Strategic Diversity Plan For The U.S. Department Of...

Strategic Diversity Plan For The U.s. Department Of...
The target of this paper is to explore the strategic diversity plan of the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs ' (VA) with an end goal of supporting its efficacy. Accordingly, this paper organizes this
exploration into three correlating sections, the first of which presents an overview of the Office of
Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) within the VA. In addition, this area summarizes the VA diversity
plan, created by the ODI. Next, the second exploration section outlines specific focus areas as
defined in the Standard University Publication Best Practices for Managing Organizational Diversity
(2007). The third and final segment offers a concluding synopsis of this analysis and proposes
remedies for the gaps. In conjunction, this paper includes appendices which serve as informative
supplements with relevant exhibits of the documents used in this research. First, appendix "A"
contains the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan FY 2012 – 2016, Diversity and Inclusion
Strategic Quarterly Progress and Accomplishment Report Template – FY 2012, Diversity and
Inclusion Annual Report – FY 2014, and the VA Strategic Plan FY 2014 – 2020. Second, appendix
"B" includes the mission, vision, values and goals of the ODI, as well as an illustration of their
organizational chart. Third, appendix "C" provides the Pew Research Center graphical data on the
United States population. Fourth, appendix "D" consists of the veteran population graphical data
from the National Center for Veterans
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Indochina War: The Intangible Factors And Instruments Of...
Strategy is difficult and complex by its very nature, its nature is constant but its character is evolving
due to changes in technology, society and political ideas. Strategy can be dynamic or static,
depending upon the stability of the means or ends, it may change if new means become available or
if different ends appear to be preferable. Strategist understanding of the tangible and intangible
factors and instruments of national power in addition to the interplay relation and weighing them
collectively is a key to formulate and execute strategy. In this paper, I will explain these factors, how
they are interconnected and how strategists should weigh them in formulating and executing
strategy along with a practical example the Indochina war in 1946.
There is a wide variety of factors that influence the formulation and the execution and later the
outcomes of strategies. The strategist must weigh those factors and understand the strategic choices
that faces the decision makers. Some of these factors are tangible like geography and instrument of
national power (diplomacy, military, economy, and information) because they have a definite,
objective existence. Others like culture, ideology and history are intangible. The interplay of these
factors in a given polity will predominate the way strategy is formulated and executed.
Despite that the modern technology have removed some difficulties in projecting power, geography
still exercise enormous influence on the strategic

Cost Estimation And Cost Analysis
Cost estimation challenges can be well addressed through adopting the following set of strategic
approach. The key steps undertaken during the given process drives right cost estimation and those
actions are as follows:
 Documenting assumptions and best estimations: the assumptions can be documented in advance
and ensuring that best estimations is done using the right technique. There are various methods of
effort estimation and cost analysis however the right one should be selected on basis project
complexity and requirement. The documentation of assumptions can also help define clear scope for
the project that need to be achieved.
 Activity quantification: all process steps and their related activities need to be quantified in
advance. The quantification to be done primarily on basis of human recourse requirement, technical
requirements, and effort needed to manage project complexity and other key factors.
 Detailing out cost factors: the major cost factors for the project like labour and non–labour
elements need to be analysed in advance. The deliverable against each cost factors should be
determined while aligning other key costs like overheads, inflation should be done accordingly.
 Setting up logic between cost and activities: the logical process between the cost factors and
related activities need to be established so that right rationalizes to do cost estimation correctly.
3.2.10. Conclusive findings to manage cost worries
The key findings out of complete

Corporate Identity
Corporate identity – the management of the process of change in the name/logo in the context of
brands' merger Joana César Machado Paulo de Lencastre Pedro Dionísio Universidade Católica
Portuguesa E–mail: jcmachado@porto.ucp.pt E–mail: plencastre@porto.ucp.pt Instituto Superior de
Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa E–mail: pedro.dionisio@imr.pt Abstract The creation of strong
corporate identity, including identity signs, is crucial for companies to encourage positive attitudes
in its different target publics (Dowling, 1993; Van Riel & Balmer, 1997), and may provide an
important competitive advantage (Simões, Dibb & Fisk, 2005). The corporate name and logo are
two essential components of the corporate identity construct, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore, in low involvement situations, the affect attached to the identity signs may be one of
the few elements that differentiates the offer (Hoyer e Brown, 1990; Leong, 1993). Previous
research suggests consumers' evaluation of the organization's logo directly influences their
evaluation of the organization (Schechter, 1993; Stafford et al., 2004). The probability of affect
transfer depends on its nature (positive or negative), on the intensity of affective reactions and on the
way signs are associated to products and organisations. Several authors refer that the name and logo
should evoke the same intended set of associations, and communicate one clear message (Durgee
and Stuart, 1987; Keller 1993; Kopp et al., 1990; Vartorella, 1990). Semiotics literature suggests that
this meaning can be obtained through the analysis of the nuclear or consensual meaning evoked by
the logo (Perrussia, 1988). Previous research shows that identity signs which elicit a shared set of
associations are better liked, transfer more positive affect to the organisation, and are better
recognized than signs with an ambiguous meaning (Henderson and Cote, 1998; Schecter, 1993).
Finally, the less ambiguous the organization's identity signs, the more likely its intended positioning
will be shared across a

Feasibility Study on Setting Up an Environmental Laboratory
FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
STOOK ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMPANY
BY
KAYODE, STEPHEN OLUWATOBI
166277
A SEMINAR SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF
IBADAN, IBADAN
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF
SCIENCE (ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY AND POLLUTION CONTROL)
M.Sc. (ECPC)
JANUARY, 2013
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As globalization continues and the earth's natural processes transform local problems into
international issues, few societies are being left untouched by major environmental problems like
flooding, global warming, strange death of humans and animals, loss of biodiversity among others.
This outcome of the global environmental disasters have produces a bloodstone to the ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
To meet out these requirements, an environmental services company with a competent laboratory
having all the necessary instruments, equipment, expertise, capabilities and relevant technical
know–how and personnel is essential. 2.1 Relevance of a Laboratory in an Environmental Services
Company 1. For environmental monitoring program or single sampling event project. 2. For the
assessment of the status of the environment comprising both abiotic (soil, water and air) and biotic
(flora, fauna and human being) components. 3. For processing samples taken from the
environmental media (air, water, soil, and biota) both from the environment as well as from sources
disposing into the environment (industries, domestic and agriculture sources, automobiles etc.). 4.
The laboratories are the essential corner stones of any effective pollution control programme. 5. It
provides qualitative as well as quantitative data for good decision making purpose. 6. For generating
valuable data with a desired accuracy and to quantify concentration of the constituents present in the
samples being analyzed. The essentiality of achieving all the aforementioned goals gave rise to the
proposed establishment of STOOK environmental services company which has the desire in

acquiring the required facilities and employing capable personnel to deliver qualitative services to
our clients as well as being responsive to the host community in our corporates social

