Discipleship Counseling Essay Example Essay Example

Discipleship Counseling Essay Example Paper Discipleship Counseling Essay Introduction Discipleship Counseling CCOU201 B06 Discipleship counseling written by Dr. Neil T. Anderson is a complete guide to helping others walk in Freedom and grow in Christ. This book is very useful to church leaders, counselors, lay leaders, anyone who needs a step by step guide on biblical counseling. This book gives the reader a better understanding on how discipleship counseling works and shows them how to create a counseling ministry in their own church. Dr. Neil T. Anderson lays out a very strong foundation of counseling through truth, Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the counselees’ faith and the support of the Christian community. He discusses the encouragers and the counselees’ role in discipleship counseling. Both parties must be open to the move of the Holy Spirit and his truth for the road to recovery, healing and freedom in Christ Jesus. Dr. Neil Anderson combines the ideas found in Helping Others Find Freedom in Christ and Helping Others Find Freedom in Christ Study Guide. Also, he focuses on four specific counseling areas to help the reader better understand the importance of discipleship counseling. One, he focuses on defining mental health and understanding how biblical counseling addresses the whole person, their body, soul and spirit. Two, counseling the spiritually oppressed and counseling in Christ to resolve root issues. We will write a custom essay sample on Discipleship Counseling Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Discipleship Counseling Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Discipleship Counseling Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Three, overcoming false guidance, deception, bitterness and rebellion. And, most importantly helping others experience freedom in Christ by helping them understand the root causes of their spiritual problems and applying biblical solutions. Truth is very important when it comes to counseling. It is essential for secular counseling and especially for Christian counseling because truth is the foundation. It is the counselee’s responsibility to be honest and forthright in order to get the help that they need. In James 5:16, clearly states, â€Å"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. † In order to be an effective counselor, the counselee should not be in denial but honest about all their hurts, issues and concerns. Before any healing can take place, confession must be the first step. Also, the encourager must live and speak truth in their personal life and when they counsel. Discipleship Counseling Essay Body Paragraphs In order to be an effective counselor, they must be led by the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit must be present at all times because he â€Å"enables Christian counselors to commune with God and access the knowledge of God revealed in scripture (Tim Clinton, Archibald hart amp; George Ohlschlager. ,p. 66). † It is the Holy Spirits job to lead the encourager and the counselee out of darkness and into the marvelous light. As, it was mentioned in the previous paragraph, truth is the foundation of Christian counseling, which is God’s written word, the Holy Bible. In 2 Timothy 3:16 it states that, â€Å"all scripture is given to us by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. So, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every word good work. † So, the word of God instructs the counselee how to live a life that is proper and pleasing to God. The truth encounter, James 4:7 â€Å"Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. † In order to be an effective disciple and encourager they must first submit to God, second resist the devil and third, he will have no authority in their life. Many people will try to resist the devil without submitting to God and fail continuously. And, they are those who submit to God, but they do not resist the devil and they remain in bondage. The truth is God has given his church power and authority over Satan and his dark forces in high places. If Christian counselors do not exercise the power and authority God has given them, they are not able to delegate responsibility. In, caring for people God’s way the authors state that, â€Å"power is the strength or might to change; the ability to execute a plan; and the capacity to remain firm and constant in a situation, despite opposition,† (p. 5). Once the truth encounter is realized the counselor will not operate in the spirit of fear or their flesh. They must know that Christ has given them authority and through the Holy Spirit they are empowered. So, discipleship counselors should take pleasure in knowing that Satan is a defeated foe and he has no authority to set the agenda in their counseling session. The second most significant point in Discipleship counseling is root issues. Dr. Neil T. Anderson discusses seven root issues that need to be resolved in the counselee’s life. One, false guidance and participation with cults and the occult. Two, Deception, â€Å"people are living in bondage to the lies they believe,† (p. 141). Three, bitterness. Unfortunately many people carry, â€Å"emotional scars and bears the pain of wounds inflicted upon them by others,† (p. 141). Four, rebellion. In this age, many people are rebellious and do not respect authority. Five, pride it â€Å"keeps us locked in a pattern of false thinking and prevents us from seeking the help we need,† (p. 143). Six, habitual sin, this root issue will keep the counselee in bondage, hindering their desire to live free in Christ. And, the seventh root issue is family ties. The counselee must repent and break the cycle of generational curses. An individual cannot grow unless they deal the root issue of their problem. Many people will repeat the same destructive thinking and behaviors because the root issue was never resolved. Once the root issue is discovered and dealt wit h, the counselee will grow and experience changes in their behavior. The seven steps â€Å"will bring to the surface any issues that are critical between a person and God,† (p. 148). Disciple counseling is all about helping the counselee resolve their root issues with four important methods. One, allowing God to cure the soul. It is not the counselors responsibility to cure the counselee, it is their job to work with God, â€Å"as He cures the soul,† (p. 159). Two, relying on God’s strength to find freedom, starting with positive affirmation. Three, getting to the root of the issue in the presence of God. â€Å"God will provide the guidance we need in order to get at the root issues, and He will provide the power to change,† (p. 161). And, four dealing with repressed memories and working through them with the help