Friday, November 29, 2019

Daimler Chrysler Demerger

Table of Contents Introduction Motivation Teamwork Organization culture Learning and development Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The merger of Daimler and Chrysler encountered various difficulties. These difficulties entailed the managerial policies adopted. They failed to motivate employees in one organization while the culture clash resulted in the decline of one of the organizations. Some of the models discussed can assist in the understanding of the issues, which Daimler-Chrysler encountered.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Daimler Chrysler Demerger specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The managers’ failure to provide leadership in the above situations also contributed to Chrysler’s decline. Additionally, manager failed to enact a learning and development model, which would have promoted career development in Daimler-Chrysler. Motivation Motivation denotes an intrinsic or extrinsic drive t o undertake an activity. It has become an imperative aspect of management. Motivation increases employees’ productivity and that of the entire organization. There are various theories that have analysed motivation among employees. The resultant assertions by researchers have provided vital details pertaining to motivation. However, their conclusions have differed owing to the environment in which the research was undertaken and the samples utilized. One of the models on motivations is the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The theory establishes five levels of needs that are fulfilled in a sequence (McGuire 2012, p. 174). Fulfilling needs requires income that will finance the resultant expenses. As such, remuneration becomes the most imperative factor in the application of this model. If Daimler-Chrysler adopted this model, then it would have to increase its wage bill massively. Nonetheless, the corporation in question Daimler-Chrysler, is a profit motivated entity. Hence, i t has to manage its wage bill to sustainable levels, which will ensure that it maintains a certain level of profitability. The possible increase in the wage levels would be minimal. This is further compounded by the fact that the entity’s performance was deplorable. Thus, increasing expenses through wages would be a managerial choice that would worsen the crisis in this entity. According to current management theories, modern employees are motivated more by non-financial aspects of their careers than monetary aspects. Therefore, managerial policies that encourage career development, recognition of contribution at work places and other desirable working conditions would be key to motivating employees.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Motivation of employees has changed. This has made the recommendations of classical managerial theories irrelevant since they treated emp loyees as machines. Thus, according to classical theories the only way to motivate employees was through finances. The applicability of this model in the motivation of employees at Daimler-Chrysler is limited. Employees are motivated by many factors other than remuneration, which is central in this classical motivation model. Reduced motivation emanated from issues such one organization dominating the other in the merger and the resultant change in managerial policies after the merger. Maslow’s model does not address such issues. Hence, its applicability in this case study is limited. Motivation of employees in this institution would entail each organization having some autonomy on certain aspects of it operations. Merges generate a lot of anxiety among employees. The anxiety exists since most employees are uncertain of the outcomes of the merger. This was a key trigger of the reduced motivation. Such issues should have been addressed by constant briefings on what is transpir ing in the organization. Teamwork Teams are vital in organizations. Teams bring employees with different skills and knowledge together. They integrate their skills and knowledge in undertaking tasks. The working of teams is hindered by various factors such as domination and lack of understanding among the team members. Consequently, there are ideal ways of constituting teams such as the Tuckman’s process. The Tuckman’s process only includes four stages. These stages are forming, storming, norming and performing (O’connell Cuthbertson 2009, p. 78). Daimler-Chrysler had employees from the two organizations. Daimler and Chrysler had been successful on their own merit in two different markets. Daimler in Europe while Chrysler was in America. Merging these two organizations should have resulted in a large organization that was backed by an efficient workforce. The efficient workforce should have been the source of the team members. Daimler’s workforce was lar gely of German ancestry while Chrysler’s workforce was largely American. If teams were constituted among the two organizations, there would be a myriad of problems. First, communication would be problematic. Nonetheless, they would form very efficient teams since the employees come from successful organizations. Teams in the Daimler-Chrysler would encounter many challenges in the initial stages owing to language and cultural disparities. The initial stages of the teams’ meeting would be characterized by tension and uneasiness. As interaction increases, the employees become comfortable in the group setting.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Daimler Chrysler Demerger specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To ensure that the teams function appropriately, the top managers should appoint leaders who can steer the teams through the conflict that arise in such group settings. The teams would have played a vital role since there would have presented the management with a first-hand account of what would transpire after the merger. This would have enabled the managers address some of the workforce related problems that would arise. In the merger, Chrysler was the firm that deteriorated. Hence, the teams formed should have contained some of the key employees who were responsible for Daimler’s success. However, this can also be counterproductive since employees would view it as one organization dominating the other. Teams would have been an appropriate way of blending policies of the organizations. They would have been an understudy of the impacts of the merger on the two organizations. Constant wrangling among the managers in this cross border merger highlighted the lack of cohesion among employees in the two entities. Evidently, these two entities were too distinct with regard to their individual philosophies and heritage. Hence, the merge was to be a tough undertaking. Organization c ulture Organization culture is a vital aspect of an entity. It denotes the values that an organization employs in its operations. The organizational culture also defines the mannerism that the employees in the organization have adopted. An organization’s culture has many ramifications on its progress. There are many organizational culture models. The models include the power model, task culture model, person culture model and role culture model (Alvesson 2013, p. 245). The power model is one of the most popular structures. In this model, a few people wield power in the organization. Having additional authority means that such individuals have more responsibilities. This organization culture results in a narrow organization where many people are answerable to few employees. In a culture where certain people wield excess power, dissatisfaction among employees is likely to increase. This was evident in Daimler-Chrysler since the merged organization adopted an official culture. I n an official organizational culture, the interaction between employees and managers is limited and is characterized by tension or anxiety. Daimler became powerful since Chrysler had to do away with its culture so as to adopt Daimler’s culture. Daimler managers had gained an edge over their counterparts owing to this policy. Each of the organization culture has its disadvantages. The relaxed culture allows employees to interact freely with their managers. Employees have the freedom to make decisions, which pertain to the operations of the entity. In contrast, the official organisation culture limits the ability of employees to make decisions. The interaction between managers and employees is limited.