The BCG Growth Matrix for BSkyB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The BCG Growth Matrix for BSkyB - Essay Example The development of business activities around the world has led to the need for new types of strategic tools that will support daily managerial activities – especially the identification and the evaluation of a firm’s competitiveness within the modern market. Towards this direction, extremely effective strategic tools have been designed and are applied by managers internationally offering the necessary basis for the increase of corporate performance – only where particular rules are followed regarding the adaptation of these tools on a specific market. Emphasizing the importance of these strategic tools Shay et al. (1999) noticed that ‘managers today would benefit from strategic analysis tools that foster an understanding of the competitive environment from multiple perspectives’ (Shay et al., 1999, 559); however, it is necessary than in each case the appropriate strategic tool is chosen by a firm’s managers making sure that its use will benef it the firm both in the short and the long term. The current paper focuses on the examination of the role and the importance of a particular strategic tool, the BCG matrix (see Appendix, Figure 1) for the performance of a specific firm based in the UK, the British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (BSkyB). The specific firm is among the FTSE 100 firms having a significant position in the British market. Therefore, the examination of its daily activities using the BCG matrix has been considered to help towards the identification of the effectiveness of this matrix when used by modern firms especially those with a simultaneous presence in many industrial sectors (like in the case of BSkyB which operates in both the telecommunications and the TV broadcasting sectors).

Project Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project Management - Research Paper Example Studies show that, a cost-benefit analysis is used by organizations to carry out evaluation of the total projected costs in a project concerning the expected overall benefits; in view of the viability of the proposed implementation project. costs unit entry extended Implementation process planning Hours 260 11,245 Labor contract Dollars 16000 16,000 Internal implementation labor Hours 900 38,925 Input/ capital cost Dollars 16000 16,000 Implementation cost 82,170 proceeding Operational costs Dollars/Month 1100 1,100 Maintenance cost Dollars/Month 1300 1,300 Proceeding/ongoing monthly costs 2,400 Remunerated implementation cost 1,600 Monthly cost $4,000 For an organization, which is considering the implementation of an ‘outsourcing payroll service system’, the direct revenue enhancement and cost reductions will involve increase in employee productivity. This is because the employees have now the time to focus on many productive activities, which is essence, will improve pr ofitability for the company. Concerning cost reduction, the other direct way to reduce cost is avoidance of the IRS penalties. These forfeits may come because of improper bookkeeping and outflows. Through the outsourcing services, many companies may greatly avoid such penalties; the income heightening can be reduced basing on the organizational expenses. This is where the outsourcing services allow employees to launch reimbursement claims over the internet or online, which more beneficial and time is saving. On the other hand, indirect revenue enhancement may involve the process of building brands in other countries; brand extension. In essence, this may be a case where the outsourced company uses and features the partner company`s logo branding; this allows the company to show case the company name and the logo in all customer and employee accessed pages. The best technology employment is one of the indirect methods of cost reduction. It could profit trivial industries, with less e xpertise fortes. To this end, there are risks associated with the implementation of a new payroll system in an organization. According to findings, any implementation process carries with it some degree of risks. This calls for a risk plan to be included in the implementation process. In most cases, the focus of registers has been on the technology; its functionality and the influence its failure may create on the overall project. The common risks associated with new payroll systems is, the repercussions when the system fails to deliver a live operation by a particular time the perceived contingence plan in place. The other risk is the change impact of organizational and political consequences associated with the movement from an old payroll model or system to the new system where the HR responsibility becomes more neglected. To address these risks, studies indicate that, most new systems are designed while employing best practice model. This requires great responsibility for system s and their ownership within the human resource; this allows the transfer of data being processed within the human resource payroll department, however, its working, majorly relies on the project requirements. It is only significant then to consider how to manage the interface process involving two parts of one organization with different requirements. In has been found that, in situations where there exists integrated systems, which have not been part of the operational culture or life of the human resource