of God. The third significant point is establishing and maintaining freedom in Christ Jesus. Freedom in Christ is having the desire and power t o know, love, worship and obey God,†(Spiritual Freedom Manual). Christ is the only way for anyone to be freed from the chains and bondage from Satan, the flesh and the world. Also, Tim Clinton and etc. , in Caring for people God’s way, declares that â€Å"many people who will not be freed-including freed enough to grow into maturity-without a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit† (p. 49). So, without the acceptance of Christ and his Spirit of truth, the counselee will never experience change. Their symptoms will be treated but the root issues will never be resolved. In order for the counselee to maintain their freedom they need to know: â€Å"(1) who they are in Christ; (2) the authority and protection of the believer; (3) the nature of the battle that is going on for their minds; and (4) how to walk by faith by the power of the Holy Spirit according to what God said is true,† (p. 167). Before wounds can heal, the counselee must establish their free dom in Christ first. On a daily basis the counselee must choose each day to walk in their freedom, by renouncing Satan and walking in the truth of God. Dr. Neil Anderson states, â€Å"Every work of Satan and every way of Satan had to be renounced in order for repentance to be complete† (p. 221). The counselee must exercise their God given authority daily because the encourager cannot do it for them. It is also important that the counselee recognize the different demonic forces that might be operating in their lives. Once the tactics of Satan is recognized, the counselee must take a verbal stand against Satan, they cannot do it in their own strength but through the power of the Holy Spirit. The counselee must â€Å"Walk in the Light! †, â€Å"Walk in the Armor of God! † and â€Å"Walk in the Grace of God! (Spiritual Freedom). Discipleship Counseling is truly a must have for all who are interested in Christian counseling. Dr. Neil T. Anderson has covered every to pic, concern and issue pertaining to discipleship counseling. He brought up some very good points, which was difficult to narrow down to three significant points. But, without truth, dealing with root issues and the counselee maintaining their freedom, it would not be discipleship counseling, only secular counseling. He gives the reader a complete guide to helping others walk in freedom and grow in Christ. References Anderson, T. Neil. Discipleship Counseling. 2003). Venture, CA: Regal Books. Clinton, Tim. , Hart, Archibald. , amp; Ohlschlager, George. A New Guide for Christian Counseling: Caring For People God’s Way. (2005). Nashville, TN: Nelson Publishers. NIV-Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. Spiritual Freedom Manual. http://www. setfreeministries. com. Retrieved on February 24, 2010. The Discipleship Ministry. Spiritual Freedom. (2000 ). http://www. biblestudycd. com. Retrieved On February 24, 2010.

Exercises in Identifying Subjects and Verbs

Exercises in Identifying Subjects and Verbs There are two basic parts of a sentence: the  subject  and the  predicate. The subject is usually a noun: a person, place or thing. The predicate is usually a phrase that includes a  verb: a word that identifies an action or state of being. For example, both run and is are  verbs.   One easy way to distinguish subjects from verbs is to put the word he or she before the word. If the phrase makes sense, the word is a verb. If it doesnt, its probably a noun. For example, is the word bird a subject (noun) or a verb? How about the word dances? To find out, put the word he in front of each word. He bird makes no sense, so the word bird is a noun and could be the subject of a sentence.  He dances does make  sense, so the word dances is a verb, which could be part of the predicate. Try these exercises to help you distinguish between subjects and verbs. Two exercises are provided to give you (or your students) two opportunities to practice. Exercise A: Identifying Subjects and Verbs For each of the following sentences, decide whether the word in bold print is the subject or the verb. When you are done, compare your responses with the answers below. The dog shivered.An owl shrieked.The moon disappeared behind the clouds.We waited.Nobody said a word.  For a moment, nobody even breathed.A light rain fell on our heads.The leaves trembled.Our hearts beat faster.Then the black sky opened up.Furious flames lit up the night. Answers 1. verb; 2. subject; 3. verb; 4. subject; 5. verb; 6. subject; 7. verb; 8. verb; 9. verb; 10. subject; 11. subject Exercise B: Identifying Subjects and Verbs For each of the following sentences, decide whether the word in bold print is the subject or the verb. When you are done, compare your responses with the answers below. Mr. William Herring is the jolliest man I know.His outward features reflect the delightful character within.His hair is red and frizzy, like Orphan Annies.His head is fat and round.He has small, dark, hamster-like eyes.His eyes peer inquisitively from behind metal-rimmed glasses.His small mouth is always formed into a friendly grin.His thick neck connects this funny head to an egg-shaped torso.He has two fat arms with plump hands and fingers shaped like hot dogs.On one of these fingers is a diamond-studded gold ring.The gleam of the ring matches the brilliance of Mr. Bills smile.His Santa Claus belly, girded by a cowboy belt, hangs over the sort of baggy trousers that went out of style with leisure suits and platform shoes.Mr. Bills shoes, however, are invisible beneath his trousers.Still, his walk is distinctive.In fact, he seems to roll rather than walk.He rolls to the rhythm of his own laughter.His students roll right along with him. Answers 1. subject; 2. verb; 3. subject; 4. verb; 5. verb; 6. subject; 7. subject; 8. verb; 9. subject; 10. subject; 11. verb; 12. subject; 13. verb; 14. subject; 15. verb; 16. verb; 17. subject

A change in the way you deal with other people Essay - 4

