Running head THE CEREBELLUM 1THE CEREBELLUM5The Cer.docx

Running head: THE CEREBELLUM
1
THE CEREBELLUM
5
The Cerebellum
Name
Institution
The Cerebellum
Functions of the Cerebellum
The cerebellum is also known as the “little brain” which is
found or located at the back of the brain. It underlies the
temporal and occipital lobes. Although this part of the brain
contains over fifty percent of the neurons held in the brain, it
only accounts for ten percent volume of the brain. The
cerebellum has been historically known as a motor structure;
however it does not initiate motor functions; rather it modifies
the commands given by the descending pathways. This helps to
make the movements’ to be more accurate and adaptive
(Knierim, 2014).
The cerebellum has the following functions.
a. The cerebellum plays an important function in making
adjustments to posture to ensure or maintain balance. It receives
input from proprioceptors and vestibular receptors and
modulates the commands to the motor neurons so as to
compensate for the changes upon muscles due to load and shifts
in the position of the body. What this does is to help maintain
posture and balance.
b. The cerebellum also plays a key role in coordinating
voluntary movements. Movements in the human body occur
when different muscle groups act together in a temporally

coordinated function. Amongst its main functions is to ensure
coordination in the force and timing of these muscle groups so
as to produce or have fluid body or limb movements’.
c. The cerebellum also plays a key role in motor learning, for
example, learning to swing a baseball bat to hit baseball. It fine
tunes and adapts motor programs to increase accuracy through a
process of trial and error.
d. Finally, the cerebellum also plays a key role in certain
aspects of cognitive functions like language. This means that
though well known for its motor functions; the cerebellum has
other functions that have not yet been exhaustively understood.
Disorders of the Cerebellum
Damage to the cerebellum is characterized by motor
disturbances. This is because the cerebellum plays a vital role in
motor coordination. Below is a number of disorders that affect
the cerebellum.
a. Cerebellar ataxia: - there are two forms of this disorder the
first is when a patient experiences disturbances in gait or
posture. The patient suffers from lesions in the
vestibulocerebellum that causes the patient to have abnormal
gait that may resemble an inebriated individual. The reason for
a patient having a wide gait is so that he can maintain balance
when he stands still. The second form of this disorder is when a
patient is unable to coordinate an activity and its timing of the
different muscle groups. Instead patients suffering from this
condition perform such activities in turn and are unable to do
the same together at once.
b. Dysdiadochokinesia: - the patient is unable to perform
movements’ alternately such as supinating and pronating the
forearms and hands. For example turning the palms of both
hands together. A Patient suffering from this disorder will be
able to turn each palm individually and not together in
coordination.
c. Dysmetria: - this refers to when a patient is unable to gauge

the force and distance of objects. For example, when reaching
out for a cup a patient with this condition may knock it over as
he is unable to gauge correctly the correct force to use.
d. Hypotonia: - this is when a patient has decreased muscular
resistance that causes the limbs of the patient to swing back and
forth after the original reflex contraction.
e. Scanning speech: - this is when a patient has disjointed, and
slow speech as the patient with this condition has difficulty
coordinating the tongue, jaw, and larynx muscles. As the
cerebellum that coordinates motor functions assists this group
of muscles to work together.
f. Delay or lapse in initiating movements: - cerebellar patients
find it challenging to initiate movements that are effortless to
normal individuals.
g. Nystagmus: - this is when a patient’s eyes continuously
oscillate due to damage of the vestibulocerebellum. The
cerebellum fine tunes the vestibulocochlear response and
damage to it leads to this condition.
h. Intention tremor: - this is when a patient suffers from an
oscillatory movement. For example, when trying to press a
button the hand may oscillate as it nears the button (Fredericks
& Saladin, 1996)..
The reason for my interest in the cerebellum is because despite
its small size in terms of volume in the brain it contains a large
percentage of neurons.
References
Knierim, J. (2014). Overview: Functions of the Cerebellum.
Retrieved from
http://neuroscience.uth.tmc.edu/s3/chapter05.html
Fredericks, M, C., & Saladin K, L. (1996). Pathophysiology of
the Motor Systems: Principles and Clinical Presentations.
Disorders of the Cerebellum and Its Connections. FA Davis.

