Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument Introduction to Pro.docx

Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument
Introduction to Prompt: Get ready to be uncomfortable. Or
perhaps I should just ask
you to get comfortable with uncertainty. In the Multiple Genre
Argument, I am asking
you to do something that you have never done before. This will
make the project very
hard, but the challenge will also make the assignment very
rewarding. I don't think we
can learn if we are not pushed beyond what we are used to
doing. In a book
called Writing Analytically that I use for another class, the
authors put it this way: "Most
of us have to cultivate a more positive attitude toward not
knowing. Prepare to be
surprised at how difficult this can be. Start by trying to accept
that uncertainty--even its
more extreme version, confusion--is a productive state of mind,
a precondition for
having ideas." As daunting as I am making this sound,
remember: I am always an email
or tweet away. Please ask your questions…I want to help!
Prompt: When we experience controversial issues in our
everyday lives, no one hands
us a ten-page research paper that outlines the issues and tells us
what to do. Instead,
we have to wade through the controversy and the corresponding
piles of paper to figure
out what the issues really are and how we should best respond
to them. In a Multiple

Genre Argument (MGA), your task is to create this context—
this collection of material
that constitutes the paper trail surrounding a specific issue.
During this process, you will
become familiar with all sides of the issue, and you will
ultimately have to choose which
side of the argument you most relate to. You will use traditional
academic forms in your
MGA, but the point of this project is to use your skills within
the context of a tangible and
specific controversy.
In their book Multiple Genres, Multiple Voices, Cheryl Johnson
and Jayne Moneysmith
explain in more detail what an MGA looks like: "In a [Multiple
Genre Argument], writers
create an argument that explores alternative perspectives by
using multiple genres
written from different points of view. Genres might include a
letter, a dialogue, a report,
or even a poem—in addition to the traditional essay. Students
bolster their argument
with research that is reflected within these genres, creating an
'organic' whole, though
the 'whole' may not be linear. By combining an array of voices,
with the rigor of
scholarship, the [Multiple Genre Argument] offers a fresh and
powerful approach to
research and argument" (2).
Their idea of “combining an array of voices, with the rigor of
scholarship” might help you
better understand what an MGA is. Your project will present the
ideas of all sides while
adding your own scholarly research, thus making your side of
the argument the most

convincing. So what is a genre? And how can you have multiple
genres in one paper?
The different genres you choose will help you become familiar
with all sides of the
issue, and you will ultimately have to choose which side of the
argument you most
relate to.
You will have at least six sources. Three of these will be
academic sources (peer-
reviewed books or journals); and the remaining three will come
will also come from the
library website, but can be other reliable sources like
newspapers or magazines.
Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument
YOU WILL SPEND THIS WEEK PROPOSING YOUR TOPIC
AND WRITING YOUR
FIRST GENRE. Next week, you will begin your research, begin
writing the body of your
essay, and prepare to upload your rough draft. Be aware that we
will do TWO peer
reviews of this paper in Turnitin.
Your final draft will be 8-10 pages (2400-3000 words) and will
be in MLA format as
usual. Please upload your final paper to Turnitin as we have
done in the past. Due: the
designated day at 11:59 p.m. (see course calendar for date).
Now you're wondering, "how the heck do I start writing this
thing?"

Don't worry too much. Here's a very simple way of thinking
about it:
I. Creative genre (one or two pages): write a journal entry or a
dialogue to
introduce the conflict (you can choose any genre--see list
below).
II. Typical Research (about six pages): You will write a typical
research
paper here (much like Paper 3).
III. Creative genre (one or two pages): write another genre to
show how
someone might have changed their mind about a topic.
You can get more creative than this if you would like, but at the
very least, I would like
you to start and end with a creative genre. (Just to be clear, you
are writing the creative
genre...not copying it from somewhere else.)
The following is only a list of possible genres. It is only a
starting point; you can come
up with your own.
ACADEMIC GENRES: News article, Book/film review,
Classical argument, Biography/Autobiography,
Interviews, Response papers, Case studies, Proposals/Abstracts,
Editorials, Critical essays,
Commentaries, Feature articles, Research reports, Technical
reports, Theory-based essays, Written
debates, Speeches, Mission statements, and Point/counterpoint.
PUBLIC GENRES: Police reports, Letters to public officials,

Memos, Newsgroup exchanges, Resumes,
Sermons, Job application, Email exchanges, Letters to the
editor, Newsletter or pamphlet, Field notes,
Letters to experts, Instructions (how-to guide), Letters of
complaint, Lab reports, doctor's note.
CREATIVE GENRES: Poems, Adventures, Newspaper “fillers,”
Songs and ballads, Children’s stories,
Screen plays, Diary entries, dialogues, Anecdotes, Slide show,
Script, Stories, Mysteries, Telegrams,
Prophesies/predictions, Letters to imaginary people, TV/radio
scripts, Scenes from a play, Riddles,
Recipes or menus, Contracts, Epitaphs, Obituaries, Wills,
Fables, Grocery lists, To-do lists, Newscasts,
Prayers, Quizzes or surveys, Advice columns, Marriage
contracts.
You need to send me an Argument Proposal right away and start
writing your first
draft. Please email me your argument proposal
([email protected]), and begin
writing your first genre to introduce your topic.
Remember, these topics are off-limits: Gay Marriage, Capital
Punishment, Marijuana,
Abortion, Global Warming, The Media, Euthanasia, Body
Image, Gun Control, School
Uniforms, Cell Phones & Texting, Lowering Drinking Age,
Steroids, and Bullying.
Running head: INSERT TITLE

Title of Paper
Student name
Columbia Southern University
STRENGTHS
· Insert strengths in a bulleted list. Make sure to provide a brief
explanation of how each element affects the company.
WEAKNESSES
· Insert weaknesses in a bulleted list. Make sure to provide a
brief explanation of how each element affects the company.
OPPORTUNITIES
· Insert opportunities in a bulleted list. Make sure to provide a
brief explanation of how each element affects the company.
THREATS
· Insert threats in a bulleted list. Make sure to provide a brief
explanation of how each element affects the company.
You will begin your discussion of the SWOT analysis here.
The length of your paper should be at least three pages not
including the title and reference page. Be sure to address the
questions listed in the assignment instructions as part of your
response. Include references on a separate reference page.
References

A Progressive Digital Media business
COMPANY PROFILE
Sprint Corporation
REFERENCE CODE: 8613378D-5CF0-49B7-93F8-
346EE511D261
PUBLICATION DATE: 31 Dec 2015
www.marketline.com
COPYRIGHT MARKETLINE. THIS CONTENT IS A
LICENSED PRODUCT AND IS NOT TO BE PHOTOCOPIED
OR DISTRIBUTED.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Company
Overview................................................................................
..............3
Key
Facts.......................................................................................
........................3
SWOT
Analysis..................................................................................
...................4
Sprint Corporation Page 2
© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation

TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Sprint Corporation (Sprint or “the company”) is a
communications services company engaged in
offering a range of wireless and wireline communications
products and services to consumers,
businesses, government subscribers and resellers. The company
primarily operates in the US where
it is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and employed
about 31,000 people as on March 31,
2015.
The company recorded revenues* of $34,532 million during the
financial year ended March 2015
(FY2015). The operating loss of the company was $1,895
million in FY2015. Its net loss was $3,345
million in FY2015.
*Sprint Corporation is a successor company to Sprint Nextel
Corporation (predecessor). The company
merged with SoftBank in 2013. In order to align with
SoftBank’s reporting schedule, the company
changed its fiscal year end to March 31. As a result of financial
transactions at the time of SoftBank
merger, the financial results of the predecessor are different
from the successor. Therefore, they
are not comparable. The revenues covered in this report are of
the successor company.
KEY FACTS
Sprint CorporationHead Office

