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Business phases

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Business

1. The phases, which are included in team development, need to be known. According to Bruce Tuckman, any group needs to develop and this occurs in four stages. During development of a group, there is a need to ensure that it operates well as it is being formed. The first stage is forming whereby, people have the need for acceptance and this means that they will do anything to avoid conflict and controversy. Each team member has a function, which benefits the team and how they can work to achieve their goals. It is a stage, which is extremely comfortable. The second stage is storming whereby; the addressed issues are important (Katzenbach& Smith, 2003. 45). At this stage, people are easily angered and are likely to confront each other. Culture plays an essential role in this stage. The third stage is norming whereby, tasks are made known to all the group members. Norming is affected by factors such as pressure, which constantly affects the group. In the fourth stage, the group members are capable of working on their own for the benefit of the group. In the work place, the soft skills, which are needed by employers, are team work, and attitude which is proactive, ability to solve problems, communication skill as well as being able to provide services.

2 .An example of a team, which I have participated in, is the one in school. All the students were expected to carry out a task in various groups. Each person was to contribute towards the group’s success. During the stage of formation, many problems occurred. The members did not get along well with each other. This is because some of them had personal differences with each other. After everyone was made known of their responsibilities, the group was more at ease. Everyone was aware of their responsibility towards the group.

3. Certain characteristics are associated with people in terms of the negative behaviors they express while in their teams. Such groups tend to have members who are constantly complaining. This means that they will often oppose the opinions of others as they believe theirs is better. These people, also, do not have any initiative and will often depend on others to do their own tasks. They rely much on other people rather than themselves (Seidman, 2007.23). They also do not have goals, which are clear. This in turn affects the other members of the group in that they make them lose focus. Output and productivity from them is extremely low and this may lead to dismal performance by the group as they are also being affected.

4. When I was a member of a team in class, there was one person who behaved in a negative manner. The task which the group was given was an assignment, which ensures that everyone had a specific task. The person with negative traits was constantly complaining. They believed that they had been given a hard task as compared to others. The person’s output during brainstorming was not rewarding. The team was affected by the behavior of the team member. The team’s morale was affected to the point whereby, a decision was made to remove the person from the team. This means that negative characteristics should not be allowed as they have negative consequences to others.

Work cited

Katzenbach, R. & Smith, K. (2003). The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization. New York: Harper Business Essentials.

Seidman, D. (2007). How: Why how we do anything means everything. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Business Innovation

Business Innovation

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Business Innovation

Executive Summary

The products department in Momentive Specialty Chemicals Company, which is based in the United States aims at developing a cosmetic which is all natural. Adding onto the aspect of the chemical being all natural is the aspect of lack of silicone in the cosmetic. The company is the most outstanding globally in the manufacturing and production of specialty chemicals among other materials it specializes with. Silicone is a gel that, from research and studies that have been conducted about it, could have adverse negative effects to the consumers of products that contain the chemical (Agrawal, 2013). The innovation is aimed at producing a cosmetic that is free of silicone and this is aimed at ensuring that the cosmetic would not have adverse after effects on the well being of customers (Sarah, 2006).

Business Model and Strategic Plan

Existing Business

Currently, Momentive Specialty Chemicals manufactures products that have silicone as one of the component compounds. The company does not produce its products with the chemical in it with the aim of causing any harm to the clients. The company produces products with silicone in order to ensure that the products that reach customers are in the best stature and improved forms as much as possible. Silicone is used as a key component in some of the company’s products for the following reasons; the product silicone plays a key role in modifying the surfaces of the products, enhancing the wetness and better spreading of products, enhancing the softness and improving conditioning of the products and enhancing foam control for the products of the company. Silicone is a key additive in helping achieve these objectives in manufacturing and the development of the company’s products currently (Sarah, 2006).

New Business Division

There being a new division in the company, it is the role of everyone in the division to ensure and see to it that the products of the company are improved and enhanced more. The new division aims at achieving the goal of developing cosmetics that have no silicon compound content in them. This aims to be achieved through the redefined vision and mission in the division which borrow a lot from the vision of the company (Armstrong, 1996).

The New division is highly determined to see to it that the products already being produced, which are not judged of being of poor quality are improved and enhanced in the next few years. Improvement is aimed at beginning with enhancement of the value of the products and the enhanced safety of the products to their end users and consumers.

The company’s vision is the utility of the available resources in seeing to it that as a world leader in the manufacture of chemicals, it embarks on innovativeness in enhancing the quality of their products. Improvement in the quality of the products of the company is aimed at ensuring the lives of consumers are improved and the wants or needs of the clients are met accordingly (Armstrong, 1996).

