SWOT Analysis Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT Analysis Strategy - Assignment Example he environment by identifying the strategies creating a firm specific business model that best aligns the organization’s resources and capabilities to the requirements of the environment in which it operates. The acronym SWOT stands for, as has been alluded, to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Each of these has a strategic implication to the business, and proper analysis will show a true picture of the organization’s place in the business environment. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the business entity directly controlled by it while opportunities and threats are external, and a company can only anticipate and react to the changes. As such, analysis is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection to pursue the optimum possible position. For success to be realized, strengths should be build upon, weaknesses rectified, opportunities exploited and protect against threats. Strategic planning is enhanced by SWOT analysis as it is a source of information for strategic planning to identify core competencies, and setting of objectives. From the knowledge of the past and present, the future can be comfortably planned (Pearce & Robinson, 2012). Let us consider each of the four substrata in the SWOT matrix. An organization’s strengths are either tangible or intangible qualities which enable it to accomplish its missions. They form the basis under which success can be laid and sustained. They include patents, brand names, good reputation, exclusive access to resources, technical know-how by employees, and distribution network. The firm must have distinct features giving it consistency. The employee expertise, process capabilities, finances, products/services with customer goodwill and brand loyalty form the foundation for the organization to thrive. These are qualities hindering the firm from achieving its mission and accomplishing optimum potential by hindering the organization’s success and growth. The absence of certain strengths

Risk and uncertainty, the key public relations issues in the Essay

Risk and uncertainty, the key public relations issues in the contemporary era - Essay Example Notably, the public relations practice ensures that an organization can assess the potential impact of its policies on the public. After the implementation of the organizational policies, public relations practitioners seek feedback from the public concerning the policies. Public relations practitioners must understand the opinions held by different sectors of the public if they are to keep the organization well informed. In addition, public relations practitioners play critical cultural and social roles as they strive to serve as a link between the organization and the customers. In the contemporary era, risks and uncertainty are some of the defining aspects of business in the modern world. Risk and uncertainty prove to be highly ambivalent. Therefore, organizations have tasked public relations practitioners with handling risks and uncertainties in the organization. Evidently, the public relations practice is of critical importance to any organization in the modern day. This paper w ill focus on describing some of the cultural and social roles played by public relations, as well as the influence of public relations practice on the society. Finally, the paper will tackle risk and uncertainty as some of the leading issues in public relations in the modern day. Public relations practitioners play critical roles in an organization and in the community. It is the role of public relations practitioners to communicate the policies of an organization to the public. Notably, organizations need to determine the potential impacts of their policies on the community and the public. Therefore, public relations practitioners create the necessary intermediary between the organization and the public. In addition, public relations practitioners offer informed advice to the organization’s management. The daily activities of a public relations practitioner involve a continued interaction with different sectors of the public. Through the

Post Stroke Depression Health And Social Care Essay

Post Stroke Depression Health And Social Care Essay Stroke is considered to be one of the most devastating vascular events (Beekman et al 1998) which can cause death. The patients who survive are developing physical impairment. This impairment can make the patients disable or dependent. As a result of loss of functional activity and normal life style, the stroke survivors may also develop psychosocial disorders. The most common disorders among stroke survivors are depression, anxiety, impatience, impulsivity, insensitivity toward others, poor social perception, memory disabilities, apathy, irritability, and eating disturbance (Barker-Collo 2007, Barskova et al 2006, Bour et al 2009). In my research, I will focus more on the prevalence of post stroke depression in the Arab world. I will also investigate the QOL among the Arabic stroke survivors and the factors that influence their mental health and their QOL. Stroke, which also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is a neurological disorder that results from blood vessels disease (Carr et al, 242). It is caused by a sudden block of blood from flowing to brain leading to irreversible tissue damage result from thrombotic, embolic, or hemorrhagic events (Robinson et al 2010). There are two types of stroke: occlusive and hemorrhage. Occlusive stroke results from closure of a blood vessel while the hemorrhage is due to bleeding from a vessel. It is considered to be a third killer in the world after coronary heart disease and cancer and it