Importance of Elasticity Demand

Importance of Elasticity Demand Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) measures the percentage change in the price of a product, to the percentage change of demand for that same product. It is measured through varying degrees of elasticity. An inelastic good means that a change in price will have a very little effect on the demand. Due to PED=%?Q / %?P, inelastic  ­goods have a PED

Ethnic Disadvantage Has Not Disappeared from the Labour Market

LUBS3001 Gender and Equality at Work in Comparative Perspective Ethnic disadvantage has not disappeared from the labour market despite legislation. What theoretical explanations have been put forward to explain why people from ethnic and racial minorities experience discrimination? Which do you consider to be the most helpful in explaining disadvantage in the labour market? Ethnic and racial discrimination in the workplace is a controversial topic, which has been researched and assessed thoroughly over the past years.Although the terms ‘ethnicity’ and ‘race’ are often talked about in union, they have different meanings and stem from different social contexts. Race is an ideology with a particular concept in mind, and can be understood in various social and historical contexts, for example when slavery was prevalent and race was an important factor for distinguishing groups in society. Race can also refer to particular physical features someone may have, for example someone’s skin colour.Ethnicity on the other hand, relates more to groups of people who share significant, common beliefs that are part of their embedded culture, and usually passed down through their heritage. Race and ethnicity are key issues in the workplace because evidence shows that when analysing different measures of achievement in the workplace, such as unemployment rates, earnings and progression into higher levels of work, ethnic minorities are disadvantaged (Cabinet Office), and although the magnitude of these disadvantages are generally decreasing over time, it is still an un-resolved issue affecting millions of people every year.Although many theoretical explanations have been proposed regarding this ‘glass ceiling’ theory (The economist, 2009) in the workplace, it is important to recognise that many of these theories are linked, and therefore there is no one prevailing answer to resolve the issue.During this essay I will discuss the Undercl ass theories, with reference to Murray (1989) and Wilson, (1987) theories of discrimination and racism focusing on Macpherson’s concept of institutional racism (1999), and theories of ethnic diversity in relation to human and social capital, concluding with which theories I deem to be the most explanatory in reference to this topic.Evidence of ethnic disadvantage in the labour market is plentiful, with statistics covering multiple areas of the subject. In the TUC report of Youth, Unemployment and Ethnicity (2012) it shows that the unemployment rate for White people (male and females) is 20%, for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi the figure increases to 29%, and for Black/African Caribbean the figure is more than twice than that for Whites, at 45%.However, when analysing this research it is important to recognise that these employment rates may be particularly high due to the economic recession around this time affecting the labour market, but the variation in figures amongst the groups is still apparent. Similarly, this research cannot be fully analysed as different ethnic groups have been grouped together, and between these ethnicities there are substantial variations with regards to employment.An example of this arises from statistics from the Labour Force Survey (1999), which show that the unemployment rate for Indians is closer to that of Whites than it is to Bangladeshis. In the Cabinet Office report of Ethnic minorities in the Labour market (2003), information states that ‘while ethnic minorities are disadvantaged on average, the labour market successes of the Indians and Chinese show that the old picture of White success and ethnic minority under-performance is now out of date’.Although this is extremely positive progress for Indians and Chinese, there is still much more to be done to further bridge the gap between other ethnic groups in the labour market. Statistics from the Labour Force Survey (1999) show White people had an unempl oyment rate of just 6%, Indians 8%, Pakistanis 16%, Black Africans 17%, and Bangladeshis 24%. It is evident that Bangladeshis have the highest rate of unemployment out of these ethnic groups, and one reason for this could be due to an English language barrier.If Bangladeshi parents are not fluent in English, then not only will it be considerably harder for them to find a job, but also this disadvantage will be passed down to their children when they attend school, therefore this particular weakness is transmitted over generations, and may be one explanation for the on-going trend of high unemployment levels. Statistics also show that different ethnic groups are more susceptible to be employed in particular areas of work.Rex and Tomlinson (1979) found that in Birmingham, ‘immigrants and employed predominantly in less attractive industries and in less rewarding jobs’, (Pilkington, 2003, p61) and evidence for this can be found in the National report by Green, Owen and Wils on (2005). Research from this report shows that in the UK on average, around 8% of all jobs are filled by ethnic minority employees, yet there are various different structural positions in the labour market.Ethnic minorities are under-represented in occupations such as managers and administration, with only 12. 7% occupying these types of jobs, compared to 15. 5% for Whites. Furthermore, ethnic minorities are over-represented in occupations such as sales, at a figure of 10. 5%, compared to 7. 4% for whites. As previously mentioned, one of the main reasons employees from ethnic minorities may work in lower skilled jobs could be due to insufficient language skills.In the National report it states that in London, where 28. 8% of the population are from ethnic minorities (Ethnic minorities, Information Centre Guide 2003), there are opportunities for people to learn English via English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provisions, however local studies in the area show this opportun ity needs to be made even more accessible and on a wider scale for a positive impact to be made (Africa Educational Trust 2002).The Underclass thesis was first developed in the United States and later gained awareness in Britain due to an American journalist, Auletta in 1982. Auletta claimed that the underclass had ‘four distinct categories’, these comprising of the ‘passive poor’, ‘hostile street criminals’, ‘hustlers’ and ‘the traumatised drunks†¦and released mental patients’ (Pilkington, 2003, p52). Morris (1994) stated ‘Auletta’s categorisation of them as dependent and deviant carries an implicit moral judgment’.Although there are various definitions of the underclass, the majority of them share similar characteristics, these being unemployed by choice, dependent on welfare benefits, social exclusion, and links to crime and delinquency. It could be seen that by labelling such a diverse grou p as ‘the underclass’, whilst