Grammar and Irrelevant Material Detracts Essay Example for Free

Grammar and Irrelevant Material Detracts Essay 1. Writing too much. Some students think the suggested page limits are just a general guideline, and its a good idea to go over them. Usually it isnt. While a professor may not mind a paper thats slightly above the limit, especially if the content is good, students who go on and on show a lack of discipline and focus that usually dooms their work. [Read 10 Secrets to College Success.] 2. Writing too little. Its common for professors to encounter papers that trail off well short of the minimum page limit. This is often a sign that the student just doesnt know enough about the topic, hasnt put enough thought into what he or she is going to say, or merely gestures at key points rather than explaining them in detail. If you find your paper is coming up short, do more working. 3. Not answering the question. Some students view the paper assignment as a chance to free-associate. They consider the question or task assigned by the professor as more of a suggestion (or prompt) of something to talk about, rather than a focused request for discussion of a specific issue. Professors, especially ones who have spent hours writing up the assignment, dont view this kindly. In our experience, students lose more points from not answering the question than for making errors in what they write. 4. Including irrelevant material. Its a continual mystery to professors why some students feel compelled to include material that clearly isnt relevant to the paper. From time to time, we even see a confession that these items arent really relevant, but they seemed so important that I somehow had to get them in. Resist the urge to throw extraneous material into your paper. Writing a good paper is a matter of judgment ­Ã¢â‚¬â€about what to take out as well as what to put in—and irrelevant material detracts from the overall quality of your paper. 5. Lacking a thesis. All college papers should have a thesis—that is, an overarching idea or point—clearly set out at the beginning, around which the paper centers. It neednt be something complex or obscure, just a statement of the main point: the one-sentence answer you would give to the question, if you had to answer in just one sentence. Funny how its hard to write when you havent figured out in your own mind what your single main point will be. (Again, judgment plays a key role here.) 6. Not having a direction of argument. College papers need to have an order of presentation: a carefully thought-out logic in which each point follows the previous one with some reason. This creates a feeling in the reader that the paper is proceeding in an orderly fashion toward some goal. Its frustrating for a professor to read a paper in which he or she has no idea why some point is being made now, and not even a clue about what point might come next. No reader likes the feeling of stumbling around in the dark. 7. Including sentences that do no work. All the sentences in your paper should make some definite contribution to developing and proving your thesis. Sentences that do something, that have some muscle, play a real role in advancing your main argument. Sentences like: The Civil War was an important event in American history or In this paper I will be discussing a number of issues relating to the Civil War should be eliminated without hesitation. 8. Not writing in paragraphs (or writing in one-sentence paragraphs). Paragraphs are the building blocks of any paper and its critical to construct a paper using paragraphs of about four to five sentences each. Who wants a single, ginormous building block? And college papers arent like some newspaper articles in which each paragraph is just one sentence. Youre expecting to develop a (small) thought, even within a paragraph, and no one can do that in one sentence. 9. Making errors in spelling and grammar. College professors dont always consciously take off for spelling and grammatical errors, but its hard to give an A to a paper that shows great carelessness in preparation. Were in the age of automated spelling and grammar check. Surely you can recognize those red and green squiggles on your screen and fix them. (And while youre at it, proofread your paper the old-fashioned way: with your eyes. No spell checker will catch those annoying wrong words or homonyms.)

