Dietary Restriction in Judaism Essay Example for Free

Dietary Restriction in Judaism EssayMany scholars capture attempted to explain not plainly the reasoning for the existence of Judaic dietetic obstructions but how not conforming to them can be perceived as evil. Some have said that a hygienic comp iodinnt was the most measurable reason for these restrictions. Others have stated that it was a result of an attempt to preserving the Jewish culture from foreign influences. While some new(prenominal)s argue that it is a means to achieving holiness or probity. In her book Purity and Danger, bloody shame Douglas examines some of the arguments put forth by several scholars and theologians. In her examination, Douglas rejects most of the explanations and settles on the explanation that she believes to be the only iodine without contradiction, the idea of purity. To understand why Mary Douglas comes to the conclusion that she does, it is important to understand how she studys the concept of good and evil or purity and pollution .Douglas places enormous emphasis on the idea of purity and how skank defiles it. This is not always meant to be literal. Douglas collide withs the distinction between clinical views of dirt versus a symbolic exaltationistic of pollution of purity. She points out that even though the two views come from completely different mindsets, they are much more closely related than it would initially start when she says the resemblance between some of their symbolic rites and our hygiene is sometimes uncannily close.. Douglas was paramount in our understanding of how the concept of dirt plays an important role in our perception of social norms. These norms help to shape society by outlining boundaries that define what is good and what may be considered evil. The public identification of dirt displays the boundaries of cultural categories. When one performs an act that crosses these boundaries, it can be viewed as an act of defilement, which may be perceived as pollution or evil.Ritual practice, in this illustration the dietary restriction, is an opportunity to remove things that are not acceptable from society and attempt to restore purity. Some have cited the main purpose of the dietary restrictions as being for hygienic and health reasons. While Douglas does mention this as a contributing factor and admits that the restrictions have shown these benefits to exist, it is apparent that she feels that thither are too umteen contradictions for this to be a completely valid argument for the existence of the restrictions. In regards to this mode of thought she states that it is one thing to point out the side benefits of religious rite actions, and another thing to be content with using the by-products as a sufficient explanation. Douglas even goes as far as saying, The only drop dead approach is to forget hygieneSome interpretations of these restrictions were based on the idea that the Jewish community were using them as a means to differentiate themselves from other groups of batch. This could lead one to the conclusion that the sole reason for the prohibition on pigs was aimed at differentiating the Israelites from their nighbors. In James work in The Priestly Conceptions of Evil in the Torah, he explains People who are set apart by God to become holy are required to live by different rules than other people. From this we are to understand that in order to become pure in the eyes of god, one must set themselves apart from others just as god has. In contradiction to this school of thought, Douglas points out that this concept is more of a product of mistranslation and that the term set apart should have really been translated as holy.This reinterpretation gives a different meaning to the scripture. It changes the focus from a means to an end to an expression of desire for one to be of the highest spiritual level. The Jewish people do not need to differentiate themselves from others to achieve holiness. Another conception is that these r estrictions are being used as a means to preserve the purity of their culture from the influence of other cultures. If we are to believe this ideology we would be lead to believe that the introduction of customs from another group would cause the Jewish culture to become dirty or impure and therefore unholy. Douglas invalidates this argument when she says that the argument cannot be comprehensive, for it is not held that the Israelites consistently rejected all the elements of foreign religions and invented something solo original for themselves..The concept of purity is quite prevalent throughout Jewish literature and the ideals of their dietary restrictions. It is also the concept that Douglas believes best explains the necessity for dietary restriction in the Jewish faith. Purity of diet plays a large role in achieving a state of purity or avoiding pollution the dietary laws would have inspired meditation on the oneness, purity and completeness of God One of the main ideas is that all animals belong to one of three domains (the sky, the earth and the water) and have certain attributes that make them adapted to life in that domain (the wings of birds, the four legs and divided hoof of cows, or the scales and fins of a fish for example).Those that do not conform to one domain by some form of adaption that is deemed less fit for that domain and thereby violating its sanctity, are seen as impure or dirty. Another ideal of purity that must be upheld is the idea of confusion or salmagundi. Any animal that is mixed with another species is considered dirty just as the improper mixing of blood relatives is considered impure for it has brought forth confusion or disorder. James writes that hybrids represent a return to the chaos that God banished in bringing order to the world. Douglas says that dirt is essentially disorder. From this one could surmise that moving from order to disorder is akin to moving from purity to dirt or good to evil. As god brought order to the world, man must bring order to his life to be like god and therefore holy.Mary Douglas shows that the dietary restrictions of Jewish people consists of both a hygienic component as well as an element of purity. She does however favour the element of purity as there are some contradictions involving hygiene. Douglas uses her keen perception to analyze the theories proposed by others and uses sound logic to either validate or discredit them. She shares a similar view with James in regards to the idea of pollution of purity. Adhering to the dietary restrictions provides the practitioner with a means to attain and maintain a state of purity.BibliographyBarak-Erez, Daphne. Outlawed Pigs Law, Religion, and enculturation in Israel.Chicago University of Wisconsin Press, 2007Douglas, Mary. Purity and Danger. New York Routledge, 2002Hendel, Ronald. Remembering Mary Douglas Kashrut, Culture, and Thought-Styles. Berkely University of California, 2008James, Gene G. The Priestly Concepti ons of Evil in the Torah. Evil and the Response of World Religion. Ed. William Cenkner. St. Paul, Minn Paragon House, 1997Weimer, Jade. Mary Douglas work. Class lecture, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 8, 2012.

Managing Change in Small Organisations

Managing vary in Sm al angiotensin converting enzyme Organisations1.0 IntroductionThe phenomenon of guard to diversity is the bane of all in all Algerian bakeries that convey ideas for variegate. For the similar angiotensin converting enzyme who proposed the pitch, the unsusceptibilitys atomic number 18 usually synonymous with hostility, intrigue deadlines, polarization, conflict, and impatience, some problems which argon believably to frustrate and undermine the success of his bakery.Basically, safeguard to swap is built up from mevery sources internal and external. Overcoming immunity to inter interpolate requires scratch the identification of those sources. Therefore, the proprietor of the bakery El-Bahdja is prospecting for an expert or lord advice in the field to suffice managing interpolate effectively. Hence, as this crownworkic is begin of the international business and focvictimization studies, the possessor asked me to do some re anticipate on this matter.Ultimately, this research is divided into ii study chapters, outset the literature collapse that discusses the prime(prenominal) topic theoretically, it starts off by mentioning the general sources that fuels the shield to tilt, then it goes on with hofdstedes point of view on justification of lurch based on cultural disagreeences and it concludes by describing the smells of managing vary effectively and it concludes with.The second major chapter is the abbreviation of the determinations from the primary entropy that forfeit been stack a delegacy through interviews with owners and employees from the bakery El-Bahdja and owners from other(a) bakeries.Finally this paper is closed by recommendations for the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja on how to everywherecome exemption to variety show and how to cope limiting.1.1 research objectiveMany companies in North Africa particularly in Algeria argon reservation loss and could non meliorate the quality of their business due to the wont of fol baseborning common procedures and the high consideration of sunk cost invested in the lieu quo and fear of b are-assed ideas. pretermit of adequate information fuels rumors and gossip and adds to anxiety generally associated with interpolate. This fear creates resistance to deviate in the Algerian bakery industryTherefore, this research focuses on finding the elements that fuel the resistance to replace in the Algerian bakeries and unique(predicate)ally the bakery El Bahdja that make ups and delivers all kind of bread and former(prenominal)ries. The owner of the Algerian Bakery El-Bahdja is an experient man and has been in the business since 1967. The owner is facing the closing down due to occupy of managing deepen skills in the bakery and the high resistance from the employees to diverseness.The primary(prenominal) objective of this research is to provide the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja with guidance to effectively managing counter smorgasbord when it is in the process of the fulfillation.1.2 Research questionsTo provide guidance on how to manage varietys for the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja it is all important(p) outgrowth to find answers to the by-line research questions.Does Algerian culture welcome qualifyingswhy most Algerian employers and employees resist changing?What are the external factors that prevent Algerian employers and employees from changing?How do Algerian employers and employees manage change when applying the tender ideas?1.3 MethodologyThis study is based on twain primary and secondary data that help in determineing the causes of resistance to change from both the Algerian owners and their employeesSecondary data collection this method studies the previous cases that get down al set been written approximately and find the similarities between the cases. This method is very helpful in collection data from polar cultures that share the same fact which is fear of new ide as that admit propose effect on their traditional way of doing business. Therefore, the resources of the secondary data collection are mainly from books, journals, and internet. patriarchal data a very authoritative data and plays a big determination in reservation final finish. The primary data which is disclose called direct communication or field research, on other word facing hoi polloi and provoke them interviewed. The objective of this method is to collect factual data that helps in answering the research questions of this study and this after(prenominal) interviewing great deal from the same field on the main topic.Reflection on the research methodology the methods followed for collecting data are linked together. The secondary data helps understand the theoretical c one and only(a) timepts that have been concluded from previous cases and compare them to the new facts. In this method the 7s model of McKinsey, the system versus the authentic world by Jeff Hiatt a nd Arab personal identity by Halim Barakat are used as starting point for facing g all overnmental change in Algeria.The primary data is basically the tangible proof for decision springrs, observing and interviewing deal are the major withalls to be used in collecting data for this study. dependableness and validity of data are the essential axes of this method. Therefore, the interviews take place specifically with owners of bakeries and their employees in Algeria and in the Netherlands for comparison to see whether culture differences is a matter for resisting changing.2.1 Why managing change? Change is believed to happenChanges are fact and every person is subject to these changes. pack nervuss changes regularly in their life or in their workplace, part of them wangle with these changes successfull