Business Model and Strategic Plan Part II

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is an important tool and guide that is meant at ensuring that opportunities and other aspects of a corporation or a business are in check. It serves as a guide on what ought to be improved and enhanced for better performance among other aspects

Strengths

Momentive is the global leader in the Chemical Industry and this gives it an upper hand if the cosmetic that has no traces of silicon is developed. The current wide consumer base gives the company the certainty that the product is more likely to be consumed once it is developed. This way, successful development of the product does not face a great risk. The company would easily influence consumption since it would be able to convince its customers on the fact that the new cosmetic is far much better and safer for the customers (Armstrong, 1996).

Momentive is a company that is financially stable. It is the global leader in the production and sales of chemicals. This translates to the fact that the company can be able to finance for research and development activities in a bid to develop cosmetics that are free of the product silicon. Lack of financial stability and strength is a factor that causes hardships and a barrier to the development of new products and services, especially small and medium sized companies (Armstrong, 1996).

Weaknesses

The greatest weakness in producing or manufacturing cosmetics that have zero component of the compound silicon is ensuring that the new cosmetics have exactly similar or better quality and characteristics that could have been attracting consumers when the chemical silicon was included in the end products. Other market players and competitors could exploit the opportunity and try to make consumers see and think that the company was selling poor quality products knowingly. This could greatly harm the reputation of the company and its products globally. The new cosmetics must be made the company to appear like new or reformed products but the negative aspect of silicon that was rid off not be included to be among the reasons for the new cosmetic products (Westhues, 2001).

The sales of the company could decrease rapidly or be affected in a big way if the new cosmetics to be developed are to take the place of already existing cosmetic products, that are being highly consumed and that are liked by customers. The already existent products definitely have the chemical silicon in them. Once the new products that are free of silicon are introduced, the fact that they lack silicon in them could make them lose certain characteristics. This could make the products to lose attractiveness by their consumers and consumption could reduce drastically. This could affect the goals and targets of the company in a great way in terms of sales (Armstrong, 1996).

Opportunities

Many producers and manufacturers of cosmetics always use silicon as a component chemical compound. Many of these companies can barely manufacture cosmetics that are void of this chemical compound. However, the compound is harmful to their consumers in many different ways. According to trends in the current day and age, people are concerned more about the safety of products they consume. If the company could be capable of producing products that have zero compounds of silicon, and the company explain it to the clients on the importance of using the cosmetic that is free of silicon, then it is expected that there being no other silicon free cosmetics, it would be much easier to attract a wider global consumer base since many consumers would prefer t consume products with no silicon compounds in them (Westhues, 2001).

Many governments in the world have been banning cosmetics that are likely to affect the health of their consumers. This way, many countries have a deficiency of cosmetics. The innovation and subsequent development and manufacturing of products that have no silicon components in them is expected to attract support of governments and greater access to customers globally (Agrawal, 2013).

Threats

The greatest threat to the development of the new product is if it the innovation fails to produce cosmetics that are suitable enough and meet the standards that customers require. Failure to meet the requirements of customers could affect consumption and subsequent sales by the company. This would be dangerous for continued growth and development of thee company globally.

Technological advancements in the modern day and age are also a big threat. Through the application of advanced technologies, other cosmetic companies would easily develop products at greater ease and costs while Momentive invests a lot of its capital in research and development of silicon free cosmetics. If other companies apply technology, the cost of their products would be much lower and production would be more efficient hence beating the company in terms of sales (Westhues, 2001).

Environmental Analysis

Failure to use silicon chemical compound in the manufacture and subsequent development of the company’s products is aimed at reducing and cutting on the company’s contribution towards environmental pollution and degradation. The company aims at in every way possible; reduce the amount of environmental damage caused by the operations of the company. The company aims at enhancing and promoting sustainability and promoting environmental conservation as much as possible.

Business Model and Strategic Plan Part III

Assumptions

There is a strong belief that though there has previously been no cosmetic products’ lacking the compound silicon, the development of products with no silicon will be a dream come true at Momentive. The new product is also expected to have no negative effects and impacts on the skin of consumer. It is also assumed that a shift by consumers from using cosmetic products that have silicon to those that do not have the chemical component is to be smooth and with little or no hurdles or negative impacts in anhy given way (Agrawal, 2013).

Risks

The sales of the company are highly at stake. Failure to have a smooth transition would mean that it would be harder and more complicated for consumers to turn round and back to using the old products. The company would also not turn back to old products since it would make consumers to have little trust in the company.

Summary of Strategic Objectives

The new cosmetic products with little or zero content of silicon are the primary goal of the new innovation. The new product has a long term objective of building and enhancing the trust of customers in the company’s products and ensuring that the consumers of the company’s products are safe from any health hazard that could be as a result of silicon content or traces in their cosmetic products. The new cosmetic products are expected to have better reception by customers who will feel safer as they use the new products.

