Managing Multinational Operations IP 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Multinational Operations IP 4 - Essay Example Foreign investors need to consider many factors when planning their investments in China. There are many restrictions which apply only to them. In addition, the complex approval process, layers of government bureaucracy and consequent time delays are often difficult for investors unfamiliar with doing business in China to grasp. It is therefore recommended that specific and tailored professional advice is sought prior to commencing business in China. Comprehensive professional advice is available from legal officers in Greater China region. Due to the above discussed issues it is important for any foreign investor to consider the following factors when doing business in China. This is based on the fact that long term investment project require a thorough understanding of all business attributes of doing business in that country. From the onset, any potential foreign investor needs to understand that China is very restrictive on most direct investments into the country unless their ne ed is thoroughly justified. Foreign investments in China are strictly regulated on differential basis depending on the sector or industry. The catalogue for guiding foreign investments (Investment catalogue) is issued by the Ministry of Commerce and National Development and Reform commission and sets out the specific industries which are classified as â€Å"encouraged†, â€Å"restricted† or â€Å"prohibited† for foreign investment industries (Smithson, 2010). The ones that are not specified in the catalogue are classified as permitted for foreign investment. A consideration of the investment is one of the first tasks which should be undertaken by a foreign investor contemplating any investment in China. Business scope is also an issue to be considered. All business in China is required to operate within the terms of their business scope which must be approved by the relevant government authority. Approved business scope is evidenced by a business license issued by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce or its local office. Business activities are generally restricted to defined activities. As an entity may not act beyond its scope it is important that in determining the business scope it is not defined so narrowly that it restricts the permitted operations of the company. A foreign investor in China needs to consider too the accounting requirements that the regulatory framework imposes on all businesses in the country. Accounting laws and regulations have been formulated for enterprises with foreign investments and are generally close to internationally recognized accounting standards although slight differences exist. Statutory audits are required for enterprises with foreign investments. This is the surest way to win the trust of the Chinese that you are worth conducting a business in their country. It also shows the level of commitment and financial worthiness. Another decisive factor that also comes into focus in the pre-inv estment analysis and should never is ignored is the type of incentives to be offered is also a factor to consider. It is very necessary in a competitive business enterprise as it determines customer’s choice. At the same time it increases the expenses lowering the profit to be made so it must be selected wisely. In

Late Adulthood Paper Essay Example for Free

Late Adulthood Paper Essay People over the age of 65 have gone through a life of changes. He or she starts off as a young baby. He or she then develops into a growing child. into a young individual, and finally into a full adult. Now however is the hardest stage of any older individual’s life, they start to realize that time is limited and their life is slowly starting to decline and come to an end. This experience can be very frightening to the individual because the elderly person is noticing different changes and the rise of different needs. Changes not only physically but socially are occurring, the need for proper living accommodations, and health care are their new worries. With this being said there are many challenges not only for the aging individual but for the whole family as well. One of the social changes that elderly have to deal with is the changes in role and social position. Individuals who have lived a long life tend to have a social status that is often taken away when they retire. This is due to the fact that the individual is no longer in the environment he or she is used to. To make this clearer one example would be someone who has worked for a company for thirty plus years. In these years the individual most likely has made countless friends, on top of that the individual might have been in position of authority. When the individual retires he or she loses the environment that made him the individual he or she was. Some adults go into a shock because they no longer have a purpose. Some feel like they are no longer needed, and often many older people tend to feel neglected or left out of society (Zastrow, H. C., Oren, D.2009). It is a difficult time for the elderly. Because before they were needed, they had a purpose. Raised children, had a purpose in their career, and often had friends and peers that made their social life exciting. With these last remaining years this all starts to fade away, friends, family, a loved one, and even their own health. This i s why living in a nursing home can be so beneficial. It is expected by the year 2050, that there will be just over one hundred million adults over the age of  sixty five (‘Administration of Aging’, 2014). Currently there are just over twenty million adults of the age of sixty five years of age. What this means is that the need for facilities such as hospices and nursing homes, as well as other health care related facilities will be on a rise as the years continue. Living accommodations in a nursing home may not be a farfetched idea for an elderly individual. This is because nursing homes have individuals just like their own. One reason most senior citizens get depressed is because they are often left alone, let us say their partner had passed away, most senior citizens withdraw from the world too. (2009). Nursing homes may allow new friendships and bonds to be formed with people in their own age group. A nursing home or hospice is the perfect environment for an aging individual not only for the social aspect, but the health aspects as well. When an elderly adult lives alone his or her health will often be highly neglected. In a nursing or hospice home however, there are many great hea lth benefits to take into consideration. According to Dependableathome (2009) the benefits of having an elderly adult in a nursing home is because of the environment