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What is a project organization

What is a project organization

1.What is a project organization?

Solution:A project organization is an association formed for a common purpose to deliver project related programs systematically.A project organization specializes in human elements i.e they may have various verticals pertaining to a certain project.The diferent types of projects handled required expertise in the fields of functional, product line, geographical location, production process and type of customer.The project organization can be a part of an organization like new product development handled by an official.These organizations have a matrix structure.The projects are assigned to the functional department which has the resources to develop the project.

The major advantages of a project organization are :Maximum flexibility in the use of staff

Individual experts can be utilized by many different projects

Specialist in the division can be grouped to share knowledge and experience

Functional division serves as a base of technological continuity

Functional division contains normal of advancement

High level of commitment

Ability to take swift decisions

The major disadvantages of a project organization are:

Duplication of effort

Stockpile equipment and technical assistance “just in case”

Lack of expertise in high technology project

Foster inconsistency and cutting corners

Project takes on a life of its own

Worry about “life after project ends”

2. How must an operations strategy integrate with marketing and accounting?

Answer:Operations strategy must have a clear information flow from the verticals like marketing and accounting.Marketing will give an idea of the demand and can give valuable information on the tastes and prefernces of the customers.They can give data on the various usages of the products which will allow the company to devise a strategy in their operations.Also the use of data can be used to bring about new developments In the product in the product life cycle.This information flow can reduce costs as reworking or incorrect product specifications can be easily modified.It also helps in forecasting the demand of the products in the markets.The marketing vertical contributes to the improvement of the supply chain of the company and allows it to supply better goods and services thus recognizing the voice of the customer.

Accounting can play a vital role in the streamlining of the operations strategies and understand the painpoints.It can gives us a detailed view of the value chain and the amount of value added in every step.It will also provde us with the costs associated and this data will help us to evaluate a strategy.The costs incurred in various stages can be used to identify bottlenecks in the system and thus improve upon them.

3. Why should one study operations management?

Ans:Operations management deals with the entire functionalities of an enterprise.It is the association of all the functional groups in an enterprise to produce goods and services.We study operations management to align the objectives of the workforce to that of the vision and goals of an organization.Operations management holds its value as it provides us knowledge about the development of goods,the various resources attached to production and the end –to-end solutions of providing a value proposition to a customer.It also teaches us the functions of the various verticals in an industry and how they interact with operations.Operations management is not only about operations,it provides a strategic advantage to those enterprises who strictly adhere to the principles thus delivering quality and quantity to customers.It is a very integral part of an organization and shows the way to efficient management of processes.This enhances the competitive nature of the organization and allows the enterprise to follow the best practices prevalent in the domain.This increases the profitability of an organization and ensures that it invests in new business segments or improves the existing processes.Operations management also opens up the field of a lucrative job opportunity as operations managers which are very necessary for an enterprise.It throws light on the abilities and responsibilities required to become a manager.

4. How does an OM strategy change during a product’s life cycle?

Ans:The product lifecycle consists of the following stages:

Introduction:This is the stage where the first mover advantage can come into play if the firm has a better research and development advantage.It is the best time to increase the market share of the product.The OM strategy during this period will be based on the product development and design which can undergo frequent changes due to the customer demands.As product design changes and with that process changes are critical this might lead to shorter production runs and high production costs may be incurred.So we will have limited number of models but quality is of utmost importance in this stage.

Growth:This is the stage where the brand grows and price and quality changes occur.The OM strategies will be highly dependent on the capacity of the plant and this will be determined by the forecasting ability of the enterprise.The product and process reliability will determine the competitiveness of the product.The shift from research towards distribution of the product happens in this stage.

Maturity:This is the time when the product has already been in the market for much of its lifecycle so it is quite difficult to change its image,price and quality.More attention is given to hold market share and ward off competition by pricing strategies.The OM strategie will be to reduce rapid product changes and to operate at optimum capacity.Product improvement and cost cutting becomes an important part with long production runs and increased process stability.

Decline:In this stage the product is at the end of its lifecycle so cost control is effective.The OM strategies adopted will be cost minimization with overcapacity in the industry.The capacity will be reduced and cutting down on low margin items with little product differentiation.

5. Mass customization and rapid product development were identified in our readings as current trends in modern manufacturing operations. What is the relationship, if any, between these trends? Explain how delayed differentiation plays into this concept. Can you cite any examples?

Ans: The key objective in masscustomization is to design products that can be rapidly customized to satisfy a variety of different requirements. While the notion of mass-customization has increased the capabilities of organizations to satisfy diverse customer needs, the costs for masscustomization are considerably higher than those for mass production.During rapid product development the product development cycles as well as product life cycles will be extremely short relative to mass production.Large number of products will be developed but they will be customizable according to the customer needs.

To mass customize a product the differentiation is postponed until the latest possible point in the supply network,this is known as delayed differentiation. In order to increase efficiency and responsiveness, companies must integrate product designs, manufacturing and logistics processes and supply network. Therefore, delayed differentiation for mass customization requires appropriate product design, processes and supply network.

Examples are Dell and HP.These two companies followed standardization of assemblies and parts and deferred the differentiation late in the manufacturing process.

HP for example made different printers for various market needs,so they started producing standard printers and added power supply and documentation just before delivery(delayed differentiation).So instead of using two power sources it used an universal power source thus realizing cost savings of 5% annually.

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It was a pleasure to meet you this afternoon.

