Students in AP World History Essay Example for Free

Students in AP World History Essay Students in AP World History are expected to be able to write three different types of essays: a document-based question (or DBQ), a change-over-time essay, and a comparative essay. You can probably gather from the names what you need to do in each essay – the document-based question provides you with a set of documents on which to base your essay; the change-over-time essay asks you to analyze the changes and continuities that occurred within a certain period of time; and the comparative essay asks you to compare and contrast two episodes, cultures, religions, or other historical phenomenon from a given period. Writing a thesis for an AP World History essay is a little different from other theses you may have learned to write in English or Oral Communications. Luckily, there is a basic format you can use for each of the three essays. The key to writing a good AP World History essay is to tell the reader what you are going to talk about before you talk about it. The AP World History Exam refers to this as your thesis. The scoring rubric (the guidelines readers use to score your essays) requires readers to answer the following questions about each of your essays: †¢ Do you have a comprehensive, analytical, and explicit thesis? †¢ Is your thesis acceptable? So how does a person write a comprehensive, analytical, and explicit thesis? What needs to be included? What is an â€Å"acceptable† thesis and what is an â€Å"unacceptable† thesis? Put simply, an analytical thesis will use specific details that will allow the reader to understand exactly what you are talking about. A good thesis is never just one sentence; it is a group of statements. Therefore, you will start with a general sentence, but you have to then follow it up with additional sentences that provide all the necessary elements described above. Together, these statements must †¢ restate the prompt and define terms, context, and chronology of events under discussion †¢ address each part of the question (include both a similarity and a difference or both a continuity and a change) †¢ Make a transition statement to the body of the essay with a sentence like â€Å"The historical evidence would indicate that † A strong analytical thesis will serve as a â€Å"road map† for the remainder of your essay and show the reader that you are on target with answering the question. The Prompt Each AP World History Essay exam will have a prompt, or question, that you will write on. An example of a prompt would be this: Compare the economic, social, and political characteristics of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. The first thing to remember is that when it says â€Å"compare,† what the prompt really means is for you to both â€Å"compare† and â€Å"contrast. † AP exam readers will expect you to know this! You will need to note both similarities and differences. The Thesis The first sentence of your thesis should be a restatement of the prompt. Before you begin writing, you should first underline important information in the prompt. In the sample above, you would want to underline the words social, political, economic, ancient, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. You will then use those words to create the first sentence of your thesis. Here is how that might look: â€Å"Two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, created complex societies with distinct social, political, and economic characteristics. † The second sentence of your thesis should address both a similarity and a difference. You will simply list them in the thesis. Do not analyze them. Save them for analysis later in your paper. Here is how your second sentence might look: â€Å"One similarity is that both civilizations developed strong economies based on trade with other cultures. One difference is that the Mesopotamians traded with people across the Indian Ocean in South Asia, while the Egyptians traded with their neighbors to the south in Nubia. † The third and final sentence of your thesis should be the transition into your essay. It is here that you will help your reader get from your introduction into the bulk of what you have to say. Here is how your third sentence might look: â€Å"â€Å"The historical evidence would indicate that the two civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt had some subtle differences, but were, for the most part, nearly identical. †

The various leadership styles and theories

The various leadership styles and theories The various leadership styles and theories 1. Introduction: This study focuses on the various leadership styles and theories developed over the years. In this report, an attempt has been made to study the leadership style of Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways. The analysis highlights a number of limitations in his leadership and hence there is scope for improvement. Companys success is purely based on the type of leadership it acquires. A good leader leads its organization towards it mission with this leadership skills and thinking power. According to Kouzes and Posner (2003), leadership is a reciprocal process between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. They talk about the leader possessing the following ten commitments. (Kouzes and posner, 2003, p no.22) 1. Find your voice by clarifying your personal values. 2. Set the example by aligning actions with shared values 3. Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities 4. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations 5. Search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow and improve 6. Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes 7. Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust 8. Strengthen others by sharing power and discretion 9. Recognize contribution by showing appreciation for individual excellence 10. Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community. (Kouzes and posner, 2003, p no.22) British Airways: British Airways is the flag raising carrier airline of the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located in Waterside near London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick airport. BA is the largest airline in the UK based on the number of international flights, international destinations covered and the fleet size. BA celebrated its 90th anniversary on 25 August 2009 (1, www.britishairways.com, 2nd Dec 2009). Currently, the company is facing the toughest time in the history. BA is currently facing severe financial crises since inception and putting its best effort to overcome from this situation. Willie Walsh: Willie Walsh is currently the CEO of British Airways. He succeeded Rod Eddington in May 2005 as Chief Executive Designated. He also holds a number of positions on Honorary Board Member of Flight Safety International, President of the Heathrow Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, an honorary