Term Paper Testing
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
Procedia Economics and Finance 6 (2013) 418 – 423
International Economic Conference of Sibiu 2013 Post Crisis Economy: Challenges and
Opportunities, IECS 2013
Global Strategy: the Case of Nissan Motor Company
Sorin–George Tomaa, Paul Marinescua * a Faculty of Administration and Business, University of
Bucharest, Romania
Abstract
The concept of global strategy has become prominent in the international business and management
literature in the 1980s. The aims of our paper are to render in brief the concept of global strategy and
to highlight some of the main strategy. Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the global
strategy concept, and its designing ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There is no universal accepted definition of the concept (Table 1).
Table 1. Definitions of the global strategy concept
No.
Author
Definition
1.
M. W. Peng
Strategy around the globe.
2.
B. J. Witcher, V. S. Chau

The use by organizations of a standardized product and service range to exploit markets in different
markets.
3.
R. M. Grant
A strategy that views the world as a single, if segmented, market.
According to some researchers all the definitions of the concept can be grouped into three views
(Peng and
Pleggenkuhle–Miles, 2008). The first view considers global strategy as a particular form of
multinational corporation strategy that treats all the countries as a global marketplace. The second
view states that global strategy is related to international strategic management and the third
perspective incorporates both international and domestic corporate strategy. Starting from the
relationship between pressure to cut costs and pressure to adapt to local conditions (Figure 1), four
strategic approaches for global–level business have been identified: multi–domestic, global,
international and of countries across the world with a single strategy that is highly co–ordinated and
integrated t
(Stonehouse, Hamill, Campbell and Purdie, 2004, p. 4). The multi–domestic strategy is the use by
corporations of different products

United States National Interests: An Analysis
1. What three United States national interests do you think will be at great risk over the next five
years? Describe those interests and identify which instruments of national power can be leveraged to
protect or advance those national interests and how those instruments can be used. As President
Obama stated in his addresses to Congress in February 2009, the most important problem that the
country faced was the economy, which was in the worst recession since the 1930s. This affected
both domestic and foreign policy, since the country would probably have to reduce military
spending and its commitments overseas as it did during the Great Depression, so for the Obama
administration economic recovery was the primary goal. He did promise that "the weight of this
crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation" (Obama Address, 2009, p. 1). In foreign policy,
Obama promised to be more transparent about the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to
wind down the nation building operation in Iraq in his first term, which was done. There would also
be a new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat Al Qaeda, and the president promised that
he would not "allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world
away" (Obama Address, p. 6). Over the past three years, the use of aerial drones to attack Taliban
and Al Qaeda leaders has increased, along with unconventional warfare against terrorist groups,
such as the SEAL team that killed

The Classical Nuclear Deterrence Strategy During The Cold War
The classical nuclear deterrence strategy used during the Cold War would require some
modifications in order to be effective against non–state actors in the 21st century. The United States
and the Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons between the two superpowers that deterred both
from using. This was because it would not be beneficial socially or economically for either in the
long–term. Non–state actors are not equal in most respects to state actors and sometimes considered
"not deterrable" , so therefore a modified approach may prove more effective. The basic definition
of deterrence is the concept of providing the enemy with enough evidence that any attempt to attack
would result in far greater consequences for the aggressor. General

Objectives And Objectives Of Strategic Planning
Q1) a) Planning is the act of determining where the organization wants to go and how it will get
there. It is the act of determining what to do, how to do it, and why the organization should do.
While it sounds as if my friend is actively taking part in planning, she is only seeing part of it, my
friend appears to be contributing to the operational aspect of planning and therefore is not a part of
the other planning areas specifically strategic and programmatic. All three are necessary to devise a
through and successful organizational wide plan and all three interact with each other in the
management control process. Only if all three are realized, will the benefits of effective strategic
planning be met. Strategic planning is the organizations ability to identify what programs or
strategies the organization will undertake over a specific period of time. These decisions are based
on setting a goal or following the organizations mission, "decisions are made within the context of
the goals and strategies that emerged from the strategic formulation activity." Once these plans are
established and shared, managers can staff and take on specific tasks accordingly. The operational
planning is the area is the area the friend is discussing. Managers and supervisors record the various
inputs to establish accounts that help "coordinate and control current operation of the organization."
This information helps managers identify shortcomings, areas that may need additional

Viability of Non-Nuclear Deterrence Strategies
Near the end of World War II, the United States (U.S.) atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
demonstrated that nuclear weapons can technically be used as a strategic imperative [1]. Nuclear
capability, thereafter, was much sought after by states as the basis for deterrence and thus fuelled the
nuclear arms race during the Cold War, especially between the U.S. and the Soviet Union [2].
However, several literatures [3] [4] [5] have debated that nuclear deterrence and utilisation of
nuclear weapons are morally and ethically unacceptable. Several others [6] [7] argued that nuclear
capability is not the be–all and end–all of deterrence. In addition, the existence of Nuclear Non–
proliferation Treaty (NPT) measures, theoretically, makes it difficult for non–nuclear states to
acquire the capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and to do so without being detected [8]. Hence,
this essay seeks to examine the viability of non–nuclear deterrence strategies, particularly to address
the question – Who are the potential adversaries of non–nuclear states and what are the deterrence
strategies that are viable?
Setting the Context
The potential adversaries that non–nuclear states may face will be generalised into three types for
the purpose of this discussion. These are nuclear state actors, non–nuclear state actors, and non–state
actors (NSAs). 'Nuclear state actors' includes the five nuclear–weapon states under the NPT, as well
as the three non–NPT and one undeclared nuclear powers [9].

The President Of Honeywell Fm & T
Describe who you gathered the information from for the paper? What is their job role? How have
they been involved in the strategic planning process at the company?
The President of Honeywell FM&T was the subject of the interview for the following information.
The President of Honeywell FM&T is the leader of the organization and currently leads over 3000
employees. Even though, many individuals are involved and provide valuable input for the plan, the
president is the final decision maker, when it comes to the strategic planning and ultimately
responsible for the path forward. In the end, he is accountable for the strategy and is evaluated
through his performance review, based on the actions taken and achieved by the organization.
Therefore, he ensures that he is a key part of the defining, planning, scheduling, and control of the
plan. The plan is created based on alignment with the goals of Honeywell Corporate, the president
then flows his goals to the team, for the goal of drafting a solid plan for the future of the
organization.
Describe briefly the company. What it does? Who are its customers and markets (in general terms)?
Honeywell itself is an extremely large organization spanning across numerous business divisions.
The division of focus, is a part of Honeywell's Aerospace Division, known as, Federal
Manufacturing and Technologies (FM&T). Honeywell FM&T is currently the contractor that
manages the National Security Campus in Kansas City, MO and Albuquerque, NM.

