Business

Recruitment and hiring in Blanchards dream means getting the right people for your team by virtue of competence and character. It is easier to drive people towards one vision and uniform goals if they have both competence and character which are basic requirements according to Blanchard. Competence pertains to the combination of experience and skills of a personnel relevant to his position. Character pertains to a persons personality attributes such as attitude and values. According to Blanchard, it is more important to prioritize character as the criteria for recruiting rather than competence. This is because character is a more inert virtue of every person and is more difficult to attain from an employers side. Competence, on the other hand, can be trained. Given that a person has adequate experience, he can be trained to enhance and customize his skills according to an employers requirements. Given that a person has no experience, but demonstrates potential skills, he can still be trained to develop competence.
Character on the other hand, is more important because according to Blanchard, people who can share and love your visions and goals will work best for your team. If you recruit people who cannot share your passion, the goals will not be achieved.
Performance Management
The best thing I learned about Customer Mania is Performance Management. In Blanchards Dream, there are three aspects of Performance  Management Performance Planning Performance Monitoring and Feedback and Performance Evaluation. Most of the traditional companies focus on Performance Evaluation, but in Blanchards system, the focus is more on the first two, Planning and Monitoring and Feedback system. In Performance Planning, the manager and employee identify, discuss and agree on the goals and objectives based on the visions andor directions. Performance Monitoring and Feedback System pertains to the day-to-day or regular assessment of the employees progress or rectification of their actions and directions if some nonconformities occur. Performance Evaluation pertains to the regular assessment of an employee on the agreed upon goals and objectives versus the actual accomplishments within a pre-determined period of time.
Developing the Right Systems and Processes
According to Blanchard, the most important aspect to implement to ensure an effective Performance Management System is a solid foundation of systems and processes. These systems are a.) Accountability b) Data and Information c) Training d) Feedback  and e) Recognition. They are the mechanisms that drive the Performance Management Systems.
Accountability is a system wherein the directions, goals and objectives of an employee are defined. This system provides him the necessary mechanism to focus. Accountability is established during the Performance Planning itself.
The second system necessary in Performance Management System is to have an accurate and efficient information management systems. Data collection and analysis is important in Performance Management. These data need to be manageable in terms of creation, recording, retrieval and retention.
The third system is training which is a must in rectifying and improving the  performance of employees who fail to meet the standards required
The fourth system, Feedback provides the evaluated employee the data and analysis necessary for him to improve himself.
The firth system, Recognition, has two aspects immediate reconition of accomplishments (on-the-spot) and recognition over a specific period of time e.g. monthly or quarterly. Recognition motivates an employee to continue his excellence or to improve so he can also get recognized.
My Specific Implementation of the Blanchard Dream
Recruiting and Hiring
I will prepare and implement a procedure for recruitment to ensure that personnel   recruited based on the following criteria a. Character (to be assessed with psychological exams which can reflect the values and attitudes of the person and also to be assessed based on character references by former colleagues and employers) b.) Competence (to be assessed based on the experience indicated on the resume and relevant practical exams.
I will design forms, databases and tools which can conveniently acquire the require data so analysis and conclusions can be accurately and efficiently derived.
Performance Management
As a Manager, from the day an employee gets hired, he shall be oriented with the companys visions, goals and directions. From there, I will present his individual contribution to the above-mentioned with this specific targets and tasks.
He shall be informed that he will be monitored regularly and he will be receiving feedback and coaching, whenever necessary. After every six months, we will sit down and conduct formal performance evaluation.
Developing the Right Systems and Processes
Accountability
Accountability shall be established as soon as the newly-hired employee is oriented with his targets in accordance to the corporate visions and directions.
Data Management System
With the pre-designed forms and databases, data collected from an employees performance monitoring and evaluation can be easily created, recorded, managed and retrieved.
Training
With the pre-designed forms and databases, data collected from an employees performance monitoring and evaluation can be easily created, recorded, managed and retrieved.
Feedback
As soon as performance monitoring and or evaluation has been conducted, data analysis can be easily conducted. Then, the report can be either emailed or printed to be signed and acknowledged by both the manager and the employee.
Recognition
Every month, every quarter and annually, as well, a corporate summary of employees performance evaluations can be generated using the database. Based on this summary, the recognition system will be very timely, accurate and efficient. No one will be missed at all. Recognition errors will be minimal. Recognition can be given through giving of plaques, certificates, or if the budget allows, cash can also be given.

The company that we have selected is DHL. The company is a market leader in logistics and transport business and it is known for its superior quality in handling customer and introducing latest technologies when it comes to providing state of the art service. During our research we found out that DHL has an extremely unique way of catering to its customers it provides its customer a number of services and options that create that defining experience.
In this article we will try to focus and analyze the customer experience and service flow by using the front-end flow chart as a guide and we will also look at some implications on the management as a result of the back-end flow that we have designed. The crucial point here is that because DHL is a courier service provider present in over 220 countries we want to know how the company continues to create such competitive edge even in such tough economic conditions.
Significance of the Service Encounter
The experience at DHL is unique and satisfying because the critical aspect of the delivery business is well established and governed at DHL. For instance in the courier business time is of the essence to both individual customers and businesses so DHL has been able to partner itself as a business support function that facilitates individuals and businesses to get their things from one place to another in a timely fashion.
The second most important feature in the service encounter is the simplicity and ease with which customers are able to place orders and decide on delivery dates. Such detail is of critical importance as it helps the customer in deciding his plans. A number of important aspects are considered at DHL even at the initial stage of accepting orders. For example tracking order services are given to businesses that require an update as to the current status of their shipment.
There are other needs of the customers that are fulfilled at the DHL front end. These include providing transparent services as to the cost of the packages based on genuine weights and providing adequate support in terms of packaging of the parcel. This aspect is crucial in the delivery business as it allows companies and individuals that peace of mind as to the safety and security of their products or packages.
The strengths of DHL at the service end are enormous that provide the company with that competitive advantage over its rivals across the world. The differentiating strategy at DHL gives its customers an edge over other businesses with whom they are competing and hence they reap the benefits of efficiency. The crucial point here is that the customers parcel or shipment is considered something as close to DHL as if it were DHLs own shipment. Such an attitude in the service business is priceless as it sends the right message to customers.
Impact of the Work-Flow on Management at DHL
There are important implications on the management at DHL because the service system is designed in such a way that it provides efficient services to the customers. This implies that the seemingly bureaucratic management is on its toes all the time. If we read between the lines of the back-end flow diagram what we find is that the management is in-sync with the front end needs and works on solution delivery and works as a provider of different services to the front-end staff. It not only monitors key activities but it generates important reports to facilitate decision making and analysis of future plan of action.
In a company like DHL which spans across 220 countries it is extremely easy to believe that the company might have become engulfed with bureaucratic pain and management might have become inefficient but we find that only the opposite is true. The case is so because DHL knows the importance of handling its customers right and their stuff with even more precision and right attitude. The actions that we have discussed in the service delivery section and the analysis of the front-end services is supported and planned by the management the execution would not be possible if the planning is not done appropriately at the right time.
What is crucial for us to understand is that companies like DHL are highly integrated and they have used technology in a way that it helps create an absolutely transparent processes system across the organization which allows the identification and rectification of problems as soon as they arise. The management at each level has important implications due to the efficient and simplistic front end model. For instance the finance department must allocate enough resources for marketing and delivery departments that their needs are met in such a way that customers are not impacted. Similarly the transport department needs to provide all necessary information to the marketing and sales departments with respect to destination and travel issues. This helps the marketing and sales department to deduce appropriate costing structures and products which are attractive for customers.
The importance of the right process planning in any service company is very high. Just like in hospitality businesses companies give their best at pleasing the customer similarly in the service business of delivery companies like DHL have to create capacities to do orders that might not be possible for any other company but at the same time what is also necessary is the high level of customer satisfaction at the very beginning of the overall experience.
The duty of the management is also significant as it has to create analytical information from available data and introduce efficient ways of doing things. This responsibility makes it imperative for the management to know the significance of customer related data that I received from the front end. An important deduction is the fact that companies like DHL have developed a business model which is cost efficient and reliable for customers as they have built in so many processes that aid customers. The response of DHL to todays challenges is quite extraordinary and in the near future we expect to see even further innovative techniques from DHL.

