New Venture Development Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

New Venture Development Business Plan - Essay Example It is a private company incorporated in Hong Kong. There is a shift towards consumption of organic foods in China, especially in Hong Kong city because of extensive campaigns urging people to embrace organic products. Increasing population, high number of food poisoning scares as well as need for healthy eating is driving demand of organic vegetables and fruits to the roof in Hong Kong. Therefore, organic products markets is growing rapidly and is promising higher returns to investors. The business is a limited private company owned by a single person. The owner of the company contributed HK$106,000 and borrowed HK$60,000 to finance start-up and part of the working capital. Table of Contents 4.4 Regulatory requirements 8 4.5 Industry challengers 9 5.0 Customer 9 5.1 Understanding the customer 9 5.2 Target customer profile 10 6.0 Competition 10 6.1 Competitor Analysis 10 6.1.1 Direct Competitors 11 6.1.2 Indirect Competitors 11 6.2 Competitive analysis 11 6.2.1 Competitive Advantages 11 6.3 Entry and Growth Strategy 12 7.1 Objectives 13 7.5 The Product 14 8.1 Overview 15 8.2 Pricing strategy 15 8.3 Sales Tactics 16 8.4 Advertising and Promotion 16 8.5 Marketing Communications Strategy 16 9.0 Operations Plan 17 10.2 Personnel Plan 19 11.1 Start-up Summary 20 11.3 Breakeven analysis 21 11.4 Balance Sheet 21 11.5 Income Statement 21 11.6 Cash Flows 21 13.0 References 23 14.0 Appendixes 24 1.0 Introduction The organic vegetable and fruit market has been growing steadily in Hong Kong. This is because disposable income of people in China, especially Hong Kong is steadily increasing. In addition, in recent years, there have been incidences of food poisoning caused by chemical components in food and more people are shying away from chemically processed food. They are becoming more health conscious and are spending thousands of dollars to purchase organic products, especially food. Therefore, the market segment for organic vegetables and fruits is promising. 2.0 The orga nic vegetable concept After working in a grocery shop for over one year, Tim Chan discovered that most consumers in Hong Kong were turning to organic foods especially vegetables and fruits because they were consumed on daily basis. This is because of rising concerns of food poisoning and danger posed by processed and non-organic food to people’s health as informed by the media and health care practitioners. Four in every eighty consumers who visited the food store where Tim Chan worked asked for organic fruits and vegetables. Therefore, Tim Chan identified a growing opportunity to run an organic food store that specialized in vegetables and fruits sourced locally and from western countries. 3.0 Opportunity Rational China is one of the fast growing and lucrative markets in the world with a huge business promise to thirsty entrepreneurs and business persons. As disposable income increases in urban China, people are more preoccupied with higher standard of living and are turning to organic products, especially food to achieve better health status. China’s Urban and rural population spent between 37.9% and 43.7% of their disposable income on food (Lu ,2010). The market for organic food is big and unquenchable. According to (NTZE 2010), the supply of organic foods in China, especially Hong Kong is very low and there is need to increase supply. In addition, food and grocery market segment is expected to grow by 6.6% and 6.1% in 2011 and 2012 respectively. High demand for organic frui

Personality Assessment Instruments Essay Example for Free

Personality Assessment Instruments Essay Personality Assessment instruments are comprised of theories and techniques to measure an individual’s personality traits. The traditional psychoanalytical theories provide a framework for understanding negative behavior as well as concepts that predict future behavioral outcomes. Because of the possibility of predictive personality traits, career counselors and organizations have used personality assessment instruments to screen possible employers for qualification. In addition, personality assessment instrument have also been used to detect disordered personalities or other unresolved issues that cause negative behavior patterns in an individual. In this paper I will discuss three Personality Assessment Instruments widely used in measuring an individual’s personality; Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, Rorschach Inkblot Test and self help books. I will discuss the validity, comprehensiveness, applicability and cultural utility of these personality assessments in also examine the strengths and weaknesses of why some work and some do not. The strength and weaknesses of each personality assessment instrument is key in understanding which instrument is â€Å"appropriate† to