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the merger of the two entities, this was a key concern among employees. Chrysler’s employees were unwilling to conform to the official organizational culture adopted. Daimler’s employees were contented since their organization culture was adopted. This was once of the factors which set the stage for one organization to dominate and the other to deteriorate (Koontz Weihrich 2012, p. 214). In the Daimler-Chrysler merger, the impact of organization culture on the organization was revealed in a massive way. The organization opted to adopt a formal organization culture. This did not suit the American employees in Chrysler who preferred a relaxed managerial approach (Martin 2002, p. 67). In the above scenario, the top managers should have adopted a cautious approach when merging the two organizations. First, all employees should have been involved in the merger process via consultations. The consultations with employees should have addressed the organization culture that the resultant organization will assume. Such a measure would have prevented the emergence of workforce related problems. The problems include low morale and job dissatisfaction which bred high employee turnover. The organization culture is a vital aspect of an organization that the managers cannot overlook (The economist 2007). Learning and development Learning and development are imperative in entities. An organization always seeks employees who can constantly contribute to its progress via their creativity and innovation (Johnson 2009, p.34). As such, it is vital for employees to engage in further learning and refresher courses. The learning and development models adopted by an organization depends largely on the organization’s constrains such as financing (Wilson2005 p. 321). Some of the organization will opt to send their employees on refresher courses or seminars periodically. The period may be after two or three years. However, such factors largely depend on the polici es of an entity. Some organizations will opt to adopt learning models based on the job description. Therefore, the learning and development process of the workforce depends on the challenges and requirements of a job. A learning and development model based on job description has its advantages since it fails to generalise the learning and development needs of its employees. It provides a particulate model for each of the job descriptions. However, this model may increase the overheads in an entry. Since Daimler-Chrysler is an automotive entity, a periodic development and learning model would be suitable. This is because the entity would send its employees for career advancement or refresher training periodically. Learning and development would have assisted the merged entity solve some of their problems. Some of Daimler’s employees should have relocated to Chrysler so as to learn some of its process. Similarly, some of the Chrysler’s employees should have relocated to Daimler. This would have been central in demystifying the impacts of the merger (Rainbird, Fuller Munro 2004, p. 271). Conclusion The above models address pertinent issues in management which affected the progress of Daimler-Chrysler. The matters related to motivation of employees who were clearly unmotivated and teams in the merged entity whose members were not working cohesively. The problems witnessed after the merger revealed that management is a multi-discipline undertaking. Evidently, Daimler-Chrysler had managers, but it lacked leaders. Leaders would have motivated their employees irrespective of the problems they were facing thus; turning around the fortunes of the entity. Additionally, the management should have not permitted one organizational culture to prevail. The two organizations should have maintained some autonomy on certain aspects of the organization. One such issue should have been the organizational culture. Another aspect of the merge that might have contribute d to the downturn of this deal which looked good on paper was heritage and philosophical disparities. Chrysler prided itself in providing powerful and at times tough automobiles while Daimler provided sleek and stylish vehicles. Merging the above heritages was tough resulting in the confusion that enveloped the union of Daimler and Chrysler. Bibliography Alvesson, M 2013, Understanding organizational culture, SAGE Publications, London. Johnson, J 2009, Health organizations: theory, behavior, and development.Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury. Koontz, H Weihrich, H 2012, Essentials of Management International Perspective, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Martin, J 2002, Organizational culture: mapping the terrain, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. McGuire, K 2012, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Grin Verlag, Muchen. O’connell, T Cuthbertson, B 2009, Group dynamics in recreation and leisure: creating conscious groups through an experiential approach, Human Kinetics, Champ aign. Rainbird, H, Fuller, A Munro, A 2004, Workplace learning in context, Routledge, London. The Economist, The DaimlerChrysler emulsion, Retrieved form https://www.economist.com/briefing/2000/07/27/the-daimlerchrysler-emulsion Wilson, P 2005, Human resource development: learning training for individuals organizations, Kogan Page Ltd, London. This report on Daimler Chrysler Demerger was written and submitted by user Maleah Cox to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Condolence Letter to Business Colleague for Lost Job

Condolence Letter to Business Colleague for Lost Job For any type of loss, including job loss, even if you feel a little awkward, I recommend you err on the side of kindness and connection, and send a condolence note or email. So often in business communication, we forget that it’s really human to human connection. Your colleague will feel acknowledged at a difficult time. You may forge a stronger relationship that will benefit you later. What to write when a colleague has lost a job? When you work for the same company, and are still employed, and willing to recommend your colleague: Dear Sandra: I was so sad to see your office empty when I returned from my trip. I know you were hoping to avoid the impending layoffs, so this must be challenging for you. I will so miss your wise insights, energy, and creativity. The office will be far quieter, and less interesting, without you here. If I can help with a letter of recommendation, referrals, or to just to lend an ear, please know I want to help. Best wishes finding a new position. With your can-do attitude and skills, I have no doubt your job search will be short. Please let me know how I can help. Best regards, Dimitri To a colleague from another company, with whom you had regular, but superficial contact: Dear Javier: I was so sorry to receive your email message that you are no longer with Federated Company. I will miss our monthly status reports. Thank you for letting me know your current contact information so we can keep in touch. Best wishes finding a position that matches all your talents. No doubt, there is a lucky company about to hire a very skilled project manager. Best regards, Doreen If a colleague leaves under conflict or duress: Hi Carmen, David told me this morning you are leaving Federated. I know the past months have been challenging for you, and I’ve admired your grace and professionalism. I wish you well. I hope your search is a short as possible. Sincerely, Dora Some tips: Don’t mention the poor economy. The news is full of this, so you would only be underscoring an obvious worry. Two recently unemployed friends told me they were very annoyed when people told them, â€Å"I’m sure something will appear.† Be truthful. A new job doesn’t just appear. It’s a lot of work, and transition, to find new work. Don’t minimize their loss. Do offer to make connections or write a letter of recommendation, if you are willing. Do wish your colleague well. Remember: Job security is tenuous for everyone. Each of us can lose a job, so it’s a smart career move, as well as kind, to reach out when a colleague loses a job. Sadly, each of us can find ourselves in the same position. Stay connected. Don’t forget to thank those people who helped you find a new job, once you are hired.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Cyber security is said to be a big issue for business costing not only Essay