Conclusion

The new cosmetic products that are expected to be free of the chemical product silicon are meant to be an innovation that is a key objective in the company’s vision and goals. The company aims at embarking on innovation in product development to ensure that the developed products suit the needs of their customers.

References

Agrawal, N. (2013). “Silicone-induced granuloma after injection for cosmetic purposes: A rare entity of calcitriol-mediated hypercalcemia”. Case Reports in Medicine .

Armstrong, M. (2006). A handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page .

Armstrong, M. (1996). Management Processes and Functions. London.

Menon, A. (1999). “Antecedents and Consequences of Marketing Strategy Making”. Journal of Marketing .

Sarah, K. (2006). Silicone’s scary side effects. SALON .

Westhues, A. (2001). “A SWOT analysis of social work education in Canada”. The International Journal .

Bureaucracy and You

Bureaucracy and You

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Bureaucracy and You

There are many ways through, which the United States federal government regulates the lives of people. It mostly takes place in the form of the federal bureaucracy. The latter is involved in regulation, administration and implementation, and they are considered as being the most vital functions of the federal bureaucracy. When congress passes a law, they have to be put into practice as policies, and this is known as implementation. Administrative discretion has to be used by the federal bureaucracy as various implications are raised. Certain times, the risk of criticism from congress, the president, as well as from interest groups is inevitable. This means that certain foods are allowed into the country while others are not. The other function is of an administration nature, which is similar to that of an office, as its nature is routine based (Shmoop, 2011).

The other functions, as part of the administration role, include; conducting tests, permit issuing and fees collection. The administrative tasks should not be questioned as a policy goal implementation is the work of a federal bureaucracy. The public is given regulations and rules through the power of the federal bureaucracy. Regulations refer to state and federal programs that operate under certain rules. It is through rule making that the enactment of the administrative process occurs. Specialized agencies are given the power to formulate regulations and rules as congress does not have technical knowledge and time. An example of a specialized agency in charge of television and radio networks is the Federal Communications Commission (Shmoop, 2011). This means that programs that American watch and listens to are regulated by this agency. The federal bureaucracy is also in charge of government corporations, and examples include Amtrak, U.S. Postal Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The latter were formed to take charge of services in the private sector. Lastly, the other role of the federal bureaucracy is to be in charge of independent executive agencies. This means that it acts under the power and will of the American president.

This means that there are many sectors through, which the federal government, affects the lives of American. The regulated activity that surprises me most is that bureaucrats cannot question administrative functions of the federal bureaucracy. For example, the personnel at immigration give permits to immigrants allowing them to work in the United States. This is despite the fact that it might endanger the immigration policy at should be outlawed as immigrants with evil intentions might have their way in the United States. I was least surprised by the fact that the federal bureaucracy is in charge of issuing permits for businesses. This is because the government has the authority of regulating the businesses that take place in the United States (Shmoop, 2011).

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has its roots in the year 1848, and the pioneer is known as Lewis Caleb. It was a federal agency responsible for consumer protection. The introduction of a Pure Food and Drugs Act took place in the year 1906. In turn, for many years, there has been a need to ensure that the market place is favorable for consumers. This is because there have been several instances of problems concerning drugs and foods. The FDA ensures that it regulates various sectors of the economy that are associated with public health. They include; dietary supplements, food safety, blood transfusions, and tobacco products, among others. FDA also has vetted areas in other sectors that are not drugs or food. Apart from that, there are other agencies that are under the regulation of the FDA, such as Office of Compliance, Office of New Drugs, and Botanical review team, among others.

Recently it has come up with new regulations concerning the marketing of certain products in America. The regulation is applicable to sunscreen products, which are sold over the counter. This is in the year 2011, in the month of June, and the sunscreen products are non prescription. The reason for coming up with new regulations is because of the constant changes concerning the effectiveness and safety of the sunscreen products. The new regulation can be found in regulatory documents that are four in number. They include; Draft Guidance for Industry, Proposed Rule Making, an Advance Notice and A Final Rule (Burgess, 2011).

Its recent press release was for the purposes of ensuring that issues on sunscreen are known by the American public. The information is vital as it can prevent people from aging early, and skin cancer is drastically reduced. The FDA requires that consumers are provided with information regarding the sunscreen products that they are using. This means that the products should be clearly labeled to reduce the negative impacts of using sunscreen. Also, the sunscreen products will be tested to ensure that the broad spectrum and UVB rays’ spectrum are labeled. This is because the latter elements are known to cause skin cancer and sunburn. A lot is being done by the FDA to ensure that all sunscreen products in the United States are made using safe ingredients. By the year 2012, the new regulations will be put into action according to the FDA. It mostly focuses on sunscreen companies with earnings that are not above $25,000 (Burgess, 2011).

