Rails to Trails Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rails to Trails Program - Research Paper Example As a function of this particular level of analysis, the author will discuss five of the sea goals/accomplishments that Rails to Trails has elaborated on within its 2011 annual report. By engaging in a summary and objective analysis of these goals and competence, it is the hoped that the reader can come to a more appreciable understanding of detailed victories and further goals that program necessarily engenders. Secondly, as a means of determining the effectiveness of the entity in question, the analysis will also engage with an analysis and discussion of whether media coverage of the group has been on the whole either positive, negative, or neutral. Likewise, by leveraging an understanding of the internal accomplishments and goals that the group seeks to affect as well as understanding the likely level to which societal shareholders have engaged with the group via the media, it will be able for the analysts to calm to a more clear and definitive understanding of whether or Not the m acro and micro scheme that the group seeks to affect has a likelihood of general success. It can and should be understood that a broad and overarching goal that Rails to Trails has sought to affect is with regards to the level and extent to which the entity and its stakeholders continually seek to engage key members of Congress. This is done so that awareness within the minds of the legislatures can be created and key responses made with regards to proposed legislation and potential cuts (Hannan 44). In this manner, it can be understood by the reader that one of the primary goals with which Rails to Trails seeks to engage is with regards to the current economic environment; the environment in which the clear and present need for economic cuts places the life blood of Rails to Trails at a distinct risk. Accordingly, one of the greatest, judgments that was detailed within the annual report 2011 was with regards to the general success which was achieved at keeping the Federal Transport ation Fund available to both highways and trails. Movements and interest by key legislators to remove trails and walking paths into the general fund of the Federal Transportation Fund; whereas before these programs that always enjoyed a degree of safety from the competition that the general fund would necessarily imply. Secondary item of success and a compliment is with regards to the way in which Rails to Trails engaged with Representative Mica. This was done in something of an expert manner due to the fact that Representative Mica only recently became the head of the Transportation Infrastructure Program; a powerful body that was able to decide what expenditures or cuts would be made to key government programs (Fisher 10). Due to the fact that Representative Mica was a Republican, it would’ve been easy for the organization to merely seeks to combat him rather than co-opt him. However, a resounding success was able to be realized when stakeholders from Representative Micaâ⠂¬â„¢s home district were able to begin passing several resolutions. These resolutions had the impact of encouraging Representative Mica to consider his view upon funding cuts and ultimately support the Rails to Trails Program. Another means by which a level of success was able to be realized was with regards to the partnership with the Campaign for Active Transportation (CAT). As a means of providing a unified voice and engaging with other stakeholders to maximize the combines impact upon legislation and potential cuts looming on the horizon, this particular engagement was extraordinarily helpful to achieving these goals (Hearne 118). Yet another compliment is with regards to the bipartisan support that Rails to Trails was able to

Paper converters Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Paper converters Ltd - Essay Example The relevant research should focus on the potential existence of cultural differences across the organization. These differences, if they are major, can set barriers to the growth of the organization. Current paper focuses on the post merger challenges of a British firm, Paper Converters Ltd. The firm was created after the merger of two firms that was based on different culture: a) in the first of these firms, Dyson Paper Ltd particular emphasis has been given on structure and control, b) in the second firm, Jones Sales Agents Ltd, team-working was rather valued. The implications of cultural differences for mergers are reviewed in this paper. ... report The report has been developed in order to provide to the leaders of Paper Converters Ltd a series of recommendations for managing effectively the post merger effects and for reduce risks in regard to their firm further expansion. At the same time, the report shows the value of culture for joint ventures both at national and international level. Background of company Paper Converters Ltd established in 1988, as a result of a merger between the following firms: Dyson Paper Ltd and Jones Sales Agents Ltd. From its established up to 1993, i.e. for about 5 years, the two firms had kept their independency, operating in their pre-merger offices: Dyson Paper Ltd in Corby and Jones Sales Agents Ltd in Stevenage. The need for increasing the level of their production led the two firms to integrate their operations. The firms’ leaders identified a building that could be used as the head office of Paper Converters Ltd. Shortly conflicts appeared in the workplace. Employees of each f irm had worked under different culture and could not understand or tolerate the behavior of their colleagues. The leaders of the two firms tried as possible to eliminate these conflicts but with no particular success. The culture-related challenges for Paper Converters Ltd were continued during the firm’s internationalization. Dyson and Jones, the leaders of the firm, thought that by expanding in a developing region, such as central Africa, would help their organization to increase its profitability. After entering Zambia the firm’s leaders had to face another problem: Zambian staff was reluctant to follow the organizational rules on a series of issues, such as ‘the authority of expenditure, the appointment of senior managers, the terms of approval of payments and so on’ (case study,