6200 Sprint Parkway
Overland Park
Kansas
USA
1 855 848 3280Phone
Fax
http://www.sprint.comWeb Address
34,532.0Revenue / turnover
(USD Mn)
DecemberFinancial Year End
31,000Employees
SNew York Ticker
© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation
Company Overview
SWOT ANALYSIS
Sprint Corporation (Sprint or “the company”) is a
communications services company engaged in
offering a range of wireless and wireline communications
products and services to consumers,
businesses, government subscribers and resellers. Sprint is the
third largest telecom provider in the

US with large subscriber base, network and spectrum, which
will enable it to tap into the emerging
opportunities. However, the impending saturation and limited
availability of spectrum will impact
Sprint's growth prospects.
WeaknessesStrengths
Delayed foray into 4G LTE servicesThird largest telecom
provider in the US
High debtSprint's acquisition by SoftBank
Declining ARPU
ThreatsOpportunities
High penetration rates and increased churn
in wireless segment
Network modernization
Strong outlook for high-bandwidth mobile
communications Intense competition in the wireless telecom
marketRising demand for the smartphones and the
tablets Changes in regulations may affect business
prospects
Strengths
Third largest telecom provider in the US
Sprint enjoys significant market position in the US telecom
market. The company is the third largest
wireless communication provider in the US market based on
wireless revenue. The company is also
one of the largest providers of wireline long distance services,

and one of the largest internet carriers
in the US. While its competitors AT&T and Verizon are
considerably large companies, Sprint although
significantly smaller in size has a large addressable market. The
company by the end of FY2015
had 57.1 million wireless subscribers of which 30.1 million
were postpaid, 16.1 million were prepaid
subscribers, and 11 million were wholesale and affiliates
subscribers. The company is also among
the few telecom companies that enjoy a nationwide wireless
network. The company was able to
maintain the nationwide reach by not only operating its own
digital network but also by entering into
commercial agreements with third party affiliates. Additionally
to enhance its reach, Sprint offers
roaming on other providers' networks.
© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation
SWOT Analysis
Moreover, the company owns Clearwire, which offer fourth
generation (4G) worldwide interoperability
for microwave access (WiMAX) services in certain markets in
the US. The company also has access
to spectrum licenses across the US. The company holds 800
megahertz (MHz), 1.9 gigahertz (GHz)
and 2.5 GHz licenses authorizing the use of radio frequency
spectrum to deploy its wireless services.
Despite disadvantages associated with size and scale, Sprint
with its large addressable subscriber
base, spectrum and nationwide network reach is equipped to

leverage these factors to defend its
market position. Additionally, the company has a strong base to
implement new strategies to enhance
revenues and profitability. Its large subscriber base, network
and spectrum will enable Sprint to tap
into the emerging opportunities.
Sprint's acquisition by SoftBank
In 2013, SoftBank, a Japanese telecommunications and internet
company, invested $22.2 billion in
Sprint for an 80% stake in the company. The acquisition
strengthened Sprint's balance sheet and
provided capital for continued investment in the modernization
of its network, which would allow
Sprint to upgrade its technology, expand its service offerings
and improve the quality and reliability
of its product offerings. It also allowed Sprint to leverage
SoftBank's operational and technological
expertise in smartphones and next-generation mobile networks
to enhance its competitiveness in
the US. Furthermore, the new combined entity is well
positioned to leverage its size to procure
equipment and phones at favorable prices. The size also allows
the company to favorably negotiate
better terms with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
such as Apple, and cross-pollinate best
practices. SoftBank acquisition positioned the company as a
stronger player in the US
telecommunications industry, enabling it to add new customers
and enhance its market share.
Further, SoftBank's investment is expected to enable Sprint to
benefit from SoftBank's leadership
in LTE and improve the operating scale and create opportunities
for collaborative innovation in
consumer services and applications.

Weaknesses
Delayed foray into 4G LTE services
Sprint is lagging behind its peers in the 4G LTE roll out. The
latest LTE based 4G technology was
utilized by the telecom industry from FY2010 onwards. Verizon
was the first player to offer the 4G
LTE market in 2010 followed by AT&T and consequently these
companies have a significant lead.
They have built a strong presence across the US and Sprint
Nextel is lagging behind, being a late
entrant. The company will face an uphill task while trying to
acquire customers for its 4G LTE services.
High debt
The company is highly leveraged. At the end of FY2015, the
company’s consolidated principal
amount of indebtedness was $32.7 billion, and had $3.3 billion
of unused borrowing capacity. The
company recorded a debt equity ratio of 1.5 times in FY2015
and an interest expense of $2,051
million. The company’s high debt levels and debt service
requirements are significant in relation to
© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation
SWOT Analysis
its revenues and cash flow, which may reduce Sprint’s ability to

respond to competition and economic
trends in the industry or in the economy. In addition, the
company’s revolving bank credit facility and
other financing facilities also require that Sprint maintain
certain financial ratios, including a leverage
ratio, which could limit the company’s ability to incur
additional debt. Sprint’s failure to comply with
debt covenants would trigger defaults under those obligations,
which could result in the maturities
of those debt obligations being accelerated and could in turn
result in cross defaults with other debt
obligations. Limitations on Sprint’s ability to obtain suitable
financing when needed, or at all, could
result in an inability to continue to expand the business, timely
execute network modernization plans,
and meet competitive challenges.
High debt limits the company's ability to raise further capital to
fund its growth. Additionally, the
company also has high debt servicing obligations making its
cash flows highly vulnerable further
impacting its ability to fund growth internally. High outstanding
debt increases the company's financial
risk.
Declining ARPU
Sprint witnessed as significant decline in its average revenue
per user (ARPU) per month during
2013-15. The successor company’s postpaid ARPU declined
from $63.5 in FY2013 to $59.3 in
FY2015 representing a compound annual rate change (CARC) of
3% during the same period. Further,
the average retail ARPU of the company declined at a CARC of
2% during 2013-15 from $50.9 in
FY2013 to $48.7 in FY2015. The decline in postpaid ARPU was

attributed to growth in sales of
tablets, which carry a lower revenue per subscriber combined
with the impact of subscriber migration
to many of the company’s new service plans, resulting in lower
service fees. Declining ARPU would
further put pressure on Sprint’s profitability.
Opportunities
Network modernization
The company is in the process of modernizing its network to
allow the consolidation and optimization
of its 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum into its base
stations. The company employed
network modernization program, which contributed to
improvement in churn rates, enhanced the
network quality and led to a decline in the service disruptions.
As part of this program, the company
modified its existing backhaul architecture to enable increased
capacity to the network at a lower
cost by utilizing Ethernet as opposed to time division
multiplexing (TDM) technology. As part of the
program, the company will upgrade the existing Sprint platform
that will enable it to offer 4G
technologies, including LTE. Further, the company's acquisition
of Clearwire catalyzed its foray into
4G mobile broadband. The company further intends to continue
to optimize its 3G data network and
invest in LTE deployment across all spectrum bands. In
addition, Sprint entered into 4G LTE
agreements with 15 additional rural and regional network
carriers as part of the Rural Roaming
Preferred Provider program, in September 2014.

© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation
SWOT Analysis
According to the industry estimates, the adoption of 4G and
LTE is expected to increase exponentially.
The estimates indicate that the 4G/LTE smartphone shipments
will grow robustly in coming years.
The US is expected to contribute significantly to this growth,
indicating a strong market for 4G and
LTE services in the US. Network modernization will enable the
company to sustain market share as
the subscribers move to increased adoption of LTE and 4G
services. It also enhances the competitive
position as its peers like AT&T and Verizon had a long lead
with 4G services. As the voice services
market in the US reaches maturity, the increase in data revenues
is expected to enhance the growth
prospects for telecom companies including Sprint.
Strong outlook for high-bandwidth mobile communications
The US mobile broadband market had grown strongly over the
historical period and is expected to
continue growing in the coming period. The growth in mobile
broadband is primarily attributable to
the high data consumption by mobile devices, including
smartphones and tablets. According to
industry estimates, global mobile data traffic is projected to
grow at a CAGR of 57% during 2014-19,
to 24.3 exabytes per month by 2019. Further, 4G connections
are expected to account for 26% of
total mobile connections by 2019.