The FDA is extremely compelling, and there are two aspects that fascinate me a lot. Medical maggots were produced by Dr. Sherman Ronald after he obtained permission from the FDA. The maggots are beneficial as medical prescriptions and for animal and human use. It is intriguing to know that the FDA is involved in such a crucial matter that can assist in treating diseases that affect human beings. The other fascinating fact that I have learnt about the FDA is that it has ventured into other countries such as Chile, India, China, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Costa Rica. This is because the FDA is supposedly meant to be American, yet it has imposed itself in other countries. It is extremely ironical that some drugs and foods it bans are from the mentioned countries, yet it has regulations in those countries. It seems that the FDA is not withstanding in its efforts to ensure that governments are aware of drugs and foods that are not safe. In deed, the work of the FDA is extremely crucial as it ensures that consumers are protected from the sale of harmful products. The Federal bureaucracy is another regulator that serves the needs of American citizens (Burgess, 2011).

References

Givel, Michael. (2005). Philip Morris’ FDA Gambit: Good for Public Health? Journal of Public Health Policy, 26, 450-468.

Burgess, Shelly. (2011). FDA Announces changes to Better Inform Consumers about Sunscreen.FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm258940.htm” http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm258940.htm

Shmoop. (2011) Federal Bureaucracy: Shmoop Civics Guide. New York: Shmoop University Press.

Bulimia According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, by Marissa Cevello, (2011.1),

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Bulimia

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, by Marissa Cevello, (2011.1), people should blame their addiction to food on the brain. There are surges in the brain of a chemical nature, and they affect how people respond to their food. Furthermore, this addiction is similar to that of drugs or alcohol, and this is according to scientists. Studies done at Yale University provide evidence that people can become addicted to food. When the brain of women was observed, the results provided a lot of meaningful information (Cevallos, 2011.1). Cravings are governed by surging parts of the brain located in curbs that are at the centre of the brain. There are disputes, which exist concerning binge eating, and it should be classified as a psychiatric disorder. Other psychologists believe that it is should be in the same category as bulimia and anorexia. The latter is according to the diagnostic manual used by professionals. Women and Men will at one point in their lives suffer from eating disorders. The statistics of for this fact is at 2% for the latter, and 3.5% for the former. This means that they will engage in binge eating, also have some of its symptoms (Cevallos, 2011.1).

The article in the Archives of General Psychiatry Journal shows that there are different brain activity patterns in healthy women, and those who have bulimia nervosa. The researchers are professors at the Columbia University. These findings are evident when women are engaged in self regulated tasks. Impulsive behaviors and binge eating are known to be the cause of this abnormality (Marsh, R. Et Al, 2009.52). An automatic response in the brain of healthy people is self regulatory. They tend to be aware of conflicting information and give it a lot of attention. On the other hand, those who have bulimia nervosa are often in a difficult position when they confronted with information, which is conflicting. They tend to have fast responses, impulsivity and likely to make many mistakes. The researches findings prove that it is easy to find a cure to bulimia nervosa, as its causes are extremely evident (Marsh, R. Et Al, 2009.52).

There are two methods, which help psychologists to know the credibility of research and articles that have been published. They latter is possible through critical thinking and the use of the scientific method. The article found in the Archives of General Psychiatry journal is credible, as well as being peer reviewed. It has been accepted by scientists, as well as certified organizations to be true. Furthermore, research was carried out by qualified and well learned people. In order to arrive at their conclusion, they had a group of women selected as population to be studied. The researchers have first hand information concerning their study and if anyone has any doubts they have the needed evidence. The other article by Mellissa is not credible as she used critical thinking, in order to persuade her readers. Furthermore, it is not peer reviewed by any credible source; this is in contrast to the other article whereby the researchers are known. She refers to her sources as scientists, but their real identities are not known. She wants to persuade people to accept the information that she has provided. Her article is not critical because did not carry out scientific research, nor used that approach.

Work Cited

Marsh, R. Et Al. HYPERLINK “http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19124688?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum” Deficient Activity in the Neural Systems That Mediate Self-regulatory Control in Bulimia Nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry. 66, 1, (2009):51–63.

Cevallos, Mellissa. If food addiction exists, blame the brain ,not the cookies, The Los Angeles Times, Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/05/news/la-heb-food-addiction-20110405” http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/05/news/la-heb-food-addiction-20110405, November 26 2011.