A change in the way you deal with other people - Essay Example I had been dating my partner for over 4 years and we had a strong relationship from my perspective. I trusted them with all my heart and never had any doubts about them. We have a long distance relationship because my partner studies and lives in another city. We also have a significant age difference as we are 7 years apart. However, our relationship was never affected by this and it was based on pure love and emotions. We never agreed to let society have an influence on our views towards each other. However, I could feel the distance between us and we only got to see each other for 4mths in a year. The last time my partner arrived, I saw and felt something different. They did not possess the same passion in their eyes as they always did the previous times. They were distant and more caught up in their â€Å"work† or â€Å"studies†. I felt something was wrong from the very beginning and on the 4th day I confirmed what I had been thinking all these days. While my partner was sleeping I took their phone and found some messages with another person. There was nothing intimate just some meeting proposals and some good night messages. However, I did not expect this and I felt so betrayed that they would keep this from me. I couldn’t imagine that someone I trust could so deceitful especially considering the fact that my life revolves around this person and every time I am waiting for their return. From this point onwards I lost ball my trust in people. I know people are different and one should never judge others based on someone’s mistakes. However, this has made me more cautious. In the past I was a very trusting person and it was easy for me to commit to people. I was what people would call an open book. However, this has all changed and I am now reserved. I do not think I will be fully able to open to people again. I now have the notion that the more people you trust or the more you trust someone, the higher the likeliho od that they will disappoint you. Life is

Business History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business History - Essay Example Smith's strong will coupled with his hard working attitude made him a successful man. His Canadian Office was in fact nicknamed as "The Light House" because the windows are frequently illuminated long after the remainder of the street was in darkness. On the other hand, Cooke's efficiency, friendliness and competence have impressed many businessmen which enabled him to climb in the corporate ladder of success. "He developed his skills rapidly, writing to his older brother at one point, 'I am getting to be a good judge of bank notes, can tell counterfeits at sight, and know all nearly the broken banks in the United States of America...' By the age of twenty-one Cooke was a full partner in the banking house..." (Frey 58). Smith had made his way to his fortune with the use of his persuasive skills and political connections. "He used his influence as an HBC officer and bribes to attempt a peaceful settlement..." (Redford 940). It was also said that, "Smith profited from his position in the HBC to survey business opportunities both for the company and for himself" (Redford 941). Smiths numerous personal business endeavours put a stress in his career at HBC (Hudson's Bay Company). "Undoubtedly, Smith's business ventures distracted him from his management of the HBC's affairs. He received periodic rebukes From Governor Sir Stafford Henry Northcote who complained that he had to report on land sales based on information gleaned from newspapers" (Redford 942). Smith was also said to have neglected the fur trade. William Joseph Christie, inspecting chief factor of the HBC reported to the London committee on the slack management of the company's affairs. Christie resigned his job when no action was taken on hi s information. Conversely, Jay Cooke first gained the attention of the banking industry when he marketed $3 million of Pennsylvania's bond issue. The state was in dire straits, it is indebted by $40 million. Cooke created a marketing strategy that made the bonds oversubscribe in less than a month. He sent agents all over the state and drafted circulars, pamphlets and posters emphasizing the patriotic need for the subscription of the issue. The proceeds of the bond issue were to be used as a necessary capital to win the war. Mr Cooke capitalized patriotism in selling the bonds. It can also be observed that Smith was politically active. It is but understandable why it seems this way, after all any political/high organizational position entails power that may be used to prosper or obliterate a business. Through these connections he was able to meet new business partners, engage in another business venture and gain more money. "Smith began a political career representing Winnepig-St John in the Manitoba legislature 1870-1874 and Selkirk in the House of Commons 1871-78" (Farr). Whereas, Cooke served the government as Ohio's financial adviser and he also helped develop sound fiscal policies during the American Civil War. In spite of Smith's hard work and achievements, a shadowy figure of him lurks

Strategic Analysis Of Nestle Company Management Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Nestle Company Management Essay The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the strategic decisions that have occurred over the corporate history of Nestle mentioned in the case and to what extent has Mergers and Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances played a role in NESTLEs strategy in that period. In order to evaluate these strategic decisions, the paper shall outline Nestlà ©s historical strategic decisions; give a brief description of each decision and how mergers and acquisitions contributed to the growth of the company. The paper goes on to explain the current strategies of Nestlà © and how sustainable these strategies may be in the future. It explains the rationalisation of these current strategies and the new strategies that ought to be developed. The paper then looks at the future strategies of Nestle to outline the issues that are likely to be faced when these strategies are implemented .Likely actions are then suggested which may help give solutions to problems faced by Nestle on implementation of its future strategies. The strategic decisions involve new product development, extensive research development and entry into new product category which were mostly achieved through mergers and acquisitions. The current strategy was noted as unsustainable in the long term due to the fact that most of the products of Nestlà © cannot be classified as healthy .The suggestion made was that Nestle should come up with strategies that will make them healthier than their competitors. Nestlà ©s future strategies were also scrutinized and possible solutions given to overcome some of the strategic implementation issues the organization is likely to face. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate the strategic decisions that have occurred over the corporate history of NESTLE mentioned in the case and to what extent has Mergers and Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances played a role in NESTLEs strategy in that period?    