use. Myer-Briggs Type Indicator Largely based on Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality, The Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was created by Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myer, during WWII to evaluate personality types to know where to place women entering the industrial workforce. The MBTI would assess women for jobs they were best qualified for. Seeing how successful the MBTI was in placing women in the workforce, today it is still used as an assessment instrument by career counselors and organizations for team building (McCaulley, 2000). The MBTI is a self-report, forced-choice questionnaire. The letters represent the respective personality types which have 16 unique possible outcomes. The test has about 100 questions with only two choices to pick from. MBTI divides an individual’s personality into four areas (McCaulley, 2000); 1. Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I) . Sensing (S) or intuition (N) 3. Thinking (T) or feeling (F) 4. Judging (J) or perceiving (P) This scale is an important factor in determining the dominant, auxiliary, tertiary and inferior behaviors of the individual (McCaulley, 2000). Each individual is measured by the four-letter type formula. Each group of letters reveals the dominant function of the individual and followed by the auxiliary. Each of the 16 combination of letters explains the person’s personality and what area they best function in. Rorschach Inkblot Test Hermann Rorschach, Swiss psychiatrist, created ill-defined designs on paper using ink. After much trial and error, Rorschach settled on 10 inkblot cards used to show to patients and illicit a response. It was determined that different patients in a particular psychiatric group gave different responses. The test was created to understand the mind of an individual. During the assessment, the patient is shown a card and is expected to explain the thoughts that come to mind when analyzing the card (Cervone, 2010). The test-giver waits to see the type of response that comes from the patient. And the question of how the patient responds or perceives the inkblot determines the type of personality the patient may have. If the patient’s response matches the inkblot structure’s intended meaning, then the patient’s thoughts are geared towards their reality. If the patient’s response does not correspond with the inkblot then the patient is perceived to have a dysfunctional personality. Self-Help Books Widely popular, Self-help books are a great way for a person to understand psychological disorders and possible treatments. There are a variety of books written by scholars and psychologist who have done extensive work in their area of expertise. Many people who are skeptical about going to therapy choose self-help books as a way to self-administer treatment (Redding et. al, 2008). The problem people face when relying on these books for help is that there is no discussion to make sure that the person understands what they are reading. Also, the books cannot assess the person to see if they can help the person like the MBTI and Rorschach Inkblot do. There is no way to measure if the specific book can help the person. Personality Assessments: from Theory to Practice In this next section I will examine the validity, comprehensiveness, applicability and cultural utility. Throughout my research I have discovered that some critics have argued that each of these personality assessment instruments have weaknesses that do not support what it claims to produce. Others critics have shown the strengths’ in these widely used personality assessment to be applied in various cultures that have shown consistent scoring. Validity One of the most widely used personality assessment instruments is self-help books. They are easily accessible by most people seeking to resolve psychological issues. However, it is difficult to say if what the writer proposes to be a solution works effectively for the reader (Redding et. al. , 2008). The problem with the validity of self-help books is that not all are written by professional psychologist. Often people are faced with serious psychological disorders that they wish to resolve on their own as opposed to therapy (Redding et. l, 2008). Another issue with self-help books is that they do not test people to see if they have applied the information coming from the book to the area in their life where they face challenges nor can it pinpoint the exact disorder a person is dealing with. I would have to say that the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator holds the most validity out of the three personality assessment instruments and is the most favored. The MBTI has been tested and based on the 16 different possible personality types most people have fallen under one of the combinations. The MBTI follows the theory of personality traits by Carl Jung. Jung’s