Tides and celestial mechanics

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Tides and celestial mechanics

Role of celestial mechanics in relation to tides

The customary rise and fall in sea levels globally is a phenomenon known as tides. Studies in the field of celestial mechanics have shown that tides come about as a result of the collective gravitational forces exerted by the movement of these three celestial bodies; the sun, moon and the earth. Fitzpatrick points out that celestial mechanics apply principles from physics and classical mechanics to come up with quantifiable, workable data on the mechanics of tides (p.5). Isaac Newton came up with the theory of universal gravitation, citing the gravitational forces of celestial bodies as the cause of tides. Pierre-Simon Laplace later came up with the partial differential Laplace tidal equations which are still currently in use (Fitzpatrick, p. 7). The tide-generating force resulting from differential field of lunar gravity is the major mechanism resulting in the equipotent two daily tides. The tidal oscillations result in dissipation, majorly through oceanic tide movements.

The role of tides as a tide generating force

Denny and Paine describe tide generating forces as the force produced as a result of a combination of gravitational forces of attraction between the sun, moon and earth; and the forces resulting from the rotation of the moon around the earth and the earth’s rotation around the system. As discussed earlier, this is the main force that generates tides on the ocean surfaces. The combination of these two forces results in a deformation of ocean surfaces, which in turn give the earth an elliptical appearance (p. 2). The bulges at opposite ends of the earth result from one force pulling towards the moon and the other pulling away from the moon. Celestial mechanics explain the different roles each of the bodies involved play in relation to tide generating forces. The earth and moon rotate on the barycenter, along their respective center of mass (Denny and Paine, p. 6). This provides centripetal force which maintains this motion. However, since the moon is much closer to the earth, its’ gravitational force field has a much stronger variation compared to that of the sun.

The role of celestial mechanics in relation to the four principle harmonic constants

Further developments in celestial mechanics provided scientists and other experts in that field with the ability to predict tidal behavior in a particular place. This study and prediction is made possible through the analysis of harmonic constants. Casotto and Biscani explain that the principle of harmonic constant analysis was improved upon by A. T. Doodson. He developed the system allowing production of tide generating potential (TGP) in harmonic form. This in turn allowed scientists to point out the different harmonic constants involved in the production of TGP (p. 23). Celestial mechanics facilitates a platform for the analysis of the principal harmonic constants. Thus allowing them the ability to predict tidal behavior based on the various tidal constituents.

Tidal data collection requirements to determine tidal levels

In determining tidal levels, the oceanographer requires some critical information which makes it possible for him to compute and come up with the information providing answers as to the tidal levels. These different pieces of information are referred to as the tidal constituents. They include the: principal lunar semidiurnal constituent; principal solar semidiurnal constituent; larger lunar elliptic semidiurnal constituent; luni-solar declinational diurnal constituent; lunar declinational diurnal constituent. These are the major tidal constituents that are computed together with other relevant data to determine tidal levels and other tidal features such as tidal ranges and amplitude differences between different waves according to Brumberg (p.68).

Works cited

Brumberg, V. Essential relativistic Celestial Mechanics. Adam Hilger, Bristol, 2008

Casotto, S. and Biscani, F. A fully analytical approach to the harmonic development of the tide-generating potential accounting for precession, nutation, and perturbations due to figure and planetary terms. AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy. 2004

Denny, Mark W., and Robert T. Paine. “Celestial mechanics, sea-level changes, and intertidal ecology.” The Biological Bulletin 194.2 (1998): 108-115.

Fitzpatrick, Richard. An introduction to celestial mechanics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

The Clinton Presidency

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The Clinton Presidency

Bill Clinton is remembered for the many accomplishments achieved during his two terms as president between the year 1993 and 2001. However, the terms were also marked by controversies that left their marks on President Clinton’s legacy. He made history as the 42nd president of the United States, with extensive reforms in the economy, healthcare, and education under his belt. Some of the setbacks include incarceration policies in the federal crime bill of 1994, devastating welfare reforms and destroying the manufacturing sector by signing trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement.

On the economic front, Clinton set records with his policies called Clintonomics. During his eight years as president, the United States experienced an economic growth averaging 4 percent a year. At the time he took office in 1993, the country had deficits of 290 billion dollars. President Clinton’s administration achieved the unimaginable under projections of ballooning deficits; in 2003, the country had a surplus of 236 billion dollars (Tomasky). During Clinton’s tenure, the country’s unemployment rates also fell from 7 to 4 percent by the end of his presidency. Poverty rates also dropped by the most significant margins in thirty years. On the educational front, the Clinton administration doubled federal investment in education, improved access to technology, and made higher education more affordable.