Cyber security is said to be a big issue for business costing not only lost revenue but damaged reputations and lost custom. Yo - Essay Example Any cyber security program strives to ensure these four fundamental cyber security components. Information confidentiality enables the organization’s sensitive information to be a secret so that it does not fall into the hands of unauthorized persons for example the competitors. Information integrity ensures that the data that is stored is accurate and serves the purpose and is always up to date. Data availability enables information to be present any time the organization required. This is by preventing any vulnerability for example denial of service. This can give the competitor firm an avenue of bringing down the company by capitalizing on the weakness of the other company and at the same time enhancing its strength. The investigation was conducted by administering questionnaire to cyber security experts of various organizations. Interviews were also conducted with CISO of both business and non profit organizations. In addition, a thorough review of the existing literature on cyber threats and cyber security was conducted. Table of Contents Cyber security is said to be a big issue for business costing not only lost revenue but damaged reputations and lost custom. Your task is to investigate the need for cyber security and analyze the threats from which it protects business. ... A cyber security is a basis or the foundation of organization’s security for its information assets. Cyber attacks are a deliberate or unintentional unauthorized task, which cannot be avoided or is in avoidable that that is capable of causing a vagary on the cyberspace resources. The scope of cyber attack is expands from hardware, software, data that is stored, data in transit, people, documents and other hardware needed like printer cartridges. Findings and Analysis The organization information system is a critical asset that calls for utmost security. For instance, employee’s personal identification information, development plan and financial data are very critical to an organization. This information can fall into two broad categories. There are information that are secured or protected by the state and federal law and those that are based on contractual obligation (Jue 2012). The deliberate or accidental exposure of this information to illegal personnel can be detri mental to the university. The different types of attack that are detriment to cyber security are Threats targeting infrastructure (Invalidated input) Problem and situation The most prevalent threat to client computers is Keylogging and spyware. This is a malware that is built to illegally obtain, track and block the right of a user to get access to the system. An example of this attack is where someone or an individual tries to log on to the system or a website like an email account but the system or the site fails to authenticate the user. This threat is related to backdoor attack command. These are weapons that give remote access that are created to divert the functionality of the system.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Hacking for Dummies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hacking for Dummies - Assignment Example Other alternatives include 1password, LastPass, KeePass, Roboform, Password Keeper and Norton Identity Safe (Beaver 108). Â  It is vital to note that the use of a password safe or the other alternative tools offers immense pros to an organization or individual. Firstly, this tool plays a huge role in ensuring that all user passwords are encrypted in a safe area free from any third party access. It also provides a backup area for one to recover a forgotten password, along with ensuring that it encourages users to create strong passwords that are always very hard to crack. Lastly but certainly not the least, a password safe provides a convenient way for one to organize the passwords (Beaver 2). Â  In contrast to the pros, is a significant set of cons that are brought about by the use of a software password safe. This includes loss of all passwords particularly when a computer is unused. Additionally, a software password safe is always an obvious target by most hackers thus, when one accidentally breaks (gets the master password) into the software, then all-vital information about a user can get lost.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Speech analyses essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speech analyses essay - Research Paper Example Most of the people who participated in the Challenge and donations are from Boston. That is why it is more effective to deliver the speech at Boston in front of a ‘familiar’ audience which makes Nancy comfortable. Attention getter- The attention getter Nancy uses the question â€Å"How many of you took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?† This seems obvious and rhetorical, presumably a majority of the people in the audience had participated in the Challenge. As you can see from the reaction of the audience, they barely react to Nancy’s question. Nancy uses a non- verbal cue (by clamping) in order to ‘warm up’ the audience before she begins her speech. Revelation of topic- The revelation of topic is the flashback family story that Nancy gives her audience. A flashback to the summer of 2011, Nancy carefully narrates and reveals a powerful family story leading to Pete’s diagnosis and inspiration behind her family taking the initiative to create awareness about ALS. Statement of Credibility- The statement of credibility is ‘the mom who started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’. Since Nancy is Pete’s mom and she is heavily involved in the fund raising and ALS awareness initiative, she is credible enough to give the speech. Nancy Frates and her entire extended family are taking great lengths to create awareness about ALS and get philanthropist like Bill Gates on board. Since Nancy was at the forefront of this initiative, definitely makes her credible. Statement of central idea- The central idea in the introduction of Nancy Frates speech is that very little progress has been done to get a treatment for ALS. The idea behind ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is to help raise funds that can be used to conduct research and clinical trials of drugs that can cure or treat ALS. Nancy’s family and ALS managed to raise enough funds that will help ALSTDI in Cambridge Massachusetts to come with an ALS trial drug in 2 months.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Primary internal and external influences to LOreal

Primary internal and external influences to LOreal These influences as in internal and external can be determined by analysing the Strengths of organisation in terms of available resources like skilled staffs, financial capability,core competent of organisations, innovation, people say your strengths today mighty be your weakness tomorrow in the global business environment, Weakness of organisation can be poor technology and systems in use, lack of market orientation, lack of research and development, uncompetent personnel, poor type and range of products, which will lead the orgainisation in to poor peformance not achieving companys goals. The opportunities in social and cultural aspects example Loreal in United States, economic advantage example new emerging market like Africa, Asia, Europe, New techology . Threats of organisation is changes in business environment where a firm is running its business, the competion from other competitors, political issues, change in customers life style,supplies shortage. According to casestudy shows number of influences to LOreal as subjected. In internal and external influences were about to build the organisation structure which can be global administration and cope with the external global environment by stabilising their resources so they can be competent to gain the capability to compete against other competitors. They been able to build up the organisation strengths through carefully plans strategy of acquring other cosmetics companies so they can spread up their wings in the international markets by using strong and potential brands in their new and existing global markets ,which some of the brands were Loreal origin brands like lancome and other adopted brands like matrix, Maybelline, Kiehls, soft sheen and carson. Also moving business strategy from domestic strategy to international strategy that will enable the company to compete in global environment, The marketing failure during 1953 after entering U.S market through the company formed li censee Cosmair Inc. to distribute LOreal products(pg3 on the case study) this made the corporate management of LOreal to structure their corporate plans from failure to success, But management did able to consider company redisign to gain key success through designing good distribution channels, flaxible management development of internal structure and culture so they can cope with outside business environment to maintain stability, example LOreal managent under Dalle able to take the company to public(1963), sold off the companys soap unit and also did able to respond in political issues of state control of frances top companies(pg3 on case study). The