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Surname 6
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Effects of the Civil War in Virginia 1861 – 1880
The civil war began when eleven of the southern states felt that
they needed to form the confederate states. After the elections
held in November 1860 these states seceded as the winner of
that particular election was Abraham Lincoln.
The reason for this was the president elect Mr. Lincoln was a
well-known abolitionist of slavery.
Virginia was among these states that had seceded, and in 1861,
the civil war broke out after the bombing of Fort Sumter. The
reason Virginia chose to secede was because although it was an
industrialized state. It had more slaves than any other state in
the year 1860. However, most of its slave population was for
trade and not labor. That is the state of Virginia would act as a
source for slaves for the other southern states.
Slavery had, therefore, become part and parcel of the state's
industry and thus the decision to join the confederate states got
based on the economic dependency of the state of Virginia on
slavery.
There were was no resistance from the democrats to the
secession of Virginia as the public opinion at the time was
overwhelmingly in favor for the confederacy. It is important to

note that none of the parties the confederates and the union
soldiers thought that the civil war would last as long as it did.
This was to lead to some disastrous results for both parties.
The opposing sides did not have sufficiently trained soldiers;
however the state of Virginia provided the largest number of
confederate soldiers as explained by Davis and Robertson (241).
The war was very expensive for the state of Virginia firstly they
were not able to regularly pay their confederate soldiers their
monthly salary of eleven dollars. The defeat of the confederates
was a devastating blow to the economy of the state of Virginia.
In the year 1867the, freedmen policies of President Andrew
Johnson that had been considered lenient were brushed aside by
congress.
Congress then passed on a new legislation for the former
confederate states that saw them designated as military districts.
This meant that the state of Virginia came under military rule
and got commanded by Major General John M. Schofield. Under
the new military government, African American males were
eligible to vote, and they took part in the ballot held on the
22nd of October 1867.
The state of Virginia had not developed as much as its northern
counterparts. The reason for this is because the northern states
had been able to diversify their industries. They could buy the
raw materials and make the finished products as explained by
Richter (122).
This was not the case for the southern states. They mostly
produced agricultural products that were dependent on manual
labor that prior to the civil war had been widely available. The
emancipation of the slaves after the war left the state of
Virginia in dire economic straits, because of an over-reliance on

slavery. The state faced a number of challenges such as soil
exhaustion, impeded industries, technological challenges and
high debts.
One of the main reasons why the confederate states lost the war
was because of the advanced industrialization that had already
taken over in the north. While states like Virginia were solely
reliant on slave labor and a few rail lines. The northern states
were using the rebellion by the southern states to help fuel their
industrialization as Wallenstein and Brown explain (155).
The other factor to note is that with the emancipation of the
slaves. The now freedmen refused to work for their former
masters and instead started small-scale subsistence farming.
This disrupted the labor force of Virginia plantation farmers,
coupled with the falling prices of cotton at the time many
farmers lost a lot of their wealth.
The state of Virginia was considered wealthy prior to the war.
This was not the case as after the war their wealth that got
based on assets such as slaves and land could not reach the
levels of production that they once had.
With the loss of the war also left the state of Virginia in another
financial challenge as the confederate bonds that were being
used within the confederate states during the war were not
recognized as legal tender.
Virginia also lost out on the influx of new labor in the form of
immigrants as they preferred to stay within the Free states. This
was a major disadvantage as the growth in population in the
north led to urbanization. This led to the formation of industries
that provided good, products and employment for this
population
Another disadvantage that the state of Virginia faced, was the

fact that, many of the battles held during the civil war were held
in its borders.
One of the reasons for this was because the capital of the
confederate states Richmond was in Virginia. The effect of
having the battles held in the state are that while the northern
states were busy forming industries to supply ammunition,
clothes, and guns to the union soldiers.
The same opportunity was not afforded to the state of Virginia,
which was always on the back foot trying to defend its capital
from the union soldiers as stated by Salmon (15).The state of
Virginia had also lost a lot of its manpower during the war. A
large number of confederate soldiers got killed during the war.
These men would have proved be a vital source of labor after
the war that the state of Virginia needed.
The banks in Virginia had also been closed as the currency that
was used by the confederate states was not recognized by the
union states. The war had also destroyed the infrastructure
within the state of Virginia. The railroads, crops, bridges, and
plantations had been destroyed.
The union assisted the state of Virginia with the freedmen's
bureau. It was a way to resettle the former soldiers of the
confederation and the freed slaves. It offered them land from
which they could earn a living. It also offered basics such as
food, built schools and medical care for the freedmen as
Cimbala and Miller explain (96).
The state of Virginia chose the sharecropping mode of
cultivation where the freed slaves worked on a piece of land and
shared the produce of the crops with the land owners. The
changes of the laws with the passing of the "Jim Crow" laws in
Virginia saw the reemergence of segregation. During the
military rule in the state all men no matter what race could vote.