Member of The Aviation Club and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK). (2, www.bashares.com, 2nd Dec 2009) Willie Walsh started as a pilot trainee at the age of 17 with Aer Lingus in 1979. He earned his degree from Dublins Trinity College in Business Administration. He was promoted from the position of cadet to captain, and eventually turned himself to don a business suit by turning around the airlines troubled Spanish charter operation, Futura. He was elected as Aer Lingus chief operating officer in 2000 and then became CEO the year after (4, www.businessweek.com, 2nd Dec 2009). When Aer Lingus was making huge losses in 2000, Willie Walsh returned as the CEO of the company. He took a number of decisions which not only brought company back to profit but also establish as a leading airline company standing with rivals such as Raynair and Easyjet. But soon after his departure, the company again went down. 2. Business Context: British airways was started on 25th August 1919 with the forerunner company named Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (ATT), and launched a worlds first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris. British Airways went through a long time of reformation and finally a group was formed in 1974 named as British Airways (4, www.britishairways.com, 05 Dec 2009). Willie Walsh joined BA in Oct 2005 and company made good profits under him. However, BA was reported as having lost most luggages as compared to the other European airlines in the same year. In 2007, BA was involved in the fuel surcharge price fixing and BA was fined  £270 million for the same. As a result, BAs image took a beating but in spite of this, BA saw profit of  £875 million and achieved the long held goal of a 10% operating margin in 2008. He was offered a bonus for the same which he publically rejected. In the current financial year, BA has reported loss of  £358 millions. The graph shows the performance of BAs under Willie Walsh leadership (British Airways Annual reports, 2004-2009). Currently BA is facing toughest time in the aviation history and being the CEO of the company, Willie is expected to lead the company out of this current situation as he had successfully done at Aer Lingus. 3. Literature Review: Due to high rivalry in business, it is necessary for the companies to have effective leaders which can lead the organization successfully. There are various leadership theories which are developed over the years by different researchers. These theories are Contingency theory, Great Man theory, Trait theory and Michigan theory, Transformational and Transactional Theory. An attempt has been made to explain these theories. Contingency Theory: This theory states that there is no best and ideal way to lead the organization since one best leading style is some time not effective in other situation. This theory is similar as the situational theory. Leadership effectiveness is dependent on the leaders diagnosis and understanding of situational factors, followed by the adoption of the appropriate style to deal with each circumstance. (Ogbonna and Lloyd, 2000, p.767). Only difference is that view of contingency theory is much broader however, situational theory focus more on the behaviour that leader should adopt. The leaders ability to lead does depend upon various situational factors and leader should adapt to the situation according to the organizational environment. Trait Theory: This theory states that some people are born with traits and have certain innate qualities which differentiate them from other non-leaders. This theory is identified by Stogdill in 1974 and he identified traits and skills as to critical leaders. According to (Stogdill, 1974), these qualities are perfectly suited for leadership. Following are the traits and skills identified by Stogdill. Adaptable to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievement-orientated Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant (desire to influence others) Energetic (high activity level) Persistent Self-confident Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility Clever (intelligent) Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised (administrative ability) Persuasive Socially skilled source: Stogdill (1974) McCall and Lombardo (1983) have researched on both success and failure and have found following four primary traits for success or derail of leaders: Emotional stability and composure: Calm, confident and predictable, particularly when under stress McCall and Lombardo (1983) Admitting error: Owning up to mistakes, rather than putting energy into covering up McCall and Lombardo (1983). Good interpersonal skills: Able to communicate and persuade others without resort to negative or coercive tactics McCall and Lombardo (1983). Intellectual breadth: Able to understand a wide range of areas, rather than having a narrow (and narrow-minded) area of expertise McCall and Lombardo (1983). Great man Theory: Great man theory describes that the leaders are not made, they are born. It states that the leader will arise when there is need of them. The examples of the same are people like Jesus, Moses, Mohammed and the Buddha who had ability and charisma to motivate the people. They are adopted by the people without any interruption. These types of leaders are already having the power of being motivational and they know how to lead people. Michigan Theory: According to Michigan studies conducted in 1950 in Michigan University, Leaders could be divided in to three types: (1) Task oriented behaviour (2) Relationship Oriented Behaviour and (3) Participative Behaviour. Task oriented behaviour- In this category; leaders concentrated more on arranging, dividing the work among their subordinates rather than making relations with them. They concentrated on the activities like planning, arranging resource and planning the tasks for their subordinates. Relationship oriented behaviour- The leaders who fall into this category not only concentrated on the task to done but also on making relationship with their subordinates. They took interest in solving the personal matters and helped them to set goal for their career of their subordinates. Participative leadership- The Participative leaders included their peers into their decisions like team members. These leaders are observed as good leaders and found facilitative rather than directive in solving problems. These kinds of leaders are more effective for teams instead of individuals. Transformational and Transactional Leadership: Transactional leaders are known to be as instrumental and regularly focus on exchange relationship with their peers (Bass and Avolio, 1993). Burns (1978) was the first who bring transformational and transactional theories in focus. This style of leadership is adopted by the leaders who want to see people working with full enthusiasm. The leaders who fall in this category motivate the employees and subordinates. These leaders are enthusiastic, energetic and they have a passion for their profession. They care about the people working under them and want them to succeed. However, according to Yukl (1999), Organizational processes get insufficient attention in most theories of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders seek to transform themselves and motivate the colleagues and work towards the changing the organizational culture in line with their vision (Bass, 1985). Whereas, Transactional leaders are argued to be visionary and enthusiastic, with an inherent ability to motivate subordinates (Bycio et al., 1995; Howell and Avolio, 1993) under this style of leadership, people are motivated by rewards and punishments depending on their performance. Transactional leader simply wants the people to take full responsibility of their work. If we compared transactional style to transformational style then it can be said that transformational style is selling style but transactional is the telling. 