The Darfur Genocide War

The Darfur Genocide War Genocide is the deliberate extermination of a national, racial, or cultural group. There exists genocide in our world today. In one of Sudans poorest regions, Darfur, thousands of people are slaughtered monthly. This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. The genocide occurring in Darfur needs to be absolved and would be if the United States and United Nations greatly intervened. This situation only worsens when aid is not provided and the nation of Sudan is left to fend for itself. The war in Darfur has been raging on since 2003. It began when rebels attacked government posts, which then triggered an immense response by the Sudanese military and the Janjaweed (Cauvin). The members of the Janjaweed are composed of mostly nomadic African Muslims who herd cattle and camels. They have destroyed entire villages, ruined water and food supplies, tortured, raped, and slaughtered hundreds of thousands people in Darfur. These attacks take place with the support of the Sudanese Government. On top of the massive numbers of murdered people an estimated two million people are without homes and forced to live in squalid refugee camps (Cauvin). The unfolding crisis is being compared to the horrific slaughter that occurred in Rwanda a decade earlier. As Cauvin stated in his article quoting Melissa Salvatore, â€Å"We cannot let what happened in Rwanda happen in Darfur† (Cauvin). None of Darfurs civilian population are spared from the inhumane acts of brutal torture, murd er, and rape. â€Å"As one illustration of how Khartoum (Sudans capital) has waged its war, the Sudanese military paints many of its attack aircraft white the same color as UN humanitarian aircraft a violation of international humanitarian law. When a plane approaches, villagers do not know whether it is on a mission to help them, or to bomb them. Often, it has been the latter† (Save Darfur). The Sudanese government continues to commit atrocities as the world watches, waiting for someone to take the first step in resolving this crisis. Genocide: this is what the violence in Darfur has caused. The United States has avoided voicing the word â€Å"genocide† to portray the situation. If the crisis in Darfur was classified as Genocide, then the â€Å"United States, along with 135 other countries would be obligated to intervene† (Booker). This is because all of these countries have signed the Genocide Convention which compels immediate action to resolve the situation if genocide is occurring in a part of the world. The United States involvement as of now is very minimal. Many of U.S. officials are looking to the United Nations to intervene and resolve the problem. The problem with this is that â€Å"if the U.N. were to put an operation together it would take an upwards of three months under the best circumstances† (Booker). The U.S. is equipped for quick military action that could be used to benefit Darfur. As of now the U.S. has close to 2,000 troops stationed less than two hours away from Darfur in Djibouti (Booker). Presently, the only U.S. involvement with private organizations attempting to provide shelter and relief efforts. If the U.S. government were to mobilize troops to Darfur numerous European and African countries would follow (Booker). Some of the African countries that will enter Darfur if the U.S. leads are Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, and Nigeria. Britain has also pledged to join (Booker). Many countries have been very inadequate in helping the situation in Darfur. Many of these countries choose just to ignore it while others offer some sort of indirect support. China is one of the countries that condones and/or just plainly ignores the atrocities occurring in Darfur. Sudans largest trade partner, China, is its most outspoken defender and uses the threat that it will veto to any UN Security Council action in Darfur. China has discreetly increased their commitment with Khartoum about Darfur under the pressure of international scrutiny regarding the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with their theme One World, One Dream while the nightmares of genocide still continues in Darfur (Save Darfur). China chooses to support Sudans government in their actions by continuing to trade and publicly announce their future veto on any UN resolution or action into Darfur. Another one of the bodies that supports the Sudanese Government war effort indirectly is the European Union. They have no t enacted any sanctions against the Sudanese Government, or discouraged the many European companies from conducting business in Sudan. The Union hides behind the requirement that the United Nations must perform the mandatory global sanctions prior to the individual countries (Save Darfur). Without any countries taking individual action how is the massacre supposed to cease? Some governments, like the United States, must take responsibility and step forward to make a stand. To abolish the crisis in Darfur there are many steps that need to be completed. The first step has to be a cease-fire. The cease-fire must respected by both sides of conflict. In the past there have been cease-fires. The most notable ones occurred in 2004 and again in January 2007 when Governor Bill Richardson traveled to Khartoum, but the Sudanese Government has ignored every single one. The international community must be obliged to back the United Nations while they work for a real ceasefire respected by all parties (Save Darfur). Since cease-fires have been issued in the past and blatantly ignored it is almost justified that military intervention is needed. The next step would be to institute an effective peacekeeping force whose main goals are to protect civilians. Then, the peace process needs to be renewed. In order to attain an everlasting end to the atrocious genocide in Darfur, the current peace effort must find political and social solutions to be instated. The peace agree ment that would be instated must include three items: first, the agreement must create a secure environment that allows refugees to return to their homes. Second, there must be a sustainable political agreement that is fully embraced by all armed groups participating in the war. The agreement must also extent to non-combatant groups which are representative of a large portion of Sudani society. Lastly, there must be accountability for all the people who have committed or can be proven to have had command and â€Å"responsibility over the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law† (Save Darfur). To accomplish the goals previously stated there is a process that be taken in order to proceed with the ultimate goals. The United States and other world leaders must make peace the top priority in Darfur. Over two years ago President Bush declared the situation in Darfur genocide: it still continues. The U.S. administration and the President have made very little progress. The participation of almost all other world leaders has been, to a large extent, worse. The worsening in Darfur demands more than harsh speeches. The U.S. must take the leadership role in building a coalition that forces Khartoum to end the massacres. In the most urgent provisos, that means the execution of multinational sanctions against the Sudanese government and all those affiliated with it (Save Darfur). This is a tough task to accomplish but with the heightened awareness it is possible to convince the government to act accordingly. . It is vital for the requirement of accomplishing the ultimate goals of peac e that the nation of China use its leverage on Khartoum. This means that China has an immense deal of influence on Sudan (China is Sudans top trade partner). China has shown an increased unease and neglect regarding Darfur. China also has many oil investments in Sudan. These benefit the Sudanese Government but not the people; â€Å"these investments also help fund the government military operations in Darfur† (Save Darfur). If these actions are taken then the healing of Darfur can begin. It is, however, necessary that all of these actions/goals take place to ensure the safety of the Darfurians. Only a decade after the mass genocide in Rwanda, the United States cannot afford to have a repeat of the same mistakes. The United States needs to act now and intervene in Darfur to stop the inhumane crimes being committed daily against the innocent people of Darfur. â€Å"Our first responsibility is to the people of Darfur, who are dying at a rate of 1,000 people every day as the genocide continues† (Booker). Can we save Darfur?

