Egyptian Mythology Essay Example for Free

Egyptian Mythology Essay Mythology is a collection of stories believed to be true by any culture, where these stories are used to interpret and explain natural and supernatural phenomenon. Myths play a prominent role in religion. The abstract concept of god that is dealt with by religion is made concrete through the development of myths. Earliest mythologies concerned themselves with the immense powers of nature which might have confounded the brain of the primitive human beings. Therefore they worshipped nature rain, sun, water, wind, animals, birds, and trees. The evolution of mythology started with a feeling of terror and awe when confronted with these forces of nature over which man had very little power (Conway, 1876). The brain of human beings is constructed in such a manner that it seeks explanations for events. It is wired to look for causes behind consequences. Human beings used myths to provide reasons for the manner in which nature functioned. For example, thunder was considered to be the anger of gods. Many temples were built in order to propitiate the gods of their myths. Some of the most famous temples of Ancient Egypt are Abu Simbel, Abydos, Karnak, Luxor, and Ramesseum. Myths of different characteristics are found in ancient Egypt †¢ origin myths, †¢ ritual myths, †¢ creation myths, †¢ social myths, and †¢ eschatological myths. Of these, the creation myths are most interesting from the point of view of Egyptian mythology as well as those of other mythologies. According to the Egyptian mythology, there are three different cosmogonies: first involves the emergence of land and life from primordial waters known as Neith, second involves the creation of Ra from the interaction of water, air, darkness and eternity, and the third one is similar to the Judeo-Christian creation myth whereby Ptah, the eternal god, spoke and all creation was manifested. Origin of life for the Egyptians begins with the creation of the nine primeval deities known as Pesedjet. Out of these deities the most important one is Atum, who is known to be the ‘complete one’ or the ‘one absolute’. He is created from the primordial soup known as Neith. His breath becomes dryness and semen becomes moisture. Through an interaction of dryness and moisture, emerge the earth and sky. They separated to form life and death, and desert and fertile land. The creation of earth and life from chaos is a theory central to the Hindu, Cherokee, Babylonian, Nordic and Germanic mythologies. The other important motifs of creation myths are the separation of the male (father) and female (mother) gods, emergence of land from water and the creation of everything from nothing. According to the Ancient Finns, the world is formed from a broken egg. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the sun god, Ra, opened in an egg. As life exists because of the energy derived from sunlight, it is easy to notice that the creation of life is linked to the creation of the sun. Origin myths are known as aetiologies. They are used to explain the causes of certain cult myths. They are related to the creation myths in the sense that they explain the causes of the creation myths. Many animals were considered sacred. Nowhere is this more evident than in Egyptian mythology. The Egyptian pantheon was essentially zoomorphic. Some of the common sacred animals of the ancient Egyptian pantheon are Anubis, the jackal or dog; Apis, the bull; Hathor, the cow; Horus, the falcon; Satis, the gazelle; Sekhmet, the lioness; and Selket, the scorpion. All these animals were attributed with divine powers but the god himself or herself (as the case may be) was anthropomorphic. Gods created good and evil. Thus there was no need for a devil in ancient Egypt (Conway, 1876). Propitiating the gods with rites and rituals bestowed men with good fortune. For the ancient Egyptians though, it was not life that was important. They placed immense import on the after-life. All of life was a preparation for life after death. All the Egyptian myths speak about the after-life at some point or the other. In order to explain what happened to human beings after death, they believed that the soul of a person goes into a judgement hall by Anubis. The heart of the dead person is weighed on a balancing scale against a single feather that symbolizes Ma’at, who stands of truth. If the heart is outweighed by the feather, the dead soul goes to ‘live’ in the presence of Osiris, who is the lord of the after-life. If the heart outweighs the feather, Ammit, who is part lion, part crocodile and part hippopotamus, eats the heart. The reason for this is that a heavy heart is one that is burdened by sin and guilt and a light heart is a pure one (Budge, 1991). One of the most prominent deities in the ancient Egyptian mythology is the sun. Many deities were associated with the sun such as Bast, Bat, Hathor, Menhit, Nut, Sekhmet and Wadjet. The sun’s god was known as Ra who was the creator of everything. He was represented by a man’s body and a hawk’s head and holding a sceptre and an ankh. Horus was another representative of the sun. The sun would travel across the sky every day in a barque and travel in the underworld during the night. Ra would fight a battle with Apep everyday during darkness in order to remerge during the day. After their death, the members of the royal household were believed to travel with the sun each day in the barque. The kings considered themselves to be the sons of the sun and therefore, a Pharaoh was born divine. The king was ‘Son of Amen’ and therefore a personification of the sun, the father (Bard, 1999). The concept lingers to this day in the form of Jesus Christ who is the son of God, the Father. Jesus is in absolute likeliness of the God, the Father. Sun has similar importance in the mythologies of other cultures too. The Aztecs worshipped the sun as Toniatiuh, ‘movement of the sun’ in Nahuatl. For them, sun was the leader of heaven. According to them, the present sun was the fifth sun with its own cosmological time span. There were four other suns before this one. According to the Chinese cosmology there were ten suns. Hou Yi was the hero who shot nine of the ten suns so that there would just enough light and heat to sustain the planet. Most Vedic hymns are dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Savita was the personification of the deity. There were twelve Adityas or solar deities. Ancient Egyptian mythology is rift with rituals. Rituals were central to the religion, state and culture of this great civilization. Many texts were used to assist in the rituals †¢ Books of Breathing, †¢ Book of the Earth, †¢ Book of the Dead, †¢ Book of the Netherworld, †¢ Book of the Gates, †¢ Book of Caverns and †¢ Amduat. Of these, the Book of the Dead is most famous. It contains many spells and incantations. It was buried along with the dead in order to help them pass through the underworld in a safe manner. The ancient Egyptian funerary rituals included mummification, casting of incantations and spells, and burial. The bodies of the dead were mummified because the ancient Egyptians believed that the soul needed to the body even after death. The mummified bodies were buried along with many grave goods such as tools, implements, jewels, clothes and weapons. Many mummies would be placed in funerary boats. Burial rituals were always accompanied by funerary literature. For a long time it was thought that mummification was unique to the ancient Egyptians until mummies began to be discovered by archaeologists in China and Latin America. The process of mummification also appears to have been similar and they also appear to have been accompanied by rituals and incantations. The presence of megalithic structures in ancient Egypt has