is the most cause of disability among people who living in their own homes (Carr et al, 243). In the united state, Europe, and Australia, approximately 400 person per 100,000 populations over age 45 have a stroke (Bruce et al 2005). About 20% of stroke patients die within the first month of onset (Carr et al, 244). However, the reminding 80% of stroke patients can survive with medical management and rehabil itation. The medical management depends on the type of lesion (Carr et al, 245). Surgery is recommended for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, well-defined carotid disease, and good surgical risks (Carr et al, 246). To reduce the muscle spasm, pain, and posture that interfere with patients functions, the patients are injected with botulinum toxin into the muscles (Bruce et al. 2005). After the patients are stable medically, they commence active rehabilitation to prevent secondary physical, emotional, and intellectual deterioration (Carr et al 247). The rehabilitation team of stroke survivors usually consists of the followings: physician, nurse, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social worker, and psychologist. Psychosocial issue: The clinical picture of the stroke patient is complex and varied between physical and psychological disorder. To insure the patient acceptance to different levels of care, it is important for all health care providers to communicate with information about patients moods, general symptoms, and worries and concerns about their own health as well as their neurological handicaps, treatments, and co-morbidity (Skaner et al, 2007). The psychiatric complications of stroke include a higher frequency of depressed mood, anxiety, memory disabilities, apathy, irritability, impatience, impulsivity, poor social perception and insensitivity toward others, and eating disturbance(Bour et al 2009 , Barskova et al 2006). Fatigue and sadness are the most common symptoms and 39% of patients always felt tired that is associated with feeling of depression(Skaner et al 2007). Depression Depression is affective disorder characterized by intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, despair and the inability to experience pleasure in usual activities(Rang et al 2007).It is more common with left anterior hemisphere injury (Robinson et al 2010). It is considered to be significant risk factors for increase death within 7 years from date of onset (Robinson et al 2010). Every year there is 5000,000 new strokes in United State. Approximate 150,000 of them develop depression in the first year of post stroke (Elis et al 2010). The depressed patients complain from loss of interest, impaired ADL, psychomotor impairment, and gastro-intestinal complaints (Bour et al 2009). Management of Depression: The treatment of these symptoms can be established by pharmacotherapy and Non-pharmacotherapy. The pharmacotherapy may include the followings: imipramine, phenelzine, and fluoxetine which have some side effects on patients. It can cause nausea, anxiety, insomnia, weight loss tremor, drowsiness, and orthostatic hypotension (Rang et al 2007). The non-pharmacotherapy can include aerobic exercises and stretching (Foley et al 2008). Assessment tools: Despite of previous symptoms, the diagnosis of depression in stroke patients is difficult because of overlap of somatic and neurocognitive symptoms directly related to the cerebral damage of stroke and the symptoms of a depressive episode (coster et al 2005). However, the examiner can observe some behavior or use some instrument to judge if the patient is depressed or not (Robinsion et al 2010). The behaviors include: difficulty falling asleep, waking up early in the morning, not eating, losing weight, frequent tearfulness, social withdrawal, or acts as self-harm(Robinsion et al 2010). Whereas, the instruments include Montgomery Asberg depression rating scale (Farner et al 2009), Mooddepression questionnaire, and Becks depression scale (Cohen 2007). Montgomery Asberg Depression Scale is an assessment tool that measure psychological symptoms of depression as symptoms that can affect physical function. Snaith et al defined four degree of depression severity and recognize the patient as a depressed if the score more than 6 in this scale (Sagen et al 2009). Because it is valid and reliable, it can be used in assess treatment outcome and can also used in research (Zimmerman et al 2004). Another scale is Becks depression scale which was designed by Beck, Rush, Shaw, and Emery (Cohen 2007). The scale, which is a questionnaire, consists of 21groups of statements. The patient selects the most statement that best describes hisher feeling past 2 weeks (Questionnaire form). The patient is considered as a minimal depressed if the scale range between 0-13, mild depressed if range between 14-19, moderate depressed if range between 20-28, and sever depressed if range between 29-63(Barker-Collo 2007). It is valid and reliable measurement and (Beck et al 2002) it translated to Arabic to use in assessment and research (Abdel-Khalek et al 1998). Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of life (MANSA), which is the LQLP modified and brief version, is another assessment tool (Priebe et al 1999). It is used to measure quality of life of people with mental illness and physical disability (Eklund et al 2006). It is administered as a structured interview and consists of three sections (Priebe et al 1999). First section is about personal details: date of birth, gender, ethnic origin, and diagnosis. Section 2 contains details that can be varying over time: education, employment status, monthly income, state benefits, and living situation (Priebe et al 1999). The last section covers 16 quality of life domains which are work, finances, social relations, leisure, living situation, safety, family relations, sexual relations, and health. Fourteen domains have one item and the reminders two have two domains. These domains are health which assessed as physical health and psychological health and living situation: satisfaction with housing a nd living with someone or alone. Satisfaction scale are rated on 7-point rating scales started with couldnt be worse and ended with couldnt be better. This tool is reliable and valid and has good internal consistency (Eklund et al 2006). One further measure instrument is Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) which is self rating tool. This instrument is used to assess emotional competencies such as: empathy, social initiative, and communication of ones own emotional states through 30 items. Its items are divided in four domains which are activities of daily living, emotional, interpersonal, and cognition. It is designed to measure patients mental and physical status after traumatic brain injury. Later on, it is used with stroke patients also. It is valid and reliable tool that can be used with stroke (Barskova et al 2006). Literature Review Stroke is the third cause of death in the world (Carr et al, 243). It is lead to disability and restricts activity of daily living. As a result of these physical problems, the patients can develop many psychological issues. Depression is considered to be one of these problems. Many studies show that 19.3% among hospitalized patients can develop post stroke depression and 23.3% among outpatients (Robinson 2003) .Here I mention some of studies that were done on post stroke depression. Townsend and his colleges (2010) did a study to evaluate the relationship between the acceptance of disabilities and depression following stroke. Ninety eight patients who were diagnosed with a stroke before one month and had no cognitive impairment or aphasia participated in this study. Twenty two of them had had a prior stroke. However, only 81 of participants were followed up nine months post stroke. The researchers used a prospective cohort mixed design with them. All participants participated in structured interview which yielded quantitative data one month after stroke. It included diagnostic type interview for depression and self report scale to measure disability and personal beliefs about accepting disability. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. In addition, they used National Institute for Health Stroke Severity Scale to measure stroke severity, Barthel In dex to measured personal activities of daily living, reverse scored Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale to measure disability in extended activities of daily living, and adapted version of eight-item Acceptance of Illness Questionnaire to measure non-acceptance of disability. This structured interview was repeated after nine months of onset. In addition, there was semi-structure interview done in the first month of onset and only sixty participants participated in this interview. It included open-ended questions about patients concerns and it was used to extract thoughts and feeling about their condition. The researchers found that for every three stroke patient one of them complained from depression. In their sample, 29 of 89 (33%) patient developed depression one month after stroke, while 24 of 81 (30%) developed depression after nine months. They also found that there is no relationship between disability and depression or no physiological relationship. The non acceptance of disability, or psychological issue, has been the cause of post stroke depression. The depressed participant described themselves as useless and inadequate. Skaner and his collages (2007) aimed to investigate the self rated health after stroke and the prevalence of symptoms of depression and general symptoms three and twelve months of onset. Their study included 145 patients (69 were men and 76 were women) with a first -ever stroke and their mean age was 73.3 years. The participants were classified according to Katz ADL Index into seven groups, A-G, to assess the patients functional level. The A refer to patients that had no need of help, and patients in G are dependant and the help is necessary for them. They received questionnaires from the researchers to assess their self -rated health, symptoms of depression, and general symptoms. Self-rating of health was assessed by Goteborg Quality of life Instrument (GQLI). The same instrument was used to assess the prevalence of general symptoms which covered six different symptoms: mental, gastro-intestinal/urinary, musculoskeletal, metabolic, cardio-pulmonary and head/miscellaneous. The preval ence of depression symptoms were evaluated by Montgomery Depression Rating Scale which includes nine items: mood, feeling of unease, sleep, appetite, ability to concentrate, initiative, emotional involvement, pessimism, and zest for life. In this study the researchers compared the patients situation three and twelve months after stroke and they found that more than half of patients suffered from symptoms of depression with no significant change frequency between 3 and 12 months. The most common general symptoms after 3 months were reported by patients were fatigue 69%, sadness 58%, pain in legs 52%, dizziness 48%, and irritability 46%. While the most common symptoms after 12 months were fatigue 58%, impaired hearing 49%, pain the joints 49%, sadness 46%, and pain in the legs 45%. Barker-Collo (2007) examined the prevalence of depression and anxiety after stroke. He also investigated the relationship between depression and anxiety with age, gender, hemisphere of lesion, functional independence, and cognitive functioning. He included 73 patients who were diagnoses of