Acer Company: Overview and Analysis

Acer Company: Overview and Analysis 1.0 Acer company profile Acer Incorporated is a Taiwan-based multinational electronics manufacturer. Its product includes laptops, desktops as well as servers and storage, personal digital assistance (PDA), peripherals, peripherals and e-business services for government, business, education, and home users. Acer is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world behind HP and Dell. The company also owns the largest franchised computer retail chain in Taipei, Taiwan. Acer was founded by Stan Shih, his wife Carolyn Yeh, and a group of five others as Multitech in 1976. The company was renamed Acer in 1987. It began with eleven employees and US$25,000 in capital. Initially, it was primarily a distributor of electronic parts and a consultant in the use of microprocessor technologies, but over time it began to develop as a PC manufacturer. The global headquarters is located in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Acer began its foray into laptops with the purchase of Texas Instruments mobile PC division in 1997. In 2000, Ac er spun off its manufacturing operations as Wistron Corporation, to focus on sales and marketing of their core brand. Acer grew worldwide while simultaneously minimizing its labour force by identifying and using marketing strategies that best utilized their existing distribution channels. By 2005, Acer employed a scant 7,800 people worldwide. Revenues rose from US$4.9 billion in 2003 to US$11.31 billion in 2006. Acers North American market share has slipped over the past few years, while in contrast, European market share has risen. On August 27, 2007, Acer announced plans to acquire its US-based rival Gateway Inc. for US$710 million. Acers chairman, J.T. Wang, stated that the acquisition completes Acers global footprint, by strengthening our US presence. In January 2008, Acer announced that it had acquired a controlling interest of 75% of Packard Bell. The Acer 4Group is a family of four brands Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines. This unique multi-brand strategy allows each brand to offer a unique set of brand characteristics that targets different customer needs in the global PC market. Today, the Acer Group still strives to break the barriers between people and technology. Its one of the worlds top 3 companies for total PC shipments, is No. 2 for notebooks. 4The successful mergers of Gateway Inc. (October 2007) and Packard Bell Inc. (March 2008) by parent company, Acer Inc., completes the groups global footprint by further strengthening its presence in the U.S. and Europe. Gateway was founded by Ted Waitt in 1985 in an Iowa farmhouse with a US7$10,000 loan guaranteed by his grandmother, a rented computer and a three- page business plan. Today, Gateway has grown into one of Americas best- known PC brands. The brand 7received national acclaim in 1991 when it introduced its distinctive cow-spotted boxes, a tribute to its farming heritage. In early 2004, Gateway acquired eMachines, and later 7moved its headquarters to Irvine, California. In October 2007, Gateway was acquired by Taiwan-based Acer, and the combined entities now comprise the third-largest PC Company in th e world. EMachines, one of the 14worlds fastest growing PC brands, was acquired by Gateway Inc. in March 2004. Marketed to families seeking reliable machines for everyday use, eMachines brings the PC to any and every home in need. 14It remains a stand-alone brand sold through leading retailers, e-tailers and channel partners in the U.S. and selects international markets. 5Packard Bell is one of the rare ones. The brand was born in 1926. In the 1920s and 1930s when radio was all the rage, Packard Bell emerged as a popular brand of console radios with a reputation for elegant design.  The first Packard Bell television sets were launched in 1948, just as the TV revolution was sweeping the world. Fast forward to the end of the 1980s, Packard Bell entered the personal computer market in 1987. It 5pioneered the use of the PC in the home, transforming an unfriendly but useful office tool into a friendly, indispensable feature of todays modern home. The Acer Group CEO and Acer Inc. Chairman, J.T. Wang is tasked with overseeing the groups global competitiveness. Since he assumed chairmanship in 2005, Acer Inc.s consolidated revenues grew from US$9.7 billion to US$14.1 billion in 2007. As the worlds No. 3 vendor for total PCs and No. 2 for notebooks, Acer has set its next goal on becoming the worlds No. 1 notebook vendor. Wangs promotion to Acer Group CEO in June 2008 will ensure smooth integration following the successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell and future growth of the group. Wang 17holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University and an Executive MBA from Taiwans National Cheng-Chi University. He and his wife have two daughters. 2Gianfranco Lanci, president of Acer Inc. since 2005, assumed duo responsibilities as the company CEO in June 2008 an acknowledgement of his outstanding management. Under his performance-driven leadership, Lancis focus is to enhance the Acer Groups presence globally under a new multi-brand strategy following the recent acquisitions of Gateway and Packard Bell. After Lancis appointment 12as managing director of Acer Italy in 1997, he 12immediately began consolidating the channel- and partner- relations at all levels. His commitment to brand promotion has made Acer the No. 1 ranking notebook brand in Italy since 1997. 2In 2003 Lanci was appointed president of Acers International Operations Business Group, allowing him to be directly involved in the Pan-American market. The designation confirmed Acers acknowledgement of his outstanding channel management and marketing activities, as well as the key role he played for Acers success in EMEA. 3ISO Management System Acer is an ISO 9001 and 14001 certified company, meaning their quality control and environmental management systems meet international standards. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was established in Geneva, Switzerland in February 1947 with the goal to pro mote standardization of related activities in all countries around the world. ISO9001 is primarily concerned with quality management and fulfilment of customer demands for quality. ISO 14001 is primarily concerned with the voluntary establishment of environmental management systems (EMS) specially suited to each company. Each EMS should work to achieve sustainable management through voluntary and sustained improvement of environmental performance by means of pollution prevention and proper management. Acers Quality Policy 18Acers quality policy places an emphasis on delivering zero-defect, competitive products and services to customers on time. The motto proud to serve, proud of Acer shows our commitment to providing professional services. Acer Environmental, Health and Safety Policy As a global IT company focused on marketing and service, Acer endeavours to achieve balanced development in economy, environment and society. They are devoted to environmental protection. 2007/2008 Environmental Objectives The 5 environmental objectives are EMS, Green Product Development, Product Recycling and Treatment Services, Green Supply Chain and Strengthen Environmental Communication Platform. Social Welfare 8Founded in July 1996, the Acer Foundation was established through donations from personnel of various depa rtments throughout the company. Acer Foundations mission is threefold: research and develop technology and management; cultivate talents; and reward and promote service. Strategic Sponsorships Acer has always believed that sports and technology share the same ideals: strength, passion, competitiveness, coherence, skill and the determination to overcome new challenges. Their ability to identify strategically- favourable alliances has also helped make our brands recognized outside the IT industry. Acer has sponsor several events such as the Olympic, Scuderia Ferrari, F.C. International Milano and Yamaha Factory Racing Team. 2.0 Porters Analysis The Porters 5 forces is a simple tool but powerful enough to understand where powers lies in a business situation. Porter have introduce that 5 forces that is 6the bargaining power of customers, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the threat of substitute products, the intensity of competitive rivalry and the bargaining power of suppliers. The bargaining power of customers means the ability of the customers to put the firm under pressure to change the price of the goods and also affects the customers sensitivity to price changes. The customer bargaining power will be high when there a large volume of customers buying the product means theres is concentration of buyers, if these large group of buyer stop buying the product the company will be making a loss of the market share will also making a loss in the profit. The second factor would be the product is undifferentiated and can be replaces by substitutes means the customer can buy the same product from the other manufacturer . Acer substitute would be hp and Dell and Lenovo because they do manufacturer laptop and desktop. But Acer has come out with a very unique line of product that is the Acer Timeline Series, this series offer the screen size from 13.3 inch to 15.6 inch. The threat of the entry of new competitors means the barriers of entering into the industry. There are several things the company needs to be considering before going into any industry that is the high exit costs, interrelated businesses and customer loyalty. There will be high exit cost due to a lot of machinery need to be setups for manufacturing laptop and desktop all this setup need a large amount of money and when the manufacturer tends to leave the business it will lost all of this capital and asset unless he decide to sell those machinery to the other company this well lower down the exit cost. Interrelated businesses means there will be other manufacturer doing the same product as you are manufacturing, means they will be your competitor in the market. Customer loyalty means customer would like to stay with the brand they are using at the moment, this may be the company is doing a really good in after sales service. For example their product like Acer has a 3 year warranty for the laptop, while others rand doesnt provide this service for their customer. The threat of substitute products means the customer can find the product that almost has the same function with your company product. This may be due to the product you are selling is too expensive or the price is not reasonable thus making the customer to buy the product from other manufacturer. The other factor may be current trends now days people like to follow on the latest trend or so called fashion. Acer has come out with the trendiest laptop that is thin and long life time for the battery that can up to 8 hours. That is the Acer Timeline Series it does not only have 8hours of battery life, it also ultra thin that less than 1 inch, that makes conv enient for people to bring along anywhere, it also has multi gesture touch pad which can used like a mouse and also has a HD(high definition) which is as high as 16:9. We can see how it looks like in appendix 1 for the Acer Timeline Series. The Acer Timeline Series will cost from RM 2,000.00 to RM 3,250.00. Even though Apple has come out with the Macbook air but it still doesnt get a lot of attention due to it expensive price its price starts from RM 5,599.00 to RM 6,799.00 and it does not have a long battery life. By referring to appendix 2 we can see how a Macbook Air looks like. Sony has recently launched on 10th November 2009, but it price starts from RM 3,999.00 to RM 5,299.00. We can see how the Sony VAIO X looks like in appendix 3. Overall from the price review Acer Timeline Series still leading ahead of Macbook Air and the Sony VAIO X due to the price. The intensity of competitive rivalry in most industries the intensity of competitive rivalry is the major determinant of the competitiveness of the industry. By sustaining in the market a manufacturer has to make improvement or come out with new products that the other manufacturer does not manufacture or the product can be environmental friendly because now people want things that can reduce rubbish or wastage. Thus this will lead to a high barrier to exit. Acer has been doing this through manufacturing the Acer Timeline Series that allows a long battery life up to 8hours. Acer notebook pc market share in Europe increased in the third quarter of 2004, versus 11.4 percent in the third quarter of 2003. The bargaining power of suppliers is described as the market inputs. Supplier bargaining power will be high when the market is dominated or monopoly by one or a few suppliers. Thus when the supplier refuse to supply goods to the manufacturer the whole manufacturing