Despite all the positives that President Clinton managed to achieve, his leadership was not without setbacks. One of the areas in which the former president failed is in fighting crime. He is famously known for the three strikes law in addition to prison sentences even for non-violent offenders (Tomasky). These policies led to mass incarceration, a fact that he later expressed regret for. Another area of failure for President Clinton is welfare reforms that allowed states to decide how funds would be allocated and eligibility of recipients. It is essential to realize that despite these failures, President Clinton still managed to make history in other areas.

Works Cited

Tomasky, Michael. Bill Clinton: The American Presidents Series: The 42nd President, 1993-2001. Macmillan, 2017.

Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion

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Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion

All human beings go through periods of challenges such as grief and stress and require the support of those around them to navigate such tough times. When we are around people that we know are struggling, we tend to be empathetic, sympathetic, and or compassionate. Although these three times are used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Empathy, sympathy, and compassion are natural emotions elicited by the suffering and grief of those around us. The level of emotions that people show depends on various factors such as previous experiences, relationships, and emotional intelligence. To understand these differences, it is crucial to understand the meaning of each of these words and how they are applied. This paper focuses on the definition of the terms from various perspectives and how to apply them in different situations.

Tchiki Davis gives a comprehensive definition of empathy, sympathy, and compassion in an article published in Psychology Today. She defines empathy as the feeling that one can deeply understand another’s pain due to shared experience. On the other hand, sympathy refers to feelings of pity or sadness for others going through a tough time (Davis 1). Sympathy does not involve any shared experience. Compassion has a much broader definition as it is more of an attitude that a person possesses or cultivates. Compassion involves caring for others who may be far from us; for example, donating to a charitable cause in a different country shows compassion. Nurses and other healthcare workers practice compassion in caring for the sick, both physically and emotionally.

Sickness is a natural and painful part of life, and the concepts of empathy, sympathy, and compassion are especially useful from this perspective. Sinclair et al. conducted a study to examine the attitudes of cancer patients in palliative care regarding empathy, sympathy, and compassion. Cancer is a serious illness that takes a significant toll on a patient’s life. They go through difficult treatments that wear down their bodies and their spirit and need a lot of care through all this. The patients involved in the study gave their understanding of these concepts and which they felt were most useful to them. The patients described sympathy as a response of pity to a difficult situation, intended for the benefit of the observer rather than the patient. The participants reported that sympathy was largely unwanted. Empathy was reported as a more positive response characterized by the desire to understand the patient’s suffering through an emotional connection (Sinclair et al. 438). Compassion was quite similar to empathy, with additional qualities such as altruism, love, and acts of kindness.

Although people tend to think of empathy, sympathy, and compassion in terms of pain and suffering, these concepts apply in an array of situations. Forbes magazine published an article that focuses on the application of these ideas in business. The article explains that sympathy is about acknowledging the feelings of others, although it involves a level of detachment from the situation (Kramer 1). Empathy, on the other hand, involves taking on the feelings of others, resulting in an intense emotional reaction. Empathy is about walking in another person’s shoes and seeing things from their perspective. Both of these qualities can be cultivated deliberately, for example, by choosing to see things from different perspectives that may be different from one’s own. The article explains that these emotions are helpful for businesses to understand the needs and wants of their customers.

My understanding of empathy, sympathy, and compassion reflects the authors of the articles described above. I find empathy to be the most effective and supportive emotion for those going through adverse situations. For example, when a person gets diagnosed with cancer, one may offer support through either of the three concepts. A person who has previously been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition would be empathetic as they have gone through the same situation. They can understand the emotions of the patient. Any other person can offer sympathy as it is natural to feel pity for the patient, knowing the rough road ahead after their diagnosis. Compassion, in this case, takes many forms. The cancer patient will need the care of doctors, nurses, other professionals, and volunteers, all of whom show compassion. They may not be directly involved with the patient, but they show their care in different ways.

Understanding sympathy, empathy, and compassion is essential in everyday life. Armed with a deep understanding of these concepts, we can choose the best way to offer support to those going through tough times. Some people will feel better when they know someone has gone through the same situation, while others appreciate expressions of sympathy from those who may not profoundly understand their situation. These concepts allow people to support each other during trying times and offer support and comfort to those suffering in different ways.

In summary, it is natural to feel the desire to comfort people going through a hard time, but one must find the best way to do this. Showing empathy, sympathy, and compassion are some of the best ways to show support, depending on the situation. With a clear understanding of the three, we can judge which best applies to a specific situation. All of these offer great support and comfort to those who need it when properly executed.

Works Cited

Davis, Tchiki. “Sympathy vs. Empathy.” Psychology Today. 14 July 2020. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202007/sympathy-vs-empathyKramer, Bryan. “The Critical Difference Between Sympathy And Empathy.” Forbes. 13 August 2018. www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/08/13/the-critical-difference-between-sympathy-and-empathy/?sh=33464c2c16a3Sinclair, Shane, et al. “Sympathy, empathy, and compassion: A grounded theory study of palliative care patients’ understandings, experiences, and preferences.” Palliative medicine 31.5 (2017): 437-447.