stroke three months before. Of the participants, 40 were males and 33 were females with a mean age of 51.7 years. Their CT scans showed that 31 of them had left hemisphere damage and 33 were right hemisphere damage. The researcher used many measurement tools to get the results. He used Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to measure depression. BDI-II is contain 21 four-choice statements and its total score ranges from 0 to 63. Participants selected the better choice that descripts their emotional and vegetative symptoms in the past two weeks. According to this scale, result between 0-13 is considered to be minimal depression, 14-19 is mild, 20-28 is moderate, and 29-63 is severe. The researcher also used Beck Anxiety Inventory to examine the anxiety symptoms and California Verbal Learning Test-II to measure recall memory. Visual Paired Associates test was used to examine visual learning and memory, and Digit and spatial spans test was used to test memory working. Additionally, Functional Index Measure which includes 13 motor and 5 cognitive items was also used to assess outcomes of rehabilitation. The motor items include self care, sphincter control, mobility, locomotion, and social cognition. While the five cognitive items cover independence in comprehension of communication, expressive communication, social interactions, problem solving, and memory. Furthermore, the researcher included Integrated Visual Auditory Continuous Performance Test and Victoria Stroop. The mood assessments and neuropsychological took about 120 min to be completed according to standardized procedures. The researcher found from his measurements that the prevalence of depression and anxiety three months post stroke was 22.8 and 21.1% respectively with one in five patients have either moderate or severe depression or anxiety. According to the site of injury, he found the patients with left hemisphere injury were more likely to get depression or anxiety. Because of the left hemisphere is the part which is responsible about language skills, the lesion in it can cause communication deficits which then can lead patients to feel depressed. Suffering of post stroke depression or anxiety can affect the physical therapy sessions. Depressed patient may lack the motivation to complete the session while the anxious patient can suffer from fearful of falling to attempt to walk without device. Appelros and Viitanen (2004) also measured the prevalence of post stroke depression in a Swedish Population during 1999-2000. They included 377 patients, 129 were females and 124 were males, with first ever cases of brain infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and stroke of undetermined pathological type and with mean age 74.5 years old. One hundred and nine patients complain of right hemisphere damage while 138 patients were left hemisphere damage. The researchers used Swedish version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) which include 20 items, and cutoff is >5. The items cover anxiety, panic, insomnia, hypochondria, and pain. Patients in all cases answered the questions which were read aloud for them. Further evaluation was subjected to patients who crossed cutoff on the GDS. One year follow up, Modified Rankin Scale was used to assess dependency. Cognitive impairment was measured by using Mini Mental State Examination which define the cognitive impairmen t at a score of

Amazon :: science

Amazon The Amazon River is the second longest river in world. The headwaters begin high in the soaring Andes Mountains and stretches 6,400 km across the South American continent to the Atlantic Ocean. It discharges between 34 to 121 million liters of water per second, and depositing an average of 3 million tons of sediments near its mouth. The outpouring of water and residue is so vast that the salt content and the color of the Atlantic Ocean are altered for a distance of about 320km from the mouth of the river. Also, unlike many other rivers it ¡Ã‚ ¯s wide and straight from the headwaters to the mouth. During a new or full moon, a wave front from the ocean sweeps 650km upstream at speeds of 65km/h and this causes waves as high as 5m. Because of its vastness, annual floods, and navigability, the Amazon River is often called the Ocean River. The Amazon River is the largest and wettest tropical plain on Earth with heavy rains. Europeans were not the original keepers of this vast rainforest. The Amazonians are trapped between the old and new customs, and since they have traditions, their technology isn ¡Ã‚ ¯t as modern as the rest of the worlds ¡Ã‚ ¯. They live on the richest land with a wide variety of flora and fauna. With such great resources, including the river as transportation, almost anybody would want to seize the land and gain profits easily. The Amazonians have little power to defend themselves with spears against their guns. Unfortunately, the outside world has brought them diseases that are incurable with their own medicine. They cannot exist in the way they were before, but they know the Amazon better than any of us. If the rich businessmen listened to them instead of stealing from them, they might be able to improve the usage of the Amazon. All the tributaries merge into the Amazon River, but not all have an identical color. White-water rivers, the ice and snow from the Andes Mountains washes off soil nutrients from the rocks, allowing the water to have a dirty yellowish color. Clear-water rivers are azure-green in color; they barely contain any sediment. These rivers arise from the highlands that are created by hard rock that doesn ¡Ã‚ ¯t easily erode. Dark black-water river of the Rio Negro washes over old rocks, which are rich in minerals. The name  ¡Ã‚ °Amazon ¡Ã‚ ± just isn ¡Ã‚ ¯t any old name.