process will stop. For example Acer main processor supplier will be AMD and Intel. If both of these suppliers simultaneously increase their pric e and Acer has no choice either to continue to buy the processor from them. This will lead the product of Acer to increase the price due to more expensive on processor if this happens consumer will tend to buy other brand of laptop or desktop thus Acer has loss part of its market share. To mitigate the power of supplier is to build win-win relationships with suppliers or arrange to use multiple suppliers. By making a win-win situation we can pay advance payment or pay the debt on time. 3.0 Limitation of the Porters analysis In the Porters analysis it has introduce the 5 forces that is the 6bargaining power of customers, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the threat of substitute products, the intensity of competitive rivalry and the bargaining power of suppliers. Michael Porter 5 forces analysis mostly focus on company external competitive environment. Below are the ways that can be used to overcome the limitation of Porters 5 forces. We can use SWOT analysis to overcome the limitation of Porters 5 forces, SWOT analysis is a strategic planning used to estimate the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats involves in a business operation. It involves specifying the objective of the business operation or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. When the company has identified their strength they will put more effort to manufacturing or the best good. While the company have known or indentify the weakness they w ill correct it. Thus SWOT analysis will be used in decision making because it can 21provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition, or any other idea.  The strength of Acer is the support sales activities by understanding their customers businesses better and, able to keep fully up to date on their competitors business structure, strategy and prospects and qualify prospective partners and suppliers. PEST analysis can be used to overcome the limitation of Porters 5 forces. PEST stands for political, economic, social, and technological. PEST is a scan of the external macro-environment in which the firm operates. PEST analysis is a useful tool for the company to understand market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business. PEST analysis is a business measurement tool. Based on Acer strong research capabilities it allows them to determine the needs of their customers and their expectations. PEST analysis and market research findings can segment the market and develop cost effective ways of reaching them. This ultimately translates into strengthening Acer position in the market place and displacing competitors. The third way to overcome is the product life cycled (PLC) is 25a new product progresses through a sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline. Product life cycled is developed by Raymond Vernon. After a product moves through all these stages, its pricing, promotion, packaging, and distribution are re-evaluated and changed if required to prolong its life the life span of the product in the market. We can see how a product life cycle will go in the appendix 4. By preventing his product to fall at decline stage, Acer has a plan that is to upgrade his existing laptop into window 7 or by upgrading its storage volume this allow it to keep in trend with the latest window in the market. Value chain analysis is a concept from business management that was first described and popularized by Michael Porter in his 1985. Value chain analysis states how businesses receive raw materials as input, add value to the raw materials through various processes, and sell finished products to customers. By referring to appendix 5 will see the process of value chain analysis. Value chain analysis will help the company to specifically analyze and help create to a competitive advantage. Value chain is a very useful way to deliver maximum value to your consumer and to maximize the value of your product in the market. Acer has making a very wise decision that is by providing its product to have a 3 years warranty, thus customer will prefer to buy Acer because it has a longer period of warranty compare to other brand of laptop. Benchmarking will also be another way to provide solution for the Porters 5 forces. Benchmarking is the process of comparing the business processes and performance metrics including cost, cycle time, productivity, or quality to another that is widely considered to be an industry standard benchmark. There are 4 keys steps involving in the application of benchmarking that is understand in detail existing business processes, analyze the business processes of others, compare own business performance with that of others analyzed and implement the steps necessary to close the performance gap. Acer has used the benchmarking for role of key performance such as quality, distribution, supply chain management and pricing. The last way that I can mention to overcome or give solution is the six sigma. Six sigma is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola. Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects and controlling variability in manufacturing and business processes. By using the six sigma theory Acer has give a three year warranty on its laptop, this is to give confident to the customer that their lifespan is longer than other brand laptop. 4.0 Conclusion Acer is a laptop and computer manufacturer The Company owns the largest franchised computer retail chain in Taipei, Taiwan. Acer is an ISO 9001 and 14001 certified company, meaning their quality control and environmental management systems meet international standards. Porters 5 forces are a tool that helps company to understand the business environment more. The 5 forces are bargaining power of customers, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the threat of substitute products, the intensity of competitive rivalry and the bargaining power of suppliers. Acer has used these 5 forces to gain the competitive advantage, gaining the market share, and how to provide a win-win relationship with the supplier. Since Porters 5 forces does not really cover all the information that a company need, we have to used other analysis such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, product life cycled (PLC), Value chain analysis ,Benchmarking and six sigma . By using this analysis