Essay on Dynamics of Strategy
Dynamics of Strategy Assignment Author [ID: XXXXX] June 2013 Word count: 3294 Table of
contents 1. Summary 3 2. Haier's strategy analysis (Part A) 4 2.1 Haier's strategy overview 4 2.2
Macroenvironment analysis 5 2.3 Industry analysis 6 2.3.1 Key points of the industry analysis 8 2.4
Industry key success factors (KSFs) 9 2.5 Internal analysis 10 2.6 Points on KSFs and internal
analysis 14 2.7 Dynamic context 14 2.8 Purpose and stakeholders perspective 15 3.
Recommendations (Part B) 17 4. Appendices 20 5. References 23 6. Assignment instructions 25
Summary This report provides an in–depth analysis of the strategic steps taken in Haier India using
the B835 module frameworks. The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The annotated diagram below illustrates the factors relevant for Haier in India and overlaps are
observed. For example: although the threat "heavy tax burden at multiple levels" is identified as
economic factor, it is also relevant to be political or legal factor. Opportunities identified by
economic (e.g. low penetration electronic products) and sociological factors (e.g. more nuclear
families) lead to likelihood of increased demands for Haier's products. The threat highlighted by the
political factor (unavailability of suitable road infrastructure to rural India) is challenging to counter
involving government bodies and of high–cost. It is not clear from the case study why the Indian
government is delaying infrastructure projects although the economic and sociological factors
indicate growth (e.g. 8.3% growth in GDP, more nuclear families, rising disposable income)
generating more revenues. Applying Johnson's test of suitability, none of the strategies outlined
above (Section 3.1) overcome this threat. The "inverted duty structure" is another threat Haier need
to respond to since it results in inflated prices for goods. The localisation strategy seems to counter
this (applying feasibility test) although it is not clear if Haier's strategy goes as far as "fully local",
i.e. manufacturing parts locally using local raw materials

Nuclear Power Should be a Critical Component in a Strategy...
Nuclear power should not be dismissed and must be included as a major component of an alternative
energy source to replace fossil fuels as it has the greatest potential to be the primary energy source
in the future which can work together with other alternative renewable energy sources to combat
global warming and to help meet the world's growing energy demand
Nuclear energy, which has historically been depicted as a dangerous and evil energy source, has
recently seen renewed attention as an alternative form of energy and has been rehabilitated in the
eyes of the public after rising concerns regarding global warming and a rise in the demand of energy
(World Nuclear Association 2011). However, due to the March 2011 Fukushima accident, ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore, the lack of containment barriers is explained by Morris (2000, pp.25), as one reason
why western countries would never allow a reactor similar to Chernobyl's to be built in their
countries. In addition, Chernobyl was similar to Fukushima in that this tragedy demonstrates the
failure of government planners, not an inherent danger of nuclear power (Morris 2000, pp.27).
Moore (2006) also argues that the Three Mile Island accident, which occurred 7 years before the one
at Chernobyl, "was actually a success story", as although the reactor was damaged, it caused no
harm to the nearby population because the reactor was well contained with a concrete containment
structure. In addition, McCarthy (1995), states that "nuclear energy has an exceptionally good safety
record" and Chernobyl was the only accident with fatalities.
A second argument against nuclear power is that it is not a clean energy source since nuclear energy
produces radioactive waste that remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years and poses a
threat to human health that can lead to cancer deaths, and an environmental–friendly solution to
manage nuclear waste has not been found (Public Citizen, n.d). In addition, Mark Diesendorf
(2007), one of the renewable energy proponents in Australia, argues that there are not enough
facilities to store high–level nuclear waste in the world. Diesendorf (2007) goes on to contend that
the solution

Case Analysis Of Rio Tinto
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With proven strategy and strong business model Rio Tinto Group approached the global market.
Through a thorough study for the Group's approach tointernationalize the operations and structure of
its production groups, it is found that this approach suits the strategy set by the group to achieve its
objectives in maximizing shareholders returns and creating opportunities for improving many
communities in the global. Also, it is found that Rio Tinto developed a strong risk–management &
decision–making processes that enabled the group to compete against the limitations on its trades &
operations.
Sample Assignment: Part of the content removed
Considering further investment to make joint ventures with technical research institutes ... Show
Market Entry Strategies
Group Strategy:"Invest in and operate large, long–term, expandable, low–cost mines and businesses,
driven not by choice of commodity or region but rather by the quality of each opportunity in the
most attractive industry sectors"(Rio Tinto annual report, 2012)
The group follows the systematic/strategic approach in market entry as it seeks opportunities with
long–term positive impact, and thereforethey framed a business model that ensures in all of its steps
an achievement of the group's global objectives. The following table illustrates the market entry
strategies in the business model:
Business model elements Function objectives Strategy
Explore And Evaluate Find and study geological targets, classify them based on their characteristics
and prioritize them based on perspective value. (Greenfields) Increase the long–term benefits of the
group and hosted country/community. Concentrate and limit the process to find large–scale & long–
life

Tips For Stretching It Budgets
Tips for Stretching IT Budgets
In today's multifaceted business environment, technological needs are constantly changing. In fact,
now days IT has became a critical initiative for success. With the widespread use of IT,
organizations face the challenge of increasing competition, expanding markets, and rising customer
expectations. This increases the pressure on organizations to implement various financial budgeting
strategies that could potentially lower the cost. Therefore, a concept that recently has gain
momentum, and is becoming a popular practice in most organizations is IT budgeting. According to
Baker (2009) the six strategies that are effective in controlling IT budgets are: repurposing the
already implemented software, efficiently ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In other words, which means to expand the use of the same software towards different
functionalities, for instance utilizing the Numara FoorPrints software from IT services to HR
department (Baker, 2009).
For an effective IT budgeting, IT leaders need to execute viable decision–making ideas that can
result into monetary savings in the long run (Heier et al., 2008). Similarly, repurposing of the
software positively effects the organization, by saving an amount that would have been spent on a
new software purchase, and creating some extra budget that could be invested towards other
strategic investments or initiatives (Heier et al., 2008). In terms of the operations cost, even though
the repurpose might slightly increase its maintenance cost if the software has already been used for
many years, but still by evaluating the whole operational budget for two different functions it still is
a cost effective–strategy (Heier et al., 2008). Additionally, it serves as a valuable asset to the
organization, in terms of saving both time and money of their IT staff, as they no longer are learning
totally new software.
On the downside, there might be certain hidden operational costs involved that might require more
maintenance, for instance the software can have limited memory or processing capacity, so in such a
case it might actually cost more to repurposing the same software (Heier et al., 2008).