Sprint has robust network infrastructure to support the growing
demand for high-bandwidth mobile
communications. The company is in the process of modernizing
its network to allow the consolidation
and optimization of its 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz
spectrum into its base stations. Moreover,
majority of efforts to roll out 4G LTE on its 800 MHz and 2.5
GHz spectrum bands are expected to
be completed by the end of 2015. The company can leverage its
leadership position in the wireless
market to further drive ARPUs by tapping into the trend of
growing mobile traffic.
Rising demand for the smartphones and the tablets
Sprint will benefit from the rising demand for smartphones and
tablets in the US. According to industry
estimates, the tablet shipments are expected to grow at a CAGR
5.4% during 2014-18 to reach
285.9 million units in 2018. Smartphones and tablets are
expected to constitute 87% of the total
connected device market by 2018. Further, the smartphones
market increased by 19.3% to reach
a total of 1.2 billion units shipped in 2014. It is also estimated
that the total smartphone shipments
will reach 1.7 billion units in 2018, representing a CAGR of
11.5%. Mirroring the global trend, the
tablet users in the US are expected to continue to rise. With a
range of smartphones and tablets,
Sprint is well poised to exploit the demand for these data
intensive mobile devices which will enable
the company to enhance revenues.
Threats

High penetration rates and increased churn in wireless segment
The wireless markets in the US are saturated. The penetration
rate of the US market is more than
110%, with more connections than the population and the
market is considered to be saturated.
© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation
SWOT Analysis
Hence, the company needs to acquire new subscribers from its
competitors rather than the first time
subscribers in order to expand the business. Starting from 2008
to 2015, the company experienced
a net decrease in the retail postpaid subscriber base of
approximately 12.7 million subscribers. As
the wireless industry continues to mature, the future wireless
growth will increasingly depend on
Sprint's ability to offer innovative data services to customers,
which in turn, will depend on the
availability of additional spectrum. The spectrum and capacity
constraints will increase in the coming
years as mobile data traffic increases at a robust pace. While
Sprint continues to invest significant
capital in expanding its network capacity, the capacity
constraints could affect the quality of existing
voice and data services and the ability to launch new, advanced
wireless broadband services. Any
spectrum solution will require that the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) makes new
spectrum available to the wireless industry and allow the

company to obtain the spectrum it needs
more immediately to meet the needs of its customers. The
impending saturation and limited availability
of spectrum will impact Sprint's growth prospects.
Intense competition in the wireless telecom market
The company faces substantial and increasing competition in all
aspects of its wireless business.
Under current FCC rules, multiple licensees, including six or
more personal communication service
(PCS) licensees, two cellular licensees and one or more
enhanced specialized mobile radio licensee
may operate in each of Sprint's service areas, which results in
the potential presence of multiple
competitors. The company has multiple wireless competitors in
each of its service areas and competes
for customers based principally on service/device offerings,
price, call quality, coverage area and
customer service. The company's competitors include companies
such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T
and T-Mobile USA, TracFone Wireless, and CenturyLink, as
well as various regional wireless services
providers. In addition, Sprint faces competition from providers
that offer voice, text messaging and
other services as applications on data networks. More than 97%
of the US population lives in areas
with at least three mobile telephone operators, and 90% of the
population lives in areas with at least
five competing carriers. This makes the company's environment
highly competitive.
Moreover, the US wireless industry is expected to witness price
competition in the coming years.
All the players in the US telecoms space have either introduced
new plans or cut prices to poach

subscribers in an increasingly saturated postpaid market. For
instance, T-Mobile introduced a number
of plans to lure customers from the dominant players. As part of
its campaign, T-Mobile started
providing financing for phones and other packages, including
cheap international rates and
approximately $650 to people who switch service. To counter
the strategy of T-Mobile, other players
in the market have also lowered the pricing of some of their
plans. For instance, in 2014, AT&T
lowered its monthly fee for 10 gigabytes monthly data share
plan to $15 per device, from $40.
According to industry estimates, this is the first step in the
impending price war across the industry
and other players would be forced to cut prices to retain
subscribers.
Increasing competition coupled with impending price
competition will continue to put pressure on
pricing and margins as companies compete for potential
customers.
Changes in regulations may affect business prospects
© MarketLine
Sprint Corporation
SWOT Analysis
The company's domestic operations are subject to regulation by
the FCC and other federal, state
and local agencies. These regulatory regimes frequently restrict
the company's ability to operate in

or provide specified products or services in designated areas
and require the company to maintain
licenses for its operations. Also, the FCC grants wireless
licenses for terms generally lasting 10
years that are subject to renewal. The loss of, or a material
limitation on, certain of the company's
licenses could have a material adverse effect on its wireless
business, results of operations and
financial condition. Moreover, the development of new
technologies, such as IP-based services,
including voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and super high-
speed broadband and video, could be
subject to conflicting regulation by the FCC and various state
and local authorities, which could
significantly increase the cost of implementing and introducing
new services based on this technology.
Moreover, as a precondition to approval of the SoftBank
Merger, CFIUS required that SoftBank and
Sprint enter into a National Security Agreement (NSA). These
provisions increase the cost of
compliance with security measures, and limit Sprint's control
over certain US facilities, contracts,
personnel, vendor selection and operations, which may
materially affect its operating results.
Furthermore, any new regulations could restrict the company's
ability to compete in the marketplace
and limit the return it can expect to achieve on past and future
investments. Changes in the regulatory
framework under which the company operates could adversely
affect its business prospects or
results of operations.
© MarketLine

Sprint Corporation
SWOT Analysis
Copyright of Sprint Corporation SWOT Analysis is the property
of MarketLine, a Progressive
Digital Media business and its content may not be copied or
emailed to multiple sites or
posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express
written permission. However, users
may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
November 2005 / 17
ften considered a daunting task filled
with such complicated procedures and
“SWOT” Tactics
Basics for Strategic Planning
By Randy Garner, Ph.D.
“We must plan for the future because people who stay in
the present will remain in the past.”
—Abraham Lincoln
O
terms that it makes some want to ignore the activity
altogether, strategic planning need not be an overly
complicated process. Instead, managers can view it
as simply considering where their organizations
are—or should be—going over the next year or

more and how they will get there. As it relates to
law enforcement agencies, a strategic plan is the
product of a leadership process that helps depart-
ments better focus their energies and resources to
ensure that all members work toward the same
goal.
The entire strategic planning process may take
many forms and follow a variety of paths. At some
point in the process, however, planners will iden-
tify or update the strategic philosophy. This may
include a mission, vision, or value statement—or
some combination. While each has similarities,
some general distinctions exist. Typically, a mis-
sion statement is a brief description of the intent of
the organization, an expression of the agency’s
unique reason for existence usually contained in a
formal statement of purpose. A vision statement,
which many agencies increasingly use, offers a
vivid image of the desired future. It compellingly
describes how the department will or should oper-
ate at some point in the future and how customers
benefit from its services. A value statement often
lists the overall priorities of how the organization
will operate. It may focus on moral values, such as
integrity, honesty, and respect, or operational val-
ues, such as efficiency or effectiveness. This also
may include an agency’s core values or principles
that describe how it should conduct itself in carry-
ing out its mission.
THE PROCESS
Four basic questions comprise the essence of
the strategic planning process: 1) Where is the
organization now? 2) Where does it want to be? 3)