we can overcome the limita tion of Porters 5 forces. Focusing Oriented Counsellor: Career Development Reflection Focusing Oriented Counsellor: Career Development Reflection Dvonne Loring The following essay is a reflective piece on my growth as a Focusing oriented counsellor over the course of the semester. It will document my introduction to focusing as a subject, my experience as a Focuser and as a companion and the evolution of each throughout the semester. In addition, my understanding of the process and the development of my own existing skills and the acquisition of new skills will be stated. A final reflection on my relationship with Focusing as the subject draws to a close will also be included. Over the course of the semester, I have consolidated my understanding of Experiential Focusing, the concept of the felt sense and how they contribute to therapeutic healing. I began this subject with no knowledge of Focusing whatsoever. The idea of bringing my awareness and entering the body was daunting for me as I operate on a very cognitive level. Learning that experiential Focusing is a gentle process oriented approach to therapy that invites the utilization of the body’s rich wisdom to facilitate therapeutic change (Cornell, 1996) helped ease some of my subject related anxiety. I learnt that to access this inner knowledge, a person’s awareness is shifted inside and navigation is done with the enigmatic felt sense as a guide, rather than intellectualizing (Purton, 2007). The felt sense is the quintessential concept of Focusing and one of many key aspects and principles developed by Eugene Gendlin. It is important to note however, Gendlin did not invent Focusing, it is a natural skill that he discovered (Cornell, 1996). It took me some time to really grasp what the felt sense was as it is not an emotion nor a body sensation or an altered state. A felt sense is a subtle, whole body sense of a complex situation (Gendlin, 1996). The more I attuned to and became aware of my own felt senses through experiential practice, where I learnt how to describe it rather than interpret it, the deeper my understanding became of the subject as whole throughout the semester. I had to learn that it was about feeling, not analyzing (Purton, 2007). What Focusing does is it accesses the felt sense which draws from a place of emergent unconscious process that is ready to be put under the light of consciousness. It draws from the vast realm of knowledge from the edge of awareness and channels it into transformational potential through in the moment experiencing. Focusing allows us to dip below the surface of the explicit into the implicit (Silverton, 2014). Thus with the use of the Focusing process and the felt sense, I began to realize I was learning how to help clients engage with their feelings and facilitate here and now experiencing, which is the key to successful therapy (Purton C, 2007). The Focusing process helped me release the angst I was experiencing about being a Focuser, and it also helped me with the struggle I was experiencing towards the subject itself. The idea of being a Focuser initially triggered some dim anxiety in me. I was concerned about what I might come across inside. Learning how gentle Focusing is however, and welcoming whatever arises (Gendlin, 1996) as well as understanding that the Focusing ‘procedure involves the maintenance of a comfortable distance’ (Purton, 2007, Pg. 46) was reassuring for me. I began using the experiential practice sessions where I was the Focuser as an opportunity to explore my existing and very present resistance to the actual subject and its content. There was always something in me that was stopping me from fully embracing the subject matter. With use of the Focusing process, I was able to enter my body with that as my issue and get a full body sense of it. Simply being with my felt sense caused a felt shift – a moment of movement (Purton, 2007). Having this experience on several different occasions was uplifting for my relationship with the subject and also empowered me as a Focuser. It helped me understand that encouraging clients to know they are the experts will motivate them to ask, interrupt, ignore or even to simply have a voice when something does not feel right for them in a session. They have choice and are allowed to communicate their preferences about what they need from their therapist as a Focuser and from the process, as it is th eir process (Leijssen, 1998). In doing this, they have an opportunity to achieve a real sense of self-autonomy as I did, which is what this non-directive process empowers clients to accomplish (Purton, 2007). My understanding of the importance of presence strengthened my ability to be a companion. Being in the role of the therapist, I wanted to execute my learning soundly and accurately. I wanted to have the Focusing attitude which embodies presence, gentleness and the ability to be vulnerable (Leijssen, 1998) and to also employ facilitative language with the use of appropriate reflections and invitations rather than questions. I learnt that the philosophy behind this approach highlights that the focusing process is not a technique but a way of being; it is an attitude to embody (Purton, 2007). I had to learn how to facilitate the process while personifying the Focusing attitude; it was a matter of finding the delicate balance between the two so that the Focuser perceives the empathy and acceptance that is being offered to them (Purton C. , 2004). Whenever I was in the process and my mind became cluttered with the theory and how to execute the skills I was learning whilst trying to hold s pace for the Focuser, I would remind myself to just be; my being was much more therapeutic than my doing. Bringing my awareness to my Focuser became an anchor for me. Ironically, in my attempts to perfect my ability to be a Focusing-oriented counsellor, I was in fact pushing myself further away from the most important thing which was my presence (Purton, 2007). What I learnt to remember is that all of this takes place in the present moment (Silverton, 2014). By being with my client and putting my trust in being guided by their process reminded me that I was not the expert which in effect liberated me as a companion. I was able to consolidate my understanding of the Focusing process which was helpful for some of the difficulties I came across in my practice. Gendlin’s six step process helped me grasp each stage. The process