current organisational structure were doing well in terms of achieving goals in case study it shows they had good reputation and market share in france and also in europe even though they were selling their products to customers in premium price and later they manage expand organisation structure through acquiring other cosmetics company in europe so they can enter in U.S market . Organisation were recruiting skilled and talented staffs can able to run up the company to successful point in future time without looking location of individual, example Lindsay Owen Jones who was CEO british born(case study pg 4). Good allocation of resources to invest in foreign markets enables LOreal to gain other oppotunities apart from U.S market. Example Loreal management after bought the brand of Helena Rubinstein was best opportunity to go extra miles to gain other markets which are outside of U.S like Europe,Japan and Asia and brand has very good market awereness to its customers. Through acqu isation Loreal company were able to access available resources from other company like distribution channels, skilled staffs. Because of global marketing environment Lindsay Owen Jones the CEO of LOreal he started to redisgn the corporate strategy so the company can able to cope with the international geographical environment of where will operates, below here shows the Strategic Choices of certain company can use four basic strategies to enter and compete when decide to operate in international market like follows:- Pressure for Local GLOBAL STRATEGY TRANSNATIONAL STRATEGY INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY MULTI-DOMESTIC STRATEGY High Cost pressure Low Low Pressure for local High Transnational Strategy. This strategy firms must exploit experience curve cost economies and location economies, transfer distinctive competencies within the firm and pay attention for pressures for localisation. To do this their need to be flows of knowledge from the parent to subsidiaries, flow from foreign subsidiaries to the home country, and from foreign subsidiaries to foreign subsidiaries, a process that known as global learning. The approach of transnationals is not appropriate in all situations, nor is it without costs. Where demands for local responsiveness are low, a global strategy may still be the most appropriate . The coordination and management challenges of a transnational also create higher cost and benifits than with one of the more traditional strategies. A transinational strategy makes sense when a firm faces high pressure for cost reductions, high pressures for local responsiveness, and where there are significant opportunities for leveraging valuable skills within a multinationals glo bal network of operation. In some ways companys that pursue a transnational strategy are trying to simultaneously achieve cost and differentiation advantages. As attractive as this may sound, the strategy is not easy to pursue. Pressure for local responsiveness and cost reductions place conflicting demand on a firm, being locally responsive raises costs. Global Strategy. Firms that pursue a global strategy focus on increasing profitability by reaping the cost reductions that come from experience curves effects and location economies. That can be called a company pursuing low cost strategy. The production, marketing and research and development activities of firms pursuing a global strategy are concentrated in a few favorable locations. Global firms tend not to customise their product offering and marketing strategy to local conditions because customisation raises cost, it involves shorter production runs and the duplications of functions. Multidomestic Strategy Compay pursue this strategy orient themselves toward achieving maximum local responsiveness. The key distinguish feature of multidomestic firms is that they extensively customise both their product offering and their marketing strategy to match different national conditions. Consistent with this they also tend to establish a complete set of value creation activities. International Strategy In this strategy company try to create value by transferring valuable skills and products to foreign markets where indigenous competitors lack those skills and products. Most international firms have created value by transferring differentiated product offerings developed at home to new markets overseas. Analysis of how globalisation influences policies and decision making in LOreal. LOreal able to increase acquisation to maintain market share against other competitors so the company can stay into its business. Value creation were made into LOreal products by renovate those brands they were so strong in the market and had very good perception to its customers because if there is more value in the product that means there is value and trust between two parties, firm and customer. Because of globalisation LOreal did able to design the Organisation structure which will fit on the global environment the firm is facing. Barlett and Goshal outline a range of organisation structures developed by multinationals to meet these global challenges, Like as follows below. Global Co-ordination Low High International Divisions Global Products Companies International Subsidiaries Transinational Corporational Low Local Independence And Responsiveness High International Divisions The structure is appropriate where there is little requirement for global coordination and little need to tailor products to local requirements. Global Product Companies The need for greater global integration has seen many multinationals moving towards global product structures with product divisions integrating activities on a world wide basis from component supply, through manufacturing to research and development. This structure creates many opportunities to achieve cost efficiencies and transfer resources that are dependent upon sophisticated planning and control systems. However the pressures to respond to local needs seem to be increasing in many global markets. In case study page 10, CEO Owen Jones said that Loreal to be truly global company they need to promote around the world American brands because that was other great alternative in the beauty industry and also they didnt accept only local brands, by trying to put all LOreal brand everywhere by selling United states to Americans, Japanese, Chinese and Italian elegance to the Japanese, French beauty to Africans, and also Japanese chic to Brazillians. International Subsidiaries Many organisations are structured around international subsidiaries that respond more closely to the needs of the local market, often at the expense of control from the centre and a uniform organisational structure. However, whilst this structure has been appropriate in the past, as global competition becomes more intense, there may now be a need to look at greater global integration. Transnational Corporations The increasing pressures of global competition upon companies to both globally co-ordinate activities and respond to local needs has led to the emergence of the transnational organisation . The traditional multinational structures are seen to be converging upon a new organisational structure that depends upon an integrated network of interdependent resources. Also LOreal company according to case studies shows the numbers of responds to change the products offering to its customers through understanding their customers and the life styles they have. By using Ansoff four strategic options, he claimed that in marketing we can only ever be talking about products and markets, and that these can only be old, or existing, and new, or potential. Below is a figure shows Ansoff Matrix model in strategic choice. Products Present New Market Penetration LOW RISK Product Development MEDIUM RISK Market Development MEDIUM RISK Diversification HIGH RISK Exist Markets New Market penetration On this strategy present product and present market will be appropriate when a market is growing and not yet saturated, example Loreal company when was marketing in France market before decide to go abroad market. By attracting non users of the product, or purchasing rate of existing customers. The strategy can be implemented through increasing activity on one or more of the mix elements. Example aggressive promotion, pricing, using more intensive distribution. Product development. The strategy deals with New product at existing market, an organisation develops a new product to sell at its existing market. Sometimes can be simply the product refinement, could be change of taste or packaging. Product development is most prevalent when branding exists. Promotional aspects will be emphasise the added qualities of the new product and link it specifically