Employee Relations within TESCO plc

Employee Relations within TESCO plc Table of Contents Introduction Task 1 1.1. Compare the three main learning styles of the HRD theory and apply them in relation to the company outlined in the shaping your future. 1.2. Explain the role of the learning curve and the importance of the transferring learning to the workplace in TESCO. 1.3. Assess the contribution of the learning styles and theories when planning and designing the learning event for the TESCO. Task 2 2.1. Compare the training needs for the staff at the different levels in the organization. 2.2. Assess the advantages and the disadvantages of both on job and off job training methods used in an organization. 2.3. Use a systematic approach to plan training and development for five of your staff working at various levels in the organization outlined in the shaping your future. Task 3 3.1 3.2. Using suitable techniques prepare and carry out a training event in an organization outlined in the â€Å"shaping your future† section, identifying the following: Who should evaluate the training? What should be evaluated? When should evaluation take place? Why do we need an evaluation? 3.3. As the company director, explain what are the various models of evaluation that could be used to review the success of the evaluation methods. Task4 4.1. Explain how the UK government has encouraged training, development and lifelong learning over the past years in the NEET sector. 4.2. Explain how the development of the competency movement has impact on the public and the private sectors of the country. 4.3. Analyze how contemporary training initiatives introduced in the UK government has contributed to the HRD policy of the organization identified in the shaping your future? Conclusion References Introduction This project is all about the employees relations with the organization TESCO, Plc. It is the responsibility of the company to assess the skills and the knowledge of their employees and helps them in achieving their goals. The company arranges the various training programs for their employees. TESCO is the multinational grocery merchandise company in the United Kingdom. It founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen and known as the third largest company as a retailer from its profits. Task 1 1.1. Compare the three main learning styles of the HRD theory and apply them in relation to the company outlined in the shaping your future. Honey Mumford defines the three main learning styles of the Human Resource Development related to the company TESCO Plc, UK. 1. Activist: In this learning style, various discussions held in the employees group, abilities handling the problems and qualities of learning tasks are use for performing the various functions held in the TESCO. The team members follow the above styles at the time of facing new environment and the challenge like introduction of the new grocery product by the company or initiate any new offer to the consumers. 2. Reflectors: This style reflects the jobs of operations of the employees of the company TESCO. One can use this for evaluating their own operations by considering the feedback through colleagues and the consumers. Feedback can review to make the performance better (Argyris and Schon,1997). 3. Theorists: Employees those are following the particular learning style first goes through the task completely and does the proper analysis. After analyzing all the pros and cons then reach to the conclusion and take some relevant decision. 4. Pragmatists: A proper planning requires solving any of the problems occur inside the company TESCO Plc. The employees accepts new challenges and adapts new surroundings with proper adjustments but does the perfect planning before performing for the operations to get them complete. 1.2. Explain the role of the learning curve and the importance of the transferring learning to the workplace in TESCO. A learning curve is the representation in the graphs that shows the development by following the continuous techniques by the TESCO, Plc. Through this curve, the company can achieve its goal in the new surroundings of the job. Experience can enhance the knowledge and the skills but the new techniques use by the company only for facing the new challenges and meet new targets. Continuous assessment can improve the skills of the employees. The importance of transferring the learning to the TESCO, Plc is all about the expectations of the company, innovation and the planning of the career made by all employees. It is the essential tool for the workforce to enhance the wide scope of the opportunities within the company (Doorewaard and Benschop, 2003). Various training events organized by the TESCO for improving the skills of the staff members. It increases the employee’s ability. It gives the chance to the management to evaluate the knowledge of the employees and remove any flaws if there. 1.3. Assess the contribution of the learning styles and theories when planning and designing the learning event for the TESCO. The theories of learning help in understanding the factors of the company TESCO, plc and about the workforces. Learning event is organizes by the company for the employees to meet their company goals. Acquisition of theories state about the structures, types of the learning and its implementations that how knowledge is relevant directly. The company faces the new challenges because of the new structure and the values of the TESCO, Plc. They select the particular learning theory and the style after consider the changes, improvements and the scope of the accountability. An appropriate event designs by the employer for the better results by showing the great impact on the employee’s performance. Task 2 2.1. Compare the training needs for the staff at the different levels in the organization. The company should give the family atmosphere to the employees for motivating them. Requirement varies at the different level of the staff members. Needs of training at the different levels in the TESCO, Plc are. Management Level Leadership quality, taking decisions, Developing skills Consumer Level Manages all queries and complaints by giving solutions. Workshops for the qualitative consumer service. Operation Level Advice for improving the performance and review them of the managers to improve their efficiency and gives them motivation. In the company TESCO, Plc Managerial staff acts as the trainers and counsel their team members in increasing their skills. Employees at the various levels grow as per their accountability of job activities and circumstances (Budhwar, 2000). 