interesting parallels in Crete, Ireland, and even Melanesia. These are a group of complex building built in a labyrinthine fashion near a lake. They associated essentially with animal sacrifice and funerary rituals (Campbell, 1959). Ancient Egyptian mythologies extend even to the trees. They considered that a spirit dwelled in a leafy-tree and that there was a well of water at the bottom of the tree. Some of the common sacred trees in Egypt were the sycamore, palm, and persea (Buhl, 1947). Hathor, the cow was also known as a tree-goddess in the Old Kingdom and many tree-goddess cults prevailed in that region. Hathor was also known as ‘The Mistress of the Southern Sycamore’. Not only females but even males were associated with tree divinity. â€Å"He who is under a moringa tree† was a common statement in tree cults and referred to various tree deities. Mythologies abound even today in many religious systems. Many Judeo-Christians believe that the Genesis is a literal account of creation. It has sparked many a controversy with the evolutionary theory of life. Comparative mythologists such as Joseph Campbell and Rollo May claim that the loss of connection with ancient myths is one of the causes of greatest concerns for the modern man. Myths act as guides. They are the signposts of the soul. The stories they tell are very similar to the lives we lead. The morals they provide are sure to help man in solving the problems of his own life. REFERENCES: http://www. solarnavigator. net/egyptian_solar_boat. htm Moncure D. Conway, â€Å"On Mythology†. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 5, (1876), pp. 202-212. Budge, E. A. Wallis, â€Å"Egyptian Religion: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (Library of the Mystic Arts)†. Citadel Press. August 1, 1991. Kathryn Bard, â€Å"`Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt†. Routledge. 1999. Joseph Campbell, â€Å"Primitive Mythologies†. Penguin Books. 1959. Marie-Louise Buhl, â€Å"The Goddesses of the Egyptian Tree Cult†. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr. , 1947), pp. 80-97

Resurrection of Lazarus in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

Resurrection of Lazarus in Crime and Punishment In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskalnikov undergoes a period of extreme psychological upheaval. By comparing this death and rebirth of Raskalnikov's psyche to the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, Dostoevsky emphasizes not only the gravity of his crimes, but also the importance of acceptance of guilt. From the moment when Raskalnikov murders the old woman, his personality begins to change drastically. Dostoevsky challenges the reader to understand the madness which ensues by first demonstrating that the ideas and convictions to which Raskalnikov clung died along with the women. While the reader struggles with this realization, Dostoevsky incorporates the Biblical legend of Lazarus as a symbolic mirror for Raskalnikov's mind. By connecting the two, the reader encounters the foreshadowing of a rebirth of morals and beliefs, though what form this may assume remains cryptic. As references to Lazarus continue to occur, the feeling of parallelism increases in intensity. Just as Raskalnikov slowly struggled through madness, Lazarus lay dying of a terrible disease. When Lazarus eventually dies, Raskalnikov mimes this by teetering on the edge of insanity, the death of the mind. Eventually Sonya begins to pull Raskalnikov back to reality by relieving a portion of his guilt. As his Christ fi gure, she accomplishes this by providing the moral and spiritual sturdiness which Raskalnikov lost after his debasement during the murders. Sonya affects him not by active manipulation, but via her basic character, just as Christ personified his beliefs through the manner in which he lived his life. No matter what Raskalnikov says or does to her, she accepts it and looks to God to forgive him, just as Jesus does in the Bible. This eventually convinces Raskalnikov that what he did was in fact a crime and that he must repent for it and"seek atonement". Through this realization, Raskalnikov decides he must redeem himself not only in the eyes of the law, but in the eye of God as well. By foreswearing his old philosophy and accepting his guilt, Raskalnikov again mirrors Lazarus's acceptance of Jesus as his savior. While Lazarus accepts his new life through his rebirth, Raskalnikov acknowledges his guilt and therefore allows his mind to begin life anew.

Vsm Group: Examination of Strategic Position and Development of a Competitive Strategy

1. INTRODUCTION Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005, p. 9) define strategy as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competencies with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. Strategy is therefore the long term direction of an organisation. Strategic Management can be defined as the art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organisation to achieve its objectives (David 1999, p. ). Strategic management therefore focuses on the activities of the organisation that contribute to the achievement of organisational success. These activities include management, marketing, financial management, operations management, research and development, and information systems. The strategic position of the VSM will be analysed by applying the analytical models of strategic management to the current situation in the company. The following models will be used to analyse both the internal and external environment of the company, namely, PESTEL, Five Forces Model, and the SWOT analysis The examination of the strategic position of VSM will involve analysing the strategy of the company with emphasis on the environment it operates in, its strategic capabilities, and how expectations affect organisational purposes and strategies. The analysis will conclude with a clear statement of the Key Issues and Critical Success factors. The strategic position of VSM will then be used as a base to develop an appropriate competitive strategy for the company. The development of the strategy will also take into account the organisational cultural issues prevailing in the company. 2. COMPANY OVERVIEW The VSM (Viking Sewing Machines) Group AB engages in the development, production, marketing, and sale of household sewing machines and related accessories, and software (BusinessWeek, 2008. VSM Group AB: Private Company Information, [internet]). The VSM Group currently has two brands, namely, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff. The company produces several lines of sewing machines, the top being the Designer series and the lowest being the mechanical (non-computerised) Huskystars (Wikipedia 2007 [internet]). The company has manufacturing facilities in Sweden and the Czech Republic and produces top-of-the-line household sewing machines with related accessories and software. Each brand has its own unique and separate product line. According to BusinessWeek (VSM Group AB: Private Company Information, [internet]) the company was founded in 1689 and is headquartered in Huskvarna, Sweden. It has offices in many countries including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Holland, and the United States of America. As of February 2006 the company was acquired by Singer Sewing Company (BusinessWeek, 2008. VSM Group AB: Private Company Information, [internet]). 