theory distinguishes two dichotomous pairs of cognitive behavior: extraversion and introversion (McCaulley, 2008). The MBTI has been shown to be successful in determining an individual’s personality that fits a specific career or in organizing groups for team building. On the other hand, when a person has been assessed using the Rorschach inkblot test, disordered personality can be revealed thru extensive testing. The validity of the Rorschach inkblot test as but argued that there is a bias in the testing because Hermann Rorschach’s training was in psychoanalytical theories. Another problem that arises with the Rorschach in examining its validity is the scoring of the test. Many of the scorers give a higher score to the test taker if their response matches those of previous scorers (Sendin, 2010). Comprehensiveness Self-help books focus on an areas in an individual’s life such as alcohol addictions, Attention Deficit Disorder, How to deal with a Break-Up. And while the books can be informative the theory behind the solution must be examined. Most self-help books are written in the opinion of the author writing the book. Some of these opinions may not be in accord with the reader’s background so it is difficult to say if the reader is able to comprehend what the author is conveying (Redding et. al, 2008). It also depends only what the reader is looking for. If the reader is open to alternative solutions as opposed to traditional one then the book will help but because a person is not tested on the self-help books they are reading it is hard to determine how comprehensive the book is. MBTI has 16 possible personality types that this world-wide instrument uses to address issues faced by individuals, groups and family counseling that are challenged with communication, career planning, learning and life -long development (McCaulley, 2000). When assessing an individual’s personality not only is this helpful in career counseling but also when determining why individuals or family members are having communication problems. Applicability Self-help books can be easy to understand. Some of the methods are broken down in simple steps that anyone can apply. However, if one wants to assess the type of personality that can handle a certain job the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator is more appropriate to use. This assessment instrument has been used by career counselors and employers to match individuals to specific studies or industries (McCaulley, 2008). I would not recommend using the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator when assessing an individual’s personality for disorders. The Rorschach Inkblot has been a successful instrument in examining the mind of a person (Cervone, 2010). However, the Rorschach inkblot was constructed according to Hermann Rorschach’s training in psychoanalytical theory. Cultural Utility Each culture is made of its own belief system and traditions. What applies in one culture may not necessarily apply in another. Some assessments can be used in most cultures and give the same results across the board. However, not all cultures will accept the theories behind the assessment. The issues that I have noticed in researching the MBTI and Rorschach Inkblot test is that in applying to different cultures there has been challenges faced by psychologist. For one, psychologists have not had extensive training in cultural diversity. Nor have they had training in language. Most ethnic low income groups have had poor health service in which there has been a misdiagnosis due to language barrier (Dana, 2000). Also to consider are groups who come from another country and have different views on the mental health system. For example, in administering the MBTI and Rorschach Inkblot test to Russian Jews challenges are faced because of their cultural belief. Russian Jews are highly suspicious of mental health professionals and find it difficult to believe that community health agencies do not have ties to the government (Dana, 200). As a result, they deny any mental health issues. The fear that exists with Russian Jews is because of the way they saw the Soviet Government force people to commit to a mental health institute (Dana, 2000). Consequently, self help books have been successful in reaching a mass audience because books have been published in various languages. Conclusion As you can see Personality Assessment Instruments have been very useful in helping to examine an individual’s personality for career choices, in team building and examining a disorder. However, specialist have has revealed their weaknesses and show that these instruments cannot be applied in any situation without further investigation. Each personality assessment instrument is unique with it’s own characters. In order to be able to better serve the mental health industry only a particular assessment can be used for a specific analysis.