Fortress of North Carolina’s History

Stretching almost 500 miles through North Carolina and Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains stand like a fortress that conceal some of the oldest settlements of both pre-historic and early European settlement. Much of the 200-year-plus history of Appalachian culture still persists by simply discovering what remnants are left. In 1539, the first European expedition to venture into the Blue Ridge region was led by Span’s Hernando de Soto, as his troops landed near Tampa Bay, Florida, with over six hundred soldiers and some additional men (mostly servants and slaves).Soto's expedition headed toward the Appalachian interior with two goals — to find adventure and to discover gold and other precious metals rumored to be in the region. Numerous Native American tribes (most of them Mississippian cultures) resisted the Spaniards' advance (Olson 1988, p. 3). In May of 1540, Soto's expedition crossed the Blue Ridge, probably guided by Native American scouts who knew of a well-establ ished trail over the mountains. The expedition passed through the domain of the region's predominate tribe, the Cherokee, quickly and without difficulty.The reason behind must be that the tribe had already been decimated by smallpox or other European disease that spread to the Cherokee from coastal tribes, which likely had contracted that disease from earlier European explorers. The Peachtree site within the Cherokee county fits the description of the town of Guasili visited by Soto. The Peachtree site is geographically and topographically more accurately situated for the location of Guasili than either the Nacoochee or Etowah mounds, both of which had previously been considered as the site of Guasili.At present, this site in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the feasibility of trails is limited, coincides more nearly with the expected situation as described by the chronicles than any other location. However, the significant point in this report is not whether this is the site of the ancient town of Guasili as shows at least one trail of importance which passes the site, while several others are connected to it (Setzler, Jennings & Stewart 1941, p. 9).However, it was England and France that garnered the political control of eastern North America, as many English settlers avoided exposure to the fighting by moving from the North Carolina and Virginia piedmont onto Cherokee lands in the Carolinas. In reaction, the Cherokee staged a series of attacks on English settlements and fortifications, a situation which came to be known as the Cherokee War. The Cherokee won several of these contests, including one major victory, the capture of Fort Loudoun on the Little Tennessee River in 1760.In retaliation English soldiers under Major Hugh Waddell in 1761 stormed Cherokee towns along the Little Tennessee River; suffering many casualties, the Cherokee pled for peace (Ehle 1988, p. 51). The English, recognizing that they could not fight the Cherokee and the Fren ch at the same time, forged a new alliance with the Cherokee. By 1763, this alliance had defeated the French and their Native American allies.English monarch King George III rewarded the Cherokee for their loyalty by issuing the Proclamation of 1763, which established a boundary line intended to prevent colonists from venturing onto Cherokee land. As the nineteenth century dawned in the Blue Ridge region with several states was mired in political squabbling over territorial boundaries. By 1800, the border between North Carolina and Virginia had already been surveyed, but North Carolina's border with the new state of Tennessee.As a cause of the frequent revision of county lines in the North Carolina Blue Ridge, it prompted the slowing the development of stable and productive county governments. The limited state funds allocated to mountain counties were often rendered ineffective by a lack of competent administration within the counties. For decades after the Revolutionary War, count ies in the Blue Ridge region not only were generally underrepresented in state politics, but also received little benefit from the federal government.Much of the western North Carolina landscape had been destroyed by the Revolutionary War, yet the state government of North Carolina put little effort toward boosting the region's economy. This was in part because the state's economy was sluggish, the result of many factors: a lack of harbors, the absence of an effective road system by which to conduct trade within the state, high transportation tariffs, and an over-dependence on agriculture (McPherson 1988, p. 65-71). In the North Carolina General Assembly in 1823, the state allocated funds for a trans-mountain road, the Buncombe Turnpike.Completed in 1827, this road linked South Carolina with Tennessee, allowing safe wagon transport from Greenville, South Carolina, over the North Carolina Blue Ridge, then through the valley of the French Broad River to Greeneville, Tennessee. A toll road, the Buncombe Turnpike profoundly affected the Blue Ridge communities through which it passed, providing economic relief to an impoverished region. Inns, supply outlets, and wagon-repair shops sprang up in a number of places along the turnpike. Owing to its strategic location along the turnpike, Asheville, North Carolina, grew quickly as a supply center for travelers.An important tourist attraction also emerged along the turnpike: Warm Springs, later called Hot Springs. The Buncombe Turnpike not only benefited the communities through which it was routed, but also served the nation by providing eastern markets with a steady supply of agricultural products, poultry, and livestock raised to the west of the Blue Ridge (Dunaway 1996, p. 113-115). During the Civil War, no major battles took place in the North Carolina Blue Ridge because political loyalties within the region were sharply divided, countless skirmishes occurred there.These conflicts were particularly frequent after July 1863, when the Confederate congress elected to position militia throughout the South in an attempt to capture draft evaders, return deserters to their commands, and control marauders who were opportunistically exploiting undermanned southern farms and villages. Confederate soldiers were soon present in the Blue Ridge, causing conflict wherever they encountered Union sympathizers. Thus, when the Civil War ended in 1865, marked the slowdown of political and social turmoil in the Blue Ridge region.The war had a profound impact on the region, as many people became disgusted at their ruined environment and disillusioned with their government. This is even worsened by the fact that political representation of the Blue Ridge people during Reconstruction was marked by corruption. Only after Reconstruction ended in the mid-1870s did state governments reorganize and actively participate in the economic development of the Blue Ridge. Finally, this improved the conditions in the region, which harnessed the forces of industrialization to come in. References Dunaway, Wilma A.(1996). The First American Frontier: Transition to Capitalism in Southern Appalachia, 1700-1860, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Ehle, John (1988) Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation, New York: Anchor Press. McPherson, James M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, New York: Ballantine Books. Olson, T. (1998). Blue Ridge Folklife. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. Setzler, F. M. , Jennings, J. D. , & Stewart, T. D. (1941). Peachtree Mound and Village Site, Cherokee County, North Carolina. Washington, DC