and the other part fail to adjust to change. In the life, for instance a family with children parents believe that children are subject to changes and may change to better o r to the opposite that parents plan for them, all the same these changes would not affect the family as a whole but the person himself.Neverthe little, in a business changes on that point are two ways and no third, successfully manage change or failure. In cardinal law whether you are an executive, supervisor, coach, consultant, project team leader or manager of any type where your line of business is to manage people, you likely have sufferd resistance to change from employees. However you may not recognize the role that you stern play in preventing that resistance and leading change. Many managers do not make this connection until they have personally experience failure in an important change project (Jeff Hiat, herds grass J. Creasey 2003)When asking people after this failure what would you do differently if you had the chance to do it again? The common rejoinder would be using an effective and plan change focussing program. The question to be risen here is whether thi s program is sufficient enough to prevent resistance to change from casualty in the scratch place and deal with people emotions and pursue them to change.The real barrier to success is a indigence of change concern and not management program. Some people do not lack of vision or an understanding of the marketplace but they feel simply light when managing the people side of change. In other words, things did not go exactly as planned. The un evaluate happened. Not managing the people side of change impacts the success and introduces riskiness into the business (Jeff Hiat, herds grass J. Creasey 2003)Change management skills have shown that is not solo mitigates these business risks, but also female genitalia avoid them entirely. Business leaders have change management skills to not only manage resistance once it appears, but to prevent it from occurring.2.2 Change and the managerChange pauperisms to be portrayed in positively charged terms, a requirement to ensure long t erm survival (Robert A Poton, James McCalman, 2008) arrangements and their managers essential recognize change, in itself, is not of necessity a problem. The problem to a greater extent a great deal than not is a less than competent management o the change moorage (Rob Paton, James McCalman, 2008).Managers must(prenominal) urinate that one cannot separate strategic change management from organisational scheme both must work in tandem. The importance of the human side of change cannot be underestimated, one must draw and manage the potential sources and causes of potential resistance and ensure that motivators are built into new processes and structures (Forlaron, 2005).i) Change competency Change is part of the businesss philosophyThe successful organization is the organization that understand change leave occur, expect it and subscribe to the change during work throughation (Jeff Hiat, 2003)An organization that faces constant demands to change and uses effective manageme nt over and over with each new initiative may experience a fundamental shift in its operations and the deportment of its employees. Sponsors begin to repeat activities that made determination change successful. Managers develop skills to support employees through the change. Employees see part of their job as navigating these new changes. Each aim in the organization will have internalized its role in change and developed the skills and acquaintance necessary to react to constant change. The organization has become ready and able to embrace change it has developed change competency (Jeff Hiat, Timothy J. Creasey, 2003). However, building change competency is not paved with goers it requires a belief that change is now an ever-present feature of organisational life (Burnes, 2004).Change competency is similar to change management, but in that location are several hear distinction. First, change management is ultimately the use of specific activities like communication, coachin g, sponsorship and training to realize successful outcomes with business changes. Change competency is not a specific application it is an organizations ability to react to change over and over againSecond, while change management can be taught and learned, change competency requires a fundamental shift in culture and values. It must be simply part of periodic operations and cannot be simply demonstrated in training or instructional material.Third, change competency must penetrate every facet and level of the organization. This distinction especially relates to the front-line employee. An organization may have expertise in change management in its sponsors, consultants and change management. However, the front-line employees are the ones whose day-to-day activities are changing.To build change competency into the organization, you can take the eldest amount by ensuring that solid change management practices are applied consistently for each change initiative. The second step is to begin building the following competencies into your organization (Jeff Hiat, Timothy J. Creasey, 2003)ii) Change and Human Resourceengineering has played a major role in ensuring that a coherent business approach and managerial cognitive process can be maintained from a reduce resource base. The key success in such moves has been the mobilization of the human resource (Pettigrew and Whipp, 1993).2.3 Managing resistance once it appearsBelieving in changes to be happening is a key principle to reducing resistance to changePeople are often afraid of new ideas. They may feel threatened by new ideas and fear that they will not be able to cope with a change in running(a) patterns that is demanded of them or that they will not understand how to use a new technology example of that many older people are afraid of materials that they are not able to handle and may make them calling the technician every moment (Tony proctor 2005).The fear of new ideas is a natural feeling people live wit h this fear and it not a bad manner. Fear of new ideas becomes negative when is surrounded with sources that increase the tension of fear that leads to high level of resistance and consequently aggravation of the failure of any project.Change more often than not produces suspicions and resistance. To many it implies a move from familiar ways-mastered over long periods of time- to an noncitizen and threatening environment. In order to deal effectively with resistance to change, people must understand its causes (Jack Rabin, Marcia B. Steinhauer, 1988). Lawrence and Greiner 1970, expose the main sources that track down the resistance of change. Fear of the unknown, lack of information, threats of status, fear of failure, and lack of perceived trues.Regarding the first group of sources of resistance, change starts with the perception of its need, so a wrong initial perception is the first barrier to change. This first group is called distorted perception, interpretation barriers a nd hidden strategic priorities (Pardo del Val, Manuela Martnez Fuentes). It includes(a) Inability of the company to look into the future with clarity (Barr et al., 1992 Krger, 1996 Rumelt, 1995)(b) Denial or refusal to acquit any information that is not expected or sought after (Barr et al., 1992 Rumelt, 1995 Starbuck et al., 1978)(c) Perpetuation of ideas, subject matter the movement to go on with the present thoughts although the situation has changed (Barr et al., 1992 Krger, 1996 Rumelt, 1995 Zeffane, 1996)(d) unspoken assumptions, which are not discussed due to its unstated character and therefore distort reality (Starbuck, Greve and Hedberg, 1978)(e) Communication barriers, that leads to information distortion or misinterpretations (Hutt et al., 1995)(f) Organizational silence, which limits the information flow with individuals who do not express their thoughts, meaning that decisions are made without all the necessary information (Morrison and Milliken, 2000 Nemeth, 1 997).The second main group of sources of resistance deals with a low motivation for change. Five fundamental sources(a) condition costs of change (Rumelt, 1995)(b) cannibalization costs, that is to say, change that brings success to a crossing but at the same time brings losses to others, so it requires some sort of sacrifice (Rumelt, 1995)(c) Cross subsidy comforts, because the need for a change is compensated through the high rents obtained without change with another different factor, so that there is no real motivation for change (Rumelt, 1995)(d) Past failures, which leave a pessimistic image for future changes (Lorenzo, 2000) and(e) Different interests among employees and management, or lack of motivation of employees who value change results less than managers value them (Waddell and Sohal, 1998).The lack of a creative response is the third set of sources of resistance. There are three main reasons that diminish the creativeness in the search for appropriate change strateg ies(a) Fast and complex environmental changes, which do not allow a proper situation analysis (Ansoff, 1990 Rumelt, 1995)b) Reactive mind-set, resignation, or tendency to believe that obstacles are inevitable (Rumelt, 1995) and(c) Inadequate strategic vision or lack of clear committal of top management to changes (Rumelt, 1995 Waddell and Sohal, 1998).Taking into consideration all those sources of resistance mentioned above can reverse the situation into preventing resistance in the first place.Cultural web Cultures differ from each other in their resistance to change. The strongest resistance to change characterizes of high power distance, low individualism, and high indefinitety avoidance. Among these cultures are most Latin American countries, Portugal and Korea, followed by Japan, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Arab countries.Cultures with low levels of resistance to change are low on power distance, high on individualism, and low on uncertainty avoidance. This category in cludes the Anglo countries, Nordic countries, and the Netherlands, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Africa (Harzig and Hofdestede, 19962.4 Making sense impression of change management 7S model of McKinseyThe Mckinsey 7S model defines the seven components that encompass an organization and that by changing any one of the S components there is impact on the other S components. This model is such a conceptual aid by acting as good checklist for those setting out to make organisational change, laying out which parts of the system need to adapt, and the effects of these changes in other parts of the system ( mike Green, 2007)The 7s categories areStaff important categories of people at bottom the organization, the mix, the diversity, retention, the development and the maximizing of their potential. This component helps to determine how committed resources to make it all work?Skills distinctive capabilities, knowledge and experience of key people. The role of this component is to identify how ready and competent are the supply based on where the organization is heading?Systems processes, IT systems, HR systems, knowledge management systems. In other words, what are the desirable systems to be used to support the transition?Style management style and culture. How we are getting from here to there?Shared values guiding principles that make the organization what it is.Strategy organizational goals and plan, use of resources. Briefly is where are we transitioning to?Structure the organization chart and how roles, responsibilities and accountabilities are distributed in furtherance of the outline.The Mckinsey 7S model provides an effective mannequin for analyzing an organization and its activities that determine whether an organization is strong enough to adjust to any changes.Furthermore, this model helps in avoiding some of the sources that feed resistance to change in the first place2.5 Five steps for effective change process (Thomas and Christ opher, 2008)Step 1Motivating change miserable from the known to the unknownOrganizational change involves locomote from the known to the unknown. The future is uncertain and may adversely affect peoples competencies, worth, and coping abilities. Organization members generally do not support change unless get reasons convince them to do so. A key issue in planning for action is how to motivate inscription to organizational change. This requires attention to two related tasks creating cooking for change and overcoming resistance to change.Creating Readiness for change peoples readiness for change depends on creating a felt need for change. This involves making people so dissatisfied with the status quo that they are motivated to try new work processes, technologies, or ways of behaving. Generally people and organization need to experience deep levels of hurt sooner they will seriously undertake meaningful change. The following three methods can help generate sufficient dissatisf action to produce changeSensitize organizations to pressures for change. Modern organizations face unprecedented environmental pressures to change themselves, including heavy foreign competition, rapidly changing technology, and the draw of global markets. Internal pressures to change include new leadership, poor product quality, high production costs, and excessive employee absenteeism and turnover.Organizations can make themselves more sensitive to pressures for change by encouraging leadership to surround themselves with devils advocate for instance by cultivating external networks that comprise people or organizations with different perspectives and views by visiting other organizations to gain exposure to new ideas and methods.Reveal discrepancies between current and in demand(p) states. Significant discrepancies between actual and ideal states can motivate organization members to initiate corrective changes, particularly when members are committed to achieving those ideas. A major diagnosing is to provide members with feedback around current organizational functioning so that the information can be compared with goals or desire future states.Convey credible positive expectations for the change. When organization members expect success, they are likely to develop greater commitment to the change process and to direct more energy into the constructive behaviors needed to implement it. The key success to achieving these positive effects if to communicate realistic, positive expectations about the organizational changes*.Research suggests that information about why the change is occurring, how it will benefit the organization, and how people will be involved in the design and implementation of the change was most helpful.