International Paper Foodservice Business: Strategic Choice...
International Paper Choice and Evaluation
International Paper Foodservice Business is known for the high–quality paper product they
products. Consumers can also depend on the company utilizing recyclable products to help prevent
damage to the environment. International Paper Foodservice Business company mission statement
states be one of the best and most respected companies in the world – as measured by our
employees, our customers, our communities and our shareowners" (International Paper, 2011).
International Paper Foodservice Business mission statement reflects the goals that are essential to
the growth and future success of the company. However, the company will need to evaluate different
alternatives to identify future growth. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to Pearce & Robinson (2011), "a successful differentiation strategy allows the business to
provide a product or service of perceived higher value to buyers at a "differentiation cost" below the
"value premium" to the buyers". International Paper Foodservice Business will attract loyalty from
its customers by offering products that suit the tastes of its current group of consumers. Because
International Paper Foodservice Business provides their customers with unique produces designs,
the company does not need to price match its competition, but can charge a premium price based on
the position it has in the market that separates it from the competition. In addition, International
Paper Foodservice Business has done a masterful job in product positioning itself in different sports
arenas and movie theaters which is another way it differentiates itself from the competition as the
best choice for paper cups products.
Grand Strategy
International Paper Foodservice Business generic plan relies on the differentiation of its brand to its
competitors, the grand strategy provides a different alternative for International Paper Foodservice
Business. According to Pearce & Robinson (2011), "A master long–term plan that provides basic
direction for major actions directed toward achieving long–term business objectives. The ideal grand
strategy for International Paper

Planning And Marketing Of The Medical Center
Environmental Scan
Rush University Medical Center came into existence before Chicago even officially became a city.
The Medical Center felt secure in its position in the marketplace. Other than a few program
advertisements the Medical Center did not take part in strategic planning or marketing. Rush fell
from the number 1 medical center to the fourth in consumer surveys (Long, 2014). They were in
desperate need for strategic planning, marketing, and assessments. In order to develop new business
ideas, financial models were needed to assure members of the board and hospital administrators that
the organization needed strategic planning and marketing to increase admissions. Through
marketing research the first item the organization decided ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The website improvements included physician directory, health information, and a referral and
consultation guide for physicians. The website was easier to navigate and they have increased their
marketing and information technology budgets. Rush is continuously revamping its strategic plan to
keep up with the ever–changing healthcare industry. The hospital has produced many successful
results due to their marketing efforts, Rush saw call volume to its physician referral line nearly
double. There also was a 20 percent increase in first–time visitors to the Web site (Long, 2014).
Rush went from fourth to third place in the consumer survey (Long, 2014) Admissions rose 2.3
percent from the prior year and outpatient volume grew 10 percent (Long, 2014). The marketing
campaign of 2003 returned Rush to profits (Long, 2014).
Competitive Strategic Plan
There are several steps to strategic plan. Interviews should be conducted with stakeholders to
develop action plan. An environmental scan should be performed. A review of the history of the
organizations structure, resources, strengths, and weaknesses should be evaluated as well as their
major competitors. The organization should find opportunities expand their market. Finally, a
strategy needs to be developed for the organization to compete in the marketplace (McDermott

Personal Strategic Plan For A Business Organization
The purpose of this paper would be a personal strategic plan for myself in which visualizes me as a
business organization, or as You, Inc. Therefore, to create a personal strategy one must examine a
mission statement, vision statement, and understand the environmental scan to identify external
opportunities and threats; in which, an individual or organization gathers information about the
market, society, its competitors, and oneself. A mission statement defines an individual purpose for
achieving certain goals. An individual mission statement should define their primary attributes to
employers, employees, or clients to identify the products and services they have to offer in a
particular field. A vision statement is long–term goals that give an individual the formation that
allows them a competitive advantage in an organization or particular market. My personal vision
statement is to seek employment in the manufacturing sector as operations manager in logistics.
Once this information is achieved the individual or business can take the necessary steps to identify
signs (Business Dictionary, 2015) of pressure and prospects that may influence their current and
future course of action through tools such as P.E.S.T (Political, Economic, Social and Technological)
and through S.W.O.T. (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analysis (QuickMBA, 2010).
Introduction The purpose of this paper would be a personal strategic plan for myself in which
visualizes me as

1 Stop Making Plans Start Making Decisions
DECISION MAKING
In most companies, strategic planning isn't about making decisions.
It's about documenting choices that have already been made, often haphazardly.
Leading firms are rethinking their approach to strategy development so they can make more, better,
and faster decisions.
STOP MAKING PLANS
START MAKING
DECISIONS
by Michael C. Mankins and Richard Steele
I
S STRATEGIC PLANNING COMPLETELY USELESS? That was the question the CEO of a
global manufacturer recently asked himself. Two years earlier, he had launched an ambitious
overhaul of the company's planning process. The old approach, which required business–unit heads
to make regular presentations to the firm's executive committee, had broken down entirely. ... Show
Richard Steele
(rsteele@marakon.com) is a partner in Marakon's New
York office.
78
thing else, this disconnect – between the way planning works and the way decision making happens
– explains the frustration, if not outright antipathy, most executives feel toward strategic planning.
But companies can fix the process if they attack its root problems. A small number of forward–
looking companies have thrown out their calendar–driven, businessunit–focused planning processes
and replaced them with continuous, issues–focused decision making. By changing the timing and
focus of strategic planning, they've also changed the nature of top management's discussions about
strategy–from "review and approve"to "debate and decide," meaning that senior executives seriously
think through every major decision and its implications for the company's performance and value.
Indeed, these companies use the strategy development process to drive decision making. As a
consequence, they make more than twice as many important strategic decisions each year as

companies that follow the traditional planning model.
(See the exhibit "Who Makes More Decisions?") These companies have stopped making plans and
started making decisions.
Where Planning Goes Wrong
I
n the fall of 2005, Marakon Associates, in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit,
surveyed senior executives from

Planning Changes
Planning changes:
Why is it important?
▪ Identifying the final aim of the change and communicating it effectively
▪ monitoring the progress of the changes (sponsor/agent and targets)
▪ understanding the change (targets)
▪ identifying lack of infrastructures/staff/training to support changes
▪ setting achievable time frames and goals
▪ setting roles and responsibilities
▪ motivating people within the change
▪ increasing efficiency
▪ increasing transparency
Issues to consider: "culture and behavior"
▪ Change begins before final aim is identified or sponsor identified (e.g. lost of contract)
▪ Emotional reactions to changes are difficult to plan and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
▪ Understand and believe what the Company wants – ensure that there aren't any wrong corporate,
organizational culture, mission or vision objectives. The first question should be: where we are and
where do we want to go? On the other hand, you need really to trust and believe in what you will be
defending, and this is the first filter of the plan. (buy in) You cannot "push against the flow".
▪ Decide which strategy to use – there are plenty of strategies in Change Management from the
"normative/educative" strategies based on mutual commitment based on values and cultural norms,
as well as the "Coercive" strategies based on authority power and "imposition of sanctions".