College Campus Diversity and Student Development

College Campus Diversity and Student Development We should all be having a conversation about diversity. The subject has been important to me since I was a child, perhaps due to personal experience or simply because I find diversity fascinating and beneficial to our growth in this global society. College campus diversity and its effect on students social development is what I want to research for the purpose of this course. When asked to present an implicit theory related to the Higher Education field, cultural diversity was the first thing that came to mind. The United States is a racially and ethnically diverse country; most countries have international students on their campuses, however the vast majority of students are of the same ethnicity. Due to the diversity of the United States, student bodies across the countrys colleges and universities are made up of students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, which is why I started thinking how diverse campuses might have a positive effect on the students social development . Initially, the implicit theory I developed was Does a culturally diverse college campus help students become more well-rounded individuals? opinions will vary, that is the purpose of doing research, to understand what information is available on the topic and draw our conclusions; However, before the Naked Presentation we were not allowed to perform any type of research. Not researching the topic beforehand allowed my thinking to flow freely. I came into class with all the reasons why I think a culturally diverse college campus enhances students development. In my opinion, diverse college campuses increase self-awareness and expand our capacity for viewing issues in a different way. For most students, college is the first time they are living without their family and interacting with all kinds of people, which is essential for the understanding of my theory. Engaging in campus activities where diversity is promoted is opening doors to the world, the real world. While I do show my hand with this topic, there are many people who may differ from my idea of personal growth being enhanced by diversity, and this is something I want to explore as well. Does campus diversity prepare students for future career success? My initial question brought up more questions, this was one of them. As I mentioned before, we live in a global society, which means we have to interact with people from different backgrounds, not only in events that promote cultural diversity, but in our day to day lives. Todays workforce is rapidly growing more culturally diverse as more minorities and international students obtain their college degrees. College students graduate and enter the workforce with little to no experience, understanding how to interact with other adults, from any social or cultural background is a skill they want to develop while in college. Gaining the capacity of viewing issues from different perspectives, not just your own, will go a long way not only in their personal lives but also in their professional careers. These were the main ideas I had when I chose this topic and developed my theory. Once in class, I began to notice how my colleagues approached each others questions from different angles. The question I ended up with, once everyone shared their input, was Does a diverse college campus influence students development? and I am comfortable working with this question for my project. What do we view as development? And what aspect of development am I going to explore to further develop my theory? These were questions I asked myself when I sat down and expanded my implicit theory. I also considered whether the campus location made a difference in the students development, the effects of attending a campus located in a city might have, over attending college in a rural area. By going to college in a city, students are more prone to interact with people of all backgrounds; bigger cities, such as New York or San Francisco, tend to be more culturally diverse. Whereas, Students who attend college in a rural setting may not have as much, if any exposure to people of different backgrounds due to the makeup of the population. My theory is still a work in progress as I type this, every time I think of the topic, I come up with more questions and ideas relevant to the theory. However, my main focus will remain the same, campus diversity and its influence on students social development. My implicit theory will be evaluated from different perspectives because when we talk about diversity the subject should be studied from many angles, its the essence of diversity after all. Once I read the scholarly articles and papers written about the topic, I know I will have more information to think about my theory more critically, this will subsequently show me different sides of the spectrum.

Human Control Over Nature: The Computer Revolution and Medical Research :: Essays Papers

Human Control Over Nature: The Computer Revolution and Medical Research Throughout history, human beings have struggled to achieve control over nature. Now, in the twentieth century, with all of the scientific advances in computers and medicine, humans have come closer than ever to reaching this ultimate goal. However, along with the benefits of these new and rapidly increasing scientific advancements come moral, ethical and social issues that need to be given consideration. The Computer Revolution has not only vastly improved communication and produced amazing amounts of information, but has raised questions of human rights, privacy and social implications. While medical research has achieved medical benefits not even conceivable in the past, it has also raised major ethical and moral issues. Humans must consider all of these things when making decisions or judgments about human control over nature. Computer technology is advancing at rapid rates. More and more information is found and processed every day. According to Linowes, à ¬More information has been produced in the last thirty years than in the previous five thousand.à ®1 This information that is rapidly becoming available has produced many benefits to the human race. It has given humans more and more control over nature. It has been stated that à ¬the computer has opened up new dimensions in communication, architectural design, engineering, medical analysis, and even artistic expression.à ®2 People thousands of miles away can do more than simply talk over the phone, but see each other while talking on their computer screens. Architectural structures are planned three dimensionally on the computer. This is much faster and easier than using blueprints. Humans are even considering education through computers. Students would not have to leave the comfort of their own home to go to school. Linowes sta tes that à ¬instead of confining formal learning to the classroom, students would be taught wherever they might beÃâ€"by giving them access to centralized information networks.à ®3 This would open up new doors for schooling and revolutionize the education system. Tasks for almost every profession and area of interest are done faster, more efficiently, and with less effort on computers. New advancements make it possible to not only program computers to do what people tell them to, but to think for themselves.