Business ethics and social responsibility are major catchwords in the modern business world. Business ethics which is sometimes called corporate ethics is a kind of applied ethics which examines the ethical principles and moral problems that are inherent in the business world. It looks at all aspects of a business concerned with the behavior of the individuals and the organization as a whole. In the recent past the demand for ethical business procedures and conduct has been on the rise and several initiatives and laws have been proposed to ensure that businesses meet the goal. Business ethics is basically considered as the manner in which the business conducts its dealings with the general populace. An organization that fails to adhere to the established ethics or breaks the law is usually fined. In truth, business executives are faced with great dilemmas whenever they have to take decisions that are likely to have either on them or other people. There always the issues of profitability and legality to be weighed against each other in the process of taking the decision. In some instances, the legality of a course of action may not constitute the bottom line of its rightness. As a result, the discussions about business ethics have elicited different points of view as to what the essence of the concept should be understood to be. All people in the business including the owners, officers, stakeholders and employees can be faced with a situation that calls for the application of business ethics. The most common scenarios include harassment, discrimination, social and environmental responsibility issues, administration and worker relations.  How individuals will ultimately deal with the above issues has been used to define business ethics. Social is a subset of business ethics that deals with the relationship of the business with the community it is operating from.  On the other hand, the precise nature of business ethics and social responsibility in the real world has been of profound interest to many scholars. Among the experts who have carried out extensive research on the subjects include Milton Friedman and Peter Drucker.
Comparing the Articles by Peter Drucker and Milton Friedman
    The two writers have both objected to the conventional understanding of the doctrines of business ethics and social responsibility. In his article, What is business ethics, Drucker tries to compare the concept of business ethics and the traditional understanding of ethics in the ancient civilizations. According to him, the definition of ethics as espoused by the various authorities must be based on the rules of morality which determines the behavior of the individual when applied across the board. In this case when business ethics is viewed from the traditional ethics does not pass the required test because it asserts that acts that are not immoral or illegal if done by the ordinary folk become immoral or illegal if done by the business. He cites a good example of the consideration of extortion as considered in business ethics. Generally, a person who is forced to pay extortion fees to prevent any form of harm is not considered to have behaved in an immoral manner. On the other hand, a business will be considered to have behaved in an unethical manner if it submits to extortion. Furthermore, he argues that business ethics denies the organizations the chance to adapt to establish cultural norms in different parts of the world since what is considered as unethical in one country may not be so in another.
    Friedman equally objects to the concept of social responsibility as advocated by the business leaders. He criticizes the business leaders for advocating for social responsibility in a free-enterprise system. To him it amounts to preaching pure and unadulterated socialism when the business leaders claim that the business should take the responsibility of promoting essential social ends apart from making profit. He asserts that discussions about social responsibility have not been flexible enough hence not very rigorous at all. He holds that responsibilities are only attributable to individuals or corporations but businesses as a whole cannot be said to have responsibilities. The responsibility of the individual is also advanced by Drucker as he compares the concept of business ethics to the doctrine of Casuistry which he defines as the ethics of social responsibility. According to the principle of casuistry, those in positions of leadership should balance the demands of ethics which are applicable to them as individuals and their social responsibility to the people, state or organization.
    The two writers both criticize the twin concepts for having their origins in politics rather than from ethics. Drucker says that business ethics articulates a conviction that the responsibilities held by the businesses and the businesses leaders must influence ethics since they have a social impact and this in itself is a political rather than a moral necessary. On the other hand, Friedman says that the role of business executives in fulfilling their social responsibilities forces them to act in a way contrary to the interests of the employers. They may be required to avoid increasing prices in order to prevent inflation which will ultimately affect the profits of the organization. They may also make expenditures which are beyond the basic interest of the organization to meet the social responsibilities. All this requires the leaders to spend money that belongs to other people for the purposes of fulfilling the social interests. All these programs will affect the financial position of the employers, employees and the customers in one way or another which in effect amounts to levying of taxes. The role of imposing taxes is political in nature and should be played by the governments. As a result Friedman holds that a business that engages in social responsibility initiatives actually plays the functions of the three levels of government.
    Drucker also tries to compare the concept of business ethics with the traditional ethics of prudence and self-development. The ethics of prudence do not specify what constitutes right actions but assumes that wrong actions are clear enough and makes it a moral obligation for leaders to exemplify ethics in their conduct. Through prudence every person is expected to achieve the status of a superior man and fulfill themselves. He still believes that although the ethics of prudence can be applied to a society of organization, it can not be termed as business ethics. In an organization, there are different people in positions of authority who have the responsibility to take the right course of action. Equally business executives are required to develop self-discipline and self-respect since they are the leaders in the society. In this case, Drucker asserts that business ethics can only be real if it focused on the ethics of Prudence yet in its current form the discussion of business ethics lacks this element. Similarly, Friedman advocates the same idea when he looks at the role of the individual in serving the general public good. He maintains that a business executive has other responsibilities that should be performed on a voluntary basis. The person may utilize his resources and time to causes he regards as worthy but in this case this cannot be termed as the social responsibility of the business rather it is individual social responsibility.
    In his article, Friedman argues that social responsibility goes against the tenets of a free society since these amounts to taking over the functions of government. He asserts that the concept of social responsibility is a threat to the private competitive enterprise which requires that people be responsible for their own actions and prevents unfair exploitation of other people.  According to him, social responsibility should only be carried out at the expense of those interested in doing the good but should not be taxed on others. In most cases, some stockholders force others stockholders, customers and employees to donate against their wish to causes advocated by the activists. In Friedmans view, social responsibility should only be applicable in cases of individual proprietors reducing their profits for this purpose since it is their own money. Unfortunately, the same costs may easily be passed on to the customers and the workers. The writer says that social responsibility is usually covered for initiatives that may be acceptable on other premises other than those advanced. Most of the activities carried out by corporations only serve to improve the good will of the companies in the community which in itself is detrimental to the foundations of a free society. Friedman expresses deep respect for the businessmen who disdain the tactics used by others in the name of social responsibility while only serving their own selfish interests.
    In his article, Drucker asserts that business ethics is more comparable to Confucian ethics which is not situational. He considers Confucian ethics of interdependence the most appealing and most durable among all the ethical thoughts. In Confucian ethics, the rules and essentials of human conduct are the same for all individuals. In this case, there is no social responsibility as in the ethics of prudence, no cost-benefit consideration or different standards than the individual and their actions.  The Confucian ethics simply applies the various general rules to the five core relations of interdependence that cover the entirety of relations in a civil society. These are master and servant, parent and child, husband and wife, among children and friendship. In all the relations, the right conduct must optimize the benefits for either of the parties while unethical behavior in insincere and creates dissonance, exploitation and manipulation. In the same light, business ethics should strive to address problems in relation of interdependence between any of the players in a business setting. Ducker argues that the problem that surrounds the discussions about business ethics can be resolved based on the ethics of interdependence. Unfortunately, most discussions do not acknowledge the essence of the ethics of interdependence.        
The ethics of interdependence requires the satisfaction of mutual obligations by both parties where every party has to provide what is required by the other to meet its goals and attain fulfillment. On the contrary, the concept of business ethics as currently advocated gives one side the duty of having obligations while the other has rights. This implies that business ethics fails to meet the criterion of any ethics and can simply be described as the usual politics of power. In conclusion, Ducker says that business ethics should not be considered as ethics but should simply be termed as ethical chic or just a media event than a philosophy or morals. This should not be construed to mean that the concept of business ethics is entirely useless given that the modern society demands that the ethics of prudence and self-development should be central especially in the organizations.

I.  Summary of Foucault s Second Representation of Human Capital
    In the book, The Birth of Biopolitics, Michel Foucault started his discussion on the human capital aspect of American neo-liberalism by reviewing the three elements of the development of neo-liberalism, which are Keynesian policy, social pacts of war, and the growth of Federal administration through economic and social programs.  American and European neo-liberalism concepts sprang from these three contexts.  However, American neo-liberalism differed in many aspects from its European counterpart, which considered liberalism  as the founding and legitimizing principle of the state.   American neo-liberalism, on the other hand, believed that the demand for liberalism found the state rather than the state limiting itself through liberalism. Liberalism had been at the heart of all political debate and the recurrent element in all choices of the United States,  viewing it as  not just an economic and political choice formed and formulated by those who govern nor a political alternative.  American liberalism is considered as a global claim with a foothold in both the right and the left and it is a whole way of being and thinking.  Foucault emphasized that American liberalism  had become a method of thought, a grid of economic and sociological analysis.
    Foucault stated the two processes under the theory of human capital firstly, the extension of economic analysis into a previously unexplored domain secondly, the possibility of giving a strictly economic interpretation of a whole domain previously thought to be non-economic. 
    The human capital is considered as the unexplored domain because although classical economists considered land, capital, and labor as factors in the production of goods, labor was not thoroughly analyzed, reducing it exclusively to the factor of time. Neo-liberals aimed to introduce labor into the field of economic analysis.  According to Neo-liberals, economic analysis should not consist in the study of the mechanisms of production, exchange, and data consumption but in the nature and consequences of substitutable choices .  The general frame of economic analysis should be in the way individuals make decisions in allocating scarce resources to alternative ends.  This frame of thought paved way to the definition of the object of economics which did not identify its task as the analysis of a relational mechanism between things or processes like capital, investment, and production, where labor is not properly defined.  The new definition adopted the task of analyzing a form of human behavior and the internal rationality of this human behavior.  Foucault concluded that economics is not the analysis of processes but analysis of an activity.  Another salient point discussed by Foucault  was the view held by German and French neo-liberalism that the basic element in economic analysis is not the individual, processes, or mechanisms, but enterprises.  Foucault explained that this points back to the concept of homo aeconomicus.  In the classical economy concept, homo aeconomicus is the partner exchange and the theory of utility is based on a problematic of needs.  In neo-liberalism, homo aeconomicus is not just a partner of exchange but an enterpreneur, which means owning capital, being a producer, and the source of his earnings. Further, the man of consumption is also a producer of his own satisfaction and consumption is an enterprise activity by which individual produces something that will be his own satisfaction. 
    Foucault  further explained the elements of human capital, which are innate and acquired.  Innate elements are hereditary and has to do with ones genetic make-up while acquired elements  are the voluntary formation  such as upbringing by parents during early childhood, educational investments, medical care, and other cultural stimuli that contribute to the formation of the individual.  Other example was migration, which is a behavior in terms of individual enterprise.
    The application of  human capital theory in agriculture was illustrated in the book, Transforming Tradition Agricutlure.  Several programs  providing economics aid and technical assistance to agriculture were sponsored by philanthropic foundations and religious groups.  Schultz described the economic analysis which resulted from the experimental activities of both public and private non-profit bodies to provide new agricultural knowledge and upgrade agricultural skills and capabilities of farmers.  These programs employed resources, produced services that had economic value, and were evaluated accordingly.  The rate of return was determined based on the investments made in training and educating the farmers,  researches conducted, development of new factors in production, extension work, as well as in other investments that had to do with development of structures and purchase of new equipment