Virginia did not wallow in the financial difficulties it was
facing instead it expanded its railroad network. The state had
learnt from the north that in order to be effective you need to
have a reliable transport network to be able to expand business,
industry and agriculture.
The railroad centers acted as a stimulus for the formation of
factories that produced furniture and clothes. The former
confederate capital Richmond now became a hub of activity as
the rail networks opened up the rest of the state. Other towns to
have the same effect were Norfolk, Roanoke, and Newport
News.
The towns of Lynchburg, Alexandria, and Pittsburgh also
experienced growth due to the railroad network. The discovery
of coal in the state of Virginia also helped the state to recover
and diversify from over-reliance on agricultural produce.
This was especially true for the residents who lived in the South
West of Virginia. The tobacco industry also made a major
rebound during reconstruction and was among the top
performing industries during this period.
The republican leaders in Virginia passed laws that precluded
other races as voting tests were given to African American and
Native Americans at the polling booths. The tests were biased
as they were structured in such a way that it was almost
impossible for one to get the answer correctly.
It is important to note that the financiers of the rail network
came from the north, and they were responsible for ensuring
that the coal that was in the south-west of Virginia was able to
reach its markets. The use of the improved rail network played a
significant role in the economic recovery of the state of
Virginia.

Works Cited
Cimbala, Paul and Miller, Randall. The Freedmen's Bureau and
Reconstruction: Reconsiderations. New York: Fordham
University Press, 1999. Print.
Davis, William and Robertson, James. Virginia at War, 1861.
Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky 2005. Print.
Richter, William. The A to Z of the Civil War and
Reconstruction. Maryland: The Rowman and Littlefield
Publishing Group, 2004. Print.
Salmon, John. The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield
Guide. Pittsburgh: Stack Pole Books, 2001. Print.
Wallenstein, Peter and Brown, Wyatt. Virginia's Civil War.
Charlottesville: university of Virginia press 2005. Print.
Running head: HARLEY DAVIDSON BUSINESS ANALYSIS
1
HARLEY DAVIDSON BUSINESS ANALYSIS
2
Harley Davidson Business Analysis
Name
Institution
Harley Davidson Business Analysis
Part I: Differentiation Strategies
Harley-Davidson has seven different main brands of
motorcycles in 2014. We will take a closer look below at the
brands target market. Their similarities and the possibilities that

they can be merged to make a better product.
The first are Sportster brand of motorcycles; there are six
different types of bikes under this brand. Super Low, Iron 88,
1200 Custom Super Low, 1200T Forty-Eight and Seventy-Two.
The Sportster motorcycles have been introduced into the market
as beginner bikes. The bikes target market is mainly less
experienced riders and women as it is a lighter bike than the
other models. They are cost effective as they cost from $8249
upwards. It has been introduced in the emerging market of India
with some success (Thakar, 2012).
The second are the Dyna brand of motorcycles; there are five
different types of bikes under this brand. They are the street
bob,Low Rider, Wide Glide, Fat Bob, and the Switchback. The
target market for the bikes is for the more experienced biker.
This brand of bikes is also being introduced in new markets
such as India.
The third are the Softail brand of motorcycles; there are six
different types of bikes under this brand. They are Fat Boy, Fat
Boy Lo, Softail, Deluxe, Heritage Softail Classic, Softail Slim,
and the Breakout. The target market for the bike is the riders
between the ages of 30-45 years of age (Carpenter, 2012).
The fourth are the V-rod brand of motorcycles; there are two
different types of bikes under this brand. They are Night Rod
Special and the V-Rod's Muscle. They are designed to appeal to
the younger male riders who want a bike with a bit more power
than the traditional Harley (Rider plus, 2011).
The fifth are the touring brand of motorcycles; there are five
different types of bikes under this brand. They are the Road
King, Street Glide, Street Glide Special, Electra Glide, Ultra
Classic, and the Ultra Limited. This model of bikes targets the
long range bikers who like to travel for long trips using their
bikes (Crowe, 2006).
The sixth are the Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) brand of
motorcycles; there are four different types of bikes under this
brand. They are the CVO Road King, CVO Breakout, CVO
Softail Deluxe, and the CVO Limited. This brand of bikes

