What Is The Nature And Substance Of Organisational Culture To What Ex Essay Example For Students

What Is The Nature And Substance Of Organisational Culture? To What Ex Essay tent Can It Be Changed?Culture, the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behaviour (Spradley, 1979, p. 5), provides people with a way of seeing the world. It categorizes, encodes, and otherwise defines the world in which they live. Whenever people learn a culture, they are to some extent imprisoned without knowing it. Anthropologists talk of this as being culture boundi.e., living inside a particular reality. References to culture have long abounded in professional literature. However, it is only fairly recently that the literature shows references to culture as a lens through which to interpret and understand organizations, their customers, and the working relationships therein (Lee Clack, 1966; Shaughnessy, 1988). The cultural analysis of organizations, therefore, is the use of organizational culture as a lens through which to examine what is going on in an organization. We will write a custom essay on What Is The Nature And Substance Of Organisational Culture? To What Ex specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Management theory in the 1980s underwent a sea of change in its realization that an understanding of an organizations culture(s) could be a major step on the road to changing or controlling the direction of that organization. There are both positive and negative sides to how an understanding of culture can be used within an organization. For instance, Edgar Schein (1992) considers the process of creating culture and management to be the essence of leadership, while Gideon Kunda (1992) describes a culture which embodies both the implicit and explicit rules and behaviour of a particular group of people and the conscious efforts of management to engineer the culture to its own goals. There is a fundamental distinction between those who think of culture as a metaphor (Morgan, 1986) and those who see culture as an objective entity. (Gold 1982) Metaphors allow us to understand organisations in terms of other complex entities such as the machine and the organism. By observing the similarities, scholars attempt to explain the essence of human organisations. The dangers of such an approach is distinguishing when the metaphor is no longer valid. That is why most commentators have chosen to think of culture as an objective entity. This view have ranged from viewing the organisation literally as a culture with all features of an organisations including its systems, policies procedures and processes as elements of its cultural life (Paconowsky ; ODonnell-Trujillo 1982) to suggesting that culture is best thought of as a set of psychological predispositions, called ?basic assumptions, that members of an organisation possess that leads them to think and act in a certain way.( Schein 1985). The former view presents problems in using the concept to explain other aspects of organisational activity. Indeed if everything is culture, this view becomes indistinguishable from the view that culture is a metaphor. This leaves us with Scheins view of culture as an essentially cognitive phenomena that resides in the psychology of organisational participants, with the acknowledgement that patterns of behaviour are equally important (Eldridge Crombie 1974)The contents of an organisational culture has several levels. At the basic and superficial level, it takes the form of artefacts like stories, jokes metaphors and symbols. Examples of artefacts would be Material objects like mission statements, corporate logos , Physical layout of the office space etc. At a deeper level, culture takes the form of values beliefs and attitudes. Values determine what people ought to do while beliefs are what people think is or is not true. In practice, beliefs and values are often hard to distinguish, because beliefs frequently involve values. Moreover, there is considerable merit to viewing values as a particular sort of belief. (Rokeach 1973: 5) Attitudes connect beliefs and values with feelings. An attitude is a learned predisposition to respond consistently to a particular thing or idea. Attitudes are developed over time and unlike opinions, are held relatively consistently. .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 , .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .postImageUrl , .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 , .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:hover , .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:visited , .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:active { border:0!important; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:active , .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9 .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ued8e17595f0a6adf7fe0ebdc0a76e7b9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Reaction Paper on Management Principles EssayAt the deepest level, culture in an organisation takes the form of basic assumptions, a solution to an identifiable problem that is taken for granted. These are implicit, deep-rooted assumptions that people share, and which guides their perception, feelings and emotions about things. (Schein, 1981) Basic assumptions are held unconsciously and are very difficult to surface. Basic assumptions are by definition neither confront able nor debatable. Basic assumptions are also very complex interactions between beliefs values and emotions. Analysing these complex interactions is made more difficult by the fact that cultures change over time. Organisations rarely possess a single homogenous culture. There is often a subculture within parts of the organisations and even countercultures in parts.(Gregory 1983:365) There is also marked difference between espoused culture and the culture-in practise. Thus culture in organisations have to be viewed in terms of multiple, cross-cutting contexts changing through time rather than stable bounded and homogenous.(Argyris Schon 1978)The question then arises as to whether it is possible to manipulate and mould the culture of an organisation. In large organisations, it is quite difficult for a single individual to change the culture. In General Motors John DoLorean tried to change the culture by starting a counter-culture. He failed and left to found his own company. (Martin Siehl 1983) Indeed the work of Schein, Beyer and Trice suggests that organisational change is a complex task involving distinct stages. The current culture has to go an unfreezing mechanism where the current cultu re is questioned and purged. This process often requires outsider, usually in the form of consultants who are supposed to bring unbiased opinions. The firm then undergoes an experimetation phase where there is considerable conflict and degradation. The resulting changed culture then undergoes a refreezing mechanism where the culture is then slowly assimilated and integrated in the firm. The process usually requires the replacement of senior managers.(Goodstein Burke 1991)The degree of malleability of the organisation depends on the type of firm. In industries where speedy reactions and constant change are a necessity for survival, change may be much easier to implement. For example at Microsoft, there is a web of culture and counter-cultures. Indeed every star-programmer tends to bring an element of his culture to the organisation. Some have a culture where names are forbidden and people are know by code names only. Others bring a culture where any practical joke, however costly or disruptive, is tolerated. For example, colleagues vacating their office temporarily can expect unpleasant things like a farm complete with pigs to be there when they return. One could argue that the culture is one that allows new culture to be integrated. The simpler explanation could be that the culture at Microsoft does not exist. The diverse cultures that one observes are simply the cultures of the individuals that are currently employed at Microsoft. In such an organisation, is culture easy to change? Certainly one can bring elements of ones culture into Microsoft. But apart from Bill Gates himself, it would be difficult to persuade co-workers whom one only knows as Radeon to adopt one culture, no matter how great that culture maybe. BibliographyArgyris Schon (1878) Theory in practice, Sans Francisco: Jossey Bass Eldrige Crombie (1974), A sociology of Organisations, London::Allen Unwon. Gold (1982) ?Managing for Success: A comparison of the Public And Private Sectors, Public Administration Review, Nov-Dec, 568-75Goodstein and Burke(1991) Creating Successful Organisational change, Organisational Dynamics, spring, 5-17Gregory (1983) Native-view Paradigms: Multiple Culture and Culture Conflicts in Organisations, Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, 359-76Kunda, G. (1992). Engineering culture: Control and commitment in a high-tech corporation. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. Lee, S., ; Clack, M. E. (1996). Continued organizational transformation: The Harvard College experience. Library Administration ; Management, 10(2), 96-104. .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 , .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .postImageUrl , .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 , .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:hover , .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:visited , .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:active { border:0!important; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:active , .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2 .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u206739b54b2b559a3a07978c499d77c2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Free Processs - Giving Blood Expository Proc EssayMartin ; Siehl Organisational Culture and Counterculture: An Uneasy Symbiosis, Organisational Dynamics, autumn, 52-64Morgan (1986) Images of Organisation, Beverly Hills, Calif::Sage. Pacanowsky ; ODonnell-Trujillo (1982) ?Communication and Organisational Culture, The Western Journal of Speech Communication, 46(Spring) 115-30. Rokeach (1973) The nature of Human Values, New York: The Free PressSchein, E. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2d ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Shaughnessy, T. W. (1988). Organizational culture in libraries: Some management perspectives. Journal of Library Administration, 9(3), 5-10. Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Sociology Essays

Henry David Thoreau essays

Henry David Thoreau essays American literature during the first half of the nineteenth century took many forms and ideas that still effect our ever so changing society today. Henry David Thoreau was among the notable writers during this time, and his impact of American literature will not soon be forgotten. His perseverance, love for nature, and humanitarian beliefs helped to mold the ideas and values of early American history. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12 in 1817. His parents, both abolitionists of slavery, were John and Cynthia Thoreau. During his childhood years his parents, along with Henrys older siblings John Jr. and Helen, often took the family on long walks though the valleys and hills of Concord. The seeds of Henrys love for nature were planted during this time. As a young school boy, at the Concord public school and later at the Concord Academy, many of his peers sought after him as loner who took everything too serious. In 1833 Henrys parents had saved enough money to send him off to college at Harvard University. Even though he barely passed the entrance exam, he would later become one of the top students in his graduating class. In 1836 financial and health problems forced Thoreau to postpone his studies at Harvard and seek a job. He taught school for a semester in Canton, Massachusetts and returned to Harvard in the Spring of 1837. He took a full load of classes that Spring and Summer semesters and graduated in August of 1837. After graduating Thoreau had no idea what he wanted to do with his education. After debating over many different careers he finally concluded that teaching would be his calling. He landed a position at Center School in 1837 in Concord, however he resigned two weeks later after many teachers and students complained of his teaching methods and strictness in the classroom. Over the next year he worked many small jobs arou...

A key choice writers Essay Example for Free

A key choice writers Essay Writer (139) , Christina Rossetti (19) , Goblin Market (9) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? A key choice writers make is how they name or refer to characters in their stories. Write about the significance of the choices writers have made in naming or referring to their characters in the three texts you have studies. In the three texts I have studies the writers all name and refer to their characters in different ways. For example in The Road the characters are not given names and in Small Island all the characters are named and referred to in detail. Firstly mc McCarthy doesn’t give his characters names throughout his narrative he only refers to them as, the man, â€Å"papa† and the boy which shows they are father and son and that is all the detail McCarthy reveals. The significance of this is to create the effect that this dystopia they live in could happen to absolutely anyone. McCarthy has also done this to create a statement that names are no longer important since the world has ended and all civilisations have been wiped out. The only important this is surviving. McCarthy mentions the boy was born into the post apocalypse s so maybe the boy hasn’t even been given a name through the fact he doesn’t need one since there is no civilisation and there is a nil chance of survival, therefore there is no one to give your name to. McCarthy could also be revealing that maybe the parents didn’t think it was important in naming the boy because they wouldn’t survive. In Small Island Levy names her characters very stereotypically through their personalities. Queenies christened name is Victoria â€Å"I was christened victoria† like the late queen, but forever been called Queenie, which is what her mother wanted to christen her as but the vicar wouldn’t allow it as it was a common name so he suggested Victoria. Levy chose this name as it reflects Queenies character very well as she is very well mannered and â€Å"posh† like the queen. Gilberts name reveals that he is half white through the fact that Gilbert Joseph is a common white man name. Levy also reveals that his father is white by referring his to as â€Å"light skinned†. Hortense’s name reveals that she is not English however it also reveals that she is wealthy and higher class through the fact that Hortense is a French name which automatically stereotypically reveals Hortense’s character is going to be higher class which she is. Levy also refers to her characters in racist ways by addressing and describing the black characters as â€Å"darkies† and â€Å"niggers† the significance of this is to show when the novel was set â€Å"1948† when being racist was common and most English people were, in which Levy has took advantage of to make her narrative realistic. Finally in Rossetti’s poetry, Rossetti refers to men in different negative ways. For example in Goblin Market Rossetti refers men to a Goblins she has done this to reveal her emotions of men implying that they are all vial and evil. However, the word â€Å"Goblin† could also mean gold which could be implying that all men are rich which is true because in the 19th century it was only men who had money, so she could be implying that men are rare and rich. However, still men in Rossetti’s poems are shown to be negative which is interoperating that wealth isn’t all that good. Rossetti also gives her characters common names such as â€Å"Maude Clare†, â€Å"Laura† and â€Å"Lizzie† the significance of this is to make her poems still mysterious and open for interpretations which she does in all of her poems. Rossetti also refers to her characters through social class and skin tone she does this as it was a main importance in the 19th century. To compare all the writers I have studies both Levy and Rossetti refer and name their characters through social class in some way. However, McCarthy doesn’t mention social class or interpratate it in any way. He has done this because there is no longer any social class unlike in when Small Island and Rossetti’s when it was highly mentioned with the time they are set in. In conclusion in all the texts I have studied the writers all texts I have studied the writers all name their characters in different ways for different significance and to create different effects to their narratives. But also to affect the reader differently for example McCarthy doesn’t give names to his characters to give the narrative lack of information as it could be happen to anyone but also to give the reader no emotional connection to the novel. A key choice writers. (2016, Sep 15).

Auditors' liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Auditors' liability - Essay Example Scandals such as those of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), Barlow Clowes, Atlantic Computers, Coloroll, Ferranti, Homes Assured, Levitt, Queens Moat Houses, Resort Hotels, Eagle Trust, London United Investments, Maxwell and Polly Peck have resulted in loss of jobs, savings, investments, pensions and taxation revenues. (Mitchell et al, 1991) The audit of a company's financial statement poses a certain degree of risk for the auditors and the company. The auditors have to objectively audit a company that reflects a true picture of the company. Since the managers depend on the audit to help them understand the current scenario of the company to take future decisions, and investors use the audit to help them take investing decisions, the correctness of the audit carries high stakes for all. (Defintions) Until recently, auditors had unlimited liability towards the public incase of negligence, breach of contract or fraud. Due to this very law, there have been cases in the past that have wiped the company clean due to gigantic compensations. Following the collapse of a company, third parties would often attempt to recover their losses from a solvent and insured auditor. Faced with such claims, the common and civil law courts had to struggle between two conflicting interests: the public's interest in the independent and competent review of financial statements and the interest of the auditing profession in carrying out its function without the burden of a potentially overwhelming liability. (Khoury, 2001) The scandal of Enron and its audit company, Arthur Anderson, were the victims of improper auditing and impedance to justice. There were once the 'Big 8' auditing companies which now have been left with the 'Big 4' after a series of mergers. All over the world, these four companies control about 85% of the total audits. (Lawrence, 2006) Auditor liability has been an increasing concern for the auditing profession for a considerable number of years. Such large liabilities are unfair and unjust to auditors. Consequently, a number of jurisdictions in recent years have introduced measures aimed at reforming their auditor liability regimes. However with the communities becoming increasingly litigious, one wonders when the 'Big 4' would be left with the 'Big 3'. (Lawrence, 2006) Duty of Care Owed A duty of care is an obligation to provide a certain level of care to others depending on different circumstances to avoid injury to that individual or his property. Basically the relationship of the parties, the negligent act or omission is prevented by fore-sighting any loss to that individual. An auditor is expected to be able to foresee such acts and respond accordingly. In cases of unintentional negligence which results in losses, such an act will be regarded as having breached a duty of care and at this a time a duty of care is owed. (Solicitors, 2002) (Definitions) The English Law for duty of care was formed in the Scottish case of Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 SC (HL) 31. The general principles for duty of care to be owed included the presence of three points (Solicitors, 2002) 1. Does a duty of care exist The existence of duty of care depends on the type of relationship between the parties. An auditor of a company has a duty towards the

Week 2 Emergency Management 670 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 2 Emergency Management 670 - Essay Example In most cases, the emergency manager has to be prepared for any possible circumstances without knowing much about the actual danger. The greatest risk mitigation scheme available to emergency managers is to procure resources before any disaster occurs. Historically, the funding available to local emergency managers was low which caused a multitude of problems when it came to handling active emergencies and disasters (Fagel, 2011). Emergency managers need to emphasise primarily on political strength in order to procure the required resources before a disaster strikes. The second area for focus is planning that result from vulnerability assessments. The emergency manager has to keep an eye out for what kind of situations his team might have to face. Some threats may be common such as the risk of terrorist attacks but other risks may be confined to a particular geographical region. For example, emergency managers in Alaska would have to be prepared against snow storms while emergency managers in Louisiana would have to look out for hurricanes. The emergency manager must possess the necessary vision to demarcate what risks his team might have to face and how these threats would be handled on a planning basis (Canton, 2006). The third area for focus is the response made available when a disaster situation arises. Given the fact that emergency managers are adequately equipped and supplied does not mean that they would be able to handle emergencies just as well too. A proper appraisal of the response system must exist such that the response system is dynamic so that it can adapt quickly to situations. Moreover, any disaster situation will entail by-products that are not wanted but are nonetheless outcomes of the situation. For example, emergency workers in the field would be subject to hazards as well as stress that they must know how to deal with. The emergency manager has to ensure that these

Preserve Toothbrushes Essay Example for Free

Preserve Toothbrushes Essay Strategic planning is an important aspect for any business or corporation. Without it, an organization has no way to achieve a stated goal. They have no way to march towards their vision. In the case of Eric Hudson, an entrepreneur with a vision, he successfully created a business with a goal in mind and implemented a strategic plan to make it happen. Every small business startup has to have some edge in order to compete; otherwise they will be forced out by larger, pre-existing competitors. For Preserve, this meant identifying and filling a niche in an industry largely consisting of multinational conglomerates. For Eric Hudson, this meant thinking critically, having a plan, and implementing it in order to carry out his vision. Preserve found its niche in environmentally friendly toothbrushes. Preserve created an environmentally friendly toothbrush manufactured from recycled plastic. Further enhancing the product was a unique 45 degree angled head designed by Hudson’s father, an industrial engineer. At the time, the â€Å"green† movement was largely a niche in itself. While not a first-mover, others were already in the â€Å"green† products industry; Preserve had a modified approach of the second-mover strategy. It did not create the â€Å"green† industry, but it did create a new product. It was often a small market for â€Å"green† products, and the products that existed were often less effective and of poor quality. However, for Eric Hudson, he made it his vision to provide an environmentally friendly product without sacrificing quality or performance. Initially, Preserve’s toothbrush was marketed through grassroots movements and sampling. However, it was at one of the sampling events, that an employee from Stonyfield Yogurt, an organic yogurt company, approached Preserve and relayed the information that they consistently had leftover plastic from producing yogurt containers. With this bit of information, Preserve had a new strategic alliance that provided them with the raw materials to produce its product, and Stonyfield had the ability to promote tself as an environmentally friendly corporation as a result of its efforts. Preserve is a small, niche brand, and like most other small niche brands, their marketing budget pales in comparison to its larger competitors. In Preserve’s case, they focus on generating publicity to promote and advertise their brand. The best advertisement is free advertisement, and Preserve tends to generate a lot of magazine articles and television appearances. This in turn generates word of m outh testimonials, the most effective form of advertising. Businesses in general should continually strive to enhance their business model and update their strategic plan. A SWOT analysis is a useful tool for examining a business and how it is meeting its basic mission. By comparing the firm’s strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats, a SWOT analysis provides managers with a view of the organization’s internal and external environments. In turn, this analysis can be used to determine if the firm is meeting expectations or if it is on track to meet expectations. Preserve’s director of marketing, C. A. Webb, admits that she doesn’t actually perform SWOT analysis’s, but certainly uses that form of thinking consistently when implementing new products, distribution channels, designs, or other decisions. In fact, it was this style of thinking that led to Preserve to focus its effort on packaging its unknown product in order to appeal to a more sophisticated market and consumer. It was crucial to target a specific audience because retailers could not devote large amounts of shelf space to a small brand such as Preserve. So Preserve made it their mission to go up against their large competitors in the only way possible—out marketing them. Business strategy and strategic plans are crucial for any business, small, medium, or large. Preserve certainly provides an excellent example of the necessity of a strategic plan and how following one can lead to success, provided the organization has the necessary strengths and environment as can be determined by a SWOT analysis. Preserve’s success can certainly be attributed to a successful business plan, as well as careful planning. Both are important lessons to be taken away from Preserve’s market presence.

Dragonsbane :: essays research papers

The setting for Dragonsbane was in about the 1400's in a place called Wyr. Jenny John and Gareth are the main characters. Jenny is a wizard women who is always trying to advance her skills but still isn't very good. John is Jenny's husband and is also a dragon's bane, which means that he has slayed a dragon. Gareth is a prince who's hero is John. And final Zyerne, she is also a wizard women whom is the most powerful in the land. Gareth comes up from the South to ask of John's assistance in slaying a dragon that is threatening the King's lands. John decides to go with him and talk to the king. When they get there they find out that Zyerne is holding the king under some sort of spell and using him for her bidding. John talks to the king and gets ready to slay the dragon. He asks Jenny to make the most powerful poisons she can and then dips his harpoons in it. John then rides off to slay the dragon. When the battle his over Jenny goes out to were the battle happened and finds the dragon and John lying in bloody pools and realizes that john is still alive. She takes him back to camp and puts healing spells on him. She then goes back to the dragon and sees that he is still alive to. The dragon told her that if she healed him that he would tell her where the books of healing were in the caves called the deep so she could heal John. She agrees and the dragon through telepathy shows her the way in the maze of tunnels. It is always said to save a dragon is to slave a dragon for life. So Jenny saved the dragon and John. Zyerne was waiting for them to kill the dragon so she could take over the deep because of the huge amounts of gold in them. So Zyerne came and tried to kill the dragon and Jenny but failed and she was killed. The dragon through all of this fell in love with Jenny and asked her to turn into a dragon and return with him to were the dragons lived.