II.  What kind of analysis of governmental action do we get
    The application of economic grid, which resulted from neo-liberal analysis, expanded to the social aspect.  In economics, the market is defined as the indespensible regulating function of the economy.  However, government intervened by creating policies so that the competitive mechanisms of the market can function in accordance to the social structure.  Government policies were created to avoid centralization, encourage medium-sized enterprises, support non-proletarian enterprises, and regulate multiple problems of the environment.  Another government application of the economic grid is in the analysis of criminality and the penal justice system.
    The theory of human capital can also help the government develop economic, social, cultural, and educational policies that will lead to the investment of human capital, which brings innovation and economic growth.  It can shape government decisions in terms of how much budget to allocate to education and social welfare, which can augment the nations human capital such as providing scholarship programs for students who cannot afford to enroll in prestigious universities.  It can also redirect and focus the nations policy making body to review and pass laws that would create an environment where individuals are supported and given the opportunity to innovate and be most productive.   These includes labor laws and practices that provide equal working opportunity and working arrangements such as home-based jobs, flexible work hours, and compensatory time-off to promote life-work balance, maximizing human potential.  On the other hand, government can also create policies regarding population control or growth depending on the need of the nation in order to maximize and strenghten its human  capital.
    Further, Foucault  also cited that through neo-liberal analyses, individuals can create check and balance to the actions taken by government.  The economic grid is a venue for individuals to test governmentl actions, gauge its validity and object to activities of public authorities on the grounds of abuses, futility, and wasteful expenditures.  It provides a healthy and professional venue in objectively criticizing actions of the government.  Government, on the other hand, can benefit from this because there is free exchange of ideas  which will lead to better decisions for the nation.
  
III.  Example of agricultural policy andor agricultural business decisions that result from such analysis
    In chapter four of The Botany of Desire (author  date published), the story entitled  The Potato  chronicled an example of agricultural policy and a business decision resulting from Foucault s neo-liberalism theory of human capital.  Biotechnology is a realization of human capitals potential to innovate increasing the ability to produce more and yield higher quality products.  This new-found science enables  corporations  to   produce genetically engineered food products such as the case of Monsantos NewLeaf potato, which produces its own insecticide.  Farmers are benefited from this new product discovery by getting higher and better quality yield and decreasing input costs because there is no need to buy pesticides.  It also has the advantage of monoculture and economies of scale, which enable farmers to meet the demands of the big food value chain such as McDonalds need to provide french fries around the globe.  McDonalds values uniformity and control to address the monoculture global taste of french fries eaters.  However, these products are patented, which means that the genes remain to be intellectual property of Monsanto Corporation.  This implies that farmers are licensed to grow the potatoes but only for a single generation.  Monsanto has developed a technique transforming plants into private property and this is done through the development of a Universal Product Code for its potatoes.  The farmer has to sign an agreement to buy Monsanto seeds and grant the company the right to perform tests at will even in future years. 
    On the other hand, issues regarding health safety from eating genetically engineered products are still hanging.  According to Monsantos scientists, the reliability or safety of one genetically modified plant does not guarantee the reliability or safety of the next.  There is still a lot that scientists do not understand about gene expression. Government agencies that signed off on the NewLeaf such as the Food and Drug Administration did not officially regard NewLeaf as food.  There were no tests conducted to validate health safety in the consumption of this genetically engineered product.  FDA assumed that genetically modified plants are  substantially equivalent  to ordinary plants thus regulation of these food had been voluntary unless the corporation feels there is safety concerns, thus the need to consult with FDA.  Since the potato contains Bt, Federal government put it under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Another issue has to do with the impact of biotechnology to the environment.   The cost of technology is charged to the future, todays gain in control over nature will be paid for by tomorrows new disorder.

Possibly one of the most dynamic and lucrative relationships in history occurred between the currently technological kingpins Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. These two have redefined what it means to be businessmen in the computer industry. Imagine, in less than 30 years, a band of shaggy nerds rose to become the richest people on Earth, and it is that story that deserves telling.  These geniuses transformed not only the way we communicate, but the way we live as well.
    To begin, the movie highlights Jobs charisma, drive, and ideology, and demonstrates how these can actually form a dangerous and powerful cocktail. He eventually would push Apple designers to new heights and frenzies, sometimes to the point where they work 90-hour weeks while intensely competing with one another. However, he started small. In 1975, Jobs joined the Homebrew Computer Club where he met technical whiz Steve Wozniak who was trying to build a small computer at the time. Jobs was fascinated with the idea of such a computer, and this chance encounter led to the creation of Apple Computer Company with Wozniak. Their first business venture was gathering the 1300 needed as startup money, which they acquired by selling Jobss microbus and Wozniaks calculator.
    Despite the necessity for businesses to center around negotiation, strategy, and planning, Jobs always went on record to feeling that they were more of revolutionaries in their field, adding a distinct spiritual dimension to how he conducted his work. Jobs adventure toward success could be viewed through his unique abilities to perceive, think dynamically, and become emotionally vested in what he did. These, however, would lead Jobs into a little trouble, such as with the relationship with Arlene where his denial of being the father actually led into a negotiation on what the name of the child would be. This would ultimately lead to Arlenes request of 20,000 in support. It is important to note, however, the connection of personal and business negotiation. Throughout his career, Jobs demonstrated his expertise in business and people through his ability to motivate Apple employees, how he was able to bring in ex-CEO of Pepsi into the Apple family, and how he dealt with Xerox to get complete access to steal the mouse and graphic user interface. Jobs was a master with people, and his ability to get personal with people is what ultimately mad the difference for his business. 
    In contrast, Gates started studying at Harvard in 1973, where he spent time with high school friend Paul Allen and classmate Steve Ballmer. There, they worked on a version of programming language BASIC, what would later become the basis for the MITS Altair. Like Jobs, Gates did not go on to graduate from Harvard, instead opting to start what would become the largest computer software company on the planet, Mircrosoft. 
    Getting to this point, though, would prove an adventure. Gates and his team had to have a firm grasp on negotiation, strategy, and planning to get to where they are. A number of personal situations demonstrate those characteristics in Gates life. For example, Gates displayed just how quick and clever he was with the phone call to Ed Roberts, founder of MITS, where he pretended to be Paul Allen in order to further market his product. This negotiation ultimately ended with him going to New Mexico and the magazine in January 1975 featured on the cover the worlds first personal computer the Altair 8800. This was not the only risky move he made though. Both Gates and Allen were involved in the convoluted affair behind selling and buying licensing rights of DOS. Gates knew that other vendors would try to clone the OS, and in order to make Microsoft a major player in the industry, he knew that selling the licensing rights, and Paul Allen later buying them, would push Microsoft to become a major player. Additionally, as Gates would later relate, the Xerox Corporation held a huge role in the relationship of Gates and Jobs as well as Gates success, stating that you (Jobs) and I are both like guys who had this rich neighbor-Xerox- who left the door open all the time. And you go sneakin in to steal a TV set, only when you get there, you realize I got there first. And youre yelling Thats not fair I wanted to try and steal it first. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the success stories of our time. In just 30 years theyve become the richest people on the planet, and they did it through a clever sense of business and people, not luck. Success in the business world is built on strategy, planning, negotiation, that is true, however, for true success, you need to be able to perceive, to think dynamically, and to use your emotions as well. Both Jobs and Gates in their lives have shown an extraordinary capacity for these traits. The proof of what can be accomplished with a dream and a drive is truly all around. 