▪ To have support from top management – this is a vital point and the bottleneck of the Change
Management Process. If this point is not covered, the percentage of failure is high and the activity
can become as unprofitable assignation of resources.
▪ Document and formalize the CM Plan – this should include training in technical and process, as
well as communications towards all the organization. An important part of the plan is to chose and
define roles for the team that will be assisting you in the tasks, putting emphasis in choosing
personnel really committed and results oriented.
▪ Check, act and start again – a series of

Strategic Process
Figure 1 is an illustration of what constitutes the strategic process with each of the stages thoroughly
investigated against internal and external factors of the organization. The formulation stage is
critical in identifying a roadmap for an organization. At this stage, there are usually senior
executives or policy makers. Once their work is complete the strategy is cascaded down for
implementation usually to line managers and public officials in the case of policy decisions who
implement according their understanding and interpretation of the main aims and objectives of the
strategy. This second stage of the strategic process forms the basis for this study.
The last stage of the strategic process is evaluation; an assessment of the ... Show more content on
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Further, the more people involved in the formulation could also result in strategies not being
formulated at all as a result of competing interests and ideologies. In this regard, other tools of
involvement should be utilized to ensure that there is at least a general acknowledgement of the core
of the strategy by those who will be affected.
The gap between formulation and implementation is that formulation tends to be done by senior
management and that implementation is left to middle management to execute. For the senior
management, "once strategy is set, interest among (them) fall rapidly away, implementation efforts
pull up short, operational behaviours and short–term goals take over. The result is suboptimal
performance; strategy becomes a bywork for top management away days." Their disintrest gets lost
not only because they do not want to be involved but also that they "lack the knowledge and skill to
translate strategy into action" (Freedman: 26). This shortcoming results to their lack of coordination
and supervision and they do not "adequately oversee the on–going actioning of the plan's
recommendations." When it comes to implementation, top management not only fails to be involved
but also does not provide the needed supporting structures such as "communication, resources and
managerial support" (Simkin: 121–122). Alashloo, Castka and Sharp (2005) revealed that there are
four impeders which play a critical role in the success or failure of the strategy.

Planning And Strategic Planning : Case Study
Planning and Strategic Planning – Case Study
The following report answers six questions from a case study titled Planning and Strategic Planning.
The report examines the theory of planning and strategic management and relates it to an
organization called the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
NAIT's Vision and Mission and how The "Promises" Can Be Used to Help Set the Basis for NAIT's
planning
The first step in the strategic management process is to identify the organization's current vision,
mission, goals and strategies. The vision and mission of an organization provides its statement of
purpose (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, & Anderson, 2014, p. 66).
While the vision is able to explain what the business will be in the future, the mission defines the
organization's reason for being in business (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, & Anderson, 2014, p. 66).
Planning is defined as a process that involves the defining of goals and establishing a
comprehensive strategy for achieving the goals (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, & Anderson, 2014, p.
57).
In line with the definition of a vision, NAIT as an institution of learning, set up a business plan for
its future–focused document entitled NAIT 2021; which is to be a relevant, responsive and a leading
polytechnic in the world (NAIT, 2015, p. 10).
NAIT's mission is laid out by her mandate statement which explains that the reason for been in
business is to deliver quality academic training to its students and to meet the current and

Aluminum Trade Depends On International Official Prices
Aluminum is abundant metal in the Earth and has many features such as, corrosion resistant,
lightweight, excellent electrical conductors, and easily tailored. Aluminum trade depends on
international official prices in the global metal exchange. Realizing the golden features in the
aluminum industry, AlEsra was founded in 1990 in AlMadinah, Saudi Arabia as a private limited
company (Ltd). AlEsra is an aluminum manufacturing and casting company; was established with a
500 square meter factory, with 22 working staff, led by its founder, Mr. Ayman Samaren. In 2007
AEF launched a new line of hydraulic press sheet door systems. It provides the availability of
variety in designs and colors. In 2010 AEF received a certification from The ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
AEF has been a pioneer in making Aluminum Mashrabiyas. AEF has executed more than three
hundred and fifty great projects in the AlMadinah area and in Saudi Arabia. The main client was
identified to be Mr. Samaren, the owner and the general manger of AEF. Since the communication
during the OD process will be web–based and not a face–to–face process, the direct clients were
kept limited. During the initial interview, via Skype, with the owner, he exposed that AEF has been
working on a strategic plan with Dr. Ali, a professional consultant and the director of M&DC.
Although the outcome of this project may impact the whole organization if decisions were made
accordingly, the relevant clients were identified as the three members who are the key holders of
knowledge about the new strategic plan: the owner, Dr. Ali, and the deputy general manager, Mr.
Akber Ahmad. Hence, a project work plan was emailed to the clients to keep them on track with the
OD process as well as set clear expectations about the study. (Exhibit 1). Later on, a form of initial
diagnosis questions has been sent to Dr. Ali to identify the main organizational issues (Exhibit 2).
Dr. Ali explained that AEF needs planning and a coordination system between all subsystems
because the factory involves two different kinds of tasks: manufacturing and contracting.
Additionally, AEF expands and

Mission And Vision Of Strategic Planning
Introduction Strategic planning has been defined by many scholars. According to Rowley, Lujan, &
Dolenece (1997), strategic planning is an optimization process within an organization to maintain
the essential components of it. In strategic planning, it is important to consider the stability between
the organization and the environment that is changing by developing a practical process that comply
organization's future needs as well as achieving its goals (Peterson, 1999). Higher education's
environment has been changing in the past 25 years due to economic change, policy change, rise of
social expectations, complexity of the management, and new leaderships (Manning, 2012). The
evolution and complexity of higher education requires more sophisticated strategic planning models
with focus on the mission and vision of the organization as well as the changing environment. In this
paper, we will discuss different strategic models that have been used in higher education. Further,
we will design and develop a 5 year strategic plan for La Serra University's career center, by looking
at UCR and Cal Baptist University career center as an example. We will develop a proposal by
considering student's purposed to attend college by preparing a survey to be conducted on La Sierra
University campus. We will discuss different budgeting models in higher education, and finally we
will do a SWOT analysis of the plan in order to identify the internal and external problems and
challenges as well