assuming they all possess these negative qualities would ultimately be extremely de-motivating, and may even result in a self-fulfilling prophecy (David Straker 2002-2012) If so, this may result in members of the underclass feeling hard work is not expected of them, resulting in little or o effort to strive for employment and integrate with society. The concept of the underclass is linked to social divisions based on gender and class, as well as race, making it a widespread topic with significance to various groups in society. Therefore, the explanations put forward for this thesis are fundamentally opposing. Conservative writers of the underclass place specific emphasis on cultural factors, such as the surrounding environment a person has grown up in, resulting in deviant values and behaviour.On the other hand, liberal writers maintain that structural factors such as the way our society functions, result in an underclass forming due to ins ufficient opportunities and on-going racism. Two of the most influential accounts of the underclass that have been provided derive from Charles Murray (1984) and Wilson (1987). Murray believed a Black underclass developed in the late 1960s due to the ‘culture of the ghetto’. He claimed this shared culture amongst the Black community created lack of education and stunted employment opportunities. Evidence of this theory can be seen in the U. S.National Canter for Health Statistics (1970s), whereby statistics report more than 50% of black babies were conceived out of wedlock, an increase of more than 33% in the 1950s (The Atlantic, 1986). Murray states that these changes took place during economic expansion; therefore the reasoning for these statistics is the existence and availability of welfare benefits. Murray believed that whilst state benefits were available, there was no incentive for women to go to work, meaning when they had children these values of state dependen cy would be passed on and it would become the norm to be unemployed.One example of a state benefit for women was Aid to Families with Dependent Children (Social Welfare History, 1988) which provided single mothers with financial security, acting as a disincentive for both mothers and fathers, as it took away the pressure of having to provide for the family. Murray said ‘because poor, uneducated single teenaged mothers are in a bad position to raise children’ poverty and deviant values are transferred from parents to children, with the end result being a general lack of motivation and contribution to the labour force (Murray 1984).There has been considerable amount of criticism for Murray’s theory and it was generally rejected by most sociologists. One critic of the theory is Devine (1997) who argued ‘the value of AFDC benefits declined in the 1970s while the number of single parents were growing’. This would suggest there is a further underlying issu e, other than welfare benefits, for the explanation of growth of unemployed single parent mothers.Morris (1994) also disputed that ‘young employed are one group in American society who have no claim to state support as of right’. Again, this would suggest that dependency on state benefits is not the main cause for unemployment amongst young people. Wilson criticised Murray’s theory by saying it ignored racial discrimination and did not account for deindustrialising, whereby there was a change from a goods-producing economy to a service-producing economy meaning people who did not possess the required skills were out of work.Wilson went on to provide a structural theory of the underclass, this being the major liberal response to Murray’s explanation. Although Wilson also acknowledged an urban underclass and agreed that their ‘behaviour contrasts sharply with that of mainstream America’ (Wilson 1987), he argued that it was because of the unfair structures of society and existing inequalities that caused lack of education and unemployment. Wilson also acknowledged that unemployment was linked to discrimination and stemmed as a result of economic changes.Racial discrimination in the rural South encouraged migration to inner cities in the North, however the situation was not aided as service work replaced the manufacturing industry, requiring skills that the majority of Black and Hispanic citizens had not acquired. Townsend (1991) agrees with Wilson’s structural theory, and concluded from his major study, Poverty in the UK (1979) that the underclass emerged due to government policies in the areas of trade unions, industry and taxation. Therefore it was due to the way that society was structured and designed which caused an underclass of unemployed, low-paid or prematurely retired workers.Although sociologists deemed Wilson’s theory as more credible that Murray’s, there is still substantial criticism on th e matter. Fainstein (1992) argues that Wilson fails to recognise ‘the continuing significance of race’ which, for Black people, causes ‘segmentation into low wage employment’ (Pilkington, 2003, p55). Furthermore, Miles (1982) criticises both theories by stating that migrants have not developed a whole underclass they are just simply a ‘fraction’ of society (Sociology Central 2010).It would appear than in general the underclass theory is not the most valid explanation for inequality in the labour force as there is a lack of empirical evidence with regard to the cultural theory, and both the cultural and structural theories generalise all members of ethnic groups together, when in fact statistics vary hugely amongst individuals within these groups. Another major theory used to explain the position of ethnic minorities in the workforce is ‘institutional racism’, also referring to direct and indirect discrimination.Institutional discri mination is defined by Macpherson (1999) as ‘the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin’ (Pilkington, 2003, p85). Macpherson launched a police investigation into the murder of a Black teenager by five White youths, and through this inquiry concluded that all major British organisations are characterised by some form of institutional racism (Parliament UK, 2009).For Macpherson, this concept did not mean that all policies of institutions were intentionally racist; rather it arises through ‘social and cultural processes’ (Parekh 2000). The fact that institutional racism is said to stem from the occupational culture of the organisation is a major concern, as the culture of a company is usually embedded within the employees who share similar values and beliefs, and they tend to remain consistent over time.Although the Macpherson report has created new aw areness regarding institutional racism (Solomas 1999), and remains to be a valid explanation for ethnic minority disadvantage in the labour market, it has also been critiqued for various reasons. One of the main critiques is that the concept is too ambiguous, with Pilkington (2001) referring to it as a ‘blunderbuss concept’. This is because the concept does not specifically refer to the different components within institutional racism.The term ‘institutional racism’ is rather broad, as it may contain elements of individual discriminatory behaviour and also direct intentional discrimination. Regardless of anti-discrimination legislation, for example The Race Relations Act (1965) intentional