...details many desirable attributes a n d qualities that, at a general level, any entrepreneurial business plan should contain. It is a reasonable proposition that this research, and any principles it may contain, can and should provide the basis for a systematic approach t o b o t h the writing and evaluation of entrepreneurial business plans. Despite this, the majority of entrepreneurial business plan writing and evaluation is unsystematic—if systematic is taken to mean "based o n empirical evidence and developed theory." T h e vast majority of the a b u n d a n t literature on " h o w to write a successful business p l a n " is n o t research-based (Hindle [1997]). T h e espoused criteria of its authors far o u t weigh the formal application of the k n o w n attributes of successful ventures (Hindle and Mainprize [2002]). This article seeks to articulate a research-based system for assessing the c o n t e n t quality of e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l business plans (EBPs) from t h e p o i n t of v i e w of an investor (more specifically, a venture capitalist investor). As a natural corollary, its fmdings may also serve as a guide to writers of e n t r e preneurial business plans. As the primary source of information for t h e investment screening decision, v e n t u r e capital firms rely almost exclusively...
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...PART 3: DIAGNOSING THE CHANGE Change is inevitable to every organization. For the sustainability of the company Kingfisher Airlines it is necessary to diagnose the various change agents and keep them upgraded so that the flexibility against the unforeseen market failures could be mitigated at large. For effective change management and implementation of newer changes Kingfisher Airlines need to reshuffle its workforce and human resource management needs to be improvised at large (Hindustan Times, 2012). The post effects of FDI in domestic airline industries are shocking and have stirred huge momentum among the workforces at kingfisher. Recent headlines show that the management of this sinking cash strapped airline has been asking its staffs to return back to work as the employee turnover has crossed the benchmarks. Not only the employees but many senior strategic mangers are unhappy with the decision making approaches of the current CEO Sanjay Aggarwal and the whole hierarchical support has been disrupted and misbalanced at large (Hindustan Times, 2012). Under such circumstances it is of utmost need to identify the changes and provide recommendations to tackle them effectively. The following facotrs are to be adressed for diagonising and managing change at Kingfisher Airlines. The success and failure of today’s firms are largely dependent on the ability of the firm to diagnose the changes and implement them optimally. Change may have positive and negative results. Best able...
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...Concept Analysis of Patient Centered Care Monet J. Scott Chamberlain College of Nursing NR: 501 Theoretical Basis Advance Nursing May 2015 Concept Analysis of Patient Centered Care A concept analysis seeks to outline, distinguish, and enhance the clarity of the nursing profession as well as stimulate future research endeavors. Within the development of a concept analysis, notions and thoughts are outlined and examined through the fundamental features of that particular concept. According to Walker & Avant (2011), the seven steps to accomplishing a concept analysis includes the selection of a concept, determining the purpose of analysis, identifying all uses of the concept, defining attributes, identifying a model case of the concept, identifying antecedents and consequences, and identifying empirical references. Patient centered care is an imperative task performed by not only nurses, but the absolute interdisciplinary staff involved. It is essential to the establishment of quality care with the ultimate goal of positive patient outcomes. Several responsibilities of the nurse for patient centered care may include pain relief, listening, advocating for the patient, disease prevention, health promotion, respect for patient values and preferences, and maintaining patient dignity and identity (Lusk & Fater, 2013). Jean Watson’s theory of caring closes correlates with the concept of patient centered care in respect to the practice of nursing. This concept analysis of patient...
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...Literature Review Introduction Through the inter-connection between change management, knowledge management and people management, the author believes you can look at, assess, and analyse organisational readiness and responsiveness to change. This will done through the narrative cyclical approach (FIGURE XX). All of this works together to answer the research question of, “Is there a framework/s that can be used to help organisations increase organisational readiness and responsiveness to change”. Organisational readiness and organisational responsiveness are addressed throughout this literature review. The determinants and impediments of change in each branch of change management have been considered and addressed. Some elements fall outside the scope of the literature review and research. The literature review is structured in such a way that echoes this integration as illustrated in the following diagram (Figure XX). Figure XX: Areas within and outside the research boundaries leading to organisational responsiveness to change. Figure XX: Areas within and outside the research boundaries leading to organisational responsiveness to change. People Management Leadership Organisational Context. Culture. Organisational Learning. Knowledge Management. Change Management. Change Management Change Management is neither an art nor a science; it is an individual process relying solely on the organisation, individuals within the organisation (employees)...