Comparing the Puritan Setting in Scarlet Letter and Ministers Black Veil :: comparison compare contrast essays

Impact of the Puritan Setting Upon the Characters in The Scarlet Letter and The Minister's Black Veil This essay will examine the thematic relevance to the Puritan setting and its impact upon the characters and their development in both "The Scarlet Letter" and the short story, "The Minister's Black Veil." These two texts detail an accurate portrayal of what I assume the Puritan community to represent. This is partly because of the Puritan background within the works, but also considering that the main characters of these are deeply rooted within the Puritan faith and are, in different ways, in the public eye and are under separate scrutiny as a result of such. Mr. Hooper, being a minister, is considered a beacon and an exemplar of faith and righteousness in his community. One bright Sunday morning, Reverend Hooper dons a black veil to his congregation and lectures on sin and its appearance, or lack thereof. His congregation is outraged but intrigued by his use of the symbolic sheath. Since his sermon focuses on the "secret sin" of his parishoners and the entire community, they are d rawn to assume that Mr. Hooper, himself, carries with his a "secret sin" which he is hiding from underneath his veil. Now Hawthorne titles this short story as a parable which leads one to conclude that the veil is used a not only a symbol of "secret sin" but a paradox. His congregation is so concerned and obsessed with his personal sins that they forget about their own; this was the intent of Mr. Hooper's veil: to cause them to reflect upon their own spiritual status and to confess their sins. But the Puritans, notorious for their pride within practice and fallacy within faith, ignore this allegorical costume and sensationalize his message. Because, after all, Mr. Hooper must be hiding SOMETHING underneath that veil of his... The second character under scrutiny by their community and this English major is Hester Prynne, a young woman forced to don a scarlet letter "A" to signify to herself and to her community that she is a marked sinner. The letter, much like the veil, is an exterior symbol of appearance which is a popular device of Hawthorne; the outward appearance is an important aspect of the P uritan faith in that it reflects upon the interior climate. Interestingly, these symbols and their stewards are instituted for the benefit of the community.

Plagiarism - A Severe Threat to the Society Essay -- Argumentative Per

Plagiarism - A Severe Threat to the Society Every day throughout the world, teachers strive to attain the most from their students in every aspect of life, from effective communication and language skills, to the development of individualism and the concept of being the best that you could be. With the use of exams, class discussions, and written assignments, educators subconsciously reinforce the idea that success can only be achieved from within, with personal expression and dedication to each and every task faced in modern existence. The world, as we see it today, has not evolved by people copying one another’s ideas. It has evolved from the willingness of individuals to step up and make their intentions known, to bring about new ideas and concepts to forever change the environment in which we live. All too often, though, due to stress, insufficient time allowance, or just plain laziness, people take the quickest and most unproblematic approach to getting work done, in turn, failing to play their part in soci ety’s evolution by retaining individual ideas and viewpoints. For centuries, plagiarism has been a major stumbling block in the pathway for academic success. Plagiarism, as defined, means â€Å"to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own". It has existed in one form or another since the advent of time, with individuals copying the work of others to propel themselves forward in their own education or professional work field. The problem is magnified significantly in today’s society as we live in a high speed world where all of the information that you could possibly need is at the convenience of your fingertips. "Across the United States, universities -- and even in ... ... were forced to deal with it. Evaluated more thoroughly, these statistics show not only a problem with student plagiarizing, but also an underlying problem of the failure to recognize it as a severe threat to the future development of today’s society. In order for society to continue to grow and prosper in technology, educators and employers alike must realize that plagiarism is indeed a genuine concern and as a result, must be dealt with in a more severe matter to encourage individualism. Often the threat of a failed grade or expulsion from a university is not enough to deter students from cheating if known instances have not been appropriately dealt with in the past. If the problem is to be mended, educators must make examples of students who plagiarize written material, so we can discontinue the trend that seems to be irresistible to today’s society.