targets the enthusiast Harley-Davidson customer. They are a
limited edition of the factory built models from the brands
above that come with unique custom parts, upgrades or paint
jobs not available in the regular models.
The seventh brand is the Trike, which targets the traditional
bike enthusiasts who might be getting on in age. It also targets
foreign markets such as Japan where the Trike is considered a
vehicle not a motorcycle thus one can buy it and have
something unique (Hyuga and Mukai, 2014).
From the information above the Dyna brand of bikes and the
Softail bikes are similar, the major difference between is the
performance between the two. The Softail bikes are from the
more powerful and thus a bit pricier. The Harley Davidson name
alone is a unique selling point due to its long history of over
100years. The company needs to work on its V-Rod brand
though they are powerful for a Harley. When compared to its
compatriots in Honda or Kawasaki, they need to work on
making them meet the competition in terms of speed and torque.
Another advantage of the Harley brand is that you can upgrade
an older model, by buying a newer version of parts to make it
more powerful. Something is not easy to do with other brands.
The brand name helps as the Harley bikes maintain their resale
value better than their compatriots. For example, when one
mentions Honda one can think of an outboard machine for a
boat, but the Harley brand name is easily recognizable because
they have specialized in the motorcycle industry.
Part II: SWOT Analysis for Harley Davidson
Strengths
It provides financial services for its potential customers who
want to make purchases. This is a good marketing tool. It
dominates the luxury heavyweight motorcycle industry within
the United States. Its brand name gives it an edge over the
competition as it has a long history with the public over
100years. It provides the spare parts for its motorcycles
ensuring the quality are good. It has maintained a good

relationship with its suppliers ensuring that the quality of the
workmanship is good while still being relevant in terms of
price.
It has formed a club for owners of its motorbike owners which
is a strong marketing gimmick as once one joins after buying
they will easily repurchase from Harley again. It also
participates in the motorcycle shows and sponsors such events.
The management ensures that they have a long lasting
relationship with the employee that makes the workmanship
keep getting better. The company also takes part in corporate
social responsibility it supports the breast cancer network of
strength and the muscular dystrophy association. This is good
for the brand and also for marketing. It also helps customers to
customize their motorcycles. They can build on customer
loyalty by ensuring that they provide the best quality luxury
heavy motorcycles in the USA.
Weaknesses
Their products are quite pricey compared to the competition as
the cheapest motorbike is about eight thousand dollars. In
October 2013, it recalled some of its bikes due to some issue
with the clutch system. This could dent their image for quality
though Harley Davidson management voluntarily did the recall.
Majority of the company’s sales are from the USA although it
has been making inroad in countries such as Japan, India and
China. It needs to get a better marketing strategy for it to
increase its market share in these foreign markets. The company
is unable fully to analyze the need for the heavy bikes in the
future; this may result in underproduction. The company also
has a low credit rating.
Opportunities
They have seen increased demand for their motorbikes
especially in emerging markets such as India. They have
introduced the Sportster brand of Harleys that is targeted at
nontraditional Harley Davidson customers such as minorities

and women. If they can capture this market, they can be able to
diversify which is always good.
They have a strong brand name that they can use to penetrate
the international market easily. Environmental laws on
emissions are advantageous to the company as compared to
vehicle or automobile motorbikes emit less carbon. The
international market for heavyweight motorbikes is growing this
is an opportunity for the company to take advantage and
aggressively tap into this market. It needs to invest in its
research and development department more to do this well.
Threats
The first threat to the company is the new emission standards
set for two-wheeler’s which may cause the cost of production to
go up. The company faces stiff competition from its rivals such
as Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki. The company depends on a
single supplier for certain raw materials this may be detrimental
to the company if the supplier is unable to fulfill his obligations
(Global data, 2013).
Part III: Growth and Profitability Strategies
In my opinion, the company can make the following changes in
its strategy in the international market
My first suggestion would be to boost the research and
development team which has been doing a good job in the USA
market. The company should also use the R&D team to focus on
the international markets specifically. For example, the best
motorbike brand I think that would do well in emerging markets
such as India would be a cross between the Dyna and Sportster.
The bike would be powerful yet cost-effective so that it can
appeal to more consumers in the country.
The second suggestion is to replicate the marketing strategy
currently in the USA of having a Harleys owners Group (HOG)
club. This will increase the interaction between the company
and these new customers. The advantage of this is it also
encourages loyalty to the brand as any queries or suggestions

