new technology; 2) failure to detect changing customer needs; 3) the ability of competitors to imitate the cost leader’s competitive advantage through their own distinct strategic actions (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson 2013). As also pointed out by Hitt et. al. , there are also differentiation strategy risks such as 1) a customer group’s decision that the differences between the differentiated product and the cost leader’s goods or services are no longer worth a premium price, 2) the inability of a differentiated product to reate the type of value for which customers are willing to pay a premium price, 3) the ability of competitors to provide customers with products that have features similar to those of the differentiated product, but at a lower cost, and 4) the threat of counterfeiting, whereby firms produce a cheap imitation of a differentiated good or service (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2013). Previously, we have identified how business-level strategy impacts functional tactical strategy and now I will address corporate-level strategy and how it, respectively, relates to these levels. A corporate strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its parts and typically comprises four concepts: portfolio management, restructuring, transferring skills, and sharing activities (Porter, 2008). Portfolio management and diversification are central strategies for any medium or large business. Market analysis demonstrates that many organizations that are medium sized and larger are made up of multiple businesses and offer several product lines that can cross industries and regions. Organizations can have very different financial characteristics and face different strategic options depending on how they are placed in terms of growth and relative competitive position (Dewit and Meyer, 2010). A portfolio strategy requires firms to grow through investment in existing businesses, acquiring new businesses and withdrawing from failing ones. As porter points out another form of corporate strategy is philanthropic involvement. When it comes to philanthropy, executives increasingly see themselves as caught between critics demanding over higher levels of â€Å"corporate social responsibility† and investors applying pressure to maximize short-term profits (Porter, & Kramer, 2002). It doesn’t end there though, another piece to corporate-level strategy is corporate governance. Corporate governance is concerned with identifying ways to ensure that decisions (especially strategic decisions) are made effectively and that they facilitate a firm’s efforts to achieve strategic competitiveness by maintaining a harmony between the top-level managers and the shareholder’s interests (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2013). We must also point out that mergers and acquisitions play a significant role in corporate-level strategy. Corporate-level strategy is made up of many pieces, but overall it shares the same goals as the other levels, to increase value by creating a competitive advantage. We have discussed the various elements to corporate-level strategy and now we will discuss how it related to business and functional/tactical-level strategy. Since corporate-level strategy is the highest level of decision-making and encompasses the end objective of the organization, allocation of resources, stakeholder’s goals and acquisitions is it always value-oriented, whereas, business-level and functional-level strategy is more relevant to each individual business entity. Corporate strategy is not the sum total of business strategies of the corporation but it deals with different subject matter; while the corporation is concerned with and has impact on business strategy, the former is concerned with the shape and balancing of growth and renewal rather than in market execution (Bhasin, 2010). Although there are different levels to organizational strategy they all relate and impact one another from the top down. Now that we understand the various levels of decision-making we will now turn to the various inputs to strategy formation for a firm. Before we conclude this analysis, it is important to review the different schools on strategy and those schools perceive strategy formation. There are 7 main school of strategy starting with the Design School. In short, the design school looks to create a fit between capabilities and opportunities or possibilities; it resulted in the famous SWOT analysis. Second, the Planning School also uses a SWOT like the design school to take into account internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. Although the design school doesn’t delineate the steps like the planning school does. It is this dividing into delineating steps that sets the planning school apart. The three phases of this school are: Objective Setting, Strategy Evaluating, and the Operationalization phase (Concept Paper #4). Third, in the Positioning School we see that the strategy formation is really driven by analyzing the market and deliberately implemented by those analytics. Forth, The entrepreneurial school is more of a singular vision of strategy from 1 person, namely the entrepreneur, rather than a collective approach as we have learned about in previous schools. Fifth, the Learning School of thought approaches strategy formulation in two separate models: 1) the grassroots model approaches strategy as emergent; 2) whereas, the hothouse model formulates strategy deliberately. Sixth, the Cognitive School states that in order to understand how strategies emerge from under other ircumstances we must look into the mind of the actual strategists. And finally, the last school is the Configuration School, as pointed out in Concept Paper #11, different dimensions of an organization cluster together under particular circumstances and conditions to define â€Å"states†, â€Å"models† or â€Å"ideal types†. It was