Money has a lot of importance as it the medium of exchange of the goods and services that we need on a day to day basis. With this in mind therefore, it is necessary to note that money has got to be kept in check because it affects the prices of commodities if it is too much in circulation and also if it is too little in circulation. There has got to be the right mix of money supply although it can never be perfect. Money causes such economic activities as inflation and it is as a result of these that governments have established central banks to oversee the circulation of money in the economy and be able to correct any anomalies that come about as a result of having too much or too little money in circulation. In this paper, I will discuss more the issue of a central bank and show the importance of having a bank like that one.
1 a) Define and describe the makeup of the Central Bank and how it operates.
       The central bank is a government institution that oversees and controls the functions of the national banks that have been established in a country in order to streamline a countrys banking system. It is a bankers bank. With disregard to a federal system of banking, all other banks would exercise what is called free banking whereby there would be no inflation. A central bank therefore does all the checks and balances for other banks. It is made up of all other banks that give services to the customer. That bank would have an absolute monopoly of note issue and reserve requirements and would then insure a multilayered pyramiding of top of its notes. The central bank could bail out banks in trouble and inflate the currency in a smooth, controlled and uniform manner throughout the nation.
b) How does the central bank remove the limits (under free banking) of bank credit inflation As indicated earlier, the central bank is either owned or run by the government and so it has all the powers accorded to it by the central government to do transactions on behalf of all other banks. It is given sole monopoly to issue the currency in circulation within an economy by the government. You will find that other banks cannot issue money and the inability of them not issuing money for circulation enables only one source that can control the level of inflation.
c) Discuss the determinants of the money supply under central banking
     When the depositors of a bank redeem their demand deposits from their bank, it might require the bank to draw its reserve money from the central bank. The central bank therefore has to supply the bank with the amount needed with a view to give out notes. The total money supplied does not change since the money given out by the central bank will act as the demand deposits made by that bank. The total amount of money will change and not the form. If there is a lot of money in circulation, the government through the central bank will sell its bonds to the market so as to reduce the money supply and will buy back the bonds if there is little money in circulation
Part II
a) The level of total bank reserves is controlled by the actions of
The public it is evident that when there are increases in demand for cash by the depositors, there is an equal drop in the central banks reserves. This will also have a multiplier effect in decreasing total demand deposits translating into a lesser effect in cutting the amount total of money.
Those actions controlled by the central bank the central bank through the open market operations moves to the market as a different entity and transacts in buying and selling of assets. The purchase of any asset is an open market purchase the sale of any asset is an open market sale.
The public will draw down its demand deposits by  3 billion in order to obtain cash. The bank goes to the central bank and draws down the money. Initially, the money supply will remain the same due to the fact that demand deposits will have reduced by  3 billion while the outstanding notes to central bank will have increased by the same amount. Reserves will decrease by  3 billion while money in the hands of people will increase with the same margin. For the banks to maintain the required reserve ratios, they have therefore got to reduce their loans and demand deposits for the total deposits to reduce as well. A reduction in  3 billion of reserve ratio will see a reduction in the demand deposits with a higher margin.
   When the Feds system manager does an open market purchase of  10 million of governments bond, the private dealers money supply will increase in Bank of America in terms of increased demand deposits by the same amount. This is as a result of the Fed having issued a check that the dealer deposits with his bank. The Bank of Americas net reserves will also go up with the same margin of  10 million. The total assets of the dealers bank will increase with the same margin of  10 million. Demand deposits at the Fed bank will increase because the bank will have written itself a check once it buys of the bond. The assets also increase as it now owns the  10 million worth of the bonds. 
3) The increase in bank reserves from loans issued by the Fed bank, increased deposit of cash or through open market purchases are transactions that happen in all banks. A bank will increase its loans and deposits by 1 minus the reserve requirement. This therefore initiates a ripple or multiplier effect in the procedure of credit expansion which has a lesser magnitude form the preceding one. You will find that the money supply from each consecutive bank decreases by a certain margin depending on the figures that have been transacted. As the multiplier effect continues to take place, the banks demand deposits will increase by a certain percentage of the preceding bank. This process enables me to understand the effects of the multiplier effect on money supply and also how the central bank in conjunction with the other national banks controls the mystery of inflation.
4)  After the war of 1812, it is said that the American monetary system was at a fateful crossroads. Individual banks issued flat money that had negative effects to the economy. There was massive depreciation of assets, and the banks were not being able to buy back the money that was in circulation. Democratic-Republican establishment in 1816  the old Federalist path of a new inflationary central bank, the second bank of the United States.
The Federal government owned a portion of the bank and also it was an improvement of the first central bank. The purpose of the bank was to purchase the large debt that was in circulation, receive deposits of the governments money and create a currency that would be used nationally by everyone. 
5 a)The war was being financed by printing more paper money which even led to a suspension of specie payment by both the treasury and the national banks. By 1863 the money supply had zoomed to  1.44 billion, an increase of 92.5  in three years. The aftermath was an increase in prices of goods and services. During this year the Federal government had stopped issuing hard money that had depreciated greatly and instead was buying back the large currencies in the market by way of issuing public debt. This was largely done by selling government bonds to the public.  c) The national banking system was definitely a forerunner in the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. This is simply because, business could not be done the same way again with the catastrophic results that were being experienced when there was no way of monitoring the activities of national banks. There was a lot of money in circulation and this led to high inflation thus increase in prices of commodities were felt. For the rates of inflation to be checked and controlled, the creation of a bankers bank was necessary and it is due to the events that occurred with the national banks that led to establishment of a Federal reserve system. The reserve system was therefore put in place to check on the activities of the national banks to curb to improve on the money circulation and reduce the inflation rates.

The Canadian Tire company has five major brands in the market.  The five products of the market mix are  Canadian Tire Retail, which is a dynamic dealer in general merchandise with over 475 stores in the Canadian coast-to coast environment. The main products that are marketed under the brand name include automotive parts, accessory and services sports and leisure products and home products. The second brand is Part Source that has 86 stores that sell automotive parts with promise for professional installation that has won the reputation of the company. Canadian Tire Financial Services is a financial tailored product that provides solutions to over five million Canadian Tire MasterCard card accounts and other financial products that are related to retail and petroleum customers. The fourth brand, Canadian Tire Petroleum operates gas and car wash businesses around Canada. The brand is the largest gasoline retailer company in Canada while boasting with 273 gas bars, 266 stores and 74 car washes. Lastly, Marks Work Warehouse engages in sell of apparels, foot wear, clothing and health-care in a broad market segment that includes up to 374 stores. The brand company serves a broad retail market segment covering. (Corporate Profile 1)
    The company has a large channel of product distribution throughout the country. Tires and household goods are widely distributed in the broad 475 stores. The company has a wide financial solution kit that enhances the easy payment by customers. In addition the 276 gas bars and 266 convenient retailer stores enhance proper distribution of gasoline products. The companys apparel brand has an online purchasing system that allows customers to order apparels and other store related products via www.marks.com however the rest of the company is yet to implement a comprehensive online product delivery human resource information system that can transform the sales strategy of the company. Nevertheless, each of the five market mix brands has an online shop. The level of business growth within the company is outstandingly phenomenal in keeping up with the companys mission to built life customer base, in 2009 strategic plan, the company expects to set up 39 more outlets and 74 retail outlets have expanded their customer base by increased operating capital that was injected into the business.  
    The company makes use of differences in brand taglines, logos, color palates and symbols to create a psychological attraction of each brand to its customers. The Canadian financial service brand makes use of its logo gold options to create a psychological effect to customers who view it as a golden opportunity to reduce on the burden of cues and long waiting to make payments to the store. The marks wear house uses the orange color that emotionally creates a warm and friendly environment thus appealing to customers. The tag line helps customers identify it as a clothing store and nothing to do with automobile parts. Part source that deals with automotive parts uses colors like blue to represent power and red for seriousness since they deal in genuine and original spare parts
    The main pricing objective is to have uniform prices across all stores. The company offers major discounted merchandise to all products across all stores as a price strategy to avoid internal competition. That way customer will always know that they can get their favorite products from the store at their common price despite the location of the store. Prices for petroleum products like gasoline are maintained at a flat fee across Canada. This is in tune with the vision of the company which is to create customers for life.
    The share price for the last twelve months opened with a low of 37.81 and a high of 60.75The past fiscal year opened with shares trading at 41.88 while todays price closed at 53.92.The price changed with a percentage of  28.65 . The price change was influenced by the companys marketing strategy that attracted many into the business.                    Based on the financial history information, I would not buy shares because there was decline of share prices across the three year period. December 31, 2005 closed at 69.54 while December 31, 2008 closed at 44.92 thus there was a decline in total value of the stocks making it unfavorable time to trade.
    Business operation kept expanding though the share value remained relatively average during the trade sessions. In general the company displayed good performance in customer delivery services, the marketing strategy was achieved and with planned expansions the economic growth of the company has gained momentum to toward the attainment of the companys core vision.

In business, authorities in the field such as Philip Kotler in his book Chaotics the business of managing and marketing in the age of turbulence have emphasized that any enterprise can only be led smoothly if the whole team involved in the strategizing and implementation of the policies that govern the enterprise are directed by a leader equipped with enough conceptual skills and competency in critical thinking. These attributes are invaluable especially in problem solving and decision making.

Value statements
The value statements that can be derived from a point of view of leadership and critical thinking are in essence

Problem solving  this involves first of all an appreciation of the facts surrounding a situation in order to be able to make an informed choice and decision as remarks Anita Hernadek in her book Critical thinking. The value of this is that a member of a masters business class will be aided in mitigating problems that may arise in and outside the classroom while at the same time sharpening his decision making skills and character in handling them.

Character building- an individual being instructed in a business course of a masters level needs to curve out a character frame centered on the core values of leadership and critical thinking by - intellectual humility, courage (personal and professional), empathy, perseverance and fair-mindedness- this can be cultivated by actively involving oneself in not just the theoretical class instructions but by also incorporating the same in every front social and professional.

Ethics- attest that one can be a very good critical thinker and have the appropriate disposition in cognitive processes but lack the moral fiber to back it up e.g. by using the knowledge and skills therein to exploit and mislead those who lack the same skills and disposition, more so looking at it at a professional angle. A member of a business class of a masters caliber need to take this in consideration and propagate integrity in and out of their course work. John Persisco and Patricia Rouner in their book the new business values for success in the 21st century hold ethical practice and conduct as one of the most fundamental value statements that should be at the fore front of any business undertaking if it is to succeed.

Due to the advent of globalization and the expansion of world markets, the global market place has rather contracted and there are associations between all parts of the world. This progress into technology and modernization has given a great boost to new companies entering the market. Since there is growing trade among different parts of the world and geographical barriers are less than ever before, it is easier for companies to enter the market and establish themselves within the target market that they wish to cater to. This paper is a business proposal of a cupcake bakery called cupcake wonders. It would outline all the factors considered while starting up a new venture. Moreover, it would describe the market of the business and how it would approach its consumers.

Discussion
The name of the business is cupcake wonders. It is a bakery that is providing with the best quality cupcakes that are of different shapes, flavors and outlooks suitable for various occasions and attractive for all kinds of cupcake lovers. The business is a sole proprietorship and currently owned by a single owner and multiple workers responsible for different aspects of the business. Cupcake wonders is engaged in the production, sales and distribution of cupcakes for every occasion. The sales can be made on a retail basis to individual customers at any time of the day or in wholesale quantity for a specific function or occasion. The company would currently cater to regional customers and would deliver its products within a specific range as the business is new and needs time to set up its branches and delivery transportation. The mission statement of the business is to provide a new edge to the cupcake industry by keeping a high standard of quality and a wide range of flavors. At the present time there would be four cupcake bakers that would be responsible for the production of cupcakes. One employee would be in charge of the transportation and delivery while there would be three workers for delivering the products to their destination. Finance would be controlled by two employees that would report to the owner and the marketing team would consist of four personnel.
The cupcake industry is a relatively new one, however, there has already been a boom in this industry and numerous cupcake stores have opened up that are leading to the saturation of the cupcake industry. This has, nevertheless, not caused the cupcake bakeries to cease from existing. The cupcake industry emerged with the prominent sprinkles that has several stores in America, this was followed by crumbles and hence, the cupcake industry materialized. The abundant cupcake bakeries all around the country has not exactly caused a decrease in the love that people have for this treat. There is still a demand for cupcakes consumption either as a casual treat or in occasions such as birthday parties and weddings. The cupcake industry is now becoming more inventive, creative and agile towards the wishes of the consumers and due to the low set up and production costs the cupcake bakeries can spend more resources over creating a competitive edge. Cupcakes can be added with different toppings to make them different and in a way new to the consumers. Earlier, cupcakes had a standard form and flavors but with the passage of time toppings such as frosting, sprinkles and candies are becoming part of the general menus. It can be concluded form the trends of the market that the cupcake industry is one that is growing rather than contracting with time. The affordability, size and diversity offered by cupcakes overpower the advantages of traditional cakes hence, this industry is one that will succeed more in the future. Even though the cupcake industry is well established and cupcakes stores are becoming a common store in each area, there is still a growing entrant rate into this field. The trend of cupcakes in birthday parties, weddings and other occasions is still growing and also the pace of new coffee houses is at an up rise.
The cupcake industry is increasing rapidly with more and more cupcake bakeries emerging. Market leaders such as sprinkles and crumbs are leading the cupcake industry with the highest number of stores. There is however, an advantage of entering the cupcake industry as the market of cakes is saturating. Cupcakes are considered more feasible and convenient. New trend in birthday cakes is to make cakes with many cupcakes together which reduces the need to cut the cake into equal pieces. Consumers are attracted towards products that are more convenient, easy to consume and more striking. Since, the cupcake industry is at a boom there is a need to come up with more differentiating strategies that make the cupcakes offered by cupcake wonders to be more striking for the consumers. The cupcake industry needs to be accessible by the consumers not only as a bricks and mortar outlet but also available on the internet for consumers to be able to order their products from anywhere at any time. The key success factors of functioning in the cupcake industry is to make use of the new marketing tools and remain agile to the ever changing needs of the consumers.
Due to the advent of globalization and the advancement of technology and communication, Business is now more sophisticated, concentrated and strategic. There is a growing need of knowledge and expertise. One of the key elements in running a successful business is to run a competitor analysis in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the business and the areas over which the business needs to influence its major strategies. By having information of competitors it is easier to come up with strategies that could create and maintain a competitive advantage over the rivals, hence, giving the consumers what they desire and becoming more successful in the industry. The cupcake industry is one that is growing rapidly in term of competition as more and more bakeries are focusing on cupcakes rather than pastries or cakes. Coffee shops and cafes are also expanding to include cupcakes in their menu as it is something that is gaining more attention from consumers as time progresses. Large retailers such as sprinkles and crumbs are leading the market, however, this does not mean that the market is saturated. With the help of appropriate marketing and promotion tools its possible to becoming one of the leading cupcake stores seeding to further expansion into other areas.
Cupcake wonders would strive to be available to consumers at all places for their ease. Facebook and twitter which are the leading online social forums would provide customers to access the bakery pages giving the details and latest special offers. Cupcake wonders would have an interactive website that would not only give contact details but provide a visual experience of the attractive menu offered by the bakery. Pictures of the various cupcakes would further attract consumers who would be offered with the option of placing their orders online and getting their deliveries on their desired date. Cupcake wonders would work towards creating a trend and  inclination by moving customers towards the cupcake world. Cupcake is not only a teatime snack but is a great present for international buyers who may want to deliver it to local addresses.
In todays world, good marketing and promotion are the key factors that decide the success or failure of a business. As the competition increases in the cupcake industry it is becoming more and  more important to differentiate the brand from other cupcake bakeries and provide customers with a unique experience. A number of marketing and promotion strategies can be used. It is important for every bakery to provide the customer with a comfortable ambience and products that they would like at all times.  Initially it is vital for a newly established business to get the word out and make itself known to the potential customers. Cupcake wonders can send out flyers and newsletters displaying its menu items to intrigue the customers towards trying them. Special offers and discount coupons can be offered to consumers in order to give them something extra. Advertising at the right place, the right time and to the right customers is significant for the business to grow and mature.
The target market of cupcake wonders would be diverse. The bakery is planning to cater to visitors who would want to purchase cupcakes for their suppers or a normal teatime snack, and it would also cater to customers who would want to order for parties, wedding and other occasions. The cupcakes could also be delivered through order placement. Hence, the target market is children and youngsters who are more prone towards snacks such as cupcakes. the price that is charged it based upon the cost factors of the business. Such as the cost of producing the cupcakes including the ingredients, baking, packing, equipment costs and the salaries of the staff. All these costs combined along with the profit margin would determine the price that would be charged. The price that would be charged also depends on the market and the target consumers based on what the competitors are charging and what the customers are willing to pay. The location of the bakery is of the essence in order to reach the target market. The bakery should be located in a region that is accessible to most people. When the business begins to expand it can open its branches in more locations and also stock its products in cafes and super markets.
The management of an organization is a vital part of its structure without which the organization would not have a sense of purpose or direction. It is not easy to precisely define the role of management. It is easier to recognize a business that is poorly managed than it is to pinpoint the specific features of good management in a successful business. Badly managed businesses will be poorly organized, will often have poor staff motivation and resources would be wasted or inefficiently used. (Stimpson, 2002) The role of managers involves the well being of the employees. In current conditions of rapid change and rising staff expectations of their experience at work, the effective management of people has become a major determining factor in influencing the success of business enterprises. Cupcake wonders professes to consider its employees their most important asset  as they are responsible for the production of quality cupcakes which are critical in terms of taste, also the employees interact with the customer and in order to maintain a better goodwill the employees are expected to provide good services to the customers. The cupcake chefs would have to experiences in baking cupcakes and need to have a perfectionist view of working in the kitchen. Other staff must pertain educational background in the fields of job that they are employed under.