to the security of and confidence in the brand. This strategy builds up customer loyalty and the benefits to be gained by purchase and other mix elements like distribution may remain unchanged. Market Development On this strategy is about the company sells the existing product at new market, is often found when a regional business wishes to expand or if new markets are emerging because of changes in consumer habits. It can also occur when a new use has been discovered for an existing product. Implentention of this strategy involves appealing to markets sectors not currently catered for and many mean a repositioning of products, new distribution methods or channels. Diversification This strategy is where new product will be sold in the new markets sometimes introduced so that the firm will not become too dependent on its existing strategic business units (SBUs), this is kind of insurance for future of the company incase of any disaster that would happen due to drastic environmental changes in future where the company is operating it business. This can be considered as means of growth and expansion of power to against competitors. The new product can me totally innovated which has never been seen in the marketplace, or the product is new to the firm but has already been the in the marketplace. Diversification can be Horizontal integration acquisation of another organisation which has a desired features, the firm that is acquired mighty use similar production methods, its distribution channels may highly effective and prove advantageous or has got great capacity. Or Vertical Integration where involves acquisition of some other enterprises in the chain of distribu tion between manufacturer and customer,can be forward towards customer or backwards towards the source of materials. Other diversification also can be Conglomeration where moves a company away from the its existing product market situation into an entirely new area in order to satisfy a primary objective. Critical evaluation of the effectiveness of LOreal response to globalisation. Due to global environment has its complexity and uncertainties, LOreal did able to respond through building organsation which will cope with changes in business environment by competing with other firms operating in the same beauty industry, LOreal was selling a products (e.g Lancome in cosmetics and LOreal professional in hair care) which targeting in high income customers by selling their products in high price, which limited the company to expand into international markets. Also their brands where only potential in Europe and not USA and the price strategy they were using were not accessible. This made LOreal management to review their marketing strategies into global level. LOreal had market entry strategy in USA market, first was licensee to cosmair to supply Loreal products after the strategy didnt perfom better, then Loreal management did apply another strategy which was acquisition strategy. There are different entry strategy to foreign markets a business company can use, ent ry strategy can be Turnkey project, Exporting, Franchising, Licensing or Joint ventures. Licensing agreement is at arrangement where by a licensor grants the rights intangible properry to another entity (the licensee) for a specified period, and in return the licensor receives a royalty fee from the licensee. Intangible property includes patents, inventions, formulas, Trademarks, processes and designs. Acquisation is about one firm buys another firm. Hamills model, Motives for acquisation are economic motives, strategic motives, finance motive and behavioral and managerial motive. Economic motives can be synergy in value chain,economies of scale, improved efficiency, purchase of managerial skills and unique resources. Strategic motives this can aslo be diversification,competitive by gaining market control or remove competitors or both, buy rather than build market share, or instant growth. Behavioral and managerial motives also this can be increasing management utility and sales growth, personal goals of senior managers, separation of ownership from control. Financial motives is about Financial engineering,Valuation gap theory and increasing shareholder value. In Addition of popular American brands such as Maybelline, Redken, Matrix, SoftSheen-Carson, and Ralph Lauren Fragrances to its portfolio of french brands, LOreal had created an international brand portfolio for consumers with a wide range of incomes and tastes in 140 countries. Because the market in France and part of Europe maybe were seems to be saturated, and LOreal perhaps was facing a bit competition from rival companies in france and other part of Europe made it to seek other new attractive market which was USA market to extend its market share and increase the revenue. By using Boston Consultancy Group Matrix(BCG) theory based on Market share and Market growth rate of the Small Business Units(SBUs). Boston Consultancy Group Matrix. STARS QUESTION MARKS CASH COWS DOGS High Market growth Low Relative Market Share Question Mark Are products which have low market share and are in high growth markets. The product has not yet reached a dominant position in the market. Although it may be generating funds, it still requires a lot of investment for development and the company must decide if they to keep investing. Star If Question marks succeed they become stars, leaders in high growth markets. Stars are the providers of tomorrow and the company with no stars should worry. On the figure above shows two star products, one which has the leading share in its market and one which has only slightly more share than its leading competitor. Efforts should be made to increase the share of the second product in order to secure its future profitability, particularly as the market has a very high growth rate this could be where future earnings lie. Also this stage may involve investment in promotion and distribution incase of competition, and Star can also produce revenue and use resources which may lead to break even. Cash Cow When market growth reaches a stable level, Stars become cash cows providing they hold a leading share of the market. If they lose any market share to the competition they will slip into either being a marginal Question Mark or at very worse,a Dog or sometimes if a firm continued to support other categories and neglegeted its cash cow then its could eventually become a dog. Cash Cows produce good revenue, do not require high investment and often mean the economies of scale can be gained. The money earned from cash cows should be used to invest into other products. Dog Dogs have a weak market share in low growth or stable markets. These products can often take up more time than they are worth. They usually produce low profits and very often incur losses. They will always consume cash, even if it is just in the time taken to manage them. Can be dropped by firm but is not wise to do immediately because they might still poduce profit and can also be used retention to customers. LOreal responded by creating competitive advantage against other competitors in beauty industry. Michael Porter Generic Strategy explained how the company can gain competitive advantage through differentiation, differentiation focus, cost leadership, and cost focus. LOreal management were able to differentiate their products through product divisions ( Consumer, Professional and Luxury products division). Also Loreal used cost leadership and cost focus, by created products range according to consumer classes, by selling them with different range of price, based on ethinic life styles from white to black people. Also Value Chain Analysis can be useful here to determine the response of Loreal beauty company to globalisation, Value Chain Diagram Planning model Computer Electronic Customer Aided Design Marketing Profiling research Online Procurements Automated Flexible Automated order Tele marketing After sales services, Warehouse manufacturing Processing Computerised delivery schedule Firm infrastructure HR Management Technology Management Procurement Inbound Operations Outbound Marketing and Services logistics logistics Sales Primary activities. Inbound logistics, dealing with storing, receiving and distributing the inputs to the product or service. Material handling, controlling stock and transport. Operations, concern of transform different inputs into final products or service, assembly and testing. Research and development, concerning about gathering useful information from the market like competitors in that market,customers, developing new product or lowering the cost of production ( LOreal, Research and development activities allowed the firm to reduce production costs). In the