can be dealt with at club meetings. This meeting could be first
held with the help of local dealers who can provide feedback to
the company for implementation.
The third suggestion would be holding bike shows and events in
the European markets specifically to attract more customers.
The intention of this is to create awareness of the availability of
the Harley Davidson motorbikes outside of the USA. It will also
act as a way to advertise the motorbike.
References
Carpenter, S. (2012). Harley-Davidson unveils Seventy-Two
and Softail Slim motorcycles. Retrieved from
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/02/business/la-fi-harley-
new-models-20120202
Crowe, P. (2006 ). Harley Davidson and Changing
Demographics. Retrieved from http://thekneeslider.com/harley-
davidson-and-changing-demographics/
GlobalData. (2013). Harley-Davidson, Inc. - Financial and
Strategic Analysis Review. Retrieved from
http://callisto.ggsrv.com/imgsrv/Fetch?banner=4d609cd7&diges
t=27b6b6d33026b58ef227e0025dda7d42&contentSet=SWOT&re
cordID=47405_GDAUT29887FSA
Huga, T & Mukai, A. (2014). Harley-Davidson Targets Car
Drivers With Trikes in Japan Push. Retrieved
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-27/harley-davidson-
targets-car-drivers-with-trikes-in-japan-push.html
Ketan, T. (2012). Harley Davidson targets ten-fold jump in
India sales by 2016. Retrieved from
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-
11/news/31669270_1_harley-davidson-india-anoop-prakash-
harley-davidson-motor
riders plus. (2010). Ten Years of the Harley Davidson V-Rod.
Retrieved from
http://www.ridersplus.com/articles/bike_reviews/Ten_Years_of_
the_harley_Davidson_V_Rod_printer.php

Running head: CHALLENGES FACED BY GM, FORD, AND
CHRYSLER
1
CHALLENGES FACED BY GM, FORD, AND CHRYSLER
2
Challenges Faced by GM, Ford and Chrysler
Name
Institution
What kind of planning and strategic errors led to the downfall
of the big three Detroit carmakers?
There are various factors that led to the downfall of the big
three carmakers, in Detroit the first was the companies in a bid
to capture new markets, invested in, either introducing new
vehicle models, or re launching previously successful models,
this was met with resistance in the market firstly because of the
economic crises, and buyers were cautious on how they spent
their hard earned money, also the carmakers scrimped on the
quality of the cars this made the value of the products that they
were offering to be devalued. They also had a huge wage bill
and union contracts which was reflective of earlier financial
times in the companies, which was not the case at the time. This
meant that it was more expensive, for the big three to maintain a
worker in their manufacturing plants than it was for the
Japanese automakers, an example of this was while GM spent
seventy eight dollars an hour per worker, the Japanese
competitors spent fifty dollars, this reflected on the pricing as,
the savings were passed on to the customers of the Japanese
carmakers.
The big three had also embarked on a rebate policy, and
offering discounts to their customers after 9/11 although this
helped ramp up sales in the short term it had two adverse effects
on the companies, firstly the re sale value of the vehicles was
decreased as the customers who bought the vehicles brand new

had a hard time selling them , and possibly buying a newer
version of the model they had, and secondly customers formed
a habit of waiting until the vehicle they wanted to buy was
cheaper. Though the sales were increased in the short term,
another adverse effect of this policy was, that future sales were
being affected in that once the rebate policy, and discounts
ceased the sales numbers would drop. Another factor was with
an ageing workforce the pension, and health costs to the two
companies increased this affected the company’s finances.
What new corporate business and functional level strategies did
the big three adopt to help them better compete in the car
market?
How successful have they been?
The big three have each had its own unique way of adopting, so
that they could better compete, for example GM went through a
corporate restructuring that saw the CEO fired, and a number of
idle plants shut down, Ford on the other hand aggressively
borrowed from the capital markets, and was able to avoid filing
for bankruptcy, it was also able to streamline its production
lines so that different brands were manufactured from the same
platforms this assisted the company to be able to take advantage
of its global spanning reach, its size, and this has helped it to
reduce redundancies as it was able to reduce on its costs in
design, research, and marketing.
The big three have also been able to renegotiate their
employment contracts, with their employees, which has reduced
their labor costs overall, they have also been able to, build
quality cars that has offered value for money to their customers,
this has enabled them to increase their sales volumes, another
strategy that has been implemented is the penetration of the
small, and midsize car market, known for their quality, the big
three have been able to win the customers confidence, and have
been able to enter this car market segment, that had previously
been left to their competitors this led to increased sales for