is made for retired individuals. For one the nurses are all skilled, and highly equipped to handle aged individuals. These facilities allow for individuals to get services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language services, as well as many other medical and social services that can ensure that the individual’s needs are met as best as possible. These are all benefits to an individual that went through adjustment in both retirement and their relationship in marriage, family and peer relationships. Adjustments into retirement can be difficult to overcome; retirement is one of the hardest situations to adjust to. When a person retires, he or she realizes that their life is starting to come down. Often most individuals do not know what to do with their self. Often for most people it takes a while for them to adjust to being home all day Zastrow, H. C., Oren, D. (2009). They often try to find projects to do around the house but after a while a form of depression kicks in. Another transition they must face is their changes in marriage, their family, and their peer relationships. Often sooner or later a spouse will die, peers will start to die, and family starts to drift off. This is an inevitable process. When a spouse dies the individual usually withdraws from society. When peers start to die it is a bittersweet  remembrance that their time is limited and the people they connected with in the past are no longer here. Family like children are full grown and living their own lives, this often neglects the older adult and is usually left alone to spend his or her remaining years by him or herself. Senior citizens not only deal with these types of hardships but social political hardships as well. Adults who are retired have a tough task at hand indeed. Individuals who once were working no longer have near the income that they once had. Most retired adults made poor choices as into how to set an up a retirement plan. Thus most retired adults only have so cial security income. Surviving on social security income alone is nearly impossible.Thus there are many social policies, laws and programs aimed into trying to help our retired population. Proper health care is one of the policies trying to be ensured to each retired adult. Proper health care will allow for one’s parent to be ensured into a proper nursing home. According to Administration of Aging. (2014), political issues that surround retired adults, include equipped and ensuring the proper resources are available to retired adults. These resources include proper medical care. Proper institutions such as nursing homes are available in the right areas and environment, and to make sure the low income retired adults are getting the nutrition he or she needs. There are also plenty of organizations aimed to ensure and to fight potential cuts to the older population to ensure that these populations get what they rightfully deserve.(2014). On a final note, in our growing population the need for facilities such as hospices, and nursing homes are on all time rises. With this growing population many families have to deal with the inevitable loss of a loved one. This inevitable lose can be a very tough, and challenging time for any family. For families a nursing home may be a perfect solution to help a family member in his or her last phase, or journey if one may in life. For with this growing population there are many different needs and factors that contribute in the later adulthood stage. Well obvious needs and changes are biological some needs are not so obvious; such changing needs both occur in social needs, and personality needs as well. Whatever the need may be it is important to take into consideration of each and every one of these retired individual are needs. Each one of these people have helped contribute in some sort of way into the growth of our country and we as a country need to  ensure that these people are getting the proper care they deserve. References Administration of Aging. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/future_growth/future_growth.aspx Dependableathome. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.dependableathome.com/ Zastrow, H. C., Oren, D. (2009). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social environment (8th Ed.). Retrieved from the University of Phoenix EBook Collection Database

National ID cards in the UK: Debates For and Against

National ID cards in the UK: Debates For and Against â€Å"Introducing National ID cards in the United Kingdom.† The concept of this scheme to introduce National ID card in the UK, is so that any legal citizen of the United Kingdom should be able to confirm their identity simply by producing this card and therefore prove their right to be within the UK without argument. It will do this by holding enough personal data to specifically identify a person as the individual they are claiming to be without question. You may wonder why the Government feel this a necessary action and it seems the main aim of this scheme is that the National ID card is ultimately intended to assist with law enforcement predominantly in relation to terrorism and organised crime. One of the main criteria for this scheme therefore, is that the cards should not be easily forged so that anyone wishing to flout the law could do so easily. These cards are only intended to hold basic data about a person, only enough to prove their identity. However it seems the definition of this ‘basic data’ seems somewhat ambiguous. Primarily, for example, it is intended that the card will only hold information regarding a persons name, address, date of birth and address etc. Scratch the surface however, and it seems that the actual proposal for the ID card embraces much more technologically sophisticated designs because, as previously stated, it aims to avoid being easily forged. Therefore it is intended that it will also hold ‘biometric data,’ that is to say, data that proves a much more physical individuality, such as fingerprint impressions or iris scans. It will do this through implementing the opportunities now made available to us through the ever advancing forms of ICT (Information and Communication Technology). All this in mind it seems the introduction of National ID cards within the United Kingdom seems to be one of the most politically sensitive topics around at this current moment, with people arguing both in support and opposition of the scheme, regarding whether it will protect or control us. In the aftermath of September the 11th we had perhaps become more aware than we had been previously, that we were vulnerable to attack from Terrorists who despised the Western Capitalist Culture such as that which exists both within the UK and America where the attack took place. It was a shock to thousands, if not millions of us all over the world, as we were humbled to witness the devastation that this attack, and attacks like it can cause. For those in support of the National ID card, they claim that terrorist attacks would mean that it would be much more problematic for a terrorist trying to initiate a plan via an assumed false identity because of the designs previously outlined. The idea is that the authorities would question them too vigorously once they inevitably failed to produce a valid ID card, and therefore be obstruct their terrorist strategies. Indeed one of the most adamant supporters of this argument is Mr David Blunkett who is quoted as saying; â€Å"The ability to prove ones identity reliably is an ever-more important aspect of modern life.