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...17 P4.1 Evaluate tools and methods for developing solutions to problems 17 P4.2 Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving the problem of labour turnover in an organisation of your choice 18 P4.3 Evaluate the potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy 19 References 20 Introduction The following report seeks to detail a number of aspects which affect individuals performance in the organization as well as the performance of the organization. To start with, the report will develop a set of responsibilities and performance objectives as well as evaluation of these objectives and how they can be improved for better performance. The paper will also develop solutions to a work-based problem in addition to how communication is applied in organization whether verbal or non-verbal. The report will also identify effective time management strategies that can enable completion of a project in time. Additionally, the report expounds on team dynamics and the nature of a team. Justifications will be offered to support arguments on these aspects of a team. Finally, the report will detail the problem...
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...Computer Games in Language Instruction A computer game is a formal, rule-based system performed on a computer, with a variable and quantifiable outcome (Tobias, Fletcher, Dai, & Wind, 2011). The computer game engages players by requiring them to influence the outcome using various strategies and to feel the consequences (such as winning the game or certain rewards) (Tobias, et al., 2011). In the classroom, computer games can increase a feeling of involvement and engagement with the game and improve motivation to learn the fundamental material (Tobias, et al., 2011). The history of computer games as an instructive tool is relatively short. The entry of computer games into learning and instruction began in the 1980s, when the design and construction of the games themselves was a popular way to learn about computers (Games & Squire, 2011). However, it was not until the 1990s that the computer game began to be a common tool for instruction. In the mid-1990s, commercial edutainment games were used commonly, and then they were disappeared in the mid-2000s due to the poor management of the sector’s leaders (Games & Squire, 2011). Nowadays, digital game-based learning, focusing on an emphasis of interaction and learning, is more common than only edutainment games (Games & Squire, 2011). Computer games have been used in language...
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...mediating or a moderating relationship. This paper examines the relationships among variables embedded in SimonsÕ framework of levers of control, explicitly distinguishing the different types of effects involved and testing their significance. The results of the survey-based research do not support the postulate that an interactive use of MCS favours innovation. They suggest this may be the case only in low-innovating firms, while the effect is in the opposite direction in high-innovating firms. No evidence is found either in favour of an indirect effect of the interactive use of MCS on performance acting through innovation. In contrast, the proposition that the impact of innovation on performance is moderated by the style of use of MCS is supported, with results indicating that the explanatory power of a model that regresses performance on innovation is significantly enhanced by the inclusion of this moderating effect. Ó 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Introduction In recent years there has been an increased interest in examining the relationships between product innovation and the use of formal man- agement control systems (MCS). 1 Understanding how an organization can use its...
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...TOPic: DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: AN OVERVIEW AND ITS ROLE IN BUSINESS Introduction A decision support system (DSS) is a computer-based information system that supports business or organizational decision-making activities. DSSs serve the management, operations, and planning levels of an organization and help to make decisions, which may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance. Typical information that a decision support application might gather and present are: * Inventories of information assets (including legacy and relational data sources, cubes, data warehouses, and data marts), * Comparative sales figures between one period and the next, * Projected revenue figures based on product sales assumptions. Making decisions concerning complex systems (e.g., the management of organizational operations, industrial processes, or investment portfolios; the command and control of military units; or the control of nuclear power plants) often strains our cognitive capabilities. Even though individual interactions among a system's variables may be well understood, predicting how the system will react to an external manipulation such as a policy decision is often difficult. What will be, for example, the effect of introducing the third shift on a factory floor? One might expect that this will increase the plant's output by roughly 50 percent. Factors such as additional wages, machine weardown, maintenance breaks, raw material usage, supply logistics, and...