*Overcoming oppositeness to change At the organization level, resistance to change can come from three sources. Technical resistance comes from the habit of following common procedures and the consideration of sunk costs invested in th e status quo. Political resistance can arise when organizational changes threaten right on stakeholders, such as top executive or staff personnel, or call into question the past decisions of leaders. Finally, culture resistance takes the form of systems and procedures that reinforce the status quo, promoting conformity to existing values, norms, and assumptions about how things should operate.Empathy and support. A first step in overcoming resistance is learning how people are experiencing change. This strategy identifies people who are having trouble accepting the changes, the nature of their resistance, and possible ways to repress it.Communication. People resist change when they are uncertain about its consequences. Lack of adequate information fuels rumors and gossip and adds to anxiety generally associated with change. good communication about changes and their likely results can reduce this speculation and slack unfounded fears.Participation and innovation. Involvement in planning the change increases the likelihood that members interests and needs will be accounted for during the intervention. Consequently, participants will be committed to implementing the changes. They also can identify pitfalls and barriers to implementations.STEP 2 CREATING A VISIONThe second activity in leading and managing change involves creating a vision of what members want the organization to look like or become. Generally, a vision describes the core values and purpose that guide the organization as headspring as an envisioned future toward which change is directed. It provides a valued direction for designing, implementing, and assessing organizational changes. The vision also can energize commitment to change by providing members with a common goal and a compelling rationale for why change is necessary and worth the effort.Research suggests that compelling visions are composed of two parts (1) a comparatively inactive core ideology that describes the organizations cor e values and purpose, and (2) an envisioned future with bold goals and a vivid description of the desired future state that reflects the specific change under considerationStep 3 DEVELOPING POLITICAL SUPPORTManaging the political dynamics of change includes the following activitiesAssessing Change Agent Power. Greiner and Schein 1988, indentified three key sources of personal power in organizations (in addition to ones formal position) knowledge, personality, and others support. Knowledge bases of power include having expertise that is valued by others and controlling important information. For example, leaders in organizational units under way out change can call on their informal networks for resources and support, and encourage subordinates to exercise power in support of the change.Identifying Key Stakeholders. This can start with elementary question. who stands to gain or to lose from the changes? erstwhile stakeholders are identified, creating a map of their influence may be useful. Consequently, provides change agents with information about which people groups need to be influenced to accept and support the changes.Influencing Stakeholders. There are three major strategies for using power to influence others in organization developmentFirst strategy is playing straight this strategy involves determining of particular stakeholders and presenting information about how the changes can benefit them. The success of this strategy relies heavily on the change agents knowledge base. He or she must have the expertise and information to persuade stakeholders that the changes are a logical way to meet their needs.The second strategy is using friendly network in this strategy change agents attempt to use their social relationships to gain support for changes. This social networking might include, for example, meeting with other powerful groups and forming alliances to support specific changes. This strategy also might include using informal contacts to discover key roadblocks to change and to gain access to major decision makers who need to sanction the changes.The third strategy is going around the formal system the change agents charisma, reputations, or maestro credibility lend legitimacy to going around the system and can reduce the likelihood of negative reprisals. For example, managers with reputations as winners often can bend the rules to implement organizational changes. However, this power strategy is relatively easy to abuse. Therefore the OD practitioners should consider carefully the ethical issues and possible unintended consequences of circumventing formal policies and practices.Step 4 MANAGING THE TRANSITIONImplementing organizational change involves moving from the existing organization state to the desired future state. There are three major activities and structure to facilitate organizational transition activity planning, commitment planning, and change-management structures.Activity PlanningThis involves making a roa d map for change, citing specific activities and events that must occur if the transition is to be successful. Activity planning should clearly identify, temporally orient, and integrate discrete change tasks and should link these tasks to the organizations change goals and priorities.Commitment planningthis activity involves identifying key people and groups whose commitment is needed for change to occur and formulating a strategy for gaining their support.Change- circumspection StructuresBecause organizational transitions tend to be ambiguous and to need direction, special structures for managing the change process need to be created. These management structures should include people who have the power to mobilize resources to promote change, the respect of the existing leadership and change advocates, and the interpersonal and political skills to guide the change process.Step 5 SUSTAINING MOMENTUMOnce organization changes are under way, explicit attention must be directed to ama zeing energy and commitment for implementing them. A strong tendency exists always among organization members to return to old behaviors and well-known processes unless they receive sustained support and reinforcement for carrying the changes through to completion.The following five activities can help to sustain momentum for carrying change through to completionProviding resources for change. Additional financial and human resources are required for implementing organization change, particularly if the organization continues day-to-day operations while trying to change itself. Extra sources are always helpful to provide a buffer as performance drops during the transition period. grammatical construction a support system for change agents. Organization change can be difficult and filled with tension, not only for participants but for change agents as well. A support system typically consists of a network of people with whom the change agent has close personal relationships people w ho can give wound up support, serve as sounding get on for ideas and problems, and challenge untested assumptions.Developing new competencies and skills, reinforcing new behaviors, and staying the course. In organizations people generally do things that bring them rewards. Consequently, one of the most effective ways to sustain momentum for change is to reinforce the kinds of behaviors needed to implement the changes through for instance informal recognition, encouragement, and praise.Staying the course. If the organization changes again too quickly or abandons the changes before it is fully implemented, the desired results may never materialize. There are two primary reasons that managers do not keep a steady focus on change implementation. First, many managers fail to anticipate the decline in performance, productivity, or satisfaction as change is implemented. Organization members need time to practice, develop, and learn new behaviors they do not abandon old ways of doing thin gs and adopt a new set of behaviors overnight.Second, many managers do not keep focused on a change because they want to implement the next big idea that comes along. Successful organizational change requires persistent leadership that does not waver unnecessarily.ReferencesBooks and articlesAnsoff, I.H. (1990), Implanting Strategic Management Prentice Hall International, Ltd. LondonCynthia D. Scott, Dennis T. Jaffe. (2003), Managing change at work leading people through organizational transitions, bring down 3Greiner, L.E. (1972), Evolution and revolution as organizations grow Harvard Business Review, pp. 37-46.Greiner, L E and Schein, V E. (1988), Power and Organization Development Mobilizing power to change, Reading, MA Addison WesleyHalim Barakat. (1993), The Arab world society, culture, and state Berkeley, Calif. University of California Press,Hutt, M.D., Walker, B.A. and Frankwick, G.L. (1995) hurdle the Cross-Functional Barriers to Strategic Change Sloan Management Review, 36 (3), pp. 22-30.Jack Rabin, Marcia B. Steinhauer. (1988), Handbook on human services administration open Administration and Public Policy/34, pp. 305Krger, W. (1996), Implementation The Core Task of Change Management CEMS Business Review, 1, pp. 77-96.Lawrence, P.R. (1954), How to Deal with Resistance to Change Harvard Business Review, (May/June), pp. 49-57.Mike Green. (2007), Change management masterclass a step by step guide to successful change.Tony Proctor. (2005), Creative problem solving for managers developing skills for decision making. Edition 2, pp. 241Pardo Del Val, Manuela Martnez Fuentes RESISTANCE TO change A LITERATURE REVIEW AND EMPIRICAL, p. 5-7Rob Paton, James McCalman. (2008), Change Management A Guide to Effective Implementation, edition 3, pp. 39-54Rumelt, R.P. (1995), Inertia and variety, in Montgomery, C.A., Resource-Based and Evolutionary Theories of the Firm, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Massachusetts, pp. 101-132.Rusell Tobin. (1999), Overcoming resista nce to change, Second Edition, pp. 142Starbuck, W., Greve, A. and Hedberg, B.L.T. (1978) Responding to crisis, Journal of Business Administration, 9 (2), pp. 111-137.Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley. (2008), Organization development change, Edition 9, pp. 165-182Waddell, D. and Sohal, A.S. (1998), Resistance a constructive tool for change management, Management Decision, 36 (8), pp. 543-548.Zeffane, R. (1996), Dynamics of strategic change faultfinding issues in fostering positive organizational change, Leadership Organization Development Journal, 17, pp. 36-43.Websites http//www.explorehr.org/articles/OrgaManaging Change in Small OrganisationsManaging Change in Small Organisations1.0 IntroductionThe phenomenon of resistance to change is the bane of all Algerian bakeries that convey ideas for change. For the same one who proposed the change, the resistances are usually synonymous with hostility, intrigue deadlines, polarization, conflict, and impatience, many problems whi ch are likely to frustrate and undermine the success of his bakery.Basically, resistance to change is built up from many sources internal and external. Overcoming resistance to change requires first the identification of those sources. Therefore, the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja is looking for an expert or professional advice in the field to help managing change effectively. Hence, as this topic is part of the international business and management studies, the owner asked me to do some research on this matter.Ultimately, this research is divided into two major chapters, first the literature part that discusses the main topic theoretically, it starts off by mentioning the general sources that fuels the resistance to change, then it goes on with hofdstedes point of view on resistance of change based on cultural differences and it concludes by describing the steps of managing change effectively and it concludes with.The second major chapter is the analysis of the findings from the pri mary data that have been collected through interviews with owners and employees from the bakery El-Bahdja and owners from other bakeries.Finally this paper is closed by recommendations for the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja on how to overcome resistance to change and how to manage change.1.1 Research objectiveMany companies in North Africa particularly in Algeria are making loss and could not improve the quality of their business due to the habit of following common procedures and the high consideration of sunk costs invested in the status quo and fear of new ideas. Lack of adequate information fuels rumors and gossip and adds to anxiety generally associated with change. This fear creates resistance to change in the Algerian bakery industryTherefore, this research focuses on finding the elements that fuel the resistance to change in the Algerian bakeries and specifically the bakery El Bahdja that produces and delivers all kind of bread and pastries. The owner of the Algerian Bakery E l-Bahdja is an old man and has been in the business since 1967. The owner is facing the closing down due to lack of managing change skills in the bakery and the high resistance from the employees to change.The main objective of this research is to provide the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja with guidance to effectively managing change when it is in the process of the implementation.1.2 Research questionsTo provide guidance on how to manage changes for the owner of the bakery El-Bahdja it is essential first to find answers to the following research questions.Does Algerian culture welcome changesWhy most Algerian employers and employees resist changing?What are the external factors that prevent Algerian employers and employees from changing?How do Algerian employers and employees manage change when applying the new ideas?1.3 MethodologyThis study is based on both primary and secondary data that help in understanding the causes of resistance to change from both the Algerian owners and th eir employeesSecondary data collection this method studies the previous cases that have already been written about and find the similarities between the cases. This method is very helpful in collection data from different cultures that share the same fact which is fear of new ideas that have direct effect on their traditional way of doing business. Therefore, the resources of the secondary data collection are mainly from books, journals, and internet.Primary data a very crucial data and plays a big role in making final decision. The primary data which is better called direct communication or field research, on other word facing people and have them interviewed. The objective of this method is to collect factual data that helps in answering the research questions of this study and this after interviewing people from the same field on the main topic.Reflection on the research methodology the methods followed for collecting data are linked together. The secondary data helps understand the theoretical concepts that have been concluded from previous cases and compare them to the new facts. In this method the 7s model of McKinsey, the theory versus the real world by Jeff Hiatt and Arab identity by Halim Barakat are used as starting point for facing organizational change in Algeria.The primary data is basically the tangible evidence for decision makers, observing and interviewing people are the major tools to be used in collecting data for this study. Reliability and validity of data are the essential axes of this method. Therefore, the interviews take place specifically with owners of bakeries and their employees in Algeria and in the Netherlands for comparison to see whether culture differences is a matter for resisting changing.2.1 Why managing change? Change is believed to happenChanges are fact and every person is subject to these changes. People faces changes regularly in their life or in their workplace, part of them deal with these changes successfully and th e other part fail to adjust to change. In the life, for instance a family with children parents believe that children are subject to changes and may change to better or to the opposite that parents plan for them, however these changes would not affect the family as a whole but the person himself.Nevertheless, in a business changes there are two ways and no third, successfully manage change or failure. In organization whether you are an executive, supervisor, coach, consultant, project team leader or manager of any type where your job is to manage people, you likely have experienced resistance to change from employees. However you may not recognize the role that you can play in preventing that resistance and leading change. Many managers do not make this connection until they have personally experience failure in an important change project (Jeff Hiat, Timothy J. Creasey 2003)When asking people after this failure what would you do differently if you had the chance to do it again? The common response would be using an effective and planned change management program. The question to be risen here is whether this program is sufficient enough to prevent resistance to change from happening in the first place and deal with people emotions and pursue them to change.The real barrier to success is a lack of change management and not management program. Some people do not lack of vision or an understanding of the marketplace but they feel simply short when managing the people side of change. In other words, things did not go exactly as planned. The unexpected happened. Not managing the people side of change impacts the success and introduces risk into the business (Jeff Hiat, Timothy J. Creasey 2003)Change management skills have shown that is not only mitigates these business risks, but also can avoid them entirely. Business leaders have change management skills to not only manage resistance once it appears, but to prevent it from occurring.2.2 Change and the managerChan ge needs to be portrayed in positive terms, a necessity to ensure long term survival (Robert A Poton, James McCalman, 2008)Organizations and their managers must recognize change, in itself, is not necessarily a problem. The problem more often than not is a less than competent management o the change situation (Rob Paton, James McCalman, 2008).Managers must realize that one cannot separate strategic change management from organizational strategy both must work in tandem. The importance of the human side of change cannot be underestimated, one must identify and manage the potential sources and causes of potential resistance and ensure that motivators are built into new processes and structures (Forlaron, 2005).i) Change competency Change is part of the businesss philosophyThe successful organization is the organization that understand change will occur, expect it and support the change during implementation (Jeff Hiat, 2003)An organization that faces constant demands to change and use s effective management over and over with each new initiative may experience a fundamental shift in its operations and the behavior of its employees. Sponsors begin to repeat activities that made last change successful. Managers develop skills to support employees through the change. Employees see part of their job as navigating these new changes. Each level in the organization will have internalized its role in change and developed the skills and knowledge necessary to react to constant change. The organization has become ready and able to embrace change it has developed change competency (Jeff Hiat, Timothy J. Creasey, 2003). However, building change competency is not paved with flowers it requires a belief that change is now an ever-present feature of organizational life (Burnes, 2004).Change competency is similar to change management, but there are several key distinction. First, change management is ultimately the use of specific activities like communication, coaching, sponsor ship and training to realize successful outcomes with business changes. Change competency is not a specific activity it is an organizations ability to react to change over and over againSecond, while change management can be taught and learned, change competency requires a fundamental shift in culture and values. It must be simply part of day-to-day operations and cannot be simply demonstrated in training or instructional material.Third, change competency must penetrate every facet and level of the organization. This distinction especially relates to the front-line employee. An organization may have expertise in change management in its sponsors, consultants and change management. However, the front-line employees are the ones whose day-to-day activities are changing.To build change competency into the organization, you can take the first step by ensuring that solid change management practices are applied consistently for each change initiative. The second step is to begin building the following competencies into your organization (Jeff Hiat, Timothy J. Creasey, 2003)ii) Change and Human ResourceTechnology has played a major role in ensuring that a coherent business approach and managerial performance can be maintained from a reduce resource base. The key success in such moves has been the mobilization of the human resource (Pettigrew and Whipp, 1993).2.3 Managing resistance once it appearsBelieving in changes to be happening is a key principle to reducing resistance to changePeople are often afraid of new ideas. They may feel threatened by new ideas and fear that they will not be able to cope with a change in working patterns that is demanded of them or that they will not understand how to use a new technology example of that many older people are afraid of materials that they are not able to handle and may make them calling the technician every moment (Tony proctor 2005).The fear of new ideas is a natural feeling people live with this fear and it not a bad m anner. Fear of new ideas becomes negative when is surrounded with sources that increase the tension of fear that leads to high level of resistance and consequently aggravation of the failure of any project.Change more often than not produces suspicions and resistance. To many it implies a move from familiar ways-mastered over long periods of time- to an unknown and threatening environment. In order to deal effectively with resistance to change, people must understand its causes (Jack Rabin, Marcia B. Steinhauer, 1988). Lawrence and Greiner 1970, identify the main sources that feed the resistance of change. Fear of the unknown, lack of information, threats of status, fear of failure, and lack of perceived benefits.Regarding the first group of sources of resistance, change starts with the perception of its need, so a wrong initial perception is the first barrier to change. This first group is called distorted perception, interpretation barriers and vague strategic priorities (Pardo de l Val, Manuela Martnez Fuentes). It includes(a) Inability of the company to look into the future with clarity (Barr et al., 1992 Krger, 1996 Rumelt, 1995)(b) Denial or refusal to accept any information that is not expected or desired (Barr et al., 1992 Rumelt, 1995 Starbuck et al., 1978)(c) Perpetuation of ideas, meaning the tendency to go on with the present thoughts although the situation has changed (Barr et al., 1992 Krger, 1996 Rumelt, 1995 Zeffane, 1996)(d) Implicit assumptions, which are not discussed due to its implicit character and therefore distort reality (Starbuck, Greve and Hedberg, 1978)(e) Communication barriers, that leads to information distortion or misinterpretations (Hutt et al., 1995)(f) Organizational silence, which limits the information flow with individuals who do not express their thoughts, meaning that decisions are made without all the necessary information (Morrison and Milliken, 2000 Nemeth, 1997).The second main group of sources of resistance deals w ith a low motivation for change. Five fundamental