important to review these various schools because when we look at the big picture of strategy formation and analyze how it is made up and why it is important we can glean important points from each of the seven school. Yes, the overall goal of each school is the same as the goal of strategy formation as a whole, to gain competitive advantage and overall value for the corporation, but it is not always as easy as following one school of thought. For example, what might work in one situation won’t necessarily work in another so as strategists we must be able to take pieces from each school and put them in place where appropriate to achieve our desired outcome for that particular problem. Now that we have some big picture understanding of the different perspectives we will now discuss the primary inputs of strategy. As we discuss the inputs it is first important to point out that there is a difference between emergent and intended strategy. Organizations always have an intended strategy but sometimes the inputs move them towards a more emergent strategy. While strategy formulation is the process by which an intended strategy is created, emergent strategies often come out of following a specific pattern in decision making. (DeWit & Meyer, 2010). The primary inputs are identifying, diagnosing, conceiving, and realizing; of course within this specific framework, there are more specific activities (DeWit & Meyer, 2010). The first input of identifying is outlining a mission and agenda, this could also include a vision statement. Diagnosing is the internal an external assessments, such as the SWOT analysis. Next, conceiving is the brainstorming process by which the participants envision where there are trying to go and how they will get there. This is the key component an input of strategy formation, and for most groups it can be the most difficult because it requires creative out-of-the-box thinking. Lastly, but not least, is realizing and this is where the rubber meets the road. It is here where specific activities must be undertaken to achieve the strategic plan. We have identified the most important issues involved in strategy formation and defined why they are important, differentiated between corporate/business/functional-level strategies and how they impact one another, discussed the various schools of thought on strategy formation, and finally outlined the primary inputs to strategy formation in a firm. Now it is time to dig in a little deeper and attempt to bring it all together and analyze what it means as a whole. From a big picture mentality strategy formation must encompass the important items we outlined, while also taking into account the potential for change. Having a change management protocol for the organization as a whole, as well as, for each of the subsidiary organizations is critical in today’s global market economy. Outside of change, as strategists, we must also clearly understand our competitors, threats and regions. Things like technology can play a significant part in the ability to execute on strategy. Surprise and security are also equally important to strategy formation. What this all tells us is what we discussed early on: strategy is very difficult to define as an individual concept. Rather than a singular concept see that strategy is more of a way of big picture thinking that is critical to achieving success in virtually any endeavor, not just business. Yes, you can get lucky and find success without strategy, but we could also win the lottery it doesn’t mean it is going to happen. A strategic way of thinking is also not just thinking it is an executable and traceable tool that can adjust and emerge as needed. As a metaphor we can use going to the gym for physical fitness. Our strategic vision is losing weight, increasing heart health and gaining strength. But, how will we get from here (fat, high cholesterol and weak) to there (strong, heart healthy and thin)? We start by developing an action plan, outlining the inputs and potential threats (bad eating, etc), and we follow our plan daily and adjust as needed based on what emerges from the data we gather. This methodology can be applied to any goal, and large corporate business is no different. Unless we execute by actually going to the gym, following and adjusting our strategy for maximum performance we will never achieve our goals, even if we are lucky. You cannot win heart health in a contest. The same goes for business you can’t accidentally win customers and keep them for extended periods of time with successfully executing on your strategy. As we continue and find success in the gym, we may choose to diversify and bring our success to our friend and family or co-workers. This portfolio diversification also applies to large organizations. Additionally, our goals in the gym have stakeholders like our friends, family, employers, insurance companies, communities and any organizations to which we belong, not the mention, the world as a whole that benefits from our staying healthy. This philosophy our strategic way of thinking can be with us every second of everyday, and by thinking strategically in our lives and our roles in business we not only gain competitive advantage but maintain that advantage overtime. In closing, from the origins of the word strategy, and earlier, human beings have been strategizing. We strategized how to hunt and now we still strategize how to hunt only we are not hunting mammoths, but we are hunted mammoth size endeavors that require mammoth sized strategies. As we create and execute a plan for how to get from here to there towards achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage, as strategists, we are constantly analyzing how to optimize our approach while limiting risks. Strategy as a way of thinking can also be approved upon and as humans we have the power and control to accomplish truly amazing things for our corporations and our world.

