Research Paper on Strategic Planning Essay Example

Research Paper on Strategic Planning Essay Introduction Strategic planning is an indispensable component of success for virtually any organization, irrespective of the nature of its goals. Utilising a variety of strategic planning means, members of an organization can create a plan that will suit their particular needs and wants and help them attain the desired goals. Strategic planning is a â€Å"process to establish priorities on what you will accomplish in the future† (Evans). The use of strategic planning allows the organization to unite all its resources and effectively allocate it to the solution of tasks and assignments in the order of their importance that corresponds to the set goals and priorities. Forcing members of the organization to map out future strategy, strategic planning enables them to have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish. This research paper will include the application of strategic planning model to the functioning of the entrepreneurial organization, InternetGates, a provider of Internet services, design and high-tech solutions. The paper will include a brief review of strategic planning models and in-depth application of these models to the particular organization. Strategic Planning Models The ultimate goal of strategic planning is to create an organization that is â€Å"agile, collaborative and focused† (Lavia, 2004, p. 56). While the purpose is uniform, there are some actions that can be used to arrive at this purpose that is reflected in several strategic planning models. The first model is basic and is organized as follows: We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Strategic Planning specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Strategic Planning specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Strategic Planning specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Develop the purpose reflected in the mission statement State the goals to be achieved for the realization of the mission statement Develop strategies that are needed to attain goals â€Å"Identify specific action plans to implement each strategy† Regularly monitor the implementation of the plan (McNamara, 1999). This straightforward model is expanded in Issue-Based (or Goal-Based) Planning that also includes the internal/external analysis of the organization and development of the implementation plan (McNamara, 1999). The third model, called Alignment Model, envisages changes to the current situation to be made to adjust the organization, correcting flaws and inefficiencies. Finally, Scenario Planning involves preparation of scenarios to address possible changes in the external environment. This paper will rely on Issue-Based (or Goal-Based) Planning Model to map out the future of the organization. Mission Statement The development of the mission statement â€Å"determines the competitive arena in which an organization operates, how resources are to be allocated, and the appropriate size of the organization† (Mercer, 1991, p. 63). The organization’s mission statement is important because it defines â€Å"the overall organizational purpose and driving force(s) (Mercer, 1991, p. 63). internet games is a complex organization that operates in some areas, delivering news coverage, analytical reporting, high-tech solutions such as logos and multimedia presentations, online advertising, and software and design development services. Therefore, the mission statement should embrace these areas. Also, it should focus on stakeholders the organization wants to benefit such as clients, employees, investors, and others. The mission statement has to answer the question â€Å"What business are we in?† and define the driving force as â€Å"the primary strength of the organization on which major decisions are based† (Mercer, 1991, p. 63, 64). With all these considerations in mind, this can be an appropriate mission statement for internet games: InternetGates strives to provide its clients with high-class, state-of-the-art Internet service that will supply one-stop, integrated solutions, with the primary thrust being the high level of services offered enabled through the accumulation of expertise and knowledge in a carefully selected employee body. This mission statement reflects the concentration of the organization on the provision of comprehensive services network. It also reflects the emphasis on qualified staff retention and stresses the quality of services. Organization Overview InternetGates, or InternetGates.com, is an electronic media network that includes four sites representing four different projects: FinanceGates, RealEstateGates, GamblingGates, and FashionGates, each with its own topic area and staff. The organization is structured in such a way that nearly every employee is subordinated to the line manager within the project and functional manager, such as Head of the Content Department, Marketing Director, etc. This structure often creates tensions when there are discrepancies between objectives set by various managers, and these requirements clash, competing for the attention of employees. The