Wuthering Heights-the Structure and Style Transcend the Time

Wuthering Heights —— The Structure and Style Transcend the Time Emily Bronte describes the principal human conflict as one between the individual and the dark, questioning universe, a universe symbolized, in Wuthering Heights, both by man’s threatening and inner nature, and by nature in its more impersonal sense, the wild lonesome mystery of the moors. The structure and narrative style of Wuthering Heights transcend her time. Emily didn’t follow the regular and secular romantic writing techniques at that time, in contrast, she surpassed and created some new skills which modern readers are apt to understand and love. In this article, you will find the following six aspects of the writing style, including the approach of the story’s center step by step with spiral circle, the end echoes the beginning, symbolism of the two generations, the love which makes the negative turn to be positive, the dark satanic hero, and the alternant emotion with contradiction throughout the whole story. Emily has written a novel which seeks to move ever closer to the center of a unique and remarkable human relationship, and the very structure of her book emphasizes this movement. In Chapter One, for example, readers are as far as possible from the heart of the story’s experience due to the innocent guesses of Lockwood (the narrator or diarist). However, later chapters move progressively closer to the heart of the story, and the beginning, with its subtle suggestions of an old tragedy and with Lockwood’s naive judgments of Heathcliff, will come to be prophetic. Therefore, the plot of Wuthering Heights is not sequential and linear, but described as a spiral circle compared with other coetaneous novels. That is to say, readers have been always following Lockwood to circle around the center of the story step by step, until the origin of the tragedy vividly comes in front of their eyes. In spite of the spiral circle, the end echoes the beginning, which is another exquisite narrative technique, capture readers’ hearts. The last chapter tells of Heathcliff’s slow disintegration and death. The death itself is preceded by a fasting, reminiscent of the fasting which precipitated Catherine’s final illness. Because Heathcliff is described as robust and healthy shortly before his sudden decline, we suppose that it is his overwhelming desire or will to die and to return to his beloved Catherine, the thought of which â€Å"lights his face with a strange joy†(Wuthering Heights 137) for days, that really kills him, and not the mere abstinence from food. The structure of the book achieves an almost perfect symmetry in the death of Heathcliff. And the end of the novel as at the beginning, the master spirit is staring out into a storm, searching for Catherine. Emily Bronte features similar destiny about the two generations, but different endings of them. She describes this kind of symbolism by giving the names Catherine and Linton. Both Catherine (Catherine Earnshaw and Catherine Linton) marries Linton (Edgar Linton and Linton Heathcliff), who they don’t love most. The mother Catherine dies before the book is half over, but her spirit continues to rage in the turbulent air of Wuthering Heights, haunting Heathcliff, and also returns, healthily subdued, in her daughter Cathy. The daughter finally gains happiness which stretches over two generations. And we may say that these two Catherine can be considered as one person who is also the heroine throughout the whole story. The other is about Linton. Linton Heathcliff, who is â€Å"a nervous, sickly, effeminate child, weak-willed and petulant like his mother, and, like her, the pitiful victim and tool of his father† (Wuthering Heights 112)inherits disadvantages from both sides of his parents——the peevishness and self-pity of the mother and the bad temper of the father. It is ironic but the symbolism is clear. Hate is barren. Contrast to hatred, the love in this novel is also particular. Heathcliff and Catherine suffer from the separation for many years even after the heroine’s death. Only death can bring them together because of those insurmountable social and conceptual gaps even though Catherine’s nature is â€Å"a nature that is one with Heathcliff’s† (Wuthering Heights 58). Heathcliff's whole life is an embodiment of the force of evil. Contemplating his history is like peering at a beloved film of a picture: everything that should be dark is fading and everything that should be light is covered with darkness. Heathcliff and Catherine love each other by inflicting pain on one another instead of permitting pleasure. They did not live together when they were alive; they could love together after they died. They sustained themselves not by eating but by refusing to eat. It is Emily Bronte’s triumph as novelist that as her book proceeds, the negative becomes positive. Even in the end, through the rumors, â€Å"Catherine and Heathcliff walk the moors at night and even appear within the house at Wuthering Heights. (Wuthering Heights 140) They finally get together after they died and the negative death turns to a positive and extricable ending. And about the typical hero of the novel, Heathcliff is one of the most attractive characters in the history. To answer the question why he is so popular, it should be attributed to the black description of this â€Å"dark Satanic† hero. â€Å"Heathcliff, of