SWOT Analysis Toyota Prius

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SWOT Analysis: Toyota Prius

Many companies use the SWOT matrix to allow them to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that they face. This strategic planning tool is essential for a business looking to become successful because it increases awareness of the things they should and should not do. If a company or business fails to analyze any plans using the SWOT analysis, there is potential for failure. Companies can identity their competitors and their points of advantage and use these for their benefit. Strengths and weaknesses usually refer to internal factors, while opportunities and strengths apply to factors outside the business. Toyota is one of the leading car manufacturers in the world, with several models under its name. One of these models is the Toyota Prius that has been in production since 1997. A SWOT analysis is essential in weighing the successes of the Prius as well as identifying shortcomings and areas of improvement.

With carbon emissions from motor vehicles reaching worrying levels, the Toyota Prius is one of several environmentally friendly cars. It was first produced in the year 1997 and has since gained popularity around the world, mainly because of its low levels of emissions. The first Prius model was a four-door sedan, but from 2003 Toyota switched production to a four-door liftback. The Prius was the first hybrid electric vehicle to be sold in worldwide markets, with the United States and Japan being the main markets (Halbright & Dunn 12). The main point of attraction for the Toyota Prius is its hybrid characteristic that comes in handy as the world seeks to reduce carbon emissions from automobiles. The Prius remains the top-selling hybrid vehicle in the world, with more than 6 million units sold around the world as of January 2017.

Strengths and weaknesses in the SWOT matrix relate to internal factors within a company or business. The Toyota Prius has several strengths. The first of these is the environmentally-conscious features of the vehicle, which reduce carbon emission compared to other vehicles in the market (Doll 31). The other strength of the Toyota Prius is the elegant interiors of the model, as well as the revolutionary exterior. People like to have a nice-looking vehicle, and the Prius meets the aesthetical expectations of customers. The Toyota Prius is also extremely fuel-efficient, a feature that helps it consume lower amounts of fuel with distance compared to other automobiles in the market. Fuel efficiency contributes to lower levels of emission. Another strength for the Prius is its popularity, having sold over six million units worldwide. The Toyota Prius also boasts of three driving modes that the driver can choose from based on their needs. These modes are for fuel efficiency, smooth performance, and low emissions (Prokhorov 461). Finally, Toyota has invested in branding and advertising for the Prius, increasing its awareness and popularity in the market. There are two main points of weakness for the Toyota Prius. The first one is its higher price relative to other car models that use petrol. Being a hybrid model, the Prius is also costlier to maintain compared to other models, and this proves to be a disadvantage.

On the external front, the Toyota Prius has several opportunities as well as threats. The first opportunity is the first-mover advantage. The Prius was the first hybrid vehicle to be introduced; thus, the model stands to benefit from its market share, resources, and popularity. The second opportunity for the Toyota Prius is the augmentation of distribution and servicing (Halbright & Dunn 35). Toyota should increase the number of distributors across the world to make sure that the Prius is available and that customers are aware of it. Toyota should also take advantage of collaborations with other automobile businesses in the distribution of the model as well as associated services. Such collaborations will increase the presence of the Prius brand in the market. The high maintenance costs of the Prius proves to be a threat to the model because customers prefer lower maintenance costs. Another possible threat for the Toyota Prius is that several other companies have begun to produce hybrid models with better features and also lower prices. Such a situation threatens the market presence of the Prius as customers look for the cheapest hybrid model with similar or even better features.

To make the Prius even more successful with the increasing competition, Toyota should work on converting weaknesses to strengths and threats into opportunities. One of the points of weakness is the higher prices compared to vehicles that use petrol. This can be converted into a strength by aggressive advertising. People are becoming more aware of global warming and how individuals can contribute to its reduction. The Prius should be advertised as a personal contribution to the fight against carbon emissions, and customers will be willing to pay more for a hybrid vehicle if it means saving the planet (Doll 52). One significant threat to the Toyota Prius is the entry of new hybrid vehicles into the market with more innovative features and lower price points. To convert this into an opportunity, Toyota should invest in newer technologies that are more efficient and add new features into their model. The company should also take advantage of economies of scale in production and try to make the Toyota Prius as cheap as possible. These conversions will help Toyota gain a competitive advantage in the market over its competitors.

Works Cited

Doll, Claus. “Innovation in vehicle technology–The case of hybrid electric vehicles.” DIME International Conference’Innovation, sustainability and policy. 2008.