3. STRATEGIC POSITION OF THE VSM GROUP The strategic position is concerned with the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organisation’s strategic capability (resources and competences) and the expectations and influence of stakeholders (Johnson et al 2005, p. 17). The strategic position of VSM Group will be examined by utilising the following factors, namely, the influence/impact of macro-environmental issues to the strategy, understanding the company’s strategic capability and how this strengthens the company’s competitive advantage, and thirdly how expectations shape organisational purposes and strategies. The impact of the macro-environment will be analysed using the PESTEL framework, Porter’s Five Forces Model, SWOT analysis and the competitive nature of VSM Group’s home base of Sweden. PESTEL identifies six main types of environmental influences, namely, political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. Each influence will be discussed hereunder. 3. 1. PESTEL Political variables †¢ Political stability in Sweden and the United States. †¢ The prevalence of foreign trade regulations in the USA. Economic variables †¢ Decline in demand for sewing machines in past two decades. †¢ Decline in industry profitability. †¢ Low sales in respect of Pfaff within three years of acquisition. †¢ High production costs in the German Pfaff plant. †¢ Investment by Juki and other industry players into the US market. Socio-cultural factors †¢ Not using a consultant for the strategic planning weekend meeting made the strategy process unstructured and was a shift from the company’s way of doing things. †¢ Encouraging participation in the strategy process by middle management through a series of seminars. †¢ The adoption of the strategy document changed workers’ attitudes. The strategy document served as a guide on operational matters. The mission statement was frequently promoted in the company’s public relations. †¢ Focus shift from technical features to customer satisfaction. Technological variables Extended support for business development to encourage retailers to carry the Husqvarna Viking product line exclusively. †¢ Cooperation with Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, a large retailer of fabrics with over a thousand stores throughout the USA, setting up small sewing machine outlets inside their fabric stores. This lead to the introduction of ‘after-ma rket’ services such as training in sewing techniques, software for embroidery construction and ready-made embroidery patterns, spare parts and auxiliary sewing equipment. These after-market services are run by retailers. Customers were willing to pay as much as five to six thousand dollars on a three day course with a sewing expert. †¢ A new accounting system was installed in May 1999. †¢ The marketing and the technical development department also moved into the same office building in January 2000. This ensures that the two departments operate in sync from conception of product ideas to production and ultimately, the marketing of the product. †¢ Introduction of the Designer I model of sewing machine in 1999. The model made use of software to control the machine and contained no less than eight motors to cater for all functions. Customers could download upgrades from the internet site, save it onto the floppy disk that comes with the Designer I package and slide it into the built-in disk drive. This method of upgrading performance was new for sewing machines. †¢ The acquisition of Embroidery Networks Ltd (Emnet) in March 1999. Emnet produced software for PC-controlled professional sewing. With the advent of the internet people could exchange embroidery patterns through the internet or download them at the VSM website. VSM also expanded the number of software engineers from 3 to 17. Environmental variables Manufacture of environmentally friendly sewing machines. †¢ Manufacture of machines which do not consume much electricity. Legal variables †¢ Quality machines which are safe to use. †¢ Flexible labour legislation in Sweden and the USA. †¢ The mission statement pronouncement on the provision of growth opportunities for employees. 3. 2. Five Forces Model Porter identifies five basic f orces that can act on the organisation, namely, (1) the bargaining power of suppliers, (2) the bargaining power of buyers, (3) the threat of potential new entrants, (4) the threat of substitutes, and (5) the extent of competitive rivalry. The objective of the analysis is to investigate how VSM Group needs to form its strategy in order to develop opportunities in its environment and protect itself against competition and other threats. The bargaining power of suppliers The VSM Group restructured its operations when Pfaff in Germany and the Zetina plant in Czech Republic were taken over. Parts were now obtained from local suppliers and those from the Far East. This resulted in the reduction of costs by 50 per cent on key machine components concurrent with large improvements in quality and rejection rates. In this respect the suppliers’ bargaining power can be said to low. The bargaining power of buyers Buyers of VSM Group sewing machines have low bargaining power because the buyers are not concentrated in one geographical area. VSM is an international company and has a wide customer base. The products from VSM are greatly differentiated and therefore cannot be regarded as the same as those from other industry players. The threat of VSM Group buyers switching to other manufacturers is low. The threat of potential new entrants The ease with which new companies can enter the sewing and embroidery industries will increase the intensity of competitiveness among industry companies. High unit costs of production may present barriers to entry because they mean that any new entrant has to come in on a large scale in order to achieve the low cost levels of those already present in the industry. The current high technological advancements and innovation levels in VSM Group, strong customer loyalty to VSM Group, strong brand name, large initial capital requirements, government regulatory frameworks in Sweden and the USA, and superior products create barriers to entry for potential new entrants. The threat of substitutes The threat posed by substitute products by other manufacturers can be countered by continuous investment in technology and ‘after-market’ services by the VSM Group. The extent of competitive rivalry The sewing machine and embroidery industries are more competitive than other industries. The intensity of rivalry in the industry has increased with the coming into the industry of major manufacturing companies from the Far East. The decline in the demand for sewing machines and price cutting by VSM Group also increased rivalry among industry players. The differences in company strategies, origins (Europe and Far East) and culture (European and Japanese) increases rivalry as well. As rivalry among competing firms intensifies, industry profits decline, in some cases to the point where an industry becomes inherently unattractive (David 1999, p. 128). This statement manifests itself in the number of major manufacturers (Singer and Pfaff) who are going bankrupt. 3. 3. Identification of Key Issues: SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis summarises the key issues from the business environment and the strategic capability of an organisation that are most likely to impact on strategy development (Johnson et al 2005). It analyses the internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats. The following is a SWOT analysis of the VSM Group AB. SWOT analysis of VSM Group AB |Internal Strengths |Internal Weaknesses | |Market dominance in Europe. |Dependence on few product ranges. | |Leadership and management skills. |High production costs. | |Financial and cash resources. |Reliance on retailers for distribution. | |Manufacturing ability. |Lack of industry information. |Innovation processes and results. |Possession of two brands that compete in the same market. | |Reputation. | | |Product and service quality. | | |Differentiated brands. | | |One European currency – Euro. | | |External Opportunities |External Threats | |New markets and segments. |New market entrants. | |Free market economies arising in Asia. |Increased competition. | |Diversification opportunities. |Increased pressure from customers and suppliers. | |New takeover opportunities. |Substitutes. | |International growth. |Low market growth. | |Increased demand for sewing machines. |Economic cycle downturn. | |Competitor weakness. |Technological threat. | |Demographic and social change. |Change in political or economic environment. | |New international barriers to trade. | 3. 