Expansion According to Bell and Shelman (2009), Nestlà ©s sales expanded rapidly across Europe a few years after its inception. The company started developing an international reputation, and in 1905 it took the strategic decision of acquiring its main competitor, the Anglo-Swiss Condensed milk company (Bell and Shelman, 2009). The Federal Trade Commission refers to this as a horizontal merger where a firm acquires a former competitor allowing for a consolidation of companies in the same industry (Barney, 2011). As a result, Nestle in the early 1900s began positioning itself as a powdered milk, and infant food company. Furthermore, the combined companies through the Nestle brand name continued to grow through product and market extension mergers. Barney (2011) describes a product extension merger as one which adopts a complementary product through an acquisition, as seen in the case of Nestle which aligned product adoption in categories such as sugar, milk, cocoa and coffee. Nestlà © further undertook market extension mergers which involve gaining entry into complementary markets through acquisitions (Barney, 2011); whereby Nestle entered the confectionary, coffees, cereals, soft drinks, ice cream, water and prepared foods markets (See Ansoff Matrix below). Ansoff (1965) would argue that Nestlà © uses four different approaches to grow its products and markets. To explain the reasoning behind Nestlà ©s past MAs they can be assigned into these categories of growth which include: market penetration, product development, market development and diversification (See Ansoff Matrix above). During the 1920s, Nestle diversified its portfolio from infant formula to include Milo. This was its first powdered drink not created for infants. Spanning from 1938 to 1948, Nestlà © made the decision to enter into coffee and tea sector with the launch of Nescafe and Nestea. Nestle also diversified into the confectionary market, prepared foods, water, pet foods, energy bar and weight loss markets with the acquisitions of Peter, Cailler, Kohler Swiss Chocolate Company, Maggi, Vittel, Friskies, Powerbar and Jenny Craig respectively. Diversification outside the food and drink industry to enter pharmaceuticals and cosmetics was executed in the 1970s when it became a minority shareholder of LOreal (25%) and later acquired Alcon Laboratories. Barney (2011) highlights that acquiring new companies leads to reduction in production or distribution costs through economies of scale and vertical integration. Mergers and Acquisitions are also beneficial In increasing market share For industry know how and positioning For Financial leveraging (See appendix 3) Reasonable for this industry To improve profitability and EPS (See exhibit 2 for EPS 2006 and 2007) Source: Lasserre (2012) According to Lasserre (2012), MAs can also create several types of values for a company. He argues that they are justifiable if the economic value of the two entities is worth more combined than the sum of independent values before the merger (2012). Thus, the businesses must create shared economic values through synergy by increasing revenues whilst decreasing costs. Lasserre assumes these created values can be both short-term (one-off value) and long-term (synergistic effects). Diversification and global reach were the main values created for Nestlà © in its acquisitions. For example, Carnation enabled Nestle to extend not only in its product range but also to reach new areas around the world. The following table outlines the values created through Nestlà ©s MAs. Nestlà ©s MAs Value created Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consolidation Maggi  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Acquisitions in canned and frozen foods, water, ice cream and pets food  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Alcon Laboratories  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Options (to monitor the evolution of the technology) Carnation  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global reach  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Ralston-Purina  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Jenny Craig  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Novartiss Gerber  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global reach  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Options (to monitor the evolution of the technology) Table: Nestlà ©s MAs and their value created. Source: Authors own creation based on information from Bell and Shelman (2009) and Lasserre (2012). Furthermore, the relationship between Nestle and LOreal developed further when they created two joint-ventures: Galderma and Laboratories Inneov. According to Barney (2011), joint ventures are undertaken in order to manage risk, share costs, and enter into new markets and industries. It is assumed that Nestle saw the benefits of alliances rather than acquisitions into the cosmetics market due to its lack of knowledge on the industry. Once Nestlà © diversified its portfolio, they followed-up by expanding brands through what Ansoff (1965) refers to as market penetration. In order to utilise its current resources, and take advantage of the market opportunities created by Milo and Nescafe, Nestle developed new brands such as Nesquik and Nespresso (Bell and Shelman, 2009).   Additionally, Nestlà © acquired more brands consistent with its presence in the water and pet foods market: e.g. Vittel and Friskies.   Ã‚   According to Ansoff (1965), market development is the introduction of existing products into new markets. This can be seen through Nestlà ©s acquisitions of Stouffer, which enabled the company to sell its food products to different markets: frozen prepared meals. Lastly, Nestle used product development to introduce new products such as Buitoni, Carnation, and Kit Kat to grow within its existing market of food, powdered drinks and confectionary. Nestlà ©s diverse portfolio provides it with a competitive advantage, and has enabled the company to become the worlds largest food and Beverage Company (Bell and Shelman, 2009). However, it seems that some product diversifications through mergers and acquisitions led to the downfall of its profits; especially visible in the years leading up to Mauchers administration (Bell and Shelman, 2009). Barney (2011) suggests that mergers and acquisitions between strategically unrelated businesses do not necessarily create significant economic profits. Thus, it can be assumed that Nestlà ©s strategically unrelated acquisition of Alcon and partial acquisition of LOreal between 1974 and 1977, contributed to a decline in profits between 1978 and 1981. Supply Chain Rationalisation As Nestle grew and entered new markets, they worked towards horizontally integrating their supply chain. According to Christopher (2005), companies such as Nestle seek to spread geographically, whilst reducing costs through economies of scale by prioritising manufacturing and operational processes. This can be seen throughout the 1900s as Nestle invests in its value chain by: opening processing plants within the