† (www.publictechnology.net/modules) Indeed Mr Blunketts perspective on this issue is that it represents the answer to our living in fear of attack, as the cards are proposed to be so technologically advanced they will be impossible to forge. Whether this is a valid claim remains to be seen. In addition, the scheme is also seen as a solution to serious and organised crime with the UK and also seemingly much more everyday issues such assisting in the efficiency of public services. Bases persuasive techniques on the basis that those with nothing to hide will only benefit. From this we can see both what the National ID card is intended to be, and why the Government in the main, support this scheme, particularly in light of the ‘War Against Terrorism†. However as previously mentioned, the National ID card scheme is a sensitive current affair and does seem to be becoming an increasing Political Hot Potato with concerns raising particularly in relation to our Human Right to privacy and how these may possibly be infringed upon by advancing forms of ICT. Even though a person may have nothing to hide they may feel that the schemes enforces extra control over them rather than protecting them. Despite assurances from the Government that only very basic data will be held on these cards and that only the Government and ourselves (subject to the Data Protection Act 1998) will have a right to access the information, we are aware that in order to make these cards practically impossible to forge the link has to be made between sophisticated forms of ICT in order to incorporate features such iris scans and fingerprint impressions etc. As a consequence of this, the use of modern technology seems to have caused panic through an idea that we will become a society under the constant supervision of ‘Big Brother’ and that everyone could potentially know our business. In short, there is an opposition to the National ID card as it is suggested it will impact upon our civil rights to privacy, and that rather than the scheme being one to protect us, it would ultimately become one to control us in perhaps what could be identified as a communist trait and therefore undermine the very structure of our current Capitalist society. Indeed an entire website named say ‘No2ID and the Database State’ is based on the very foundation of this argument. In comparison to the Governments webpage (www.identitycards.gov.uk) of ‘frequently asked questions,’ which only briefly touches on the issue. Notably only one question on this page related to ICT specifically and that didn’t really address the concern of ICT exposing our business, rather it related only to defining biometric data; â€Å"A biometric is a unique identifying physical characteristic. Examples include facial recognition, iris patterns and fingerprints.†( www.identitycards.gov.uk) Basically it would seem that those in oppostion tend to be in fear because the design of the cards is intended to be so advanced that most of us will not be able to fully understand the extent to which we are monitored by this scheme. In essence there seems to be an almost operantly conditioned response amongst the opposition, based on previous experience that our human rights will be sacrificed against our will and thus demolish the UK’s characteristic liberal approach to civil rights and its Capitalist structure. For example, as recently as the 27th November 2005 it was revealed by the Mail on Sunday that the database for the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) is actually profiting by selling ‘our’ data to would be wheel clampers. The scenario being that for a small fee, car park attendants and wheel clampers could forward bills to motorists home addresses because they were provided with them by the DVLA. Indeed the DVLA were exposed as even allowing one wheel clamping company to purchase the information (for as little as  £2.50 per transaction) whose two bosses were actually already in prison for crimes of extorting money from the Motorist. From this we can see that even when respected organisations such as the DVLA are allowed to hold personal data on us we can sometimes be exploited in the pursuit of profit and therefore we can perhaps begin to understand the concerns arising over the National ID card. All this in mind, it is perhaps now relevant to apply this knowledge in order to assess how the scheme will affect the current structure of society within the UK. As a quick overview the UK exists as a Capitalist Society, which thrives on a democratic government and allows us our civil human rights such as the right to privacy. This would seem quite a positive description, especially in light of how civil rights have so vehemently been fought for in the past, particularly in relation to the movement to support the rights of black people that took place in America during the 1960’s. Indeed it is important to acknowledge that both those who support and oppose the scheme do so because they are fearful for the survival of that political societal structure, despite the extremities of approach to the topic i.e., 1. by believing the cards will protect us, or 2) that they will to undermine us. For those in support of the National ID card, it is perhaps a representation of reformism. Meaning that it seems to be an example of a Political Policy ‘whose object is to modify a political practice or aspect of social legislation without changing the fundamental political social structure.’ (Jary D Jary J, 1999) Yet for those in opposition that is not the case and the National ID would in fact change the fundamental political social structure. If as suggested by those in opposition to the scheme that we will become a ‘database state’ surely we are changing the fundamental political structure of our society as we seem to be relinquishing a great deal of our privacy in order to accommodate such concepts. The concern is that we may perhaps ‘sleep walk’ our way over to a more politically left / socialist standpoint and therefore sacrifice our Capitalist structure which arguably at this point in time defines the UK. If this is the case then we cou ld perhaps argue that the decision to defend ourselves against terrorists would in fact actually result in us allowing the terrorists to win, as the Capitalist structure would in fact wither naturally. One of the most prevalent characteristics of society within the United Kingdom is surely that of Capitalism, and indeed one of the main reasons we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks by organisations like Al-Qaeda who oppose it. Whilst there are variations to the definitions of Capitalism as it is notoriously difficult to define, it would seem that the rejection of centralised control is one of the most prevalent motivations of a Capitalist structure. If we were to take on board those, for example who adamantly profess to say No2ID, then we would arguably be acting in the interest on maintaining our social structure of a Capitalist state as they are rejecting avenues for an influx of databases that may ultimately result in a society which will exist via centralised control in this case through the medium of databases. What’s next providing babies with barcodes? What makes this topic so complex henceforth is that those who are on the other of the fence and support scheme such as Mr Blunkett are in fact motivated by this very same desire to preserve and protect our Capitalist state, and so it seems that this is one of the rare political topics that actually where the aim is actually agreed upon by the majority of the nation even if the method is disputed. As alluded to earlier all sorts of arguments exist in relation to the ID card and specifically the impact ICT. We might feel that we could be blinded by science and exploited. We might also be justified in feeling that our personal privacy would be exploited by corrupt people in power (as is alleged to have happened via the DVLA), however it is also felt a necessary ploy in order to avoid counterfeit duplication. All possibly valid arguments, however, what hasn’t been discussed is the actual practical application of this scheme. If, we were to embrace Mr Blunketts main reasoning for the scheme, then surely Police would be encouraged to stereotype and stop those who they felt could possibly be terrorists. In light of the threat from Al-Qaeda this is surely likely to result in a cultural divide, as they would likely stop Asian people thought to dominate the Islamic religion, rather than white people. In relation to the topic of the Civil Rights movement, mentioned earlier, we wo uld arguably be promoting a shift back towards racism. Since the UK is a place that manages to embrace aspects of Liberalism (a concept which promotes such tolerance of religion and personal and economic freedom) without challenging the Capitalism in society, the introduction of the ID card would arguably be a backlash against such positive traits and be quite disappointing. Whether in support of the ID card or in extreme opposition, it does seem that it is inevitable as talks persist and plans continue. It would seem that both sides of this argument have a substantial weight to them. However, change and diversity within society is surely inevitable. It’s surely what defines our history and characterises our culture. For the UK, it would seem that the National ID card will be one of those most significant changes to occur in the next few years. Yet surely it is better to evolve than remain in a static culture otherwise we would never advance. Surely a risk is worth taking even if we are not always in agreement or sure of the consequences. Bibliography Cushing, S (2001) Information and Communication Technology: London: Letts Educational Donnellan, C (2004) Protecting Our Privacy: Cambridge: MWL Print Group Jary, D Jary, J. (1999) Sociology: Leicester: HarperCollins Publishers Websites www.identitycards.gov.uk http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3568468.stm www.news-from-newspapers.com/en/Wikipedia.org/2005/04/21/Capitalism.html http://www.no2id.net/ www.publictechnology.net/modules) http://www.spy.org.uk/spyblog/2005/11/ (Mail on Sunday 27th November 2005) http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Strindbergs The Stronger Essay -- Strindberg Stronger Essays

Strindberg's "The Stronger" In 'The Stronger' Strindberg focuses upon the role and importance of women at the turn of the 20th century. This is portrayed through a conversation of two women who have different lives and social statuses. Mrs. X is married and therefore socially stronger. Miss Y is unmarried and rather poignantly, doesn't speak. At the turn of the 20th century, women were seen as 2nd class citizens to men. However, this entire play is set in a women's cafà © where Strindberg's purpose is to allow the two characters to fully express their feelings rather than be influenced and controlled by men. Since the play focuses upon the role and importance of marriage and family, the setting of Christmas is significant. It reinforces Mrs. X's family values and the power it gives her over Miss Y However, later on in the play, the strength of constant silence by Miss Y proves more powerful than Mrs X's family values and the setting of Christmas is quite forgotten. Strindberg uses a title and single letter as names for the characters to emphasise the issue of marital status where the individuality of the two women isn't important. It is merely the title that defines the person. We recognise stage directions as defined actions, usually just before or after speech and sometimes during a characters line. They can be used to emphasise a characters speech or to illustrate a certain emotion. This may hint at or reveal a characters personality, where a certain movement may show strength or weakness, particularly important for Miss Y who expresses herself solely through actions and facial expressions. The stage directions in 'The stronger' tell the audience about how strong or weak a character is. For... ...e play, there are times when both characters are strong and weak. It is only at the end of the play where I feel that Mrs X's true strength is shown. She briefly concludes the argument and doesn't appear to have any hard feelings towards Miss Y. She even thanks her for the way she has influenced her family life. Mrs X represented the traditional women of Strindberg's time where her life revolved around her husband and family. This is completely the opposite for Miss Y who represented women wanting a change to the male-dominated world. She doesn't react to Mrs X's patronising speeches about family or children and remains calm. She is more interested in her paper than what Mrs X has to say. Above all, I conclude that Miss Y is 'the stronger'. This is because of her ability to not rise to Mrs X's 'bait'. She is strong in her silence and never retaliates.

Modus Operandi Essay

Modus Operandi is a term used in a criminal investigation to describe a way in which a defender goes about committing a crime. Usually it defines a pattern of activities driven by the offenders, thought and behavior processes, before, during, and after the crime. It is also used in criminal profiling, where it can assist with obtaining clues regarding an offender’s psychology. It consists of examining the actions used by the offender to execute the crime, prevent its detection and/or facilitate escape. (Vronsky, 2004)A criminal’s MO pertains to facts gathered from a crime scene, giving investigators insight into how, when and where the crime was committed. For example, a criminal may use a particular weapon or focus on certain type of people, time of day, or a particular neighborhood. All which support his modus operandi. The signature is the way in which a criminal leaves his mark on the crime scene. This can include, posing or branding his victim in a certain way or c arrying out his crime in a manic obsession such as torture of disfigurement, using props and/or securing souvenirs such as clothing, to relive the crime. An offender’s signature alerts profilers to the emotional and psychological aspects of the offender that are the driving forces of an offender’s crime.(Keppel,1997) Signature behaviors suggest clues regarding a criminal’s past, personality, emotions, mental state and intelligence. Criminal psychological profiling is an investigative tool utilized by experts to examine details of a crime, in the attempt to categorize, understand and predict the behavior of certain type of offenders based on behavioral clues they provide. Criminal psychological profiling is also referred to as â€Å"criminal profiling†, â€Å"criminal profiling† and â€Å"behavioral profiling.†Criminal profiling is a behavioral composite of the unknown, put together after analyzing the crime scene and other important information pertaining to the crime. This can include the autopsy report, autopsy and crime scene photos, as well as initial police reports. Also included in crimi nal profiling, is a detailed analysis of the victim. (Douglas, et al, 1992) Additional data, such as geographical areas beyond the immediate crime scene, the method of which the offender traveled to and from the crime scene and the relevant aspects of the residential location of the victim are also examined. In addition, the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim is also analyzed. Criminal profiling is not necessarily useful in every case, yet in some cases, it can assist with narrowing down the search for an offender when used in repeated crimes committed by a specific offender, such as serial rape or murder. Knowledge gained from profiling, can aide in the interrogation process of an offender and can assist with identifying and protecting potential victims before the perpetrator gains the opportunity to offend again. Although there are many opponents against utilizing the criminal profiling techniques, the goal of criminal profiling is to deduce enough behavioral, personality and physical characteristics about an offender so that she or he may be apprehended. (Berg, 2008) Several FBI special agents have written books noting their positive experiences with utilizing their skills of a criminal profiler.FBI profiler, Robert Ressler, assisted with popularizing the field of profiling. His book, Whoever Fights Monsters, has often been credited with creating much of the public’s fascination with psychological profiling. Berg, B. L. (2008). Criminal Investigation. New York: Mc Graw – Hill. Douglas, J. E.., Burgess, A.W., Burgess A.G., & Ressler, R.K.(1992).Crime classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Keppel, R.D., & Birnes, W. J(1997). Signature killers: Interpreting the calling cards of the serial murderer. New York: Pocket Books. Vronsky, R. (2004). Serial Killer. New York: Berkley Publishing Group I felt that way.See when uve had a life filled with trauma,ur normal response is to â€Å"panic†,get excited,go into overdrive,defensive,loud talkn etc.Side note.I realize that alot our ppl in the hood,respond that way all the time.Not understanding their responses, are trauma responses.Normal responses based on what theyve been through.Of course they dont no that, bcuz they are always in survival,†Fight or flight† mode.Two traumatized ppl wont make it bcuz, they trigger each other.Unless, they r content with the â€Å"normalcy of it all.You no,ppl who claw@each other daily?Tear each other down,then make up as if nothin is wrong.That’s trauma to one’s spirit.Ater a while, some is gonna have to pay for that(she/he jst snapped one day).No, it was building.I need a cool calm and collected, who understands that its not personal.That my barr none attitude,is the outcome. Its the normal response baby,from being on my own at 16,DV for many yrs,dispised and unloved by my first teacher.Yea, it has to go somewhere.lol But,I work on me everyday. Truth b told, I wouldnt want to b anybody else.I felt that way.See when uve had a life filled with trauma,ur normal response is to â€Å"panic†,get excited,go into overdrive,defensive,loud talkn etc.Side note.I realize that alot our ppl in the hood,respond that way all the time.Not understanding their responses, are trauma responses.Normal responses based on what theyve been through.Of course they dont no that, bcuz they are always in survival,†Fight or flight† mode.Two traumatized ppl wont make it bcuz, they trigger each other.Unless, they r content with the â€Å"normalcy of it all. You no,ppl who claw@each other daily?Tear each other down,then make up as if nothin is wrong.That’s trauma to one’s spirit.Ater a while, some is gonna have to pay for that(she/he jst snapped one day).No, it was building.I need a cool calm and collected, who understands that its not personal.That my barr none attitude,is the outcome. Its the normal response baby,from being on my own at 16,DV for many yrs,dispised and unloved by my first teacher.Yea, it has to go somewhere.lol But,I work on me everyday.Truth b told, I wouldnt want to b anybody else.

Cleveland Clinic Strategies Analysis Essay

Cleveland Clinic Strategies Analysis Essay Cleveland Clinic Strategies Analysis Essay Example Cleveland Clinic Strategies Analysis Essay Example Internal Weaknesses and Strengths Cleveland Clinic is a multi-specialty academic organization that combines hospital and clinical care with education and research. The Clinic was founded in 1921 by doctors who used to work in the military. Their experience had taught them that, when physicians work together as a unit, they could increase the chances of improving the care given to the patients. The Clinic is non-profit one; in other words, its primary objective is to provide care to clients. This paper focuses on the analysis of the Clinics’ internal and external environments in order to understand its strategies and how they relate to the components identified in the evaluation. A SWOT analysis of Cleveland Clinic has revealed that planning is the entity’s greatest weakness. Planning Planning determines activities that are vital for the achievement of Clinic’s goals (Allen, 2014). Cleveland Clinic has a planning process that distinguishes appropriate actions that are likely to result in desirable outcomes. A part of the organization’s corporate strategy is forming joint alliances with the Community Health Systems, which is a profit-making chain of hospitals. These alliances aim to share the good practices developed at Cleveland Clinic in order to improve healthcare in other hospitals. The venture provides an avenue for Cleveland Clinic to grow. The organization’s plans include building outpatient facilities; it is an effective response to the trends in the industry. The outpatient facilities that are working to promote care after treatment are on the rise. Despite the existence of the planning process, some flaws in it limit the organization’s ability to respond to the external threats such as increased competition, for example. A weak ness in the planning process is evident in the decision to focus on heterogeneous clients. The Clinic serves people from all walks of life and treats every illness. The scope denies the Clinic a chance to increase its competencies in specific services. The Clinic’s functional strategy depends on the standardization of processes. A shortcoming of this plan is the fact that there are other healthcare providers that provide specialized services. These corporations have decided to focus on the specialty treatment because they have identified the weakness in such providers as Cleveland Clinic. When a firm specializes in a process or activity, it achieves the learning scale in the field of specialization (Burke, 2010). Consequently, such an establishment can offer better services in its market segment than a competitor that serves various segments. A part of the long-term plans is to focus on increasing the use of technology with the aim to enhance service delivery. An electronic platform is very comprehensive and span across all the aspects of the Clinic’s operations. Although the aim of a holistic integration of technology is to increase efficiency, it may erode intended gains. For instance, the integration reduces the need for online customers to visit healthcare facilities if they can solve their problems virtually. Patients catered for in the in-house settings receive a better high-touch care than online customers. Since the customer perception is an integral part of the quality evaluation system, the gap between the virtual and physical services may cause dissatisfaction and, consequently, lower quality. When a competitor comes with better ways to promote the quality of care, Cleveland Clinic may not have the flexibility to respond appropriately because of the scope of the technological use in its entire system. So me of the technological innovations that have originated from Cleveland Clinic have been spun off to become independent entities. The spinning off may allow companies to have leeway in the security of technologies they create. Since Cleveland Clinic is not a profit-oriented organization, it has managed to ensure that technologies it uses meet all appropriate requirements that would assure clients of their medical records’ privacy. The span off firms may prioritize profits at the expense of privacy issues. Any leakage of medical records would lead to legal suits that may taint Cleveland Clinic’s reputation and cause a market share loss. Cleveland Clinic has undertaken several changes in its plans and strategies in the recent past. An organization has changed its operational plans by shifting physicians’ focus from the volume-based to value-based outcomes. A result of these changes has been the adoption of physician integration, which involves engaging physicians in decision-making that concerns the quality of care. The change entails restructuring of the work processes, and it is very expensive. A considerable drawback of the plan is that, while the costs are high, the results are rather uncertain. When the Clinic undertakes such a venture with uncertain benefits, it incapacitates its response to the emerging economic conditions. For instance, the Clinic is facing reduced reimbursement from the government. Previously, the government provided funding to healthcare providers that had instituted the quality reporting to motivate them to continue with the good practice. However, political decisions by the governm ent in the recent past have made the quality reporting a requirement for all providers. As a result, there is no need to provide financial incentives for the quality reporting. Financial ramifications of such organizations as Cleveland Clinic are enormous. Consequently, Cleveland Clinic may not afford an investment in the environmental sustainability. Numerous firms around the world are focusing on sustainability measures in order to reduce their impact on the environment (Kondalkar, 2010). Sustainability requires financial resources, which are currently scarce due to the prioritization of risky processes. The implication of a weak environmental conservation policy includes reduced