4The competitive nature of VSM’s home country What has become known as Porter’s Diamond suggests that there are inherent reasons why some nations are more competitive than others, and why some industries within nations are more competitive than others (Johnson 2005, p. 71). The model will be used to examine how the home base of VSM i. e. Sweden plays an important role in creating competitive advantage on a global scale for VSM. The following four decisive elements are identified: †¢ Availability of strengths in certain fields especially the automation and technological fields. The technological advancements made by the VSM Group in its Swedish operation since the beginning of the millennium gives it a competitive advantage over its rivals and enable it to compete internationally. †¢ High demand in the Sweden for VSM Group sewing machines provides the basis upon which the characteristics of the advantage of the company are shaped and leads to global dominance of the industry by VSM. †¢ Related and supporting industries in the Swedish economy, . e. , the presence of Bernina Fritz Gegauf AG means that the two companies benefit from each other. Bernina enjoyed a solid reputation and their product range resembled that of VSM with their top model accepting embroidery files developed for other brands including VSM. All these factors made Bernina an important quality benchmark for VSM. †¢ Domest ic rivalry with Bernina and the need by both companies to search for competitive advantage helped to provide the two companies with bases for achieving such advantage on a global scale. 3. 5. Foundations of strategic capability According to Johnson et al (2005, p. 17) strategic capability can be defined as the adequacy and suitability of the resources and competences of an organisation for it to survive and prosper. The strategic capability of a company refers to the resources that the organisation has and the way in which these resources are used. Resources and competences VSM’s resources can be considered under the following four broad categories: †¢ Physical resources – manufacturing plants in Sweden, USA and the Czech Republic. †¢ Financial resources – operating cash, budgets. †¢ Human resources – average number of employees (1,689). The intangible resources will refer to the skills and knowledge that the employees possess. †¢ Intellectual capital – the brand name VSM Group AB, business systems and customer databases. Threshold capabilities Threshold capabilities are those essential for the organisation to be able to compete in a given market (Johnson et al 2005). VSM’s threshold resources refer to: internet based developments, the acquired software company Emnet, increased number of engineers, and Pfaff. Unique resources and core competences The design of the VSM sewing machines make them unique resources in hat they give the company competitive advantage and other manufacturers find it difficult to imitate or copy the designs. VSM’s core competences refer to: the ‘Dealer-Partners’ programme, the cooperation with Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, and the accompanying introduction of the ‘after-market’ services. All these strategies give VSM a competitive advantage. 3. 6 . Organisational culture analysis Johnson et al (2005, p. 47) define culture as the basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic taken-for-granted fashion an organisation’s view of itself and its environment. Every organisation has a culture and it includes values, beliefs, rites, language, metaphors, symbols and rituals. Culture derives from VSM’s past, present, current people, technology and physical resources, aims, objectives and values of those who work in the organisation. These cultural products can be used by strategists at VSM to influence and direct strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation activities. The following cultural factors specific to VSM have been identified: †¢ The strategy process was changed to include, for the first time, both top and middle management. The involvement of middle managers had a positive effect on operations in that the strategy document was referred to as a guide on operational matters and the mission statement was frequently promoted in VSM’s public relations exercises. The strategy document was also regarded as an ongoing process which could be changed in response to changing situations in the company. †¢ Retailers were transformed into ‘Dealer-Partners’ which included extended business support to retailers to encourage them to deal only with the Husqvarna Viking product line. In the USA, VSM entered into a cooperation agreement with Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts to set up small sewing machine outlets inside their fabric stores. This lead to the introduction of ‘after-market’ services such as training in sewing techniques, software for embroidery construction and ready-made embroidery patterns, spare parts and auxiliary sewing equipment. These after-market services are run by retaile rs. Customers were willing to pay as much as five to six thousand dollars on a three day course with a sewing expert. In support of the company’s strategy the top management of the company was changed to accommodate the managers of the national sales companies as well as the marketing vice president. †¢ The operating systems also underwent major changes. A new accounting system was installed in May 1999 to assess accounting information in new ways to keep track of the various activities in the value chain. †¢ The acquisition of Pfaff upset some employees and pleased others. The company now had two brands which were competing for the same market. Former competitors were now brought to the same stable and the company faced a challenge of how to keep them apart on other dimensions than price and quality. †¢ The relocation of the German Karlsruhe operation to the Swedish Huskvarna plant resulted in only a handful of research and development engineers staying on. The company had to re-orientate the German engineers into the Swedish way of doing things since the engineering principles of the two countries were fundamentally different. 4. FORMULATION OF COMPETITIVE STRATEGY Long-term objectives represent the results expected from pursuing certain strategies (David 1999, p. 76). Strategies represent the actions to be taken to accomplish long-term objectives (David 1999, p. 176). Objectives take the generalities of the mission statement and turn them into more specific commitments: usually this will cover what is to be done and when the objective is to be completed (Lynch 2003, p. 440). Objectives will therefore possess the foll owing characteristics, namely, they should be measurable, realistic, understandable to all, hierarchical, achievable, and should contain time frames. Clearly communicated objectives, according to David (1999, p. 77), are vital to the success of the company as they provide a basis for consistent decision making by company managers and help stakeholders understand their role in the company. Formulating the competitive strategy for the VSM Group will consist of aligning the internal resources and skills and the external opportunities and risks. The alignment will make use of the Threats-Opportunities-Weaknesses-Strengths (TOWS) Matrix. The TOWS matrix will be developed based on the information obtained in the SWOT analysis of the VSM Group and will identify options that address different combination of the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and the external factors (opportunities and threats). 