course, is frequently compared to a demon by the other characters in the book. † (Sparknotes: Literature Study Guides: Wuthering Heights: Analysis of Major Characters) At first glance he may seem entirely wicked, even a criminal. The vicious way in which he destroys Hindley and brutalizes Isabella suggests that he is a man for whom sympathy ought to be impossible. Yet Emily Bronte manages her dark hero a sympathetic figure. When he has gone so far as to drive Lockwood out into the storm alone, there comes one of the overwhelmingly lyric moments in the novel as Heathcliff leans far out of the window and implores the spirit of Catherine to come in. The depth of feeling, the compassion of which Heathcliff is plainly capable in this scene, forces us to reconsider our judgment of the man. Without question he is brutal, but just as plainly he has within him the potential for great tenderness and love. Obviously, this potential has been destroyed somewhere along the line, and those readers, their interest aroused in how this could have happened, read on. Besides the hero, Heathcliff, who we love to hate, the fluctuation of alternant emotion is also a point of contradiction throughout the novel — — violent but dreamlike, brutal but romantic, fanatical but gloomy, all of these consist of a piece of deserted wilderness with mysterious beauty. Readers easily feel lost into the anxiety and disturbance that Emily delivered to them, as well as the desire to explore the ins and outs of the whole story under an intangible force. And the last paragraph that Lockwood said to himself in the end of the novel gives readers a peaceful and harmonious aftertaste despite of all the thrilling revenge and love. â€Å"Under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth. The metaphor here is about the hard â€Å"heath†, which is a part of Heathcliff, comparing with soft wind, in order to leave hope for readers. The six aspects above can be divided into two parts: the structure and the characters which of both have been created surpassing the time of Emily Bronte. On one hand, the spiral circle and the correlation between the end and the beginning, is th e key to the structure of the novel. The book begins in 1801, on the very rim of the tale, long after the principal incidents of the story have taken place. Readers are far from the heart of the novel in the first pages, however, blundering along with the guide Lockwood later. Gradually we spiral in toward the center. But neither Lockwood nor Dean is unperceptive and we must struggle hard before we can actually achieve the true center of the novel, the passionate last meeting of Heathcliff and Cathy in which, for a moment, we are permitted to stare into the heart of the fiery furnace. On the other hand, about the most powerful character in the novel, the darkness and violence that was in Heathcliff from the beginning, is in every man. And because this darkness is so primal and so universal, it can never be overcome. It persists, implacable and unchangeable, a comment not just on one man’s special sorrow but on every man’s dark heritage. That is why a dark Satan is more attractive than a pure Angel in readers’ hearts. And Heathcliff is a powerful figure not only because he is rooted in the traditions of his own time, from which he draws strength, but also because he makes a universal statement about man’s nature, which continues to strike readers today as remarkably fresh and modern. Therefore, no matter the structure or the character that attracts lots of readers in history, the remarkable sense of the privacy of human experience, is clearly the central vision of Wuthering Heights and it is always being transcending the time. Works Cited Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights, Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2005 Gui Tuoqing, Selected Readings in English and American Literature, Beijing: China Foreign language Translation Press, 1985 Wuthering Heights, http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/wuthering/canalysis. html , , : ,1994 , , : ,2000

Implementing Change

Implementing Change Free Online Research Papers Change is very important for the future growth of a successful business. Leaders of organizations must analyze whether are not their organization will be able to change with the times, due to the organizational demands, society, and economic shifts. Former Chief Executive Officer of Gene One, the late Don Ruiz, was developing an effective plan to implement positive organizational change. Mr. Ruiz wanted to establish the company as a strong competitor. Therefore, Ruiz decided to go public by turning Gene one into an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 3 years. Due to Mr. Ruiz’s untimely death, the plan was never introduced or implemented throughout the organization. As one Of Don‘s siblings, my family and I have come up with a strategy so that Don’s dream could come a reality. The purpose of this body of work is to introduce strategies that may be used to bring effective change to the structure of leadership so Gene One can experience change successfully. A seven st ep proposal will be introduced so that change can be initiated. My family has illustrated our plan below in Table 1: Table 1: 7-Steps Used to Initiate the Change Strategy: The Present state or condition of Gene One The change strategy will discuss the