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...VARK Questionnaire Analysis Julie Gongaware NRS-429V August 23, 2015 VARK Questionnaire Analysis Preferred learning strategies and styles have a tendency to vary significantly from person to person. Everyone has a different way, or combination of ways that they absorb, perceive and process newly learned information. In ‘The VARK Questionnaire: How Do I Learn Best,” a short series of questions identifies learning strategies for the person that is participating in the questionnaire. In this particular analysis J.G., the subject of the questionnaire, found that she has a multimodal preference to learning and is flexible in her communication preferences while switching from mode to mode depending on what type of material she is working with (VARK, 2015). Multimodal learners may encompass all of the strategies, visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic or at least more than one. J.G. found that she possessed preferences in each strategy with stronger learning attributes in aural and read/write strategies. Through the VARK questionnaire, J.G.’s personal learning preference has been identified as multimodal with aural being her primary style and read/write being the second most preferred style for learning. Aural refers to listening. The description of an aural strategy per the VARK (2015) questionnaire shows a preference toward receiving information that is vocalized or heard and the use of questioning as a vital component of learning. According to The Institute...
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...Accounting, Organizations and Society 28 (2003) 127–168 www.elsevier.com/locate/aos Management control systems design within its organizational context: findings from contingency-based research and directions for the future Robert H. Chenhall Department of Accounting and Finance, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia Abstract Contingency-based research has a long tradition in the study of management control systems (MCS). Researchers have attempted to explain the effectiveness of MCS by examining designs that best suit the nature of the environment, technology, size, structure, strategy and national culture. In recent years, contingency-based research has maintained its popularity with studies including these variables but redefining them in contemporary terms. This paper provides a critical review of findings from contingency-based studies over the past 20 years, deriving a series of propositions relating MCS to organizational context. The paper examines issues related to the purpose of MCS, the elements of MCS, the meaning and measurement of contextual variables, and issues concerning theory development. A final section considers the possibility that contingency-based ideas could encompass insights from a variety of theories to help understand MCS within its organizational context. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The three purposes of this paper are to provide a review of empirical, contingency-based research as it has developed...
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...1 HR discretion: understanding line managers’ role in Human Resource Management Juan López-Cotarelo, Industrial Relations Research Unit, Warwick Business School Introduction Line managers play a central role in human resource management. In many organisations, they are charged with myriad HR-related tasks, such as filling out performance appraisal forms, interviewing candidates for employment, making salary increase recommendations and breaking employment-related news –good and bad- to employees. This paper investigates how managers carry out their HR activities. In the literature so far, the prevailing view has been that managers act primarily on behalf of the organisation, applying HR policy in ways by-and-large consistent with organisational procedures. My findings from a number of store visits at a leading UK fashion retailer, give support to a different view: that managers carry out HR activities as organisational actors who pursue a combination of organisational, departmental and individual goals. Crucial in my discussion is the concept of HR discretion. I define HR discretion as a manager’s capacity to influence his (her) team members’ HR outcomes, and their perceptions of those HR outcomes. HR discretion must be understood as a subset of overall managerial discretion 1 . Managerial discretion has been an important concept in the economics and management literatures, from very different perspectives. In economics, managerial discretion refers to the freedom managers have...
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...Chapter 2 Quiz 1.Which of the following is a component of Porter's competitive environment? Suppliers 2.Why is understanding an organization's environment important? Without this understanding, organizations tend to miss opportunities or make poor decisions. 3.Differences in the way people dress and act, their interactions with each other and with customers, and what qualities are expected and appreciated by their managers and company are examples of the _____. organization culture 4. Which of the following is a controllable environmental factor that can affect an organization? Cost leadership strategy 5. Pluto Inc. is computer technology corporation that has been manufacturing laptops for the last five years. Recently, in the face of sinking market share, Pluto reduced its dependency on laptops by venturing into tablets and smartphones. This is an example of _____. diversification 6. In competition, a substitute is best described as a(n): alternative to a product. . 7. Which of the following is a demographic factor of an organization's macroenvironment? Employees' age 8.Complexity and dynamism in the environment result in: environmental uncertainty. 9. Raw materials, services, equipment, capital, and information are _____ for an organization. inputs 10. Which of the following is a dominant attribute of a hierarchical culture? Rules and regulations 11. Which of the following refers to the immediate environment...