4. 1. Critical Success Factors: TOWS MATRIX Johnson et al (2005, p. 96) define criti cal success factors (CSFs) as the product features that are particularly valued by a group of customers and, therefore, where the organisation must excel to outperform competition. Critical success factors relate to the aspects of the competitive strategy in which a company must excel. The TOWS Matrix identifies four types of strategies, namely, SO Strategies, WO Strategies, ST Strategies, and WT Strategies. SO Strategies make use of the company’s internal strengths to take advantage of the external opportunities. WO Strategies take advantage of external opportunities to improve internal weaknesses. ST Strategies make use of the company’s strengths to avoid or reduce the impact of external threats. WT Strategies are defensive tactics directed at reducing internal weaknesses and avoiding environmental threats (David 1999, p. 81). The VSM Group TOWS Matrix | |Strengths (S) |Weaknesses (W) | |INTERNAL |Market dominance in Europe. |Dependence on few product ranges. | |FACTORS |Leadership and management skills. |High production costs. | |(IFAS) |Financial and cash resources. |Reliance on retailers. |EXTERNAL FACTORS |Manufacturing ability. |Lack of industry information. | |(EFAS) |Innovation processes and results. | | |Opportunities (O) |SO Strategies |WO Strategies | |New markets and segments. |Continued investment in Europe and the USA. |Explore new products and ranges. | |Free market economies arising in Asia. Penetrate high-end embroidery segment further. |Exploit mergers and takeovers. | |Diversification opportunities. | |Abandon high cost operations. | |New takeover opportunities. | |Diversify into new markets in Europe and Asia. | |International growth. | |Enhance retailer network which focuses on hobby | |One European currency – Euro | |segment. |Threats (T) |ST Strategies |WT Strategies | |New market entrants. |Emphasise after-market sales of accessories and |Withdraw from declining markets, etc. Germany. | |Increased competition. |software. |Increase brand awareness in current markets. | |Increased pressure from customers and suppliers. |Continued investment in Europe and the USA. |Reduce reliance on retailers. | |Substitutes. |Build on current management capacity. Where possible, develop barriers for new | |Low mar ket growth. | |entrants. | 2. Strategic options at VSM Group AB Development directions are the strategic options available to an organisation, in terms of products and market coverage, taking into account the strategic capability of the organisation and the expectations of stakeholders (Johnson et al 2005, p. 340). The following strategic options are proposed for the VSM Group: 1. Protect and build on current position Consolidation Consolidation is where organisations protect and strengthen their position in their current markets with current products (Johnson et al 2005, p. 342). The sewing market situation is forever changing and requires industry players to continuously innovate to improve the value of the products. The threat of new competitors or new entrants into the sewing industry means that VSM has to pay particular attention to how the company’s resources and skills should be adapted and developed to maintain its competitive advantage. Withdrawal by VSM from the German market should be regarded as consolidation. Market penetration A market penetration strategy seeks to increase market share for present products or services in present markets through greater marketing efforts (David 1999, p. 50). VSM should therefore strive to penetrate the high-end embroidery market further by utilising aggressive marketing efforts. These efforts should be focused on existing markets in the countries mentioned in the company overview. 2. Product development Product development refers to significant new product developments and not minor variations on an existing product. According to David (1999, p. 51) product development is a strategy that seeks to increase sales by improving or modifying present products or services. Continued development and innovation on the Designer series will counter new entrants into the market, will maintain the company’s reputation as an innovator, and will protect the company’s overall market share. 3. Market development Market development is where existing products are offered in new markets (Johnson et al 2005, p. 46). This may involve seeking new market segments, new geographical areas, or new uses for its products that will bring in new customers. Expansion to bring in new customers to the company for its existing company could involve some slight repackaging and then promotion to a new market segment. It will often involve selling the same product in new international markets, especially i n China and Asia. 4. Diversification: related markets Diversification is defined as a strategy that takes an organisation away from both its current markets and products (Johnson et al 2005, p. 46). When an organisation diversifies, it moves out of its current markets and products into new areas. Diversification carries with it an element of risk as it involves a step into the unknown. Moving into related markets however minimises the risk. VSM can diversify into related markets by becoming involved in the activities of its outputs such as distribution, transport, and logistics. 3. Methods of strategy development at VSM Group AB (Action Plan) A development method is the means by which any strategic direction will be pursued (Johnson et al 2005, p. 348). For an international company, VSM can use the following means of pursuing its strategic direction: acquisition and mergers, joint ventures and alliances, franchising, licensing, overseas offices, and overseas manufacture. 1. Acquisition and mergers Acquisition is where strategies are developed by taking over ownership of another organisation (Johnson et al 2005, p. 349). According to David (1999, p. 59), an acquisition occurs when a large organisation purchases a smaller one and vice versa. Mergers occur when two organisations of similar size unite to form one enterprise. The acquisition of Pfaff by the VSM Group represented a coup for VSM. The VSM Group had in its stable two strong brands that competed for the same market space. Acquisitions of manufacturing companies in the Far East would also assist VSM to break into new markets (market development), new technologies, and low cost raw materials. 2. Joint ventures and alliances A strategic alliance is where two or more organisations share resources and activities to pursue a strategy (Johnson et al 2005, p. 353). It is a form of weaker contractual agreement between two parent companies. A joint venture is the formation of a company whose shares are owned jointly by two parent companies (Lynch 2003, p. 483). In order to diversify into related markets and to access new markets like those in the Far East it will be crucial for VSM to form joint ventures and strategic alliances with current manufacturers namely, Brother, Janome or Juki. These types of agreements lock out other competitors, utilises joint expertise and commitment, and allows potential partners to learn about each other. 