sources(a) Direct costs of change (Rumelt, 1995)(b) cannibalization costs, that is to say, change that brings success to a product but at the same time brings losses to others, so it requires some sort of sacrifice (Rumelt, 1995)(c) Cross subsidy comforts, because the need for a change is compensated through the high rents obtained without change with another different factor, so that there is no real motivation for change (Rumelt, 1995)(d) Past failures, which leave a pessimistic image for future changes (Lorenzo, 2000) and(e) Different interests among employees and management, or lack of motivation of employees who value change results less than managers value them (Waddell and Sohal, 1998).The lack of a creative response is the third set of sources of resistance. There are three main reasons that diminish the creativeness in the search for appropriate change strategies(a) Fast and complex environmental changes, which do not allow a proper situation analysis (Ansoff, 1990 Rumelt, 1995)b) Reactive mind-set, resignation, or tendency to believe that obstacles are inevitable (Rumelt, 1995) and(c) Inadequate strategic vision or lack of clear commitment of top management to changes (Rumelt, 1995 Waddell and Sohal, 1998).Taking into consideration all those sources of resistance mentioned above can reverse the situation into preventing resistance in the first place.Cultural web Cultures differ from each other in their resistance to change. The strongest resistance to change characterizes of high power distance, low individualism, and high uncertainty avoidance. Among these cultures are most Latin American countries, Portugal and Korea, followed by Japan, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Arab countries.Cultures with low levels of resistance to change are low on power distance, high on individualism, and low on uncertainty avoidance. This category includes the Anglo countries, Nordic countries, and the Netherlands, f ollowed by Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Africa (Harzig and Hofdestede, 19962.4 Making sense of change management 7S model of McKinseyThe Mckinsey 7S model defines the seven components that encompass an organization and that by changing any one of the S components there is impact on the other S components. This model is such a conceptual aid by acting as good checklist for those setting out to make organizational change, laying out which parts of the system need to adapt, and the effects of these changes in other parts of the system (Mike Green, 2007)The 7s categories areStaff important categories of people within the organization, the mix, the diversity, retention, the development and the maximizing of their potential. This component helps to determine how committed resources to make it all work?Skills distinctive capabilities, knowledge and experience of key people. The role of this component is to identify how ready and competent are the staff based on where the organization is heading?Systems processes, IT systems, HR systems, knowledge management systems. In other words, what are the suitable systems to be used to support the transition?Style management style and culture. How we are getting from here to there?Shared values guiding principles that make the organization what it is.Strategy organizational goals and plan, use of resources. Briefly is where are we transitioning to?Structure the organization chart and how roles, responsibilities and accountabilities are distributed in furtherance of the strategy.The Mckinsey 7S model provides an effective framework for analyzing an organization and its activities that determine whether an organization is strong enough to adjust to any changes.Furthermore, this model helps in avoiding some of the sources that feed resistance to change in the first place2.5 Five steps for effective change process (Thomas and Christopher, 2008)Step 1Motivating change Moving from the known to the unknownOrganizational chan ge involves moving from the known to the unknown. The future is uncertain and may adversely affect peoples competencies, worth, and coping abilities. Organization members generally do not support change unless compelling reasons convince them to do so. A key issue in planning for action is how to motivate commitment to organizational change. This requires attention to two related tasks creating readiness for change and overcoming resistance to change.Creating Readiness for change peoples readiness for change depends on creating a felt need for change. This involves making people so dissatisfied with the status quo that they are motivated to try new work processes, technologies, or ways of behaving. Generally people and organization need to experience deep levels of hurt before they will seriously undertake meaningful change. The following three methods can help generate sufficient dissatisfaction to produce changeSensitize organizations to pressures for change. Modern organizations face unprecedented environmental pressures to change themselves, including heavy foreign competition, rapidly changing technology, and the draw of global markets. Internal pressures to change include new leadership, poor product quality, high production costs, and excessive employee absenteeism and turnover.Organizations can make themselves more sensitive to pressures for change by encouraging leadership to surround themselves with devils advocate for instance by cultivating external networks that comprise people or organizations with different perspectives and views by visiting other organizations to gain exposure to new ideas and methods.Reveal discrepancies between current and desired states. Significant discrepancies between actual and ideal states can motivate organization members to initiate corrective changes, particularly when members are committed to achieving those ideas. A major diagnosis is to provide members with feedback about current organizational functioning so that the information can be compared with goals or desired future states.Convey credible positive expectations for the change. When organization members expect success, they are likely to develop greater commitment to the change process and to direct more energy into the constructive behaviors needed to implement it. The key success to achieving these positive effects if to communicate realistic, positive expectations about the organizational changes*.Research suggests that information about why the change is occurring, how it will benefit the organization, and how people will be involved in the design and implementation of the change was most helpful.*Overcoming Resistance to change At the organization level, resistance to change can come from three sources. Technical resistance comes from the habit of following common procedures and the consideration of sunk costs invested in the status quo. Political resistance can arise when organizational changes threaten powerful stakeholders, suc h as top executive or staff personnel, or call into question the past decisions of leaders. Finally, culture resistance takes the form of systems and procedures that reinforce the status quo, promoting conformity to existing values, norms, and assumptions about how things should operate.Empathy and support. A first step in overcoming resistance is learning how people are experiencing change. This strategy identifies people who are having trouble accepting the changes, the nature of their resistance, and possible ways to overcome it.Communication. People resist change when they are uncertain about its consequences. Lack of adequate information fuels rumors and gossip and adds to anxiety generally associated with change. Effective communication about changes and their likely results can reduce this speculation and allay unfounded fears.Participation and innovation. Involvement in planning the change increases the likelihood that members interests and needs will be accounted for during the intervention. Consequently, participants will be committed to implementing the changes. They also can identify pitfalls and barriers to implementations.STEP 2 CREATING A VISIONThe second activity in leading and managing change involves creating a vision of what members want the organization to look like or become. Generally, a vision describes the core values and purpose that guide the organization as well as an envisioned future toward which change is directed. It provides a valued direction for designing, implementing, and assessing organizational changes. The vision also can energize commitment to change by providing members with a common goal and a compelling rationale for why change is necessary and worth the effort.Research suggests that compelling visions are composed of two parts (1) a relatively stable core ideology that describes the organizations core values and purpose, and (2) an envisioned future with bold goals and a vivid description of the desired future state that reflects the specific change under considerationStep 3 DEVELOPING POLITICAL SUPPORTManaging the political dynamics of change includes the following activitiesAssessing Change Agent Power. Greiner and Schein 1988, indentified three key sources of personal power in organizations (in addition to ones formal position) knowledge, personality, and others support. Knowledge bases of power include having expertise that is valued by others and controlling important information. For example, leaders in organizational units undergoing change can call on their informal networks for resources and support, and encourage subordinates to exercise power in support of the change.Identifying Key Stakeholders. This can start with simple question. who stands to gain or to lose from the changes? Once stakeholders are identified, creating a map of their influence may be useful. Consequently, provides change agents with information about which people groups need to be influenced to accept and support the changes.Influencing Stakeholders. There are three major strategies for using power to influence others in organization developmentFirst strategy is playing straight this strategy involves determining of particular stakeholders and presenting information about how the changes can benefit them. The success of this strategy relies heavily on the change agents knowledge base. He or she must have the expertise and information to persuade stakeholders that the changes are a logical way to meet their needs.The second strategy is using social network in this strategy change agents attempt to use their social relationships to gain support for changes. This social networking might include, for example, meeting with other powerful groups and forming alliances to support specific changes. This strategy also might include using informal contacts to discover key roadblocks to change and to gain access to major decision makers who need to sanction the changes.The third strategy is going around the formal system the change agents charisma, reputations, or professional credibility lend legitimacy to going around the system and can reduce the likelihood of negative reprisals. For example, managers with reputations as winners often can bend the rules to implement organizational changes. However, this power strategy is relatively easy to abuse. Therefore the OD practitioners should consider carefully the ethical issues and possible unintended consequences of circumventing formal policies and practices.Step 4 MANAGING THE TRANSITIONImplementing organizational change involves moving from the existing organization state to the desired future state. There are three major activities and structure to facilitate organizational transition activity planning, commitment planning, and change-management structures.Activity PlanningThis involves making a road map for change, citing specific activities and events that must occur if the transition is to be successful. Activity planning shou ld clearly identify, temporally orient, and integrate discrete change tasks and should link these tasks to the organizations change goals and priorities.Commitment planningthis activity involves identifying key people and groups whose commitment is needed for change to occur and formulating a strategy for gaining their support.Change-Management StructuresBecause organizational transitions tend to be ambiguous and to need direction, special structures for managing the change process need to be created. These management structures should include people who have the power to mobilize resources to promote change, the respect of the existing leadership and change advocates, and the interpersonal and political skills to guide the change process.Step 5 SUSTAINING MOMENTUMOnce organization changes are under way, explicit attention must be directed to sustaining energy and commitment for implementing them. A strong tendency exists always among organization members to return to old behaviors and well-known processes unless they receive sustained support and reinforcement for carrying the changes