funding from charitable institutions that form a part of Cleveland Clinic’s financiers. Moreover, the failure to address sustainability adequately can lead to the loss of clients because customers are currently supporting corporations with a conservation agenda. A planning process should reduce spending on high-risk activities with the aim to cover the cash shortfall resulting from the economic changes. Leading The leading function of Cleveland Clinic has been a strength that supports its strategy implementation. The Clinic’s leadership has been exemplary and has contributed to its reputation. The CEO, Delos Cosgrove, has played a critical role in the organization’s care measurement since he took over leadership in 2004. His communication skills have assisted him in implementing his vision concerning care measurement in the whole corporation. Since the man is a medical doctor, he possesses skills that empower him to understand effects of his strategies on each aspect of Cleveland Clinic. A part of his strategy is publishing the care measurement plan for the public to see. The move has motivated employees to improve their performance because they do not want to face shame because of underperforming. His participation in the U.S. Air Force as a doctor is ideal for understanding Cleveland Clinic, which was founded by the war veterans. He has a powerful Chief Human Resource Office r (CHRO) with experience in cultural and organizational change and quality systems management. The CHRO has been vital in preparing employees and designing job descriptions that align with the change. Controlling The controlling function is a strength that has empowered Cleveland Clinic by maintaining the quality, curtailing financial wastage, and ensuring practices align with the strategies and objectives. The employee performance appraisals rely on the quality of care instead of the volume of patients served. Making the quality outcomes measurements public allows underperformers to make adjustments and high achievers in order to set new goals and either improve or maintain its productivity. The publicity also appreciates the top performers so that they can remain motivated to sustain the quality standards. The internal financial controls include a certification of controls by the management (Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2015). The management ascertains on a quarterly basis that there are internal mechanisms that ensure the best practices in financial auditing and reporting. Its information technology is the best in the market because Cleveland is the market leader in healthcare-related tech nologies. Organization The organizing function of the management is a supporting pillar that reflects the strength of Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic uses a matrix organizational design because of the complexity of its operations. The design reflects functions, products, and geographical dispersion of operations. The jobs are designed to align with the institutes, which are the multi-disciplinary systems for collaboration. The Clinic has organized institutes according to organ systems and related diseases. The employees in each institute provide a flawless service to patients through collaboration with the aim to cover every aspect of the illness. Through these institutes, the Clinic enhances the quality of care and reduces readmission. The workers receive salaries and enjoy other benefits, which correlate with their performance on the quality metrics. Cultural inclusion of minorities and diverse people provides the Clinic with a pool of talents that has varied problem-solving skills (Browaeys Price, 2011). Additionally, a diverse workforce helps in the care delivery for the clients because employees understand cultural aspects of patients. Understanding how to manage a diverse workforce increases Cleveland’s flexibility to venture into foreign markets by leveraging the experience. External Opportunities and Threats Porter’s Five Forces Today, new entrants’ threat is low in the healthcare industry. Existing organizations have gained economies of scale that allows them to offer competitive prices that new entrants cannot afford. Secondly, current operators have exclusive access to distribution channels, which lock out new players. Additionally, the entry is capital intensive; thus, few new competitors can raise the amount required. Therefore, the low threat of new entrants is an opportunity for Cleveland to gain an extra market share. The bargaining power of suppliers in the healthcare industry can be divided into physicians and other professionals. Physicians are suppliers because they refer clients to various hospitals, and their power is high. Material suppliers are numerous; thus, they have a low bargaining power. The high power of physicians is a threat to Cleveland Clinic because they can take away its clients and refer them elsewhere. Material suppliers represent an opportunity because the organization can negotiate for low prices and high-quality products. The rivalry among competitors is intensive because they are numerous and have access to vital resources (Swayne, Duncan, Ginter, 2012). Competitors are threats to Cleveland Clinic because they can reduce its market share and profitability. Despite the need to respond to the competition, the Clinic may not succeed because of the gap in the quality that exists between its online customers and in-house clients. An organization-wide application of technology has made flexibility difficult to respond to such a gap. Many competitors offering similar products and services create powerful substitutes. Substitutes threaten Cleveland Clinic’s products and services because they can serve the same purpose (Lutchman, 2011). The entity’s only advantage is high switching costs, which would curtail its current customers from seeking competitors’ services. The bargaining power of customers is high because they have a variety of products and services, from which to choose. On the one hand, affluent customers pose a threat to the Clinic because they can always choose other