It was a pleasure to meet you this afternoon.

1.02.2021

Miami-Dade Police Department

9105 NW 25th St.

Doral, FL 33172.Dear Rommel,

It was a pleasure to meet you this afternoon. I sincerely appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to discuss the available Criminal Justice Officer position at Miami Dade Police Department. I enjoyed learning about Miami-Dade Police Department as an essential service provider and the leading police department, its mission statement and its expansion and strategic plans to serve the people better.

As discussed in the interview I have extensive experience in Criminal Justice and law enforcement including working with law enforcement in the key areas of the field. My proficient computer skills and ethical leadership coupled with great communication, problem solving and critical thinking has allowed me to make notable accomplishments in my career. The accomplishments include the specific awards I have earned in my career. Given my proven record of success, commitment to quality and leadership capabilities, I’m confident that I will be an important asset to Miami-Dade Police Department and contribute immensely to the achievement of the goals you defined in the meeting.

Thank you again for your time and attention. I’m looking forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps in the interview process. Please contact me if you require any additional information regarding my application.

Sincerely,

Daniel Salhuana.

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Nakumatt Organizational sustainability

Nakumatt Organizational sustainability

1.0 Introduction

NAKUMATT is one of the world’s leading household goods provider. It has expanded its business to many countries and implemented the hybrid strategy at the business level offering economic and innovative products to the global consumers. The standardization of production and the one-suit-for-all business model allows NAKUMATT to control its costs effectively and the global supply chain facilitates its implementation of the hybrid strategy. As the result, the company has achieved good financial performance and sustainability. Even impacted by the 2008 international financial crisis, NAKUMATT made good performance. Business success of NAKUMATT is due to a variety of reasons. Innovations, optimization of internal process, and customer orientation are major reasons contributing to NAKUMATT’s leadership in the global furnishing industry. In fact, the increasingly intensive global market has put great pressure on companies and required them to establish and reinforce their competitive advantages. The competitive advantages of NAKUMATT such as innovations, efficient supply chain management, and sensitivity and adaptability to the changing customer needs are rooted in its business operations. In this report, the major aspects of NAKUMATT’s business operation are analyzed including innovation and organizational sustainability, operations and internal processes, customer and marketing, and financial performance. With analysis of these aspects, the report aims to outline the features of NAKUMATT’s business operation as well as explain why the company manages to establish the leading and unique position in the global market.

2.0 Innovation and organizational sustainability

2.1 Innovation

NAKUMATT is a company with strong competence of innovation. Its innovation is mainly reflected in two aspects. First, it innovatively creates the current business model. One-suit-for-all business model effectively enlarges purchasing sale of NAKUMATT, helps it to enhance its bargaining power against the suppliers, and get preferential prices to cut down its costs. In addition, One-suit-for-all business model enhances the level of standardization making business management more easily and allowing consumers around the world enjoy the same high quality products (Enquist et al, 2007). In addition, to reduce costs, NAKUMATT cut down the unnecessary services. For example, a majority of NAKUMATT’s furniture is self-assembled and the company does not provide free delivery services. This is different from many companies which want to provide more services for customers to attract them and enhance consumer satisfaction. Second, NAKUMATT pays attention to product innovations. The company leads the fashion of furniture designing in the global market. The innovative designers worked in NAKUMATT help the company to deliver the new product models to the market. NAKUMATT tries to provide practical and quality products with affordable prices to the customers and innovation of products is a very important element of “the NAKUMATT Way”, the corporate culture of NAKUMATT. Innovation competence contributes to NAKUMATT’s business to a large extent. Nowadays, customers have higher requirements for products and services. Since they have many alternatives and can vote by feet, companies have to impress them and attract them with continuous innovations and improvements. Innovations help NAKUMATT to achieve these objectives and differentiate itself from its competitors to establish the unique position in the global market.

2.2 Organizational sustainability

NAKUMATT has strong competence of sustainable development. Nowadays, the business environment is changing fast and global economic fluctuation puts great pressure on companies. For instance, the 2008 international financial crisis impacted many companies and led to significant declination of their performance. NAKUMATT managed to survive this crisis in a rather smooth way. This provides some evidence for sustainability of the company. To deal with the difficult times, NAKUMATT explored the ways to cut down its costs. It kept seeking for quality and cheaper suppliers. In addition, its designers cooperate with the suppliers closely so as to develop the new products in a more efficient and economic way (NAKUMATT, 2010). In addition, NAKUMATT pays attention to develop the green and energy saving techniques in its production and product designing. These measures help the company to adapt to the new business environment since corporate social responsibility and sustainable development are given more and more attention by the public. Corporate social responsibility benefits companies to improve their reputation, promote their public relations, and win trust of the customers and other stakeholders. NAKUMATT has been aware of the new trend and made adequate response. In general, the competence of sustainable development can largely be attributed to NAKUMATT’s flexibility and adaptability in its business operation. It keeps improving its supply chain management and adjusts its business operations and product designing toward the changing customer requirements and business environment. Success of NAKUMATT reveals that to achieve sustainable development, companies should take active attitude toward change management to enhance their flexibility and adaptability.