managers sometimes are not sure who has a greater authority, the project manager or the functional manager, and therefore compete for power. The main competitive advantage of the organization is its young, enterprising team that consists of professionals who have nearly accomplished the establishment part of their career and are now ready to move into more advanced positions. They have accumulated sufficient expertise they can bring to the projects and possess a vast array of ideas to apply to their work. However, the level of expertise is not level across departments, and sometimes there are instances of unprofessional work such as weak articles and inadequate research on the topic. The technology in the organization is state-of-the-art and corresponds to all modern requirements. This area is one of the competitive advantages of the team. External Environment The external environment in which the organization operates demonstrates many important trends. Some of those that can be relevant to InternetGates include the expansion of weblogs, increasing role of social networking on the Web, the trend of net users to create their own digital content, increase in the number of smart screen smartphones with Internet access, and rise in the use of mobile digital media (Greenlee, 2005). The organization may be interested in the observed rise in tech stocks, and rising demand from companies for flexible technical solutions. These trends demonstrate that InternetGates needs to update its business to suit the changing needs continuously. For instance, the addition of weblogging to news coverage is a great advantage to a modern medium source. Accounting for the needs of smartphone users and increasing flexibility can also become appropriate points of focus for the organization. Strategic Objectives To increase its competitiveness in the global marketplace, InternetGates should: Strive to accumulate as much knowledge as possible that can be applied in providing high-level services, solving complex technological problems and finding innovative solutionsAim at integration of services so that clients can receive a one-stop service that will carefully balance all their requirementsCreate a viable community of users united through virtual communication Strategies To achieve these strategic objectives, the organization can implement the following policies: Knowledge accumulationDevelop and implement a staff retention program. To accomplish this, the organization needs to decide what members of the staff it wants to retain. Most logically, these can be qualified individuals such as programmers, content managers, marketers and others that contribute to the success of the organization. The retention program has to be designed with consideration of the demographics and other characteristics of the corresponding group. For instance, since a large part of the qualified staff is about 25-35 years of age, a good option can be the introduction of an affordable childcare facility. The implementation of the plan needs to consider the resource base of the organization. Recruitment has to be improved to exclude the option of hiring under-qualified professionals that allow lapses in their work. Rigorous testing, the introduction of a trial period and test assignments can answer these concerns effectively. Ongoing training should be provided to pers onnel to help them navigate in the vast amount of information that can be used to improve their prospects. Integration of ServicesServices have to be integrated in a smooth way that will provide cooperation between various departments. This can become possible if the organization creates cross-functional teams that will unite professionals from different departments. These teams can meet on a regular basis, solving issues relevant to the customer. The implementation will be more successful if it is monitored by someone with experience in teamwork, perhaps in a different organization. Creation of User CommunityThe programmers have to design and implement features on the website that will enable user comments to articles permitting users to get better to know each other. Comments have to be added at the bottom of the page, not eclipsing editorial content, but at the same time being visible to a new visitor. Addition of weblogs to regular news coverage can be a viable option that will permit the organization to use its resources better to help people meet each other on the Web and share their thoughts and feelings. Conclusion The successful development of InternetGates.com will depend on the organization’s ability to realize its strategic planning. The mission statement developed by the company emphasizes its strengths, enabling it to take these strengths to a new level, generating a lasting competitive advantage. This mission was used to reflect on strategic objectives. The presence of three strategic objectives can be considered an optimal number for any organization as it will enable it to concentrate on key areas, without spreading its efforts too thin. These strategic objectives were translated into specific strategies that will support organizational development.