through to completion.The following five activities can help to sustain momentum for carrying change through to completionProviding resources for change. Additional financial and human resources are required for implementing organization change, particularly if the organization continues day-to-day operations while trying to change itself. Extra sources are always helpful to provide a buffer as performance drops during the transition period.Building a support system for change agents. Organization change can be difficult and filled with tension, not only for participants but for change agents as well. A support system typically consists of a network of people with whom the change agent has close personal relationships people who can give emotional support, serve as sounding board for ideas and problems, and challenge untested assumptions.Developing new competencies and skills, reinforcing new behaviors, and staying the course. In organizations people generally do things that bring them rewards. Consequently, one of the most effective ways to sustain momentum for change is to reinforce the kinds of behaviors needed to implement the changes through for instance informal recognition, encouragement, and praise.Staying the course. If the organization changes again too quickly or abandons the changes before it is fully implemented, the desired results may never materialize. There are two primary reasons that managers do not keep a steady focus on change implementation. First, many managers fail to anticipate the decline in performance, productivity, or satisfaction as change is implemented. Organization members need time to practice, develop, and learn new behaviors they do not abandon old ways of doing things and adopt a new set of behaviors overnight.Second, many managers do not keep focused on a change because they want to implement the next big idea that co mes along. Successful organizational change requires persistent leadership that does not waver unnecessarily.ReferencesBooks and articlesAnsoff, I.H. (1990), Implanting Strategic Management Prentice Hall International, Ltd. LondonCynthia D. Scott, Dennis T. Jaffe. (2003), Managing change at work leading people through organizational transitions, edit 3Greiner, L.E. (1972), Evolution and revolution as organizations grow Harvard Business Review, pp. 37-46.Greiner, L E and Schein, V E. (1988), Power and Organization Development Mobilizing power to change, Reading, MA Addison WesleyHalim Barakat. (1993), The Arab world society, culture, and state Berkeley, Calif. University of California Press,Hutt, M.D., Walker, B.A. and Frankwick, G.L. (1995) Hurdle the Cross-Functional Barriers to Strategic Change Sloan Management Review, 36 (3), pp. 22-30.Jack Rabin, Marcia B. Steinhauer. (1988), Handbook on human services administration Public Administration and Public Policy/34, pp. 305Krger, W. ( 1996), Implementation The Core Task of Change Management CEMS Business Review, 1, pp. 77-96.Lawrence, P.R. (1954), How to Deal with Resistance to Change Harvard Business Review, (May/June), pp. 49-57.Mike Green. (2007), Change management masterclass a step by step guide to successful change.Tony Proctor. (2005), Creative problem solving for managers developing skills for decision making. Edition 2, pp. 241Pardo Del Val, Manuela Martnez Fuentes RESISTANCE TO CHANGE A LITERATURE REVIEW AND EMPIRICAL, p. 5-7Rob Paton, James McCalman. (2008), Change Management A Guide to Effective Implementation, edition 3, pp. 39-54Rumelt, R.P. (1995), Inertia and transformation, in Montgomery, C.A., Resource-Based and Evolutionary Theories of the Firm, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Massachusetts, pp. 101-132.Rusell Tobin. (1999), Overcoming resistance to change, Second Edition, pp. 142Starbuck, W., Greve, A. and Hedberg, B.L.T. (1978) Responding to crisis, Journal of Business Administration, 9 (2), pp. 111-137.Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley. (2008), Organization development change, Edition 9, pp. 165-182Waddell, D. and Sohal, A.S. (1998), Resistance a constructive tool for change management, Management Decision, 36 (8), pp. 543-548.Zeffane, R. (1996), Dynamics of strategic change critical issues in fostering positive organizational change, Leadership Organization Development Journal, 17, pp. 36-43.Websites http//www.explorehr.org/articles/Orga

Fujifilm Product Portfolio Analysis Marketing Essay

Fuji strike Product Portfolio Analysis Marketing EssayPhotocentre is a bingle stop imaging shop in The Sultanate of Oman. It is a subsidiary division to a lower place The Zubair Holding Company. The Zubair Holding Company is a family business based in Oman established by the Omani entrepreneur Mohammad Al Zubair in 1967, back then it was called muskat Trading Company.The Zubair Holding Company consists of sixty wholly own groups of companies, subsidiaries and associates in Oman, the Middle East, India, the Far East, Europe and the USA. The diverse portfolio of The Zubair Holding Company includes automotive, real estates, home and business solutions, furnishing, heritage and culture, marketing communications and publishing among others. business relationshipMohammad Al Zubairs passion towards photography led him to establish Photocentre which spark advanceted as a small shop offering basic photography services to the customers in 1972 (which was his stolon source of income). Toda y, Photocentre has become one of the leading and trusted names in photography and imaging across the country. Photocentre is a distributor of some of the worlds leading brands much(prenominal) as Fujifilm, Fujinon, Broncolor, Fujitsu, Epson, Hama, Hasselblad, Manfrotto, Mitsubishi Pelican, and Praktica. The brands extend to offer a wide range of services which include photography, developing and printing, photo enlargement prints, customized framing, digital photo editing among some others.Client PortfolioPhotocentres client portfolio consists of a range of reputable governmental bodies and private companies in Oman which includes but non limited to Royal Court Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Supreme committal of Town Planning, Palace Department of Photography, Shangrila bar Al Jissah Resort and Spa, Bahwan Engineering Company, Intercontinental Muscat.LocationPhotocentre showrooms be located in twain major areas in Muscat, the capital city of Sultanate of Oman. The electronic consumer carrefours are also available in 13 major hypermarket and consumer electronics chains Carrefour, Lulu hypermarkets, Sharaf DG, Extra and E-MAX.(www.photocent.com)FujifilmThe marketing strategy volition focus on one of the main leading brands offered by Photocentre which is Fujifilm.Fujifilm was founded in 1934. It offers a wide range of consumer products such(prenominal) as Digital tv cameras, 3D ikon products, Binoculars and other supplies. In the business sector it offers medical systems, graphic system, and recording media among many. (www.fujifilm.com)Fujifilm milestonesFujifilm introduced the first digital camera in the world with removable media in 1988.Fujifilm made the first single use recyclable camera in the world in 1986.Fujifilm ranked number eight globally in 2007 on the volume of cameras manufactured.Vision and ObjectivesThe visionTo offer happy memorable experience to our customerPhotocentres long term objectives For Fujifilm brand areContinue to diversif y our offerings in the imagining and photographic services.Increase the market portion out of the brand by 30% by 2017Currently Fujifilm digital cameras ranked number three with nearly 14% market get by.Expand our network across the country to reach 80% coverage by 2017Currently Fujifilm covers 40% of Oman and it is available throughout 13 unlike hypermarkets and nearly 20 partner shops across the country. .Achievability of the objectives in current market conditionsTo measure the achievability of the objectives under the current market conditions PESTEL abbreviation is conducted. The pursual analysis will focus on the main three factors that affect the brandTechnological FactorsThe consumer electronic industry is an unstable industry. Companies that offer technology solutions to consumers are in fierce competition to provide the latest trends in technology this led to a shorter life wheel around for products belonging to this house including digital cameras. A well-known exam ple for a failure to adapt to newly technology is Kodak example, after being rated one of the worlds five close valuable brands. (The Economist, 2012) Kodak recently account a third-quarter loss of $222m, the ninth quarterly loss in three years (The Economist, 2012) due to their reluctant attitude to accept moving from film cameras to digital cameras. While Fujifilm the long term direct competitor acted fast, diversified and sought new outlets for expertise, that revenue of film went from 60% of its profits in 2000 to simply nothing, (The Economist, 2012).The digital camera market faces a major threat from the smart phones market as well, as consumers are rapidly relying on their smart phones attached cameras to penetrate pictures. Although, the threat is increasing, some companies such as Canon believe that smart phones cameras would not pull the rag from under the digital camera, (Hiyama, H. 2012). Canon sees good dominance in the Oman market for its new range of products esp ecially from universities, print shops and other institutions, (Times of Oman, 2009). Despite the Smartphones threat the digital camera market is rapidly increasing which is pellucid by the number of new models with new and richer distinctions releasing day after day. (Seymour, 2010)Economical FactorsThe research and Markets Offers discip zephyr Global Digital Camera Market 2011-2015, 2012, explains that the plus in the spending capacity and the perspective of a digital camera as a primary or secondary household accessory has attach the purchasing of digital cameras in the emerging markets. As a result of the increasing purchase of digital cameras in the emerging markets, the global vendors are evaluate to have a higher percentage of their sales from the emerging markets during the period 2011-2015. On the other hand, worth is considered the top decision factor across most cameras segments. But when consumers consider the cameras with prices above $300, price then becomes th e least important factor, as features brand name, performance, and latest technology become priority (Tarr, G. 2010).According to Oman Consumer Electronics Report Q4 2010 Omans consumer electronics devices market is a very promising market. The consumer electronic market is forecast at $480.0 million in 2010, this is expected to increase to $593.2 million by 2014, drive by new technologies and the growing popularity of digital lifestyle products. Also, the government strategy to move towards the digital world has shifted the mindset of Omani consumers and increased their digital product purchasing.The piece of music addresses that Spending is expected to pick up again after 2010, as new technologies and features such as higher capability and feature-rich products and the rollout of 3G and 4G services situate together as demand drivers. On the other hand, growth is forecast to remain below pre-credit crunch levels in 2010-2014, as consumers feel the effect of the regional office slump and credit tightening.Sociological FactorsConsumer technology products are proving to be a key component of a higher flavour of life for many consumers in the GCC region. They are gaining a huge popularity in the region simply because they are status symbols and consumers are willing to purchase the latest trends with little consideration to the price especially when it comes to smart phones and tablets.In Oman culture and art are highly regarded by people and photography is a very popular hobby. Omani smart photographers are being recognized internationally and regionally, and due to increasing number of demand on photography, The Sultan Qaboos has issued a decision to establish an association under the name of Photography Association at the level of a Directorate to be affiliated to the Minister of The of Royal Court. (Royal Orders to Establish Photography Association, 2012).Fujifilm product portfolio analysisGlobally, Fujifilm is well known for its digital cameras and co piers however the company has altered its product portfolio over the past 10 years to the business side in an take in charge to survive the decline of traditional photographic film by diversifying their product offerings into areas such as medical equipment and materials used in flat-panel displays. Now, the medical product line accounts for 12% of Fujifilm revenue and the flat-panel display generates 10% of its revenue (Osawa, J. Inagaki, K, 2012).The business to consumer segment competes in consumer electronics industry , the product portfolio consist of digital cameras with eight product lines ( X, S, F, Z,XP, T, J , A and 3 D cameras) , film