A Mission Statement For A Strategic Planning
In formulating a process for undertaking a strategic plan for, say the veterinary services organization
mentioned in my course paper and presentation, a first step would be formulating at least a mission
statement for the organization. Since the veterinary clinic in question had not formalized a mission
statement its mission was perhaps nebulous or up for debate. Berman suggests that the original
mission statement might be revisited during the design phase (please see the following below),
however, if none is in place prior to the start of strategic planning then perhaps an attempt to
develop one at the start of the strategic planning process is advisable, even if it were to be revisited
and modified during the process. As the Chinese proverb states, "如果你不知道你要去哪裡，任何
道路會帶你去那裡。"* The mission statement allows the organization to develop specific goals
and programs and serve a purpose in the strategic planning process.
Berman states in Chapter 4, the purpose of strategic planning is change, and is therefore a process.
This process, he continues, is typically made up of four phases. These four phases are preplanning,
research, design and implementation. This process helps the organization to align priorities to
changing conditions and opportunities. In the case of the veterinary services organization, it was
poised for change and that change would be best pursued using a strategic planning process. The
clinic was ready for new goals and strategies, and needed to create a shared

My Lesson Sequence Using Venn Diagrams And Composition
I assess prior knowledge throughout my lesson sequence using a variety of ways. Before beginning
the learning segment, I will look at students prior work on comparing and contrasting to see where
each student is at in regards to their level of understanding. I found that while some students had a
good understanding of the strategy, there were still many students that could use a thorough
introduction to the concept. This allowed for me to begin planning ways to differentiate my
instruction to include the higher students and the lower students. I crafted the Central Focus students
practice compare and contrast by using Venn Diagrams and composing a paragraph that includes an
introductory sentence, two–three details about how the two things are alike and different, and a
concluding sentence, to encompass requisite skills for my learning segment. The learning targets for
lesson 1,2, and 3, also address questions related to knowledge and skills aligned with the Central
Focus that support student learning. To reach the learning objective for lesson one, students practice
with me and with a pre assigned partner before doing anything by themselves. To provide additional
support to students with literacy needs and IEP/504 plans, I monitor their progress, offer guidance
with questions and different examples if needed, and give verbal cues during each lesson.
When developing the central focus for my learning segment, I ensured to use lesson activities that
address student assets based

The Financial Health Of Universal Health Services
Introduction – Financial Statement Analysis
This paper will provide an analysis of the financial health of Universal Health Services (UHS). First,
this paper will suggest a key insight about the financial health of Universal Health Services, as well
as my reaction to its financial statements. Next, it will identify the current industry trend that has the
most significant impact on Universal Health Services' financial performance. Furthermore, this
paper will indicate the trend's impact on the financial performance of the organization. As the Chief
Financial Officer, I will suggest at least one way that we might minimize the impact of the trend on
the organization. Also, it will suggest one key strategy that we might use to improve the ... Show
1). Clearly, we have a broad mission with ever growing capacity to provide healthcare to our
patients. A key insight about the financial health of UHS is that we are performing extremely well.
According to our latest financial statement, we are ever improving our numbers. Our net revenues
continually increased from $4,900,147 in 2010, to $8,065,326 in 2014. Furthermore, our total assets
grew during this same timeframe from $7,527,936 to $8,974,443, resulting in an impressive
reduction of our percentage of total debt to total capitalization from 66% to 51% (UHS Annual
Report, 2014, p. 41). Given our investment in several new facilities in 2014, we continue to see this
sustained growth in light of those investments as impressive and an indicator of a truly a healthy
organization.
Reaction to Financial Statements
I speculate that our employees, investors, and shareholders will be very pleased with our financial
health as reflected in the latest financial statement discussed above, and react in positive ways. The
employees benefit by the increase in revenue in the form of bonus and raises, of course based on
their performance. The investors will react equally positively since we have expanded our
investment portfolio by acquiring and opening new hospitals. Similarly, our shareholders will see
the return on

Illustration Of The Need For Applying The Systems Case Study
Introductory Illustration of the Need for Applying the Systems Approach
Humans need to be in an adaptive state at all times moving forward on climate change. The
definition of nexus is the center of various connections. Water, energy, and food are the central
needs to maintain global security, profitability, and equity. Water systems, energy systems, and food
systems are sources of inputs and outputs in the various connection formulas. Water security equals
food security. For too long, the value of water is not adequately assessed and because of this water
system is collapsing while out climate water evaporation system is attacking us. Society's cannot
function without clean water. Without clean water, disease will flourish and eradicate ... Show more
A significant amount of energy is needed to heat water. Energy is required to heat water for washing
and in residential settings. Industrial and commercial facilities need heated water for production of
industry.
Strategies & Synergies Reducing waste is the key strategies to reduce food water and energy waste.
Food water energy waste includes reducing meat production and consumption. Composting food
waste is a valuable resource which can be used to fertilize agricultural land depleted of its nutrients
from industrial farming. Food waste can also convert to biofuel which can generate electric used to
withdraw and purify water.
At the city level, we need more trees, everywhere I park, I find it quite challenging to find shade to
park under to prevent my vehicle from getting unbearably hot. Reducing the amount of urban heat
emanating from blacktop concrete can reduce the overall amount of urban heat for an area.
Capturing carbon energy and water in cities is another area of opportunity for cities to improve
efficiency while applying a holistic approach to city sustainability. Captured greywater can be
reused water to flush refuse.
Opportunities and Challenges
The opportunities and challenges for the food water nexus are vast. Zero waste implementation
globally is only occurring in one country, Bhutan. Located in the Himalayan Mountains, Bhutan is
between India and China. Many countries have zero carbon food waste goals, but none has yet to
achieve this goal other than

Higher Education Faculty
The forms of academic rule that typical exist in higher education nationally are below:
Under the heading of Discipline–Rooted Authority were the following: Personal ruler ship
(professional), collegial ruler ship (professional), Guild Authority, and Professional Authority. Under
the heading of Enterprise Based Authority were the following: Trustee Authority (institutional), and
Bureaucratic Authority (institutional). Under the heading of System Based Authority were the
following: Bureaucratic Authority (governmental), Political Authority, and Statewide Academic
Oligarchy. Lastly is the Wild Card of Authority which is Charisma (Clark, 1993)
Higher Education Faculty
The benefits of tenure in higher education could be considered ... Show more content on
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Higher education managers should spend more time focusing on the significance of the system's
parts. Managers must not leave out unpleasant interactions that can transpire between the different
system parts (Birnbaum, 1988). For example, employees can have a tremendous amount of skill but
if they are ineffective at managing relationships with their fellow employees then there may be an
increased potential for conflict. This can create obstacle that can make it very difficult to work
together cohesively.
Strategic Planning
The composition of many different departmental strategies makes up the single organization–wide
strategic plan. Top higher education administrators are responsible for the overall strategic plan but
the deans and managers are responsible for creating solid departmental strategies that are crucial to
the strategic plan and implementation effort. Higher education institutions are beginning to adopt the
successful practices that are used by profit based businesses. Following are five strategy making and
implementation process tasks that managers are responsible for:
1. Forming a strategic vision that forecasts the institutions future appearance and also its direction.
2. Making Objectives.
3. Creating a strategy to achieve certain outcomes.
4. Effectively carry out the selected strategy.
5. Performance evaluation followed by needed corrections in vision, direction, strategy, altered
conditions, ideas, and