2.2. Assess the advantages and the disadvantages of both on job and off job training methods used in an organization. TESCO conducts various training events for their employees for bringing the changes in their working areas. Managers give proper coaching to their team for making their career. The on job and the off job training methods are- 2.3. Use a systematic approach to plan training and development for five of your staff working at various levels in the organization outlined in the shaping your future. A training system organizes by the company where management plays a participative role along with their employees. They recognize the employee’s problems and provide them the various solutions. The solution is first assess and then implemented. Training Method: The top management will collect own conclusions. All employees called for participating in the problem solving session. Time allotted and discussion held among the employees. All employees provide the different solutions to the particular problem as per their own thinking skills (Farquharson and Baum , 2002). The management will evaluate their solutions and make judgment. Both managers and employees participate equally in bringing the change in the environment of the TESCO and for making the best corrections. (Source: Own) Task 3 3.1 3.2. Using suitable techniques prepare and carry out a training event in an organization outlined in the â€Å"shaping your future† section, identifying the following: Who should evaluate the training? The people at managerial level and the management arranges the training events foe their employees for evaluating their skills and their working effectiveness. What should be evaluated? Skills, working behavior of the employees evaluate by the management and then the management gets aware about their needs for the training. When should evaluation take place? Evaluation of the employees done by the management should takes place at regular interval in various forms. It is done by judging the job operational activities performs by the employees and helps them in concluding their behavior and knowledge that shows that whether they require any training or not (Walker James, 2001). Why do we need an evaluation? It shows the responsibility of the employees those are taking the training and assess their skills and the knowledge that reflects their improvement area. 3.3. As the company director, explain what are the various models of evaluation that could be used to review the success of the evaluation methods. The various models use for evaluation that helps in reviewing the success of the evaluation method are- Kirk Patric model, CITO model, ROI model. These models evaluates the impact of the training so that it may improve in the future if requires. The four levels involves in the Kirk Patric model are Reaction, Learning, Behavior and Results. At the time of training operation, managers give the problems to the employees and observe the activities involves in such circumstances. Reaction shows by the trainees (Redman and Wilkinson, 2001). It clears that how well they have attain the training and useful for them. Learning measures reveals what employees as trainees have learnt from the training events and that impact on their behavior. Various outcomes of the business operations show the results of the training. It shows that whether the training events are beneficial for the trainees or not. Task4 4.1. Explain how the UK government has encouraged training, development and lifelong learning over the past years in the NEET sector. The United Kingdom’s government plays an important role in providing the training to the human resources of both the public and the private sectors. As the biggest retail grocery stores, TESCO contributes to the economy of the UK at its maximum. The development of the skills and the efficiency of the employees devote more in the economy of the country (Moon, 1999). The government arranges the various programs for the employees for their self-lifelong learning process. 4.2. Explain how the development of the competency movement has impact on the public and the private sectors of the country. The competency movement leaves the impact on both the public and the private sectors of the country. It compels the other company and considers their job operations of their own. Both the sectors involves equally in increasing the economy of the country. Nobody wants the environment of the competition that slows down their pace towards the success (Liao, 2005). It evaluates the company TESCO and suggest it various measures in the form of training programs to improve the performance. Audit of the company plays the major role here in assessing the business operations of the company. The competent movement maintains the friendly environment to encourage workers for their highest sincerity. Competitive circumstances give more opportunities to the companies to learn more from their personal experiences. 