3. Franchise A franchise is a form of licensing agreement in the contractor provides the licensee with a pre-formed package of activity (Lynch 2003, p. 484). The package may include offers of the VSM Group brand name to retailers, technical service expertise and advertising assistance. This can be an attractive proposition to retailers willing to take up a franchise licence as it possesses lower risk and provides exclusive territory to the franchisee. This will also enhance dealer network which focuses on the hobby segment of the market 4. Licensing According to David (2003, p. 84) licensing refers to a situation where technology or other assets are provided under licence from the home country. Payment for such services is usually in the form of royalty or some form of arrangement. 5. Overseas offices The VSM Group has sales companies and representative offices in Europe, Russia, North America and Australia. The VSM Group could gain competitive advantage by expanding their operations into the Far East and Africa. These additional offices would provide a permanent presence for the VSM Group in those new markets. 6. Overseas manufacture The VSM Group currently has two manufacturing plants in Sweden and the Czech Republic. The establishment of new manufacturing plants in overseas countries like the USA carries risks for the company. However the risks may be offset through the savings that could be derived from no longer having to export to those overseas countries. 4. CONCLUSION Strategy was defined as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competencies with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. Strategic Management was also defined as the art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organisation to achieve its objectives. The strategic position of the VSM Group AB was analysed by applying the analytical models of strategic management to the current situation in the company. The following models were utilised to analyse both the internal and external environment of the company, namely, PESTEL, Five Forces Model, and the SWOT analysis. The examination of the strategic position of VSM Group involved analysing the strategy of the company with emphasis on the environment it operates in, its strategic capabilities, and how expectations affect organisational purposes and strategies. The analysis of the environment concluded with a clear statement of the Key Issues (SWOT Analysis) and Critical Success factors (TOWS Matrix). The strategic position of VSM Group was used as a base in the development of an appropriate competitive strategy for the company. The development of the strategy took into account the organisational cultural issues prevailing in the company. 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. David, F. R. , 1999. Strategic Management. 7th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2. http://investing. businessweek. com [accessed 08 May 2008] 3. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/VSM_Group_AB [accessed 08 May 2008] 4. Johnson, G. Scholes, K. & Whittington, R. , 2005. Exploring Corporate Strategy. 7th ed. Financial Times Prentice Hall. 5. Lynch, R. , 2003. Corporate Strategy. 3rd ed. Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Analysis Of The Poem The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock

T.S. Eliot’s poem, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† illustrates the poet’s fear of the fragmentation of modern society. In the poem, Eliot creates the persona of his speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock. Prufrock is speaking to an unknown listener. The persona of Prufrock is Eliot’s interpretation of Western society and its impotency at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. His views are modernistic, which idolize the classical forms while incorporating new ideas about psychology and the subconscious. Eliot illustrates his contempt for the faithlessness of modern society by illustrating its fragmentation with synecdoche, characterization of Prufrock, and allusions to literary traditions throughout the narrative. In his poem, Eliot illustrates his view of a great tradition that he is witnessing as it falls apart. Throughout â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† Eliot illustrates fragmentation by using synecdoche to illustrate his fear of a societal breakdown. Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole; Eliot, through this use of parts in place of wholes, represents Eliot’s view on the broken, chaotic world. Throughout the poem, Eliot uses â€Å"faces,† â€Å"hands,† â€Å"arms,† â€Å"chins,† â€Å"arms†¦downed with light brown hair,† â€Å"fingers,† and â€Å"the head,† yet he never describes a whole human. The central human Prufrock imagines is potentially the woman whom he hopes to talk to that evening. Eliot writes of this mystery woman, â€Å"Arms that are braceleted and white andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1529 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the setting of the poems â€Å"The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock† and â€Å"Something Whi spered in the Shakuhachi† â€Å"The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock† and â€Å"Something Whispered in the Shakuhachi† are poems written by T.S. Eliot and Garrett Hongo correspondently. Both poems put a great emphasis on the depiction of the narrator’s emotion. The poems are focused on feelings and emotions of their narrators. At the same time, it should noted that a lot of attractive in both poems is given to the settingRead Moreâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist1300 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist poem. This poem is one that many high school students are subjected to, leading to an overall displeasure for â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† However, those that revisit the poem are more inclined to enjoy and analyze the poem, finding an interest in the character of J. Alfred Prufrock. Charles C. Walcutt is o ne of the many individuals fueled to provide a deeper analysis of this text and in his contributionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Love Song Of J. 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Eliot divided his classic poem into three equally important sections. Each division provided the reader with insight into the mental structure of J. Alfred Prufrock. In actuality, Prufrock maintained a good heart and a worthy instinct, but he never seemed to truly exist. A false shadow hung over his existence. Prufrock never allowed himself to actually live. He hadRead MoreT.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prurock Analysis1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prurock Analysis In T. S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, the author is establishing the danger the narrator is having dealing with getting older. Prufrock is the narrator in this poem, and believes that age is a burden and is totally troubled by it. He feels the prime of his life is over and he cant love women the way he used to. His worry with the passing of time characterizes his fear of aging. The poem deals with these fears. 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Alfred Prufrock†, creating a powerful reputation around the world, particularly as a member of The Lost Generation in the 1920s. Eliot moved to and settled in London where he worked with famous poets including Ezra Pound, and published hisRead More Analysis of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock1424 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock demonstrates the effects of social and economic pressure in the life of a Victorian man. T.S. Eliot shows us, in an ironic monologue, how the reality of age and social position paralyzes his character with fear. The poem opens with six lines from Dante?s ?Infernio?. This particular stanza explains that the speaker is in hell and the message can only be told to someone else in hell. The

The Real Estate Development And Other Investment...