incorporates (1) Clearing the space, (2) Felt sense, (3) Handle, (4) Resonating, (5) Asking and (6) Receiving (Purton, 2004). I found clearing the space a valuable method that can be used on its own or within the Focusing process, as a tool for stress reduction (Purton, 2004) through creating appropriate metaphoric distance. This practice can become a wonderful friend, offering a path to self-knowledge (Silverton, 2014). My experience with the process illustrated to me I was confident leading my Focuser in and coming out. Inviting a felt sense to emerge and getting a handle were the most difficult steps as it was hard initially for me to differentiate when my Focuser was describing ‘something’ or a ‘part of them’ as a pose to when they had discovered a felt sense. Sometimes an entire session would be checking in with the Focuser to see if a felt sense was going to emerge. With further practice, Gendlin’s steps became more of a guide for me. The process follows the material of the Focuser therefore the process cannot be rigid. The Focusing process is actually quite simple, but I found the complexities as a companion lie in the multitude of complex processes that include the language, terminology, how to reflect, how to invite and how to create the right amount of distance in order to follow the unfolding process with the Focusing attitude. Being aware of the subtle nuances of the Focuser in their tone, mannerisms and gestures was also important as in these are avenues to intricate possibilities for moving forward (Fleisch, 2009). The more I grappled with the process, the more I was able to identify areas for further improvement in my practice. In doing so I was learning how to deepen the client’s awareness to their own embodied knowledge (Fleisch, 2009). This subject gave me an opportunity to consolidate existing skills and develop a set of new skills. Core person-centred conditions such as presence, unconditional positive regard and empathy are all essential in the Focusing process. I gained further experiential practice as a companion at grounding myself with presence, holding space and meeting my client’s with unconditional positive regard. Despite majority of my Focuser’s having their eyes closed during their process, I would still mirror their non-verbal communication, as this helped me to remain present and was helpful in my attuning process. Once I had a reasonable theoretical understanding of the Focusing process I had to master the acquisition of new skills such as facilitative language used to support presence and to stay with the emerging process at hand. Reflecting is important as it helps the client know they are being understood. Reflections should follow the Focuser and their felt sense as this is the the rapist’s attempt to grasp what the client is experiencing by repeating back exactly what they are trying to say (Gendlin, 1996). It is done with a soft and gentle tone of voice which came quite naturally for me, and always precedes an invitation. I definitely found invitations were much more effective in accessing felt senses than asking questions. Questions run the risk of deviating from presence, and shift the client back to a cognitive level of thinking. Invitations encourage a friendly attitude towards the felt sense (Gendlin, 1996). Focusing is a constant intervention with its consistent checking in and checking back. By strengthening these existing and new skills, my facilitation to help clients to attend wholly personal issue improved. Thus they can open up fresh perspectives and new insights which is what Focusing offers (Silverton, 2014). My relationship with Experiential Focusing has grown over the semester as it coincides with my beliefs about what therapy encompasses. I respect the Experiential Focusing approach in that it is non-directive and follows the guided process of the Focuser. It really reinforces my true belief in every human being’s ability to self-actualise and my role as a Focusing-Oriented counsellor within the holistic framework aids in facilitating this. I deeply resonate with its gentle approach and how through presence, a client can feel heard, met and have their existence validated but to also have the opportunity to listen to and potentially build a relationship with their felt sense (Silverton, 2014) to access their own empowering knowledge. Focusing sees an individual in process, not as a problem or pathology. Rather diagnosing and curing, Focusing gives a person the opening to be and to allow. This was affirming for my learning and development as an aspiring person-centred, holistic co unsellor. The bulk of my learning in this subject came experientially. Cognitively it was a struggle to understand, but I found my inner understanding of fundamental Experiential Focusing concepts grew tremendously through actually participating in or observing the process. The more I understood what the felt sense was and became aware of my own, the more the comprehensive the theory became for me. Thus, Focusing taught me how to deal with ambiguity and vague ideas, and gave me the ability to simply sit with them. It comes as no surprise that the hard to recognise notion of the felt sense is hard to grasp in contrast to our social context where there is huge pressure in our technological culture to know (Silverton, 2014). We have lost trust in our bodies and our feeling (Cornell, 1996), forgetting that the body has sophisticated understanding and Focusing gives a means of accessing that. With Focusing being process-oriented means it is fluid. It can adapt to people varying a great deal in bein g able to sense what is going on in their bodies (Purton, 2004), ‘letting that which arises from the Focusing depths within a person define the therapist’s activity’ (Leijssen, 1998). This is at the core of person-centred methodology and my personal beliefs. Through theoretical learning and experiential practice, I have gained insight and deepened my self-awareness through participating in the Focusing process as a Focuser, observer and a companion. These have all contributed to my growth as a Focusing-Oriented counsellor over the semester, all of which have been essential for my learning as a holistic counsellor. I have embarked on a learning journey to have a comfortable relationship with strong feelings, to acknowledge them and listen to them using the Focusing method, and I now have the ability to invite a client for an opportunity to do the same. Focusing offers a safe and contained environment to access and explore the felt sense which has its own depths of meaning (Gendlin, 1996). By encouraging felt experience as a whole, one gains admission to an abundance of emotional self-healing. Bibliography Cornell, A. W. (1996). The Power of Focusing. Oakland: Raincoast Books. Fleisch, G. (2009). Right in Their Hands: How Gestures Imply the Bodys Next Steps in Focusing-Oriented Therapy. Person-Centred and Experiential Therapies, 173-188. Gendlin, E. (1996). Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy. A Manual of the Experiential Method. New York: The Guilford Press. Leijssen, M. (1998). Focusing Microprocesses. In L. W. Greenberg, Handbook of Experiential Psychotherapy (pp. 121-154). New York: The Guilford Press. Purton, C. (2004). Person-Centred Therapy: Focusing-Oriented Approach. London: Palgrave Macmillian. Purton, C. (2007). The Focusing-Oriented Counselling Primer. Ross-on-Wey: PCCS Books. Silverton, S. (2014, October). How to Think Like a Poet and Make Better Decisions. Retrieved from British Focusing Association: http://www.focusing.org.uk

Enron Versus Bombay Politicians Essay

On August 3,1995, the Maharashtra state government of India, dominated by the nationalist right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), abruptly canceled Enron’s $2.9 billion power project in Dabhol, located south of Bombay, the industrial heartland of India. This came as a huge blow to Rebecca P. Mark, the chairman and chief executive of Enron’s international power unit, who spearheaded the Houston-based energy giant’s international investment drive. Upon the news release, Enron’s share price fell immediately by about 10 percent to $33.5. Mark sprang to action to resuscitate the deal with the Maharashtra state, promising concessions. This effort, however, was met with scorn from BJP politicians. Enron’s Dabhol debacle cast a serious doubt on the company’s aggressive global expansion strategy, involving some $10 billion in projects in power plants and pipelines spanning across Asia, South America, and Middle East Enron became involved in the projec t in 1992 when the new reformist government of the Congress Party (1), led by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, was keen on attracting foreign investment in infrastructure. After meeting with the Indian government officials visiting Houston in May, Enron dispatched executives to Indian to hammer out a â€Å"memorandum of understanding â€Å"in just 10 days to build a massive 2,015-megawatt Dabhol power complex. New Delhi placed the project on a fast track and awarded it to Enron without competitive bidding. Subsequently, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) agreed to buy 90 percent of the power Dabhol produces. Tow other U. S. companies, General Electric GE) and Bechtel Group, agreed to join Enron as parents for the Dabhol project. In the process of structuring the deal, Enron made a profound political miscalculation: It did not seriously take into consideration a rising backlash against foreign investments by an opposition coalition led by the BJP. During the state election campaign in early 1995, the BJP called for a reevaluation of the Enron project. Jay Dubashi, the BJP’s economic advisor ,said that the BJP would review all foreig n investments already in India, and â€Å"If it turns out that we have to ask them to go ,then we’ll ask them to go.† Instead of waiting for the election results, Enron rushed to close the  deal and began construction, apparently believing that a new government would find it difficult to unwind the deal when construction was already under way. Enron was not very concerned with local political sentiments. Enron fought to keep the contract details confidential, but a successful lawsuit by a Bombay consumer group forced the company to reveal the details: Enron would receive 7.4 cents per kilowatt-hour from MSER and Enron’s rate of return would be 23 percent, far higher than 16 percent over the capital cost that the Indian government guaranteed to others. Critics cited the disclosure as proof that Enron had exaggerated project costs to begin with and that the deal might have involved corruption. The BJP won the 1995 election in Maharashtra state and fulfilled its promise. Manohar Joshi, the newly elected chief minister of Maharashtra, who campaigned on a pledge to â€Å"drive Enron into the se a,† promptly canceled the project, citing inflated project costs and too high electricity rates. This pledge played well with Indian voters with visceral distrust of foreign companies since the British colonial era. (It helps to recall that India was first colonized by a foreign company, the British East India Company.) By the time the project was canceled, Enron already had invested some $300 million. Officials of the Congress Party who championed the Dabhol in the first place did not come to rescue of the project. The BJP criticized the Congress Party, rightly or wrongly, for being too corrupt to reform the economy and too cozy with business interests. In an effort to pressure Maharashtra to reverse its decision, Enron â€Å"pushed like hell â€Å" the U.S. Energy Department to make a statement in June 1995 to the effect that canceling the Enron deal could adversely affect other power projects. The Statement only compounded the situation. The BJP politicians immediately criticized the statement as an attempt by Washington to build India. After months of nasty exchanges and lawsuits, Enron and Maharashtra negotiators agreed to revive the Dabhol project. The new deal requires that Enron cut the project’s cost from $2.9 billion to $2.5 billion , lower the proposed electricity rates , and mak e a state-owned utility a new percent partner of the project. A satisfied Joshi, the chief minister, stated:† Maharashtra has gained tremendously by this decision.† Enron needed to make a major concession to demonstrate that its global power projects are still on track. The new deal led Enron to withdraw a lawsuit seeking $500 billion in damages from Maharashtra for the  cancellation of the Dabhol project Please write a two-page essay to discuss the following points. 1. Discuss the chief mistake that Enron made in Indian 2. Discuss what Enron might have done differently to avoid its predicament in India. You can look through the mini case and also search the related materials online in order to prepare the essay, but be sure to specify the information sources in the end of essay.