them. An example of this is the ford focus compact which was
the highest selling car worldwide.
They have also reduced on discounts and rebates which means
more income, from sales now than was the case previously,
when they expected to re coupe the difference in future sales,
when a client traded up. GM is also revamping its fleet with
intentions of increasing its market share. Overall in terms of
quality, and sales the big three are neck to neck with their
competitors, which shows with further innovation from them,
while still maintaining quality, they should be able to gain a
leading advantage in the American car market.
What kind of new competition challenges are the big three
facing today? How are they faring against global competitors?
Currently Ford is offering incentives to its Pickup truck
customers, which has led to an increase in its sales overall, on
the share market both Ford, and GM have registered growth,
with a twenty five percent increase for GM shares, and a
seventeen percent increase for Ford shares. Sales in the month
of January 2014 indicated stiff competition for the big three
with only GM showing up in the top three, however this does
not mean that they are to be written off as all the big three are
in the top eight selling cars for this month.
This is an indication that the strategy, and structural changes
implemented by them will eventually assist them to gain further
dominance in the car market, Chrysler has also implemented a
new strategy where they have merged with Fiat, and this should
enable the company to emerge stronger as it benefits from
economies of scale.
Among the three Ford leads the pack followed by GM , then
Chrysler. GM is also following in Fords example in that it has
plans to unify, and simplify its design, and engineering process
which should assist it to use the funds saved, from this in new
in car technology, and features in its cars. A challenge that all
three automakers face is in the year 2015, as they will have to
renegotiate with the united auto workers union, which means
that they may lose gains made in their last negotiations, and not

be able to bring down their expenditure, so as to be able to level
the playing field, with their Japanese competitors.
Running head: BUSINESS LAW QUESTIONS
1
BUSINESS LAW QUESTIONS
2
Business Law Questions
Name
Institution
Business Law Questions
A. Briefly describe the steps involved in the litigation process
There are four basic stages in the litigation process. The first is
the pleading stage; this is where in a civil case the plaintiff files
a complaint against the defendant stating the injustice caused by
the defendant. Summons are then issued to the defendant. The
defendant can then file a motion to dismiss in answer to the
plaintiff's summons. A motion for judgment is the next stage the
parties can then decide to arbitrate the case or proceed to the
trial. The second stage is the Pre-trial stage this is where
interegation questions are asked by the plaintiff’s attorney or
lawyer to the defense lawyer. Witness testimonies are then
recorded this is called deposition or deposing witnesses. Both of
these stages are known as discovery. The court then decides at
this stage whether to continue to trial or advise the parties to
arbitrate this is known as the motion for summary judgment.
Once the court substantiates that there is enough evidence a
pretrial order is given notifying the parties of the trial schedule.
The third stage is a trial where the jury is selected. The plaintiff
then defense testimonies are presented. The judge then directs

the jury who then come up with a verdict. The judge then gives
judgment based on the verdict by the jury. The final stage is the
Post trial stage where appeals can be lodged by either the
plaintiff or defense if they are not satisfied with the outcome
(Carlton, 2012).
B. Briefly describe the four elements of an enforceable contract
The first element is the offer; the second element is an
acceptance of the offer. The third is intention of legal
consequences that means both parties are aware of the legal
consequences of their agreement. The final element is
consideration; this means that the parties agree to do something
for the benefit of the other. For example; supplying goods to
receive payment (Small business, 2014).
C. Briefly describe two advantages and two disadvantages of
running a business as a sole proprietorship.
The owner of a sole proprietorship can make decisions quickly
as he is the one who runs the business. The second advantage is
there are few legal costs or requirements to start a sole
proprietorship. The first disadvantage is the sole proprietor can
be held personally liable for debts incurred by the business. The
second disadvantage is it is challenging to get financial backing
in sole proprietorships than it is for a company (New York
Times, 2007).
D. Briefly describe two benefits of well-worded contracts.
The first benefit is that it avoids ambiguity. That is each party
is clear of their duties and or obligations in the terms of the
contract. The second benefit is in case of disagreement that
leads to litigation; a well-worded contract can be used as a
defense (labor, 2014).
References
Carlton. (2012). The Trial Process. Retrieved from
http://serc.carleton.edu/woburn/issues/trial_process
Small business. (2014). Four Essential Elements of a Contract.
Retrieved from http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/four-
essential-elements-of-a-contract/
New York Times. (2007). Advantages and Disadvantages of