Strategies in Planning
Sharyn A. Quelitano
BSIE III–2
Topic: Strategies in Planning
I. Introduction: Strategic planning is an organization 's process of defining its strategy, or direction,
and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the
direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible
avenues through which it can pursue a particular course of action. Generally, strategic planning
deals with at least one of three key questions: "What do we do?", "For whom do we do it?", "How
do we excel?" In many organizations, this is viewed as a process for determining where an
organization is going over the next year or–more typically–3 to 5 years (long term), ... Show more
The goal of strategic planning mechanisms like formal planning is to increase specificity in business
operation, especially when long–term and high–stake activities are involved.
One of the core goals when drafting a strategic plan is to develop it in a way that is easily
translatable into action plans. Most strategic plans address high level initiatives and over–arching
goals, but don 't get articulated (translated) into day–to–day projects and tasks that will be required
to achieve the plan. Terminology or word choice, as well as the level a plan is written, are both
examples of easy ways to fail at translating your strategic plan in a way that makes sense and is
executable to others. Often, plans are filled with conceptual terms which don 't tie into day–to–day
realities for the staff expected to carry out the plan.
The following terms have been used in strategic planning: desired end states, plans, policies, goals,
objectives, strategies, tactics and actions. Definitions vary, overlap and fail to achieve clarity. The
most common of these concepts are specific, time bound statements of intended future results and
general and continuing statements of intended future results, which most models refer to as either
goals or objectives (sometimes interchangeably). One approach recommends having short–term
goals, medium–term goals, and long–term goals. In this model, one can expect to attain short–term
goals fairly easily: they stand just slightly above one 's reach.

The Utility of Deterrence as a Central Nuclear Security...
Understanding what role exists for nuclear weapons in the post–Cold War world requires an
appreciation for the strategic concepts that defined Cold War nuclear strategy, as well as the
applicability of those concepts to the contemporary world. Cold War nuclear strategy was almost
entirely concerned with the bilateral relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union,
and thus the central strategic concept to arise from this period was the notion of deterrence.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ongoing proliferation of nuclear weapons, the
utility of deterrence as a central nuclear security strategy is in question, even as the threat posed by
the mere existence of nuclear weapons increases. By 1997, at least ten countries had missiles
capable of delivering nuclear payloads over 500 kilometers, and nearly every country without
intercontinental capability is working on it (Stanley & Payne 1997, p. 133). Furthermore, some
countries with nuclear capabilities, such as Pakistan, are seeing a serious threat to internal security,
increasing the likelihood that nuclear weapons will find their way into the hands of transnational
terrorist organizations and other actors far less susceptible to strategies of deterrence. By examining
both the state of nuclear security during the Cold War and the concept of deterrence in general in the
context of contemporary security issues, it becomes clear that there is no secure place for nuclear
weapons in the post–Cold

The Controversy Of Nuclear Weapons Essay
The previously accepted nature of war stemmed from the Clausewitzian trinity: war is emotional, an
experience wrought with passion, violence, and enmity; uncertainty, chance, and friction pervade the
medium of war; however, because war is not an end in itself, and because, as a means, it is
subordinate to its political aims, war must be subject to reason (Clausewitz, 89). With the first
employment of nuclear weapons, however, strategists and military theorists began to question
Clausewitz's foundational ideas (Winkler, 58). Similarly, Allan Winkler, in agreeing with Bernard
Brodie's thesis, opines that the advent of nuclear weapons fundamentally changed the nature of war.
Winkler's assertion stems from his argument that such a nuclear duel would yield a post–war
environment incapable of recovery for any parties involved (62). He further describes Brodie's
realization that "[t]he atomic bomb is not just another and more destructive weapon to be added to
an already long list. It is something which threatens to make the rest of the list relatively
unimportant." (62) Ultimately, Winkler abridges Brodie's assessment in stating that "the United
States was caught in the paradox of having to prepare for a war it did not plan to fight." (63) The
American doctrine of deterrence stemmed from the development of nuclear weapons. Strategic
analysts, using this development as a point of departure, recognized that a nuclear capability
established a defense scenario that was, in fact,

Jointness Research Paper
"Jointness implies cross–Service combination wherein the capability of the joint force is understood
to be synergistic, with the sum greater than its parts (the capability of individual components). The
joint force is a values based organization. The character, professionalism, and values of our military
leaders have proven to be vital for operational success." [JP–1 pg ix]
Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz's theories offer valued perspectives that are essential to
understanding warfare. The concepts of Jointness/Unified Action and Knowing your Enemy/Culture
awareness are worthy of exploration because favorable outcomes to war are dependent upon
understanding and actively using them. All our military forces must be capable of unified action ...
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It was during Desert Shield/Storm, the United States had realized the essential need for alliances
combine member's capabilities, and the importance of joint collaboration through an effective
command structure. [Walt, pg 21] Whether or not the Gulf War was a good model for "Jointness" or
more precisely "Unified Action" continues to be debated among scholars and analysts alike.
Regardless of what side you agree with, the United States enjoyed overwhelming resources in which
to apply overwhelming force obtaining favorable results. There was a defined victory; operations
appeared to have gone extraordinarily well and with relatively few casualties. But behind the scenes,
unified action was not prevalent. Mission success, through cooperation and joint decision–making
by commanding officers from all participating service branches, appeared to be working, with
mission accomplishment as the primary objective. However, a narrower mission focus soon
surfaced, and was dominated by specific military services senior commander's personalities and
divergent agendas. This lack of focus and distraction from the newly established joint doctrine had a
deleterious effect on cooperation and a joint effort among the services. The tactical units were
willing to work together despite the squabbling among the senior leaders. The tactical units were
constrained by the

Strategic Planning Should Not Be Underestimated
Introduction
The importance of strategic planning should not be underestimated. Without proper strategic
planning any organization is just waiting for unseen problems to interrupt normal business
operations. Strategic planning could be considered the backbone of the foundation of an
organization. It is the glue which links the organization's objectives to the customers themselves.
Strategic planning helps the organization in short term goals and perhaps more importantly
determine the items need for term success. The investment in strategic planning can be seen in
specific elements which will aid in the company's ability to grow as well as expand its market area.
In addition to goal setting strategic planning could be used to evaluate what may be beneficial to any
organization's success process. This means determining which avenues to use valuable resources for
and others in which to discontinue or scale back on. Because of the overall importance of strategic
planning how to define whether a strategic planning is valid must also be given much consideration.
The Baldridge criteria is a highly reliable source as well as well–known institute, of which many
organizations use to base their strategic planning on. The Baldrige Program oversees the nation 's
only Presidential award for performance excellence while offering criteria, assessments, tools,
training and a community for those dedicated to helping organizations improve. According to the
Baldridge Performance