Halbright, Rudi, and Max Dunn. “Case Study: The Toyota Prius.” Managerial Marketing (2010).

Prokhorov, Danil V. “Toyota Prius HEV neurocontrol and diagnostics.” Neural Networks 21.2-3 (2008): 458-465.

Spiral Essay Assignment

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Spiral Essay Assignment

Art uses a lot of symbols to represent different messages. The symbols are used so that the message to be conveyed is not too noticeable but requires the person looking at it to think of a deeper meaning behind it. The symbols are also quite aesthetic and capture the attention of people looking at them. Art symbols stimulate the creative senses and inspire a person to think of what the symbol or picture might represent. Art is an integral part of life that allows people to showcase their creative side and present their message in a way that is profound yet simple at the same time. For this assignment, symbol D represents the continuity and different seasons of life.

Spirals have circles that originate from a central point and flow outwards much like the ripples in a body of water. The three spirals in image D flow into each other showing that they are continuous and endless. It is challenging to start where one ends, and the other begins. The symbol is a sign of life. Human life begins at birth which is the central point in the spirals. As the spiral grows outwards, it is a sign of how a human being also grows through their various stages in life. Growth is measured by an increase in age as well as the experiences that a person undergoes in their life. A human being grows not only in the physical sense but also in the emotional and spiritual sense.

The trispiral signifies the different seasons that define human life. A person goes through many different seasons such as grief, happiness, loss, sickness, wealth, poverty and these all flow into each other without any end. The trispiral shows that all the seasons of human life are interconnected and they come together as a whole to define who the human person is. It is also a sign of immortality. The symbol has no discernible beginning or end, and it can be interpreted to represent the invincibility of the human spirit. Despite the many changes that we go through in life, the spiral indicates that we are growing to greater heights. There is no end to the resilience that a person has in the face of adversity.

The trispiral has a lot of significance to the experiences in my life as well as the lives of other people. First, the tri-spiral indicates the passage of time. Since I was born, many years have passed and the bigger the circle, the more time has passed for a person. The spiral also emphasizes the evolution and growth that I have undergone in my life. At the time of birth, I was a tiny person, but with time I grew into a toddler, a young child, a teenager and eventually a grown person. Sometimes I wonder about the future but life happens in stages, and I have accepted that I will gain more experience as each scene unfolds.

Aside from physical growth, the spirals indicate emotional and spiritual growth. In my life, I have gone through many challenges that I believe have made me more mature emotionally and spiritually. I have lost some people that were very close to me, and the process of grief was excruciating. In hindsight, I realize that the process made me stronger and I can now deal with even the most painful situations and accept that I will come out on the other side. This can encourage any other person who is going through a season of pain and suffering in their life. In the same way that the spiral gives way to a bigger one, the experiences we go through will eventually pave the way for better days. Being a spiritual person, I have faced several challenges that have made me a better and stronger person.

Human life has different seasons that flow into each other without a definite beginning or end. The trispirals are all interconnected to show that life is a set of experiences that flow into each other. This form of art symbols has helped me to reflect on my own life and interpret the things I have been through positively. I realize now that everything we go through, whether good or bad, will pass so that we can move onto other things. The spiral art has given me an interesting perspective on mundane happenings in my life. Art is a simple way to make sense of life, and this has definitely been one such exercise for me.

Sony Corp

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Sony Corp

Years back, Sony Corp was among the most profitable companies, but its stock price plummeted to $18 in 2012, just a fraction of its competitor’s prices. There are several factors attributed to this drastic change in Sony’s fortune. The prominent ones include its slow pace in adapting new technologies concerning the internet and new software in the market, acquisition of unrelated businesses, too many related products and reluctance of engineers and departments to work together. To deal with its financial problems and regain profit margins, Sony has to address these significant areas.

First, the company should hire new employees with experience in the area of internet-based products such as online games. Sony’s employees probably worked there for years and may have gotten comfortable with the old model of doing things. In today’s world, everything revolves around the internet, and Sony should get people familiar with the competitive nature of the business. Second, Sony should narrow down its range of products to avoid confusing customers. Having one company with competing products makes little sense, and the customers will be confused about which product to choose. The company should focus on selected products and ensure customer satisfaction.

In addition to this, Sony should sell off some of its unrelated business acquisitions. Such business such as chemicals takes away from the core business by diverting attention and resources that Sony should focus on its core products for which it is known in the market. The issue of reluctance among workers to cooperate is another major factor to the company’s dwindling fortunes. To deal with this, the company should come up with ways to encourage cooperation such as team building. Top management should also find out why there is reluctance, and if necessary, employees unwilling to work with others should be let go to ensure a spirit of cooperation within Sony.