4. Critical Analysis Willie Walsh has taken some decisions which lead the company to growth. He leads BA with his own decisions and he tries to turn the company on his own way. For example, he took decision to open T5 but this lead to complete havoc on the first day. His decisions made lead organization to pay for it. According to the contingency theory, a good Leader should adopt the situation and according to transformational theory, an ideal leader should accept the participation of the subordinates. Since Willie Walsh takes his decision alone, he falls into the category of transactional leader and according to our group study and analysis about Willie Walsh, he as adopted all characteristics of transactional style of leadership. He expects more from his subordinates and tries to take the decision on his own and he dont involve his sub ordinate into his decisions in odd situations. He makes them work with rewards and punishments. Despite of that, It doesnt mean that Willie Walsh is a bad leader or is a type of leader that a organization should not have. According to the trait theory, Willie Walsh has some traits and skills which a leader should have. E.g. he is always alert about social environment, he is ambitious and achievement oriented, he is assertive, decisive, dominant, energetic, self-confident and tolerant of stress. With this, he has got the some skills which a leader should have. E.g. he is clever, intelligent, creative, diplomatic fluent in speaking, socially skilled. This make is as an exception of the leaders. As per our observation, Willie Walsh is leading the organization with his transactional style. It has been observed that the transactional leadership doesnt work for long time. It is true that Willie Walsh made Aer Lingus from loss making air lines to as most profitable air lines in only one year with his style and own made decisions but if we see the annual data of the Aer Lingus then it clearly shows that Aer Lingus didnt make that profit in continues years. By cutting the cost, job cuts, selling company core assets and making the air line a low cost air line would be the best way to make it profit at that moment but it didnt last for long time. Below is given a chart for data for Aer Lingus as evidence (Aer Lingus Annual reports, 2000-2006). Figure 2: Performance graph of Aer Lingus from 2004 to 2009 (data taken from Aer Lingus Annual reports, 2000-2006) It is clear that Aer Lingus made profit in 2002 and 2003 but after that it made very low profit in 2004. 5. Conclusion: To conclude the whole discussion, I would like to say that Willie Walshs working style is mixture of various leadership styles and there is not such way to explain this type of style. Sometime his decisions take the company on the top but sometimes company has to pay for that. He has the ability to take British Airways to overcome the loss it is currently making. Currently his style of leadership is autocratic who does not involve others into his decision and he believe on himself. Willie Walsh currently has an autocratic image in public and known to be as Darth Vader. He needs to change his leadership style and way of working. We see a good and charismatic leader in him but he needs to improve himself so his sub ordinate can support him in order to make the British Airways success. He needs to bring all other employees into the consideration so that decisions can be made by involvement of all the employees. He took some decision to make the company profit by selling old assets and making Aer Lingus a low cost flight, but it has been observed that that success was for a short span of time. After some time Aer Lingus went into the loss. His decision not always make profit for the organization, sometime company has to pay for his transactional decision. We see sometime leader who takes the harsh decisions can be the good leader but those are successful in some particular cases only. Willie Walsh also falls into this category since he had made Aer Lingus a profitable organization in the past. But this style is not relevant for all kind of situations. He has to adopt the style of situational leader or transformational leader in order to tackle the current situation in British Airways. He needs to change himself according to the required situation. Currently British Airways needs a leader or a leadership style that can bring whole company together and take to the peak of success. In my point of view, an ideal leader is the one who know how to make all of his subordinate work together and how to make the company making success. According to me, Willie Walsh needs to change himself to understand the emotions of his peers so that a good and brave decision can be implemented to make the British Airways success. 6. Reflections: If I Compare Willie Walsh with my previous manager then there is very much difference in the working style of leadership which both acquire. My previous managers style of leadership is a mixture of transformational and situational leadership. He changes himself according to the situation then makes wise decisions to make the team success. Willie Walsh does not involve his sub ordinates into his decisions, whereas, my previous leader used to involve his entire sub ordinates into his decision through team meetings. There was a very transparent working hierarchy in the team and organization I worked for. His way of treating the team members amazing and he used to communicate with them in a regular interval of time. He is a situational leader since he proved this by taking some decision according to the situation to make success and those decisions were proved to be the best decision sometimes. He always involved his colleagues by meeting with them and arrange meeting for project discussion. My previous company has many centers in India and sometime employees have to work from different locations. In that case also he used to arrange the meeting over voip calls so that we can bring our views in his notice. My previous manager has some qualities of charismatic leaders and he always comes in to public to confess his mistake. He was a strong and brave manager like Willie Walsh and he took his decisions without any fear like Willie Walsh but leadership style of both very different. In this study I understand how leadership styles changes leader to leader and organization to organization. I understand that the leader will play a very important role in making a organization success and if leader is ready to change then it is possible to take a company from feet to the peak of success. 