Research Methodology The chapter contains the methodology which would be employed for the study that focused on the real estate development and other investment multipronged implication to the sustenance of rural livelihood analysis of Dukem town. To performed the study, the researcher design the descriptive or explanatory approach entirely focused both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect primary as well as secondary data using interviews, questionnaire, FGD, observation and expert panel discussions. 3.1-Research Design A qualitative research approach, supplement with a questionnaire survey was predominantly adopted for the purpose of this research. Qualitative research was mainly used because it helps to explore, explain and†¦show more content†¦Both primary and secondary sources of data were used in the research. 3.2.1-Research Techniques The study would apply the techniques such as questionnaire, interview, FGD, expert panel discussion, observation and photographs in a flexible appropriate and economical. Questionnaires To collected primary data during the study, the structured questionnaires are prepared in English and translated into Afan Oromo (the local language) and Amharic language for the local people to understand the questionnaires and then translated back to English for analysis The questionnaires are both closed and open ended type to get more information in relation to the research objectives which was categorized in to three types, evicted households, not evicted but would be evicted in the near future and not evicted but would not be evicted in the near future or in the medium term are those included in the researches. Interview Depth interview was conducted to produces more flexible information. This was with professional from Mayor, Municipal, land management office, Investment office, Oromia central office of development-induced Dukem office, urban agricultural office, housing development office at Bishoftu and the developers in Dukem town. FGD FGD would beShow MoreRelatedDukem Town : A Description Of The Study Area738 Words   |  3 PagesThesis The research will be organized in a way that the first chapter focuses on the introductory parts of the study, the second chapter provide the review of literatures on the issue under discussion about the real estate development and other investment projects multipronged implication on the sustenance of the rural livelihood in the Dukem town, the third chapter describe the methodology used to investigate in the study, chapter four is about the finding and interpretation of the study and theRead MoreChapter Three. 3-Research Methodology . The Chapter Contains1484 Words   |  6 Pages CHAPTER THREE 3-Research Methodology The chapter contains the methodology which will be employee for the study that focuses on the real estate development and other investment multipronged implication to the sustenance of rural livelihood analysis of Dukem town. To do the study, the researcher design the descriptive approach which entirely focuses on both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect primary as well as secondary dataRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesVaughn Full-Service Project Management: Sharon Anderson/BookMasters, Inc. Composition: Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Coral Graphics Text Font: 10/12 Weidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

Online Buying and Selling - 1001 Words

Back before the internet became so popular, people would look through their local paper if they were looking for a car for sale, a house for rent or sale, or used furniture and appliances to try to get a deal; Now people just sign on to sites like EBay and Craig’s list to find people selling things that they are interested in purchasing. Although there are many benefits to using sites like those or even to be able to look into local sales online, but there are also some down sides to this type of buying and selling on the internet. In this paper, we are going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of buying and selling online. There are many advantages to shopping online, whether it is through a used website like Craig’s List, a†¦show more content†¦Again some sites are trying to combat that objection by allowing the customer to return the device to one of their stores to get the quickest possible refund or exchange. But of all of the advantages and disa dvantages of shopping online, most customers are truly concerned about their safety. With the amount of use the internet gets these days, there are a lot more internet crimes; So much so that the FBI has created a team to work especially on internet scams and frauds. The FBI defines internet crimes as â€Å"any illegal activity involving one or more components of the Internet, such as websites, chat rooms, and/or email. Internet crime involves the use of the Internet to communicate false or fraudulent representations to consumers. These crimes may include, but are not limited to, advance-fee schemes, non-delivery of goods or services, computer hacking, or employment/business opportunity schemes.† (ic3.gov, 2010) Both the consumer and the seller have to be aware of the scams out there to avoid becoming a victim of these scams. EBay has a guide that advises customer on how to safely order online. One of EBay’s recommendations is to use PayPal because it has â€Å"1 00% FDIC insurance for both Buyers Sellers. (bookcollecter1685, 2011). Referrences Bookcollector1658 (2011). Guide to Safe Selling Buying Online. Retrieved fromShow MoreRelatedE-Commerce: Buying and Selling Online Essay examples1117 Words   |  5 Pagesanything you have to do especially shopping. There is not a successful company in America that does not use the ecommerce system in some type of way. For example have you ever shop online may be you have heard of Craigslist, EBay, Eastbay, or even Amazon all these or successful because of their ability to buy and sell online. There are many more business out their like this but this are just a couple of popular ones. How did ecommerce get started you asked? Well ecommerce has been around for aboutRead MoreConsumer Buying Behavior And Demographics Like Age, And Gender1075 Words   |  5 Pagesto Investopedia, market arbitrage can be defined as buying and selling the same item in different marketplaces so at to profit from a difference in price between the two markets. An arbitrageur (a person involved in arbitrage) buys a lower priced item and short sells the higher priced one. The spread between the two becomes his profit. How to apply market arbitrage on eBay.com.au Arbitrage is undoubtedly one of the ways of making money online. Before we even delve into its application on eBay.comRead MoreConsumer Electronics Purchasing Behavior1425 Words   |  6 Pagesinternet access and still many companies are selling their products online.The  exploratory  study  was  conducted  to  increase  our  understanding  of  the mobile phone and computer market in general and analyze consumer decision making in particular. The study attempted to cast light on the much unexamined area of the mobile phone purchase, operator choice, and use of the mobile phone services. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM With increasing changes in the pattern of buying of consumers the need for more promotionRead MoreE-business: Easy Learning Outcome1588 Words   |  7 PagesChap14: E-Business Multiple Choice 1. What is the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet? A. E-business B. E-commerce C. E-market D. E-mall Ans: B Level: Easy Learning Outcome: 14.1 Response: This is the definition of e-commerce. 2. What is the conducting of business on the Internet, not only buying and selling, but also serving customers and collaborating with business partners? A. E-business B. E-commerce C. E-market D. E-mall Ans: A Level: Easy Read Morecustomer behaviour1489 Words   |  6 Pagescommodities, buying and selling, of products and services requiring transportation, from location to location is known as commerce. E-Commerce - From a communications perspective, e-commerce is the delivery of information, products/services or payments via telephone lines, Fax, computer networks or any other means. What is Electronic Commerce? From an online perspective, e-commerce provides the capability of buying and selling products and information on the internet and other online services. Read MoreExamples And Objectives Of Next Six Months1004 Words   |  5 Pages Earn Advertising revenue through displaying banners and selling site-space on monthly basis. Launching of an online blog specific to organic foods with recipes. Background: The worldwide web has considerably transformed the way retail business is conducted globally, now it’s doing the same in growing economies like Pakistan. The e-shopping trend has caught up quite quickly here in the recent years. 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E-commerce is the process of buying and selling of various products and services by businesses through the Internet. Primarily there are five types of ecommerce systems: Business to Consumer (B2C) B2C stands for Business to Consumer as the name suggests, the basic concept of this model is to sell the product online to the consumers. B2C is the indirect trade between the company and consumers. It provides direct selling through online interaction.. Business to Business (B2B) Business