discrimination can still be found in some areas of the present labour force. Evidence of this type of discrimination can be seen through discrimination testing, whereby testers from different ethnic backgrounds both apply for the same job at the same time, using identical application forms.A study performed by Modood et al (1997) found one in five ethnic minority employees felt they had experienced racial discrimination, in the form of being refused a job due to racial or religious reasons, yet only one in twenty white employees felt they had every experienced any form of discrimination. This evidence may suggest that employees who have been faced with discrimination could be discouraged from future job opportunities.Ethnic minority groups may also be faced with indirect discrimination, whereby an organisation unintentionally discriminates against certain groups, for example an up-market clothing store may only employ people who fit certain appearance criteria. Combined, these various forms of discrimination in the labour force would be extremely detrimental to ethnic minority groups and appear to be one of the major contributors to patterns of employment amongst ethnic groups.Ethnic diversity and patterns of discrimination amongst ethnic minority g roups can also, to an extent, be explained by patterns of inequality. Social capital can be seen as an important aspect of society, which may provide some explanation for the diversity amongst ethnic groups. Putnam (1995) defines social capital as ‘features of social life –networks, norms, and trust that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives’. Social policy is linked to all members of a community and the social networks, and social norms or values within our society.The fact that social policy is composed of shared customs within a society, would suggest that members of minority ethnic groups may not be part of this concept, as they are likely to have different values as their cultures and backgrounds will vary. This could result in ethnic minority groups feeling segregated from the local community, especially if they have not lived there for very long, and therefore have not yet integrated with neighbours or fellow citi zens.The terms ‘social capital’ and more specifically, ‘bonding social capital’, are significant when discussing the labour force as they refer to networking with people and communicating through shared objectives. Nowadays, with high levels of competitiveness in the work force, it is extremely advantageous to have general networking links into different areas of the labour market, and often the phrase ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know’ is used. Employers will often create a workforce of people that they can trust, or at least someone who has come with a trust-worthy reference, perhaps suggested by a colleague.Therefore, if ethnic minority members do not share this same sense of social capital and appear to have few or no network connections, it will be harder for them to succeed in the labour force and ultimately could it have a significant effect on their employment status. This theory of social capital can also be linked to wh y less ethnic minority graduates are taken on by large firms after university, than Whites. Statistics provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency from 2007-08 showed 66% of Whites found full-time or part-time employment within one year of graduation compared to 56. % for minority ethnic groups. Although the figure is not alarmingly higher, one reason for the difference could be due to social capital and networking advantages. Work experience completed throughout university years can often be acquired using contacts, and the majority of employees will consider the quality and amount of work experience endured before employing a graduate. Although this essay is primarily focused on ethnicity, it is also important to consider religion as a contributory factor for patterns of inequality in the labour force.Religion can often be a trigger for discriminatory behaviour, for example since the 9/11 terrorist attacks the term ‘Islamophobia’ was used more widely, this refe rring to fear of Muslims. Many types of religion are expressed using distinctive types of clothing, such as a turban, making it apparent to others what religion someone may be, which could lead to discrimination. Lindley (2002) compared employment and earnings across ethnic groups within five religious groups, and compared these results with that of Whites.Evidence was provided to show Muslims were substantially disadvantaged compared to other ethnic minorities, however other factors such as individual attitudes and levels of motivation may have also contributed to these statistics. Religion can also be linked to the previously mentioned topic of social capital, as members of a particular faith may choose to socialise only with people who share their same beliefs and values, which would affectively limit opportunities of bridging social capital in mainstream society.To conclude, with the aid of various legislation and trade unions, the positioning of ethnic minorities in the labour market has advanced over the past forty years. However, regardless of this improvement, discrimination in the workforce and ethnic penalties are still prominent. From examining theoretical explanations for the disadvantage of ethnic minorities in the labour force, it would seem that the answer lies within a number of different causes.Although some of the theories seem more plausible explanations than others, for example theories that recognise racial disadvantage along with the concept of ethnic diversity are more accepted than that of the underclass thesis, it is still important to acknowledge all of the theories, as individually they all provide possible explanations. There is not one possible reason for ethnic and racial disadvantage, more than it is due to a combination of factors such as discrimination in the workplace, economic restructuring overtime, and race, religion and ethnicity.Further aspects are also relevant to consider, such as historic patterns of migration and also class and gender. Various elements of these theories will be more applicable depending on the group in question, and it is also essential to recognise that within different ethnic groups, statistics vary considerably making it un-reliable to treat groups as one whole instead of addressing the individuals within. Bibliography Books BRADLEY, H. , HEALY, G. , FORSON, C and KAUL, P. 2007 Equal Opportunities Commission. Manchester. BRADLEY, H. , HEALY, G. , 2008 Ethnicity and Gender at Work.Inequalities, Careers and Employment Relations London: Palgrave Macmillan CHEUNG, S. Y, HEATH, A and SMITH, S. N, 2007 Unequal Chances: Ethnic Minorities in Western Labour Markets. Proceedings of the British Academy. Oxford: Oxford University Press CLARK, K. and DRINKWATER, S 2007 Ethnic minorities in the labour market: dynamics and diversity York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. HOLDAWAY, S. and O’NEIL, M. (2007) ‘Where has all the racism gone? Views of racism in constabularies after Macphe rson’. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 30, 3: 397-415. PILKINGTON, A. 003 Racial Disadvantage and Ethnic Diversity in Britain. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan SHAH, P. , 2011 ‘Ethnic and religious diversity in Britain. Where are we going? ‘ in HEALY, G, KIRTON, G. , and NOON, M Equality, Inequalities and Diversity. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan TOWNSEND, P, 1979 Poverty in the United Kingdom. Great Britain: University of California. Websites CABINET OFFICE. 2009. Ethnic minorities and the Labour market Final report [online]. [Accessed 26 October 2012]. Available from: http://www. irr. org. uk/pdf/em_labour_market. pdf GORDAN, L. 1998.Aid to dependant children, the Legal history [online]. [Accessed 21 October 2012]. Available from: http://www. socialwelfarehistory. com/programs/aid-to-dependent-children-the-legal-history/ GREEN, A. OWEN, D. WILSON, R. 2005. Changing patterns of employment by ethnic groups and for migrant workers [online]. [Accessed 27 October 2012]. A vailable from: https://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:KVKNA4lMHX4J:dera. ioe. ac. uk/6250/1/nat-changingpatternsofemploymenttechnicalreport-re-may2006. pdf+national+report+green+owen+wilson&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESHIGHER EDUCATION STATISICS AGENCY. 1993. [online]. ]Accessed 29 October 2012]. Available from: http://www. hesa. ac. uk/content/view/1897/239/ INFORMATION CENTRE GUIDE. 2003. Ethnic minorities [online]. [Accessed 24 October 2012]. Available from: www. londonchamber. co. uk/docimages/149. pdf LEMAN, N. 1986. The Origins of the Underclass [online]. [Accessed 24 October 2012]. Available from: http://www. theatlantic. com/past/politics/poverty/origin1. htm LIVESEY, C. 1995-2010 Sociology Central [online]. [Accessed 20 October 2012]. Available from: http://www. ociology. org. uk/steth. htm PARLIAMENT, 2009. Parliament UK [online]. [Accessed 27 October 2012]. Available from: http://www. publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmhaff/427/42703. htm SMITH, A. 200 1. The new ethnicity classification in the Labour Force Survey [online]. [Accessed 20 October 2012]. Available from: https://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:zWnhexhVW8cJ:www. ons. gov. uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-trends–discontinued-/volume-110–no–12/the-new-ethnicity-classification-in-the-labour-force-survey. pd STAKER, D. 2002-2012.Self-Fulfilling Prophecy [online]. [Accessed 26 October 2012]. Available from: http://changingminds. org/explanations/theories/self-fulfilling_prophecy. htm THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. [online]. [Accessed 21 October 2012]. Available from: www. legislation. gov. uk/ukpga/1976/74 TUC report. 2012. Youth, unemployment and ethnicity [online]. [Accessed 28 October 2012]. Available from: www. tuc. org. uk/economy/index. cfm? mins=364 WALL STREET JOURNAL. 1986. The Economist [online]. [Accessed 27 October 2012]. 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Best Snack Foods

Running head: PROBLEM SOLUTION: BEST SNACKS INC. Problem Solution: Best Snacks Inc. University of Phoenix Problem Solution: Best Snacks Inc. Over the last few years Best Snacks has been faced with declined sales, decreased market shares as well as steadily decline stock market prices. As a result of these changes, Best Snack is currently no longer on top of the snack food industry. The current CEO Elizabeth Fairchild, has enlisted the assistance of Vice President of Organizational Development Sabrina McKay to help change the creative and innovative culture. The purpose of this paper is to provide solutions to the issues facing Best Snack that will allow the company to regain the new one spot in the snack food industry. The solutions will focus on the overwhelming need for a return to creativity and innovation into the organization. Describe the Situation Issue and Opportunity Identification The snack food industry is consistently changing and evolving. Best Snack currently has not been able to keep up with the competition. Several issues will need to address before a turn around can begin. The issues with Best Snacks are lack of creativity and innovation, which has led to the decrease sales, decreased market share and decreased profits. The time is now for Best Snacks to adopt a culture that fosters creativity and innovation or jeopardize losing even more. A full outline of the issues facing Best Snack is outlined in Table 1. As a result of the survey, Best Snack has several opportunities to address with the employees. Much of the research on innovative companies points to the importance of management practices that support creative employees and their ideas† (Best Snacks, 2009, p 4). Becoming a learning organization is one of the opportunities for Best Snack. Becoming a learning organization will encourage the changes that the CEO wants to implement. As the employees become more skilled and start to use those skills the creativity and innovation will be reinforced and become a vital part of the company’s organizational culture. Senge’s principles for designing a learning organization emphasizes the importance of building shared vision, by which he means building the ongoing frame of reference or mental model that all organizational members use to frame problems or opportunities and that binds them to an organization† (Jones, 2004, pg 379). Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas Each stakeholder has their one ideas of how they relate to Best Snacks. The key stakeholders are the customers, the management team, employees and the shareholders. Each stakeholder has some investment in the success of the company and each stakeholder wants a high return on his or her investment. The investment and values of each key stakeholder is identified and explained in Table 2. The management team is looked upon by the employees, shareholders and the customers to make the decisions that will ensure the success of the company. These decisions include fostering an environment that fosters creativity and innovation to keep the company competitive. The employees are looked upon by the management team to provide creative and innovation ideas that can control cost and maintain product lines. The stakeholders look to the management team and employees to work in a manner which uses the Capitol in the best manner. The stakeholders want a decent return on their investment and want to know that the management team is managing their capitol effectively. The customers want to know they are receiving value for their money as well as purchasing from an honest and reputable company. Frame the â€Å"Right† Problem Best Snacks will provide all employees opportunities to grow and develops skills related to creativity and innovation. As the employees use these new skills, Best Snack will be come an organization that will lead the snack industry in using creativity and innovation to materialize the company’s strategic plan of increased market share, increased sales and increased stock prices. Describe the â€Å"End-State† Vision Best Snack has an upward climb to becoming number one in the snack food industry again. Major changes will need to be made and the best method for Best Snacks will be to incorporate radical innovation into culture. The company will need to evaluate both the business model as well as technology to see what improvements can be made. This will be a first in the snack food