case study (pg11), Its says LOreal had strong commitment to research and development that many insiders considered to be among the firms most distinctive values and a comparative advantage over competitors. Through research and development they did able to discover the new hair Fructis shampoo product made from fruit sugar called fructose. Production can be creation of goods or services, example Fructis shampoo. Out bound logistics through local distribution channels which the company had control with it, acquisation enabled LOreal management to gain competence in distributing products to consumers. The Marketing and sales provide the means whereby consumers/users are made aware of the product or service and are able to purchase, Loreal provided product mix, enough advertising to their customers so the can be aware of their products offering to the market. Service, service includes all those activities which enhance or maintain the value product or service, such as training, installation, repair and spares. Support Activities in the value chain give inputs that allow the primary activities to occur, can materials management, human resource management by dealing with recruiting, training, development and rewarding people within the organisation, example in the case study Loreal hire people early in their careers and educate them so that they can become the future leaders of the company (i.e LOreal CEO, Lindsay Owen Jones and Kiehls president, Philip Clough). Information systems, and company infrastructure this can be the structure of organisation, control stystems and culture of the firm.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Plato :: essays research papers

Plato was a Greek philosopher during the 4th century BCE. He was born in 427BCE, during the â€Å"Golden Age of Athens.† His birth was three years after the Peloponnesian War began and one year after Pericles died from the plague. Plato was the son of Ariston, a descendant from the last king of Athens and Perictone, a descendant of Solon. Solon was an aristocratic reformer who wrote the constitution that established Athenian democracy. Plato’s family supported Pericles as leader of Athens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elected annually as the first citizen of aristocracy , Pericles ruled from 450 BCE until his death in 429 BCE. At the start of the 5th century BCE Athens had become a corrupt democracy. The Aristocratic families who owned the land were fighting the larger majority who were poor. The latter demanded for equal rights and representation. Pericles dominated Greek politics and expanded the Athenian Empire. He assisted in developing building projects that gave jobs to the poor, these building projects included the chief temple to Athena, the Goddess of wisdom. He also supported the strengthening of a political doctrine that was for egalitarianism, equal rights of speech, political equality and material prosperity in trading and industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Peloponnesian War pitted the Athenian democracy against the militaristic, authoritarian Spartans. In 404BCE after many years at war, the Athenian government surrendered. The rule of the thirty, a oligarchy of ancient Athens created by Lysander under Spartan auspices, took over the government. The aristocratic leaders conducted a vicious reign of terror. Among these leaders were Charmides (Plato’s uncle) and Critias (Plato’s cousin). The Rule of the thirty was overthrown at Piraeus (now Piraià ©vs) by Thrasybulus in 403BCE. After democracy was being restored and the rule of the thirty brought to an end, the Philosopher Socrates was charged with crimes against the government. His charges included impiety which is speaking against the gods, Athens felt that Socrates was starting a strange cult. He was also charged with corrupting the youth, Socrates was trying to teach morality and ethics to the youth of Athens for he felt that Athenians lost their ethics in the war, but the government interpreted his teaching differently. The Council of 500 served as Socrates' judge and as his jury. Two hundred and eighty-one members of the council voted to convict. They give Socrates a choice between exile and death. Socrates decides death by poison. Socrates read his â€Å"Apology† at his trial which was his defense.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Indian American Immigrants in the Golden Age Essay

Arthur W. Helweg is known as a Cultural Anthropologist and a Professor of Anthropology at the Western Michigan University, who studied the lives and stories of many Asian Indian Immigrants in different countries around the world which includes Australia, Canada, Great Britain, India and the United States of America (Arthur W. Helweg). Through his love and passion for the people with Asian Indian origin, he worked with different publications and has already written various books that feature the tale of many Asian Indian Immigrants around the world. He also co-authored the book entitled â€Å"Immigrant Success Story: East Indians in America,† which has been awarded with the Theodore Saloutos Book Award given by the Immigration and Ethnic History Society, as the best book on immigration history category in the year 1990. More so, he has also done co-editorial task wherein he has been chosen to be a part of the editorial team for the book series entitled â€Å"Discovering the People of Michigan. â€Å" The book entitled â€Å"Strangers in Not-So-Strange Land: Indian American Immigrants in the Golden Age† is regarded as one of the most brilliant works of Arthur William Helweg in his chosen field of interest in studying the narrative of many Asian Indian people around the globe who seek for better life and fortune outside the premises of their motherland. This book is also characterized as one of the apparent proofs that signify the dedication and excellence of Arthur Helweg, as a Cultural Anthropologist and an enthusiast of the Asian Indian struggles as immigrants in different countries abroad, more especially in the United States. Currently, there are now thousands of Asian Indians who are living in the United States. Synopsis of the Book In a sense, this book of Arthur Helweg presents his own account of case study regarding the narrative and struggle of many Asian Indians in the United States. For more than three decades, the story of these people has never been in the mainstream and almost regarded as nonexistent ever since they arrived in the U. S. However, this profound community of Asian Indian is regarded to be a group of immigrants with the highest educated members and known as the highest earning average family of any ethnic group in North America. Thus, theses Asian Indians are noted as valuable members and representatives of the latest type of immigrants arriving in the United States. In a sense, the author, Arthur Helweg, has focused more about the theme of immigration of these people in the United States. This book highlights the truth and facts about the narrative of Asian Indian immigration and how these highly educated and professionally trained immigrants vary and deal with different challenges and difficulties associated to the traditional concepts of migration in the United States. Thus, this book tells about the real stories of these people regarding their journey to the land of America and how they adjusted to the new set of laws in the United States, as immigrants and foreign people. This also highlights the case study of the author about the adjustments involved in creating a new line of respect between the Asian Indians and the Native American people. Furthermore, this reading also renders a clear overview about the historical narrative of the Asian Indian in the United States and how the Indian Diaspora becomes a global tribe, which has been all over the world. This also explains the origin of these people and how their homeland is being recognized, as these people continuous to create good recognition across their names internationally. With the fact that these people is now recognized as one of the well acknowledged group of immigrants in the United States, this book also highlights the real happenings as to how the ethnicity of the Asian Indian survived in a relatively new world and volatile nature of the United States. More so, this also depicts the apparent pictures with regard to the efforts and hard work of these people in laying the foundation of their ethnicity in the United States. The Critique From a personal point of view, it is of reasonable grounds to say that Arthur Helweg, as a cultural anthropologist, professor and author is indeed a master and specialist of what he does best, which is that of studying the narrative of Asian Indian