Sole Proprietorships. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/allbusiness/AB4113314_primary.html
Labor. (2014) Written contracts. Retrieved from
http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/WrittenContract.pdf
Running head: STRATEGIC PLAN FOR BMW
1
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR BMW
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Strategic Plan for BMW
Name
Institution
Strategic Plan for BMW
Introduction
Strategic planning is a management activity carried out in an
organization so as to focus resources and energy, to ensure that
the organizations stakeholders and employees work towards the
goals set by the organization. It also helps an organization to
assess results and align the organization to changes within the
market (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2014).A strategic plan is,
therefore, a document that effectively communicates the
organizations goals. It highlights the actions that are required to
achieve these goals and all other elements that are required so
as to achieve the set goals.
Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) is a German auto company that
began manufacturing cars in 1928. The first car produced by the
company was the Astin seven in 1929. It has been amongst the
leading auto car makers with technological advancements in the
auto industry since the early 60’s. It has been ranked eleventh
of the world’s most valuable brands by the Forbes magazine in
2014 (Forbes, 2014).
Body

There are a number of research methods that one can use in
strategic planning. The best model for the BMW group would be
the alignment model. This model is used to enhance or fine
tune an organizations strategy. The BMW group is a well-known
brand, and the alignment model would enhance the use of the
organizations resources coupled with the organization’s mission
so as to get the best possible results. The first stage in this
model for the BMW group would be to outline the resources
programs and areas that need support. For the BMW group, we
would need to work on a few factors. The first would be a high-
cost structure of the company. BMW mostly hires auto workers
in Germany and the United States. The reason for this is to
ensure that they get the most qualified skilled auto workers in
the market. Hiring skilled workers is a good objective for the
organization as it ensures that quality products are produced by
the organization. For BMW, the company should look for ways
of maintaining the quality standards that it is known for whilst
working towards ways that can assist it to reduce the cost of
production as this are high. This is partly due to the operational
costs which include the company’s wage bill. The cost of the
parts used in the production can also be reduced with
advancements in technology (Behrmann, 2014). The first step
shows how the company can improve its internal environment.
The source of such information would be financial journals.
The second step in the alignment model is identifying the areas
that need to be adjusted to enhance achieving the organization’s
goals. For BMW, the area that should be considered is the
diversification of the brand portfolio. The company primarily
manufactures premium automobiles and is prone to face
challenges in a market that is facing financial recession. For
example during the recent financial recession the company had
a drop in its sales as its automobiles are targeting the high-end
market.
The third step is to find ways to implement the recommended

adjustments. If the company manufactures more cost effective
brands or partners with a reputable firm to produce these
automobiles, it could shield itself from such events in the
market. The second and third steps examine the external
environment the company is facing. The best source of such
information would be from the financial returns filed by the
company as they include such information. The finals step is to
include the adjustments recommended in the strategic plan for
the company.
Conclusion
The company’s mission statement is “One Premium Success
from Three Distinct Visions” this means it produces premium
vehicles that offer a premium experience and at a premium
price. This model has worked well for the company so far. A
closer look at the company below will show us the areas that the
company can improve.
BMW has a number of strengths this include its strong brand
identity, excellent customer service which assists retain and win
over customers. The company also has strong leadership that
has helped it maintain its lead in the market. The company’s
weaknesses are; the high cost of production and operations. The
company has a weak portfolio in that it has not diversified its
products it currently only manufactures three brands. The
company’s major threats in the market are increasing costs in
sourcing raw materials and the negative effects from exchange
rate fluctuations. The opportunities for the company are its
expansion to electro-mobility with the manufacturing of the i3
and its increasing presence in China one of the emerging
markets.
References
Balanced Scorecard Institute (2014). What is Strategic
Planning?. Retrieved from
http://balancedscorecard.org/Resources/Strategic-Planning-
Basics

Forbes (2014). BMW Group. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/companies/bmw-group/
Behrmann, E. (2014). BMW-Backed Researchers Closing In on
Cheaper Carbon Fiber. Retrieved from
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-09/bmw-backed-
researchers-closing-in-on-cheaper-carbon-fiber.html

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