providers. On the other hand, poor clients represent an opportunity to Cleveland Clinic because they have limited options as services of the majority of competitors are too expensive for them. Macro-Environment Forces Global forces represent issues arising from the world markets that affect the performance of an organization. One of the global forces is globalization, which has increased interconnectivity of the markets (MacLennan, 2011). Globalization is an opportunity for Cleveland Clinic because it offers possibilities for the growth in foreign markets. Demographic forces refer to different characteristics of a population such as religion, ethnicity, and nationality. In the American society, demographic forces present an opportunity for Cleveland Clinic. The American society is increasingly diversifying in terms of ethnicity, religion, and origins (Reiss, 2012). Consequently, Cleveland Clinic can build its inclusion program by taking advantage of the talent from around the world, which can empower its workforce. Political and legal forces are a result of the decisions made by governments concerning policies and regulations governing business operations. Some of the recent forces include the requirement for all healthcare providers to report on the quality. Such a requirement has eliminated the reimbursement that Cleveland used to get from the government as an incentive to continue reporting on the quality. Such a requirement is a threat to Cleveland Clinic because it reduces its financial resources. Ethical requirements are potential threats to the Clinic because any violation may lead to negative consequences. For instance, the increased use of electronic records requires ethical considerations to protect the privacy of clients. However, such activities as hacking can threaten the organization by exposing sensitive information to unauthorized personnel. Fulfilling environmental sustainability requirements can create a positive image for Cleveland Clinic, which can attract donors. Since the Clinic is a non-profit entity, it strongly depends on well-wishers. Therefore, it is an opportunity for the organization. However, the scarcity of money due to planning problems may hinder the exploitation of this chance. Technological changes and forces represent opportunities for Cleveland Clinic because it is the current leader in the medical technologies. It can leverage its expertise in order to develop a cutting-edge technology, which can become its competitive advantage. Social changes include such aspects as the lifestyle (Yuxiang Qinghua, 2014). These changes have resulted in the lifestyle diseases. For Cleveland Clinic, such changes are opportunities to provide its excellent quality services and treatments and make a difference in people’s lives. Evaluating the SWOT Analysis According to the SWOT analysis, Cleveland Clinic can gain a competitive advantage by making minor changes in its planning process. The organization’s ability to achieve competitiveness results from the opportunities available in the market and the nature of threats that are facing it. The main obstacle towards achieving a competitive advantage is the Clinic’s inability to address the competition in the market and the substitute products. Competitors have identified a quality gap in Cleveland Clinic’s services caused by the differences in the care of its online and in-house clients. Most market competitors offer specialized care, which makes delivery of the quality care easy. Although Cleveland serves people from different market segments, it can leverage its institutes’ settings in order to ensure that the quality of care is at par with that of competitors. Such a move can reduce the negative effects of competition and the substitutes they offer in the mar ket. Some minor changes in the technology plans can involve the collaboration between Cleveland Clinic, its online clients, and affiliate clinics that are located near customers’ locations to improve the quality of services. Other threats from Porter’s five forces analysis and the macro-environment are not unique to Cleveland Clinic and affect all the other competitors in the market. The current matrix organizational structure is perfect because of multiple affiliates and alliance partners involved. Control systems can be replicated in other geographical regions, to which the company may decide to expand. They have ensured that the company has retained its edge in the quality and financial reporting despite its increase in size. Corporate level strategies include activities such as building outpatient facilities and forming alliances and joint ventures with the aim to expand. The strategies fit the situation as explored by the SWOT analysis because there are numerous opportu nities to be exploited using these corporate strategies. The business level strategy that is remarkable and capable of providing a competitive edge is the formation of institutes and the care they offer to patients. The physician integration taking place at Cleveland Clinic is unprecedented, and once the process is functional full, other competitors may need a while before replicating the competency. Meanwhile, Cleveland Clinic, therefore, can enjoy the first mover advantage before imitators can create any similar institutes. The primary weakness facing Cleveland Clinic is the planning process. All the other management functions represent strengths that the corporation can use to gain a competitive advantage. The aspects of Porter’s five forces analysis that are opportunities for Cleveland Clinic include the threat of new entrants, the power of material suppliers, and the power of poor clients. On the other hand, substitutes, physician suppliers, competition, and rich customers are threats to Cleveland Clinic. In turn, global forces, environmental requirements, technological, demographic, and social changes are promising opportunities. Political and ethical changes threaten the operations of Cleveland Clinic. The company can gain a competitive edge by utilizing its strengths and making few changes in its planning process.