4.3. Analyze how contemporary training initiatives introduced in the UK government has contributed to the HRD policy of the organization identified in the shaping your future? Training programs arranges by the organization TESCO itself for its employees brings the new change for the company and devotes the major portion in enhancing the economy of the country. It improves the working surroundings of the TESCO Plc that moves towards the development. The company can easily face the competitive environment. An acceptance of the contemporary initiatives of training are relate with the decision making as per the structure of the company (Montagu ,1999). Conclusion The success of the training programs does not depend on the levy of the employees but it arranges for analyzing their abilities employed in the company. TESCO is the retail distributor/ merchandiser in the UK performing all its operations in the wide market of the country. Their main strength is the personnel soul presumes the goals of the company at the high rate than never before. They helps in analyzing the environment provide to the consumers by the employees. Various styles are opt by the employees in handling different problems arouse in an organization and the skills of the employees are improve by these training events only. It makes the employees capable enough to face every type of problem and solve them effectively on the base of their improved skills. As a result, the company enhances their business, earns more revenues and helps in enhancing the economy of the United Kingdom. References Argyris .C and Schon. D ,1997. â€Å"Organizational Learning: a theory in action perspective†. New York: Addison-Wesley. Budhwar. P, 2000. â€Å"Evaluating levels of strategic integration and devolvement of human resource management in the UK† , Personnel Review. Vol. 29 Issue 2. pp.141-157 Doorewaard. H and Benschop .Y, 2003. â€Å"HRM and organizational change: an emotional endeavor†. Journal of Organizational Change Management. Vol. 16 Issue 3. pp.272- 286 Farquharson. L and Baum .T, 2002. â€Å"Enacting organisational change programmes: a centre stage role for HRM?†. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Vol. 14 Issue 5. pp.243-250 Liao. Y, 2005. â€Å"Business strategy and performance: the role of human resource management control†, Personnel Review, Vol. 34 Issue 3. pp.294-309. Montagu. A ,1999. â€Å"Race and IQ† (Expanded Edition). New York. Oxford University Press. Moon. J, 1999. â€Å"Reflection in Learning and Professional Development†: theory and practice. London. Kogan Page 0-7494-2864-3. Redman. T and Wilkinson. A, 2001. â€Å"Contemporary Human Resource Management – Text and Cases†. Prentice Hall. Walker, James. W, 2001. â€Å"Perspectives; Emerging Trends and issues in Human Resource Development and Implementation†. Human Resource Planning. March 13. IGNOU, School of Management.

How Organism Learn: Classical And Operant Conditioning :: essays research papers fc

How Organism Learn: Classical and Operant Conditioning There are two main explanations of how organisms learn. The first explanation is known as classical conditioning. The second explanation is known as operant conditioning. These two types of learning are exhibited in our everyday lives through our home, school, and school. Classical conditioning was discovered by Iran Petrovich Pavlov. He was originally a physiologist whose main focus was the digestive system (Gazzaniga 230). His discovery was made during a study on the salivation of dogs when given food. Pavlov observed that the dogs began salivating at the sound of the scientists footsteps and at their appearance into the room (231). This led Pavlov to study the phenomenon further. The experiments that Pavlov was originally observing were based on the set of unconditioned stimulus and its unconditioned response. What is meant by conditioned is that the response is automatic and based on instinct. To compliment this name the stimulus is known as the unconditioned stimulus (Myers 260). With Pavlov's new observations a new set of stimulus and response was found. This new set is known as the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. What is meant by conditioned response here is that the response was learned. The stimulus begins as neutral and causes no conditioned response. However, if the neutral stimulus can be associated with another stimulus, then it becomes a conditioned stimulus. Classical conditioning can be exemplified in the home, school, and school. In the home a child could smell brownies baking in the kitchen which makes her mouth water. The brownies are the unconditioned stimulus, the smell is the conditioned stimulus, and the watering of the mouth is the conditioned response (Myers 267-68). In work a man may be waiting to be fired. When he sees his boss he begins to sweat. The unconditioned stimulus is getting fired, the conditioned stimulus is the sight of the boss, the conditioned response is the sweating. In school a boy may be in class when suddenly the fire alarm goes off at which time the boy walks to exit the building. The unconditioned stimulus is fear of a fire, the conditioned stimulus is the sound of the alarm, and the conditioned response is the exiting of the building. Operant conditioning is an organism's learning an association between how it behaves and what happens as a result of that behavior (Gazzaniga 244). There are some differences between classical and operant conditioning. First, the operant response has to occur completely spontaneously. In classical conditioning the conditioned response is drawn from an organism. In operant conditioning the response is delivered by the organism which then awaits the

A Strategic Management Case Study on the Walt Disney Company Essay

When brothers Walt and Roy Disney moved to Los Angeles in 1923, they went there to sell their cartoons and animated shorts. One could only dream that their name would one day be synonymous with entertainment worldwide. But then again, that is how The Walt Disney Company has made their fortunes over the last several decades: making â€Å"dreams† come true. The Disney brothers began creating countless cartoons (some successful and others not so much), and in 1928, introduced Mickey Mouse to the world in the animated short, Steamboat Willie—widely described as the first animated film to be synchronized with post-produced music. The Mickey Mouse character gained enormous popularity, and Walt and Roy enjoyed incredible success thereafter with feature films both related and unrelated to the Mickey Mouse character. The Walt Disney Company produced several of its animated classics throughout the 1940s such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi; and in 1955, Disneyland opened its doors as the Disney brother’s first amusement park. In 1966, Walt Disney died leaving Roy as the new President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company. Walt never had the opportunity to witness his namesake creation (Roy rebranded Disney World as Walt Disney World in honor of his late brother) as