immigrants in different areas around the globe, more especially in the United States, as evident in the excellence of this book. More so, this book is observable to be cohesive and reliable in presenting valuable and factual accounts of the Asian Indian ethnicity and their journey towards instituting their equal position in the American society. Starting from the fundamentals and discussing the significance of the main story, the writing style of Arthur Helweg for this book is indeed informative and at the same time profoundly entertaining, as he also incorporates most of his distinct humor in presenting and discussing some of the light aspects of the book. Though writing a case study type of book is a bit tricky and complicated to do, the author, Arthur Helweg, has done a good job in presenting a well researched and comprehensive readings with regard to the life and struggle of these people, as valuable refugees in foreign countries like the United States. The way Arthur Helweg highlights and reveals both of the minor and major issues that these people are experiencing in the United States, as immigrants, is really one of main factors of that has made this book cohesive and well informative, not only for the member of Asian Indian community in U. S. but also for the people who wants to know more about the narrative of these ethnic people. Relation to Class Material As for this book, the topic about ethnicity and race of the Asian Indian in the United States is what I really understand the most. As a part of the class discussion, I learned that though people from other countries with specific ethnicity or cultural background prefers to live and start a new in a foreign outside of their original home turf, they can still be classified as an individual according to their culture, as seen evident through their beliefs, actions and language. Thus, as for the case of Asian Indian, depicted in the book of Arthur Helweg, it has become more understandable that these people, though they traveled so far and miles away from their homeland, still remain as a recognizable ethnic society in the U. S. because of their cultural background and racial origin, which can never be easily altered though they are already living in a relatively strange world. More so, through the materials we have discussed in class, it made me understand better that racial inequality in diverse countries like the United States is one of the most significant and common issues as well as dangers that typical ethnic immigrants like the Asian Indian in the United States are facing as a group of people living a strange world. Lastly, it is of my well established knowledge that migration of different of ethnic group in particular country helps alter the cultural background and/or orientation by the people involved in the process. In the end, this book of Arthur Helweg, has helped me better understand the issues and facts as to how migration of different ethnic groups of people around the world is changing the world cultures and influencing the formation of various policies both local and international. More so, through this book, I learned that in the end, race and/cultural differences should not be the main basis from which one would draw the importance and superiority of ethnicity. Instead, people should value the worth of one another according to their abilities and help for the betterment of a given country, regardless of race or cultural background. Works Cited Arthur W. Helweg. 15 may 2009 Helweg, Arthur. Strangers in a not-so-strange land: Indian American immigrants in the global age. California: Wadsworth, 2004. Miller, Barbara. Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2007. Profile of Asian Indians in the U. S. A. spindlepub. com. 15 May 2005

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Journal Article Review Homeless Veterans Essay

At the time of this article, Dr. Brenda B. Benda, author of this article, was a Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Current bibliography information could not be located. Objective of Article: This article examined gender differences in predictors of readmission to inpatient drug treatment among homeless veterans because Veteran Affairs (V. A. ) medical centers currently do not have services that are designed specifically for women and that there is limited sensitivity about or understanding of women’s needs at the V. A. edical centers (p. 60). At the time of this study, Selgado’s study (as cited in Benda, 2005) shows women only comprised 5 percent of veterans with access to health care services in the V. A. , or approximately 1. 4 million of a total of 25. 5 million veterans. The lack of specialized services seems the primary reason that most women seek medical services outside the V. A. , often at their own expense. Therefore, a study of factors associated with substance abuse relapse among homeless veterans will provide useful information for designing specialized services at the V. A. for women in drug treatment (p. 60). Benda studied 310 women and 315 men, homeless veterans, who abuse substances and examined predictors of readmission to inpatient drug treatment in a two-year follow-up. This study appears to be the first study of gender differences in predictors of readmission among homeless veterans, and it examines the possibilities of various social support systems mediate or moderates the relationships between different traumatic experience over the life span and readmission (p. 59). Purpose of Article: The purpose of this article is to examine and answer the following research questions: (1) what gender differences, if any, exist, in predictors of readmission to inpatient care for drug abuse among homeless veterans, (2) are abuses at different stages of the life span, combat exposure, and recent traumatic events commensurate predictors, and do employment, housing, family or friend relationships, and spirituality (3) mediate or (4) moderate the relationships between traumata and relapse (p. 63). However, Benda limited this study to the analysis of employment, housing, social support, and spirituality. This study also offers preliminary information for designing and prioritizing specialized services at the V. A (p. 63). Methodology and Procedures: The institutional human subjects review board at the V. A. approved the study. A convenience sample of all homeless female veterans that entered an inpatient V. A. domiciliary program for substance abuse was selected over a three-year period. Only 13 women, or 4 percent, that entered this program declined to participate in the study, leaving 310 women who responded to the survey. A systematic random sample of homeless men that entered the same program over the same three-year period was selected to have an equivalent number of men (p. 64). Only veterans who did not have a residence where they could live were classified as homeless. Veterans were considered homeless if they had spent at least a week in the 30 days preceding the admission to the V. A. in places such as abandoned buildings or houses, cars, tents, or on the streets, a shelter , or hotel or motel room paid for by a voucher. A written consent to participate in the study was obtained from all veterans before four staff social workers conducted two intake interviews which were conducted within the first two weeks of admission (p. 66). A third interview was conducted at discharge from the inpatient domiciliary program to aftercare services-this interview provided client evaluations of the inpatient program and an assessment of emotions and thoughts that are often problematic to survival in the community. The final interview (aftercare interview) was conducted two months after release from the inpatient domiciliary program to find out what extend traumatic life events and various social supports predict tenure in the community (p. 66-67). The outcome analyzed was the proportion of time in the community without readmission to an inpatient program for substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders during the two-year follow-up study (p. 67). This outcome was selected because the primary goals of domiciliary programs are to lengthen the period of sobriety and independent living among homeless veterans. Individual follow-ups were used, so everyone was followed for a full two years, or until they were re-hospitalized for substance abuse or psychiatric disorders (p. 68). Findings: The findings show that sexual and physical abuses in childhood, during active duty in the military, and in the past two years are more potent predictors of readmission for women than for men. Women’s readmission to inpatient care for drug abuse also is heightened more by increases in depression, suicidal thoughts, and