3.0 Operations and internal processes3.1 IT capabilityNAKUMATT has adopted information technology to improve and measure its performance. The company has established its official website and exploited some social media to implement its marketing activities. It allows consumers to make purchasing orders online. In this way, the product availability of NAKUMATT has been significantly enhanced. In addition, NAKUMATT uses information technology system to optimize its internal operations and business management. Information technology has been used in its major aspects of business operation such as supply chain management, human resource management, and financial performance analysis. For instance, in recruiting employees, NAKUMATT uses the online approaches to enhance its efficiency. It also collects data of customers and sets up a strong database to analyze the customer behaviors and demographic features, provide services and manage contracts. For example, the company has updated its contact centre operations by setting up the Interactive Intelligence’s Customer Interaction Centre (CIC) 4.0 (Callcentre Helper, 2013). By introducing the advanced information technology into CIC 4.0, the company hopes to improve quality of customer service and business performance.

3.2 Scale and range of productThe 4Vs model helps to analyze the business scale and range. Figure 1 shows the 4Vs model. NAKUMATT provides a large volume of products to the global consumers with its mature network and huge business scale. It offers a high variety of products since more than 9000 kinds of furnishing goods are sold by NAKUMATT. Its business is of medium level of variation. On one hand, NAKUMATT has some loyal consumers who repeatedly buy its products and support its stable performance. On the other hand, the sales revenue and profits may be impacted by economic situation and other changes of business environment. The products provided by NAKUMATT are of high level of visibility. Consumers can see, feel and touch the furnishing products in the NAKUMATT stores. Even for the online buyers, pictures and instructions are provided for them to see the products and understand their functions and features.

3.3 Supply chain management

Supply chain management is a basic competitive advantage of NAKUMATT which supports its business success. To provide high quality and innovative products with cheap prices is a challenging task and NAKUMATT achieves these conflicting objectives with its strong supply chain management (Ivarsson and Alvstam, 2011). NAKUMATT mainly adopts a buy supply chain. Theoretically, make and buy are two basic types of supply chain. Make refers to the supply chain “If an organization produces goods it incurs the full costs of owning plant and manufacturing capacity” (Hines, 2004, Chapter 6). On the contrary, buy refers to the supply chain if an organization orders and buys goods from suppliers and transfer the costs of building and operating plants to the suppliers. NAKUMATT has more than 1220 suppliers in 55 different countries making its furniture and 31 central distribution centers in 16 countries or the suppliers deliver products to the NAKUMATT stores (International Supply Chain Management, 2013). The buy supply chain allows NAKUMATT to reduce risks and keep its flexibility. It can select for more efficient and cheaper suppliers to remain its cost leadership.

4.0 Customer and marketing4.1 Market segmentation

Market segmentation is a necessary approach for companies to accurately target at their potential consumers. NAKUMATT mainly targets at two groups of consumers. One group is young consumers which prefer innovative products and enjoy DIY efforts in assembling the furniture but have limited income (Yu, 2013). In addition, many young people are supporters of easy and simply life. The NAKUMATT products are designed with a simple style which meets with the desires of many young people. The other target consumer group is consisted of people at the middle class. This group of consumers enjoys the quality life and has their own tastes and desires for life. At the same time, they are sensitive about prices. The economic and affordable products are preferred by them. The analysis reveals that NAKUMATT has well understood its potential consumers and clearly known what they want. The products and styles of NAKUMATT exactly meet with needs and desires of potential consumers. In addition, the target consumer groups of NAKUMATT cover a large number of people which indicates that the company has huge market potential.

4.2 Branding strategy

Branding strategy contributes to NAKUMATT’s success largely. NAKUMATT has given special attention to build and improve its corporate reputation and brand image (Tarnovskaya and De Chernatony, 2011). It adopts a brand extension strategy using the NAKUMATT brand to all of its furnishing products. The brand extension strategy has some merits. An important one is to deeply impress customers and make them remember the brand. In fact, many people all around the world know the brand of NAKUMATT. The high brand identification is of extremely importance. For many customers, the well-known brands send out signals of high quality of products and services. Therefore, they tend to choose these brands. In some developing countries such as China, customers are likely to trust the brands of big multinational companies including NAKUMATT. This benefits NAKUMATT’s business operation in these countries. In fact, the emerging countries in particular China have become the new profit sources for NAKUMATT. NAKUMATT effectively integrates its branding strategy with marketing activities (Tarnovskaya and De Chernatony, 2011). By emphasizing its advantages in innovations and prices in its marketing activities, NAKUMATT successfully differentiates its brand from its competitors and win support of customers.

4.3 Sales channels

To enhance availability of products and provide better services for customers, NAKUMATT has set up multi-channels to sell its products. Currently, in-store sales and online sales are two major sales channels of NAKUMATT. In-store sales mean NAKUMATT builds up stores in some countries all around the world so that customers can visit these stores to select the products they want (Reynoso, 2009). This is a traditional sales channel. Table 1 shows growth of NAKUMATT’s stores and Table 2 shows visits of NAKUMATT. Except for in-store sales, the company also establishes online store. The new way helps NAKUMATT to keep up pace of the technological development.

5.0 Financial performance5.1 Analysis of financial indicators

NAKUMATT is a private company. Comparing with the public companies, the transparency of NAKUMATT’s financial performance is lower. Table 3 shows some major financial indicators of NAKUMATT revealed in its summary of performance. The table shows that NAKUMATT made good performance in sales and had strong competence of cost control. In 2009, the sales revenue of NAKUMATT increased €312 million while the cost increased only €76 million. The strong cost control competence allows the company to achieve large profits. The financial indicators imply that NAKUMATT has good financial competence to support its current business operation and new investments. For example, the company plans to set up a chain of economic hotels in Europe. This investment is supported with its good financial performance. On one side, NAKUMATT can invest its own money into the new project. On the other side, the strong financial performance of NAKUMATT helps it to get support from the financial organizations and allows it to get financial support at low costs.