current state or condition of Gene One as well as provide a brief synopsis of the company and the challenges it faces in the first step. Gene Created in 1996, Gene One, became the first biotech company of its kind to eliminate disease in tomatoes and potatoes through gene technology. Gene One’s development eradicated the use of pesticides that are used when growing these plants. In eight years Gene One grew to a $400 million dollar company. Recently, biotechnology has seen significant growth on Wall Street. Therefore Gene One, is considering beginning an IPO under the direction of the Board and Don Ruiz. Under the IPO Gene One is hoping the company will grown 40% annually. Ruiz wanted to initiate his plan in 3 years. Gene One must evaluate the structure of the leadership so that it may succeed as a public entity. An IPO must adhere to the requirements of the federal mandated Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOA). There must be one member of the board that has financial experience according to SOA. The board must be comprised of three committees: compensation, auditing and nominating. Gene One must also shift from equity to cash. The company currently lacks the leadership experience with IPO which calls for a need to hire someone with the necessary knowledge and experience. The company is currently not in compliance with the SOA requirements. Due to the untimely death of Don Ruiz, the company is without a Chief Executive Officer. As the plan is implemented it is also critical to consider those individuals resistance to change. All of the aforementioned factors beg for a change in leadership. Explanation of Gene One’s Proposed Process Change Step 2 of our plan will discuss the proposed process and organizational structure change that will be implemented throughout Gene One. The current contract of each board member will undergo a revision. The new contracts will indicate that the board’s compensation will transition to cash. The Executive Board will consists of 7 seven members. At least one of the members must be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), with IPO experience and a Certified Auditor with experience in the bio-technology industry. Additionally, the board will establish the auditing, compensation, and nomination committee. Each potential board member and member of the executive team will be subjected to a thorough nationwide educational, employment, credit, and criminal background check prior to acceptance of the position. In addition all individuals in a leadership role throughout the company will undergo intense IPO training. Moreover, the current leadership will began a nationwide search for chang e agents that may replace current leaders or add to the organization. The vision of Gene One will be broadened to include the IPO. Furthermore, the leadership team will develop new process that provide for more accountability and transparency throughout the company. Competencies of Gene One’s Leadership Gene One is grateful to the current leaders for their dedication and hard work that has brought the company to where it is today. However, it is imperative that the competencies of the leaders be addressed and evaluated in this change strategy. Due to the overwhelming successful leadership of one of Gene One’s founders, Michelle Houghton, it has been decided that Mrs. Houghton will be named acting Chief Executive Officer. Mrs. Houghton will bring to the executive team her task oriented leadership style and her proven success rate in securing funding from government and private investors. It is further decided that Charles Jones will no longer serve the organization in his current role as Marketing Officer. Mr. Jones succeeded in branding Gene One but failed to design and implement a marketing structure. It is imperative that Mr. Jones be transferred to a non-supervisory position whereas he can focus on branding Gene One as an IPO utilizing hisgreat ideas, smart risk takin g, and biotechnology connections. He will be replaced by a marketing officer with a proven track record of initiating a successful IPO marketing campaign. Teri Robertson will remain in her current role as Chief Technology Officer. She has effectively mastered her position and it is the nation’s leader in the industry. Greg Thoman, the current Chief Human Resources Officer, will remain in his position; however, his job description will be reevaluated. Mr. Thoman’s responsibility will focus on staffing, recruiting, and Employee relations issues. Because he lacks the necessary experience to provide cultural change, we will immediately begin the search for a change agent. The change agent’s responsibility will be to effectively carry out the change strategy, and to ensure that the attitudes and behavior of all personnel remain beneficial to the company’s success. After the plan is effectively implemented, the change agent will be responsible for continually evaluating the change and preparing for future cultural growth. Capacity for Change within Gene One Step 4 calls for a discussion of the capacity for change within Gene One. According to Judge Robbins (2007), â€Å"Initial Public Option usually means when a company issues common stock or shares to the public for the first time.