7. Bibliography: Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1993) Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture, Public Administration Quarterly, 17 (1) pp. 112-17 Bass, B.M. (1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York: The Free Press. Bycio, P., Hackett, R.D. and Allen, J.S. (1995) Further Assessments of Basss (1985) Conceptualization of Transactional and Transformational Leadership, Journal of Applied Psychology, 80 (4) pp. 468-78 Howell, J.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1993) Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Locus of Control and Support for Innovation: Key Predictors of Consolidated-Business-Unit Performance, Journal of Applied Psychology, 78 pp. 891-902 Huczynsky A. A. and Buchanan D. A. (2007) Organizational Behaviour. 6th edn. Essex: Prentice Hall. Kouzes, J. and posner, B. (2003) leadership challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-bass, pp. 22 McCall, M.W. Jr. and Lombardo, M.M. (1983) Off the track: Why and how successful executives get derailed. Greensboro: Centre for Creative Leadership. Ogbonna, E. and Lloyd, C. H. (2000) Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: empirical evidence from UK companies, Int. J. of Human Resource Management, 11 (4) Stogdill, R.M. (1974) Handbook of leadership: A survey of the literature. New York: Free Press. Yukl, G., (1999) An evaluation of conceptual weaknesses in transformational and charismatic leadership theories, The Leadership Quarterly, 10 (2) pp. 285-305 Annual reports of British Airways (2004-2009) Annual reports of Aer Lingus (2000-2006) Web references: 1. British Airways (2009) History and heritage: celebrating 90 years with pride. Available at: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/history-and-heritage/public/en_gb [Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009]. 2. British Airways (2009) Biography: Willie Walsh chief executive. Available at: http://www.bashares.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=69499p=irol-govBioID=135180 [Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009]. 3. British Airways (2009) History and Heritage: Explore our past. Available at: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/explore-our-past/public/en_gb [Accessed on 05 dec 2009]. 4. Business Week (2005) Willie Walsh: Chief Executive, British Airways, Britain. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_22/b3935411.htm [Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009].

Impact of the Ratification of the 13th Amendment on Commerce Essay

Background Information on the Thirteenth Amendment: The 13th amendment to the United States’ constitution was introduced in order to free the slaves from slavery and make united states a free country by abolishing and prohibiting slavery. This amendment finalized the abolition of slave trade in the United States. The 13th amendment has its origin in the proposition made by Abraham Lincoln to his cabinet in relation to the freeing of all slaves in the rebellious states. It was proposed by the 38th congress of the United States and passed by the senate on 8th April 1864 before being adopted on the 6th of December in 1865 following the announcement of the secretary of state who declared it to have been adopted. President Lincoln made an emancipation proclamation which was aimed at outlawing slavery in the ten confederation states which resulted in the abolition of slavery in the confederate states. However slave trade continued on the Border States until the thirteenth amendment was formulated. This amendment ended slavery in all parts of the United States including the Border States. Section 1 of this amendment provides that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States except in conditions where the individual was being punished because of crimes committed. The ratification of this amendment was completed on 6th December 1865 following the approval by most of the states (Goluboff 1609). The ratification of the 13th amendment had a significant impact on commerce since slaves were the main source of labor in most industries, factories and agricultural plantations. After this ratification, slaves were released from plantations and factories which forced more white men to work in plantations and fa... ...y or other heavy equipments. There was a significant decline in exports in these states which was followed by the collapse of their currency and this made it difficult for these states to obtain credit (Engerman 208).Significant reduction in agricultural production across the state resulted in scarcity of agricultural commodities which in turn increased the prices of agricultural products as well as export surpluses. References Goluboff, R. (2001). The 13th amendment and the lost origins of civil rights. Duke Law Journal, 50 (228): 1609 Engerman, S.L. (1982). Economic adjustments to emancipation in the United States and British West Indies. The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 13(2): 191 – 220 McGlynn, F., and Drescher, S. (1992). The meaning of freedom economics, politics and culture after slavery. Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Edna and Conformity in Chopin’s The Awakening Essay -- Chopin Awakenin

Edna and Conformity in Chopin’s The Awakening The passage of The Awakening which truly marks Edna Pontellier’s new manner of thought regarding her life revolves around her remembrance of a day of her childhood in Kentucky. She describes the scene to Madame Ratigonelle as the two women sit on the beach one summer day. The passage opens with a description of the sea and the sky on that particular day. This day and its components are expressed in lethargic terms such as â€Å"idly† and â€Å"motionless† and suggested a scene of calm sleep. Such a depiction establishes an image of serenity and tranquility, in other words the calm before the storm which derives from Edna’s â€Å"awakening.† As the passage continues Madame Ratigonelle asks Edna â€Å"of whom- of what are you thinking?† It is of interest to point out that she initially inquires â€Å"of whom† as if to impose her knowledge on Edna that she believes Edna may be thinking of a particular person such as Robert. Edna answers â€Å"Nothing,† but then catches herself in an answer that comes from simple habit and decides to retrace her thoughts. She rememb...