Free Essays on War In Vietnam

on the Vietnam War were â€Å"I am not going to lose Vietnam. I am not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia become communist.† The U.S. was now fighting to keep communism out of Southeast Asia. One problem with Johnson’s approach was instead of sending ships and Gatling guns, he sent B-52 bombers that could carpet bomb miles of territory easily, Defoliants that killed jungles and humans alike, and ground fire power that was greater that any in history. Johnson believed that the key to success in the war in Vietnam was to frighten North Vietnam's leaders with the possibility of full-scale U.S. military intervention. In January 1964 he approved top-secret, covert attacks against North Vietnamese territory, including commando raids against bridges, railways, and coastal installations. Johnson also ordered the U.S. Navy to conduct surveillance missions along the North Vietnamese coast. He increased the secret bombing of territory in Laos along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a growing network of paths and roads used by the North Vietnamese to transport supplies into South Vietnam.In February 1965 the U.S launched operation Rolling Thunder, which was the massive bombing of North Vietnam but had little affect on the communist nation. From 1963 to 1966 the number of us troops in Vietnam went from 14 000 to 267,000 and the Regular Vietcong army grew from 25 000 to 101 000 with another 170 000 irregulars in reserve. By early 1967, the war wa! s becoming more costly the United States And the North Vietnamese had ever imagined. Both sides did not want to change their demands. The U.S. wanted the communists to leave and let South Vietnam to become its own country. The North Vietnamese wanted the unification of the country and the total evacuation of all us troops and a halt to their involvement in South Vietnam. By 19... Free Essays on War In Vietnam Free Essays on War In Vietnam The war in veitnam Only hours after Lyndon Johnson Had became president of the United States in 1963, his first words on the Vietnam War were â€Å"I am not going to lose Vietnam. I am not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia become communist.† The U.S. was now fighting to keep communism out of Southeast Asia. One problem with Johnson’s approach was instead of sending ships and Gatling guns, he sent B-52 bombers that could carpet bomb miles of territory easily, Defoliants that killed jungles and humans alike, and ground fire power that was greater that any in history. Johnson believed that the key to success in the war in Vietnam was to frighten North Vietnam's leaders with the possibility of full-scale U.S. military intervention. In January 1964 he approved top-secret, covert attacks against North Vietnamese territory, including commando raids against bridges, railways, and coastal installations. Johnson also ordered the U.S. Navy to conduct surveillance missions along the North Vietnamese coast. He increased the secret bombing of territory in Laos along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a growing network of paths and roads used by the North Vietnamese to transport supplies into South Vietnam.In February 1965 the U.S launched operation Rolling Thunder, which was the massive bombing of North Vietnam but had little affect on the communist nation. From 1963 to 1966 the number of us troops in Vietnam went from 14 000 to 267,000 and the Regular Vietcong army grew from 25 000 to 101 000 with another 170 000 irregulars in reserve. By early 1967, the war wa! s becoming more costly the United States And the North Vietnamese had ever imagined. Both sides did not want to change their demands. The U.S. wanted the communists to leave and let South Vietnam to become its own country. The North Vietnamese wanted the unification of the country and the total evacuation of all us troops and a halt to their involvement in South Vietnam. By 19...

Not a license to murder Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Not a license to murder - Assignment Example serious injury in an individual’s house; in such a case, the victim is justified to use lethal force in defense without any attempt of running to safety. This volume intends to discuss whether such laws have any moral justification. The formal defense of a person uses deadly force against another and goes unpunished is a great crack in the walls of morality in the nation. Although needs deems it necessary for people to have a ground to defend their interests, misinterpretation of the defense law is very dangerous as it consequently interferes with other people’s rights to life. It is a violation of the human right to life to allow use of lethal force even in situations with means of retreat and require minimum force. For instance, if an aggressor comes to and individual home, the law justifies the victim to use deadly force in defense even when they have a chance of escape. The failure of the Florida’s state police was a sign of moral absence and served to show a great weakness in the implementation of the stand your ground legislations. The stand your ground laws are certainly permits of murder as the police failed to arrest the violator despite the aggressor failing to seek the defense of the Stand your ground law. The arrest was not initially make because of the misinformed interpretation of the self-defense law and through that made the laws a defendant of criminal