The value of a business plan to an organization.
   A business is based on formulated set objectives. In order to achieve these objectives one needs to outline focused business strategies. This is where the concept of a detailed business plan is required. These helps in analyzing the pros and cons involved in execution of the business ideas in mind (Pinson  Jinnet, 2007, P.23). A business plan can be designed in any stage of a business. For start ups, a business plan is deemed on organizing thoughts, seeking funds and convincing potential investors that your plan is really workable. A good business plan helps in identifying your potential customers and analyzing the focus market early in advance. A business plan outlines your physical location and the advantages of setting up your business in that area in terms of infrastructure and the demand of your goods or services you are planning to offer. Setting up of prices is determined by the prices imposed by the competitors already in the market. A plan help determine the number of working staff needed in running of the business and set out provisions for overheads.                                              Marketing strategies are also indicated in the plan. These strategies demonstrate how you plan to reach and sell your services or products to the desired targets. Well formulated business plans are used to acquire funds from lending institutions and to convince potential investors to invest in your ideas. Existing businesses also formulate business plans from time to time. These are either deemed at changing running strategies in place or outsource funds for expansion. Businesses set up yearly goals and in achieving them they need to formulate a working plan. By taking all these factors into consideration helps a business formulate survival tactics needed in the success of any business venture.
How the economic concepts of supply and demand can have an impact on organizational performance in the short and long run
   The law of supply and demand stipulates that for a market to be at equilibrium, the quantity demanded should equal the amount supplied. This law determines the setting of prices in the market. The price ratio between the two is referred to as the market-clearing price because it helps level any excess in the amount supplied or demanded. When the prices are high, demand seems to go down and there is excess in supply. When the prices goes down Consumers demand less and more supply enters the market. Relatively, if the prices go down it means that the demand will be too high than supply. At this level, it is implied that the supply is rationed. When there is no excess in supply and demand then the market is said to be at equilibrium. However, in a normal market situation, activities continue to occur altering the equilibrium. These activities are called disturbances and generate changes on the short run or long run performance of a business. Demand elasticity is the decline in the rate of demand imposed by 1 incline in price. Elasticity in supply is the rate at which supply inclines due to an incline by1 of the price at the moment.  The elasticity of demand and supply is always high in the long run than it is in the short run. This means change in performance is more likely to be experienced in the long run than it is in the short run. In conclusion, it is implied that when the elasticity of demand and supply is down, the disturbance tends to generate high effect on price and a little impact on the quantity traded in the short run. Relatively, when the elasticity of demand and supply is high, it generates a low effect on price and a high effect on quantity in the long run.

Business Ethics and its important to the success of a business

  Behind every successful business entity there is the efforts of a good leader. One of the characteristics of a good leader is good business ethics. For a leader to be termed as effective, 56 of his composure must be based on his ethics both business and personal. The word ethics in business is perceived to be a pillar in strategic planning. Great business planners know that for the set goals and objectives to be achieved, there also need another set of guidelines to be followed. This principle outlines how individuals are supposed to conduct themselves in an organization. An outline of guideline principles maintains respect between peers in an organization and fosters good understanding and relationships. This helps prevent unethical behaviors whereby people intentionally cause harm to others directly or indirectly leading to shortcomings in terms of concentration and production capacity. These set guidelines foster improved communication in an organization which is a vital key to improved production. With everybody focused in doing what is ethically right, it leads to less waste of time and increased productivity levels.
How marketing strategy and organizational structure can provide an organization a sustained competitive advantage in the market place
   Marketing Strategy is a guideline to achieve set marketing objectives. All these are guided by the set overall corporate objectives in edging out its competitors. (Teng, 2008. P.76). In order to maintain a competitive advantage, a good marketer considers the three generic strategies of cost leading, competitive pricing and differentiation (uniqueness). These strategies help in providing consistency all the way through the different components of the overall marketing mix. Marketing strategies are the foundation stones upon which marketing designs are laid.
   A well designed organization structure helps an organization in positioning itself strategically for future development. First an organization needs to consider its nature and form of business in order to formulate a manageable and flexible organizational structure that will enable quick achievement of set objectives and goals. A well laid out organizational structure provides optimization in all level of management. This demonstrates the addition of value to the work of other parties in the organization. A flexible organization structure enables quick communication and easy planning. It saves time to strategize on positioning itself in the market.

The word Google has been more than just a brand name for the market it has also become a verb to define a specific action. People use the word Google not only to specify a website or a service in the computer Google became a very important word in the modern dictionary. Everyday, billions of people around the world browse the net and the global market could see how Google had dominated the globe with its numerous products and services. The company was also able to develop numerous products that would answer the demands of people from different market segments.
Rivalry
    Despite the success of Google in the market, the competition is still the greatest threat that the company faces today. Among the competitors of Google are the Yahoo.com, MSN, AOL, and Ask Jeeves. Yahoo, the companys greatest competitor, constantly introduces new features for the customers in order to reach the market share of Google. Yahoo even released new features that offer free template websites for small businesses to gain local customers. This product made critics conclude that Yahoo is working harder to understand the needs of small businesses than Google is. Apparently, the significance of providing better service and options for listings and placements is overridden by the importance of search market share (Goodman, 2005).
    The dominance of Google in the market makes the customers invest and use Google products than focusing on better services of the competitors. Basically, the Internet had already taught the market that the most visited web page is definitely the best site to use regardless of the cost-per-click rate or the less possibility of meeting the right consumers for a specific product. Google has undeniably a bigger market share and the businesses disregard the amount of money being paid to the company just to promote their products on-line. 
Threat of Substitutes
    The fact that competitors continuously develop new products to increase their market shares could be a threat to the company. Competitors work harder to gain more clients despite the success of Google as the worlds leading brand today. Google must have already evaluated the potential substitutes for the business, which made them developed new services in order to give the customers a wide variety of services to choose from. Google developed new search domains including Desktop Search and Base that allow the consumers to download an application on personal computers and provided free service that accepted submissions on on-line and off-line database content (Eisenmann et al, 2006). Undeniably, Google has already built an empire in the World Wide Web and as of today, the company is ensured of greater opportunities in the future due to its uncontrollable success in the market.
Buyer Power
    In the case of Google, everyone would agree that the buyer power is weak. Unlike other services in the net, the company has the power to set the price and even manipulate the traffic of a specific website. Banner and pop up advertisements undeniably expand not only the profit of the company but also of the customers who consistently advertise with Google. The power of Google over its customers had been felt when some of the biggest advertisers of the company backed out because of the corporations alleged negligence and unresponsiveness. Even foreign governments stated that they are having a problem in operating with Google however, the dominance of the company in the Internet has somehow challenged the capacity of other competitors in promoting the former clients of the Google (Eisenmann et al, 2006). For the customers, aside from Google, there is no other way of gaining the level of anticipated success in the market. The company therefore has the power to set the price as well as the rules for the customers worldwide.
Supplier Power
    The Google Company must have gathered and collected every possible supplier under one corporation. From labor to soft wares, Google has the authority to control them. The supplier power is definitely not a big deal for a well-established and growth oriented company like Google. The company has even adopted unconventional approaches for managing innovation (Eisenmann et al, 2006). The engineers have the choice which projects they would like to work on to and allowed the employees to voice their ideas for the betterment of the operation and the business as a whole.  Due to seemingly endless ideas and concepts, the company needs to allocate more engineering efforts and designate more technical staff to focus on the programs and continue to develop products for the wide target customers. Each Google product has a high market share and the companys profit continuously boost everyday.
    In a huge corporation like Google, the management will definitely be willing to invest in promising products regardless of the time and amount needed for the development of the product. Google is eager to expand the business well and the entire corporation is willing to take a risk on high reward projects. In general, the raw materials for Google products do not greatly affect the decision of the management as long as it shows potential for companys success.
Barriers to Entry
    New corporation in business environment always threat the existing one. In todays technology, everyone is capable of inventing and developing a product in the marketplace. Larry Page and Sergey Brins success in introduction of Google to the world might even open an opportunity for other people. Some companies may try to penetrate the industry by conceptualizing new ideas that would compete with the products of Google however, the status and financial capabilities of Google today may only provide more risks for the new corporations. Google is a leading brand in the market and the existence of its competitors does not even affect the companys business. Therefore, the corporations that would be interested to penetrate the search engine industry need to have an exceptional concept that would beat the empire of Google Company.

Part I Background Summary

The golf equipments industry registered very intensive competition among the key suppliers in 2005 and USGA came under intense pressure to enhance its business strategic approaches. During that year planning and management functions in companies plying their trade in the golf equipment industry were designed to optimize resource allocation and competitive advantage relative to rationality, maximization of profits and market responsiveness (Kotler  Keller 99). The preliminary strategic planning processes in the companies were therefore perfected through analytic review of the inherent situation in the internal and external environments of the companies. The case study reviews the effectiveness of the competitive strategies adopted by companies in the golf equipment industry in 2005.    

Part II Problem Identification

The difficulties to accurately predict the likely outcomes and the subsequent implications of the strategic plans and decisions arise from the susceptibility of long term planning to unforeseen constraints and adverse effects on the economic outlook. The management team in USGA must acknowledge the possible setbacks in the implementation and achievement of projected growth in sales as expressed in the strategic plan (USGA Website). The key aspects of marketing communications mix in an organization include product features, price strategy, promotions and current performance.  Despite the adoption of these strategies, it remains to be seen if USGA achieved long term competitive advantage over its key competitors.

Part III Researching Internal and External Factors

The competitive analysis of the USGA brand is based on SWOT analysis and the five forces that constitute organizational micro-environment namely the threat of substitute products the threat of the entry of new competitors the intensity of competitive rivalry the bargaining power of customers and the bargaining power of suppliers (Porter 36, 1985). The important aspects of driving forces behind the intensified competition among companies in the golf equipments industry was the motivated by the need of the companies to achieve competitive advantage through expanded turnover, growth of market share by percentage, increase net revenues, enhanced customer care, efficiency in distribution of products and services, and efficient utility of financial resources.
Indeed, the value of the adopted strategic planning models lies in the ability of the management team of a company to fully pursue effective and objective representation of the companys internal and external environments but also the managements viability in focusing minds and helping the companys stakeholders take particular actions from informed perspectives (Kotler  Keller 101, 2009). So far, it is evident that competitive factors bear very significant influence over the strategic approaches towards marketing and planning in USGA. This demonstrates how important it is for the company to take into account all the important aspects of the environment whenever undertaking organizational planning and competitive advantage audits. Each and every element of the organizational competitive strategies should always be accorded full attention in order to ensure successful achievement of the set goals and objectives (Aaker, 2008). Factors such as the stakeholders, partnerships and industry life cycles are tailored to suit the strategic needs in USGA as situations may demand.
Competitive advantage plays a major role in the golf equipments industry. As the largest golf equipments suppliers in the US, USGA definitely portrays advanced and well thought out market positioning strategies that are designed to see the company remain a leading player in the golf equipments industry. The company is using differentiation strategies to capture a wide consumer base through the offering of numerous product lines (Porter, 1985). USGA is further favored by its flexible pricing because of its stable financial infrastructure which can accommodated such conditions without hurting its productions activities and financial standings. Moreover, USGA draws competitive advantages from the massive nature of its large market research projects which many companies in the golf companies find difficult to achieve (USGA Website, 2009).
The company enjoys a strong brand name, a competitive advantage that ultimately places the company above its competitors. The mere recognition of a brand name may go a long way in providing a company with the much needed favors in penetrating the market segments (Kotler  Keller 102). Good governance practices and performance parameters too are good indicators for winning over customers in the golf equipments industry. Just like any other kind of business commitments, golf equipments production and distribution presents as much risks as benefits, and only those companies with sound resource and management capacities stand to rip most from their competitive elements. Golf equipments industry has in place advanced RD programs that have enabled the company to set a fast pace in the discovery and adoption of new production technologies to reach out to a wide range of golfing enthusiasts.
The five forces determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of a market and any changes to any of these forces would require a company to re-assess the market place (Porter 37). The golf equipments industry exists as a deregulated sector, a situation which however, if combined with the relatively high fixed costs compared to other industries, makes it difficult for new players to make entry. The high barriers to entry (Kotler  Keller 102, 2009) make the golf equipments distribution business a favorable industry for both the USGA brand. Barriers to exit serve as indicators on how easily a company can exit the market, and USGA is characterized by high barriers to exit because company has wide network of distribution channels and highly specialized equipments that cannot be sold off easily. Customer buying power represents the level of power that buyers have over products (Robbins  Judge 79, 2004). The demand for USGA golf equipments in the short run is inelastic and therefore customers have much of options for other golf equipment brands and sports utility options. As such, customers have high buying power relative to the USGA brand because buyers can freely switch brand on service and cost preferential grounds. Threats of substitute products are therefore very high given that there are several the golf equipment production companies in the US, most of which have impact in the market and so far pose no threats to the market shares of USGA.
Competitive rivalry is the ability of a product to match the performance of the existing products in the market and evidently, the USGA brand faces high competitive intensity in most of its target market in the US. The environment is best mirrored by the McKinsey 7 S model which stipulates that organizations are not single structures, but rather constituencies of seven different elements namely structures, strategies, systems, shared values, styles, skills and staff. The McKinsey 7 S model (Daft 66, 2001) further suggests that the seven different elements can further be split into soft Ss and hard Ss. Hard Ss is a category that consists of factors such as systems, structure and strategy and they are considered to be conspicuous in the organization and are traceable to the mission statements, strategy plans, corporate structures and routine documents of organizations.     
Part IV Information of Analysis

USGA competitive strategies are designed to achieve increased marginal utility for its golf equipment products. Indeed, the marginal utility of any commodity is set to increase when more and more units of that commodity are consumed (Aaker 272, 2008), as described by the backward sloping demand curve.

The following is the demand curve for golf equipment that is supported by the above marginal utility curve for golf equipment sales

The backward sloping demand curve has great significance in marketing strategies because it enables companies to determine the effectiveness of their marketing strategies, because successful marketing strategies will be demonstrated by increased consumption of that product that will hence increase the marginal utility of the product (Daft 67, 2001). Once the marginal utility of the product increases, more units of the product will be sold with increase in prices of the product (Kotler  Keller 101, 2009). The backward sloping demand curve is also of significance to marketers owing to the fact that marketers can strive to make a product so popular with the aim of making people to become ignorant of other products such that an increase in the price of such a product would lead to an increase in demand of the product.
It is also necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis of USGA to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of the company in order to identify the potential opportunities for USGA and estimate the threats that are prevailing in the market

Strengths
The relative strength of USGA in the market is its brand image and marketing perception in the eyes of its consumers. The constant marketing strategies over the years have made USGA into a synonym for high-quality golf equipment. There have been very few instances of bad cases and thus, the company has enjoyed unstipulated growth in its brand equity. This is further seconded by the proximity of the company to its customers. Research indicates that a high percentage of the population of USGAs customers are situated nearby and thus USGA is their first choice  for customers who are not great fans of USGA, they prefer to but from USGA because of the proximity factor.

Weaknesses
    The supply chain factors are the biggest weakness in the case of USGA. Its distance from its suppliers is magnified due to its distance from the international airport. USGA incurs not only the cost of importing from its suppliers, but also faces the excessive cost of transport from the international airport that is situated a great distance away. The reduction in this weakness can be done in the form of a warehouse in between, however, that again would be a tradeoff.

Opportunities
    USGA has the opportunity to expand vertically into the market. It currently offers a wide range of golf equipment however, USGA can focus on equipment that can target the segment of the population that is unable to play golf. USGA can invest in simulators of golf to target the senior most segment of the golf-loving population. These simulation games will definitely sell at premiums and can be a significant revenue factor for USGA in the short run itself.
    Another opportunity in the market lies to target the youngest segment of the market. Aiming to become future golf players, USGA should introduce a different variety of products for this segment of the population ensuring that their brand is registered in the minds of young consumers  a potential advantage considering the future benefits of such a strategy.

Threats
    The threat of potential competitors in the industry owing to the natural competitive structure of the market always looms there. USGA should identify its main competitors and work towards differentiating its products. Though USGA has had no direct competitor head fight, it has had to ensure that its products have been distinctive and of the highest quality.
    USGA also faces a critical quality assurance problem reliance on its suppliers for quality means that a great deal of the quality assurance is not in the hands of USGA. Thus, maintenance of the same quality over time is a threat that could virtually lead to USGA losing its loyal clientele.
Part V Possible Solutions

Imperatively, the management of USGA needs to acknowledge that strategic planning cannot be achieved in isolation given forecasts are susceptible to inherent uncertainties. Therefore, creative and innovative approaches will be adopted in the design of the strategic plan.
According to the complexity theory, dynamism in any organization is typified in multi-directional relationship across systems, with interactions among different elements of a particular system resulting into the emergence of new norms and behavior (Kotler  Keller 53, 2009).
Effectively, the complexity theory acknowledges the need for the management team of USGA to match any normative changes with convincing efforts to promote an understanding of the emerging norms and ensure that interactions between localized parts of the complex organizational system are not interfered with. This would require the management of USGA to further undertake comprehensive reviews of current operational structures and processes to identify areas of weaknesses and improvements. Factors such as the stakeholders, partnerships and industry life cycles must always be tailored to suit the strategic needs in company as situations may demand. To this end, USGA must streamline its strategic plan to reflect realistic and achievable objectives (USGA Website, 2009).

Part VI Recommendation

Like any other kind of business commitments, the golf equipments industry presents as much risks as benefits. USGA stands to rip most from its competitive advantages through the adoption of sound resource and management capacities. The company should enhance its RD programs so as to set a fast pace in the discovery and adoption of new production technologies and reach out to a wide range of golf players and fans.
The bottom line is that USGA should focus on strategic planning as an investment rather than an expense. This perceptual difference will entail a competitive advantage for USGA and will eventually be the major differentiating factor enabling the Association to expand its enrolment considerably.
Based on the SWOT analysis, it is imperative for USGA to address the threats and weaknesses that are encroaching the business in the short and long run. While competition is always a natural factor, the critical quality assurance issues are somewhat of a more serious nature that should be addressed by USGA. Further, USGA could look towards capitalizing on the opportunities mentioned earlier. It should begin with the youngsters targeting strategy as it has a much larger and longer payoff than the senior segment targeting strategy. This will be the first step towards a comprehensive optimization system that would be the foundation stone for USGA building its global change management and competitive strategy  a step that is entirely necessary in this era of globalization where competition has marked the business environment significantly (Keller  Kotler, 2009).

Enron was founded in the year 1985 by Kenneth Lay following a merger of Internorth and Houston natural gas. After the merger, the company had an ownership of 37.000 miles of interstate and intra state pipelines which were being used to transport natural gas. This company grew and established itself as an international company through out the 1990s. However, towards the closure of year 2000, the company began to experience financial crisis leading to its bankruptcy in the year 2001 (Healy  Palepu, 2003).
Where and why did Enron go wrong
    Things at Enron Company began going wrong in the year 2000 when it recorded losses of over 638 million, a factor that made its market share to drop by 44. Earlier, its chief executive officer Jeffrey Skilling had quit unexpectedly citing personal reasons. There were many reasons that led to the fall of Enron Company ranging from legal to governance problems. The legal and regulatory structure of the United States was a major contributor towards the fall of Enron Company. The SEC regulations and laws permits companies such as Arthur Andersen to offer consulting services to entities while at the same time offering auditing report on financial reports pertaining to consulting activities. This is a major flow in the legal systems that contributed to the failure of Enron Company (Healy  Palepu, 2003).
Arthur Andersen was the external auditing firm of the company as well as its consulting firms. This in turn had led to conflict of interest thus hindering effective and transparent auditing activities. Lack of autonomy of external auditors made it difficult for Arthur Andersen to accurately review and assess the accounting processes of the company. Investigations revealed that Enron Company had previously misrepresented its true financial reports with an aim of attracting and retaining investors. Inadequacies in the regulatory and legal structures created loopholes for Enron Company eventually leading to its failure in the year 2001.
How did Enrons corporate governance fail to prevent their collapse
    The governance of Enron Company had a big stake towards the demise of this company. Enron corporate governance wanted to continue operation even when they knew the company was in great financial problem. The flaws in the accounting system allowed the company to take advantage of the limitation to hide its financial status. Arthur Andersen had subsequently reported about the inefficiencies of the accounting process as well as the risk susceptibility of the company to internal auditors who are said to have passed on the concern to the management team. However, the top management is not reported to have taken any corrective measure for this. Instead, the company had hidden such information from investors to ensure that they did not withdraw their investment. Had the corporate governance of this company taken earlier reform measures, the company could have not failed (Healy  Palepu, 2003).
    Also, the mode of compensation that the company was using had raised several questions with analysts. The managements stock options were used to heavily compensate the management of Enron Company. This mode of compensation has the ability of motivating managers into making decisions that lead to short term performance of stocks that have no ability of creating long term or even medium term value to an organization. At Enron Company, compensation based on stock options was the major form of motivating employees and this had adverse effects on the company since no long term value was being added. Though corporate governance had been warned on this, it did little to correct it thus leading to failure of the company.
What ethical considerations did Enrons executives violate
    One of the greatest violations of ethics on part of executives of Enron Company is failure to disclose the true financial information or status of the company to its investors and potential investors. Enron Company was using market to market accounting systems that allowed it to convert future cash flows to current market flows. While this method of accounting is allowed, making projections that are unrealistic so as to attract investors is unethical. This was what executives of Enron did during most of the contracts they were entering into.
    It is also reported that the companys executives never used to give full details while engaging in Special Purpose Entities. Enron had used many Special Purpose Entities to purchase contracts but only very little information was disclosed for accounting purposes. These entities were vital in assessing the true worth of the business and the executives failed to disclose such details. This was unethical of them and a violation of ethical consideration (Healy  Palepu, 2003).
    Failure to reveal the true financial status of the company was another violation of ethical consideration on the side of Enrons executive branch. Employees especially those in accounting department had warned the top management on the inadequacies of accounting procedures. Executives were overestimating the balance sheet of the company so as to entice investors. This was a violation of accounting standards and ethical considerations by executives.

Tools for Effective Leadership
Leadership refers to a process through which an individual influences others to accomplish a goal(s) and directs the group or organization in a way that makes it more cohesive as well as coherent (Clifton, 2006). There are various leadership attributes that enable a leader to carry out his or her duties effectively. These include believes, values, skills, and knowledge among others. Any group, be it social, political or business organization would require an effective leadership to achieve its objectives.
Effective leadership is certainly one of the key factors that would determine the success of a group or an organization. For instance, the leadership of a business organization would largely influence its success or failure. Indeed, it is the leadership that would determine the performance of employees in any business organization (Parvis, 2003). In the business world, an effective leadership is crucial for the survival of the business, especially in the market place. It calls for an effective leadership to maintain a large customer base. This paper examines various tools that make an effective leadership and their contribution to the success of groups and business organization.
First, an effective leadership should be result oriented (Clifton, 2006). While an effective leadership should have good attributes such as skills, and knowledge, it is only by the end result of a group or an organization that would define the efficiency of its leadership. Result-based leadership defines the meaning and importance of leadership. Leadership must endeavor to achieve the objectives of the organization. Certainly, an effective leadership must demonstrate good leadership attributes and achieve results. It should be able to lead by example.  For instance, business organizations are profit oriented. Therefore, an effective leadership should be able yield and sustain profitability (Parvis, 2003).
Second are excellent communication skills. What and how leaders communicate can either build or damage the relationship between the group members and the leadership (Clifton, 2006). Indeed, studies have shown that effective communication by between the leadership and employees plays a key to the success and profitability of a business organization. Basically, an effective communication is two-way. Listening openly to others is a key ingredient of an effective leadership.  An effective leader should be able to comfortably conduct meeting with the group members as well as make proper presentations. He or she should be able to convey effectively the subject at hand to the rest of the members of an organization (Parvis, 2003). Certainly, effective communication skills are a key tool for conflict resolution at workplace as well as enhancing good decision making by the leadership.  
Third, effective leadership should endeavor to effectively develop teamwork by inspiring the team members. Studies have shown that an effective leadership not only calls for a common vision but also values the human resources of the team or an organization (Wasburn  Ncube, 2006). It provides an environment that enhances individual contributions to the organizations daily work. Indeed, collaborative relationships between the leader and the organizations members ensure the shared goals are attained. Effective leadership supports team efforts, nature the skills required by the team and individual members of the organization in order to ensure its success. For instance, in a business organization, an effective leadership would ensure that the employees have access to in-service training to improve on their skills and knowledge required in their area or duty (Clifton, 2006). Additionally, an effective leadership in a business organization enhances employee engagement, which calls for full integration of the employees into organizations work, such that they appreciate their work and devotedly work to ensure success and profitability of the organization. Basically, employees satisfaction in a business organization is a factor that plays a key role in their performance rate (Wasburn  Ncube, 2006). With effective employee engagement measures put in place by the leadership, the employees would be highly motivated, and thus boost their performance.
Fourth, rewards and recognition extended to group or organization members by their leadership would go a long way in motivating them. An effective leadership shows appreciation of other members contributions. It should believe in its members, and ensure that the hardworking team members are rewarded or complimented for their good work. For instance, in a business organization rewarding employees would range from a word of compliment to an increase of their pay (Wasburn,  Ncube, 2006). On the other hand, an effective leadership would recognize a good performance of an employee by a promotion. This is a source of motivation to the employees, and would drive the organization to profitability.
Lastly, a leadership is constantly providing feedback to its members. How it provides this feedback will often determine the success or failure of an organizations members. Therefore, a constructive feedback is crucial to the success of the organization. Effective leadership should give advice on what is required of each and every member in the organization. Clear guidelines would improve the members confidence and the relationship with the leadership setting. Positive reinforcement is key tool of an effective leadership. These makes the members feel appreciated and thus motivates them. Indeed, when a leadership fails to give response to its members or even makes criticisms when trying to stop unwanted behavior, these may demoralize the member.
All in all, an effective leadership should lead by example. Acknowledge the other members ideas as well as endeavor to foster teamwork. Indeed, business organizations can be best run by teamwork. Communication across all levels of employees plays a key role plays a key role to the success of any business organization.