† Therefore one can assume that Wall Street may begin to drive the way Gene One does business. This is a dramatic change for the organization and will require a positive message being sent throughout the organization that lessens the fears that an individual may feel that their creativity and research ability will become controlled by investors. For eight years, Gene One has been conducting business as usual with a good level of success. In order to go form good to great the capacity for change is essential to the future growth of Gene One. The key in this step is to remain positive and create positive messaging. There is a strong capacity for change however, the leadership team must be on the same page and elicit support/buy-in from stakeholders, cust omers and employees. Capacity for Leadership Structure Teri Robertson as CTO, is one of Gene One’s most influential leaders. Recently she has expressed her discontentment of the change. As acting CEO, Michelle and the current board must have a one on one discussion with Ms. Robertson whereas she is reassured that the new change will not affect her autonomy to offer research in additional areas of study. Furthermore, a plan must be devised to assure that Gene One remains innovative and continues to birth the leading trends of the industry. Furthermore the change agent along with the executive team must keep all of their internal and external relationships intact. Rumors must be dispelled as soon as they are discovered and it is that a phenomenal marking plan is implemented to proactively counter negativity. Resources Necessary to Implement Change There are multiple resources and/or tools needed to implement the change strategy at Gene One. In order to ensure success of the IPO formation, the leadership team must conduct ample research on the types of investors Gene One seeks and secure at least 2-3 investment firms or underwriters willing to make the initial offer. Additionally, a signed certified financial statement must be developed and submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and all SOA requirements must be met. In order to ensure success within the leadership structure, all leaders must receive IPO educational training along with literature explaining the process. Secure additional funding to introduce new products. A financial strategy must also be developed to maintain and stay within the budget restraints. In addition, new technologies will need to be ordered and a plan for marketing must be created. Temporary Goals The final step of this change strategy calls for setting temporary goals. The following goals must be completed within one year of this strategy: (1) Hire additional leadership personnel, (2) Create A New Business Model (3) Acquire capital needed for growth by identifying investors, (4) Provide a path to growing Profitability, (5) Significantly Improve Marketing structure, and (6) meet all state and federal mandates. Gene one is an extraordinary company. With the indispensable talents, leadership style, dedication, and knowledge base of its leadership team, our family is more than confident that the change strategy for the Initial public offering will be implemented successfully. Don Ruiz started this company with $2 million dollars and a dream, 8 years later it’s worth $400 million. This change strategy will allow for Gene One to increase its annual growth by 40%. As a team, let’s make it happen in the memory of Don Ruiz. References Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational behavior (12th ed.). Chapter 19: Organizational Change and Stress Management: Prentice Hall University of Phoenix. (2009). Gene One scenario. Retrieved March 25, 2010 from University of Phoenix, Week Five, LDR/531 Organizational Leadership Course, Class Materials web site. Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed.). Chapter 10: Leading Change in Organizations: Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Research Papers on Implementing ChangeAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaGenetic EngineeringThe Project Managment Office SystemUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

A Diploma is not a Degree

A Diploma is not a Degree A Diploma is not a Degree A Diploma is not a Degree By Maeve Maddox The word degree has many meanings, but in academic terms, it refers to a certification awarded at the university level. The B.A. degree (Bachelor of Arts), for example, is awarded upon completion of a four-year program of study requiring a specified minimum of credits. An M.A. degree (Master of Arts) requires two or more years of study beyond the B.A. and carries with it the passing of certain examinations and, usually, the completion of a thesis or other research project. The Ph.D. degree (Doctor of Philosophy) requires several more years of study, examinations, and research projects beyond the M.A. In addition to the degrees awarded by four-year institutions of higher learning, community colleges offer the Associate Degree upon completion of two years of study beyond high school. A diploma, on the other hand, is a document testifying to the completion of a course of study. Any graduate, whether of a university, a high school, or a six-week course in Spanish, will receive a diploma. High schools issue diplomas and certificates of attendance, but they do not award degrees. To describe a person as having a high school degree is an error of fact as well as one of diction. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Top 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases