Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Strategic management - Essay Example Every organisation is subjected to factors which affect the functions and overall revenue generation of the firm. In the current report, FedEx Corporation has been analysed taking few of its major strategic management policies and their evaluation. FedEx is one of the biggest players in shipping and logistics industry. The company has always been a frontrunner providing differentiated services which have provided a competitive edge to the company. However, the company has seen various environmental changes and constant volatility in the business due to globalisation, financial crisis and increasing competitors. As a result of these strategic management have become more and more important for FedEx. The current report provides a critical analysis as well as evaluation of FedEx Corporation’s strategic development. The report has covered three principle strategies followed by the company. In the first part, the value chain analysis of Porter and their relevance in the practical f ield has been outlined. Further, the Company’s application of the value chain has been described in detail. Then the vertical and horizontal strategic management policies of the company have been discussed. This part has evaluated the diversification strategy of the company in order to gain expertise and control over its businesses. In the final part the customer relationship strategy has been discussed. FedEx has always focussed on providing differentiated services to its customers. The company’s foray into the services market and the strategies followed to crate differentiation and brand loyalties have been evaluated. Task: Part 2 Introduction Strategic management is characterised by a combination of analysis, action and decisions which a firm undertakes in order to sustain and create competitive advantage (Charles and Gareth, 2004). Each feature of a strategic management process consists of various action plans. The initial step of strategy management is analysis of goals, objectives and mission along with a thorough analysis of the external and internal environment. The decisions and subsequent actions are necessary steps for the implementation of the strategies. An analysis of strategies followed by an organization or firm helps in understanding its position with respect to its competitors as well as industry (Hutt and Speh, 2001). There are few strategies which give competitive advantage to some companies over others. In the current report FedEx Corporation and its strategic management policies have been evaluated. FedEx provides a wide range of shipment and transportation services. It is one of the largest logistic and shipping organizations in the world. Even though consumer goods marketing and business marketing are known to have similar principles and theories, they differ in their functionality and target market. The current report will throw light on the customer relationship management strategy as well as networking strategies of the organization. Business marketing can be described as an action to promote selling of products or services to other businesses, institutions, government etc. On the other hand, consumer goods marketing can make use of the services and products for consumptions, reselling or operational purpose. Looking at the present consumer as well as business markets, it can be said that in terms of market transactions volume, business markets

Nursing interventions and preventative management in skeletal traction

Nursing interventions and preventative management in skeletal traction Discussion Output 1. List nursing interventions and preventative management related to skeletal traction. Skeletal traction is done is used for treatment for fractures, muscle spasms and immobility due septic joints. In taking care of a patient with skeletal traction assessing should always be done in order to prevent further complications. In assessing the patient, assess for signs edema, skin color, temperature, irritation, abnormal positioning, swelling, hemorrhage, muscle spasms, pain and discomfort, vital signs, fluid balance, urine output and most importantly the safety of the patient. Along with these are, providing emergency care is required (prevention of shock, respiratory care), providing care with the patients cast observing for the signs of circulatory impairment, providing care with the traction checking the weights if hanging freely, providing respiratory exercises to prevent any lung complications, encouraging increase fluid intake, and providing appropriate skin care to prevent pressure sores. 2. Discuss a component of cast care for the pediatric client or adult client. Identify manifestations of compartment syndrome. In taking care of patient with cast, always remember to keep the cast clean and dry. Always check and assess if the cast is attach appropriately, not to tight or loose. If the patient will take a bath, cover the cast with a plastic bag or wrap to prevent water on the cast. But having with cast, it is advisable to avoid showers and better yet use the bathtub and hand the part with cast outside the tub while bathing. Air and water are prevented to get under the cast for this may cause complications like skin breakdown if not prevented. Along with putting of cast, sweating cant be prevented to accumulate under the cast. If any strong odor comes from the cast, it is better to report immediately to the doctor to do the appropriate actions for this. In lieu to patients mobility, crutches are needed to help patient in walking, but be sure to help patient and remove any hazards that can harm patients safety. In terms of manifestations of compartment syndrome, severe pain that dont go away ev en medications are given is the hallmark manifestation of this. Also it comes along with decreased sensation, weakness, paleness of skin and numbness or paralysis. 3. Compare the nursing needs of a total hip replacement patient with those of a total knee replacement patient. Patients who had undergone total hip replacement and total knee replacement has common nursing needs along with these are: relieving the pain of the injured part, monitoring for the vital signs, wound drainage, swelling, edema, pain/discomfort, hemorrhage, and preventing infection. The main difference is that, for the total hip replacement patient, the nurse prevents the patient from having deep vein thrombosis, and dislocation of prosthesis, meaning the nursing needs of the patient are more on preventing infection and dislocation of the hips. In total knee replacement, the nursing care needed are to prevent patient from having peroneal nerve palsy, using the Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) for the physical therapy of the patient, meaning the nursing care needs of the total knee replacement are more on the physical therapy needs of the patient in order to gain better mobilization to the patient. 4. Discuss methods to avoid dislocation after hip replacement surgery. In preventing dislocation after hip replacement surgery the three main cardinal rules are dont cross your legs, dont bend your legs beyond 90 degress and dont turn affected foot inward or internally rote the hips. These cardinal signs should be followed for the first six weeks after the surgery. Crossing the legs can be cause of compromising blood circulation in the lower extremities. Dislocation will be possible if you cross leg and hip in affected part, but dislocation will not result if crossing leg on the strong leg over the operated part. Turning the operated leg inward can cause possible dislocation due to affected leg will turn internally rotate the hip that will cause the head to jump out of the socket. 5. You are caring for a patient who has had skeletal traction placed to treat a fractures femur. Discuss nursing interventions and assessment techniques related to this type of treatment. In caring patient with skeletal traction in treating fracture femur, assessing and monitoring the patient every now and then is very important to prevent any complications. Monitor for any signs of skin abnormalities edema, color, temperature, irritation, swelling, hemorrhage; muscle spasms, pain and discomfort, vital signs, fluid balance and the safety of the patient. Safety of the patient is really important in taking good care of this kind of patient, along with this thing providing emergency care is required to prevent shock and respiratory care. The cast of the past should also be observed for any signs of circulatory impairment. For the traction, check the weights if hanging freely. Encourage the patient to follow diet high protein, high vitamin, high calcium and to increase intake of fluids. Provide proper skin care to prevent any pressure sores and instruct client to any fracture-related issues that can help him/her to have knowledge upon his/her condition. 6. A patient is being discharged with an external fixator for a fractured humerus. Discuss home care instructions for this patient. For home care management of patient with external fixator, checking the fixator is the very important thing to do. Check if there are loose pins, loose nuts on frame, and pain at the fracture site. Cleaning the frame should be twice a week, dampened cloth with alcohol or water can be used to wipe off the frame. Monitoring temperature should be done daily, cause increase temperature may be a sign of infection to the affected site. As the same with the frames, pin sites should also be cleaned once or twice a day to prevent infection. 7. Identify various types of traction and the principles of effective traction. Various types of tractions includes: Skin traction put up by means of adhesive tape or strapping that is applied to the limb; Skeletal traction put up by means of directly upon the bones by means of pins, wires; Bryants traction is a kind of traction used for treatment of fractured femur or correction of hip dislocation; Bucks traction kind of traction which a pull is exerted on the lower extremities in order to align it to treat contractures and diseases of hip and knee; Dunlops traction a mechanism that helps in treating immobilize upper arm due to fracture or contracture of the elbow; Russells traction unilateral or bilateral mechanism that helps in immobilizing, and to aligning lower extremities due to femur, hip, knee contractures and other orthopedic diseases in hip and knee. In order to have effective traction, as a health care provider, you should make sure to position the patient properly with a correct body alignment in the center of the bed to have a good maintenance of the pull. Ropes and weights should be observed and checked regularly to make sure it moving freely on the pulley. The rope knots should be maintained in a right position in order to prevent it from touching the pulley. And lastly, the comfort of the patient should be maintained, and making sure he/she is comfortable in his/her position to avoid any further complications. 8. Discuss the use of Bucks traction, its uses and the involved nursing considerations. Bucks traction is a form of skin traction to the lower extremity specifically the lower limb to provide straight pull through single pulley that is attached to a crossbar at the foot of the bed. It is a short-term measure in treatment for hip dislocations, hip and knee contractures and reduction of back pain. In terms of nursing considerations, the main goal is to provide patients comfort, positioning the patients bed not to high to prevent any discomfort. Checking the alignment of the leg is also a must, it should be in a straight line of pull to maintain the attachment of the bar to the pulley. Part of it, the bandage wrapping should be checked if it attached properly. 9. Discuss the nursing care for a patient undergoing orthopedic surgery. In caring for patient undergoing orthopedic surgery, the main goal is to restore motion, stabilize and relieve pain and disability. For the preoperative care, the nursing care to be done is to assess for the hydration status of the patient. It is important for the patient to have adequate hydration in order to decrease the blood viscosity and venous stasis and also it ensure adequate urine flow. In checking the hydration status of the patient, the skin and mucous membranes, along with the vital signs, laboratory status and urine output are assessed and monitored. More on, the nurse also has the responsibility in helping the patient to relieve his/her discomfort. Relieving pain can be decreased in immobilizing of the fractured bone/joint. It is really important to control the pain of the patient in order to accomplish other nursing care like improving the mobility of the patient. For the postoperative care, it is important to assess and monitor the vital signs, pain/discomfort, wound drainage, level of consciousness, and fluid balance of the patient, in order to prevent any complications. Web Assignment In a patient that has applied cast, the first and most important thing to do is to assess the patients overall health condition, in assessing the patient, start by monitoring for the vital signs and pain/discomfort of the patient; numbness, tingling sensation, and irritation on the injured body part in order to prevent any further complications. Commonly, mild swelling on the injured area is common during the first few days. In caring for this, you can teach the patient or his/her relatives to keep the cast above the level of the heart for about 24-48 hours. This management can help in reducing the swelling, by doing this the injured part can be rested on pillows to maintain this level. Also, putting ice packs can help swelling down. Ice packs can be covered with thin towel to the cast and apply it for about 20 minutes every two hours. Pain relievers prescribed by the physician can also be taken like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. For the cast care, it is important to keep the cast clean and dry. It is advisable to avoid taking showers and better yet use the bathtub and hand the part with cast outside the tub while bathing. One way also is to cover the injured part with plastic bag or wrap to prevent the water on the cast. Also, check the cast if it is attach properly, make sure it is not too tight or loose. These measurements are important because of the reason that air and water if get under the cast may cause complications like skin breakdown if not prevented. Prevent dirt, or sand to get under the cast, to prevent any inflammation due to irritation within the cast. When having a cast, sweating cant be prevented to accumulate under the cast, it is proper to monitor if the cast has strong odor. Monitoring the patients cast is a must to prevent any complications. More on, if the patient experiences these: foul odor from the cast, along with cracks or breaks, loose or tight cast; swelling, tingling or numbness, discoloration, and severe pain from the injured part it is proper to report immediately to the attending physician to avoid worse situation and to do proper measures to treat the following abnormalities.

tom ford :: essays research papers

TOM FORD Born in Texas in 1962, Tom Ford went on to become arguably the most influential designer of the last decade. Having initially trained as an actor, he studied interior architecture at Parsons School of Design until 1986, and went on to take positions at Perry Ellis and Cathy Hardwick, before joining Gucci in 1990. Ford was hired by Gucci's then creative director Dawn Mello as chief women's ready-to-wear designer, and later appointed design director. When, in 1994, Gucci was acquired by a Bahrain-based investment firm called Investcorp, Ford was promoted to creative director and moved to Milan with his partner, journalist Richard Buckley. In his first year at the helm, he was credited with putting the glamour back into fashion introducing Halston-style velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish metallic patent boots. In 1995, he brought in French stylist Carine Roitfeld and photographer Mario Testino to create a series of new, modern ad campaigns for the company. By 1999, the house, which had been almost bankrupt when Ford joined, was valued at about $4.3 billion. "We didn't even have a photocopier at one stage," he admits. "We didn't have any paper." In 2000, Ford was named Best International Designer at the first VH1/Vogue Awards in New York. After Gucci bought a controlling stake in Yves Saint Laurent, Ford was appointed creative director of YSL, too, and communications director of the house's ready-to-wear business, while continuing to design for Gucci. A mighty challenge certainly, but Ford was adamant he could keep the two labels distinct. "Historically, [Gucci] is Sophia Loren. Yves Saint Laurent is Catherine Deneuve. They're both sexy," he told British Vogue in February 2001. "It's just that Gucci is a little more obvious than Saint Laurent. The YSL woman might tie her boyfriend up and drip hot wax on him before they have sex, for instance. The Gucci woman is just going to have sex." Ford believes that he owes his success not to talent, but to his energy. He admits to sleeping just two or three hours per night, keeping post-it notes beside the bed in case he wakes up with an idea. "There are many more talented designers than me," he once told an audience at the V&A in London. "But I have a lot of drive and won't let it go." He also credits his "mainstream" appeal. "I'm lucky, I have mass-market tastes," he says. "When I say I like a shoe, generally thousands of people will like it.

Hardy Winebergg Questions

Genetics test Week 31 Hardy Weinberg 1. If the frequency of allele p in a certain population is 0. 78, what is the frequency of allele q? (1) 2. If the frequency of recessive homozygotes for a particular gene within a population is 0. 36, what is the frequency of the recessive allele? (1) 3. What does the â€Å"2pq† part of the equation represent? (1) The peppered moth Biston betularia showed an increase in melanic (dark) forms during the industrial revolution. In most polluted areas of the UK the melanic form became the most common.Moth colour is determined by one single locus, and the melanic form is the dominant allele, with the paler form being the recessive allele. In one study of a heavily polluted area near Birmingham, Kettlewell (1956) observed a frequency of 87% melanic peppered moths. 4. What is the frequency of recessive homozygotes? (1) a) 0. 87 b) 0. 76 c) 0. 93 d) 0. 13 e) 0. 36 5. What is the frequency q of the recessive allele? (1) a) 0. 87 b) 0. 76 c) 0. 93 d) 0. 13 e) 0. 36 6. What is the frequency of heterozygotes? (1) a) 0. 36 b) 0. 46 ) 0. 56 d) 0. 66 e) 0. 76 7. List three assumptions of the Hardy Weinberg model (3) 8. In a given population, only the â€Å"A† and â€Å"B† alleles are present in the ABO system; there are no individuals with type â€Å"O† blood or with O alleles in this particular population. If 150 people have type A blood, 100 have type AB blood, and 50 have type B blood, what is the frequency of allele B in this population? (2) a) 0. 25 b) 0. 33 c) 0. 5 d) 0. 66 e) 0. 75 At the PGI locus in the Ojibway pond population of Daphnia, Spitze et al. ound two alleles, S and S-, and the number of individuals with each genotype was 42 SS, 48 SS-, and 38 S-S-. 9. What is the frequency of allele S? (2) a) 0. 48 b) 0. 50 c) 0. 52 d) 0. 54 e) 0. 56 10. Using the S and S- allele frequencies, what would the expected frequency of heterozygotes (SS-) be, if the population was in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium? (1) a) 0. 48 b) 0. 5 c) 0. 52 d) 0. 54 e) 0. 56 11. Is this population in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium? Explain your answer. (1)

Effects of Suspense in Psycho Essay

The building of emotion, whether it is romantic love or deep hatred, can make a low-budget film into a blockbuster hit. Directors are constantly trying to build this deep feeling and emotion to make blockbuster hits. Alfred Hitchcock made hit films but instead, he built suspense – so much that it scared women from showering alone for years. Hitchcock’s appropriate label as the â€Å"Master of Suspense† came supremely out of his number one thriller, Psycho. His genius cinematic view shaped modern-day thrillers and horrors, and many of his techniques are still used today in such films. Hitchcock’s combined use of eerie sounds, high camera angles, creepy settings, and misleading tricks make Psycho one of the best (if not, the best) thriller ever made. Hitchcock constantly tricks and misleads his audience one direction, which builds tension and creates shock. From the very beginning of Psycho, Hitchcock guides his audience into thinking this film is a different genre than expected from the title. He opens the film with Marion and Sam in a bedroom together, which leads the audience into believing that this is a love or romance film. Then, when Marion steals the money, the audience is led to believe it is a crime drama. This stays true while she is on the run, until she comes across the Bates Motel. This is when the genre shifts again – now into a horror thriller. Through this progression in the film, Hitchcock uses subtle humor to misguide his audience as well. This technique guides the audience in the wrong direction, while successfully building suspense as the film progresses. Hitchcock’s misleading techniques create wonder and tension in the audience. This, along with false suspense allows for the big shocks to become even more terrifying when they do occur. Marion’s getaway trip includes many tense moments that create false suspense, which brings the audience to the edge of their seat before she even meets Norman. When she wakes up in her car to a cop behind her, there is an automatic rush of suspense. The audience believes she will get caught with the money at this point. Marion’s look of nervousness along with the cop’s calm expression builds an ordeal of suspense. More tension is built when she drives away and constantly looks in her rear-view mirror at the cop car following her. Hitchcock cuts between the eyelevel medium shot of the car in the mirror and an anxious Marion driving away. Quickly deciding to trade in her car for a new one adds tension to the film as well. She is rushed and panicked while at the dealership, which keeps the audience on their feet. Hitchcock uses this false suspense close to the beginning of the film to keep his audience tense and anxious before Marion even comes across the Bates Motel. The two major shocks in this film come after Marion checks in at the motel, all of which are built up with suspense through Hitchcock’s genius use of mise-en-scene, camera angles, and sound. The famous shower scene is built up with so much suspense from perfect camera angles. When Marion is undressing, the eyelevel medium close up shot makes the audience feel uncomfortable because it is as if we are intruding in her private space – almost like when Norman watches her through the hole in the wall. The cut to the low angle close up from Marion’s point of view of the running water seems so subtle, yet it builds so much tension. This cut makes it look like the water is coming down on the audience, which distracts them from other noises and the rest of the bathroom. This builds much suspense because the audience is oblivious to what is going on around Marion. The camera and audience are stuck in the shower with Marion as the door opens behind her and the shadowy figure creeps in. This builds tension and horror in the audience because we feel trapped and vulnerable with her. When the figure rips off the curtains, the sharp shrieking violin strings create terror and build even more suspense for the rest of the film. The death of Arbogast uses some of the same suspense techniques as Hitchcock uses for the shower scene. Both Marion and Arbogast are viewed in high angles to make them seem inferior and vulnerable. As Arbogast climbs the stairs, the tracking shot is always a bit above him to exaggerate his small stature. The close-ups and high angles along with the sinister-looking house and Arbogast’s footsteps create a vast amount of suspense as he climbs the stairs. He even looks scared right before it cuts to the birds-eye view just prior to his death. The look on his face brings the audience to the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen to him. Again, the violin shrieks play as Arbogast gets stabbed to death, which majorly adds to the horrifying sight. Hitchcock’s incredible combination of sight and sound in Psycho create suspense that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat the whole way through. Psycho is a perfect example of why Alfred Hitchcock is the â€Å"Master of Suspense. † He used these specific camera angles, sounds, music, and mise-en-scene to give everything a suspenseful look and feel. He placed them all perfectly to keep his audience alert and tense the whole way through. Alfred Hitchcock shaped the thriller genre, while going down as one of the best directors in film history.