Training employees as a cashier Personal Statement

Training employees as a cashier - Personal Statement Example Furthermore; it will help determine all the benefits and costs of the training process which later allows the management to put cost as a priority during training. This targets individual employees’ performance and uses information from any employee to determine the programme that will be used for training. In this case, the employees revealed some deficiencies of the organization which triggered the fact that training could be of used to meet their performance standards. Data was gathered through questionnaire which showed that each department was to have its own training to cater for the requirements of all the employees of the company. The employees were not satisfied with the training they had received because they felt that all issues were not addressed. Task analysis starts with each employee knowing the requirement of their jobs thus comparing knowledge and skills of all the employees to know the training needs of all the employees. During the training, the job analysis based on the skills and knowledge of all the employees is determined. Employees are told his or her area of specialization and the tasks that are to be performed.Moreover, the conditions for the tasks are to be well stipulated and show the employees when and how the tasks will be performdd.the employees should know the importance of quality performance and not necessarily basing on the quantity of the job (Gupta, 6). This determines the departments that training is needed, and the conditions under which the whole trainining will be held. The HR department and the management should know the future skills needed to improve the performance of the employees. This will help them comply with the affirmative actions, and guidelines. The labor pool should be looked at critically in order for the incorporate all people regardless of gender differences to the workforce. The laws that govern the organization may sometimes dictate the needs of training, but

The Magna Carta and the Constitution Essay Example for Free

The Magna Carta and the Constitution Essay Magna Cartas original version which states that the king should not ignore or violate the traditions, customs or laws and could not take any arbitrary actions against his subjects. l Magna Carta provides for rule of law, ensures fairness tOf3 0T laws, contalns commitment to Oue process 0T law ana gives respect Tor economlc rights. While these rights were the privileges given to barons in England by way of declarations in Magna Carta, the founders of the U. S. drew inspiration from Magna Carta and made these rights applicable to all the citizens of America and became part of the Bill of Rights. Magna Carta is therefore a source for the U. S. Constitution. The Bill of Rights 1791; which representing 10 amendments as part of the 1st amendment to the U. S. Constitutions. Clause 39 of Magna Carta provides that no freeman shall be punished except by lawful Judgment by his peers or by the laws of the land. This was to prevent the King to deliver sentences without the authority of law. The U. S. Constitution provides for rule of law by which no person is above the law. In this context both, Magna Carta and the U. S. Constitution are similar. Whereas the Magna Carta was issued by the Monarch, the U. S. Constitution was given by Americans unto themselves. The 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution includes the stipulation of due process, this provides for fair trial before depriving any person of his life, liberty or property. The trial is what is meant by due process. Again it must be a fair trial as part of the due process. In The Magna Carta, the due process of law is known by law of the land and legal Judgment of peers. In order to constitute due process, there should be a right to fair and public trial, right to be present at the trial, presence of an impartial Jury, right to be heard as part of ones own defense. Besides, the laws must be in written form, taxes must be for only public purpose, and property can be taken only for public purpose with due compensation. In this way The Magna Carta pales in comparison due to not being as descriptive as the U. S. Constitution for the meaning of due process. Both Magna Carta and the U. S. Constitution require that laws shall be fair and discriminatory. Thus, Magna Carta and the U. S. Constitution share many things in common. Magna Carta of 121 5 was a bold initiative of the then King, without which the U. S. Constitution would have taken still longer time to be what it is today.