Strategic Planning Essay
Basics of Strategic Planning
The objectives of strategic planning including understanding the benefits of strategic planning;
understanding the products of strategic planning; and learning the keys to successful planning and
implementation.
Many organizations spend most of their time reacting to unexpected changes instead of anticipating
and preparing for them. This is called crisis management. Organizations caught off guard may spend
a great deal of time and energy "playing catch up". They use up their energy coping with immediate
problems with little energy left to anticipate and prepare for the next challenges. This vicious cycle
locks many organizations into a reactive posture.
It does not have to be that way. A sensible ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Why Strategic Planning?
Besides the personal satisfaction of taking charge of the organizations future, strategic planning
offers at least five compelling reasons for its use:
Forces a look into the future and therefore provides an opportunity to influence the future, or assume
a proactive posture.
Provides better awareness of needs and of the facilities related issues and environment.
Helps define the overall mission of the organization and focuses on the objectives.
Provides a sense of direction, continuity, and effective staffing and leadership.
Plugs everyone into the system and provides standards of accountability for people, programs, and
allocated resources.
In summary, strategic planning is the key to helping us collectively and cooperatively gain control of
the future and the destiny of our organization.
Five Products of Strategic Planning
The overall goal of strategic planning is to produce a workable plan. Along the way, we will
develop, evaluate, and refine these five products:
Environmental issues and trends: Factors that may impact the organization and the way it conducts
business. Internal issues include staff, services, skills, resources, and needs. External factors include

such things as threats of outsourcing. A strategic planning committee compiles an environmental
scan, a body of information about the environment. Broad issues, singled out as potentially

War in the Nuclear Era
Addressing the question of whether war is a rational decision or a mistake is important to understand
the causes of war and explain the reduction in the number of wars fought among countries in today's
nuclear era. The argument, under which war is a mistake, is a normative claim about what action
states should have chosen, based on the outcomes that have been produced. That is, for a decision to
be good, it needs to have produced the actor's preferred outcome. However, the mistake perspective
is problematic under the uncertainty and competitiveness of the anarchic international political
system.
The rational theory provides a better alternative. In this paper, the rational theory of war will unfold
by beginning with an understanding of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
States pay attention to the long term as well as the immediate consequences of their actions.
Therefore, the value of going to war is the outcome for which a state would settle through
bargaining. Thus, for any deal to prevent war, each state must decide that they prefer the deal to
fighting a war. Mistake advocators will be quick to point out that the utility–maximizing perspective
might be problematic since the theory does not include uncertainty in its evaluation of costs and
benefits. However, accepting this criticism will not undermine the rational perspective. The utility–
maximizing theory is only the simplified first step in assessing the rationality of a state decision to
fight a war.
That being said, this vision of rationality accounts in part for the reduction in the number of wars
fought between countries now compared to the past. Nuclear technology and mutually assured
destruction have elevated the cost of war to such an extent that it is now almost impossible for the
benefits to outweigh the costs of nuclear warfare. Thus, the main interest in security has shifted the
rational utility–maximizing states' policy from winning to avoiding wars.
Rationality and relative power: Balance, stability and security
Today's 'balanced multi polarity', stabilized by nuclear technology, makes international relations
more secure

The Diversity Strategies Of The U.s. Department Of...
The target of this research is to explore the diversity strategies of the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs ' (VA) with the objective of supporting its efficacy. Accordingly, this paper organizes this
exploration into three correlating sections, the first of which introduces an overview of the Office of
Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) within the VA. In addition, this area summarizes the ODI installation
of the VA diversity plan. This leads to the second exploration section, which outlines specific focus
areas of the VA diversity plan as defined in the Standard University Publication: Best Practices for
Managing Organizational Diversity (2007). The third and final segment offers a concluding synopsis
along with recommendations for ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Keywords: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs', Office of Diversity and Inclusion, National Center
for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, Pew Research Center, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, Office of Personnel Management
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Diversity Plan Analysis At present, the diverse composition of
the United States Veteran population is disproportionate to that of the total United States populace
composition. To be sure, in an examination of one aspect of diversity (race and ethnicity), the
contrasting data is compelling. According to the Pew Research Center (PRC), the percentage of
racially diverse population in the United States is 36% and is on an upward trajectory. In fact, by the
year 2065, our U.S. population will no longer have a dominant racial or ethnic group (2015). On the
contrary, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (NCVAS), the current
percentage of racially diverse veterans is approximately 20% and will eventually reach 36%, though
not until after 2040 (2010). As such, if proactive measures are not immediately put into action to
address this latency, veteran diversity will not achieve parity as it's significantly lagging behind the
racially diverse levels of the nation (refer to Appendices "C" and "D" respectively, for PRC and
NCVAS

Strategic and Financial Planning
Strategic and Financial Planning
"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything" (Eisenhower, 1957). Businesses that fail to plan are
very likely to fail and at best will not recognize the full spectrum of profit avenues available to
them. Strategic planning helps firms to define how they will make money in the future. Financial
planning goes further into depth using the strategic plan as a baseline and helps firms determine
their short–term and long–term budgets as well as the possible effectiveness of their plans. The
innovative nature of business requires firms to plan out new initiatives to determine costs they will
incur, possible profits from sales, and what kind of risk they will encounter.
Strategic Planning Initiative – ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Initiative's Affect on Sales
New initiatives will always have an effect on sales, such as the Nook with Barnes and Noble. Barnes
and Noble has dropped the price on the legacy Nook Color and Nook tablet due to an extremely
competitive market with both Amazon and Apple. The price cuts on the Nooks were intended to
make them more competitive with the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Nook Color now costs $139, the
8GB Nook tablet costs $159, and the 16GB version costs $179. The new seven inch Nook HD will
start at $199, and the nine inch Nook will cost $269.
Initiative Risks and the Future
In every line of business there are associated risks. For Barnes and Noble, risks associated initiatives
can have some financial effects. The implications of these financial effects can be minimal if the
proper steps are taken initially to avoid maximum effects. Some financial implications could include
not having enough funding to complete the task at hand, unexpected expenses, or emergency
scenarios. If Barnes and Noble were to ignore initiatives intermittently, their financial picture could
have dramatic fluctuation, which could negatively impact the financial well–being. Other risks
include Barnes and Noble losing out in market shares or customer base very quickly which would
negatively impact Barnes and Noble's capital. Also, Barnes and Noble should

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