industry and will position Best Snack a true leader in the industry. The next step is to increase creative thinking and innovational skills on all levels of the organization. By looking at both internal and external sources for creativity and innovation Best Snack will have a consistent flow of creative and innovative ideas for developing and marketing products. The need for new products and marking ideas is essential to increase sales, market shares and stock prices. Identify the Alternatives and Benchmarking Validation â€Å"Making decisions on a product enhancement requires communications between many parts of the organization, including R&D, manufacturing, marketing and sales, and finance, as well as processes and criteria for making the decisions† (Davila, Epstein, & Shelton, 2006, p 120). Best Snacks R&D department is currently not producing the type of ideas that will lead to new innovation products required to keep the company competitive. By creating an outreach program Best Snack R&D department will be in contact with fresh and innovative ideas. â€Å"By 2000, it was clear to us that our invent-it-ourselves model was not capable of sustaining high levels of top-line growth. The explosion of new technologies was putting ever more pressure on our innovation budgets. Our R&D productivity had leveled off, and our innovation success rate—the percentage of new products that met financial objectives—had stagnated at about 35 percent. Squeezed by nimble competitors, flattening sales, lackluster new launches, and a quarterly earnings miss, we lost more than half our market cap when our stock slid from $118 to $52 a share† (Connect and Develop: Inside Procter & Gamble's New Model for Innovation 2006). This served as a major wake up call for Proctor and Gamble so the company began looking at university and government labs to create partnerships to assist both parties in product research and design. Proctor & Gamble soon realized that this process was paying off because of the best ideas had come from the partnerships outside the company. Lafley made it our goal to acquire 50 percent of our innovations outside the company. The strategy wasn't to replace the capabilities of our 7,500 researchers and support staff, but to better leverage them. Half of our new products, Lafley said, would come from our own labs, and half would come through them† (Connect and Develop: Inside Procter & Gamble's New Model for In novation 2006). With this new change in obtaining ideas, it was important that the culture of the company changed as well. As Best Snacks is looking to make changes to product line, the company could benefit from creating partnerships with universities and even individuals looking to sell product ideas. Procter & Gamble has created a website in which individuals can log in and provide new ideas. Best Snacks could add a link to the company website that could serve the same purpose. The link on the website could be a cost-effective way to begin to obtain new ideas. If the website generates valuable suggestions, then the outreach program can be expanded as-needed. The solution of a culture change and using an out reach program is the best solution for Best Snacks as it will lead to continued growth and development for the company. Evaluate the Alternatives Best Snack has attempted to use incremental innovation without much success and the CEO see this and is aware of the need for radical innovation and increased creativity. â€Å" She determined to make Best Snacks the first consumer snacks company to make radical innovation and creativity a vital part of the organization’s culture† (Best Snacks, 2009, p 1). The company will need to embrace the need for a culture change and work toward more products that will reach the target customers. Innovation and creativity is exactly what Best Snacks needs to regain the top position in the snack industry. The company will need to educate the employees and train them to think creativity and identify innovative thoughts. This can be accomplished by the management team identifying the behaviors of other creative and innovative companies. Once these behaviors are identified, the next step is to incorporate these behaviors in the daily routines. These steps set the ground work to empower the employees to introduce new products. Narrowed List of Alternatives When looking at the list of alternatives presented in Table 3, the best alternative solution is to look at gaining outside partnerships to assist the R team in providing new ideas. Before this solution can work the culture will need to shift to encourage creativity and innovation from all employees. The employees need to understand that the external ideas are not to replace the internal ones but to enhance the brainstorming sessions. The next best solution would be to create a learning organization. All of these steps are necessary as Best Snacks focuses on shift to a company known for innovation and creativity. Identify and Assess Risks Best Snacks needs to understand that each solution carries a different set of risks. It’s important these risks are taken into consideration before any decision is made. The current risk that needs to mitigate is the declining sales, declining market share and declining stock prices. Table 4 provides the risk and consequences of the each of the proposed solutions and most important it provides ways to lower the risk of each solution. The management team will need to have solid techniques in place to help the employees more toward the new organizational goals. Make the Decision When evaluating all of the solutions provided, Best Snack would benefit from all of the solutions in some manner. By developing the partnerships with local colleges, shifting the culture to foster innovation and creativity by implementing the behaviors of that lead to creativity and innovation will help to transform ideas to new product lines. The first step is to contact the local colleges to create internships program. This program will consistently provide the R department access to new ideas. The R team can take the ideas and brainstorm how to implement the ideas. The downside of this solution is that the R department may not take the ideas seriously and not focus enough attention to the development because of resentment. The second and third alternative is change the culture to foster creativity and innovation by identifying the behaviors of other creative and innovative companies. These two alternatives are interrelated as before one can occur the other needs to occur. The shift of culture will be hard from several of the employees because of resistance to change. The management team will need to provide change management training to employees because the future of the Best Snack is full of consistent change. The final alternative is to create a learning organization. As Best Snack is making the other adjustments to the business model, the company will have no other choice but to implement organizational learning. The benefit to this alternative is that the company will be consistently looking for new ideas and products that new learning will be required of each employee. As the employees learn and share new skills the company continues to learn and grow and in turn the product line will continually evolve to meet the demands of the