Instant Messenger Changed My Life (For the Better!) :: Internet Essays

Instant Messenger Changed My Life (For the Better!) Since I was in Seventh or Eighth grade I have used AOL Instant Messenger as a way to communicate with my friends and family. I would sit â€Å"online† for hours upon hours talking to my friends. You weren’t cool unless you had AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) at your home. Every since the day I started using it I have become â€Å"addicted† to it. For a couple of months when it first came out it was kind of taking over my life. It would be the first thing I did when I got home from school, take a break for dinner then go straight back to chatting online until my mom forced me to go to bed. I never thought of it as a learning experience until I got a little older. When thinking back on how I learned to do things on the computer and/or some things in everyday life they all connect to AIM in a strange way. AIM had forced me to write and talk like I would type. I would use abbreviations and even spell words shorter on paper so they would be faster to write down just like on AIM when you use shorter spellings to type faster. For example the word because, first became shortened to cause then it became â€Å"cuz† since it was only three letters instead of the original seven. I think it was just around the age of sixteen when I could finally drive, that I stopped being so obsessed with AIM. Although when I left home for college, I quickly became once again obsessed. I found that instead of doing my homework I’d try to talk to my friends that didn’t have away messages up. If they did have a message up I’d check it like five times just in case it changed. Even when I have class or go to work I don’t sign off, I just put an away message up explaining to my friends and family where I am and how to get a hold of me. Now my sister who is thirteen is â€Å"a ddicted† to AIM and following in the same footsteps as myself. She would rather spend her entire summer vacation inside on the computer rather than swimming, rollerblading or riding her bike with friends.