U.S., Britain, Germany and Spain; manufacturing in Australia; warehouses in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bombay; and factories in the U.S. and Brazil (Bell and Shelman 2009) (See Nestlà ©s value chain). Firm infrastructure Decentralized organization Executive Committee consists of the CEO and 12 top managers The company is structured through 43 regional organisations reporting to directors of three geographic zones (zone Europe, Asia/Oceania/Africa and zone Americas). Country managers are given a large degree of autonomy when dealing with customer matters. Nestlà ©s Value chain Human Resource Management Focus on developing local management Investment in training and providing cross experiences People start from the bottom and move their way up in the organisation Unique culture/ focus on long term results Developing people from acquired companies. Technology Development Strong RD platform/ open innovation model Big investment in RD (investment to support pharmaceutical businesses and food, nutrition, health and wellness) Creating an innovation acceleration team to support rapid product introductions. Initiating a common technology infrastructure/ a comprehensive information system named the GLOBE. Margin Procurement Purchasing some raw materials instead of processing them in-house. 60% of materials purchases from emerging economies Direct sourcing -In developing countries agricultural commodities are bought from local markets and often directly from farmers- rather than on the world market Service Jenny Craig -personal nutrition counselling / Jenny Direct website and phone /Home delivery. Personalized services 24/7 service though telephone and internet help line for Nestlà ©s premium products. Marketing sales Positioning the company as healthy Strong brands product and brand differentiation. Dealing directly with consumers. Medical nutrition: market to professionals Outbound Logistics Synchronization of data between manufacturing and retailers- through the GLOBE system. Introducing new distribution channels for some brands (e.g. Nespresso corners, boutiques and home delivery) Inbound Logistics Ware- Housing Operations -Manufacturing, food processing plants -Producing locally -About half of the factories are in developing countries/ production for the local market. -Partnership with local farmers -providing advice and support -Implementing quality control processes. Moreover, Nestle made the strategic decision of establishing local supply chains which meant deploying its agricultural capabilities down to  the farm level through strategic alliances. This is referred to as their milk district model which allows farmers to supply milk to the company directly and in exchange Nestle provides its resources and know-how, such as providing storage and chilling facilities (Nestle, 2012). This highlights the fact that Nestle was seeking to establish its value chain activities, or Global business system, earlier on in its history (See value chain above).   According to Hill and Hill (2009), this type of model has the capability of reinforcing a companys competitive advantage as it is able to overcome barriers to integration, better respond to delivery speed, simplify sharing of information and reduce costs of production (Bell and Shelman, 2009). Adapting to a Global Role Nestle recognised that for it to sustain its competitive advantage it needed to establish a global technological platform to capture data, manage information and create knowledge (Bell and Shelman, 2009). Consequently Brabeck made the strategic decision of initiating the GLOBE system. Using this common technological infrastructure, it would be able to share information amongst all Nestlà ©s businesses and allowed for a synchronization of data in its supply chain (Bell and Shelman 2009). Refocused Strategy: Nutrition, Health and Wellness Nutrition has always been an integral part of Nestlà ©s vision, dating back to its first nutritious infant formula. However, due to Nestlà ©s realisation of consumers being increasingly aware of the link between food, health and personal wellbeing, there has been more of a shift away from a technology and processing-driven image towards health and wellness (Bell and Shelman 2009). Under Brabecks tenure, a Nutrition Strategic Business Division was created, along with the acquisitions of Proteika, Musashi (nutrition business), Jenny Craig (diet centres) and Novartis Medical Nutrition (Bell and Shelman 2009). Restructuring of Research and Development Unit Nestlà © also made a strategic decision of restructuring its RD unit to satisfy customer needs and internal growth. This was by shifting away from small decentralized units set up globally to limited large resource-intensive centres. This was done to renovate old brands by finding multiple uses for its product. Under Brabecks tenure, a 60/40 preference rating system was introduced where products were either discontinued or sold if they did not achieve the 60% level. This was done in order to ameliorate the companys performance and market orientation (Bell and Shelman, 2009). 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   To what extent is the current strategy of NESTLE competitively sustainable in the future? How should it be rationalised and what new strategies ought to be developed in the future? Current strategy Nestlà ©s current strategy was to achieve worldwide sustainable competitiveness through four strategic pillars: low cost, efficient operations, renovation and innovation of the Nestle product line, universal availability and improved communication with consumers through better branding. They also had a vision of transforming the company from a technology-and processing-driven food and beverage company towards a vision of nutrition, health and wellness. (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p.3). Nestlà ©s current strategy of reorganizing its operations did come as an advantage as in some cases moved away from its agricultural and processing roots to buying the ingredients from outside suppliers (Bell and Shelman, 2009). This can be argued on the basis of Nestlà © reducing the steps of its value chain activities as Brabeck explained some of these activities could not add value to some businesses. An example would be the fact that Nestlà © exited from cocoa roasting but still carried on producing chocolate. This in turn reduced the costs and made the value chain more efficient. In fact, in terms of strategic operations, Lasserre (2012) argues that making fundamental changes in the value chain can lead to developing new products and services which can help a company sustain its innovative advantage. Moreover, to enhance the reliability of its suppliers, Nestlà © implemented a strategy of forming partnerships with its suppliers by creating direct links with them and providin g them with support and technical advice. This helped the company cope with the volatility of the supply market and enhance its operations.   