photography, second cameras with one line that consist of four models ( Instax Mini 7s, Instax Mini 8, Instax Mini 50s ), Binoculars and camera accessories.This report focuses on the (input) product offering of Fujifilm brand which are the digital cameras as they are the most profitable products in the consumer segment. The focused market is Omans market as Photocentre is based and operates in Oman only.BCG Matrix tool is used to analyze Fujifilm (camera) products portfolio, the focus here is on the Fujifilm product portfolio distributed by PhotocentreStarsF series, S series and the instant cameras are the stars of Fujifilm, as they have a high market growth and a high market share.Question MarksX series and the Z series have a high market growth but a low market share.Cash CowsJ series has a low market growth but a high market share.J series is at the mature stage of the product life cycle and it is considered the most profitable category.DogA series has a low market growth and a low market share.Due to the introduction of new models in other series the A series is considered outdated and customers are hesitant to buy cameras with basic features. Photocentre is trying to get rid of the remained stock of this series and does not plan to promote it in the future.Further analysisStarsThe S series is doing will not on ly in Omans market but in the States and other parts of the world, Ron Gazzola, marketing and operations VP, Fujifilm North America stated that they had great success and saw a lot of market share growth with the long-zoom S-series cameras, like S2700 and S1800. (Tarr. Greg ,2010).Although instant cameras are not using any of the digital cameras technology, they are doing very well as many consumers exigency to get a printed version of their clicks instantly, something that digital cameras dont provide. Also , the low cost of the cameras is another attractive factor for its huge popularity, prices start from AED 280 , the profit is made from selling the film which costs AED 30 for 10 photos.Question marksThe Z series was designed keeping in mind female shoppers, to increase the market share from this product line promotional efforts must be targeting a niche market, such as causal young female photographers as the models of this series are very fashion oriented as it comes in fashi onable feminine colors. This series also offer the ease of uploading the images to Facebook and Youtube.New ProductsThe X series has introduced two new models recently FUJIFILM X100S The FUJIFILM X100S these models come with the new technologically advanced APS-C X-Trans CMOS II Sensor and improved EXR Processor II, the X100S is mow one of the worlds fastest autofocus accelerates of up to 0.08 seconds (Ottawa, 2013) Therefore, the X series have a potential in becoming a star because of the launch of these new modelsFujifilm product portfolio caters to different needs and come in different price ranges, making the objective of offering diversified products and services to the consumer an achievable long term objective if the purpose was on strengthening the offerings not just extending them.Customer perceived valueFujifilm promises their digital cameras customers a value that cash in ones chipss their expectation More than you imagined is Fujifilms brand promise which it communicat es to its customers.Fujifilm works to create a end between modernistic technology and at the same time offer value for money. One of Fujifilm methods to achieve this objective is mass produce. Fujifilm has developed ways to construct highly advanced new products so that they are inexpensive for users and profitable for manufacturers. (Daly, T, 2002) an example of that is Fujifilms (NANO CUBIC ) technology, Fujifilm successfully applied this technology to the available mass yield lines, which led to a lower cost to convert animate manufacturing facilities and, ultimately, a lower price for the end user.Customer value from market trends perspective divide winning products Fujifilm products are known for their good technology, many of their cameras have won awards the recent one was for the X-Pro1 which has won the award European Professional Compact brass Camera 2012-2013 along with many other awards. (www.fujifilm.com)Fujifilm provides a wide range of technical features in its cameras such as a wide range of memory storage capacity, high resolution photos even in the most affordable ranges, a wide range of zooming capacity, image stabilization features ensuring blur free and keen images, a wide range of battery life capacity, High speed continuous shooting , Video recording as a standard feature , among many others.The cameras come in various colors to satisfy different tastes such as pink, blue, orange, red, purple along with black, sliver and white.Sleek designs to satisfy fashion-conscious camera shoppers.Protective features for adventures camera shoppers or those who love outdoor shooting the protective features are water proof, freeze proof, heat proof and dust proof.High quality lenses. All Fujifilm Finepix cameras use the world renowned Fujinon Lens that is used popularly in numerous situations including satellites in outer space, TV/film, security and compact cameras. ( day-to-day News, 2011 ) value ranges Fujifilm cameras come in different pri ce ranges that starts from below 300 AED to 10, 00 AED.Organizational ValueSolid, trusted and long term relationship Photocentre has been the exclusive dealer of Fujifilm in Oman since 1984. Moreover, Photocentre has been in the market since 1974 this offers customers the assurance of dealing with an experienced and trusted dealer.Photocentre network is extended to two dedicated showrooms in prime locations in Muscat and 13 selling points in hypermarkets and consumer electronic chains Carrefour, Lulu hypermarkets, Sharaf DG, Extra and E-MAX.Photocentre have more than 11 customer services employees to assist and answer consumers inquires. efficient stock management Fujifilm warehouse is located in Dubai, this insures that Photocentre updates and replaces stock in slight than a week time.Photocentre offers its customers a range of added value services such as An extended warranty, Fujifilm as a manufacturer offers a one year warranty while Photocentre offers two years warranty for Fu jifilm products.Trade- in offer, Photocentre offers their customers the fortune to exchange their old camera from any brand with a new Fujifilm camera (or any other brand from the available range).Product testing as per the commercial rules in Oman, returning products that can be tested in store is not permitted. However, Photocentre offers their customers a free rental on certain Fujifilm ranges, to part with customers to test the cameras outside the store.Theses values will ensure the achievability of the objective of extending the Fujifilm network across the country and for increasing Fujifilm market share.CompetitorsKey Direct Competitors habituated the wide range of products offered by Fujifilm they compete with different brands in different categoriesOn the compact and low-end categoryFujifilm competes with Nikon, Yashika, Samsung, Olympus, Sony and Panasonic.On the semi-professional categoryThe brand competes with Olympus, Canon, Nikon and Samsung.On the mirror-less categor yThe brand competes with Olympus, Samsung, Canon and Nikon.The following table illustrates Fujifilm top two competitors in the compact low end categoryMarketing MixFujifilmSonyNikonProductFinepix JX550Cyber-shot DSC-S3000Coolpix L25PriceAED 240,9AED 299AED 207PlacePhotocentre showrooms and all major hypermarketsThree retailing shops inMuscat and two in SalalahKimji Ramdas showrooms and all major hypermarketsPromotionIn-store and print promotions and online , dedicated website for Photocentre and a page for FujifilmIn-store and print promotions, no dedicated website for the dealer, browsers directed to Sony global website.In-store , print and online promotions, dedicated website for the dealer with a dedicated page for NikonIndirect competitorsSmart phonesThe Research and Markets Offers Report Global Digital Camera Market 2011-2015, 2012, suggests that the rapid penetration of smart phones in the global electronics market has been restricting the growth of the digital cameras markets , and as the quality of the Smartphones camera improves, the need to purchase a digital camera decreases. President Hiroyuki Sasa of Olympus had mentioned that the market for compact digital cameras shrank at a faster speed and scale than they had imagined as smart phones with a camera spread around the world. (Hiyama, 2012). On the other hand, smart phones cameras cannot compete directly or fiercely with digital cameras as they still lack some of the digital cameras basic features zoom, exposure flexibility and sharper images. (Graham, J. 2011)InstagramWith more than 11 million active users, Instagram the social photography application program is considered an indirect competitor to digital cameras. (www.practicalecommerce.com) this application enables users to click pictures through their smart phones and with high-tech editing features make them look like professional photos. The application is also popular because it allows users to share these photos instantly with their frien ds through Facebook and Twitter.Migrating needs that may affect the industryFujifilm has been looking at different industries to find new applications for its existing technologies as well as borrowing their technologies for their own innovations through mergers and acquisitions, as well as business alliances. (Osawa, J. Inagaki, K, 2012). Fujifilm has also been innovative in adopting new ideas for its digital cameras, one example of that is when Fujifilm launched the (finepix 40i), (appendix 1) camera with MP3 player, and it was considered one of the hottest products of the year 2000.As the cameras attached to smart phones depend on wireless instant photo sharing, digital cameras consumers are increasingly demanding similar features on their digital cameras. According to the market Insight Corporation consumers who hold a strong preference for the Fujifilm brand expressed the largest increase in Wi-Fi interest compared to other consumers preferring other brands , therefore the nee d to connect via Wifi network is one of the major needs for the digital cameras industry.Another migrating need is to connect the camera with a GPS system to enable including the location of the picture taken when printing the photos.Strategic benchmark companiesQuality and Performance BMWBMW, the ultimate crusade machine offers cars in different designs, sizes and prices however it maintains the performance at the ultimate level in all the series. Also BMW is known for introducing technological features fore of its competitors. As Fujifilm offers wide ranges of products that differ in their functions, prices and styles quality and performance must be at the ultimate level.Customer Service Virgin AmericaVirgin America is well-known for providing an engaging and extraordinary customer service experience. In order for Fujifilm to succeed in this regard it has to listen to the customers and engage them to not only exceed their expectation but to satisfy the unmet needs.Responsivene ss to market needs Procter GambleProcter and Gamble hold a strong product portfolio and continuously impress consumers with innovative products that help make their life easier without compromising on quality and added values making it difficult for consumers to consider a competitive brand. Being proactive in the consumer electronic ever-changing industry is vital for a brand like Fujifilm.Superiority HarvardThe name Fuji in the Japanese language refers to an extinct outlet in Honshu that is the highest peak in Japan, the name indicates that the brand seeks to be on the top. When speaking of top ranked universities in the world, Harvard comes at the top of the mind. For Fujifilm to stay ahead of its competitors and dominate its market, the brand should be inspiring and sought -after.Target MarketFujifilm consumers can be divided in two major segmentsDemographicsFujifilm digital cameras consumers are both male and female however the more colourful options of the cameras are aime d to the female market. Fujifilm targets middle class consumers while some of its cameras are also affordable for the lower middle class. In terms of age, Fujifilm offers cameras for all age groups, starting from Fujifilm INSTAX mini film (appendices 2) which designed to be children friendly which is a a star product , to other ranges for adults up to age 70.PsychographicsThose who love adventures and travel can chose the range that comes with the protective features, while fashion conscious consumers may go with the streamlined designs and bold colours. Those who want the camera for just capturing special family moments may chose the low end category. And those who are passionate about photography will chose the semi-professional and mirror less category.

The Company Magners Cider Marketing Essay

The Company Magners Cider Marketing Essay spherical logics can be explained as a process to determine globalisation with successive di handssions, each taken separately, and interpreted for telling patterns. The existence of global logics means that the company recognizes the need to find a appropriate response to forebode concern regarding globalisation. The nonattendance of global logics specifies that issues of globalisation are not correctly addressed. The understanding of these logics has been helpful to reduce the complexity to globalise a company(Jeannet n.d.).Magners cyder has al expressive styles fostered the tool of making the right product available to the people at the right place. In France people are disposed to confuse for pleasure and less inclined to binge out, the French people consume slightly more alcohol than their dwells Britain (also biggest consumers of magners cider), this is due to the fact that French like to start drinks during meals, and most Fren ch men do not find it smart to get drunk. 4/5th of the magners consumers under the age of 24 like to drink in the bar, only a tenth of customers choose magners over bar. It is also a fact that men are most likely to consume cider than women. Nevertheless, female would prefer to have cider in a garden or a part, cider is not considered as a drink they would have with food (Just-drinks 2010). Magners has catered the global customer needs and advantages of its products considering the segmental and geographical differences. The primary quality of the product is that its natural drink made from apples. This is great competitive benefit with a world bountiful of food additives. in any case the death rate in france is high these days, so people are considering switching to healthier drink options which can prove to be actually advantageous for magners. Also cider has fewer calories than beer, which pass on make it appealing to health conscious people especi altogethery women(Keynote 2009). Thats why the company result make sure that Magners cider is shown with apples and served on ice in each advertisement. Magners will strengthen cider by showing it as a concoction of seventeen different types of apples. In short, the company wants to show the product as a traditional company with a great experience that manufactures a characteristic natural product. It is very indwelling to have an intense promotional campaign, because it is very difficult to maintain much(prenominal) promotion activities for a long time, so it is essential to have two levels of communicationIntense Communication during the launch phase to increase brand awarenessLong term communication to have a presence in peoples mind (Appendix 2).3.2 Global Competitor LogicWhen competition creates a compelling debate to practise globalisation, global competitor logic comes into play. In a few industries a company faces different set of competitors in different markets, point towards low competitor lo gic same is the case of magners in france. The customary cider distilled in France was once not so popular because of negative image and declining sales, but it is essential to give emphasis to space for yield in the sector especially in the over the ice cider which magners is famous for to support this declaration French brewer which was experiencing rapid decline in the beer market for 25 years has decided to enter cider market with its Apple frost drink and aiming to sell 25,000 bushels in its initial year of launch, this will be the main competitor in the over the ice cider market (Perkins n.d.).Also MDD (Marque de Distributeur) has largest cider market share of 41.5%, Loc Raison has 22.5% and Ecusson and Autres has 10% each(Keynote 2010).3.3 Global Regulatory LogicAlcohol consumption patterns and drinks preferences vary from country to country. All countries have different laws regarding consumption and minimum required for it. It can be verbalize that global regulatory logic is high, because regulations differ from country to country and France has been very strict about its amendment. In France alcohol kills about 45,000 people and costs 17.6 kelvin millions each year.In 2005, the parliament of France amended a law on alcohol advertisement called the Evin law, which was the result of consensus between public health specialists and consensus wine impregnable owner (Keynote 2011). This law allows using objective characteristics during promotion but bans any form of qualitative arguments. The manufacturers of wine will be able to use facts such as geographical area, explanation about colour and taste (Bremer n.d.) (Perkins n.d.).The deficiency of social problems in France due to alcohol is because drinking is very expensive in bars, so young people usually purchase very less from bars and then move to home. France has no intention to follow the path of its neighbour Britain when binge drinking is involved. Authorities have the power to strip the bar f rom its license, and people are advise carry DIY breath testing kits to verify themselves out front driving. Alcopop (beverages including distilled alcohol) was heavily criticised and government taxed them out disagreement (EPHA 2007)(Hennessey Jeannet n.d.).3.4 Global Information LogicInformation acquirement by customers is very important factor for global trade strategies, its a way how consumers scrutinize the environment, the different types of media they are exposed to and how much they are willing to travel to acquire certain data. Magners has always relied heavily on TV denote, but in France there are legal consequences of promoting alcohol on television and is strictly forbidden. But magners has always invested heavily on selling and advertising and will use other forms of effective advertising. Magners will focus on radio advertising, and other forms of outdoor advertising such billboards and bus exclude advertisements. One should keep in mind alcohol promotion in Fr ance must transmit a moderate message(Bremer n.d.). These types of promotion are best way to highlight orchards orange through seasoned affected life style. Magners has a difficult task of overcoming cynical and hesitant audiences to communicate the right message of brand. away promotional campaigns have seen magners create outdoor implementations to influence natural apple proposition. Advertising has been central part of magners entry in the international market. Global information logic here is strong as magners as always relied on TV, radio, press, advert boards in all of the countries it operates (except TV in France)(Martin 2007).Marketing StrategiesTarget collectionPrimary target Group Magners cider primary target group would be young singles aged between 18-34. They can be any male or female as its appealing to both.Secondary target group All the people allowed consuming alcohol. Cider is a drink for all ages in England. This expression was also to be created in French ma rketOur secondary target group are basically all the people, who are allowed to drink alcohol. Cider is a drink which is consumed by people of all ages in Great Britain. This image is meant to be created in the French market as well.Magners cider aims to sell the product all over France. But at an initial stage, the company would like to test the product in big cities like Rennes, Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nizza and Grenoble. Also Magners is supporting English rugby teams, so magners want to do the same by selling cider in French rugby cities like Auvergne, Toulouse, Perpignan and Montpellier (Appendix 1).This floor has scrutinized the global logics applicable for Magners Cider when entering the French market, it come across French market and people perceptions about the product. It can be said that gain magners cider has no real competition in France as there are no direct competitors for direct competition for over-ice bottled cider. It is important to note that military position towards drinks is different in France, but still it has an image of being a traditional, old-fashioned drink which young consumers dont like to drink, however consumers have different perceptions for new-made drinks like ice cider. It is important to note that alcohol advertising is prohibited in France, and there are strict rules on these type of advertising, nevertheless magners will look into the past promotional strategies to overcome such barrier and catch the attention of the French people, relying on heavy advertising budget of outdoor advertising etc. Entering French cider market is a good decision as magners brand image will help it to overcome its competitors (direct indirect) very easily.

Xerox :: essays research papers

COUNTRY ISSUESCulture, Social, and DemographicsWhen examining any company and their possible expansion into new markets you must first examine the culture, social, and demographic issues impacting foreign businesses. The Colombian culture has begun to show a bias towards American products as recently as 1998. As written in Carol Caspers unfermented York Times article, There is a lot of interest in U.S. concepts and products... in not only Colombia but also all of Latin America. The interest has caused more American firms to begin to see these developing attitudes and expand their businesses into Latin America. For Xerox to also take part in this expansion they would be able to take prefer of the new interest. Colombians, although, are not welcoming these companies with open arms. There is an interest in the U.S. businesses but as Dianna Jean Schemo reports it is not uncommon to be peril by the pledges of Colombia. These cartels want in on the inflow of money and will get involve d in kidnappings and murderer if they see it necessary. In 1996, the last social class these figures are available, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 19,645 homicides while in Colombia there were 26,627. For the fear of being on the wrong end of such instances American businesses need to be extra careful when trying to penetrate the Colombian marketplace. Xerox would not be as impacted by the threat of cartel interference. The cartels become more involved with restaurants and oil companies that have developed in Colombia. They have not developed any interest in the technology exertion as of yet.Colombia has a population of 37 million Spanish-speaking people. The annual growth rate is 1.7% and 95% of the population is Roman Catholic. In the urban areas a 93% literacy rate was found, as opposed to a 67% literacy rate in rural areas. This is due to the fact that only five years of special school are offered in rural areas. This information regarding the population is enco uraging. Although the rural populations literacy rate is low, the urban rate is quite high for a Latin American country. This rate leads me to believe that for Xerox to expand in this market with its technology/communication equipment would not be a problem. The majority of the targeted population where Xerox would be selling their products could understand the benefits of their product and would want to purchase Xerox products. Political/Governmental Concerns

Teen Pregnancy in the United States Essay -- Teenage Pregnancy

Each year in the U.S. almost one one million million million teenagers become pregnant--at enormous costs to themselves, their children, and society. (Pregnant Teen Help, Teen Pregnancy Statistics) Some would argue that teen pregnancy is all glorified. Other individuals would protest that it is alike influential. Teen pregnancy is a rising social problem in the United States and among other countries. Teen pregnancy is now being publicized as multi media corporations, with shows such as 16 & Pregnant, Teen Mom, Maury, Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Juno. altogether of which concentrate on teen pregnancy. These shows or movies could be informational for young people. However, the shows display an altered reality that teen pregnancy is easy, laughs and joy. Dispite what the shows might portray teen pregnancy is an uprising national and global epidemic. In the past teen pregnancy has been an underline issue that is vastly taking center stage. Media, instruction, and econ omy are all components to this phenomenon, nevertheless, how are they all connected? All of which will all be addressed in the contents of this paper. Which leaves the burning question is teen pregnancy accepted into our society as a norm, or is it still a deviant act? First and for most, there are many different definitions of teenage pregnancy depending on the source of the information. However, as a broad definition defines teenage pregnancy as a female typically between the ages of thirteen and nineteen, typically who hasnt completed her core education secondary schools has few or no marketable skills, is financially dependent upon an older adult typically her parents and or continues to live at home and is typically mentally immature. (Adolescent Health) Most ... ...March 23, 2011, from http//www.advocatesforyouth.org/about-usWho We Are. (2014). In Planned Parenthood. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.http//www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htmChandra, A., Martino, S. C., C ollins, R. l., Elliot, M. N., Berry, S. H., Kanouse, D. E., & Miu, A. (2008, November 5). Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings From a field of study Longitudinal Survey of Youth. In Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. Google Scholar. Teenage Pregnancy and Education. (2010, December 24). In Pregnant Teen Help. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. http//www.pregnantteenhelp.org/teenage-pregnancy-and/teenage-pregnancy-and-educationTeen Pregnancy Statistics. (2010, November 23). In Pregnant Teen Help. Retrieved Web. 29 Mar. 2015.http//www.pregnantteenhelp.org/statistics/teen-pregnancy-statistics/