How will it get there? and 4) How does it measure
its progress? While a number of terms are associ-
ated with this process, departments should focus
only on what works for them. Some agencies have
separate mission, vision, and value statements;
others combine them. Some organizations create
strategic goals, strategies, objectives, and tactics;
others merely offer an identified goal and the ob-
jectives to reach it. Some review and update their
current mission or vision statements before doing
an analysis of their environments; others examine
their mission statements after completing an as-
sessment. More important than any particular or-
der is examining all aspects of the agency and the
Focus on Strategic Planning
18 / FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
environment it operates in while remaining flex-
ible enough to make adjustments as needed.
Regardless of the terms or order used, getting
started remains one of the most important parts of
the strategic planning process. It is akin to pushing
a car: the greatest difficulty lies in getting it rolling;
after that, the task becomes easier. Departments
should not get lost in the search for the perfect

method or approach; it does not exist. Rather, they
should start with the basic questions and move
forward, not getting sidetracked
by “analysis paralysis” wherein
they overly obsess about getting
everything just right or worrying
about “neatness” in the begin-
ning. They should concentrate
on just getting the process
started.
Generally, agencies should
consider three main tasks when
working on a strategic plan. The
first, strategic analysis, is a re-
view of the organization’s envi-
ronment, both internal and exter-
nal. The next, strategic direction,
involves what the department must do as a result of

the major issues and opportunities that it may face.
Finally, action planning deals with explaining how
the agency will accomplish its strategic goals.
Each component is important in creating the over-
all plan.
Strategic Analysis:
“SWOT” Tactics
Not surprisingly, for an organization to deter-
mine where it wants to go in the future, it must
assess where it is now. In this part of the strategic
planning process, law enforcement administrators
can call on the “SWOT” team for help. Simply put,
this acronym stands for assessing an agency’s
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats,
a critical phase in the general planning process as it
helps determine exactly where the agency is and
what resources it may or may not have. Strength
assessment identifies what the department tends to

do well and can include a skilled, professional staff
and a modern, well-equipped facility. Weaknesses
denote what the agency may not do so well or what
diminishes its effectiveness. Inadequate financial
resources may fit into this category. Opportunities
reflect what the organization might seize upon to
do better. This area could include increasing com-
munity interactions and taking
advantage of particular grants.
Finally, threats are environmen-
tal factors that may hinder per-
formance. Examples could in-
clude a rising demand for service
or increased legislative mandates
that can impact resources. Man-
agers should consider “SWOT”
analysis for issues both external
to the agency, such as population

growth and increased industrial-
ization, and internal to it, such as
an aging workforce that might
result in excessive turnover or
competing priorities for resources. “SWOT”
analysis constitutes one of the most important
aspects in the overall strategic planning process.
Strategic Direction:
SMARTER Goals
To move from an assessment of where it is to a
plan for where it wants to be, a law enforcement
agency must articulate particular strategies and
identify strategic goals. When considering goals, a
department can use the acronym SMARTER to
create specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic,
and timely goals that extend the capabilities of
those working to achieve them while being re-
warding for the organization and its members. An

organization should make its goals as specific as
possible so as not to cover too broad an area or to
“
“
”
Simply put, this
acronym stands for
assessing an agency’s
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and
threats....
November 2005 / 19
Dr. Garner, a former police chief and executive director of
the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas and
the Texas Regional Community Policing Institute, currently
is the associate dean of the College of Criminal Justice at
Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.
require completing a large number of steps or satis-
fying a vast array of objectives. Usually easier to
assess for success, specific goals lend themselves
to helping an agency determine if it has accom-
plished them. Those charged with carrying out the
goals must find them acceptable and realistic in
scope. “Pie in the sky” ideas or goals that have no

reasonable chance of success do not help the orga-
nization or the individuals who must work toward
a goal’s completion. Some, believing that they are
providing challenging direction to an agency, may
set such lofty or demanding
goals that no one possibly
can satisfy them and, thus,
predestine the organization
to fail—exactly the opposite
of the intended effect.
Timely goals identify a
specific issue that a depart-
ment can accomplish in a
reasonably appropriate time
frame. Additionally, an
agency should avoid overly
simplistic, easy, or obvious
goals. Instead, goals should
challenge the organization
within its limits and extend the capabilities of
those working to achieve them. Careful consider-
ation in goal creation can lead to renewed enthusi-
asm for the agency and its mission.
Strategic Success:
Action Planning
Once a department has assessed the environ-
ment (“SWOT” tactics) and arrived at a set of
(SMARTER) goals, it must place the strategic plan
into action. One of the biggest problems in strate-
gic planning (after giving up on trying to find the
“perfect way”) is not following the steps to imple-
ment the plan. It does little good to spend the time
and energy identifying where the organization is

and determining where it wants to be to then let the
whole thing stagnate for a lack of action. In fact,
strong leadership at this critical stage often proves
key to successfully implementing a strategic plan.
An action plan simply sets forth the goals, speci-
fies the set of objectives needed to reach them, and
identifies the responsible entity for accomplishing
each one and in what time frame. This process
ensures that the hard work of developing the strate-
gic plan will become more than an exercise of
enumerating “dreams.” The difference between a
wish and a goal is the initiation of an action plan
that specifically outlines the
responsibilities for success.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of strategic
planning is to help a law en-
forcement agency better rec-
ognize where it is, where it
wants to go, and how it can
best get there. Although dif-
ferent departments use vary-
ing terms, they should focus
on the creation of a thought-
ful plan to achieve growth
and success. This need not
be an overly difficult task. As the saying goes, “if
you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This proves
particularly true in organizations that may face
numerous challenges and competing priorities.
The law enforcement profession cannot afford to

practice “pinball leadership,” getting bounced
around by every unexpected event. Instead, leaders
must plan proactively to create a future that en-
compasses the vision they desire and the plan re-
quired to achieve its success.
“
The Essence of the
Strategic Planning Process
• Where is the organization now?
• Where does it want to be?
• How will it get there?
• How does it measure its
progress?
COMPANY PROFILE
The Boston Consulting
Group
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PUBLICATION DATE: 26 Aug 2016
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The Boston Consulting Group
TABLE OF CONTENTS
© MarketLine
Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Company Overview
.................................................................................... ...........
......... 3
Key Facts
...............................................................................................
.......................... 3
SWOT Analysis
..................................................................................... ..........
................ 4
Company Overview
© MarketLine

Company Overview
COMPANY OVERVIEW
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG or "the company") is a
global management consulting company and
an advisor on business strategy. The company partners with
clients from the private, public, and not-for-
profit sectors in all regions to identify their opportunities,
address their challenges, and transform their
enterprises. BCG has its presence in North America, Africa,
Asia Pacific, Central and South America,
Europe and the Middle East. It is headquartered in Boston,
Massachusetts and employs over 12,000
people.
The company recorded revenues of $5,000 million in FY2015.
Key Facts
KEY FACTS
Head Office The Boston Consulting Group
One Beacon Street
Boston
Massachusetts 02108
USA
Phone 1 617 850 3700
Fax
Web Address http://www.bcg.com/
Revenue / turnover (USD Mn) 5,000.0
Financial Year End
Employees 12,000

Ticker
SWOT Analysis
© MarketLine
Page 4
SWOT Analysis
SWOT ANALYSIS
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG or "the company") is a
global management consulting company and
an advisor on business strategy. The company's strong
acceptance as a strategy consulting brand
differentiates it from many of its peers and equips BCG with
competitive traction. However, intense
competition in the marketplace may negatively impact BCG's
growth in market share and margins.
Strength
Established brand image in the strategy consulting
domain
Broad portfolio of solutions for multiple industry sectors
Diversified customer base
Weakness
Lack of scale as compared to peers

Opportunity
Positive outlook for the management and marketing
consulting market
Growth in the non-IT end markets drives demand for
consulting services
Threat
Intense competition
Prolonged recovery of European economy could
impact demand
Emergence of in-house consulting units
Strength
Established brand image in the strategy consulting domain
BCG, over the years has cultivated and built up a reputation for
itself and a corporate brand which has
become almost synonymous to strategy consulting. In the
process, BCG has pioneered some path
breaking ideas and concepts in the strategy consulting domain
that provided innovative frameworks and
solutions to address the needs and problems of business
community. The company's focus on
conceptual and strategic thinking has yielded many concepts
that went on to become classics of strategy,
and resulted into many academic constructs, tools and
methodologies. It pioneered the growth share
matrix/BCG Matrix model which was one of the famous
concepts in resource allocation strategy and was
the basis for origin of further models. The company also
formulated many concepts, including the
experience curve, time-based competition, sustainable growth,
and total shareholder value, which many

organizations have leveraged to improve their competitive
positions. Most of BCG's models are regarded
as benchmarks in strategic management and business consulting
areas.
The strong acceptance of BCG as a strategy consulting brand
differentiates it from many of its peers and
equips the company with competitive traction.
Broad portfolio of solutions for multiple industry sectors
SWOT Analysis
© MarketLine
Page 5
BCG has developed broad expertise in offering services for
various industry verticals, including
automotive; biopharmaceuticals; consumer products; education;
energy and environment; engineered
products and infrastructure; financial institutions; hardware and
software; health care payers and
providers; insurance; media and entertainment; medical devices
and technology; metals and mining;
private equity; process industries and building industries; public
sector; retail; social impact; technology
industries; telecommunications; and transportation, travel and
tourism. Moreover, the company offers
strategic business consulting services in several areas, including
corporate development; corporate
finance; digital economy; globalization; growth; innovation;

management in a two-speed economy;
marketing and sales; mergers and acquisitions, and divestitures;
operations; people and organization;
postmerger integration; risk management; strategy;
sustainability; technology and digital; turnaround and
transformation and large scale change. Furthermore, the
company has established a wide geographic
presence, with 85 offices in 48 countries. The company's
expertise across multiple sectors and industries
coupled with the robust geographic spread enables it to keep its
business sustenance at high levels.
Diversified customer base
The company serves large organizations in both private and
public sectors. A majority of the company's
clients rank among the world's 500 largest corporations around
the world. BCG also advises midsized
businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
Some of the company's clients include
World Food Programme, Telefonica UK, Fondazione Palazzo
Strozzi, Allianz Germany, and Ullens
Center for Contemporary Art, among others. Strong customer
base not only ensures steady revenues for
the company but also adds to its brand image in a highly
competitive market and thereby enabling it to
attract high value clients.
Weakness
Lack of scale as compared to peers
The company lacks scale when compared to its peers in the
consulting industry. Many of its competitors,
such as Deloitte, Accenture and Ernst & Young, have
substantially greater financial and other resources

than the company. For instance, the company's competitor
Deloitte reported revenues of $35.2 billion for
the year ended May 2015. Also Accenture, another competitor
of the company reported revenues of
$32.9 billion during the financial year ended August 2015. Ernst
& Young reported revenues of $28.7
billion during the financial year ended June 2015. In
comparison, the company recorded revenues of
$5,000 million in FY2015. Large scale enables these
competitors to leverage on their facilities and
resources to achieve operating efficiency. The company stands
to lose out often in bidding for larger
projects and assignments due to its lower scale which also
impacts its operating efficiency significantly.
Opportunity
Positive outlook for the management and marketing consulting
market
The management and marketing consulting market witnessed a
strong growth in the recent past and is
SWOT Analysis
© MarketLine
Page 6
expected to grow in the near future. According to MarketLine,
the global management and marketing
consultancy market grew by 3.5% in 2015 to reach a value of

$318.3 billion. Further, the performance of
the market is forecast to remain strong, with an anticipated
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
3.2% for the 2015-20 periods, which is expected to drive the
market to a value of $372 billion by the end
of 2020. BCG is one of the leading management and marketing
consulting company. The company offers
management consulting services and business advisory services
across various industries. Its marketing
and sales consulting services include brand strategy, marketing,
sales and channels, pricing, go-to-
market strategy, and the consumer and customer insight. The
positive outlook of the management and
marketing consulting market offers ample growth opportunities
to the company.
Growth in the non-IT end markets drives demand for consulting
services
Some of the non IT end markets of the company have been
growing over the past few years. Moreover,
markets including the healthcare, oil and gas and the
pharmaceutical markets are forecast to show a
steady growth in the medium term. According to MarketLine the
global healthcare providers sector had
total revenues of $7,235 billion in 2015, representing a CAGR
of 5% between 2011 and 2015.
Furthermore, the performance of the sector is forecast to follow
a similar pattern with an anticipated
CAGR of 4.8% for the 2015-20 periods, which is expected to
drive the sector to a value of $9,154.8 billion
by the end of 2020. BCG conducts research and analysis across
a range of industries, including
biopharmaceuticals, energy and environment, and health care
payers and providers, among others.
Positive growth in such end markets will result in the origin of

new projects, thereby creating the demand
for the company's consulting services.
Threat
Intense competition
BCG operates in a highly competitive consultancy business and
requires product and solution innovation
on a regular basis to create and maintain competitive edge. The
company faces competition from other
large players in the consultancy market such as McKinsey,
Accenture, Deloitte Consulting, Booz Allen,
and Ernst & Young Global Limited. BCG also faces competition
from companies that originated in the
strategic consulting environment such as Bain & Company.
Firms with core competence in IT solutions
such as IBM, Capgemini, and Infosys entered and extended their
presence in the consulting industry,
bringing a new breed of innovations and solution design,
allowing other smaller IT companies to do the
same. This trend may put pressure on the margins of mainstream
consultancy firms such as BCG.
Intense competition in the marketplace may negatively impact
BCG's growth in market share and
margins.
Prolonged recovery of European economy could impact demand
Due to the current economic downturn, global recession is
accelerating, with unemployment rising and
overall economic activity falling. European regions are facing
an economic slowdown in addition to the
rise in inflation due to the current debt crisis. According to
IMF, the growth in the Euro area is projected to
remain weak and fragile as high debt and financial

fragmentation hold back domestic demand. The GDP
growth rate in the Euro area is expected to be 1.7% in 2016 and
2017. Outside the Euro zone, the IMF
SWOT Analysis
© MarketLine
Page 7
forecasts that the UK will grow sluggishly by 2.2% in 2016 and
2017. Similarly, France is expected to
grow at 1.3% and 1.5% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Similar
growth rates are projected in economies
such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, Ireland, and Portugal.
The weak economic outlook in key European markets is
expected to impact the growth of the company
and negatively affect its financial position.
Emergence of in-house consulting units
In the recent years, there has been a global trend to entrust
corporate in-house consulting units with core
management consultancy tasks. Following the global recession,
several companies around the world
have focused on cost reduction activities, which resulted in the
emergence of these in-house consulting
units. In-house consulting has established itself as an
alternative to external management consultancies.
These units are organized as independent subsidiaries or as
corporate service units in large companies

globally. In-house consulting is growing and consequently, the
demand for internal consultants has grown
in strategic and operational projects. In addition, in-house
consulting units are expected to have several
advantages as compared to external consulting firms. For
instance, the consultants within these units
would be familiar with the company and its processes and are
well-connected internally. This is expected
to ensure quick solutions geared towards the company's needs.
Emergence of these in-house consulting units could impact the
consulting industry and reduce the
demand for BCG's products and services in coming years.
Copyright of Boston Consulting Group SWOT Analysis is the
property of MarketLine, a
Progressive Digital Media business and its content may not be
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express written permission.
However, users may print, download, or email articles for
individual use.
Adamson PVFSupply
BY iOAN ADAMS
Analyze Your Company Using SWOTs
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportu-
nd Threats) are an important
management consulting concept. Con-

jjltants use SWOTs to help a company
itself," for better and for worse,
ies are inherently insular and in-
king. SWOTs are a means by
ompany can better understand
docs very well and where its
Ttcomings are.
SWOTs wilt help the company size up
the competitive landscape and get some
insight into the vagaries of the
marketplace. SWOTs are not suited for
helping executives in their day-to-day
management - yet, every company should
go through the SWOTs exercise at least
once a year. This is one time where I will
strongly suggest you bring an outside
consultant in to help you. It is just about
impossible to do your own assessment.
That'sbecauseyouand your team all have
prejudices, feelings, and history with the
company, personal experiences that will
color your view and thus give you a less
than true SWOTs' asse.ssment.
Why do a SWOT analysis? The world
changes - and so must your company. In
order to make good changes, you must
bave a clear idea of where you are strong
and weak, as well as see the possibilities
for growth and whatever tnarket pitfalls
are lurking out there. After doing SWOTs,
you can develop a solid business plan, a
plan based on reality. In short order, you

will have a good idea of what you have to
do to continue your success. This
assessment will help you defme areas for
improvement, seize opportunities in the
marketplace and anticipate threats. Think
about it - how can you possibly capitalize
on your strengths and the current
opportunities if you don't know what
The world changes,
and so must your
company.
they arc? Similarly, how can you .shore up
your weaknesses and prepare for changes
in the marketplace if you don't know what
they are?
You probably think you know your
company pretty well. And you do - in a
day-to-day kind of way. Using SWOTs,
you will see where your company needs to
go a year from now.
BREAKING DOWN SWOTS
• STRENGTHS arc INTERNAL to
your company. These are things you
control, things you own - patents, brand
names, great location, a brilliant CEO,
great product development, a "culture" of
service. These are all strengths.
• WEAKNESSES are INTERNAL to

your company. Weaknesses arc also under
your controi - a terrible reputation, no
management succession plan, old
inventory, obsolete technology, bad
quality control. These are all things you
could improve but haven't. Thus, these arc
weaknesses.
Strengths aren't forever. Over time,
strengths can suddenly turn into
weaknesses. Having an extremely well
known brand is great - until something
goes terribly wrong and that brand
becomes synonymous with failure (think
Enron or Edsel). Building the best
product or offering the best .service is a
strength - until the day conies that those
products (think typewriters, turntables,
horse buggies) or that service (think milk
delivery, armor repair, horse shoeing)
have become obsolete.
• OPPORTUNITIES are EXTERNAL
to your company - a growing economy,
reduced trade barriers, falling exchange
rates, and new technology.
• THREATS are also EXTERNAL -
rising oii prices, terrorist attacks, and
government regulations.
Opportunities for some are threats to
others. Rising oil prices in the i970s were
a huge opportunity for Japanese
cartnakcrs to enter the U.S. market. Those

same high prices hurt the Big Three badly.
Let's take a company we all know and
do a SWOTs analysis - Dell Computer.
Dell doesn't have an R&iD lab. They don't
have patents on software or hardware.
Their products arc not "unique." Yet,
today. Dell is wildly successful.
S What are Dell'sstrengths?
Dell has a brilliant supply chain
management.
Dell has NO stores, giving them a huge
cost advantage.
Dell has great name recognition, and
low prices.
W What are Dell'sweaknesses?
Dell doesn't have any proprietary
technology.
The company has no physical locations
for returns, service, or repairs.
Dell sells computers and peripherals,
which involve complex technologies.
oWhat are Dell'sopportunities?
Dell can use ils supply chain expertise
with other products.

26 SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES, September 2005
Polished
Chrome
Brushed
Nickel
Brushed
C lirortfe
Chrome
^ Brass
Polished
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Brushed
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Black
Oil
Rubbed
Bronze
While (V
(lirome
E SPEAKMAN
www.speakinancompDny.com
Phone: 800-537-2107

For FREE information circle 22
28 SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES, September 2005
Adamson
PVFSupply
Dell can readily partner with another
company (Apple, Wal-Mart, etc.).
Dell can add high value services to its
product mix.
TWhat are Dell'sthreats?
Foreign manufacturers can still
undercut Dell's prices.
Shipping costs could hurt the price
advantage.
C'omputers are rapidly becoming
commodities.
I laving no stores is a strength for Dell, but
it is also a weakness - customers have no
place to "bring" tbeir computer for service
and repair. Computers are becoming so
complex that buyers may no longer want to
buy online. We want someone (think Best
Buy's "Geek Squad") to come to our home
to set it up. There could be an opportunity
in there - or a threat.
SWOTS FOR A PVF SUPPLY HOUSE
Excellent Supply House has been an

industrial supplier of PVF for 35 years.
They do about $40 million in revenue and
are located in the Northeast. They have
good relationships with their suppliers.
They have a great order book full of repeat
customers, most of which are within 150
miles of the warehouse. Over the last few
years revenues have been stable. Sales for
2004 were $38 million, the ftrst drop in
sales ever.
Here are the SWOTs for the Excellent
Supply House:
• STRENGTHS:
Excellent has a great sales force, with
excellent product knowledge.
Excellent bas good long-term relation-
ships with key suppliers.
Excellent can deliver most orders in 24
hours.
• WEAKNESSES
Excellent has not bougbt into IT. They
are drowning in paperwork.
Excellent has no market reach past
150 miles.
Excellent's marketing is weak. Sales to
"new" customers are low.

• OPPORTUNITIES
PVF services (managed inventory, etc.)
are becoming a bigger part of the market.
Creaky infrastructure needs to be
replaced throughout the East Coast.
Partnerships are available with the rigbt
mechanical contractors, municipalities, etc.
• THREATS
There's a huge consolidation going on in
the industrial PVF realm. Some supply
houses supply Fortune 500 companies
nationwide.
New materials and new vendors are
coming into the market.
Costs are rising and commoditization
increasing.
Do these things sound familiar?
Set aside a half-day meeting. Bring in the
consultant, your salespeople, warehouse
manager, other key associates, and go
through the exercise. The purpose of
uncovering these Strengths, Weakness,
Opportunities and Threats is to create an
action plan. And never, ever get
complacent. Make tbis exercise a habit. Do
a SWOT analysis every year. «

Joan S. Adams has consulted for industri-
al clients for more than 15 years. She headed
DITT, the consultancy arm of the French
National Utility, Electricite de France, and
was a managing consultant at A.T. Kearney.
Later, she started Pierian, a consultancy that
brings sustained and measurable success
through operational excellence, customer fo-
cus, and competitive market strategy. Joan
Adams speaks French and Spanish. She has
worked on projects in Europe, Central
America, Africa, Asia as well as North
America. She has engineering degrees from
the University of Wisconsin-Madison and
MIT. She also has an MBA from the Whar-
ton School. She can be reached at
[email protected] net.
MBA 5652, Research Methods 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
6. Conduct an environmental scan of an organization to result in
an analysis of its strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
8. Summarize how a company applies research methods to solve
problems within the organization.
8.1 Explain how research methods can assist in solving
company problems through the use of a
SWOT analysis.
Reading Assignment
In order to access the following resource(s), click the link(s)
below:
Garner, R. (2005). “SWOT” tactics. FBI Law Enforcement
Bulletin. 74(1), 17-19. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://s
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=a9h&AN=19856881&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Adams, J. (2005). Analyze your company using SWOTs. Supply
House Times, 48(7), 26-28. Retrieved from
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=bth&AN=18380981&site=ehost-live&scope=site
The Boston Consulting Group. (2015, December). The Boston
Consulting Group SWOT Analysis, 1-7.
Retrieved from

earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=bth&AN=118238001&site=ehost-
live&scope=site
Sprint Corporation SWOT Analysis. (2015, December). Sprint
Corporation SWOT Analysis, 1-9.
Retrieved from
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=bth&AN=112343645&site=ehost-
live&scope=site
Unit Lesson
The unit lessons for this course are presented through
interactive presentations. Each slide has audio that
accompanies it. Once the narration for each slide is complete,
the presentation will automatically advance to
the next slide. If you would like to stop the presentation on any
slide, click the pause button on the bottom left
hand side of the presentation. When you are finished watching
the presentation, simply close the browser
window.
To view the lesson, click on the link below:
http://columbiasouthern.adobeconnect.com/mba5652_unitvi/
Click here to view a video that will provide additional insight
on both the SWOT analysis and the PEST (also
known as PESTEL) analysis.

The presentation contains closed captioning if needed. To learn
how to enable this feature, click here to view
a guide on navigating and using the presentation. To print the
presentation with a transcript for each slide,
click here.
UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE
The Use of Research Methods
in Compiling a SWOT Analysis
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=1985
6881&site=ehost-live&scope=site
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=1985
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=1838

http://columbiasouthern.adobeconnect.com/mba5652_unitvi/
https://youtu.be/Ct3wE2F1XWM
https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/CSU_Content/courses/Busi
ness/MBA/MBA5652/15M/Adobe_Presenter_guide.pdf
https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/CSU_Content/courses/Busi
ness/MBA/MBA5652/15M/Unit_VI_Lesson_PDF.pdf
MBA 5652, Research Methods 2
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Suggested Reading
The following website provides several examples of SWOT
analyses that may be helpful when you are
completing your SWOT analysis in this unit’s assignment.
Berry, T. (n.d). SWOT analysis examples. Retrieved from
http://articles.bplans.com/swot-analysis-examples/
This webpage contains more information about what a SWOT
analysis is and how one should be used.
NetMBA. (n.d.). SWOT analysis. Retrieved from
http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/
http://articles.bplans.com/swot-analysis-examples/

http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/
Rude 1
Kayla Rude
W. Scott Cheney
ENGL 1301 WS6
15 November 2014
Whose Choice Is It?
I. Dialogue (WC: 380)
(Dialogue between parents, doctor, and a judge occurring at a C
hildren’s Hospital)
Mr. Snow: Sir, Jessica’s cancer is terminal. We’ve known this f
or a while now. All we are doing
is putting her through more pain and agony if we continue the c
hemotherapy.
Dr. Freedman: Judge Walker, we can’t know for sure that Jessic
a isn’t going to get better. We
need to give her every chance she can get.
Mrs. Snow: Every round of chemo she receives, she gets worse.
Each time she begs us to stop.

She doesn’t want this anymore. No one wants to give up on this,
especially us. We are her
parents, and I don’t know how I will be able to survive without
my daughter. But I don’t know
how I will survive watching my daughter in pain each day, tryin
g to save her from something
that is inevitable.
Dr. Freedman: Her results may not look great currently, but mor
e rounds of chemo can give her
more time. Perhaps we can give her another six months to live.
Mr. Snow: And that time will be painful and miserable. She has
made it clear to us that she can’t
handle any more chemo. She has no real life when she is isolate
d in a hospital room suffering in
severe pain and vomiting many times a day. I am pleading with
you to please, please look at my
Rude 2
daughter! Look at what she is going through and listen to her pl
eas for help! She cannot continue
to suffer like this when she is going to die anyway.
Mrs. Snow: We have kept the treatment going for three years, a

nd she hasn’t shown any
improvement in the last year. In fact, the cancer has worsened.
We can’t imagine letting our
daughter go, but we also can’t stand watching her go through thi
s and knowing she doesn’t want
this anymore.
Judge Walker: I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Snow. I cannot begin to i
magine the pain that your
family has had and continues to endure.“The base of the decisio
ns to be made should be the
benefit and well-being of the patient” (Guvercin). The question
here is what is the benefit of
continuing treatment and what is the well-being of the patient. I
have reached a decision...
II. Research Paper (WC: 1170)
The Decision Goes To...
When it comes to children and terminal illness, whose decision
should it be regarding the
withdrawal of treatment? The medical team, the child, or the par
ents? Many believe that the
medical team or even the court system should make decisions re
garding controversial withdrawal
of treatment in children. Oftentimes it is believed that parents o

r the child lack the medical
knowledge necessary to make life-ending decisions. While a me
dical team has the education and
knowledge of the medical condition, the quality of life issue ma
y not be taken into consideration.
A team approach involving the medical team, the patient, and th
e parents “recognizes that the
perspectives and information provided by families, children, an
d young adults are important in
clinical decision making” (“FamilyCentered Care”). Whereas t
he team approach is vital to the
Rude 3
decision making process, ultimately, parents should be the sole
representatives of their children
when it comes to medical decisions.
Children aren’t always capable of making life-altering decisions
, especially if that
life-altering decision can lead to death. In fact, in 1979 a case w
as presented to the Supreme
Court regarding children’s rights with their medical treatment.
Children who were being treated

in Georgia mental health facilities filed a lawsuit because they
were being “involuntarily treated
in Georgia mental health facilities,” and claimed that it was viol
ating the due process clause of
the Fourteenth Amendment of The Constitution of The United S
tates. The Fourteenth
Amendment states “...nor shall any State deprive any person of l
ife, liberty, or process, without
due process of the law” (“Due Process Clause”). The Supreme C
ourt ruled that “children are not
entitled to make treatment decisions because most children, incl
uding adolescents, ‘simply are
not able to make sound judgments concerning many decisions, i
ncluding their need for medical
care or treatment’” (Childress). This case brings to surface the i
ssue that children don’t have the
judgement or maturity to make such significant decisions. Ofte
ntimes, an adolescent is treated
for years with chemotherapy and radiation; their quality of life
can become very poor because of
the side effects from the treatments. The quality of life may rea
ch a point, combined with the
treatment not working, where the child does not have the desire
to continue to suffer. To place

the responsibility of terminating treatment for a medical conditi
on is not within the scope of the
child’s ability to discern all of the issues. However, should the
child’s input be considered?
Nobody knows better than the child what the treatment is doing
to his or her body. Children are
fully aware of the issues of quality of life and may no longer be
able to do anything they love.
Involving the child in discussions regarding the continuation or
withdrawal of treatment is a
Rude 4
natural step in the decision-making process; however, the child
should not have the final say in
whether or not treatment continues.
Withdrawing the treatment of a child in the Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU) is a
very difficult decision to make. Some people believe that the de
cision should be up to the
physician because the decision is too burdensome for a parent to
make. However, the Journal of
Medical Ethics gives an example where this is not the case. Res
earch was conducted in Scotland

using interviews “with 176 medical and nursing staff and with 1
08 parents of babies for whom
there was discussion of treatment withholding/withdrawal” in an
attempt to decide who should
be the final decision maker of withdrawing treatment of the sick
baby (McHaffie). Most of the
medical professionals believed that the parents should be a part
of the decision making process
but not necessarily the final decision makers. They believed that
the decision would be too much
of a burden for the parents to make and “though the parents reco
gnized the magnitude of the
decision, the majority nevertheless saw it as part of parental res
ponsibility. Of those 56% (60
parents) who believed they did themselves decide, only one fath
er said it had been too
burdensome and even he thought it was theoretically correct tha
t parents should accept this
responsibility” (McHaffie). Medical professionals are there to s
hare the treatment options and
administer those treatments, but when it comes to the final decis
ion of whether or not a child
needs to have the treatment withdrawn, it needs to solely be up t
o the parents.