Walt Disney World opened five years later on October 1, 1971. Since that first day of October in ‘71, The Walt Disney Company has expanded exponentially. The Company owns media networks such as ABC, ESPN, the Disney Channels, SOAPnet, and A & E (television networks); ABC Radio and The Radio Disney Network (online and satellite radio station); and Hyperion Books (literary publishing company). The Company has spread its parks across the world to Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo and has taken to sea with four Disney ocean liners. The Walt Disney Company continues to grow with a major expansion to Walt Disney World currently underway and several feature films currently in production in the Disney-Pixar Animation Studio (the result of the Company’s 2006 acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios.) Though profits have been stagnant for the last two fiscal years, the company’s revenue continues to increase. Purpose of Strategic Management Strategic management is a management function that consists of three distinct actions. They are (1) formulating, (2) implement, and (3) evaluate cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives. Strategic management is vital for companies wishing to prosper in such a dynamic world. With globalization at an all time high, the practice of strategic management among a company’s top executives (at the very least) is an absolute necessity. Considering that â€Å"communication is a key to successful strategic management† and that the empowering of employees is â€Å"a great benefit of strategic management,† it is recommended that strategic management is implemented at a company-wide level. Simply put: successful, polished, professional companies perform strategic planning. A large percentage of the companies that fail in America each year do not perform strategic planning. Company Mission Statement The mission statement can also be defined as a company’s â€Å"statement of purpose.† The current mission statement for the Walt Disney Company is: To be the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. Objectives The objectives of a company are the same as a company’s goals. When setting goals, an organization is determining what results they expect to achieve in both the short-term and the long-term. What is the goal of this company? Of this division? What do we want to have accomplished within the next year? Within the next five years? Generically, the answers to these questions would be a compiled list of objectives of which a company should strive to obtain. Given the current economic climate, setting objectives (or goal-setting) is difficult. As with every company, The Walt Disney Company should set goals for the company as a whole and along functional lines that pressure the company to greatness yet are obtainable. Measurability should be constantly remembered in setting these objectives, and precise and unambiguous language should be used to eliminate all hints of confusion. The Walt Disney Company does not publish its corporate objectives. Strategies Strategies are a company’s methods to reaching its established objectives. Just because a company may have a final destination in mind (an objective or goal) doesn’t mean that every path to that destination is a good one. After setting strategically sound objectives, it is imperative that strategically sound strategies are generated to provide the means of transportation for said objectives. The courses of action on which an organization decide to embark affects all divisions and aspects of said organization. Strategies should be formulated and implemented only once all internal and external factors are assessed. Only then can a strategy be deemed â€Å"safe† for a company for implementation. Internal Audit Strength All companies have actions that they perform more than capably. All companies (at least all those that have been around for a period of time) have past successes on which to build. A company’s â€Å"strengths† are such factors: the positive components of a company’s collective portfolio that have made the company better in one way or another. The strengths for The Walt Disney Company are detailed below. A Vast and Diverse Portfolio The Disney brothers began drawing cartoons long before moving to Hollywood. The Missouri natives spent the majority of their lives imagining characters to which to introduce to the world. Along with the Disney’s impressive collection of new adaptations of old classics such as Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, and Alice In Wonderland; the Company has created countless characters to star in their feature films. Disney’s original characters include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Chip &Dale, Simba, Buzz Lightyear, Belle, and Aladdin (to name only a very limited few.) The Walt Disney Company’s huge portfolio is the single best strength of the entire organization. Diversification Disney has moved well beyond its cartoon-oriented roots. Though the company is still involved the production of original feature films and other related media (and though the media network division of the Company is still the organization’s leading generator of revenue) the company has long since stopped being your typical â€Å"animation studio† or â€Å"film production company.† In 1951, with the opening of Disney’s first theme park (Disneyland, in Anaheim, California) the Company made a dramatic shift from a media-oriented company to the broader category of an entertainment-oriented company. In the midst of the rollercoaster’s and hot dog stands in sunny California, the Company found also a unique market place for consumer products and a chance to entwine and implement the Organization’s already impressive portfolio of film characters into the parks attractions. The Walt Disney Company also began launching and purchasing media outlets for which their productions and promotions to air. Disney owns now several media broadcasting networks television as well as several radio stations for terrestrial, satellite, and online hosts. Incredible Customer Service The Walt Disney Company prides itself in many things and rightfully so. If you ask the average person what Disney is known for â€Å"Mickey Mouse† or â€Å"the castle† might quickly be their reply. Ask any business professional, however, and one thing is certain to be heard time and time again—â€Å"Customer service.