Executions be replaced by life without parole Essay

In criminal law, life sentence or life without parole means putting to jail somebody for the rest of his/her life for the crimes committed whereas death sentence means executing those criminals who are found guilty of committing some very serious crimes like murder, attempted coup or raping. Myself I am not an advocate of capital sentence but I support life sentence. Life without parole is also known as determinate life sentence. It means being sentenced to life imprisonment without any possibility of being released in future. American government spends a lot of money by executing criminals than it spends in giving life sentence. For this reason and others I think executions in America should be replaced by life without parole. Execution in Texas is not something new. In 1980 there were two men who were alleged to have killed a clerk somewhere, both of them fired shots at the clerk but it is not clear who exactly killed the clerk though both of them admitted to have fired at the clerk. To the corridors of justice it did not matter whether it was one of them or both who killed so long as they agreed to have fired and killed the clerk. One of these men was called Mr. Nicholas he was twenty years old when he was arrested but was executed when he was forty five years old. In this case, I don’t think justice was done. This is a good example of many cases where justice is not allowed to take its course. The state should have tried to establish who between the two killed the clerk. In a case like this one a person who is innocent can be killed and he is not given a chance to argue his case. Therefore on this basis I condemn execution of prisoners instead, they should be given life sentence. This is the only practical thing and reasonable method whereby the offenders can be given time to reassess themselves. Again they continue living though they are not necessarily free. About half of the total criminals who are executed in America come from Texas. It has the highest number of executions in America. It contravenes one of the Ten Commandments that Moses was given by God In the past, capital sentence was highly valued but of late it is not. In fact many states in USA have abolished it. In the past decades the argument was that capital sentence deters crime, it was a religious conviction or what is called the Law of Moses an ‘eye for an eye’ or ‘tooth for a tooth’. It was also thought that the states were spending huge sums of money feeding, clothing and providing healthcare for murderers, rapists and other dangerous criminals. This seemed to be silly and outrageous but now the argument has changed. In fact the former supporters of capital sentence are now singing a different tune. Today, the argument is that USA is finding it very expensive to execute criminals than to jail them for life. Surely, this is something that any sensible person should see. All states should awake to the fact that USA is wasting a lot of money in executing criminals instead of using this money on development projects that can benefit all. For example in North Carolina (Gold R. 2002; 89) about two million dollars are spent on effecting execution. When you compare capital sentence and life sentence, a person sentenced for life only needs to be fed, clothed, treated and guarded. Therefore it is cheaper to life imprison than to execute. The reasons why capital sentence should be abolished are that, the death row convicts spend a lot of money trying to fight for their freedom. They must hire lawyers who charge them exorbitantly so that they could argue about their fate, the process of appealing has become more protracted. Like in the case mentioned above, the convict spent about 25 years in jail before his life was terminated. Justice delayed is justice denied. The state spent alot of money to keep him than it could have spent if he was jailed for life. The reason why the execution process is long is that an innocent person may sometimes be executed. Therefore a lot of time is taken to dig in for finer details that could prove beyond reasonable doubts that the person alleged to have committed the crime really did it. According to the governor of Maryland his country spent 22. 4 million US dollars to execute death penalties. This money could have been used to pay at least 500 extra policemen a year or provide drugs for treating 10,000 drug addicts. He said when this money is used on other projects that are useful apart from executing law breakers, it becomes an investment that save lives and reduce violent crimes (www. Amnestyusa. Org;/Abolish) Most of the methods used to carry out death penalties should be abolished for they contravene human rights. A person is subjected to a very nasty experience that even the executors could not like to imagine themselves in. For example in lethal injections, a person is subjected to excruciating pain. The poison is injected to the criminal. It contains pancoronium bromide for killing his nerves and potassium chloride which is used to stop the heart beat. Sometimes the dose injected might not be enough or not well mixed. In such a case the victim takes longer than it should to die. The prisoner dies in intense pain from asphyxiation. For example there was a case in Florida whereby the executor missed to inject the drug in a vein and put it in the muscle. The victim died after 34th minute. During this period the victim writhed, grimaced and groaned suggesting that he was in pain. Another instance that shows that capital sentence violates human rights is of Saddam Hussein; the former president of Iraq. He was executed on 30th December 2006 during his execution, when the platform dropped, Saddam’s neck was broken and it could be heard at a distance that indeed his neck was broken. His body was left suspended on the noose for a few minutes before it was confirmed by the doctor that he was dead. The actual pictures were posted on the internet are horrific. The crimes he committed could not be compensated by his life plus the amount of money that was spent since his search begun trial and execution. According to (Baicker K. 2001; 12-27) more than 100 billion US dollars were spent. All this money was spent just because of one person. His trial was complicated and protracted. The much that was spent on his trial was more than what could have been used to keep him alive for the rest of life or be used to take care of other prisoners. Another reason why I am an ardent supporter of life sentence over capital sentence is that the criminals who are executed are like any other citizens who contribute to the economic. They play vital role in the economy. Some of them are even businessmen, doctors, teachers etc. The part they played could not be played by another person. So when a person is executed, the nation at large goes at a loss. These people could be taken to prison hospitals, schools and other businesses to offer their services there until they die and these people are not paid so, it is like killing two birds with one stone. States should also know that most of these criminals who are executed, some of them are highly educated and have different professions. The state has used a lot of its resources in educating them. Thus instead of taking all this money to waste, it should take advantage of their education by reaping some benefits from it instead of incurring a double loss. That is by trying and executing somebody whom the state has invested its resources on. Governments should reconsider their decision on capital sentence by trying to look this issue from an economist stand point. While still on this topic, I think USA should look and analyze capital sentence from an economic perspective. For example when a criminal who is the sole breadwinner is executed, his/her family lands in a sea of troubles. A family that was capable of providing itself with food starts depending on the government to provide to it everything that it needs. This becomes a burden to the government because it has to increase its budgetary allocation on the orphans funds and other unfortunate members of the society. Currently, US government spends les on poor families. I think it is because of many reasons abolition of capital sentence included. I think if it could be used as in the past decades, this cost would amazingly go up In California (Maganini S. 1988; 750-902) death penalty spends 114 million US dollars which is more than what is spent on life sentence. In executions according to the 2005 Los Angeles times study, California tax payers part with more than 250 US million dollars to finance a single execution. This government spends 11. million dollars on appointed counsel for those convicts who are in the death row and 12 million US dollars are spent by the federal government on defending death row convicts who are presented to federal courts. In 2005 according to the governor of California (Los Angeles Times) he needed 230 million US dollars to construct a new death row. In Kansas it was estimated that in 2003, its government used 70% more than the cost of executing other non-death penal ties. With all facts and figures put on the table, I do not think there is any person who can still argue for the continuity of death penalty. It is costly, unfair and inconsequential.