Health Care Finance Essay

Complete the following table by writing responses to the questions. Cite the sources in the text and list them at the bottom of the table. What criterion must be met for true comparability? Consistency, verification and unit measurement must all be met in order for true criteria. (Chp.14, pg.151) What elements of consistency should be considered? Provide an example. The elements of consistency that should be considered is time periods, consistent methodology, and inflation factors. An example of a time period would be that you could not compare a ten month time period to a twelve month period instead you would annualize the ten month period. An example of consistent methodology would be to use the same method throughout the entire time period. An example of inflation factors would be if expenses are expended then it is expected for expenses to increase. (Chp.14, pg.151-152) What is the manager’s responsibility in comparing data? The manager’s responsibility in comparing data is to recall and apply the elements of consistency. This is critical because the consistency of data will be used to make decisions. (Chp.14, pg.152) What are the four common uses of comparative data? The four common uses of comparative data are compare current expenses to current budget, compare current actual expenses to prior periods in own organization, compare to other organizations, and compare to industry standards. (Chp.14, pg.153-157) What is meant by standardized data? Standardized data is data that aids in comparability. (Chp.14, pg.161)

Mcdonalds †Operations Mgt Essay

1. What characteristics of McDonald’s production system have been most important in building its record of success and growth in the industry? McDonald’s unique production system has been central to their corporate strategy. Ray Kroc immediately saw value in the McDonald brothers’ production methodology. The McDonald brothers controlled the preparation of each menu item, regulating exactly how much of each topping would go on each burger, in order to maintain consistency and uniformity. Going forward, the company would base their business model on three key tenets: limited menu, low prices, and fast service. Kroc obsessed over perfecting the operating system with these three tenets in mind. He believed that consistency and uniformity, with respect to products, should be the overarching goals of this operation strategy. It began with the â€Å"Speedee Service System† in 1948 and continued to evolve from that point. McDonald’s operating system focused on four key areas: improving the product, improving equipment, developing excellent supplier relations, and developing and monitoring franchisees. McDonald’s had created a unique relationship with its franchisees and suppliers. McDonald’s believed that franchise growth was where they should make their profits, not primarily from the franchise fees, which had been the industry standard. This relationship fostered growth and innovation as franchisees made recommendations and provided feedback on what was working and what wasn’t. McDonald’s broke another industry standard by developed very close relationships with supplier. McDonald’s worked closely with suppliers to ensure consistently high quality food products made to McDonald’s’ exact specifications. By working with the suppliers to control the quality of their products, McDonald’s’ was helping to ensure that a burger served at any one of their locations would look the same, taste the same, and reinforce McDonald’s’ reputation for quality and consistency. The suppliers knew that if they met the very s pecific standards set forth by McDonald’s, they would be rewarded with the loyalty of a very lucrative customer. This relationship was mutually beneficial as the consistent demand from McDonald’s helped suppliers grow alongside the chain, turning small farming operations into major institutional vendors. 2. What are the primary new challenges McDonald’s faces in the 1990s? In the early ‘90s, McDonald’s legendary growth rate began to slow. Consumer preferences were changing and McDonald’s worried that the limited menu that had served them so well over the previous decades might not be enough to carry them into the future. Going into the 1990s McDonald’s faced many challenges, including increased competition in the domestic quick-service market, consumer pressure to provide healthier options, and increased environmental criticism. The major challenges outlined in the case include the following: Casual dining restaurants, such as Chili’s and Olive Garden, were becoming increasingly popular. These restaurants offered a wide selection of menu items, with prices that could compete with McDonald’s. Drive-thru only chains, such as Sonic and Rally’s, were out-performing McDonald’s on speed of service. These chains were now seeing b ig growth, where McDonald’s’ expansion was slowing down. Taco Bell had become another big competitor. Taco Bell focused on providing an extensive offering of inexpensive Mexican food. Taco Bell had 26 menu items under one dollar. They were able to keep their prices low by shifting food preparation to offsite suppliers, requiring less kitchen space on-site. ïÆ'ËœNutrition was a growing concern among many American consumers, and McDonald’s had become synonymous with high-fat, high-calorie â€Å"fast food†. There was extreme pressure for McDonald’s to augment their menu with healthier options, lower in fat and sodium than the traditional burgers and fries. ïÆ'ËœIncluding a wider variety of items on their menu was likely necessary to meet the changing needs and preferences of their consumers, however McDonald’s core competencies were built around an operating system that was designed for speedy delivery of a limited number of menu items. ïÆ'ËœMcDonald’s had become the target of environmental activists who criticized the agricultural practices of McDonald’s’ suppliers and the company’s extensive use of disposable packaging. 