Table 3: The financial performance of NAKUMATT

Financial indicators (€million) Fiscal year 2009 Fiscal year 2008

Sales revenue 21846 21534

Cost of goods sold 11878 11802

Gross profit 9968 9732

Operating cost 7198 7078

Operating income 2770 2654

Income before minority interests and tax 2913 2813

Tax 384 546

Net profit 2538 2280

Source: NAKUMATT. (2010).

5.2 Reasons for the current financial situation

The above financial indicators show that NAKUMATT has set up a strong financial position currently. Even in the difficult times, the company succeeded to achieve growth of performance. Though NAKUMATT’s financial data is not publicized timely as the public companies, the company’s good performance is reflected in its business expansion. The successful financial situation of NAKUMATT is achieved with the following reasons. First, the company has formed a large consumer base. By improving its brand and products continuously and developing the membership policies, NAKUMATT retain the regular consumers. These consumers contribute largely to its growing sales revenue. Second, NAKUMATT is sensitive about the business opportunities. The company has given special attention to the emerging markets in particular China (Johansson and Thelander, 2009). It realizes China is of bright prospect with its rapid economic growth and increasing household income. The attentions given to the new markets help NAKUMATT to avoid saturation in its traditional markets and allow it to exploit globalization more efficiently. Third, though NAKUMATT tries to differentiate itself from its competitors with innovations and quality products, it emphasizes implementation of the cost leadership strategy and keeps improving its cost control. Nowadays, cost control pressure becomes increasingly large with inflation. This competence benefits NAKUMATT to a large extent. Fourth, NAKUMATT has set up its business continuity system and plans to enhance its resilience, flexibility and adaptability. Business continuity system facilitates NAKUMATT to survive the difficult times and make stable financial performance.

6.0 Conclusion

This report analyzes the current situation and competence of NAKUMATT. It is found that the company has set up the dominant advantages in innovations, flexibility and adaptability of international business operational process, and good understanding of consumer needs and adequate marketing segmentation. In recent years, NAKUMATT has kept improving its major activities of business management such as supply chain management, adoption of information technology, brand construction and cost control. All these activities are guided by NAKUMATT’s hybrid strategy which integrates the differentiation strategy and the cost leadership strategy. The competitive advantages and the clear business strategy of NAKUMATT contribute to its stable performance and the current financial performance. In fact, NAKUMATT also has to face the changing customer needs and the difficult times, but it manages to adapt to them by giving attention to sustainable development and business continuity. In summary, NAKUMATT is a successful company with strong competitive competence in the global market.

References

Johansson, U., Thelander, Å. (2009). A standardised approach to the world? NAKUMATT in China. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 1(2), 199 – 219.

Reynoso, J. (2009). Values-based service for sustainable business – lessons from NAKUMATT. Journal of Service Management, 20(4), 473 – 475.

Scholes, K. (2010). Will We Still Love NAKUMATT?. Available from: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Will-We-Still-Love-Nakumatt/836907 [Retrieved on October 26, 2013].

Tarnovskaya, V. V., De Chernatony, L. (2011). Internalising a brand across cultures: the case of NAKUMATT. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 39(8), 598 – 618.

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write a commercial to convince classmates to read your book

write a commercial to convince classmates to read your book

1. write a commercial to convince classmates to read your book

The book “The one and only bob” by Katherine Appelgate is worth reading. The book tells the story of the lovable and roguish mutt Bob. The key themes in this story are humans’ complex relationship with the animal world, unlikely heroism, and healing and forgiveness. These themes tend to correspond closely with our lives as human beings. Reading the story makes one appreciate the general environment and the organisms within. The distinction between humans and animals becomes blurred. The parallels with our lives become apparent when one realizes that the book is about Bob’s struggle to live according to our terms as human beings. Even though dogs are considered to be man’s best friend, they can be forgotten or overlooked in today’s society. We tend to think of them as living only for our amusement or serving a purpose i.e., police dog, drug detector dog etc. This story shows the readers that these animals are more independent than we give them credit for and can live on their own without any human influence if necessary.

2. Design a collage about your favorite character

3.complete a story map

Title

Setting

Characters

Problem

Solution4. Submit a proposal form to your teacher for a product of your choice.

An electric bike is among the best invention so far. Apart from helping in managing traffic on the road, it is environmental friendly. Buying an electric bike is a wise idea if you are looking to make your commute easier without the hassles of traffic or parking. You will not be spared from difficulty while biking. But, at least you can be sure that the bike will never leave you stranded. So, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of owning an e-bike? Here is a list so you can start thinking about it:

The advantages include: Not having to spend for gas, saving money on transportation costs, and being able to enjoy your commute in peace. The disadvantages include: It being heavy, it might not be suitable to you depending on your physical or fit status, and its battery might not be able to deliver sufficient power.

Before you buy an electric bike, be sure to consider your needs. There are various things you need to weigh before making a decision such as: How much is the cost of the electric bike? When will it last longer? What are its specifications? Will you have enough space for it, and what size is the space? This will help you determine whether the electric bike you want is appropriate for your needs or not. Drawing conclusion from these factors will help you make an informed choice as well as enjoy your ride without any worries concerning its lifespan.