Therefore, in terms of operational efficiency, Nestlà © can be seen to be sustainably competitive. Secondly, Nestlà ©s current strategy was focused on renovating and innovating its product line through reorganizing its RD.   Lasserre (2012) suggests that organizations such as Nestlà © could be trying to gain a critical mass advantage. He further explains that in order to achieve this, a minimum amount of resources needs to be mobilized for an activity to perform efficiently and effectively. Hence, Nestlà ©s shift from decentralized units of RD to few large resource-intensive centres. As a result of its RD centralization, Nestlà © was able to reinvigorate old brands; an example was finding multiple uses of the Nesquik brand from not only being a powder but to also present it as syrup and into ready to drink varieties. However, this strategy came at a disadvantage to Nestlà © as they lost the benefits of decentralization. These benefits include proximity to markets which gives a firm the ability to create products that fit local customer specificities, gaining access to geogr aphical clusters of knowledge creation and development access to good-quality scientists and the capability of a firm to learn from different market and cultures (Lasserre, 2012). Therefore, in terms of its RD strategy, it could be argued that Nestlà © will have trouble sustaining its competitive advantage in the future since part of its future strategy is to expand to other markets. Thirdly, with the introduction of GLOBE in the mid-2000s, Nestle initiated an era of capturing data by tying all of Nestlà ©s entities together under a common technological platform. This led to the company standardizing its data to manage its vast information and create and share knowledge among its Strategic business units, manufacturers and retailers. The main idea was to use shared knowledge to enhance the collaboration between all the different units of the company which can reduce costs and produce value all over the organisation. Bauwens (2012) outlines this as a social innovation where knowledge is shared and can be used by others. A good example would be the fact that the Globe system allowed for a synchronization of data leading to an improvement in order fulfilment between manufacturers and retailers. This has allowed Nestlà © to sustain its competitive advantage by adapting much faster to change and delivering value to customer (Lasserre, 2012). Therefore, knowledge sha ring has the potential to play a big role in helping Nestlà © maintain its competitive advantage.    Nestlà ©s final strategic pillar of improving communication between the organization and consumers through better branding could signify the companys efforts to differentiate its products. Barney (2011) would argue that Nestlà © could be trying to alter perceptions of current and potential consumers by altering its product features. In fact, Nestlà © focused on reducing fat and calories as well as incorporating healthy and natural ingredients into a wide range of products. It could be argued also that better branding is linked to its vision of moving from a food and beverage company to a wellness, health and nutrition company. This could also be Nestlà ©s way of differentiating its products by taking advantage of its reputation in the marketplace as a leading company in its industry. Therefore, customers would, in the long term, respond positively to the companys efforts of producing healthier products. Thus, if Nestlà © actually succeeds in changing peoples perceptions and posi tion itself as a health driven company, it can manage to maintain its competitive advantage in the future. It is through these four strategic pillars that Nestlà © derives its current model, the Nestlà © model, which refers to the companys long term of objectives of organic growth (target of 5% and 6% each year), continuous yearly improvement in EBIT and improve capital management which determines the assets of the company against the profit it generates (Bell and Shelman, 2009). The company seems to be achieving its objective as it has slightly improved its earnings before interest and taxes as seen in exhibit 6; it has slightly made progress in its capital management through its improved return on capital employed as seen in Appendix 2; and it has been able to achieve its objective of organic growth between 5% and 6% except for 3 years between 1996 -2007 years also indicated in Exhibit 6. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Nestlà ©s current strategy is competitively sustainable in the present however it remains to be seen if it can be successful in the future with its new vision . This is due to the fact that Nestlà © is possibly trying to implement both product differentiation and cost leadership strategies. Porter (1980) defines such firms as stuck in the middle (Barney, 2011). On the one hand, three of its strategic pillars indicate the companys intention of becoming a cost leader through low cost operations, restructuring its product line and efficiently managing its knowledge. On the other hand, it wants to differentiate its whole portfolio of products and services by changing the product features or by diversifying their products. Porter (1980) cited in Barney 2011 further explains that if a firm tries to implement both strategies then one of them will fail. He continues to add that for a firm to be economically superior in a single industry then they need to sell   at a high price and have small market share (product differentiator) or sell at a low price and gain significant market share (cost leader) therefore Nestlà © needs to decide which of the two it wants to become . As a result, a lot of their organizational requirements such as organizational structure and management control systems are stuck in the middle for example the fact that certain products need to be managed globally especially in the nutrition division while others are locally managed. Nestlà ©s current strategy could be rationalized by foregoing their vision of being a nutrition, health and wellness organization. Instead they should focus on being more of a healthier food and beverages company as a cost leader with its current Nestlà © model. First of all, if Nestlà © was to pursue a health, nutrition and wellness strategy Nestlà © would then have to restructure its product portfolio by getting rid of its unhealthy products such as Hot Pockets, and Kit-Kat. In exhibit 8 it can be seen that these products do not deliver growth to the company yet in exhibit 9 they seem to have a higher market share. This shows that the unhealthy products are in fact