3. What are the key types of flexibility which McDonald’s operations strategy needs to support? Which does it support and how? Which does it not support well and why? Product/service flexibility is the ability of the organization to develop new products and services which customers may find attractive. McDonald’s achieved great success with the introduction of its breakfast menu in the 1970’s, proving that product flexibility is an important mechanism for growth in their industry. That said, the long term success of McDonald’s operating model is largely due to their commitment to maintaining a limited menu. While McDonald’s should continue to develop and test new products, they need to be cautious about expanding their menu too much. Volume and delivery flexibility allows the operation to adjust its output levels and its delivery procedures in order to cope with unexpected changes in how many products and services customers want, when they want them , and/or where they want them. McDonald’s equipment and work flows were designed for maximum efficiency. Speedy service was critical to increase volume of sales per unit time. With respect to delivery models, McDonald’s had also developed a number of different building designs, such as drive-thru only facilities and cafà ©s suitable for small towns. They also placed McDonald’s in new venues, such as schools, hospitals and airports. Mix flexibility allows an organization to produce a wide variety of products and services for its customers to choose from. The operating system at McDonald’s had been constructed to ensure uniformity, quality and speed in all of their restaurants. If they introduce a wide variety of foods it would disrupt an operation strategy built around a limited menu. McDonald’s may have wanted to offer a wide variety of products but it would be a real challenge to maintain their standards with respect to quality, speed, and pricing. 4. How would you adapt the system to accommodate these changes in the US? McDonald’s could adapt their system in several ways to accommodate the changing trends in the US market. They could develop more drive-thru only locations. Off-premise consumption had risen from just 23% in 1982 to 62% in 1990 and overhead costs would be lower under this model. In keeping with this theme, McDonald’s should continue to develop smaller outlets in venues like schools, airports, and sporting arenas. They should continue to work on product development, but should focus on potential offerings that could be produced quickly and easily with their existing equipment. Products that will likely require additional time and aren’t aligned with the restaurant’s traditional offerings (e.g. lasagna) should be avoided. They should consider healthier options that still fit with the traditional concept of what McDonald’s offers, such as veggie burgers, or low fat chicken sandwiches. They should take steps to improve their environmental image, by encouraging suppliers to adopt environmentally responsible practices, and by looking for opportunities to reduce unnecessary packaging. This will provide dual benefits by improving their image and reducing costs at the same time. 5. How can McDonald’s lay the basis for future growth? The Ansoff product-market matrix outlines four possible strategic directions a firm can take, in order to grow. Existing Products New Products MARKET PENETRATION †¢Focus on promotion of existing product lineup †¢Focus on increasing number of restaurants in US †¢Focus on increasing sales in existing restaurantsPRODUCT DEVELOPMENT †¢Focus on developing new menu items to add to current lineup †¢Explore ways to modify operating system to allow speedy delivery of new items †¢Build relationships with new suppliers to source inputs for new menu items at low cost MARKET DEVELOPMENT †¢Focus on delivering core menu items in international locations †¢Focus on increasing number of restaurants in countries where the chain has had most success †¢Focus on increasing sales in existing overseas restaurants DIVERSIFICATION †¢Try out new menu items in international locations †¢Focus on developing new menu items that appeal to customers in specific geographies (e.g. curries in India) †¢Build relationships with new suppliers in host countries Existing Markets New Markets McDonald’s should adopt a growth strategy that focuses on Market Development, with limited Product Development. McDonald’s needs to recognize and accept that a firm cannot grow indefinitely in a restricted territory. They cannot expect their historical 25% annual domestic growth to continue forever. Their slowing growth rates in the US suggest they are likely approaching market saturation in the United States. They should stick to the operating model that has been so successful for them, and look outside US borders for growth opportunities. McDonald’s should not try to be all things to all people. McDonald’s needs to recognize who their customers are, and what they expect when they go to McDonald’s. The company should not deviate too far away from their original business model (limited menu, low prices, fast service). McDonald’s should focus on delivering their core products to an ever expanding geographic territory, instead of complicating their operating model, increasing service time, and decreasing margins, by offering an ever-expanding array of menu items. New menu items should be easy to deliver with existing equipment and established workflows (e.g. veggie burgers, lamb burgers, lean patties, chicken burgers). With respect to US sales, the case cited that only 20% of McDonald’s sales came from dinner. This may be a possible frontier for growth, but an entirely new menu should not be required to bring people in for dinner. This seems to be more of a marketing issue. McDonald’s needs to position themselves as â€Å"top of mind† when people are driving home from work, with nothing prepared for supper. Perhaps repackaging their existing products into a family package, similar to those offered by KFC, would help in this regard.

The Treatment Of The Jews During The Holocaust - 1501 Words

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, legal is defined as â€Å"conforming to or permitted by law or established rule† (merriam webster). It then defines moral as, â€Å"expressing or teaching a conception or right behavior† (merriam webster). Dr. King gives a touching look at the difference between legality and morality with the example of events that took place with Germany under the leadership of Hitler. He explains that in Nazi Germany, it was â€Å"legal† to abuse and humiliate Jews. He then states that the comforting and aiding to Jews in Nazi Germany was illegal. While the first is legal and the second is illegal, what is legal is blatantly immoral whereas what is illegal is boldly moral. The abuse and mistreatment of Jews during the†¦show more content†¦Instead, there was complete segregation between the two. The second way in which King explains how a law can be unjust is a law would degrade the personality of humans. A law that raises humans and the personality that they have is considered just. Dr. King states, â€Å"All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality† (242). Segregations give the whites a sense of superiority over the African Americans, making them feel weak or inferior. Dr. King summarizes the words of Martin Buber by suggesting, â€Å". . . segregation substitutes an ‘I-it’ relationship for the ‘I-thou’ relationship, and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. So segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound but it is morally wrong and sinful† (242). Segregation degrades the African Americans and the personality of man, therefore it is unjust. A third way a law can be unjust is a â€Å". . .code that a majority inflicts on a minority that is not binding on itself† (243). The white people were the majority and inflicted segregation on the African American minority. The social context was set that whites could not interact with African Americans. The law of segregation was not a law in which the white people would impose upon themselves if they were within the minority. So, this would mean that segregation can again be viewed as unjust. The fourth way KingShow MoreRelatedEssay Treatment of the Jews During the Holocaust1088 Words   |  5 PagesTreatment of the Jews During the Holocaust The Nazi slaughter of European Jews during World War II, commonly referred to as the Holocaust, occupies a special place in our history. The genocide of innocent people by one of the worlds most advanced nations is opposite of what we think about the human race, the human reason, and progress. It raises doubts about our ability to live together on the same planet with people of other cultures and persuasions. 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Himmler was the leader of many operations during his time in Nazi Germany, with the Final Solution during the Holocaust being his most well known. Three reasons why people should learn about Heinrich Himmler when talking about the Holocaust is his role in the Final SolutionRead MoreFrom Human Wrongs to Human Rights Many Novels1045 Words   |  4 Pagesgenocide is the Holocaust, which killed around six million Jews. After the Holocaust, the United Nations recognized that there had to be human rights put into place. Two human rights from the United Nations’ â€Å"Universal Declaration of Human Rights† that were perversely violated during the Ho locaust are Article 5 (the protection against inhumane treatment or punishment) and Article 25 (the right to a standard of living.) 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Not only were millions murdered, but hundreds of thousands who survived the concentration camps were forever scarred by the dehumanizing events that they saw, committed, and lived through. In the novel â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel, Wiesel recounts the spine-chillingly horrific events of the Holocaust that affected him first-hand, in an attempt to make theRead MoreI. Introduction. Schindler’S List Begins In Krakà ³w, Poland1328 Words   |  6 PagesList begins in Krakà ³w, Poland during World War II. At this time, the Nazi Party was trying to cleanse the world of â€Å"impure† people including Jews and rounded up all of the Jewish to make them work. In the movie, Oskar Schindler used Jews from the Krakà ³w ghetto to staff his factory instead of sending them to concentration camps. At first, he uses them only to make money, using bribery in order to get workers. Eventually, he realizes he is saving them from harsh treatment elsewhere and continues to makeRead MoreThe Holocaust Of The World War II1123 Words   |  5 Pageswars; however, during World War II, millions of people were treated less than human, forced into labor and killed on sight. Others were given a swift death by a bullet to the head while others died of starvation and disease. What makes this treatment of human even worse is how the Jewish people were targeted. Killing a specific group of people is called Genocide. A crime known to the U.N. as the worst crime a human can do. People in Europe in 1939 to 1945 were in terror due to war. Jews on the otherRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II1651 Words   |  7 PagesThe holocaust was the genocide of European Jews and other groups by the Nazis during World War II. It lasted from 1933 to 1945, as a horrible time in history. Approximately 11 million people were killed, and almost 1 million of those killed were innocent children. It is well-known that there were a number o f survivors, yet not many people know exactly how these people survived. The most known thing about the holocaust are the concentration camps. A concentration camp is defined by, â€Å"a place whereRead MoreThe Holocausts Effect on the German Jew Essay1745 Words   |  7 Pagesof 1933. He hated Jews and blamed them for everything bad that had ever happened to Germany. Hitler’s goal in life was to eliminate the Jewish population. With his rise to power in Germany, he would put into action his plan of elimination. This is not only why German Jews were the main target of the Holocaust, but why they were a large part of the years before, during, and after the Holocaust. Hitler’s â€Å"final solution† almost eliminated the Jewish population in Europe during World War II. At

Similarities Between A Separate Peace And The Red Badge Of...

Not everything in the world has the easiest answer or the clearest meaning. The average citizen may not take the time to look for symbols in the real world. Those same citizens also may not notice that an object could have a hidden meaning. In the novels The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, and A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, both contain symbols that help represent the novels overall theme. Crane’s novel is about a young boy named Henry, who fights in the Civil War. He goes through many internal conflicts from deciding to run or deciding to stay and fight the enemy. Knowles’ novel is about two teenagers, Gene and Finny, who attend school during WWII. They push each other to do different things and influence each other†¦show more content†¦He was now a more courageous man from that point on. He saw his wound as a fact that he survived the shot, and he believes that he can survive what comes his way instead of running. When he ran back into battle one his friends had been killed. The man killed was the flag bearer. Instead of running in fear he pried the flag from his hands and ran into the heat of battle. Henry did not think about the possibility of himself being the one that could die. He decided to fight for his own honor. Henry grew there his experience n the Civil War because of things like his red badge of courage. Since Knowles’ novel contains a deep theme, there is a symbol that can connect to it. The symbol in Knowles’ novel is a tree. The tree is where everything began and ended. Gene and Finny first really connected at this tree, with the idea to jump off a branch and into the river. It was also the place Finny broke his leg, Finny‘s leg later broke again and died from the bone marrow reaching his heart. If he had not broken his leg from the tree, then his leg may not have been as fragile, and he could have possibly not died. The tree is also where Gene and Finny came up with the idea to create a ritual. A person would jump off a branch and land in the river. The tree was really the center of their friendship When Gene revisited the tree after many years, he noticed that â€Å"The tree was not only stripped by the cold season, it seemed wearyShow MoreRelatedBrand Building Blocks96400 Words   |  386 Pagesoperate, Coke is a corporate brand. This complexity makes building and managing brands difficult. In addition to knowing its identity, each brand needs to understand its role in each context in which it is involved. Further, the relationships between brands (and subbrands) must be clarified both strategically and with respect to customer perceptions. Why is this brand complexity emerging? The market fragmentation and brand proliferation mentioned above have occurred because a new market orRead MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesinnovation is ignited, prosperity is fueled and the energy available to everyone inc reases. At the same tim balancing the needs of e, producers and consum ers is as crucial as increa sing supply and curbin g demand. Only then wil l the world enjoy energy peace-of-mind. Succeeding in securing energy for everyone doe sn’t have to come at the exp ens start to think differently e of anyone. Once we all about energy, then we can truly make this promise a reality. $15 hips over ket. ners part r sting Inve gyRead MoreAutobilography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic116934 Words   |  468 Pagesmy buddies, no one. I became boring, bland, and you should know that ever since Malmà ¶ FF I ve had one philosophy: I run my own race. I don t give a damn what people think and I ve never felt comfortable with authority. I like guys who run the red light, if you know what I mean. But now†¦ I didn t say what I wanted. I said what I thought people expected of me. It was wack. I drove the club s Audi and stood there nodding like back in school, or like I should have stood nodding back in schoolRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesYour Communication Skills 228 PART 5 MAINTAINING HIGH PERFORMANCE Chapter 10 Establishing the Performance Management System 230 Learning Outcomes 230 Introduction 232 Factors That Can Distort Appraisals 244 Leniency Error 244 Halo Error 245 Similarity Error 245 Low Appraiser Motivation 245 Central Tendency 245 Inflationary Pressures 246 Inappropriate Substitutes for Performance 246 Attribution Theory 246 Creating More Effective Performance Management Systems 247 Use Behavior-Based Measures 248