Bad Habits of Trusting Online Essay

One thing that I have learned as a young adult is that trusting is not always the best thing to do and in fact it could turn out to be the worst thing you ever did. Now working in the fast-food business every day, I learned that trust is more than just believing that someone else knows what they are talking about; trust is also about knowing what you’re getting whether that means a soft drink that is full to the top instead of half way, for a rude customer; or knowing that behind another computer screen there might not always be a good guy trying to help you get your money into your bank account. Instead their goal is to take your money and never be traced again. Trusting the internet with bank information, social security numbers, and personal information is the perfect antidote for online identity theft. This fraud is causing banks’ bad reputations, financial losses to thousands of Americans in the United States and will have a huge impact on E-commerce (activities th at relate to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet). In 2007, a study from Cyveillance, a company involved in cyber intelligence, showed that within the same two months, 1 million social security cards were thought to be stolen off of the internet; and in that same year online phishing which can be defined as the practice of using fraudulent e-mails and copies of legitimate websites to extract financial data from computer users for purposes of identity theft; had grown by fifty percent (Britt).Trusting the internet with social security numbers is one of the worse things to do, because it allows hackers more abilities and more information. So this means while you sit, frantic about how you trusted online sites, the bad guy on the other screen profits from their access to your credit cards, bank accounts and your identifying information. The worst part about it all is that after the fraud it is unlikely that the person who caused you so many problems would ever be caught or punished for their harm to you. Online identity theft allows cri minals to do crimes or things in your name, or even change bank account information. For some people like Amy Browne, a Yahoo Contributor and a mother, she was a victim of identity theft. Amy experienced a harsh battle for her identity, on Oct 19, 2011 Amy did not only lose a lot financially when her rent card was short hundreds of dollars, she also lost her son’s trust and love when she accused him of  stealing the rent money each time. What I understood from Browne and her experience with online identity theft was that it can be very confusing, scary, and hurtful. The real problem with identity theft is that it cannot be taken back, so for Browne and her family they suffered. The solution to making online phishing decrease from fifty percent is to rely less on online interactions, because when an actual banker is in front of you he or she does not ask you for your social security number. Instead they let you type it into a pin pad, never having a chance for identity theft to occur. For banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, protection from identity theft have become extremely important to their companies, which is why they have incorporated tools and alerts, like password changes to help their customers be safer from online identity theft. With the frauds becoming more sophisticated, banks need to find better ways of identifying the crimes. For banks that do not want bad reputation, this means hiring more staff, or investing in technologies that help identify the acts of bank fraud .As Americans we are a bit greedy, and scared to lose what we have worked hard for. Some people spend years working a family business simply because of traditions dear to relatives that started family legacies. We all know that leaving our money at home in a safe is predictable, and that leaving it under our beds could be dangerous in case of a fire or flood. So we trust our banks. What we have found out through Daniel T. Woolley in his journal, â€Å"Journal of retail banking services, was that loses attributed to computer fraud, theft, and vandalism across all industry segments are currently estimated at $10 billion – and rising steadily. (Woolley.) Now hearing scary things like this make it hard to believe that the banks might not be much safer than online fraud, but it is safer, because banks are coming up with solutions to help their customers be completely safe from identity fraud. The solution is that trusting the banks may not be the best thing to some people because there are still occasions of identity theft within bank accounts, but what has to be recognized by consumers and customers is the amount of effort and time the bankers are taking to try and keep customers safe. In reality the banks will do whatever is needed to satisfy their customers, they need customers just as much as customers need them. Numbers of fraud within banks has fallen due to the regulations from the bankers. Teddy de Rivera, EVP of the Internet services group at Wells Fargo reports  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We know that because of all the tools we have in our layered security approach, as well as through relationships we’ve built with other banks, the actual losses we’re seeing — and we guarantee all online banking fraud losses — has actually dropped year over year† (Crosman). De Rivera does not prove his facts but the number of losses he suffered from at the bank were very little. De Rivera says that relationships with other banks and security have been the key to helping the numbers lessen. Being aware and educated about banking is the key to finding the best way to keep your money safe and accessible. Overall banks are more reliable than the internet because banks are constantly being looked at by bankers to help their customers with identity safety. In America today there are nearly eighty seven percent of people who shop online. E—commerce -activities that relate to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet –has had negative effects due to the amount of fraud and identity theft with online transactions. What this means is that online businesses like Amazon, and EBay are suffering from business loss. The amounts of threats are scaring their customers away. As Americans the enjoyable things are cheap and quick to have. Although everyone doesn’t look at price ranges most people would go for the lowest price they could weather they are rich or poor. For example Toms shoes were founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, who came up with a very inspirational theory to help children in need. With every pair of Toms that is sold another pair is given to a child in need. Not only does it feel good as a customer to know that you are hip and in style it also feels rewarding to know that you are helping others. Since the big boom from the Toms shoes Mycoskie has been able to donate ten million pairs of shoes to children in need. At the start Toms were fifty dollars a pair, now they can be found in places such as Nordstrom’s and EBay for way cheaper. As customers we want the best deals and online shopping does its best to help customers find those deals. Nordstrom’s sells Toms f or thirty seven dollars whereas EBay sells them for twenty five dollars. There are several benefits for online shopping customers, they are able to buy anything at any time, it is convenient, lots of discounts, and has a large variety. There are also disadvantages to online shopping as well, shipping costs, must wait for shipment, cannot inspect purchase physically, cannot use cash to pay, and not all sites are trustable, fraud number are increasing with online  purchases. On most sites like EBay and Amazon customers are able to leave feedback on their products which helps other customers to know the good and the bad in products, well when EBay made the decision to cut out their buyers reference with the hopes of better customer experience; customers argue the act will cause more