† Disney demands nothing less than stellar customer service from their employees. If you have never experienced the â€Å"Disney Difference,† I urge you to travel to one of their many theme parks or retail stores worldwide. Their level of customer service takes those who know to look for it back. Former customer service experts and teachers for Disney have written very successful books on the topic and their experiences from the â€Å"holy grail† of customer satisfaction. Acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios In 2006, The Walt Disney Company made an acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios. Until 2006, Pixar had collaborated with Disney on multiple occasions to produce such award winning films such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. Because of the partnership involved in these movies, however, Disney had limitations on the rights to use and reuse the characters contained within the films. The Company saw this as a negative. Too, seeing as Disney produces the majority of its films without collaboration or partnership, the Disney-Pixar relationship was an enigma around which to carefully navigate. In addition, as Disney’s traditionally produced animated films (with pen and color artists) being left in the shadows in comparison to the progressively produced animated films (with CGI and digital artwork, it seemed like the best approach that could be taken in order to â€Å"catch up with the times.† Weaknesses With the fact that all companies have actions that they perform more than capably, the fact also arises that there are some internal factors that are of a negative consequence. Even companies as successful as The Walt Disney Company have attributes and characteristics that are not at all positive. A company’s â€Å"weaknesses† are those such factors: the negative components of a company’s collective portfolio that have made the company worse in one way or another. The weaknesses for The Walt Disney Company are detailed below. The Constant Need of Successful Creative Material Any analyst should be quick in stating that Disney is wonderful at generating â€Å"successful creative material†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwhich they are. The weakness associated with this factor, however, is of great importance. The key words in this factor are â€Å"constant need.† Though The Walt Disney Company is possibly the world’s greatest generator of successful creative material, the constant need to churn out successful film after successful film and wonderful attraction after wonderful attraction is daunting at the very least. The fact that there could be a flop at the box office, or a ride that is negatively reviewed is terrifying for the Company that prides itself in its perfection. High (and Increasing) Cost of Operation Unfortunately for the Disney Company, their industry is one with astronomical costs and expenses. Needless to say, it is quite expensive to produce or successful feature film or build a theme park. With recently diminishing profits and the economic recession, the company’s realization to the increasing costs of doing business has been mundane. This weakness is not to be confused with â€Å"high barriers for entry,† which might be viewed as an opportunity. That would be considered an external factor. From an internal point of view, however, the high (and increasing) costs to operate are doubtlessly a weakness for The Walt Disney Company. Lack of Developmental Property The Walt Disney Company Parks and Resorts Division has expanded drastically over the last three decades. With the first international park being established in Tokyo in 1983, the Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai parks began to fall in place shortly after. At the Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the Company owns several square miles of land that will surely be apportioned for park editions in the long term. Outside of the extra property in Florida, however, The Walt Disney Company has little acreage elsewhere. Future developments in California’s Disneyland Resort are very unlikely due to the rapid pace at which property was bought in the forties when the â€Å"new theme park project† hit the news, limiting Disney’s land around the resort. Lack of developmental property within a company that survives due to its innovation is a serious issue and a strong internal weakness of this organization. Lagging Consumer Products Revenue The consumer products division of The Walt Disney Company is handedly the smallest division within the organization. While revenues continue to trend upward for the division, they do so at a slower rate to the other Disney divisions, proportionally. Consumer products should be a division of the Company that performs, proportionately, as well as the other three divisions of the company. If a consumer watches and really thoroughly enjoys Disney’s new studio release, Cars 2, than it is safe to say that the viewer might also want a Cars 2 t-shirt or action figure. The same is true for the media networks or parks and resorts divisions: a consumer who has experienced the products of any division of the Organization should be prone to purchase consumer products related to such products. The fact that the increasing revenue of the consumer products division is doing so at a slower rate of the other divisions shows a lack of marketing and promotion put on the division. Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix The Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix is an Input State (State 1) strategic management tool that that helps with the summarization and evaluation of the major strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of an organization. Internal factors (namely strengths and weaknesses) are compiled, given weights as it relates their relative importance, and assigned a rating. The weighted scores [weight (x) rating] are totaled to comprise a total weighted score for the IFE Matrix. The figures generated in the IFE Matrix are used in a multitude of other strategic management tools and matrices.