customers. Develop and Implement the Solution Sabrina McKay the Vice President of Organizational Development has a full slate to ensure that all of the pieces are in place. Sabrina’s first action item is to identify the leadership behaviors are required to lead the company. These behaviors will be identified within two months. Once the behaviors have been outlined, over the next three months the review of the current management process will be evaluated. During this evaluation, the necessary changes will be outlined. During these evaluations, the management team will be review all polices and procedures to benchmark against the new set of behaviors and processes. The management team will have two months to complete this evaluation. Once the changes have been outlined, a new training program will be created by Sabrina and this should take approximately nine months to create and provide the training to all associates. While the training is being conducted Sabrina will also be working on the creativity and innovation plan. This plan will include the partnerships with local colleges. Sabrina will have eight months to create and identify the best college to use for the program. Once the partnerships and training is complete the management team can continue to outline the strategies for supporting the employees in all of the new endeavors. The support for the employees is vital to the whole plans success. The project will be reviewed every six months to ensure adequately progress. Evaluate the Results The focus for Best Snack is to become the first company in the snack industry actively using radical innovation in the organizational culture. The plan that was outlined in Table 6 and Table 7 has the project completed within the next 12 months. The changes that will be made during this time will need to be consistently reinforced by management. It is also very important that management support the employees as training and change is provided. This is the time for management to increase the trust factor between management and employees. As the trust increases, creativity will also increase. The employees’ surveys will be used to measure how well the management team is nurturing the increased creativity and innovation. Once partnership program is in place, Best Snacks will have consistent flow of ideas for the R team to brainstorm and transform into new products. As the R team is brainstorming both internal and external ideas this lead to additional ideas. Within a year, the R team will be able to provide more marketing ideas and products in a more efficient manner. Best snacks will a 30% increase in new products in one-year. The increase in products will start to increase company sales, market share and stock price within the year. With the consistent new ideas, increased creative and innovative thinking, Best Snack will see consistent growth over the next few years. Conclusion Best Snack has become very dependent on incremental innovation and the low risk factors that when change is urgently needed it is hard to stray from it. Best Snack is trying to become a leader in the industry but is stuck therefore the need to shift to radical innovation. The second level at which systems interact with learning is through their own improvement and the improvement of organizational processes. During the execution of a particular project, there is learning about the process itself that is captured. In other words, there is learning not only about the particular innovation, but also about how the company can improve its innovation processes† (Davila, Epstein, & Shelton, 2006, p 218). For Best Snacks to maintain the new competitive edge it is important to continue to foster the communication as well as the concepts of creativity and innovation. Best Snacks is now in a position to use the knowledge of the past to create a better future for the employees, customers and shareholders. References Davila, T. , Epstein, M. , & Shelton, R. , 2006. Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It, 1e. Jones, Gareth R. , 2004. Organizational Theory, Design, and Change, 1eChapter 12: Decision Making, Learning, Knowledge Management, and Information Technology. P&G’s New Innovation Model 2006 retrieved April 10, 2010 from http://hbswk. hbs. edu/archive/5258. html University of Phoenix, (2009). Best Snacks Scenario Inc. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from University of Phoenix rEsource Center. Table 1 Issues and Opportunities Identification |Issue |Opportunities |Reference to Specific | | | |Course Concept | |Business Model Change to drive |The CEO Elizabeth recognizes the company’s need to make|Davila. , Epstein. , & Shelton | |innovation in the following areas: |some innovated changes. The changes to the business |2006, p. 32 | |Value Proposition |model will help Best Snack Foods become more | | |Supply Chain |competitive. The first change will be to look at the | | |Target Customer |value of the items for sale and make the necessary | | | |adjustments to provide more value to the consumers. | | |The next step is to look at the supply chain and make | | | |the necessary adjustment. The changes should provide | | | |product to Best Snacks at a quick and lower price so | | | |that cost savings can be passed on to the customer as | | | well as increased margin for the company. The final | | | |step is to determine the target customer for the new | | | |product or the enhanced product. Best Snack foods to | | | |look at what areas that they have no presence and what | | | |areas they need to increase product presence. This | | | |will determine which customers they are not reaching | | | |and then can determine value of reaching out to a new | | | |demographic. | | |Technology Change to drive innovation |The CEO Elizabeth recognizes the company’s need to make|Davila. , Epstein. , & Shelton | |in the following ways: |some innovated changes. According to the survey the |2006, p. 5 | |Product and service offerings |associates believe that management does not quick | | |Process technologies |decision regarding new products. The company has | | |Enabling technologies |introduced only five new products in three years. The | | | |company needs to determine what products they want to | | | |improve on or, which new items to produce. This new | | | |products could also require some changes in the | | | |technologies. The company has just implemented an | | | |automotive packing system and will need to find other | | | |technologies that will help decrease cost associated | | | |with production. The nest step will be for Best Snack | | | |food to look communication between vendors. The close | | | |relationship can also help to reduce cost. | | |Organizational |The executive team should begin to outline the learning|Jones 2004, p. 376 | |learning The process |for the individual through the University. Once the | | |through which managers |learning continues with the individual, the new | | |seek to improve |knowledge will begin to have an impact on the group and| | |organization members’ |when the group is learning the whole organization is | | |capacity to understand |learning. Best Snack needs to outline training classes| | |and manage the organization |for all levels of the company. As the company | | |and its environment |continues to learn the groups and