Ultimately, the parents are the next of kin and have the most int
erest in the care and
treatment of their child. Parents may seem to not always have th
e child’s best interest at heart in
the eyes of some physicians. While that sometimes may be true,
parents “intuitively considered
that decisions about treatment limitations were part of this duty
and right” (McHaffie). In some
Rude 5
circumstances, religious beliefs of the parents may conflict with
medical treatment options.
Some religions do not believe in blood transfusions, while other
s may believe that prayer is the
treatment for their child. The American Academy of Pediatrics b
elieves religion should not get in
the way of a child’s treatment and they think “physicians who b
elieve that parental religious
convictions interfere with appropriate medical care that is likely
to prevent substantial harm or
suffering or death should request court authorization to override
parental authority” (Mercurio).

But I believe that it is not up to the medical team or the medical
institution to force treatment on
patients who have specific beliefs that may oppose certain treat
ment options. Parents know their
child and love their child wanting only what is best for them; ho
wever, the parent must be
educated in the disease process and the treatment options to ma
ke an educated decision. The
parents have experienced the ups and downs of the child’s treat
ment and know firsthand the
experiences that their child has been through; therefore, they ar
e in the best position to make the
final decision.
Children with significant medical issues present an ethical issue
regarding the termination
of treatment. Children born with abnormalities or extremely pre
mature have issues where quality
of life plays a significant part of the decisions of care. Children
with cancer or other terminal
diseases may reach a point in treatment where there is little cha
nce of recovery, and again quality
of life becomes a factor. An adolescent may want to make decisi
ons regarding their care or the
withdrawal of their treatment. A medical team has a clear advan

tage with the amount of
knowledge regarding treatment options and past experience treat
ing patients. The medical team
should play a significant role in educating the parents of the chi
ld involved regarding all facets of
the treatment. Ultimately, the parents should possess the right t
o make final decisions on the
Rude 6
treatment of their child. While the decisions are difficult and he
art-wrenching, “historically it has
been recognized that natural bonds of affection lead parents to a
ct in the best interests of their
children” (Dutkiewicz). Parents never want to let their children
go but when it comes down to
making the decision about withdrawing their child’s treatment, i
t should always be the parents
that have the final word.
III. News Article (WC: 393)
Government Rules On The Side Of Parents
Written By: Kayla Rude

In a controversial case that has been closely watched by citizens
across the state, Judge
Ben Walker has ruled in favor of the parents. This case has imp
lications across the state and
perhaps the country, as parents are challenging the decision of
medical professionals to force the
continuation of treatment for their daughter who is terminal.
Approximately three years ago, Jessica Snow was diagnosed wit
h an advanced type of
bone disease. Her symptoms presented when she began to have
pain in her right leg that
worsened over a course of time. Physicians at City Medical Cen
ter have administered four
courses of chemotherapy and two rounds of radiation. While Je
ssica cannot have any further
radiation, the physicians would like to continue chemotherapy i
n hopes of prolonging her life for
another six months.
Over a course of the month-long battle, Jessica’s parents have a
dvocated for their
daughter arguing that her quality of life should be a factor in wh
ether to continue treatment. To
further their case, Jessica is 15 years old and has adamantly stat
ed that she wants treatment

Rude 7
terminated. Both Jessica and her parents want her final weeks o
r months to be spent outside of
the hospital doing the things that she dreams of doing.
In his ruling, Judge Walker discussed “parents [may] have a leg
al duty to provide needed
medical care to their children” (Woods). Walker goes on to state
that:
without question, I believe that both the medical team and the p
arents believe that they
are fighting for the best-interest of Jessica. While the goal of tr
eatment is to lessen or
ideally cure the cancer, the treatment is simply not working. Th
ere have been four other
failed attempts at chemotherapy and rounds of radiation have no
t been successful.
Should Jessica be forced to receive treatment that she does not
want, and is not helping?
My decision is to allow the parents to make the final decision.
Ultimately, as her parents,
they have her best interest at heart and should have the final aut

hority as her next of kin
whether to continue or terminate treatment. Although I have str
uggled with this decision,
quality of life must be considered when treatment options are pr
esented (Rude).
The hospital will not appeal the decision made by Judge Walker
. The parents have asked for
privacy as they make decisions on how to move forward after th
e ruling.
Rude 8
Works Cited
Boyle, R. J., R. Salter, and M. W. Arnander. "Ethics of Refusin
g Parental Requests to Withhold
or Withdraw Treatment from Their Premature Baby." Journal Of
Medical Ethics 30.4
(2004): 402-09. JSTOR. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

Childress, Charles G. "The Rights Of Children Regarding Medic
al Treatment." GPSOLO.
American Bar Association, Apr. 2008. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
"Due Process Clause." Guide to the Constitution. The Heritage
Guide to The Constitution, n.d.
Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
Dutkiewicz, Thomas. "Child Protective Services and The Juveni
le Justice System." Know Your
Family Rights. FamilyVs.State.org, 21 Feb. 2004. Web. 03 Dec.
2014.
"Family-Centered Care and the Pediatrician's Role." Family-Cen
tered Care and the
Pediatrician's Role. Official Journal of The American Academy
of Pediatrics, 1 Sept.
2003. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
Goldstein, Joseph. "Medical Care for the Child at Risk: On Stat
e Supervention of Parental
Autonomy." The Yale Law Review 86.4 (1997): 645-70. JSTOR.
Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
Guvercin, Cemal Huseyin, and Berna Arda. "Parents Refusing T
reatment Of The Child: A
Discussion About Child’S Health Right And Parental Paternalis
m." Clinical Ethics

8.2/3 (2013): 52-60. EBSCOhost. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
McHaffie, Hazel E. "Deciding for Imperilled Newborns: Medica
l Authority or Parental
Autonomy?" Journal Of Medical Ethics 27.2 (2001): 104-09. JS
TOR. Web. 3 Dec.
2014.
Rude 9
Mercurio, Mark R. "American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Sta
tements on Bioethics."
Pediatrics In Review 29.1 (2008): n. pag. American Academy of
Pediatrics Policy
Statements on Bioethics. Pediatrics In Review, 1 Jan. 2008. We
b. 03 Dec. 2014.
Woods, Michael. "Overriding Parental Decision to Withhold Tre
atment." American Medical
Association Journal of Ethics 5.8 (2003): n. pag. VM. Aug. 200
3. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.

MGA Argument Proposal
MGA Argument Proposal
After you choose a topic, send me the answer to the following
questions. Just number your responses in an email--no need to
write the questions. (Send to: [email protected])
PLEASE NOTE: My turnaround on these emails is 72 hours—
not 24 hours like most emails. As such, don’t email at the last
minute! Also note, the proposal includes new questions about
genres for the MGA.
1. What is the question to which your argument will provide an
answer?
2. What is your paper title?
3. What is your paper's central argument? (Stated differently:
what is its central claim or argumentative thesis?)
4. What genre will begin your paper? What genre will end your
paper? (Please look at the prompt and example paper if you
don't understand this requirement.)
5. Argumentative Points (or premises) support the truth of your
argumentative thesis. This is where your research comes into
play; each argumentative point will need evidence of some kind
to act as support. Also, each point will need different evidence
to support its claim. Please list your three (or four)
argumentative points, numbering them 5A, 5B, 5C, etc.
6. If you create an argument, other people should be able to
contest or disagree with your claim. What would their argument
be? (This is called the antithesis of your argument.)
7. What are the larger ramifications or implications of your
argument? If you were to write ten more pages about the topic,
what would need to be addressed? Also, after reading your
paper, how will readers be better equipped to live in the world?

Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument Introduction to Pro.docx

Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument Introduction to Pro.docx

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