An organizational Changes In The Healthcare Industry †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the An organizational Changes In The Healthcare Industry. Answer: Changes in the Healthcare Industry The administration andmanagement has been investing money in technology and structure at Prairie General Hospital. The doctors and the administrators have refused to use old system of technology and record keeping in healthcare operation of Prairie General Hospital. The staffs and doctors are always alert as this is the emergency-based service (Darlow et al.). An example is given about the structural, technological and behavioral changes with the workflow of the hospital. A middle-aged patient has been brought to the emergency room for symptoms like dizziness and shortness of breath. Immediately the staffs of the hospital started their duty regarding the care of the patient. The nurses joined him with the heart monitoring equipment and started to check his vital signs. The ER doctor logged in the patients identification number and found out that the patient has EKG history. Reviewing the past records and the current result, the doctor determined that the patient is in the middle of a heart attack. However, after 10 minutes observation, the doctors decided that he had blocked artery, clot-busting drugs were given, and he was then taken to emergency angioplasty to open up the artery. Within a day, he became well. In some hospitals, there is resistance to use modern technology such as CareWeb, which could provide better service at lower cost. However, it is sad and inefficient from the part of the hospital that is still using the old technology. Almost 95% of all hospitals use technology and record keeping system that were executed more than fifty years ago. They are reluctant to use new technology because this is a new system and they need time and efficiency to cope up with it. They are mostly habituated with the older system. I would like to provide a presentation on the reasons of investing money in technology such as CareWeb. I would like to encourage the hospital stuffs including the doctors and administrators to apply system like CareWeb as this is cost and time effective and it increases the patients care and could save lives of thousands (Datt, Rajan and Tripathi). In this system, more than one million Patients records are preserved with all the previous medical prescriptions and test results. However, the technology such as CareWeb is profitable as this saves more than one million dollars in a year. The overall system of service is improved in the hospitals like Prairie General Hospital and it could be used as an example of implementing the CareWeb. TELUS Troubles For reducing customers complaints, the TELUS could increase the number of call centers or employees in the call centre who are able to respond immediately. The complaints are regarding the responsiveness about the employees, which is occurring due to elimination of employees and reduction of the number of call centers from 56 to 10. However, if there is enough number of employees to respond immediately there is chances to reduce the customers complaints. As a manager of a large corporation, I would have to increase the work pressure on each of the employees. It is not possible to stop the business operation of the organization. Hence, it is advisable as a manager to increase the workload on each employee and it should relate with salary incensement plan. A manager should introduce new control measures to encourage employees quickly change their customer service behaviour such that he should introduce automated responsive system in the work structure. It would reduce the work pressure of the employees (Dietrich et al.). The employees would be encouraged towards the customer service behaviour as the workload is lesser than the before. Managing in Chaos An organizational change occurred due to some problems in the business operation. I would like to draw attention on organization problem such as it Shell. Due to change in leadership within the organization, the new chairperson believed that the corporation needed to change in processes and structure in order to survive in the market (Wilkinson, Angela and Kupers). The managers should be careful about these changes and its implementation. However, the manager should be alert in maintaining that everyone is following the new process and systems. A minute and detailed observation and determination are required from part of the managers or leaders to adhere these changes. The leaders should be careful about that everyone is well adopting these changes and methods should be employed to generate these changes. However, the important business dealers related to the business operation of the organization should know the reasons and the procedure for implementing these changes. The leaders s hould look this matter very carefully to implement the external business operation with the alignment of the change requirement. As a manager, I would like to help my organization in the form of duty and responsibilities. I would like to show the path aimed at better business operation and growth (Cameron, Esther and Green). In this case, of Shell, the strategic change could be employed by centralizing the distribution network. This company has more than 80 operating unit locally and globally. The leader should identify the areas of resistance that could emerge such that the losses of control on the market share or to the important stakeholders. However, the leaders should be careful about this problem and mitigate it as soon as possible. In this case, adaptation needs to be accelerated. However, if a leader is able to manage the organizational change, he or she needs to do the planning of changes and the process to implement the changes. This should be done in a way that would help in minimizing the employee resistance and cost of the organization while maximizing the overall effectiveness to the change. Changes are essential to stay in the competitive market. The leaders need to identify the areas of changes that are required within an organization. He or she should envision the future state of the organization after implementing the changes and state it clearly to everyone who is involved in the effort to bring the changes. However, the leaders should maintain stability midst of these changes, which would reduce the employees anxiety. Implementing the changes involves managing or controlling the transition effectively when an organization is undergoing into changes (Hayes and John). It could be helpful to create a plan before implementation and allocate the resources. The administration should appoint taking charge of this change process. However, the leaders should attempt to create enthusiasm among the employees those are involved in the change by sharing the visions and goals. The leaders should act as a role model to the subordinates in the organization. References Cameron, Esther, and Mike Green.Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers, 2015. Darlow, Ben, et al. "The association between health care professional attitudes and beliefs and the attitudes and beliefs, clinical management, and outcomes of patients with low back pain: a systematic review."European Journal of Pain16.1 (2012): 3-17. Datt, Rajan, and Priyanka Tripathi. "Healthcare Web Services by E-Governance."International Journal of Computer Applications Technology and Research1.3: 64-69. Dietrich, Kristin, et al. "Demand response in an isolated system with high wind integration."IEEE Transactions on Power Systems27.1 (2012): 20-29. Hayes, John.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Wilkinson, Angela, and Roland Kupers. "Living in the futures."Harvard Business Review91.5 (2013): 118-127.