Third Party Conflict Resolution

Third Party Conflict Resolution MGT/445 Organizational Negotiations March 11, 2013 | | | | Third Party Conflict Resolution Conflict is an omnipresent facet of human existence present at every level of society. Differences in culture, norms, beliefs, wants, needs, and personality causes conflict. Throughout history people involved in conflict solicit assistance from a third party with the primary goal to negotiate a resolution. Team A is assigned to review a case involving two managers of a manufacturing company involved in a conflict. The following paragraphs provide an overview of the case and different third party interventions strategies.Team A included below the analysis of the case, a third party intervention strategy to resolve the conflict, the reason the strategy resolves the conflict, and an alternate strategy if the first strategy does not work. Case Overview The case involves a conflict with managers of a major producer of office furniture -Seatcor. Acting as the senior vi ce president of operations and chief operating officer, Team A must provide an appropriate solution to the conflict. Joe Gibbons is the vice president and general manager of Seatcor’s largest desk assembly plant. Joe has been with Seatcor for 38 years and is two years away from retirement.He worked his way up through the ranks to his present position and has managed successfully his division for five years with a marginally competent staff. Joe is a long-standing personal friend. There is a perception Joe has surrounded himself deliberately with minimally competent people possibly because he may have felt threatened by talented assistants. During lunch with Charles Stewart, assistant vice president and Joe’s second in command, it became clear there is a conflict between Charles and Joe. Joe’s potential replacement upon his retirement is Charles, who was hired last year.Joe was reluctant to hire Charles. Charles is 39, a tenacious, bright, and well-trained busine ss school graduate. Charles is doing a good job in his new position. Joe is in the process of completing a five-year plan for his plant. This plan will serve as the basis for a proposal to management for several major plant reinvestment and reorganization decisions. According to Charles, Joe has not included Charles in the planning process. Joe excluding Charles is disturbing him. His distress may be influencing his work and relationship with Joe. Charles may have an ulterior motive for disclosing this information.Joe runs a good ship and has good judgment. Confronting Joe may upset him and appear to undermine his authority. Joe may have a good reason for excluding Charles. Joe felt threatened by a junior manager or he may not be aware of Charles’ distress regarding exclusion from the planning process. Some tension between Joe and Charles may exist even though they are not in a verbal dispute. From a business standpoint, the potential conflict between Joe and Charles is a ver y serious problem. Joe will retire in two years so it will be important to have a trained replacement in place well in advance.Charles probably will have to live with the results of any major decisions about the plant after Joe retires. In addition, it is essential Joe support Charles so he can grow properly into his present position and future job. The goal is to resolve the potential conflict between Joe and Charles as well as benefit the company. It will be important to get Joe and Charles talking. The company will benefit if Joe and Charles have an amicable relationship so Joe can train Charles and collaborate on the five-year reinvestment and reorganization plan. According to the â€Å"The FreeDictionary† (2013), intervention means â€Å"to come, appear, or lie between two things† (Intervene, para. 1). As acting senior vice president of operations and chief operating, Team A must intervene to resolve the conflict. Third Party Intervention Strategies and Selection In the Seatcor case, Team is considering using a third party. â€Å"The terms third party and intermediary are both used to refer to a person or team of people who become involved in a conflict to help the disputing parties manage or resolve it† (University of Colorado, December 2, 2005,  p. ) Third parties can take the role of intermediary, consultant, facilitator, mediator, or arbitrators. â€Å"The various forms of observed third-party intervention are distinguished primarily by the degree of power that the intervener exercises over the process and outcome of the conflict† (Fisher,  April 2001-03-30, p. 1. The role of a consultant is to analyze the conflict and develop a plan to help resolve the conflict. The role of a facilitator is to arrange and manage meetings until a reasonable agreement is reached. More serious conflicts may warrant a mediator.Mediators are more involved and impose more structure to the discussion process between both parties. The goal of the mediator is to get both parties talking so each side understands the conflict from the other party’s point of view. Common understanding between both parties often yields a solution to the conflict. The role of the arbitrator is to listen to both sides, collect evidence, and determine the resolution to conflict. Decisions made by arbitrators are final. Informal interventions are incidental to the negotiation, whereas formal interventions are designed intentionally or in advance (Lewick, Saunders, & Barry, 2006, p. 87). As the senior vice president of operations and chief operating officer, Team A decides the best approach is to use a formal mediation strategy through an impartial third party. Applying the Intervention Strategy There are six steps to the formal mediation process that include introductory remarks, statement of the problem by both parties, gathering information, identification of the problem, bargaining and generating options, and finally reaching an agreeme nt. In general, the information gathering step is done after the parties have stated the problem. In this case it is important to ollect some data about the five-year plan and more on the relationship between Joe and Charles. It will be difficult to gather information without alarming the parties involved and creating rumors within the plant. Before the meeting with both parties, Team A will meet with Joe to allow him to explain his concerns with the development of the short-term plan. The mediation process will begin with arranging a meeting with both parties and the third party mediator. The mediation between Joe and Charles is set to take place at a local conference room close to the assembly plant with the third party mediator and Team A.This gives the mediation neutrality and takes away any implied bias by having the mediation at the plant. Hilary (2000) stated â€Å"Mediator neutrality legitimizes the mediation process because the parties, rather than the mediator, are in con trol of decision-making† (p. 145). The ground rules are simple but ensure Joe and Charles stay amicable with one another. Introductory Remarks The mediation begins with the mediator speaking to both Joe and Charles in the room. The mediator explains why he is there and the intent of the mediation. At the beginning of the eeting, the mediator will outline the reason for the meeting, the expectations of both parties, and protocol of the meeting such as allowing each party to speak without interruption. Also each party is asked to sign a paper agreeing to follow the ground rules, and the mediator can clarify any questions the parties may have about the ground rules The ground rules are simple but ensure Joe and Charles stay amicable with one another. * Both parties agree to take turns talking and will refrain from interrupting the other party. * Both parties will address the other party on a first name basis. The parties agree to pay attention to the other party to understand the other party’s wishes. * Each parties can request breaks when necessary. * Either party can speak up if the mediation falls off track. * Each party is to follow the guidance of the mediator. Statement of the Problem by the Parties Each party is asked to step outside and the other party speaks one-on-one with the mediator. This gives the mediator an overview of the situation and allows the mediator to counsel the parties on the correct language to not provoke the other party.Both parties are allowed in the room for face-to-face dialogue on the issues they believed led to the situation. Joe should be allowed to go first as senior manager. As the conversation progresses, the mediator writes down the problems from the views of both parties. The statements by both Joe and Charles will not necessarily be a true representation of the situation but will allow both parties express their respective view on the conflict. Joe may deny excluding Charles and is likely to place blame in an attempt to make Charles out to be the scapegoat.Charles may try to make Joe look bad to hide his own shortcomings or attempt to make himself look better. Either way, Charles’ distress may be warranted. Information Gathering In the information gathering step, the mediator will ask both parties questions to get to the potential root of the problem and evaluate the emotional undercurrents. Gathering information helps the mediator build rapport with both parties plus helps identify the root of the problem. Problem Identification After a short break, the mediator should summarize and repeat the highlights of the discussion to Joe and Charles.Summarizes the highlights helps both parties understand the primary points of the conflict. â€Å"The mediator tries to find common goals between the parties. The mediator will figure out which issues are going to be able to settle or those that will settle first† Stepp, J. A. , (February 2003). Bargaining and Generating Options Once th e mediator is confident of Joe and Charles’ commitment to achieve a negotiated settlement, the mediator may choose to hold private sessions with both parties to help move the negotiations along. The goal of the mediator is to find some common ground.This can lead to a final agreement, which diffuses the conflict and provides a new basis for future relations. Both parties may entertain alternative solutions without committing to any concessions. Reaching an Agreement During the final step of the mediation, Joe, Charles, and the mediator will work through the problems to find common ground. The ultimate goal would be for Joe to agree to mentor and train Charles for his position. In addition, Joe and Charles should agree to collaborate on completing the five-year reinvestment and reorganization plan.If an agreement is not reached an alternative strategy will be used. Alternative Actions Ultimately the needs of the company come first. If the relationship between Joe and Charles d oes not improve and an agreement is not reached then Team A will implement an alternative strategy. The next step would be to use arbitration. The third party mediator and Team A would advise both Joe and Charles are expected to act professional and put personal differences aside. Joe will be directed to provide training to Charles as well as work together on the five-year plan.If either party cannot agree to the terms of the agreement they may face possible termination. Conclusion Resolving conflicts, especially in a business setting is important. Conflicts can disrupt business operations and impede a company’s profits and growth. Team A selected the best approaches to resolve the conflict between Joe and Charles. The company solicited a third party mediator to protect the best interest of the company. Conflicts among employees are not uncommon and can be a simple a misunderstanding or personality conflict.If employees are not willing to work to resolve conflicts interventio n becomes necessary. From the information provided regarding this case it is unclear if Joe and Charles would have reached an agreement without a third party. Team A believed the information provided was serious enough to require the intervention of a at least a third party mediator or as a last result an arbitrator. References Fisher, R. (April 2001-03-30). Methods of Third-Party Intervention. Berghof Handbook for Conflict Transformation, ISSN 1616-2544(), 1-25. Retrieved  from  http://www. berghof- handbook. net/documents/publications/fisher_hb. df Lewick, R. , Saunders, D. , & Barry, B. (2006). Negotiation (5th ed. ). Retrieved on March 7, 2013 2013 from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Stepp, J. A. (February 2003). How Does The Mediation Process Work? Retrieved from http://www. mediate. com/articles/steppj. cfm The free dictionary. (2013). Retrieved on March 7, 2013 from http://www. thefreedictionary. com/intervention 4 University of Colorado. (Dec 2, 200 5). Third Party Intervention. Retrieved from University of Colorado, International Online Training Program On Intractable Conflict website.