individuals will | | |so that they |begin to look deeper into process to determine ways to | | |can make decisions |streamline and reduce cost. This is creating an | | |with continual organizational |environment that fosters creativity. This will so help| | |effectiveness. The following are |to decrease the fear of taking risk within the company. | |types of organizational learning | | | |Exploration | | | |Exploitation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Organizational decision making is the |This is what the executive team is currently working |Jones 2004, p. 368 | |process of responding to a problem by |on. The CEO has outlined the problem, which is the | | |searching for and selecting a solution|company is not as competitive and innovated as the | | |or course of action that will create |competition. As a result of these issues the company | | |value for |is beginning to suffer financially. The executive team| | |organizational stakeholders. |is working to find the proper solution that will | | |This type of decision model has five |provide increased profits and margins for Best Snacks. | |different models | | | |Rational Model | | | |Carnegie Model | | | |Incrementalist Model | | | |Unstructured Model | | | |Garbage Can Model | | | |Decision making drives the operation | | | |of an organization. At the | | | |core of every organization is a set of| | | |decision-making rules and routines | | | |that bring stability | | | |and allow the organization to | | | |reproduce its structure, activities, | | | |and core competences | | | |over time (Jones, 2004, p. 375) | | | |Learning in a innovative organization |Sabrina will be able to provide this characteristic to |Davila. , Epstein. & Shelton | |has the following characteristics: |Best Snack foods once she is has completed her new |2006, p. 212 | |Process learning is linked to |assignment. The first step that she has completed of | | |strategy |the employee survey is an excellent start to determine | | |Systematic approach to complex |the current state versus the new look of the company. | | |organizational dynamics |She is also looking at the values and the mission of | | |Shared vision |the company. Both of these will more than likely be | | |Flexibility and agility |updated to reflect the new strategy. Once the new | | |Timely anticipation of challenges and |strategy is determined the company will be working | | |threats |toward a common goal and will be able to foster a | | |Collaborative and challenging |creative environment. The company currently has a Best | | |environment. |Snack University for the students but the courses are | | | |not mandatory. The company should look at requiring so | | | |many hours a year so that each employee can continue to| | | |improve upon there skills. | | Table 2 Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas |Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas | |Stakeholder Groups with Competing Values | | | | |The Interests, Rights, and |The Ethical Dilemma Based on the Competing | |List: Group X Values of Each Group |Values | |versus Group Y | | | |Executive Management vs. Employees |Fairness, accountability and social responsibility |The employees completed a survey and it is up | | |The interest of employees revolves around Best |to the Management team to make the right | | |Snacks ability to provide job security, market share|decision with the answers. It is important the | | |security and on the job training to improve job |management use the information to provide the | | |skills. The Executive management has the |necessary program to the employees and support | | |responsibility to implement the organizational |growth and development. | | |changes in order to maintain competitive. | | |Executive Management vs. Shareholders |Increased return on investment, |The main interest is the history of innovation,| | |Loyalty, respect, responsibility and reputation of |market shares, stock performance, operating | | |company. |profit, return on investment, and | | | |profitability. The shareholders are fearful | | | |about their investments not increasing and the | | | |shareholders want to know that the capitol is | | | |being managed properly. If the capitol is being| | | |managed properly then there should be a return | | | |on their capitol. | |Executive Management vs. Customers |Customer is interested in cost and quality. The CEO Elizabeth Fairchild has meeting with | | |The customer is also wanting accountability and |customers to talk about values and how they | | |honestly from the executive team. |compare to the competition. The customers are | | | |expecting that the company to take their | | | |answers and work to make the necessary changes. | Table 3 Analysis of Alternative Solutions [pic] Table 4 Risk Assessment and Mitigation Risk Assessment and Mitigation | |Alternative |Risks and Probability |Consequence and Severity |Mitigation Techniques and | | | | |Strategies | |Identify and individual and |Ineffective due to lack of |According to the survey results, |Management team will communicate | |organizational behaviors that |participation and rejection by |the employees do not believe that |how creativity and innovation will | |foster creativity and |employees – high |improved innovation and creativity|assist the company to reach the new| |innovation |There is littler or no growth – low |is achievable –high |goals | | |Inadequate management of strategies |Will not have immediate impact on | | | |structures, or cultures – low |product improvements, finance or |The management team will also need | | | reputation-medium |to understand all of the dynamics | | | | |that affect growth. | |Create organizational learning |Employees are hesitant to follow the |Increase turnover as employees |The CEO and | | |organizational learning system- high |will not make necessary changes – |management team will need to | | | |medium |define and communicate the | | | | |organizational learning process. | | | | | |Adapt a culture that focuses on|Creation of goals for employees to have|Will not address all of the |The management team will focus on | |creativity and innovation |continuous learning – medium |important issues. – high |creativity when outlining the new | | | |The major issues will still need |vision of the company | | | |to be addressed | | |Create partnerships with |Current employees will resent the ideas|This will generate new ideas that |The management team must | |colleges to generate new and |from the outside -high |can be implemented by the current |communicate the program and foster | |creative ideas. |R&D team with the necessary |the culture to accept the ideas as | | | |modifications to fit the needs of |if they were generated from the | | | |the company. – Low |inside. | Table 5 Pros and Cons of Alternative Solutions |Alternative |Pros |Cons | |Create organizational learning |All departments will be on the same track |The training can be c ostly and be hard for some| | |toward the new goals. employees to make changes | | | | | | | | | |Adapt culture that focuses on creativity and |Company will operate more efficiently due to |The current culture may be too strong to allow | |innovation |all of the new changes in operating models and |the shift in focus and implement the new ideas | | |technology |and