the cash cows of Nestlà © which indicate that they are the foundation of the company. It should try and follow Unilevers example of focusing on its core products. Therefore, Nestlà © should frame new strategies and make changes to its vision. Instead of holding on to unrealistic goals, the company could reposition itself in the market as becoming healthier than the competition. In fact, Nestlà © has already implemented this approach in the past with several products by introducing some nutritional improvements. As an example, Nestlà © reduced ice-cream fat by 50% and calories by 30% for Dreyers Slow Churned ice-creams and added healthy ingredients to some chocolate snacks (Bell and Shelman 2009). This indicates that the company has the resources needed to deploy this repositioning strategy. The company should also revaluate its SWOT analysis in terms of switching its vision to Health, Nutrition and Wellness. (refer to Appendix 2) Indeed, the strong RD platform enables Nestlà © to produce more healthy products while maintaining its taste. Moreover, Nestlà © has the capabilities of doing so with its open innovation model (global network with 5,000 scientists and technologists as well as RD centres worldwide) which enables the company to maximize its chances of coming up with new and innovative products. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regards to future strategies what are the strategic implementation issues likely to be faced by the company and what actions should they take to overcome them? Future strategies One of the future strategies of Nestlà © is to grow internally instead of growing through mergers and acquisition. Implementing this strategy could be catastrophic for the company as its growth has been largely relying on acquisitions and joint ventures. Nestlà © would also lose the benefits of using joint ventures, strategic alliances and acquisitions (Appendix 4). This would then imply that Nestlà © would have to use its own resources and core competencies to expand thus placing a greater risk on the business. It can also have a negative impact on the liquidity position of the company. A way in which this issue could be overcome is by applying both strategies. By applying both strategies, the company would be able to spread its corporate risk and share its costs as its return on capital employed still continues to generate profits for the company. Additionally, Nestlà © has managed to build strong foundations through mergers and acquisitions which has led it to improve its financial position. As seen on Exhibit 4, the acquisition of businesses has increased from 447 million in 2006 to 456 million in 2007 which has improved its cash flow. Therefore, in order to maintain a strong position, Nestlà © should carry on with mergers and acquisitions as well as growing internally. Another of the future strategies initiated by Bulcke is to shift the structure of Nestlà © from an organisation by country to an organisation by business through sharing best practices using GLOBE (Bell and Shelman 2009, p.10). He argues that this would enable Nestlà © to start managing its operations globally instead of adapting to every market. However, using the McKinsey 7s framework, many issues can be foreseen as seen on the table below. Factor Strategy Produce variety of quality products, wide variety of brands. Focus on nutrition, health and wellness. 4 strategic pillars (low cost, efficient operations, renovation and innovation of the Nestle product line, universal availability and improved communication with consumers through better branding) (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 3) Structure Decentralised and relatively flat organisational structure which helps to cater for local needs thus increasing flexibility. organized by country/ every country is like a small kingdom It has operations worldwide through strategic business units. System Comprehensive information system:   the GLOBE Employees move from the bottom up in the organisation. Style Democratic leadership style: managers are given autonomy to take decisions.   As such, they feel a sense of belonging in the organisation Staff Nestlà © maintains local companies with regional staff in local markets as they better understand the needs of customers. 43 regional organisations. More than 275,000 employees. It has a pool of experts- its staff consists of scientists, technologists from top universities (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 6) Skills Nestlà ©s competitive advantage is its RD. It has a high level of technology (23 Product Technology Centres), and  a network of experts around the world. (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 9). Shared Values Deliver long term value to shareholders. Focus on long term results. Unwritten culture strong personal culture (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 8). Although the change in the structure and the strategy was supported with a change in systems by adapting the GLOBE, other elements of the framework have not been adapted. For instance, the style used by Nestlà © was a democratic leadership style where management in the different countries are given a great deal of autonomy. By changing to a more centralized and global management style some internal resistance from the people can emerge.   The different markets are used to operating as small kingdoms (Bell and Shelman 2009, p.10). Therefore, given that country managers in the different countries were used to be given a great deal of freedom especially when dealing with issues related directly to the customer, this new strategy can produce some internal problems for Nestlà ©. To overcome this issue, other elements of the 7s framework have to be adapted. The main element that links everything together is shared values. Nestlà © has to work on making changes to its internal culture by introducing new shared values between its people. Implementing the GLOBE is not enough to implement the new strategy, a culture of sharing information and best practices should also be introduced and reinforced. Nestlà © should teach its people to move from a management style of taking control and matters into their own hands to a style of sharing control and producing decisions globally and collectively. The implementation of this approach may differ across countries due to the cross-cultural differences between countries. According to Lasserre (2012), country specific cultural values influence managerial values and assumptions in an organisation. As an example, Lasserre (2012) illustrates that western countries are more individualistic while Asian countries are collectivists which heavily impacts how business is done in these countries. In terms of implementing a culture of sharing, it can be assumed that Asian countries would respond more positively to the change than western countries.   