Mergers and Acquisitions of Chrysler, an American entity and Daimler

Mergers and Acquisitions of Chrysler, an American entity and Daimler In the current business world, entities are looking into ways to expand, acquire an operational or a competitive advantage edge. One way of accomplishing this entails mergers and acquisitions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mergers and Acquisitions of Chrysler, an American entity and Daimler-Benz specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A merger entails two firms combining on equal terms to form a different firm while in an acquisition; one firm becomes the holding entity of the other. This is normally an exceedingly risky move since most entities are different in diverse ways. Companies differ in terms of philosophy, culture, operations and organizational structure. Integrating all these aspects is challenging. Subsequently, many acquisitions and merge may fail to realize the ambitions of undertaking them (Goldberg Practising Law Institute, 2005). One of the factors that contribute to failure of mergers and acquisitions i s cultural disparity among organizations. Organizational culture denotes the values that an organization seeks to entrench among the staff members. Most of the American firms have a relaxed approach to management. However, European entities form countries such as Germany will probably have a very formal approach to management. Merging firms form such backgrounds may be tough. This will result in lower job satisfaction among the employees who have to alter the way they undertake their work. The culmination of a merge in the above scenario would be high employee turnover and lower productivity. The merger between Chrysler, an American entity and Daimler-Benz, a German company did not take off appropriately since the entity had many cultural and philosophical disparities.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chrysler had a relaxed managerial attitude, which was suitable fo r its employees. Hence, this managerial approach was responsible for the success the entity had realized. Contrary, Daimler-Benz, another successful organization had a different managerial culture. The company owed its accomplishments to a formal managerial approach. The merger between the two organizations should have resulted in a bigger entity with massive potential. The resultant company would have had at its disposal a greater market proportion, excellent employees and a good product portfolio. However, the merger failed to meet the expectation of the managers and owners (Gole Hilger, 2008). The organizations had different philosophies with reference to remuneration and management. Attempts to merge these disparities had massive implications on the work force. The Daimler- Benz’s employees became more motivated as the entire entity tried to replicate their organization’s culture. Conversely, Chrysler’s employees were disoriented and most left the organizat ion. Subsequently, Chrysler’s performance dwindled significantly triggering take-over attempts by Daimler- Benz. The above example provides insight into the failures of mergers and acquisitions. The two firms failed to consider the human aspects of the merger. Chrysler and Daimler-Benz overlooked the impact of the merger on the most important resource, the human resource. As such, one firm was operating better than the other was, but the merged firm (resultant entity) was not realizing the expected results. This reveals that managers should make lengthy considerations prior to merging. The entity should consider the cultural disparity and various philosophies employed in determining vital issues such as remuneration.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mergers and Acquisitions of Chrysler, an American entity and Daimler-Benz specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Overall, entities should seek merges among entities with similarities in numerous aspects. Disparities make it hard for entities to integrate various aspects of the merger (Sherman Hart, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion, mergers require massive preparations. Hence, merging entities should create a period within which to integrate and jell various aspects of the entities such as operations, philosophy and culture. This period should come prior to the signing of a comprehensive merger and acquisition deal. Period to this period the entities should sign a memorandum, which will detail what the entities should undertake to set the stage for the signing of a comprehensive deal. The integration process should provide insight to possible outcomes of the merger or acquisition (Sherman Sherman, 2011). References Goldberg, R. A., Practising Law Institute. (2005). A guide to mergers acquisitions, 2005. New York, NY: Practising Law Institute. Gole, W. J., Hilger, P. J. (2008). Corporate divestitures: A mergers and acquisitions best practices gui de. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Sherman, A. J., Hart, M. A. (2006). Mergers acquisitions from A to Z. New York: AMACOM.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sherman, A. J., Sherman, A. J. (2011). Mergers acquisitions from A to Z: Mergers and acquisitions from A to Z. New York: American Management Association.