concepts | |Identify individual and organizational |Increased competences for employees that can |Products are not improved | |behaviors that foster creativity and innovation|improve product lines |Products may no longer meet the needs of the | |and implement the necessary changes | |customer | | | | | | | | | |Create relationships with colleges to generate |New ideas that are not bound by boundaries from|Current team members might feel threaten by | |new ideas |the culture of the company |ideas | | |The customer is provide suggestions to improve |Students that create ideas may not be involved | | |value or products |in w hole process. | | |Ideas that are generated can be modified by the| | | |R&D team to fit the business model | | Table 6 Optimal Solution Implementation Plan Action Item Deliverable |Timeline |Who is Responsible | |Proposal for new employee training |9 months |Sabrina McKay, VP of Organizational | | | |Development | |Organizational strategies for supporting the |12 months (continual) | Executive Management Team | |employees | | | |Creation of Creativity and Innovation Plan |8 months |Sabrina McKay | |Review of all policies and procedures |2 months | Executive Management Team | |Identify leadership behaviors |2 months |Sabrina McKay | |Identify management process |3 months |Sabrina McKay | Table 7 Evaluation of Results End-State Goals |Metrics |Target | |Best Snacks will be the first snack company to |Innovation and creativity will become a |With in a year, radical innovation will be | |implement radical innovation and creativity as|integral part of the companies ongoing |encouraged regularly. | |part of the companies organizational culture |processed | | |Best Snacks encourage creative thinking on all |Best Snack will now be known as a cutting edge |All employees will be trained on creativity and| |levels by using new skills |innovation organization |innovation skills within one year. |The development of new products will be more |With in a year, Best Snacks will see an |The will be a 30% increase in new products | |innovative resulting in an increase in sales, |increase in development of new products as a |within one year. | |market share and stock prices. |result of new ideas from both internal and | | | |external sources | | |The executive management team will create an |The results of the assessment show that |Full employee involvement with in 4 months. |assessment to increase creativity and |management is following the new organizational | | |innovation throughout the company |plans for the company. | | |Best Snacks will become number one again and |Best Snacks leads the industry with creative |Within one year, Best Snacks will have | |will remain competitive due to organizational |and innovation products and will increase |increased profit margins and increased | |changes |revenue and operating incomes |creativity. |

Definition and Examples of Epilogues

An epilogue is a concluding section of (or a postscript to) a speech or literary work. Also called a  recapitulation, an afterword, or an envoi. Though usually short, an epilogue may be as long as an entire chapter in a book. Aristotle, in discussing the arrangement of a speech, reminds us that the epilogue is not essential even to a forensic speech--as when the speech is short or the matter easy to remember; for the advantage of epilogue is abridgement (Rhetoric). The etymology is  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹from the Greek, conclusion of a speech. Epilogue to Animal House Readers are often curious about what happens to the characters after the narrative ends. An epilogue satisfies this curiosity, leaving the reader informed and fulfilled. . . .[T]here is the infamous epilogue of the movie Animal House, in which stop-action frames of the characters contain comic captions describing what happened to them. So the gross-out king, John Blutarsky, becomes a United States senator; and the make-out king, Eric Stratton, becomes a Beverly Hills gynecologist. The desire to know more about characters after the natural ending of a narrative is not a critique of the story, but a compliment to the writer.(Roy Peter Clark, Help! for Writers: 210 Solutions to the Problems Every Writer Faces. Little, Brown and Company, 2011) Nicolaus on the Function of Epilogues in Classical Rhetoric (5th century A.D.) [A]n epilogue is a discourse that leads itself back upon demonstrations that have been said beforehand, encompassing a collecting of matters, characters, and emotions, and its task consists also of this, says Plato, at last to remind the listeners of the things that have been said [Phaedrus 267D].(Nicolaus, Progymnasmata. Readings From Classical Rhetoric, ed. by Patricia P. Matsen, Philip Rollinson, and Marion Sousa. Southern Illinois Univ. Press, 1990) Commentary An epilogue is where the author can be expected to wax philosophical. Here, for example, I might tell you that better listening not only transforms personal and professional relationships (which it does) but can also bring understanding across the gender gap, the racial divide, between rich and poor, and even among nations. All that is true, but if Im going to indulge in the unearned right to preach, maybe I should confine myself to matters closer to home. . . .(Michael P. Nichols, The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships, 2nd ed. Guilford Press, 2009) Rosalinds Epilogue in As You Like It It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue; but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue. If it be true, that good wine needs no bush, tis true that a good play needs no epilogue. Yet to good wine they do use good bushes; and good plavs prove the better by the help of good epilogues. What a case am I in then, that am neither a good epilogue, nor cannot insinuate with you in the behalf of a good play? I am not furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become me: my way is, to conjure you; and Ill begin with the women. I charge you, О women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please you; and I charge you, О men, for the love you bear to women (Ð °Ã · I perceive, by your simpering, none of you hate them) that between you and the women the play may please. If I were a woman, I would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked me, and breaths that I defied not: and I am sure, as many as hav e good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer, when I make curtsy, bid me farewell.(William Shakespeare, As You Like It) Prosperos Epilogue in The Tempest Now my charms are all oerthrown,And what strength I haves mine own,Which is most faint: now, tis true,I must be here confind by you,Or sent to Naples. Let me not,Since I have my dukedom gotAnd pardond the deceiver, dwellIn this bare island by your spell;But release me from my bandsWith the help of your good hands.Gentle breath of yours my sailsMust fill, or else my project fails,Which was to please. Now I wantSpirits to enforce, art to enchant;And my ending is despair,Unless I be relievd by prayer,Which pierces so that it assaultsMercy itself, and frees all faults.As you from crimes would pardond be,Let your indulgence set me free.(William Shakespeare, The Tempest) Further Reading ConclusionDenouementHow to Borrow Money, by Stephen LeacockParts of a SpeechPeroration