Secret Window

Abstract This paper explores the review of the movie – Secret Window. It talks about in detail on how the movie shows the two side of a human behavior – the good and the evil and how things can go if one cannot have a control over its mind. It clearly shows the aftermath of it and sends a message to the viewer’s as well. Based on Stephen king’s novella â€Å"Secret Window, Secret Garden† (1990) , this movie inspires people to take a look at themselves and decide what is good and bad.The movie was released in 2004, and was mentioned as one of the best work of Stephen King by all the film viewer’s and the critics. In this paper, the history, thesis, story, moral and a conclusion is given about the movie. The movie is a drama thriller and it keeps audience at the edge of their seats for the entire 106 minutes. The movie explains about the life of a writer who is in a state of depression after a divorce from his wife and how this incident changes his whole life. The suspense and thrillers in this movie will definitely make this movie very enjoyable.The purpose of this paper is to review the movie and explain how this movie can become a huge factor in the lives of the people. The goal of this paper is to show what it has given to its viewers and how this can affect them. Secret Window Secret Window is a psychological thriller released in 2004 and adapted from a Stephen King novel,† Secret Window, Secret Garden†. It stars Johnny Depp as Mort Rainey, a Successful mystery writer who is suffering from a serious case of writer’s block primarily caused by an unfortunate divorce from his wife Amy.Whom he caught cheating with her new boyfriend Ted Milner. Mort retreats to a lakeside cabin trying to finish a novel despite his lack of inspiration and growing resentment for his wife. Mort’s solitary life in the woods is disturbed when a mysterious man named John Shooter appears on his doorstep accusing him of plagiarism by claiming that Mort has word-for-word had stolen a story he had written years before, and published it in the Ellery Queen Street Magazine. The identical stories were Mort’s â€Å"Secret Window† and Shooter’s â€Å"Sowing Season†.Shooter demands to Mort,† Fix it. Make it Right! † in a southern accent and proposed to re work the ending of the story. The intruder Sends increasingly persuasive signals that he means business, first putting a screwdriver through Mort’s Dog, then burning down the New York home where Amy lives with her new partner before progressing to brutal murder. The movie ends when Mort realizes that Shooter is only a figment of his imagination, reveals this to his wife, and later kills her and her lover with a shovel and buries them in a garden where he later plants a crop of corn.By nature writers are quirky people. While they may pay attention to the mundane details of life in a painful manner, they are of ten unaware of their own behavior. While in the pursuit of a story they may pace around as the rough idea of pages come to them, or sit for hours staring at the screen thinking of the next precise word. They have a tendency to snack constantly rather than break for a meal and to remain in the same dirty clothes rather than break for a shower. I know this behavior because as a writer I’ve done all of it at some point or another.That’s the first part of the psychological thriller â€Å"Secret Window† that made me sits up and takes notice – a writer named Mort Rainey. In the film â€Å"Secret Window†, directed by David Koepp, the theme of the double is used to represent the protagonist’s â€Å"dark side†. This was realized through the portrayal of Shooter as Stalker and the use of two different kinds of hats, Mort’s depression from the divorce, and the ending in Mort’s story â€Å"Secret Window†. Rooney claimed that â€Å"the story is a chronicle of a man becoming steadily disturbed, engaged in a bickering dialogue with himself and increasingly ruled by the demons in his head†.Mort’s emotional trauma from the divorce robbed him off his inspiration and put him in a state of worst writer’s block. His negative feeling’s formed an evil-like alter-ego, in the person of Shooter, which overshadowed his real persona. Shooter was part of himself as displayed by his behaviors in the movie. First, Shooter seemed to appear at bad times, to know everything about Mort’s life and to make his quest for the magazine harder. Shooter accused that Mort copied a story he has written a few years back and demanded that Mort fixed it. Mort promised to get a copy of the magazine where the story was published to know his innocence.However, Shooter was a violent, impatient man, stalking Mort and making increasingly worse things happen as the magazine failed to arrive. Mort eventually lo cated the magazine that would have proven he published â€Å"Secret Window† before Shooter wrote â€Å"Sowing Season† but the story had been cut out. Second, there were two hats used in the film. One was Mort’s Knit hat and the other was Shooter’s tall brimmed hat. The hat represented two different personas. Whenever Mort got up from his couch of depression to do something he put on his going-out knit hat.Shooter’s hat was kept at a distance at first but began to close in on Mort as the story progressed. When he actually placed