Relationship between Prospectus and department Essay

In the final draft (Diagram 3) of the college prospectus I have added another class (department), since in reality a college will be sub divided in different departments and then these departments will have different courses.  Relationship between Prospectus and department:  Class Name: Department  Responsibility: â€Å"Department† provides information about the departments in the college and what courses are done in each of them. Collaborations: Every â€Å"Department† will be related to & have many courses.  Relationships: Prospectus to Departments, will be a â€Å"One to Many† i.e. one Prospectus can have many Departments.  Maintenance Plan for Final Version  For a good and successful system to be of any use in the long run, it requires a product that is easily maintained so that its future is ensured. Systems once delivered and implemented, always need someone to ensure that the system meets the user requirements & thus kept updated regularly. A survey done by Lieutz and Swanson from the U.S. says that up to 48% of the total development time can be spent on maintenance. For the online prospectus the maintenance may include some of the following points: Keeping the system up-to-date and posting any changes to the courses, constant backing up of the system in case of viruses or damage to system, links and websites updated and changes to courses posted on website. Maintenance is not always easy and encounters many problems during its cycle. However it has additional problems, as often the people carrying out the maintenance activities are not always the same as those producing the original software.  Poor documentation can present major problems for maintenance teams for example; when systems underwent changes to avoid the so-called â€Å"Millennium bug† problem. Systems that had been used for many years required modifications but this took time due to the lack of documentation. (Above Source: Hellingsworth, Hall & Anderson, 2001) It may be important to have a system in place for documenting requests for any changes to the system and responses that would come from a â€Å"change request form† to the maintenance teams. These may include:  Enhancements; including description of new requirements in detail, regular updates to college & course details. Maintenance teams should be striving for a user interface. Problem & Error Reports; including a full description of problems with website from email discrepancies to broken links of the website. A record of these would be carefully documented and reviewed regularly at maintenance team meetings. User Feedback; includes a system for the maintenance team to give feedback to user on any problems or errors with links & for any enhancements made. Timescale should be included of when the errors will be fixed. Structured Maintenance Plan For the maintenance plan to be effective I will be using the following structured plan. Having a good & complete software engineering documentation for the project helps a great deal with this plan. Any amendments or changes to the system will be documented professionally and kept safe in order to have a successful future system. An external contracting maintenance team will be in charge of updating the system & making sure it runs smoothly. Many companies can be found that specialised in just maintenance of other company’s software, databases & even their websites. Bibliography & References Using The Harvard Referencing System as a guide, these are my points of reference and the textbooks that I used to complete the assignment.  B.HELLINGSWORTH, P.HALL & H.ANDERSON (2001), â€Å"Higher National Computing†, Newnes:  http://www.askmen.com

House on Mango Street: Four Skinny Trees

The Trees of Hope and Courage In The House on Mango Street, the author Sandra Cisneros takes you into a completely different world through the eyes of a young, insecure Esperanza growing up in a poor section of Chicago. A vignette that especially stood out was â€Å"Four Skinny Trees†. In this vignette Esperanza is describing four skinny trees that are overlooked and underappreciated. Cisneros uses powerful personification techniques that not only create vivid images but trigger intense reactions. Her words trigger despair and hope, fear and courage, strength and weakness. Esperanza is connected to these trees on an emotional level because what she is imagining in these trees is what she sees in herself. The trees served as emotional guides teaching Esperanza to have confidence. Cisneros projects Esperanza’s emotions onto these four skinny trees though powerful personification techniques. Esperanza sees a distinct parallel between her life and the trees. Esperanza feels as if, â€Å"They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them† (74). Esperanza sees herself in these trees, â€Å"†¦with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine† (74). She sees these scrawny trees trapped in the concrete of Mango Street and can relate because she too is stuck in the concrete of Mango Street. Esperanza sees a parallel between her and the trees and imagines these trees with souls and emotions that reflect her own. She perceives the trees as full of anger, â€Å"They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quite their anger† (74). It is apparent that these trees aren’t really angry but that Esperanza is embedding her hidden rage into these trees. Cisneros vivid personification makes the trees strong symbols of Esperanza’s emotions, her anger, fear, inconsequence and also her hope, courage and importance. These trees are misplaced and misunderstood but yet they keep on growing, keep on fighting. They continue to exist, not giving up, â€Å"Four who grew despite concrete† (75). The four scrawny, angry trees symbolize both hope and courage. To Esperanza these trees symbolize an emotional guide, they teach her she can trade despair for hope and fear for courage. The trees are teachers. The trees could very well surrender, â€Å"†¦ they’d all droop like tulips in a glass, each with arms around the other† (75). But they don’t they keep on growing despite that they do not belong. Esperanza takes courage from the trees to never give up. Esperanza has learned from these trees how to achieve a peace with who she is. These four skinny trees that were probably planted by some city worker on a concrete slab are objects in which Esperanza has brought to life with her own emotions. Because they too are misplaced like Esperanza but yet they continue to be and keep growing, they do not give up. They have taught her not to surrender to who she is but to accept it and keep growing. One day Esperanza will leave Mango Street but instead of living with despair waiting to escape she is living with hope for the future and the courage to be strong throughout the process.