fraud. â€Å"EBay said the changes to the feedback system will improve accuracy and accountability. Critics argue that the move could increase buyer fraud. Opponents have left thousands of comments complaining about the elimination of negative buyer references (eBay’s). One of the hardest things about online shopping is the trust, not know if you will get the actual item you are shopping for. About a year ago my mother was on the hunt by my side for Toms that were red; we looked in stores but could not find them, so we relied on the internet. After she put in her card number and her personal information we knew the transaction was complete. I remember waiting weeks and watching my shipment tracker as the days counted down for the delivery day, but when I got my shipment of red toms we were shocked to find that inside the random box not even Toms symbolized there laid a one dollar gold coin. My mother was not able to get her money back or a replacement for the wrong product which shoes how un-predictable online shopping can be. In some cases convenience is necessary but how helpful is it to shop online and get the wrong product, and end up having to wait or except a loss as my mother did. Fraud has become a very big issue in society today. The more willing and vulnerable a person is the more likely their chance is to be a victim of identity theft and fraud. Currently we live in a place that moves forty miles per hour daily, individuals now a days don’t just work one job and go home to their families, but instead a second or third job. Money has always had negative and positive effects on people’s lives whet her it helps build or makes loss, money doesn’t change. Just like money doesn’t change so doesn’t the people the Americans who steal, harm, and rob others via online fraud. Trusting someone else with your money that you work hard for can be hard whether you spend it online or in person, but the positive to buying all items in person is a valid recipe for returns, a trained worker to help with social security issues rather than an operator, and the fact that all in person interactions are going to be more recognizable than transactions online. As Americans we put our trust in a lot of people, fast-food workers, doctors, and bankers with that being  said we hope for the best outcomes and sometimes can be surprised at the carelessness, and disrespect of some of the people we trust the most. With online Identity theft growing so quickly and the knowing of the subject, as individuals we have to be more knowledgeable towards things in order to escape completely from fraud online. With each transaction online there is an unknown that could be a person, scenario, or problem. Americans have to recognize the damages of trusting the internet with bank information, social security numbers, and personal information because online identity theft is real. Don’t share personal information with the web. Citations: Britt, Phil. â€Å"Keeping up with fraudsters: to fight fraud, banks must gather information about current schemes and educate consumers.† Bank Systems + Technology Aug. 2005: 31+. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Trusting the internet with social security numbers is one of the worse things to do, because it allows hackers more abilities and more information. So this means while you sit, frantic about how you trusted online sites, the bad guy on the other screen profits from their access to your credit cards, bank accounts and your identifying information. The worst part about it all is that after the fraud it is unlikely that the person who caused you so many problems would ever be caught or punished for their harm to you. Online identity theft allows criminals to do crimes or things in your name, or even change bank account information. Crosman, Penny. â€Å"Standing Guard.† Bank Systems + Technology 1 May 2010: 12. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. De Rivera does not prove his facts but the number of losses he suffered from at the bank were very little. De Rivera says that relationships with other banks and security have been the key to helping the numbers lessen. Being aware and educated about banking is the key to finding the best way to keep your money safe and accessible. Overall banks are more reliable than the internet because banks are constantly being looked at by bankers to help their customers with identity safety. â€Å"eBay’s Plan To Eliminate Negative Buyer Comments Draws Fire; eBay says  sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral feedback about buyers.† InformationWeek 7 Feb. 2008. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. EBay will do away with negative buyer references, along with a host of other changes it says are aimed at improving customer experience. What EBay has to recognize is that by shutting their customers out and giving them no voice to be able to say how they felt about products is giving customers more reason to assume that EBay cannot be trusted. Woolley, Daniel T. â€Å"Electronic robbery: how to prevent huge losses in nanoseconds.† Journal of Retail Banking Services Summer 1998: 49+. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. Its hard to believe that the banks might not be much safer than online fraud, but it is safer, because banks are coming up with solutions to help their customers be completely safe from identity fraud. The solution is that trusting the banks may not be the best thing to some people because there are still occasions of identity theft within bank accounts, but what has to be recognized by consumers and customers is the amount of effort and time the bankers are taking to try and keep customers safe.

Leadership Theory Transformational And Transactional...

During the course of research, various theories appeared in literature on situational leadership. In some instances, situational leadership is part of a broader theory and vice versa. Related theories include transformational and transactional leadership, contingency theory, path-goal theory, and personality theories. Life Cycle Theory was not included since situational leadership originated from Life Cycle Theory. Transformational and Transactional Leadership Theories According to McCleskey (2014), transformational leadership theory is the most studied leadership theory. This theory is based on Maslow’s Law of Needs (McCleskey, 2014). The four factors of transformation leadership include idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (McCleskey, 2014). According to McCleskey (2014), â€Å"Transformational leaders share a vision, inspire subordinates, mentor, coach, respect individuals, foster creativity, and act with integrity† (p. 124). These are similar to the four styles in situational leadership. For example, persuading and idealized influence are essentially the same. The words are synonyms with the same condensed definition (â€Å"influence,† 2013, â€Å"persuading,† 2013). According to McCleskey (2014), individualized consideration involves coaching and mentoring. This also applies to persuading or co aching. Furthermore, situational leadership is about applying the appropriate behaviors in the situation based onShow MoreRelatedTransactional And Transformational Leadership Theory756 Words   |  4 PagesTransactional and Transformational leadership The transformational leader, according to Burns (1978), is one who† raises the followers level of consciousness about the importance and value of designated outcomes and ways of reaching them; gets the followers to transcend their own self-interests for the sake of the team, organization, or larger polity; and raises the follower’s level of need on Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy from lower-end concerns for safety and security to higher-level needs for achievementRead MoreTransactional And Transformational Leadership Theory1504 Words   |  7 Pagespick good men to do what he wants done and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it†. 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