traumatic events, whereas it is lessened with greater family, friend, church, and other support (p. 75). The findings also showed men’s return to inpatient treatment increases in likelihood with greater substance abuse, aggression, and cognitive impairments, while it decreases with more employment stability and job satisfaction (p. 75). Conclusion:  This study found some statistical interactions that are important for further investigation in research and practice which show that stable housing and employment, spiritual well-being, and family and church support are more positively related to tenure in the community for women who have experienced less childhood abuse and recent traumatic events. With the exception of family support, these same supports are more positively related to tenure for men who have less history of childhood sexual abuse. Numerous questions also arise from the findings such as: (1) why social supports reduce the effects of traumata more for persons who have experienced lower level of trauma, (2) how social support assuages traumatic events, and (3) what combinations of social supports of traumata are optimal (p. 78). Opinion: The writer’s personal experience of working with Homeless veterans who suffers from indicators such as substance abuse, personal traumata, and combat exposure is clearly discussed and evaluated in this article. The writer also applauds this journal article for the in-debt analysis which provided guidance for the V.  A. in implementing the current Homeless Veterans Initiative of 2011 which provides a range of services to homeless veterans, including health care, housing, job training, and education (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2012). In addition, the writer also believes that treatment of substance abuse, mental illness, and personal traumata should be at the forefront of the implementation of these programs for homeless veterans. Without evaluation and treatment of these conditions, recurrence of homelessness will be evident.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Literary Research Paper Writing Prompts

Literary Research Paper Writing Prompts Literary Research Paper Writing Prompts Literary researches, though given not too much attention by many tutors and professors, form he greater part of the students’ writing assignments. To master the skills needed to conduct good literary researches, students need to be diligent and attentive to details. There are several important aspects which are to be constantly considered when composing a literary research. The present article would address them attempting t help students gain more knowledge on literary research writing. The foremost skills to be mastered when composing a literary research concerns proper choosing of the bibliographical sources. It is not a secret that the sources selected for this or that academic paper are to be credible and scientific, true and not out-dated. Thus, to select a literature source during the literary research, the student needs to pay attention to the author and volume of publication of this or that sources, as well as the publishing house and date. If all of these pieces of information seem credible and worth attention, then the student may proceed with referencing this or that work. What is more, the student should have knowledge on comparing the peer reviewed articles from those which are not. It is crucial for some academic papers to be citing only the peer reviewed sources, and many students find it difficult to distinguish between those. So, information and credible sources seeking is the foremost stage of every literary research written by a student. Another important step in composing a literary research concerns critical evaluating of this or that information found during the first phase of writing. The information presented in the literary sources, and in the Internet as well, may not always be true, and students blindly relying on it may sacrifice their academic reputation. Sometimes, they fail to prove the facts to be included into the research and thus, their paper could not be considered good as well. Students need to have the critical thinking skills as well as ability to apply the appropriate analyzing principles to identity if the given study is relevant, unbiased and valued for the further literary research. This is the skills which could not be grasped immediately, it usually takes long time before it is mastered. If you feel that you are not yet as good in literary research composing, as you’d desired to, you may always contact the customer paper writing agencies online for the help. The team of freelance writers working in such companies would help you define the credible sources for the literary research, as well as do the first step in composing of this academic assignment. Thus, their helping hand would be really of great value to such students who are not very familiar with the rules and procedures of literary research composing. At you can a great opportunity to buy research paper online, 100% custom written from scratch. Our experts will provide you with professional literary research paper writing assistance!

Monday, November 4, 2019

Business Process Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business Process Management - Assignment Example Excellent performance is a key for business success and Companies that are highly competent, set themselves apart from other firms by focusing on constant performance improvement. Some frameworks that are proposed by business project management for performance measurement are (Kellen, 2003): The Balanced Scored Card: This is the most utilized framework and had greater adaption. Balanced scored card is used to measure the things that are related to the organization’s strategy and important for logistic company. It is broken in four sections that are as follow (DHL, 2008): Activity Based Costing: Through activity-based cost, the allocation of overhead is done according to an individual customer or product instead of the allocation of overhead on overall products. Activity based costing link the cost to the sources that are being used to provide a particular service within an organization. In such ways, the flow of expenses run from resources to activities and leads to the most demanded services. In this way organization, become able to have detailed analysis of activities that are profitable and providing excess revenue to the organization as compare to their cost. This strategy is the part of the company from 1988 (BJH, n.d.). Economic Value Added: Economic value added is a measure of financial performance. The EVA is linked with the formulation of overtime and the value of shareholders. The usage of this method is done as the motivation plane of managers because the purpose of this approach is to server management with the information that can motivate them to create maximum wealth for shareholders. In DHL, EVA model is deployed to maximize the wealth of shareholders (Camerinelli, 2009). Quality Management: Quality improvement programs just not improve the performance of the organization but also enhance the level of customer satisfaction and for the improvement of

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Bad News Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bad News - Essay Example I am social and enjoy the good company of my friends. Since I was young, living in Minnesota has been a fun and enjoyable experience. Growing up I enjoyed being outside and When I was young I was the oldest of my four friends. Every day after school, three of my friends and I would meet in our playhouse we made. The playhouse was made of materials we found and I can still smell the distinctive smell of the inside. The inside smelt of a worn leather smell. Just the four of us would play together for hours and do normal things kids our age did. We went on adventures and got into a little trouble. Our favorite game to play was a CSI type investigators game. We would pretend that we were crime solvers on an unsolvable case. I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was a cool summer Sunday. The wind was blowing just slightly and enough to cool one form the heat. It wasn’t too humid and to breath in the air was very refreshing. My friends and I were pretending we were investigato rs working on a serious crime. Our playhouse was located in my backyard right up next to the neighbor’s property line between a few oak trees. The neighbor next to where are play house was, was the prime suspect. His name was Jim. My family knew the neighbor very well and he didn’t mind us playing in his yard. We knew that he would not be home until after 4:30pm because he worked as an usher at a local church on Sundays.