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To effectively

To effectively

1. To effectively address the environmental or climate challenges such as a mass extinction or climate crisis, there is need for systemic change. Every person in the society ought to be actively involved to ensuring the protection of the environment and prevent its degradation. Some people believe it is difficult to change the way we live and that everyone cannot be involved. Others think it is impossible to change the existing system where one can have an impact on everything like climate or environment. However, if we look at it from a personal point of view, every person can do something in this regard, especially those who are in a position to do so. To make this goal a reality, we should pay particular attention to our everyday activities and use the products that can bring about positive changes and prevent negative effects on the environment.

2. I agree with Heglar’s argument. A lot of changes have been witnessed on our environment. Baldness of mountains, cutting down trees, polluted rivers, and so on. These activities tend to affect our climate negatively. Climate change represents a vital problem that the society face today. There is need for more recycling activities, production of more environmental products, and responsibility of authorities and individuals regarding climate change. However, there is need to act with caution towards Heglar’s point. There is no doubt that recycling can be an effective way to prevent negative effects on the environment and climate. But, it is also important to consider the benefits of such activities in economic terms. Recycling can be an acceptable thing only if it can bring more benefits than costs.

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Managing the key elements of media strategY

Managing the key elements of media strategY

1. Managing the key elements of media strategy

Using media, whether traditional or digital, to communicate effectively in marketing is one of the most potent communication tools available, but it is also one of the most hardest to master. A professional communicator, on the other hand, must have a well-developed media strategy in place before putting the first advertisement or producing the second click on the computer. If communicators do not have a strategy, they run the risk of deviating from the planned message, creative, and implementation. Johnston and Rowney’s (2018) assert the need for professional communicators to possess key interpretive skills as well as the technical competencies that relate to digital media literacy. Key elements of a media strategy must be well taught for all professional communicators. Elements such as objectives. Target audience, tone of voice, key messages, content, monitoring and evaluation, resonating with the audience, visual interaction, and management of expectations must become natural for all professional communicators.

The first step in developing an effective media strategy is identifying the goals that must be achieved. Boosting brand awareness, deterring a competitor, and increasing profit margins and revenues are all possible objectives to pursue. A professional communicator’s approach to media will be dictated by the objectives that have been established. Consequently, it is vital to clearly identify the objective and keep the goals in mind at all times in order to achieve success. Create a precise and specific media plan, which includes unique timelines and separate types of media (such as television and radio broadcasts, as well as print publications, podcasts, websites, social media, and so on) that is both detailed and specific in order to fulfill communication goals.

Having a well-defined media plan will aid in the achievement of more measurable results as well as the collection of more detailed information (leading to a stronger performing campaign overall). The first and most critical stage is to establish specific, quantifiable objectives. Having this information is tremendously helpful when establishing what is required for a successful media plan to be implemented. When faced with this situation, it is strongly recommended that you use the SMART technique (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) (Bordalba & Bochaca, 2019). A second key component of building an effective media strategy is identifying the target audience. This should be done as early as possible in the process. After all is said and done, it is vital to establish the primary message pieces that will be communicated when creating a media plan. Examining the important themes you want to communicate to your target audience in depth will inform your method selection and, as a result, will have a big impact on the success of your campaign after it is released. Beyond managing the fundamental features of a media strategy, it is necessary to calculate the marketing budget, build a budget that is especially customized to the organization’s requirements, and learn from the results of the campaign. For any marketing campaign to be successful, you must first develop an effective media plan. By devoting the necessary time up front to design, study, and examine each component of the media plan, trust in the plan’s implementation can be instilled, and long-term benefits can be achieved.

Reference List

Bordalba, M. M., & Bochaca, J. G. (2019). Digital media for family-school communication? Parents’ and teachers’ beliefs. Computers & Education, 132, 44-62.

Johnston J and Rowney K (2020) ‘Media Strategies: Managing content, platforms and relationships’, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, Sydney.

2. Media theories, concepts and ideas

As a result of the pandemic, the travel sector has been brought to a grinding halt. The development and distribution of vaccines is helpful in the containment of the virus, but limitations on international travel and tourism are likely to remain in place until widespread immunization programs are ready. One of the most important strategies employed to contain the virus has been the restriction of migration, both within and between countries. Globally, this has had a huge impact on demand for travel as well as for hotels, restaurants, and other types of hospitality services in general. Also extremely uncertain are the extent to which the disease will produce behavioural changes in people, as well as how much aid the government and international collaboration will be able to provide to businesses in the future. In the sections that follow, we’ll take a look at some of the consequences of Covid-19 for overseas travellers. However, determining the overall impact of the pandemic on tourism continues to be challenging, particularly because health conditions and the resulting containment strategies in different countries are constantly evolving. Because the reduction of restrictions is conditioned on the widespread availability of the vaccine, there is much doubt about how quickly countries will be able to reopen their borders completely to visitors.

The United States has specifically required that all travellers in and out of the country be compliant of the requirements that include full vaccination against COVID-19 and other severe diseases. On this, the CDC, via the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the USA.gov partners, has issued several online publications explaining to users on the what and why relating to international travel for all US nationals, citizens, and permanent residents as well as migrants. Additionally, the United States Government has provided a similar report through the Department of Homeland Security. These two reports respond to the same issue, yet use different approaches to communicate the message. In the CDC version, the attention grabber is evident and easy to identify. The article targets all permanent residents, immigrants, citizens, and lawful nationals. The idea is to present to them what is needed in terms of international travel. Further, it uses a point form strategy and divides content into several layers. It explains what needs to be known, the mandate to be vaccinated, vaccination timelines and expiry links, and other requirements that are important for travellers.

On the other hand, the DHS article is a bit more brief and straight to the point. It lacks the appeal to some audiences such as individuals without prior knowledge of COVID-19 and specifically issues information relevant to travellers into the US. The article lacks an attention grabber and delves right into the details and vaccination requirements for all individuals entering the US. The source is very informative and even quotes several key government officials. However, it seems strict and a bit too straightforward. Yet, similar to the CDC publication, it provides vital travel information and can be quoted as one of the best sources to gain knowledge on travel restrictions in relation to COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

Reference List

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (January 4, 2022) ‘International Travel For U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, Lawful Permanent Residents, and Immigrants’, CDC. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html

Department of Homeland Security (January 20, 2022) ‘DHS to Require Non-U.S. Individual Travelers Entering the United States at Land Ports of Entry and Ferry Terminals to be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19’, Homeland Security. Available at https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/01/20/dhs-require-non-us-individual-travelers-entering-united-states-land-ports-entry-and

3. Media releases and centres

Save the Children Australia is a well known not for profit organisation. Generally, the organisation assert that in a world where humanitarian disasters and the fate of millions of people are reported on a daily basis, it is critical that the media and the general public be educated about the concerns and obstacles that children face. In one of its media releases, Save the Children addresses the issue of children dying in Kabul as a result of starvation due to unprecedented food crisis in Afghanistan. The media release quotes United Nations data asserting that Afghan children are going hungry at a higher rate than ever before, with about 14 million children expected to experience crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity this winter, the greatest number in the country’s history. As the country grapples with its worst food crisis since records began being kept in the country, more than 5 million children are now just a step away from famine, putting the lives of millions of young people in jeopardy.

The media release is very critical in its issuance of the report. It takes on an aggressive tone, conspicuously evident by its quotation of the word “unprecedented” before discussing the food crisis. The article attempts to steer clear of taking a political tone, something that a majority of media releases are keen to avoid. People who want to engage with the media on a regular basis will find that poverty reduction has moved to the top of the political agenda, making it more newsworthy for journalists and creating major chances for those who want to engage with the media on a regular basis. Public and political opinion movements have frequently resulted in policy changes, and the media’s reach makes it a useful weapon for boosting public awareness and igniting discussion. A few of the potential roles of the media include informing a varied audience about poverty reduction concerns, providing an open venue for diverse public perspectives, including those of impoverished people, reviewing and holding actors accountable, to name a few.

The article is speaking to the United Nations, the G20 nations, the developed world, large organizations, and well wishers who have the capacity to end hunger amongst children in a war-torn nation. The angle taken in this article is that of critiquing the efforts (and lack thereof) taken by governments to mitigate the issue. The use of quotes is rampant and well positioned to give credibility to the content. The content is made newsworthy by the inclusion of the fact that millions of children have been exposed to extreme levels of poverty due to the inaction of the international community. The organisation is keen on ensuring a better world for children. It works to retain independence and to provide a powerful voice to children, championing their rights and pushing for the world to understand their vulnerability. These values and purposes have all been met in the article, and the organisation has provided the news, critiqued the relevant responsible parties for action, and retained its purpose as a media and professional communicator.

Reference List

Save the Children (October 26, 2021) ‘Children dying from starvation in Kabul as ‘unprecedented’ food crisis leaves almost 14 million Afghan children hungry’, Save the Children. Available at https://www.savethechildren.org.au/media/media-releases/children-dying-from-starvation-in-kabul

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TEMPLATE BELOW

TEMPLATE BELOW

1) Citation

2) 2 sentences for summarizing the content of the source.

3) How is this source related to my other sources? (at least one sentence)

4) Analysis: How is this source unique? (at least one sentence).

5) Evaluation and Reflection: How is this source useful for my research? (at least one or two sentences). Describe your reaction to the text: Would you recommend this text to peer researcher? How credible is the source?

TEMPLATE BELOW

This assignment is not an essay!!!!  It is due on 5/13

Please use a word document to complete this assignment. Use MLA standards to complete this assignment.  

For the format, I created an example (template) below:

MLA HEADER

INFORMATION

                 

                                             CREATIVE TITLE FOR YOUR RESEARCH

                                                   Place references in alphabetical order. 

EXAMPLE BELOW:

Citation1:                   Gilbert, Pam. “From Voice to Text: Reconsidering Writing and Reading in the English Classroom.” English Education, vol. 23, no. 4, 1991, pp. 195-211.

 Annotation1:          Gilbert provides some insight into the concept of “voice” in textual interpretation, and points to a need to move away from the search for voice in reading. Her reasons stem from a growing danger of “social and critical illiteracy,” which might be better dealt with through a move toward different textual under-standings. Gilbert suggests that theories of language as a social practice can be more useful in teaching. Her ideas seem to disagree with those who believe in a dominant voice in writing, but she presents an interesting perspective.

Citation 1:

Annotation 1: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 2:

Annotation 2: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 3:

Annotation 3: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 4:

Annotation 4: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 5:

Annotation 5: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 6:

Annotation 6: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 7:

Annotation 7: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 8:

Annotation 8: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 9:

Annotation 9: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

Citation 10:

Annotation 10: (Write one elaborate paragraph that includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation/reflection of the source.)

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Limitations of the Noor Dubai campaign

Limitations of the Noor Dubai campaign

1- Limitations of the Noor Dubai campaign

The Noor Dubai awareness campaign is steered by the Noor foundation whose chief mission is to combat global blindness especially among the disadvantaged groups (Jill and Hugh, 2001). The Noor awareness campaign has made tremendous strides towards tackling global blindness and poverty related issues. However a few hitches have affected the delivery of this campaign. There exist a handful of awareness campaigns in Dubai especially in the health line. These include the Dubai HVC public health awareness and the Dubai anti-smoking campaign (Sorel, 2013). The two campaigns have been rated to be miles ahead of the Noor Dubai campaign.

The campaign has encountered a series of setbacks that have been caused by hitches experienced. The economic constraints experienced by the campaign have been the major source of snags for the campaign. All their activities require intensive amounts of capital. They have been drawing various strategies to raise cash for their campaigns. This has not been an easy task. The natures of their campaigns example cataract surgeries have been consuming literary even the unavailable cash (Jullie and Hugh, 2001). For instance a single cataract surgery costs ten US dollars.

The other glitch experienced is inadequacy of experienced personnel. With the nature of the venture most cash oriented eyesight experts have shunned the campaign. This has been a major drawback to their different missions. Reduction of blindness requires a batch of highly experienced opticians. Inadequacy of eyesight experts in the campaign has paralyzed the whole plan (. The campaign is duped a global campaign, however the effect of the campaign has not been felt worldwide. The sum up of these drawbacks however has been overshadowed by the achievements.

The campaign has really made a great impact in the eyesight health sector in and out of Dubai. The campaign has made a series of achievements. This includes creation of awareness on eyesight glitches to a better part of the global population. There exists a consignment of illnesses that result in blindness and even death of the victims. They have managed to curb these by offering free treatment to victims of the illness.

In the year 2012 during the world sight day the Noor foundation carried out intensive campaigns on a number of health problems. Their theme was diabetic retinopathy. They succeeded in screening inmates and other persons in the rehabilitation centers in the United Arab Emirates. The ministry of medical services in Dubai offered them support in their quest. The campaign also launched an awareness campaign using short message services (sms) which has been duped as a success. The Noor campaign has received a number of awards.

If I was to be in charge of the campaign I would give a number of proposals to enhance achievement of its goals. First, I would make efforts to gather support from world governments. This would facilitate gathering of resources to enable intensification of the campaign. The second effort would be linking the Noor foundation with other health organizations in the world and other campaigns like the Dubai HVC public health awareness campaign. Linking with other organizations would bring economies of scale to the campaign. This would also facilitate sourcing of experts form the other organization. Finally I would ensure that the internal organization of the Foundation was in the right order. Success and charity begins at home. External success is always proportional to the internal organization.

References

Garry, S. (2013). Sheer dedication for a special cause. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com> the free library> general interest>gulf news (United Arab Emirates)> the Noor campaign>march 31 2013.

Jill, E and Hugh, R. ( 2001). World blindness: a 21st century perspective. British journal of ophthalmology. Volume 85, issue 3. Retrieved from bjo.bmj.com.doi:10.1136/bjo.85.3.261Sorel, E. (2013). Global health. New Jersey: Ashgate publishing Ltd. Retrieved from www.jblearning.com/health/global

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Response to Second Assignment

Response to Second Assignment

2nd Assignment

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course Tittle

Professor’s Name

Date

Response to Second Assignment

A toll road also called a toll way or turnpike, is a private or public road for which a fee is weighed for passage. These roads have occasional stops whereby drivers or users have to pay a certain sum of cash to use them. Most of the time, it is a controlled-access highway in the modern-day. Toll roads use a type of road pricing commonly implemented to help recover road maintenance and construction costs. The payment levied on traveling on the toll road is connected to a toll (Romero et al., 2020). This response discusses advantages and disadvantages to the drivers, ecological factors to the use of toll roads instead of free roads, and why an individual would prefer paying a toll to use a free highway.

One of the advantages of toll roads is that it saves time. It is a well-known benefit of toll roads whereby it saves a considerable amount of journey time than other routes. Toll roads are of good quality and relatively smooth, making it a lot quicker to cross country (Romero et al., 2020). They are also advantageous to the driver to save money, offer safety, and aid in pre-planning. A driver doesn’t have to carry cash with him to the toll booths as it can be taken from the bank account registered on the tag account.

The disadvantages of toll roads include the traffic distortions caused by these roads, extra expenses of toll collection, and the interest cost of borrowing funds. They foster political patronage, foster corruption, and discourage required improvements on the rest of the highway roads. Someone might choose to pay a toll than using a free road because technological novelties make sure free traffic flow. They save an individual time, money and promote increased fuel economy; that’s why individuals prefer to use them (Acerete et al., 2019). There are eco-friendly features to the use of toll roads instead of free roads since they are suitable for the environment. It aids in reducing the capacity of harmful emissions in addition to transportation costs.

Reference

Acerete, B., Gasca, M., & Llena, F. (2019). Analysis of environmental financial reporting in the Spanish toll roads sector. 48(4), 430-463.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02102412.2019.1591880

Romero, F., Gomez, J., Paez, A., & Vassallo, J. M. (2020). Toll roads vs. Public transportation: A study on the acceptance of congestion-calming measures in Madrid. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 142, 319-342.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.11.001

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Reducing Gun Violence in America

Reducing Gun Violence in America

Policy Brief: Reducing Gun Violence in America

Audience

The US state governments and bullet manufacturers.

Key messages

There are increased incidences of gun violence in the US, which puts people’s lives and families in danger. However, the state policy to curb them remains fairly stagnant. This policy brief presents means of reducing cases of gun violence.

Policy options

The US state government to restrict the gun purchases within a month to one gun per person.

Bullet manufacturers to put unique serial numbers on all bullets.

Executive Summary

School shootings, mass murders, and other gun-related crimes are becoming more prevalent in the US. Individuals are faced with the impending question of how they can protect themselves and their loved ones from these senseless crimes. This is because efforts by the US government have failed to prevent gun violence. Gun violence is more widespread in the Americas because of the ease with which weapons may be obtained and the lack of control or enforcement of firearms regulations. This policy brief presents ways of reducing cases of gun violence. Gun violence in the US may be reduced by the US state government restricting gun purchases within a month to one gun per person. This will help reduce the illegal gun trade. Also, gun violence can be reduced by bullet manufacturers putting unique serial numbers on all bullets, making it easy to identify the perpetrators of gun violence.

Context and Scope of the Problem

Gun violence and mass shootings in the US are on the rise, with more than 30,000 Americans being killed each year (Cornell & Cornell, 2018). The increased rates of gun violence have put people’s lives and families in danger, with Latino and Black populations being the most affected populations. As a result, gun violence has been considered a public health crisis in America (Maa & Darzi, 2018). For all Americans, firearm-related injuries are one of the leading causes of mortality (CDC, 2019). Although gun violence’s widespread, destructive, and inequitable effects have been recognized, the state policy to curb them remains fairly stagnant (Dorris & Murphy, 2021).

Policy Alternatives

Current Policy

In the United States, most gun regulations target the person who will be using the weapon, regulating who may own, buy, or possess a gun. Current Gun control policies also restrict carrying concealed guns and firearms outside the homestead. For instance, the Gun Control Act (1968), which controls the use of firearms at the federal level, mandates that US legal residents and citizens must be at least 18 years old to acquire rifles and ammunition or shotguns. People under the age of 21 are not allowed to purchase other firearms such as handguns. The Act permits the local or state officials to implement high age restrictions, but they cannot lower the federal minimum age. Patients in mental hospitals and fugitives are among those who are prohibited from purchasing weapons. Also forbidden from obtaining weapons are those who have previously served time in jail for felonies or misdemeanors that entail sentences of more than two years. Federal law also bans gun sales to those convicted of illegally having or using drugs such as Marijuana in the previous year. The benefit of the current policy is that the gun control laws may help in reducing gun possession by harmful people. Contrary, broad limits on gun access, such as the restrictions on the purchase or ownership of weapons for those with mental sickness, may not promote the FHIA concept of family diversity because they unjustly stigmatize individuals and families who fall into limited categories (Schroeder et al., 2018).

Proposed Options

One of the proposed options is that the US state governments restrict gun purchases within a month to one gun per person. The benefit of this policy is that it will minimize the number of unauthorized gun owners and reduce cases of gun violence. However, this policy option has a disadvantage since the policy will only prevent law-abiding citizens from purchasing guns.

The second policy option is that policymakers ensure that bullet manufacturers put unique serial numbers on all bullets. This policy option has the benefit of making it easier to trace perpetrators of gun violence. Once the criminals are identified, this will help minimize gun violence. However, criminals may delete the serial numbers, thus making it difficult to trace them even when bullets are found on the crime scene.

Policy Recommendations

The state governments in the US should ensure that they restrict gun purchases within a month to one gun per person. This is because most illegal gun trade is conducted by middle persons who purchase guns from licensed sellers in bulk and resell them to criminals and juveniles. Therefore, restricting the number of firearms one can purchase in a month will stop the illegal gun trade. Consequently, this will minimize the number of unauthorized gun owners and reduce cases of gun violence.

The state governments in the US should also ensure that bullet manufacturers put unique serial numbers on all bullets. Sellers should then be advised to keep the record of the buyers along with the serial numbers. Since bullets are often recovered at the scene of a crime, the records kept by the sellers will be used to trace the crime perpetrators once bullets are discovered. These criminals will be punished according to the law and will instill fear in other criminals, thus reducing cases of gun violence.

Limitations

The implementation of the proposed policy may be affected by the firearms sellers who do not abide by the law. This is because these sellers might sell more than one firearm to the same person in a month.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). Fast Facts: Firearm Violence Prevention. Retrieved 24 June 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/firearms/fastfact.html.

Cornell, S., & Cornell, E. (2018). The Second Amendment and firearms regulation: A venerable tradition regulating liberty while securing public safety. American journal of public health, 108(7), 867-868

Dorris, L., & Murphy, A. L. (2021). No more politics over people: The role of helping professions in the prevention of mass shootings and gun-related violence. Traumatology. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/trm0000350Maa, J., & Darzi, A. (2018). Firearm injuries and violence prevention—the potential power of a surgeon general’s report. New England journal of medicine, 379(5), 408-410. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1803295Schroeder, A., Quinn, D., Allen, S., & Anderson, E. (2018). The intersection of mental illness and gun violence: Examining the evidence to guide sound public policy. NCFR Report: Family Focus, 78, F4-F6.