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...the experiences encountered during the Everest team experience and identify how these experiences related to the course. It comprises of a description and analysis of the Everest Team experience, a critical analysis of the team’s performance and results and a critical analysis of the team’s communication interactions. Upon taking part in both the simulations, it was discovered that the team score was dramatically improved, from 46% to 83%. This improvement was attributed to the team’s enhanced performance, due to progressing through the team development stages, as our performance was superior in the ‘norming’ and ‘performing’ stages rather than the ‘forming’ and ‘storming’ stages. Another factor which enhanced the team’s performance and thus, team score was the alterations in group structure. By assigning roles to each team member, a defined structure was associated with a distinct change in direction. In addition, changing from directive decision-making to analytic as well as collaborating instead of forcing and accommodating to resolve conflict revealed improved team dynamics leading to an overall better result. Finally, through effective communication and the sharing of all knowledge, a superior outcome was reached as well as an improved team environment. It was noted that without effective and efficient communication, results of such a high standard would not have been achieved. 1. INTRODUCTION The Everest group simulation was an exercise which encouraged five...
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...Porter’s 5 Analysis (case Study) The ONE question in this section is compulsory and MUST be attempted. The following information should be used when answering question 1 1 Introduction Network Management Systems (NMS) is a privately owned high technology company established in 1997 by computer engineer, Ray Edwards. It is situated in the country of Elsidor, a prosperous developed nation with a stable wellestablished political system. Successive governments in Elsidor have promoted technology by providing grants and tax incentives. Tax credits are also provided to offset company investment in research and development. The government, like many governments worldwide, have invested heavily in a national telecommunications infrastructure. However, in 2010 the country suffered an economic downturn that led many companies to postpone technological investment. By 2010 NMS employed 75 full-time employees in a new, purpose-built factory and office unit. These employees were a mixture of technically qualified engineers, working in research and development (R&D), factory staff manufacturing and assembling products and a small sales and service support team. Product areas In 2010, NMS had three distinct product/service areas – data communication components, network management systems and, finally, technical support. NMS sells data communication components to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who use these components in their hardware. Both the OEMs and their customers are predominantly...
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...Summary………………………………………………………………………. | 4 | 2. Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations……………………………………………… | 5 | 3. Project Overview………………………………………………………………………….. | 5 | 3.1. Business Case………………………………………………………………………….. | 5 | 3.2. Windows XP Migration Benefits……………………………………………………… | 6 | 3.2.1. Better Performance……………………………………………………………….. | 6 | 3.2.2. Enhanced Security………………………………………………………………… | 6 | 3.2.3. Better Mobile Experience………………………………………………………… | 6 | 3.2.4. Real-Time Communications……………………………………………………… | 6 | 3.2.5. Return on Investment……………………………………………………………... | 7 | 3.3. Project Charter………………………………………………………………………… | 7 | 3.3.1. Project Objectives………………………………………………………………… | 7 | 3.3.2. Project Budget Information……………………………………………………….. | 7 | 3.3.3. Project Approach………………………………………………………………….. | 7 | 3.4. Project Roles and Responsibilities…………………………………………………….. | 8 | 3.4.1. Roles and Responsibilities………………………………………………………... | 8 | 3.4.2. Responsibility Assignment Matrix………………………………………………... | 9 | 4. Team Contract…………………………………………………………………………….. | 11 | 4.1. Code of Conduct………………………………………………………………………. | 11 | 4.2. Participation…………………………………………………………………………… | 11 | 4.3. Communication………………………………………………………………………... | 11 | 4.4. Problem Solving……………………………………………………………………….. | 11 | 4.5. Meeting Guidelines……………………………………………………………………. | 11 | 5....
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