Free Essays on Amanda

I spent one night at Mass General, sleeping with an oxygen mask to pump my lung back up. The doctors sent me home the next morning with a sore back and no sleep This collapsed lung was just a singular event, a one-hit wonder. Wrong. In October, my lung collapsed again. This time I spent two nights with the oxygen mask. This time when I left I was scheduled for surgery a week later. The day of the surgery I saw Mrs. Penn behind the desk, but she didn’ t wave. I realized that with my oxygen mask I was about as recognizable as the face behind Darth Vader’ s mask. Though I knew I was in good hands, my main feeling as a patient was helplessness. Nonetheless, I experienced one small triumph near the end of my stay. On the way to the CT scan, my wheelchair attendant had no clue where we were going. Not only did I know the way, I knew a shortcut. The attendant was impressed. For a moment, I was not a patient, but again part of the invisible fraternity of hospital workers. High school is a strange time. After three years of trying to develop identity and friends in middle school, students are expected to mature immediately on the first day of ninth grade, but I never did this. I never fully realized in the earlier grades how important high school success, as measured by GPA, would be to my future life, and as a result I am applying to college with seemingly contradictory measures of my ability to perform college-level work. If I had worked and studied hard rather than hanging out with friends and viewing high school as an opportunity to socialize, I would not have to apply to school with a 1300 SAT and a 2.7 GPA. Had I taken my grades in my earlier years seriously, I could have been a college's dream candidate. This year I have made an earnest effort to improve my work ethic. My grade point average is rising and my study habits are improving. However, after performing poorly for three years, my GPA cannot reflect the transformation I... Free Essays on Amanda Free Essays on Amanda I spent one night at Mass General, sleeping with an oxygen mask to pump my lung back up. The doctors sent me home the next morning with a sore back and no sleep This collapsed lung was just a singular event, a one-hit wonder. Wrong. In October, my lung collapsed again. This time I spent two nights with the oxygen mask. This time when I left I was scheduled for surgery a week later. The day of the surgery I saw Mrs. Penn behind the desk, but she didn’ t wave. I realized that with my oxygen mask I was about as recognizable as the face behind Darth Vader’ s mask. Though I knew I was in good hands, my main feeling as a patient was helplessness. Nonetheless, I experienced one small triumph near the end of my stay. On the way to the CT scan, my wheelchair attendant had no clue where we were going. Not only did I know the way, I knew a shortcut. The attendant was impressed. For a moment, I was not a patient, but again part of the invisible fraternity of hospital workers. High school is a strange time. After three years of trying to develop identity and friends in middle school, students are expected to mature immediately on the first day of ninth grade, but I never did this. I never fully realized in the earlier grades how important high school success, as measured by GPA, would be to my future life, and as a result I am applying to college with seemingly contradictory measures of my ability to perform college-level work. If I had worked and studied hard rather than hanging out with friends and viewing high school as an opportunity to socialize, I would not have to apply to school with a 1300 SAT and a 2.7 GPA. Had I taken my grades in my earlier years seriously, I could have been a college's dream candidate. This year I have made an earnest effort to improve my work ethic. My grade point average is rising and my study habits are improving. However, after performing poorly for three years, my GPA cannot reflect the transformation I...