Aristotle and Metaphysics Essay

Introduction The study of metaphysics is a broad spectrum of comprehensive ideas that ultimately serve to discover the generalities of human thought. Without Aristotle, the concept of metaphysics would cease to exist. Taking this into consideration, it is evident that Aristotle plays a major part in the study of metaphysics and how we know it today. Therefore, he formulated the basic entities of metaphysics and constructed its foundation through his own philosophies. Also, after reviewing material presented by Socrates and Plato, Aristotle is able to develop an understanding of causes and substance and how it relates to metaphysics. Furthermore, actuality and potentiality are philosophical ideas that Aristotle discusses throughout his evolutionary thought-provoking beliefs. Through these instances, it is clear that Aristotle has an undoubtedly significant impact on the study of metaphysics and how it first originated. Aristotle and Metaphysics Since Aristotle founded the main ideas of metaphysics, we can assume that his affiliation with it is indisputably notable. By using the ideas he established, he is able to review the opinions previously held by other philosophers and challenge them. When other philosophers are told that they are wrong, they will go into grave detail to explain their opinion or idea. This ultimately delivers a substantial amount of depth in discussion and enhances the study of metaphysics as a whole. In addition to reviewing other philosophers’ ideas, Aristotle analyzes the causes and principles behind certain decision-making and the options they have to consider. He attempts to reason with why people make the choices they do and also touches upon subjects such as free will, determinism, and topics of that nature (â€Å"Aristotle’s Metaphysics†). Essentially, Aristotle is an undeniably brilliant mind who challenges others’ thoughts in order to better themselves as critical thinkers and improve the study of metaphysics. Furthermore, without a doubt, Aristotle abetted the development of metaphysics through the use of his own personal philosophies. For instance, in book Alpha, Aristotle proclaims a famous sentence that reads â€Å"All men by nature desire  to know. † He claims that we are all constantly in the pursuit of gaining intricate knowledge and applying it to our lives. Since this proclamation is originated by Aristotle himself, he decides that he is going to become very critical of other ideas. He brings out the strong and weak points within each idea in an effort to assist others with developing their own understanding of metaphysics. The purpose of Aristotle leading others to formulate their own ideas is to push them, and the rest of civilization, towards the ultimate achievement: wisdom (CITATION NEEDED). By guiding others to the best of his ability, Aristotle is considered to be a benefactor for the study of metaphysics and how it has progressed overtime. Causes and Substance Long ago, Aristotle developed an engaging idea that has been expanding for two millennia. It is the idea that true knowledge is the knowledge of ultimate causes. Since this idea confronts the common wonder of why things happen, it will ultimately benefit the study of metaphysics. Moreover, in an effort to fully understand how to attain true knowledge, Aristotle takes the liberty of organizing the types of causes into four simple kinds. The formal cause is when a decision is made because someone is abiding by a particular plan. Additionally, the final cause is when a reaction sprouts an action is done with a purpose. The material cause is when a decision is made based on the altercating components that are affecting the potential solution. Also, the efficient cause is when a decision is made in an effort to initiate change in a respective situation (CITATION NEEDED). Through these theoretical causes established by Aristotle, the idea of true knowledge is sufficiently easier to grasp. Therefore, we are greatly aided with the enduring quest of understanding metaphysics in its entirety. Actuality and Potentiality In book Theta, Aristotle discusses the difference between actuality and potentiality and relates it back to the study of how we interpret thoughts and ideas throughout metaphysics. Potentiality is considered to be the numerous amounts of options that we may or may not pursue throughout our lives. On the other hand, actuality is not our options, but rather our final outcomes. To put it into perspective, a person is born with the potential to be a professional quarterback, a chemical engineer, or anything else for that matter. However, it is not until they have become the quarterback or the engineer that they have reached actuality. (â€Å"Aristotle’s Metaphysics†). Given that the basic ideas of actuality and potentiality are considered to be lofty contributions to the general understanding of thought, it can be assumed that Aristotle’s involvement with metaphysics is undeniably momentous. Conclusion. The fundamental ideas of metaphysics were brought into the world by Aristotle himself. Also, without his basic philosophies, much of the understanding we have on metaphysics may not have been discovered. He plays a critical part in the early stages of discussion when he attempts to challenge the minds of other philosophers in an effort to further advance the study of metaphysics. Additionally, Aristotle expands on the understanding of true knowledge through the causes and substance we endure throughout our lives. Considering that actuality and potentiality are both important topics of discussion in regards to metaphysics, Aristotle portrays an immense amount of importance that is irrefutably unparalleled. All in all, Aristotle’s involvement with the origination and the forever-expanding details of metaphysics is commodiously prevalent and will forever be an influential part of our society as a whole. Works Cited â€Å"Aristotle’s Metaphysics. † Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 08 Oct. 2000. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.