the hat on his own head, the dark inner workings of his soul were revealed. The use of Shooter also demonstrated the high cost of marital infidelity and the kind of evil that can be unleashed when one person chooses to follow his sinful desires. It presented the aftermath of divorce and the kind of nightmare that it brings. Mort’s fascination with unending naps and liquors, as well as his tendency to walk around in hi s wife’s tattered bathrobe and sport a weird hairdo revealed longing for his wife.Also, Mort’s work â€Å"Secret Window† which Shooter claimed as plagiarized narrated the experience of a man who is betrayed by his wife, and decides to kill her and bury her in her beloved garden. When Mort finally realized that Shooter was only a fabrication of his imagination brought so vividly to life through undetected dissociative identity disorder to commit acts that Mort himself felt he could not commit, his concerned ex-wife tried to help him out but Mort was already overpowered by Shooter. He killed his wife and lover with a shovel and buried them in a garden where he later planted with corn.The movie’s ending was highlighted with Mort’s line â€Å"The Only thing that matters is the ending†¦and this one’s perfect†. The finale showed that the evil has won. The local sheriff told Mort that he knew about the murder and as soon as the bodies w ere found, Mort would pay for the crime. Mort nonchalantly ignored the threat because he knew that the ending of his story would be an impeccable culmination. His decision to plant, grow and consume corn from the garden where his ex-wife and her lover were buried meant that he was actually destroying all the evidence needed to implicate him with the crime.In my opinion, Depp is definitely the highlight of the movie, which is good since he’s the character the movie revolves around. In interacting with his ex-wife (Maria Bello) we can see the pain and the love he still holds for her. Rainey’s spats with her boyfriend Ted (Timothy Hutton) show his anger. Yet none of that holds a candle to his conversations with himself. Rainey spends at least a third of the film alone, but we never feel that he’s isolated. Out-of-nowhere quips and commentary about the situations Rainey finds himself in provide real depth to Rainey as a struggling writer.That is where the real geniu s of Depp’s work on this character comes from. I think the director David Koepp does an excellent job of bringing â€Å"Secret Window† to the screen. On the writing side he has taken a short story by Stephen King and created a strong and suspenseful plot, highlighted by complete and memorable characters as a solid base for his actors to work with. On the directorial side, he understands how a psychological thriller should work and makes his movie follow those rules. The movie builds just as a story of this type should and the audience is never ahead of the movie.But Perhaps, I think that the biggest problem with the movie is Turturro's awful turn as Mississippi hick John Shooter. There is nothing menacing or threatening about this guy, even after he starts taking revenge on Rainey. He is simply annoying. The scenes between Shooter and Rainey are excruciating because the novelist is so obviously unimpressed by the threats that there is no tension built between the two. The rest of the cast, including Charles S. Dutton, as a private investigator, and Timothy Hutton as Amy's lover, are completely wasted and seem to be just going through the motions of this flat thriller.The biggest problem, however, is that because there is no menace or tension built up throughout the picture, the ending, for all its obviousness, seems rather abrupt and wholly unmotivated and without cause. All in all, this movie is a great movie to watch and is sure to have the audiences at the edge of their seats. There’s always something going on in the movie which will have the audience glued at their screens. The Movie was a creation that aspired to arouse psychological enquiry as well as portray the dilemma within human nature which is the battle between good and evil.The plot of the movie was a subtle journey from the lead character’s emotional and psychological stresses caused by the two most common traumas in human experience – infidelity and betrayal. Mort’s hatred towards his wife’s cheating consumed his creativity and left him in a state of severe incapability to even come up with a single line for a story. These negative emotional factors brought into life a dark alter-ego Shooter, who became his companion in a sinister of events that led him to realizing that his stalker was actually a fiction of his mind.Koepp’s movie was helpful in portraying that a person’s self can actually be his greatest enemy. As human’s experience life and it’s varying degrees of complexities and stresses, a person has to deal with letting go off the past and moving on with the present to have a renewed view of the future. It is narration of how a person writes his personal story by making important decisions. Mort had a hard time doing this. The book of his life started with chaos and he ended it by choosing evil, which was basically more chaotic. Hence, this movie is sure to have the audience interested and I personally enjoyed watching this movie.