Ã‚   Nestlà © intends to achieve its future growth by implementing four platforms for growth which are health, nutrition and wellness (to be the centrepiece), emerging markets, out of home consumption and premiumisation of existing products. (Bell and Shelman, 2009).The aforementioned strategy for growth is expected to double Nestlà ©s sales in the next 10 years. (Bell and Shelman, 2009)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bulcke emphasized that the priority should be on health, nutrition and wellness to implement the vision into every product segment and every country. This vision is in line with Brabecks strategies of going beyond food to Nutrition, Health and Wellness (Bell and Shelman, 2009). The total sales for Nestlà © Nutrition segment has significantly increased from 5,964 million in 2006 to 8,434 in 2007, which represents an improvement of 41% as shown in Exhibit 11. Although total sales have increased, most products that have led to this increase in sales were unhealthy. So, in order to maintain its vision as a Health, Nutrition and Wellness, Nestlà © should give up its unhealthy products in the long term. However, this would negatively impact on the financial position of the company as these are its core products. Moreover, making the same products available in every market might not be adapted to the needs of every customer in terms of tastes, preferences and nutritional value so Nestlà © should make sure at least every different product are tailored to the needs of every different market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regarding emerging markets, Bulcke found out that these markets are growing at a faster pace and therefore Nestlà © should integrate further into it as there is a high potential for growth. The implementation of popularly position products (PPP), a strategy designed for low income earners so they can afford good nutrition products on a daily basis, is ex

Song Analysis: We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel Essay example --

Every song has a story to tell, and some contain hidden stories or lessons, while others are completely blatant. In Billy Joel’s song, â€Å"We Didn’t Start the Fire,† he does not hesitate to be very obvious with what he tries to prove, which is how all of the events in his song contribute to one large fire. I chose to remediate Joel’s song because it spoke to me with historical context. When researching the song, I read a majority of the history behind it and decided to reflect upon it in a visual picture collage, combining a majority of the elements he mentions with pictures--all circled around a fire in the middle. I decided to also make red-dyed cupcakes reflecting the fire Joel speaks of and ice them with a flame, yet placing an X over it, since he claims â€Å"we didn’t start the fire.† Both of my remediation’s have elaborate histories, first starting with the collage. There is quite an intricate past of collages, beginning in the early 1900’s. The history of collages goes back to the time of Picasso. That is not really that long at all, so collages are relatively new compared to painting which began during the time of cavemen. â€Å"The first deliberate and innovative use of collage in fine art came in two works by Picasso in the spring of 1912† (Kachur 1). Picasso was not considered the one who created the collage, but rather the first to apply it to modern art in that time. It is not only fabulous artists who use collages. A lot of teenagers may create collages without even knowing it, just by assembling pictures of their family and friends, or of magazine clippings. Collages can be extremely dynamic or exceptionally simple, depending on who the artist is and the purpose of the piece of art. Collages are a great way to visually repres... ... a bookmark in history representing the events people had to encounter throughout those 40 years. Works Cited Delahunt, Michael. â€Å"Collage.† Artcyclopedia.com. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. Kachur, Lewis. â€Å"Collage.† Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 5 Nov. 2009. Musser, George. â€Å"Cupcakes.† Academic Search Premier. Sept. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. Stern, Fred. â€Å"A short history of collage (The Arts).† World and I. Dec. 2008. General OneFile. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. â€Å"We Didn’t Start the Fire.† Wikipedia.com. 30 Oct. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. Delahunt, Michael. â€Å"Collage.† Artcyclopedia.com. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. Kachur, Lewis. â€Å"Collage.† Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 5 Nov. 2009. Stern, Fred. â€Å"A short history of collage (The Arts).† World and I. Dec. 2008. General OneFile. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. â€Å"We Didn’t Start the Fire.† Wikipedia.com. 30 Oct. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.

Cabling and Factor Tools Essay

When choosing cabling for a network, there are several factors to consider: cost, Expansion capabilities, bandwidth, signal attenuation, and EMI (Electro- Magnetic Interference). Each type of cable has different specifications that affect these factors, and each organization has different needs. Considering Cable system factors is very important for building a network system that meets an organization’s needs. Now in the design of the installation of your cabling a poorly designed or installed network cabling set-up can reduce network performance. Today, data centers are growing and maturing, and cable management is becoming an important consideration. Proper cable management allows the fast identification of all system connections both at the physical layer and at the documentation level; good cable management also improves the maintenance of hardware equipment and the installation of new one; and finally, structured cabling management makes possible the effective cooling of the data center. You also have to consider fire and safety issues, for where you will be installing the cables. How they will be run throughout the building, will the cables be near other electrical cables and can it cause interference. Will the cableling be properly used under standards and local codes? And if not what would have to be done in order to makes sure it’s all up to code, and fire safety inspections. Some of the tools that will be needed for your installation will be Crimpers, Wire cutters/Stripper, Cable ties, Punch-down tools, voltage dectors, testing tools for when done. Also it would be smart to have a drill and bits/paddle bits, pliers, gloves, flashlight, and a tape measure. These are just a few things that would be useful to have. Prev Page Next Page Search